Hybrid adsorptive membrane reactor

DOEpatents

Tsotsis, Theodore T [Huntington Beach, CA; Sahimi, Muhammad [Altadena, CA; Fayyaz-Najafi, Babak [Richmond, CA; Harale, Aadesh [Los Angeles, CA; Park, Byoung-Gi [Yeosu, KR; Liu, Paul K. T. [Lafayette Hill, PA

2011-03-01

A hybrid adsorbent-membrane reactor in which the chemical reaction, membrane separation, and product adsorption are coupled. Also disclosed are a dual-reactor apparatus and a process using the reactor or the apparatus.

One Step Biomass Gas Reforming-Shift Separation Membrane Reactor

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

Roberts, Michael J.; Souleimanova, Razima

2012-12-28

GTI developed a plan where efforts were concentrated in 4 major areas: membrane material development, membrane module development, membrane process development, and membrane gasifier scale-up. GTI assembled a team of researchers to work in each area. Task 1.1 Ceramic Membrane Synthesis and Testing was conducted by Arizona State University (ASU), Task 1.2 Metallic Membrane Synthesis and Testing was conducted by the U.S. National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Task 1.3 was conducted by SCHOTT, and GTI was to test all membranes that showed potential. The initial focus of the project was concentrated on membrane material development. Metallic and glass-based membranes weremore » identified as hydrogen selective membranes under the conditions of the biomass gasification, temperatures above 700C and pressures up to 30 atmospheres. Membranes were synthesized by arc-rolling for metallic type membranes and incorporating Pd into a glass matrix for glass membranes. Testing for hydrogen permeability properties were completed and the effects of hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide were investigated for perspective membranes. The initial candidate membrane of Pd80Cu20 chosen in 2008 was selected for preliminary reactor design and cost estimates. Although the H2A analysis results indicated a $1.96 cost per gge H2 based on a 5A (micron) thick PdCu membrane, there was not long-term operation at the required flux to satisfy the go/no go decision. Since the future PSA case yielded a $2.00/gge H2, DOE decided that there was insufficient savings compared with the already proven PSA technology to further pursue the membrane reactor design. All ceramic membranes synthesized by ASU during the project showed low hydrogen flux as compared with metallic membranes. The best ceramic membrane showed hydrogen permeation flux of 0.03 SCFH/ft2 at the required process conditions while the metallic membrane, Pd80Cu20 showed a flux of 47.2 SCFH/ft2 (3 orders of magnitude difference). Results from NETL showed Pd80Cu20 with the highest flux, therefore it was chosen as the initial and eventually, final candidate membrane. The criteria for choice were high hydrogen flux, long-term stability, and H2S tolerance. Results from SCHOTT using glass membranes showed a maximum of 0.25 SCFH/ft2, that is an order of magnitude better than the ceramic membrane but still two orders of magnitude lower than the metallic membrane. A membrane module was designed to be tested with an actual biomass gasifier. Some parts of the module were ordered but the work was stopped when a no go decision was made by the DOE.« less

Membrane contactor/separator for an advanced ozone membrane reactor for treatment of recalcitrant organic pollutants in water

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

Chan, Wai Kit, E-mail: kekyeung@ust.hk; Joueet, Justine; Heng, Samuel

An advanced ozone membrane reactor that synergistically combines membrane distributor for ozone gas, membrane contactor for pollutant adsorption and reaction, and membrane separator for clean water production is described. The membrane reactor represents an order of magnitude improvement over traditional semibatch reactor design and is capable of complete conversion of recalcitrant endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in water at less than three minutes residence time. Coating the membrane contactor with alumina and hydrotalcite (Mg/Al=3) adsorbs and traps the organics in the reaction zone resulting in 30% increase of total organic carbon (TOC) removal. Large surface area coating that diffuses surface chargesmore » from adsorbed polar organic molecules is preferred as it reduces membrane polarization that is detrimental to separation. - Graphical abstract: Advanced ozone membrane reactor synergistically combines membrane distributor for ozone, membrane contactor for sorption and reaction and membrane separator for clean water production to achieve an order of magnitude enhancement in treatment performance compared to traditional ozone reactor. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Novel reactor using membranes for ozone distributor, reaction contactor and water separator. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Designed to achieve an order of magnitude enhancement over traditional reactor. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and hydrotalcite coatings capture and trap pollutants giving additional 30% TOC removal. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer High surface area coating prevents polarization and improves membrane separation and life.« less

System and method for air temperature control in an oxygen transport membrane based reactor

DOEpatents

Kelly, Sean M

2016-09-27

A system and method for air temperature control in an oxygen transport membrane based reactor is provided. The system and method involves introducing a specific quantity of cooling air or trim air in between stages in a multistage oxygen transport membrane based reactor or furnace to maintain generally consistent surface temperatures of the oxygen transport membrane elements and associated reactors. The associated reactors may include reforming reactors, boilers or process gas heaters.

System and method for temperature control in an oxygen transport membrane based reactor

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

Kelly, Sean M.

A system and method for temperature control in an oxygen transport membrane based reactor is provided. The system and method involves introducing a specific quantity of cooling air or trim air in between stages in a multistage oxygen transport membrane based reactor or furnace to maintain generally consistent surface temperatures of the oxygen transport membrane elements and associated reactors. The associated reactors may include reforming reactors, boilers or process gas heaters.

Oxidative coupling of methane using inorganic membrane reactor

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

Ma, Y.H.; Moser, W.R.; Dixon, A.G.

1995-12-31

The goal of this research is to improve the oxidative coupling of methane in a catalytic inorganic membrane reactor. A specific target is to achieve conversion of methane to C{sub 2} hydrocarbons at very high selectivity and relatively higher yields than in fixed bed reactors by controlling the oxygen supply through the membrane. A membrane reactor has the advantage of precisely controlling the rate of delivery of oxygen to the catalyst. This facility permits balancing the rate of oxidation and reduction of the catalyst. In addition, membrane reactors minimize the concentration of gas phase oxygen thus reducing non selective gasmore » phase reactions, which are believed to be a main route for formation of CO{sub x} products. Such gas phase reactions are a cause for decreased selectivity in oxidative coupling of methane in conventional flow reactors. Membrane reactors could also produce higher product yields by providing better distribution of the reactant gases over the catalyst than the conventional plug flow reactors. Modeling work which aimed at predicting the observed experimental trends in porous membrane reactors was also undertaken in this research program.« less

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.

Bioremediation and Detoxification of the Textile Wastewater with Membrane Bioreactor Using the White-rot Fungus and Reuse of Wastewater

PubMed Central

Hossain, Kaizar; Quaik, Shlrene; Ismail, Norli; Rafatullah, Mohd; Avasan, Maruthi; Shaik, Rameeja

2016-01-01

Background Application of membrane technology to wastewater treatment has expanded over the last decades due to increasingly stringent legislation, greater opportunities for water reuse/recycling processes and continuing advancement in membrane technology. Objectives In the present study, a bench-scale submerged microfiltration membrane bioreactor (MBR) was used to assess the treatment of textile wastewater. Materials and Methods The decolorization capacity of white-rot fungus coriolus versicolor was confirmed through agar plate and liquid batch studies. The temperature and pH of the reactor were controlled at 29±1°C and 4.5±2, respectively. The bioreactor was operated with an average flux of 0.05 m.d-1 (HRT=15hrs) for a month. Results Extensive growth of fungi and their attachment to the membrane led to its fouling and associated increase of the transmembrane pressure requiring a periodic withdrawal of sludge and membrane cleaning. However, stable decoloration activity (approx. 98%), BOD (40-50%), COD (50-67%) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal (>95%) was achieved using the entire system (fungi + membrane), while the contribution of the fungi culture alone for TOC removal, as indicated by the quality of the reactor supernatant, was 35-50% and 70%, respectively. Conclusions The treated wastewater quality satisfied the requirement of water quality for dyeing and finishing process excluding light coloration. Therefore, textile wastewater reclamation and reuse is a promising alternative, which can both conserve or supplement the available water resource and reduce or eliminate the environmental pollution. PMID:28959331

Demonstration of Robustness and Integrated Operation of a Series-Bosch System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abney, Morgan B.; Mansell, Matthew J.; Stanley, Christine; Barnett, Bill; Junaedi, Christian; Vilekar, Saurabh A.; Ryan, Kent

2016-01-01

Manned missions beyond low Earth orbit will require highly robust, reliable, and maintainable life support systems that maximize recycling of water and oxygen. Bosch technology is one option to maximize oxygen recovery, in the form of water, from metabolically-produced carbon dioxide (CO2). A two stage approach to Bosch, called Series-Bosch, reduces metabolic CO2 with hydrogen (H2) to produce water and solid carbon using two reactors: a Reverse Water-Gas Shift (RWGS) reactor and a carbon formation (CF) reactor. Previous development efforts demonstrated the stand-alone performance of a NASA-designed RWGS reactor designed for robustness against carbon formation, two membrane separators intended to maximize single pass conversion of reactants, and a batch CF reactor with both transit and surface catalysts. In the past year, Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) developed and delivered a RWGS reactor for testing at NASA. The reactor design was based on their patented Microlith® technology and was first evaluated under a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) effort in 2010. The RWGS reactor was recently evaluated at NASA to compare its performance and operating conditions with NASA's RWGS reactor. The test results will be provided in this paper. Separately, in 2015, a semi-continuous CF reactor was designed and fabricated at NASA based on the results from batch CF reactor testing. The batch CF reactor and the semi-continuous CF reactor were individually integrated with an upstream RWGS reactor to demonstrate the system operation and to evaluate performance. Here, we compare the performance and robustness to carbon formation of both RWGS reactors. We report the results of the integrated operation of a Series-Bosch system and we discuss the technology readiness level.

Ceramic oxygen transport membrane array reactor and reforming method

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

Kelly, Sean M.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Robinson, Charles

2016-11-08

The invention relates to a commercially viable modular ceramic oxygen transport membrane reforming reactor configured using repeating assemblies of oxygen transport membrane tubes and catalytic reforming reactors.

Preliminary design studies on a nuclear seawater desalination system

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

Wibisono, A. F.; Jung, Y. H.; Choi, J.

2012-07-01

Seawater desalination is one of the most promising technologies to provide fresh water especially in the arid region. The most used technology in seawater desalination are thermal desalination (MSF and MED) and membrane desalination (RO). Some developments have been done in the area of coupling the desalination plant with a nuclear reactor to reduce the cost of energy required in thermal desalination. The coupling a nuclear reactor to a desalination plant can be done either by using the co-generation or by using dedicated heat from a nuclear system. The comparison of the co-generation nuclear reactor with desalination plant, dedicated nuclearmore » heat system, and fossil fueled system will be discussed in this paper using economical assessment with IAEA DEEP software. A newly designed nuclear system dedicated for the seawater desalination will also be suggested by KAIST (Korea Advanced Inst. of Science and Technology) research team and described in detail within this paper. The suggested reactor system is using gas cooled type reactor and in this preliminary study the scope of design will be limited to comparison of two cases in different operating temperature ranges. (authors)« less

BIOWINOL TECHNOLOGIES: A HYBRID GREEN PROCESS FOR BIOFUEL PRODUCTION – PHASE 2

EPA Science Inventory

The development of hollow fiber membrane (HFM) reactor will result in improved gas utilization that will positively impact overall process efficiencies. Successful completion of this project could result in the development of many decentralized biofuel production systems near ...

Improvement of anaerobic digestion performance by continuous nitrogen removal with a membrane contactor treating a substrate rich in ammonia and sulfide.

PubMed

Lauterböck, B; Nikolausz, M; Lv, Z; Baumgartner, M; Liebhard, G; Fuchs, W

2014-04-01

The effect of reduced ammonia levels on anaerobic digestion was investigated. Two reactors were fed with slaughterhouse waste, one with a hollow fiber membrane contractor for ammonia removal and one without. Different organic loading rates (OLR) and free ammonia and sulfide concentrations were investigated. In the reactor with the membrane contactor, the NH4-N concentration was reduced threefold. At a moderate OLR (3.1 kg chemical oxygen demand - COD/m(3)/d), this reactor performed significantly better than the reference reactor. At high OLR (4.2 kg COD/m(3)/d), the reference reactor almost stopped producing methane (0.01 Nl/gCOD). The membrane reactor also showed a stable process with a methane yield of 0.23 Nl/g COD was achieved. Both reactors had predominantly a hydrogenotrophic microbial consortium, however in the membrane reactor the genus Methanosaeta (acetoclastic) was also detected. In general, all relevant parameters and the methanogenic consortium indicated improved anaerobic digestion of the reactor with the membrane. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane bio-reactor for textile wastewater treatment plant upgrading.

PubMed

Lubello, C; Gori, R

2005-01-01

Textile industries carry out several fiber treatments using variable quantities of water, from five to forty times the fiber weight, and consequently generate large volumes of wastewater to be disposed of. Membrane Bio-reactors (MBRs) combine membrane technology with biological reactors for the treatment of wastewater: micro or ultrafiltration membranes are used for solid-liquid separation replacing the secondary settling of the traditional activated sludge system. This paper deals with the possibility of realizing a new section of one existing WWTP (activated sludge + clariflocculation + ozonation) for the treatment of treating textile wastewater to be recycled, equipped with an MBR (76 l/s as design capacity) and running in parallel with the existing one. During a 4-month experimental period, a pilot-scale MBR proved to be very effective for wastewater reclamation. On average, removal efficiency of the pilot plant (93% for COD, and over 99% for total suspended solids) was higher than the WWTP ones. Color was removed as in the WWTP. Anionic surfactants removal of pilot plant was lower than that of the WWTP (90.5 and 93.2% respectively), while the BiAS removal was higher in the pilot plant (98.2 vs. 97.1). At the end cost analysis of the proposed upgrade is reported.

Recent Advances in Pd-Based Membranes for Membrane Reactors.

PubMed

Arratibel Plazaola, Alba; Pacheco Tanaka, David Alfredo; Van Sint Annaland, Martin; Gallucci, Fausto

2017-01-01

Palladium-based membranes for hydrogen separation have been studied by several research groups during the last 40 years. Much effort has been dedicated to improving the hydrogen flux of these membranes employing different alloys, supports, deposition/production techniques, etc. High flux and cheap membranes, yet stable at different operating conditions are required for their exploitation at industrial scale. The integration of membranes in multifunctional reactors (membrane reactors) poses additional demands on the membranes as interactions at different levels between the catalyst and the membrane surface can occur. Particularly, when employing the membranes in fluidized bed reactors, the selective layer should be resistant to or protected against erosion. In this review we will also describe a novel kind of membranes, the pore-filled type membranes prepared by Pacheco Tanaka and coworkers that represent a possible solution to integrate thin selective membranes into membrane reactors while protecting the selective layer. This work is focused on recent advances on metallic supports, materials used as an intermetallic diffusion layer when metallic supports are used and the most recent advances on Pd-based composite membranes. Particular attention is paid to improvements on sulfur resistance of Pd based membranes, resistance to hydrogen embrittlement and stability at high temperature.

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.

An extractive membrane biofilm reactor as alternative technology for the treatment of methyl tert-butyl ether contaminated water.

PubMed

Guisado, I M; Purswani, J; González-López, J; Pozo, C

2016-09-01

Among the strategies developed for contaminated groundwater bioremediation, those based on the use of bacteria adhering to inert supports and establishing biofilms have gained great importance in this field. Extractive membrane biofilm reactor (EMBFR) technology offers productive solutions for the removal of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. EMBFR technology is based on the use of extractive semipermeable membranes through which contaminants migrate to the biological compartment in which microorganisms with pollutant biotransformation and/or mineralization capacities can grow, forming an active biofilm on the membrane surface. The objective of this study was to assess the use of three bacterial strains (Paenibacillus sp. SH7 CECT 8558, Agrobacterium sp. MS2 CECT 8557, and Rhodococcus ruber EE6 CECT 8612), as inoculum in a lab-scale EMBFR running for 28 days under aerobic conditions to eliminate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) from water samples. Three different hydraulic retention times (1, 6, and 12 h) were employed. MTBE degradation values were determined daily by a gas GC-MS technique, as well as suspended bacterial growth. The biofilm established by the bacterial strains on the semipermeable membrane was detected by Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) at the end of each experiment. The acute toxicity of the treated effluents and biomedium was determined by Microtox © assay (EC 50 ).The results achieved from the MTBE degradation, biofilm formation, and toxicity analysis indicated that bacterial strains MS2 and EE6 were the best options as selective inoculum, although further research is needed, particularly with regard to their possible use as a mixed culture. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1238-1245, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Pre-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture by a New Dual Phase Ceramic-Carbonate Membrane Reactor

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

Lin, Jerry Y. S.

2015-01-31

This report documents synthesis, characterization and carbon dioxide permeation and separation properties of a new group of ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membranes and results of a laboratory study on their application for water gas shift reaction with carbon dioxide separation. A series of ceramic-carbonate dual phase membranes with various oxygen ionic or mixed ionic and electronic conducting metal oxide materials in disk, tube, symmetric, and asymmetric geometric configurations was developed. These membranes, with the thickness of 10 μm to 1.5 mm, show CO 2 permeance in the range of 0.5-5×10 -7 mol·m -2·s -1·Pa -1 in 500-900°C and measured CO 2/N 2more » selectivity of up to 3000. CO 2 permeation mechanism and factors that affect CO 2 permeation through the dual-phase membranes have been identified. A reliable CO 2 permeation model was developed. A robust method was established for the optimization of the microstructures of ceramic-carbonate membranes. The ceramic-carbonate membranes exhibit high stability for high temperature CO 2 separations and water gas shift reaction. Water gas shift reaction in the dual-phase membrane reactors was studied by both modeling and experiments. It is found that high temperature syngas water gas shift reaction in tubular ceramic-carbonate dual phase membrane reactor is feasible even without catalyst. The membrane reactor exhibits good CO 2 permeation flux, high thermal and chemical stability and high thermal shock resistance. Reaction and separation conditions in the membrane reactor to produce hydrogen of 93% purity and CO 2 stream of >95% purity, with 90% CO 2 capture have been identified. Integration of the ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membrane reactor with IGCC process for carbon dioxide capture was analyzed. A methodology was developed to identify optimum operation conditions for a membrane tube of given dimensions that would treat coal syngas with targeted performance. The calculation results show that the dual-phase membrane reactor could improve IGCC process efficiency but the cost of the membrane reactor with membranes having current CO 2 permeance is high. Further research should be directed towards improving the performance of the membranes and developing cost-effective, scalable methods for fabrication of dual-phase membranes and membrane reactors.« less

A submerged ceramic membrane reactor for the p-nitrophenol hydrogenation over nano-sized nickel catalysts.

PubMed

Chen, R Z; Sun, H L; Xing, W H; Jin, W Q; Xu, N P

2009-02-01

The catalytic hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol over nano-sized nickel catalysts was carried out in a submerged ceramic membrane reactor. It has been demonstrated that the submerged ceramic membrane reactor is more suitable for the p-nitrophenol hydrogenation over nano-sized nickel catalysts compared with the side-stream ceramic membrane reactor, and the membrane module configuration has a great influence on the reaction rate of p-nitrophenol hydrogenation and the membrane treating capacity. The deactivation of nano-sized nickel is mainly caused by the adsorption of impurity on the surface of nickel and the increase of oxidation degree of nickel.

Applicability of anaerobic membrane bioreactors for landfill leachate treatment: Review and opportunity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abuabdou, Salahaldin M. A.; Bashir, Mohammed J. K.; Aun, Ng Choon; Sethupathi, Sumathi

2018-04-01

Sanitary landfilling is nowadays the most common way to eliminate municipal solid wastes (MSW). The resulted landfill leachate is a highly contaminated liquid. Even small quantities of this high-strength leachate can cause serious damage to surface and ground water receptors. Thus, these leachates must be appropriately treated before being discharged into the environment. In the last years, anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology is being considered as a very attractive alternative for leachate treatment due to the significant advantages. In the last decade, many studies have been conducted in which various types of anaerobic reactors were used in combination with membranes. This paper is a review of the potential of anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology for municipal landfill leachate treatment. A critical review in AnMBR performance interesting landfill leachate in lab scale is also done. In addition, the review discusses the impact of the various factors on both biological and filtration performances of anaerobic membrane bioreactors.

Solid state oxygen anion and electron mediating membrane and catalytic membrane reactors containing them

DOEpatents

Schwartz, Michael; White, James H.; Sammells, Anthony F.

2005-09-27

This invention relates to gas-impermeable, solid state materials fabricated into membranes for use in catalytic membrane reactors. This invention particularly relates to solid state oxygen anion- and electron-mediating membranes for use in catalytic membrane reactors for promoting partial or full oxidation of different chemical species, for decomposition of oxygen-containing species, and for separation of oxygen from other gases. Solid state materials for use in the membranes of this invention include mixed metal oxide compounds having the brownmillerite crystal structure.

Solid state oxygen anion and electron mediating membrane and catalytic membrane reactors containing them

DOEpatents

Schwartz, Michael; White, James H.; Sammels, Anthony F.

2000-01-01

This invention relates to gas-impermeable, solid state materials fabricated into membranes for use in catalytic membrane reactors. This invention particularly relates to solid state oxygen anion- and electron-mediating membranes for use in catalytic membrane reactors for promoting partial or full oxidation of different chemical species, for decomposition of oxygen-containing species, and for separation of oxygen from other gases. Solid state materials for use in the membranes of this invention include mixed metal oxide compounds having the brownmillerite crystal structure.

Combined effects of EPS and HRT enhanced biofouling on a submerged and hybrid PAC-MF membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Khan, Mohiuddin Md Taimur; Takizawa, Satoshi; Lewandowski, Zbigniew; Habibur Rahman, M; Komatsu, Kazuhiro; Nelson, Sara E; Kurisu, Futoshi; Camper, Anne K; Katayama, Hiroyuki; Ohgaki, Shinichiro

2013-02-01

The goal of this study was to quantify and demonstrate the dynamic effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), organic carbon and various components of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by microorganisms on the performance of submersed hollow-fiber microfiltration (MF) membrane in a hybrid powdered activated carbon (PAC)-MF membrane bioreactor (MBR). The reactors were operated continuously for 45 days to treat surface (river) water before and after pretreatment using a biofiltration unit. The real-time levels of organic carbon and the major components of EPS including five different carbohydrates (D(+) glucose and D(+) mannose, D(+) galactose, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and D-galactose, oligosaccharides and L(-) fucose), proteins, and polysaccharides were quantified in the influent water, foulants, and in the bulk phases of different reactors. The presence of PAC extended the filtration cycle and enhanced the organic carbon adsorption and removal more than two fold. Biological filtration improved the filtrate quality and decreased membrane fouling. However, HRT influenced the length of the filtration cycle and had less effect on organic carbon and EPS component removal and/or biodegradation. The abundance of carbohydrates in the foulants on MF surfaces was more than 40 times higher than in the bulk phase, which demonstrates that the accumulation of carbohydrates on membrane surfaces contributed to the increase in transmembrane pressure significantly and PAC was not a potential adsorbent of carbohydrates. The abundance of N-acetyl-d-galactosamine and d-galactose was the highest in the foulants on membranes receiving biofilter-treated river water. Most of the biological fouling compounds were produced inside the reactors due to biodegradation. PAC inside the reactor enhanced the biodegradation of polysaccharides up to 97% and that of proteins by more than 95%. This real-time extensive and novel study demonstrates that the PAC-MF hybrid MBR is a sustainable technology for treating river water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling and Design Optimization of Multifunctional Membrane Reactors for Direct Methane Aromatization

PubMed Central

Fouty, Nicholas J.; Carrasco, Juan C.; Lima, Fernando V.

2017-01-01

Due to the recent increase of natural gas production in the U.S., utilizing natural gas for higher-value chemicals has become imperative. Direct methane aromatization (DMA) is a promising process used to convert methane to benzene, but it is limited by low conversion of methane and rapid catalyst deactivation by coking. Past work has shown that membrane separation of the hydrogen produced in the DMA reactions can dramatically increase the methane conversion by shifting the equilibrium toward the products, but it also increases coke production. Oxygen introduction into the system has been shown to inhibit this coke production while not inhibiting the benzene production. This paper introduces a novel mathematical model and design to employ both methods in a multifunctional membrane reactor to push the DMA process into further viability. Multifunctional membrane reactors, in this case, are reactors where two different separations occur using two differently selective membranes, on which no systems studies have been found. The proposed multifunctional membrane design incorporates a hydrogen-selective membrane on the outer wall of the reaction zone, and an inner tube filled with airflow surrounded by an oxygen-selective membrane in the middle of the reactor. The design is shown to increase conversion via hydrogen removal by around 100%, and decrease coke production via oxygen addition by 10% when compared to a tubular reactor without any membranes. Optimization studies are performed to determine the best reactor design based on methane conversion, along with coke and benzene production. The obtained optimal design considers a small reactor (length = 25 cm, diameter of reaction tube = 0.7 cm) to subvert coke production and consumption of the product benzene as well as a high permeance (0.01 mol/s·m2·atm1/4) through the hydrogen-permeable membrane. This modeling and design approach sets the stage for guiding further development of multifunctional membrane reactor models and designs for natural gas utilization and other chemical reaction systems. PMID:28850068

Use of a Ceramic Membrane to Improve the Performance of Two-Separate-Phase Biocatalytic Membrane Reactor.

PubMed

Ranieri, Giuseppe; Mazzei, Rosalinda; Wu, Zhentao; Li, Kang; Giorno, Lidietta

2016-03-14

Biocatalytic membrane reactors (BMR) combining reaction and separation within the same unit have many advantages over conventional reactor designs. Ceramic membranes are an attractive alternative to polymeric membranes in membrane biotechnology due to their high chemical, thermal and mechanical resistance. Another important use is their potential application in a biphasic membrane system, where support solvent resistance is highly needed. In this work, the preparation of asymmetric ceramic hollow fibre membranes and their use in a two-separate-phase biocatalytic membrane reactor will be described. The asymmetric ceramic hollow fibre membranes were prepared using a combined phase inversion and sintering technique. The prepared fibres were then used as support for lipase covalent immobilization in order to develop a two-separate-phase biocatalytic membrane reactor. A functionalization method was proposed in order to increase the density of the reactive hydroxyl groups on the surface of ceramic membranes, which were then amino-activated and treated with a crosslinker. The performance and the stability of the immobilized lipase were investigated as a function of the amount of the immobilized biocatalytst. Results showed that it is possible to immobilize lipase on a ceramic membrane without altering its catalytic performance (initial residual specific activity 93%), which remains constant after 6 reaction cycles.

Membrane biofouling mechanism in an aerobic granular reactor degrading 4-chlorophenol.

PubMed

Buitrón, Germán; Moreno-Andrade, Iván; Arellano-Badillo, Víctor M; Ramírez-Amaya, Víctor

2014-01-01

The membrane fouling of an aerobic granular reactor coupled with a submerged membrane in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was evaluated. The fouling analysis was performed by applying microscopy techniques to determine the morphology and structure of the fouling layer on a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane. It was found that the main cause of fouling was the polysaccharide adsorption on the membrane surface, followed by the growth of microorganisms to form a biofilm.

Carbon dioxide (hydrogen sulfide) membrane separations and WGS membrane reactor modeling for fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jin

Acid-gas removal is of great importance in many environmental or energy-related processes. Compared to current commercial technologies, membrane-based CO2 and H2S capture has the advantages of low energy consumption, low weight and space requirement, simplicity of installation/operation, and high process flexibility. However, the large-scale application of the membrane separation technology is limited by the relatively low transport properties. In this study, CO2 (H2S)-selective polymeric membranes with high permeability and high selectivity have been studied based on the facilitated transport mechanism. The membrane showed facilitated effect for both CO2 and H2S. A CO2 permeability of above 2000 Barrers, a CO2/H2 selectivity of greater than 40, and a CO2/N2 selectivity of greater than 200 at 100--150°C were observed. As a result of higher reaction rate and smaller diffusing compound, the H2S permeability and H2S/H2 selectivity were about three times higher than those properties for CO2. The novel CO2-selective membrane has been applied to capture CO 2 from flue gas and natural gas. In the CO2 capture experiments from a gas mixture with N2 and H2, a permeate CO 2 dry concentration of greater than 98% was obtained by using steam as the sweep gas. In CO2/CH4 separation, decent CO 2 transport properties were obtained with a feed pressure up to 500 psia. With the thin-film composite membrane structure, significant increase on the CO2 flux was achieved with the decrease of the selective layer thickness. With the continuous removal of CO2, CO2-selective water-gas-shift (WGS) membrane reactor is a promising approach to enhance CO conversion and increase the purity of H2 at process pressure under relatively low temperature. The simultaneous reaction and transport process in the countercurrent WGS membrane reactor was simulated by using a one-dimensional non-isothermal model. The modeling results show that a CO concentration of less than 10 ppm and a H2 recovery of greater than 97% are achievable from reforming syngases. In an experimental study, the reversible WGS was shifted forward by removing CO2 so that the CO concentration was significantly decreased to less than 10 ppm. The modeling results agreed well with the experimental data.

Integration of Nine Steps into One Membrane Reactor To Produce Synthesis Gases for Ammonia and Liquid Fuel.

PubMed

Li, Wenping; Zhu, Xuefeng; Chen, Shuguang; Yang, Weishen

2016-07-18

The synthesis of ammonia and liquid fuel are two important chemical processes in which most of the energy is consumed in the production of H2 /N2 and H2 /CO synthesis gases from natural gas (methane). Here, we report a membrane reactor with a mixed ionic-electronic conducting membrane, in which the nine steps for the production of the two types of synthesis gases are shortened to one step by using water, air, and methane as feeds. In the membrane reactor, there is no direct CO2 emission and no CO or H2 S present in the ammonia synthesis gas. The energy consumption for the production of the two synthesis gases can be reduced by 63 % by using this membrane reactor. This promising membrane reactor process has been successfully demonstrated by experiment. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Oxygen transport membrane system and method for transferring heat to catalytic/process reactors

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

Kelly, Sean M.; Kromer, Brian R.; Litwin, Michael M.

A method and apparatus for producing heat used in a synthesis gas production process is provided. The disclosed method and apparatus include a plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements adapted to separate oxygen from an oxygen containing stream contacting the retentate side of the membrane elements. The permeated oxygen is combusted with a hydrogen containing synthesis gas stream contacting the permeate side of the tubular oxygen transport membrane elements thereby generating a reaction product stream and radiant heat. The present method and apparatus also includes at least one catalytic reactor containing a catalyst to promote the steam reforming reactionmore » wherein the catalytic reactor is surrounded by the plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements. The view factor between the catalytic reactor and the plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements radiating heat to the catalytic reactor is greater than or equal to 0.5« less

Oxygen transport membrane system and method for transferring heat to catalytic/process reactors

DOEpatents

Kelly, Sean M; Kromer, Brian R; Litwin, Michael M; Rosen, Lee J; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Wilson, Jamie R; Kosowski, Lawrence W; Robinson, Charles

2014-01-07

A method and apparatus for producing heat used in a synthesis gas production is provided. The disclosed method and apparatus include a plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements adapted to separate oxygen from an oxygen containing stream contacting the retentate side of the membrane elements. The permeated oxygen is combusted with a hydrogen containing synthesis gas stream contacting the permeate side of the tubular oxygen transport membrane elements thereby generating a reaction product stream and radiant heat. The present method and apparatus also includes at least one catalytic reactor containing a catalyst to promote the stream reforming reaction wherein the catalytic reactor is surrounded by the plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements. The view factor between the catalytic reactor and the plurality of tubular oxygen transport membrane elements radiating heat to the catalytic reactor is greater than or equal to 0.5.

Steam reforming of heptane in a fluidized bed membrane reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakib, Mohammad A.; Grace, John R.; Lim, C. Jim; Elnashaie, Said S. E. H.

n-Heptane served as a model compound to study steam reforming of naphtha as an alternative feedstock to natural gas for production of pure hydrogen in a fluidized bed membrane reactor. Selective removal of hydrogen using Pd 77Ag 23 membrane panels shifted the equilibrium-limited reactions to greater conversion of the hydrocarbons and lower yields of methane, an intermediate product. Experiments were conducted with no membranes, with one membrane panel, and with six panels along the height of the reactor to understand the performance improvement due to hydrogen removal in a reactor where catalyst particles were fluidized. Results indicate that a fluidized bed membrane reactor (FBMR) can provide a compact reformer for pure hydrogen production from a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock at moderate temperatures (475-550 °C). Under the experimental conditions investigated, the maximum achieved yield of pure hydrogen was 14.7 moles of pure hydrogen per mole of heptane fed.

Decomposition of atrazine traces in water by combination of non-thermal electrical discharge and adsorption on nanofiber membrane.

PubMed

Vanraes, Patrick; Willems, Gert; Daels, Nele; Van Hulle, Stijn W H; De Clerck, Karen; Surmont, Pieter; Lynen, Frederic; Vandamme, Jeroen; Van Durme, Jim; Nikiforov, Anton; Leys, Christophe

2015-04-01

In recent decades, several types of persistent substances are detected in the aquatic environment at very low concentrations. Unfortunately, conventional water treatment processes are not able to remove these micropollutants. As such, advanced treatment methods are required to meet both current and anticipated maximally allowed concentrations. Plasma discharge in contact with water is a promising new technology, since it produces a wide spectrum of oxidizing species. In this study, a new type of reactor is tested, in which decomposition by atmospheric pulsed direct barrier discharge (pDBD) plasma is combined with micropollutant adsorption on a nanofiber polyamide membrane. Atrazine is chosen as model micropollutant with an initial concentration of 30 μg/L. While the H2O2 and O3 production in the reactor is not influenced by the presence of the membrane, there is a significant increase in atrazine decomposition when the membrane is added. With membrane, 85% atrazine removal can be obtained in comparison to only 61% removal without membrane, at the same experimental parameters. The by-products of atrazine decomposition identified by HPLC-MS are deethylatrazine and ammelide. Formation of these by-products is more pronounced when the membrane is added. These results indicate the synergetic effect of plasma discharge and pollutant adsorption, which is attractive for future applications of water treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved Recovery and Identification of Membrane Proteins from Rat Hepatic Cells using a Centrifugal Proteomic Reactor*

PubMed Central

Zhou, Hu; Wang, Fangjun; Wang, Yuwei; Ning, Zhibin; Hou, Weimin; Wright, Theodore G.; Sundaram, Meenakshi; Zhong, Shumei; Yao, Zemin; Figeys, Daniel

2011-01-01

Despite their importance in many biological processes, membrane proteins are underrepresented in proteomic analysis because of their poor solubility (hydrophobicity) and often low abundance. We describe a novel approach for the identification of plasma membrane proteins and intracellular microsomal proteins that combines membrane fractionation, a centrifugal proteomic reactor for streamlined protein extraction, protein digestion and fractionation by centrifugation, and high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem MS. The performance of this approach was illustrated for the study of the proteome of ER and Golgi microsomal membranes in rat hepatic cells. The centrifugal proteomic reactor identified 945 plasma membrane proteins and 955 microsomal membrane proteins, of which 63 and 47% were predicted as bona fide membrane proteins, respectively. Among these proteins, >800 proteins were undetectable by the conventional in-gel digestion approach. The majority of the membrane proteins only identified by the centrifugal proteomic reactor were proteins with ≥2 transmembrane segments or proteins with high molecular mass (e.g. >150 kDa) and hydrophobicity. The improved proteomic reactor allowed the detection of a group of endocytic and/or signaling receptor proteins on the plasma membrane, as well as apolipoproteins and glycerolipid synthesis enzymes that play a role in the assembly and secretion of apolipoprotein B100-containing very low density lipoproteins. Thus, the centrifugal proteomic reactor offers a new analytical tool for structure and function studies of membrane proteins involved in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. PMID:21749988

Performance of a composite membrane bioreactor treating toluene vapors: inocula selection, reactor performance and behavior under transient conditions.

PubMed

Kumar, Amit; Dewulf, Jo; Vercruyssen, Aline; Van Langenhove, Herman

2009-04-01

In this study, a membrane biofilm reactor performance for toluene as a model pollutant is presented. A composite membrane consisting of a porous polyacrylonitrile (PAN) support layer coated with a very thin (0.3 microm) dense polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) top layer was used. Batch experiments were performed to select an appropriate inocula (slaughterhouse wastewater treatment sludge with a specific toluene consumption rate of 118+/-23 microg g(-1) VSS L(-1)) among the three available sources of inoculums. The maximum elimination capacity gas-side reactor volume based (EC)v and membrane based (EC)(m, max) obtained were 609 g m(-3) h(-1) and 1.2 g m(-2) h(-1) respectively, which is much higher than other membrane bioreactors. Further experiments involved the study of the membrane biofilm reactor flexibility when operational parameters as temperature, loading rate etc. were modified. In all cases, the membrane biofilm reactor showed a rapid adaptation and new steady-states were obtained within hours. Overall, the results illustrate that membrane bioreactors can potentially be a good option for treatment of air pollutants such as toluene.

Sustainability assessment of tertiary wastewater treatment technologies: a multi-criteria analysis.

PubMed

Plakas, K V; Georgiadis, A A; Karabelas, A J

2016-01-01

The multi-criteria analysis gives the opportunity to researchers, designers and decision-makers to examine decision options in a multi-dimensional fashion. On this basis, four tertiary wastewater treatment (WWT) technologies were assessed regarding their sustainability performance in producing recycled wastewater, considering a 'triple bottom line' approach (i.e. economic, environmental, and social). These are powdered activated carbon adsorption coupled with ultrafiltration membrane separation (PAC-UF), reverse osmosis, ozone/ultraviolet-light oxidation and heterogeneous photo-catalysis coupled with low-pressure membrane separation (photocatalytic membrane reactor, PMR). The participatory method called simple multi-attribute rating technique exploiting ranks was employed for assigning weights to selected sustainability indicators. This sustainability assessment approach resulted in the development of a composite index as a final metric, for each WWT technology evaluated. The PAC-UF technology appears to be the most appropriate technology, attaining the highest composite value regarding the sustainability performance. A scenario analysis confirmed the results of the original scenario in five out of seven cases. In parallel, the PMR was highlighted as the technology with the least variability in its performance. Nevertheless, additional actions and approaches are proposed to strengthen the objectivity of the final results.

The Reinhardt Schuhmann international symposium on innovative technology and reactor design in extraction metallurgy

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

Gaskell, D.R.; Hager, J.P.; Hoffmann, J.E.

1987-01-01

This book contains papers that cover the following topics: high intensity smelting, novel aspects of gold recovery, resin membrane applications in hydrometallurgy, process analysis and characterization, fundamental studies in pyrometallurgical systems, advances in electroextraction, new process chemistry, process engineering in pyrometallurgical systems, and developments in hydrometallurgy.

Towards microfluidic reactors for cell-free protein synthesis at the point-of-care

DOE PAGES

Timm, Andrea C.; Shankles, Peter G.; Foster, Carmen M.; ...

2015-12-22

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a powerful technology that allows for optimization of protein production without maintenance of a living system. Integrated within micro- and nano-fluidic architectures, CFPS can be optimized for point-of care use. Here, we describe the development of a microfluidic bioreactor designed to facilitate the production of a single-dose of a therapeutic protein, in a small footprint device at the point-of-care. This new design builds on the use of a long, serpentine channel bioreactor and is enhanced by integrating a nanofabricated membrane to allow exchange of materials between parallel reactor and feeder channels. This engineered membrane facilitatesmore » the exchange of metabolites, energy, and inhibitory species, prolonging the CFPS reaction and increasing protein yield. Membrane permeability can be altered by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition to tune the exchange rate of small molecules. This allows for extended reaction times and improved yields. Further, the reaction product and higher molecular weight components of the transcription/translation machinery in the reactor channel can be retained. As a result, we show that the microscale bioreactor design produces higher protein yields than conventional tube-based batch formats, and that product yields can be dramatically improved by facilitating small molecule exchange within the dual-channel bioreactor.« less

Towards microfluidic reactors for cell-free protein synthesis at the point-of-care

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

Timm, Andrea C.; Shankles, Peter G.; Foster, Carmen M.

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a powerful technology that allows for optimization of protein production without maintenance of a living system. Integrated within micro- and nano-fluidic architectures, CFPS can be optimized for point-of care use. Here, we describe the development of a microfluidic bioreactor designed to facilitate the production of a single-dose of a therapeutic protein, in a small footprint device at the point-of-care. This new design builds on the use of a long, serpentine channel bioreactor and is enhanced by integrating a nanofabricated membrane to allow exchange of materials between parallel reactor and feeder channels. This engineered membrane facilitatesmore » the exchange of metabolites, energy, and inhibitory species, prolonging the CFPS reaction and increasing protein yield. Membrane permeability can be altered by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and atomic layer deposition to tune the exchange rate of small molecules. This allows for extended reaction times and improved yields. Further, the reaction product and higher molecular weight components of the transcription/translation machinery in the reactor channel can be retained. As a result, we show that the microscale bioreactor design produces higher protein yields than conventional tube-based batch formats, and that product yields can be dramatically improved by facilitating small molecule exchange within the dual-channel bioreactor.« less

Integration of biological method and membrane technology in treating palm oil mill effluent.

PubMed

Zhang, Yejian; Yan, Li; Qiao, Xiangli; Chi, Lina; Niu, Xiangjun; Mei, Zhijian; Zhang, Zhenjia

2008-01-01

Palm oil industry is the most important agro-industry in Malaysia, but its by-product-palm oil mill effluent (POME), posed a great threat to water environment. In the past decades, several treatment and disposal methods have been proposed and investigated to solve this problem. A two-stage pilot-scale plant was designed and constructed for POME treatment. Anaerobic digestion and aerobic biodegradation constituted the first biological stage, while ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane units were combined as the second membrane separation stage. In the anaerobic expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor, about 43% organic matter in POME was converted into biogas, and COD reduction efficiency reached 93% and 22% in EGSB and the following aerobic reactor, respectively. With the treatment in the first biological stage, suspended solids and oil also decreased to a low degree. All these alleviated the membrane fouling and prolonged the membrane life. In the membrane process unit, almost all the suspended solids were captured by UF membranes, while RO membrane excluded most of the dissolved solids or inorganic salts from RO permeate. After the whole treatment processes, organic matter in POME expressed by BOD and COD was removed almost thoroughly. Suspended solids and color were not detectable in RO permeate any more, and mineral elements only existed in trace amount (except for K and Na). The high-quality effluent was crystal clear and could be used as the boiler feed water.

Performance evaluation of a pilot-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) treating ethanol thin stillage.

PubMed

Dereli, R K; Urban, D R; Heffernan, B; Jordan, J A; Ewing, J; Rosenberger, G T; Dunaev, T I

2012-01-01

The ethanol industry has grown rapidly during the past ten years, mainly due to increasing oil prices. However, efficient and cost-effective solutions for treating thin stillage wastewater have still to be developed. The anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology combines classical anaerobic treatment in a completely-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with membrane separation. The combination of these two technologies can achieve a superior effluent quality and also increase biogas production compared to conventional anaerobic solutions. A pilot-scale AnMBR treating thin stillage achieved very high treatment efficiencies in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) removal (>98%). An average permeate flux of 4.3 L/m2 x h was achieved at relatively low transmembrane pressure (TMP) values (0.1-0.2 bars) with flat-sheet membranes. Experience gained during the pilot-scale studies provides valuable information for scaling up of AnMBRs treating complex and high-strength wastewaters.

Instrumentation, control, and automation for submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors.

PubMed

Robles, Ángel; Durán, Freddy; Ruano, María Victoria; Ribes, Josep; Rosado, Alfredo; Seco, Aurora; Ferrer, José

2015-01-01

A submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) demonstration plant with two commercial hollow-fibre ultrafiltration systems (PURON®, Koch Membrane Systems, PUR-PSH31) was designed and operated for urban wastewater treatment. An instrumentation, control, and automation (ICA) system was designed and implemented for proper process performance. Several single-input-single-output (SISO) feedback control loops based on conventional on-off and PID algorithms were implemented to control the following operating variables: flow-rates (influent, permeate, sludge recycling and wasting, and recycled biogas through both reactor and membrane tanks), sludge wasting volume, temperature, transmembrane pressure, and gas sparging. The proposed ICA for AnMBRs for urban wastewater treatment enables the optimization of this new technology to be achieved with a high level of process robustness towards disturbances.

Two component-three dimensional catalysis

DOEpatents

Schwartz, Michael; White, James H.; Sammells, Anthony F.

2002-01-01

This invention relates to catalytic reactor membranes having a gas-impermeable membrane for transport of oxygen anions. The membrane has an oxidation surface and a reduction surface. The membrane is coated on its oxidation surface with an adherent catalyst layer and is optionally coated on its reduction surface with a catalyst that promotes reduction of an oxygen-containing species (e.g., O.sub.2, NO.sub.2, SO.sub.2, etc.) to generate oxygen anions on the membrane. The reactor has an oxidation zone and a reduction zone separated by the membrane. A component of an oxygen containing gas in the reduction zone is reduced at the membrane and a reduced species in a reactant gas in the oxidation zone of the reactor is oxidized. The reactor optionally contains a three-dimensional catalyst in the oxidation zone. The adherent catalyst layer and the three-dimensional catalyst are selected to promote a desired oxidation reaction, particularly a partial oxidation of a hydrocarbon.

Application of electrochemical processes to membrane bioreactors for improving nutrient removal and fouling control.

PubMed

Borea, Laura; Naddeo, Vincenzo; Belgiorno, Vincenzo

2017-01-01

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology is becoming increasingly popular as wastewater treatment due to the unique advantages it offers. However, membrane fouling is being given a great deal of attention so as to improve the performance of this type of technology. Recent studies have proven that the application of electrochemical processes to MBR represents a promising technological approach for membrane fouling control. In this work, two intermittent voltage gradients of 1 and 3 V/cm were applied between two cylindrical perforated electrodes, immersed around a membrane module, at laboratory scale with the aim of investigating the treatment performance and membrane fouling formation. For comparison purposes, the reactor also operated as a conventional MBR. Mechanisms of nutrient removal were studied and membrane fouling formation evaluated in terms of transmembrane pressure variation over time and sludge relative hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the impact of electrochemical processes on transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP), proposed as a new membrane fouling precursor, was investigated in addition to conventional fouling precursors such as bound extracellular polymeric substances (bEPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP). All the results indicate that the integration of electrochemical processes into a MBR has the advantage of improving the treatment performance especially in terms of nutrient removal, with an enhancement of orthophosphate (PO 4 -P) and ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 -N) removal efficiencies up to 96.06 and 69.34 %, respectively. A reduction of membrane fouling was also observed with an increase of floc hydrophobicity to 71.72 %, a decrease of membrane fouling precursor concentrations, and, thus, of membrane fouling rates up to 54.33 %. The relationship found between TEP concentration and membrane fouling rate after the application of electrochemical processes confirms the applicability of this parameter as a new membrane fouling indicator.

Advanced physico-chemical treatment experiences on young municipal landfill leachates

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

Ozturk, Izzet; Altinbas, Mahmut; Koyuncu, Ismail

2003-07-01

In this study, Membrane Filtration (UF+RO), Struvite (MAP) precipitation and ammonia stripping alternatives were studied on biologically pre-treated Landfill Leachate. The results indicated that the system including the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor (UASBR) and Membrane Reactors (UF+RO) has been offered as an appropriate treatment alternative for young landfill leachates. This system provided high removals of COD, colour and conductivity (>98-99%). For ammonia removal, struvite precipitation was applied at the stoichiometric ratio (Mg:NH{sub 4}:PO{sub 4}=1:1:1) to anaerobically pre-treated raw landfill leachate effluent having an influent ammonium concentration of 2240 mg/l. Maximum ammonium nitrogen removal was observed as 85% at pHmore » of 9.2. In ammonia stripping following 2 h of aeration, the removal was 72% at pH=12 while the removals were around 20% at pH=10 and pH=11. When membrane reactor, and struvite precipitation or ammonia stripping was applied to anaerobically pre-treated effluents, the results indicated that each system could be used as an appropriate post-treatment option for young landfill leachates. In economic aspect, ammonia stripping was found as the cheapest alternative with high ammonium removal. However, when both high COD and ammonium removals were to be achieved membrane technology such as UF+RO (SW) could be considered as the most appropriate system due to the fact that COD removal could be obtained very low by ammonia stripping.« less

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

Integrated Ceramic Membrane System for Hydrogen Production

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

Schwartz, Joseph; Lim, Hankwon; Drnevich, Raymond

2010-08-05

Phase I was a technoeconomic feasibility study that defined the process scheme for the integrated ceramic membrane system for hydrogen production and determined the plan for Phase II. The hydrogen production system is comprised of an oxygen transport membrane (OTM) and a hydrogen transport membrane (HTM). Two process options were evaluated: 1) Integrated OTM-HTM reactor – in this configuration, the HTM was a ceramic proton conductor operating at temperatures up to 900°C, and 2) Sequential OTM and HTM reactors – in this configuration, the HTM was assumed to be a Pd alloy operating at less than 600°C. The analysis suggestedmore » that there are no technical issues related to either system that cannot be managed. The process with the sequential reactors was found to be more efficient, less expensive, and more likely to be commercialized in a shorter time than the single reactor. Therefore, Phase II focused on the sequential reactor system, specifically, the second stage, or the HTM portion. Work on the OTM portion was conducted in a separate program. Phase IIA began in February 2003. Candidate substrate materials and alloys were identified and porous ceramic tubes were produced and coated with Pd. Much effort was made to develop porous substrates with reasonable pore sizes suitable for Pd alloy coating. The second generation of tubes showed some improvement in pore size control, but this was not enough to get a viable membrane. Further improvements were made to the porous ceramic tube manufacturing process. When a support tube was successfully coated, the membrane was tested to determine the hydrogen flux. The results from all these tests were used to update the technoeconomic analysis from Phase I to confirm that the sequential membrane reactor system can potentially be a low-cost hydrogen supply option when using an existing membrane on a larger scale. Phase IIB began in October 2004 and focused on demonstrating an integrated HTM/water gas shift (WGS) reactor to increase CO conversion and produce more hydrogen than a standard water gas shift reactor would. Substantial improvements in substrate and membrane performance were achieved in another DOE project (DE-FC26-07NT43054). These improved membranes were used for testing in a water gas shift environment in this program. The amount of net H2 generated (defined as the difference of hydrogen produced and fed) was greater than would be produced at equilibrium using conventional water gas shift reactors up to 75 psig because of the shift in equilibrium caused by continuous hydrogen removal. However, methanation happened at higher pressures, 100 and 125 psig, and resulted in less net H2 generated than would be expected by equilibrium conversion alone. An effort to avoid methanation by testing in more oxidizing conditions (by increasing CO2/CO ratio in a feed gas) was successful and net H2 generated was higher (40-60%) than a conventional reactor at equilibrium at all pressures tested (up to 125 psig). A model was developed to predict reactor performance in both cases with and without methanation. The required membrane area depends on conditions, but the required membrane area is about 10 ft2 to produce about 2000 scfh of hydrogen. The maximum amount of hydrogen that can be produced in a membrane reactor decreased significantly due to methanation from about 2600 scfh to about 2400 scfh. Therefore, it is critical to eliminate methanation to fully benefit from the use of a membrane in the reaction. Other modeling work showed that operating a membrane reactor at higher temperature provides an opportunity to make the reactor smaller and potentially provides a significant capital cost savings compared to a shift reactor/PSA combination.« less

Mathematical modeling of methyl ester concentration distribution in a continuous membrane tubular reactor and comparison with conventional tubular reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talaghat, M. R.; Jokar, S. M.; Modarres, E.

2017-10-01

The reduction of fossil fuel resources and environmental issues made researchers find alternative fuels include biodiesels. One of the most widely used methods for production of biodiesel on a commercial scale is transesterification method. In this work, the biodiesel production by a transesterification method was modeled. Sodium hydroxide was considered as a catalyst to produce biodiesel from canola oil and methanol in a continuous tubular ceramic membranes reactor. As the Biodiesel production reaction from triglycerides is an equilibrium reaction, the reaction rate constants depend on temperature and related linearly to catalyst concentration. By using the mass balance for a membrane tubular reactor and considering the variation of raw materials and products concentration with time, the set of governing equations were solved by numerical methods. The results clearly show the superiority of membrane reactor than conventional tubular reactors. Afterward, the influences of molar ratio of alcohol to oil, weight percentage of the catalyst, and residence time on the performance of biodiesel production reactor were investigated.

Room temperature micro-hydrogen-generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gervasio, Don; Tasic, Sonja; Zenhausern, Frederic

A new compact and cost-effective hydrogen-gas generator has been made that is well suited for supplying hydrogen to a fuel-cell for providing base electrical power to hand-carried appliances. This hydrogen-generator operates at room temperature, ambient pressure and is orientation-independent. The hydrogen-gas is generated by the heterogeneous catalytic hydrolysis of aqueous alkaline borohydride solution as it flows into a micro-reactor. This reactor has a membrane as one wall. Using the membrane keeps the liquid in the reactor, but allows the hydrogen-gas to pass out of the reactor to a fuel-cell anode. Aqueous alkaline 30 wt% borohydride solution is safe and promotes long application life, because this solution is non-toxic, non-flammable, and is a high energy-density (≥2200 W-h per liter or per kilogram) hydrogen-storage solution. The hydrogen is released from this storage-solution only when it passes over the solid catalyst surface in the reactor, so controlling the flow of the solution over the catalyst controls the rate of hydrogen-gas generation. This allows hydrogen generation to be matched to hydrogen consumption in the fuel-cell, so there is virtually no free hydrogen-gas during power generation. A hydrogen-generator scaled for a system to provide about 10 W electrical power is described here. However, the technology is expected to be scalable for systems providing power spanning from 1 W to kW levels.

Bio-layer management in anaerobic membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Jeison, D; van Lier, J B

2006-01-01

Membrane separation technology represents an alternative way to achieve biomass retention in anaerobic bioreactors for wastewater treatment. Due to high biomass concentrations of anaerobic reactors, cake formation is likely to represent a major cause of flux decline. In the presented research, experiments are performed on the effect of biomass concentration and level of gas sparging on the hydraulic capacity of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor. Both parameters significantly affected the hydraulic capacity, with biomass exerting the most pronounced effect. After 50 days of continuous operation the critical flux remained virtually unchanged, despite an increase in membrane resistance, suggesting that biomass characteristics and hydraulic conditions determine the bio-layer formation rather than the membrane's fouling level. The concept of bio-layer management is introduced to describe the programmed combination of actions performed in order to control the formation of biomass layer over membranes.

Green technology for conversion of food scraps to biodegradable thermoplastic polyhydroxyalkanoates.

PubMed

Du, Guocheng; Yu, Jian

2002-12-15

A new technology is developed and demonstrated that couples anaerobic digestion of food scraps with production of biodegradable thermoplastics, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). The food wastes were digested in an anaerobic reactor producing four major organic acids. The concentrations of acetic, propionic, butyric, and lactic acids reached 5.5, 1.8, 27.4, and 32.7 g/L, respectively. The fermentative acids were transferred through membranes via molecule diffusion into an air-bubbling reactor where the acids were utilized to produce PHAs in an enriched culture of Ralstonia eutropha. With a silicone rubber membrane, butyric acid and small amounts of acetic and propionic acids were transferred and used, producing a homopolymer PHA, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). The dry cell weight and PHA content reached 11.3 g/L and 60.2% (w/w), respectively. With a dialysis membrane, the mass transfer rates of fermentative acids were enhanced, and the PHA production was significantly improved. The dry cell weight and its PHA content reached 22.7 g/L and 72.6% (w/w), respectively. The formed PHA was a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate (HV) with 2.8 mol % HV monomer unit. The polymer content (72.6% of dry cell mass) reported in this study is the highest one obtained from organic wastes and is comparable with the PHA content from pure glucose fermentation.

From biofilm ecology to reactors: a focused review.

PubMed

Boltz, Joshua P; Smets, Barth F; Rittmann, Bruce E; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Morgenroth, Eberhard; Daigger, Glen T

2017-04-01

Biofilms are complex biostructures that appear on all surfaces that are regularly in contact with water. They are structurally complex, dynamic systems with attributes of primordial multicellular organisms and multifaceted ecosystems. The presence of biofilms may have a negative impact on the performance of various systems, but they can also be used beneficially for the treatment of water (defined herein as potable water, municipal and industrial wastewater, fresh/brackish/salt water bodies, groundwater) as well as in water stream-based biological resource recovery systems. This review addresses the following three topics: (1) biofilm ecology, (2) biofilm reactor technology and design, and (3) biofilm modeling. In so doing, it addresses the processes occurring in the biofilm, and how these affect and are affected by the broader biofilm system. The symphonic application of a suite of biological methods has led to significant advances in the understanding of biofilm ecology. New metabolic pathways, such as anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) or complete ammonium oxidation (comammox) were first observed in biofilm reactors. The functions, properties, and constituents of the biofilm extracellular polymeric substance matrix are somewhat known, but their exact composition and role in the microbial conversion kinetics and biochemical transformations are still to be resolved. Biofilm grown microorganisms may contribute to increased metabolism of micro-pollutants. Several types of biofilm reactors have been used for water treatment, with current focus on moving bed biofilm reactors, integrated fixed-film activated sludge, membrane-supported biofilm reactors, and granular sludge processes. The control and/or beneficial use of biofilms in membrane processes is advancing. Biofilm models have become essential tools for fundamental biofilm research and biofilm reactor engineering and design. At the same time, the divergence between biofilm modeling and biofilm reactor modeling approaches is recognized.

Ceramic oxygen transport membrane array reactor and reforming method

DOEpatents

Kelly, Sean M.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Rosen, Lee J.; Robinson, Charles; Wilson, Jamie R.; Gonzalez, Javier E.; Doraswami, Uttam R.

2016-09-27

A commercially viable modular ceramic oxygen transport membrane reforming reactor for producing a synthesis gas that improves the thermal coupling of reactively-driven oxygen transport membrane tubes and catalyst reforming tubes required to efficiently and effectively produce synthesis gas.

Assessing microbial competition in a hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) using multidimensional modeling.

PubMed

Martin, Kelly J; Picioreanu, Cristian; Nerenberg, Robert

2015-09-01

The membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) is a novel technology that safely delivers hydrogen to the base of a denitrifying biofilm via gas-supplying membranes. While hydrogen is an effective electron donor for denitrifying bacteria (DNB), it also supports sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogens (MET), which consume hydrogen and create undesirable by-products. SRB and MET are only competitive for hydrogen when local nitrate concentrations are low, therefore SRB and MET primarily grow near the base of the biofilm. In an MBfR, hydrogen concentrations are greatest at the base of the biofilm, making SRB and MET more likely to proliferate in an MBfR system than a conventional biofilm reactor. Modeling results showed that because of this, control of the hydrogen concentration via the intramembrane pressure was a key tool for limiting SRB and MET development. Another means is biofilm management, which supported both sloughing and erosive detachment. For the conditions simulated, maintaining thinner biofilms promoted higher denitrification fluxes and limited the presence of SRB and MET. The 2-d modeling showed that periodic biofilm sloughing helped control slow-growing SRB and MET. Moreover, the rough (non-flat) membrane assembly in the 2-d model provided a special niche for SRB and MET that was not represented in the 1-d model. This study compared 1-d and 2-d biofilm model applicability for simulating competition in counter-diffusional biofilms. Although more computationally expensive, the 2-d model captured important mechanisms unseen in the 1-d model. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Phosphotriesterase-magnetic nanoparticles bioconjugates with improved enzyme activity in a biocatalytic membrane reactor.

PubMed

Gebreyohannes, Abaynesh Yihdego; Mazzei, Rosalinda; Yahia Marei Abdelrahim, Mohamed; Vitola, Giuseppe; Porzio, Elena; Manco, Giuseppe; Barboiu, Mihail; Giorno, Lidietta

2018-05-24

The need to find alternative bioremediation solutions for organophosphate degradation pushed the research to develop technologies based on organophosphate degrading enzymes, such as phosphotriesterase. The use of free phosphotriesterase poses limits in terms of enzyme reuse, stability and process development. The heterogenization of enzyme on a support and their use in bioreactors implemented by membrane seems a suitable strategy, thanks to the ability of membranes to compartmentalize, to govern mass transfer and provide microenvironment with tuned physico-chemical and structural properties. Usually, hydrophilic membranes are used since they easily guarantee the presence of water molecules needed for the enzyme catalytic activity. However, hydrophobic materials exhibit a larger shelf life and are preferred for the construction of filters and masks. Therefore, in this work, hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous membranes were used to develop biocatalytic membrane reactors (BMR). The phosphotriesterase-like lactonase (PLL) enzyme (SsoPox triple mutant from S. solfataricus) endowed with thermostable phosphotriesterase activity was used as model biocatalyst. The enzyme was covalently bound directly to the PVDF hydrophobic membrane or it was bound to magnetic nanoparticles and then positioned on the hydrophobic membrane surface by means of an external magnetic field. Investigation of kinetic properties of the two BMRs and the influence of immobilized enzyme amount revealed that the performance of the BMR was mostly dependent on the amount of enzyme and its distribution on the immobilization support. Magnetic nanocomposite mediated immobilization showed a much better performance, with an observed specific activity higher than 90% compared to grafting of the enzyme on the membrane. Even though the present work focused on phosphotriesterase, it can be easily translated to other class of enzymes and related application.

Synthesis gas method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Kelly, Sean M.; Kromer, Brian R.; Litwin, Michael M.; Rosen, Lee J.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Wilson, Jamie; Kosowski, Lawrence W; Robinson, Charles

2015-11-06

A method and apparatus for producing a synthesis gas product having one or more oxygen transport membrane elements thermally coupled to one or more catalytic reactors such that heat generated from the oxygen transport membrane element supplies endothermic heating requirements for steam methane reforming reactions occurring within the catalytic reactor through radiation and convention heat transfer. A hydrogen containing stream containing no more than 20 percent methane is combusted within the oxygen transport membrane element to produce the heat and a heated combustion product stream. The heated combustion product stream is combined with a reactant stream to form a combined stream that is subjected to the reforming within the catalytic reactor. The apparatus may include modules in which tubular membrane elements surround a central reactor tube.

Synthesis gas method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Kelly, Sean M.; Kromer, Brian R.; Litwin, Michael M.; Rosen, Lee J.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Wilson, Jamie R.; Kosowski, Lawrence W.; Robinson, Charles

2013-01-08

A method and apparatus for producing a synthesis gas product having one or more oxygen transport membrane elements thermally coupled to one or more catalytic reactors such that heat generated from the oxygen transport membrane element supplies endothermic heating requirements for steam methane reforming reactions occurring within the catalytic reactor through radiation and convention heat transfer. A hydrogen containing stream containing no more than 20 percent methane is combusted within the oxygen transport membrane element to produce the heat and a heated combustion product stream. The heated combustion product stream is combined with a reactant stream to form a combined stream that is subjected to the reforming within the catalytic reactor. The apparatus may include modules in which tubular membrane elements surround a central reactor tube.

Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in a membrane-reactor system: Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in a membrane-reactor system

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

Stickel, Jonathan J.; Adhikari, Birendra; Sievers, David A.

Converting abundant lignocellulosic biomass to sugars as fungible precursors to fuels and chemicals has the potential to diversify the supply chain for those products, but further process improvements are needed to achieve economic viability. In the current work, process intensification of the key enzymatic hydrolysis unit operation is demonstrated by means of a membrane reactor system that was operated continuously. Lignocellulosic biomass (pretreated corn stover) and buffered enzyme solution were fed to a continuously stirred-tank reactor, and clarified sugar solution was withdrawn via a commercial tubular ultrafiltration membrane. The membrane permeance decline and membrane cleaning efficacy were studied and didmore » not vary significantly when increasing fraction insoluble solids (FIS) from 2.5% to 5%. Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis was successfully operated for more than 80 h. A model for the reactor system was able to predict dynamic behavior that was in reasonable agreement with experimental results. The modeled technical performance of anticipated commercial batch and continuous enzymatic hydrolysis processes were compared and showed that continuous operation would provide at least twice the volumetric productivity for the conditions studied. Further improvements are anticipated by better membrane selection and by increasing FIS.« less

Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in a membrane-reactor system: Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass in a membrane-reactor system

DOE PAGES

Stickel, Jonathan J.; Adhikari, Birendra; Sievers, David A.; ...

2018-02-21

Converting abundant lignocellulosic biomass to sugars as fungible precursors to fuels and chemicals has the potential to diversify the supply chain for those products, but further process improvements are needed to achieve economic viability. In the current work, process intensification of the key enzymatic hydrolysis unit operation is demonstrated by means of a membrane reactor system that was operated continuously. Lignocellulosic biomass (pretreated corn stover) and buffered enzyme solution were fed to a continuously stirred-tank reactor, and clarified sugar solution was withdrawn via a commercial tubular ultrafiltration membrane. The membrane permeance decline and membrane cleaning efficacy were studied and didmore » not vary significantly when increasing fraction insoluble solids (FIS) from 2.5% to 5%. Continuous enzymatic hydrolysis was successfully operated for more than 80 h. A model for the reactor system was able to predict dynamic behavior that was in reasonable agreement with experimental results. The modeled technical performance of anticipated commercial batch and continuous enzymatic hydrolysis processes were compared and showed that continuous operation would provide at least twice the volumetric productivity for the conditions studied. Further improvements are anticipated by better membrane selection and by increasing FIS.« less

Co-cultivation of Lactobacillus zeae and Veillonella cricetifor the production of propionic acid

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

In this work a defined co-culture of the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus zeae and the propionate producer Veillonella criceti has been studied in continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and in a dialysis membrane reactor. It is the first time that this reactor type is used for a defined co-culture fermentation. This reactor allows high mixing rates and working with high cell densities, making it ideal for co-culture investigations. In CSTR experiments the co-culture showed over a broad concentration range an almost linear correlation in consumption and production rates to the supply with complex nutrients. In CSTR and dialysis cultures a strong growth stimulation of L. zeae by V. criceti was shown. In dialysis cultures very high propionate production rates (0.61 g L-1h-1) with final titers up to 28 g L-1 have been realized. This reactor allows an individual, intracellular investigation of the co-culture partners by omic-technologies to provide a better understanding of microbial communities. PMID:23705662

Simultaneous glucose production from cellulose and fouling reduction using a magnetic responsive membrane reactor with superparamagnetic nanoparticles carrying cellulolytic enzymes.

PubMed

Gebreyohannes, Abaynesh Yihdego; Dharmjeet, Madhav; Swusten, Tom; Mertens, Matthias; Verspreet, Joran; Verbiest, Thierry; Courtin, Christophe M; Vankelecom, Ivo F J

2018-05-02

This work aimed at investigating simultaneous hydrolysis of cellulose and in-situ foulant degradation in a cellulose fed superparamagnetic biocatalytic membrane reactor (BMR SP ). In this reactor, a dynamic layer of superparamagnetic bionanocomposites with immobilized cellulolytic enzymes were reversibly immobilized on superparamagnetic polymeric membrane using an external magnetic field. The formation of a dynamic layer of bionanocomposites on the membrane helped to prevent direct membrane-foulant interaction. Due to in-situ biocatalysis, there was limited filtration resistance. Simultaneous separation of the product helped to avoid enzyme product inhibition, achieve constant reaction rate over time and 50% higher enzyme efficiency than batch reactor. Stable enzyme immobilization and the ability to keep enzyme in the system for long period helped to achieve continuous productivity at very low enzyme but high solid loading, while also reducing the extent of membrane fouling. Hence, the BMR SP paves a path for sustainable production of bioethanol from the cheaply available lignocellulose. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of pre-treatment technologies for phosphorous removal from drinking water to mitigate membrane biofouling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frolova, M.; Tihomirova, K.; Mežule, L.; Rubulis, J.; Gruškeviča, K.; Juhna, T.

2017-10-01

Membranes are widely used for the treatment of various solutions. However, membrane fouling remains the limiting factor for their usage, setting biofouling as the most severe type of it. Therefore, the production of biologically stable water prior to membranes is important. Since lack of phosphorus may hinder the growth of microorganisms, the aim of this research is to evaluate the effect of microbially available phosphorus (MAP) removal via affordable water pre-treatment methods (adsorption, biofiltration, electrocoagulation) on bacterial growth. Four cylindrical reactors were installed at an artificially recharged groundwater station. Further temperature influence and carbon limitation were tested for biofiltration technology. The amount of MAP and total cell count was measured by flow cytometry. The results showed that at lower temperatures electrocoagulation performed the best, resulting in complete MAP removal (detection limit 6.27x10-3μg P l-1). Sorbent demonstrated MAP removal of 70-90%. Biomass did not have any noteworthy results at +8°C, however, at +19°C MAP removal of around 80% was achieved. Main conclusions obtained within this study are: (i) tested technologies effectively eliminate MAP levels; (ii) temperature has a significant effect on MAP removal in a bioreactor, (iii) multi-barrier approach might be necessary for better P limitation that might prolong operating time of a membrane.

Characteristics of membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactor under sub-critical flux operation.

PubMed

Su, Y C; Huang, C P; Pan, Jill R; Lee, H C

2008-01-01

Recently, the membrane bioreactor (MBR) process has become one of the novel technologies to enhance the performance of biological treatment of wastewater. Membrane bioreactor process uses the membrane unit to replace a sediment tank, and this can greatly enhance treatment performance. However, membrane fouling in MBR restricts its widespread application because it leads to permeate flux decline, making more frequent membrane cleaning and replacement necessary, which then increases operating and maintenance costs. This study investigated the sludge characteristics in membrane fouling under sub-critical flux operation and also assessed the effect of shear stress on membrane fouling. Membrane fouling was slow under sub-critical flux operation. However, as filamentous microbes became dominant in the reactor, membrane fouling increased dramatically due to the increased viscosity and polysaccharides. A close link was found between membrane fouling and the amount of polysaccharides in soluble EPS. The predominant resistance was the cake resistance which could be minimized by increasing the shear stress. However, the resistance of colloids and solutes was not apparently reduced by increasing shear stress. Therefore, smaller particles such as macromolecules (e.g. polysaccharides) may play an important role in membrane fouling under sub-critical flux operation.

Array of planar membrane modules for producing hydrogen

DOEpatents

Vencill, Thomas R [Albuquerque, NM; Chellappa, Anand S [Albuquerque, NM; Rathod, Shailendra B [Hillsboro, OR

2012-05-08

A shared or common environment membrane reactor containing a plurality of planar membrane modules with top and bottom thin foil membranes supported by both an intermediary porous support plate and a central base which has both solid extended members and hollow regions or a hollow region whereby the two sides of the base are in fluid communication. The membrane reactor operates at elevate temperatures for generating hydrogen from hydrogen rich feed fuels.

Development of an energy-saving anaerobic hybrid membrane bioreactors for 2-chlorophenol-contained wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Wang, Yun-Kun; Pan, Xin-Rong; Sheng, Guo-Ping; Li, Wen-Wei; Shi, Bing-Jing; Yu, Han-Qing

2015-12-01

A novel energy-saving anaerobic hybrid membrane bioreactor (AnHMBR) with mesh filter, which takes advantage of anaerobic membrane bioreactor and fixed-bed biofilm reactor, is developed for low-strength 2-chlorophenol (2-CP)-contained wastewater treatment. In this system, the anaerobic membrane bioreactor is stuffed with granular activated carbon to construct an anaerobic hybrid fixed-bed biofilm membrane bioreactor. The effluent turbidity from the AnHMBR system was low during most of the operation period, and the chemical oxygen demand and 2-CP removal efficiencies averaged 82.3% and 92.6%, respectively. Furthermore, a low membrane fouling rate was achieved during the operation. During the AnHMBR operation, the only energy consumption was for feed pump. And a low energy demand of 0.0045-0.0063kWhm(-3) was estimated under the current operation conditions. All these results demonstrated that this novel AnHMBR is a sustainable technology for treating 2-CP-contained wastewater. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tracking variations in fluorescent-dissolved organic matter in an aerobic submerged membrane bioreactor using excitation-emission matrix spectra combined with parallel factor analysis.

PubMed

Hur, Jin; Shin, Jaewon; Kang, Minsun; Cho, Jinwoo

2014-08-01

In this study, the variations in the fluorescent components of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were tracked for an aerobic submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) at three different operation stages (cake layer formation, condensation, and after cleaning). The fluorescent DOM was characterized using excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Non-aromatic carbon structures appear to be actively involved in the membrane fouling for the cake layer formation stage as revealed by much higher UV-absorbing DOM per organic carbon found in the effluent versus those inside the reactor. Four fluorescent components were successfully identified from the reactor and the effluent DOMs by EEM-PARAFAC modeling. Among those in the reactor, microbial humic-like fluorescence was the most abundant component at the cake layer formation stage and tryptophan-like fluorescence at the condensation stage. In contrast to the reactor, relatively similar composition of the PARAFAC components was exhibited for the effluent at all three stages. Tryptophan-like fluorescence displayed the largest difference between the reactor and the effluent, suggesting that this component could be a good tracer for membrane fouling. It appears that the fluorescent DOM was involved in membrane fouling by cake layer formation rather than by internal pore adsorption because its difference between the reactor and the effluent was the highest among all the four components, even after the membrane cleaning. Our study provided an insight into the fate and the behavior fluorescent DOM components for an MBR system, which could be an indicator of the membrane fouling.

Series Bosch System Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abney, Morgan B.; Evans, Christopher; Mansell, Matt; Swickrath, Michael

2012-01-01

State-of-the-art (SOA) carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction technology for the International Space Station produces methane as a byproduct. This methane is subsequently vented overboard. The associated loss of hydrogen ultimately reduces the mass of oxygen that can be recovered from CO2 in a closed-loop life support system. As an alternative to SOA CO2 reduction technology, NASA is exploring a Series-Bosch system capable of reducing CO2 with hydrogen to form water and solid carbon. This results in 100% theoretical recovery of oxygen from metabolic CO2. In the past, Bosch-based technology did not trade favorably against SOA technology due to a high power demand, low reaction efficiencies, concerns with carbon containment, and large resupply requirements necessary to replace expended catalyst cartridges. An alternative approach to Bosch technology, labeled "Series-Bosch," employs a new system design with optimized multi-stage reactors and a membrane-based separation and recycle capability. Multi-physics modeling of the first stage reactor, along with chemical process modeling of the integrated system, has resulted in a design with potential to trade significantly better than previous Bosch technology. The modeling process and resulting system architecture selection are discussed.

Immobilized biocatalytic process development and potential application in membrane separation: a review.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Sudip; Rusli, Handajaya; Nath, Arijit; Sikder, Jaya; Bhattacharjee, Chiranjib; Curcio, Stefano; Drioli, Enrico

2016-01-01

Biocatalytic membrane reactors have been widely used in different industries including food, fine chemicals, biological, biomedical, pharmaceuticals, environmental treatment and so on. This article gives an overview of the different immobilized enzymatic processes and their advantages over the conventional chemical catalysts. The application of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) reduces the energy consumption, and system size, in line with process intensification. The performances of MBR are considerably influenced by substrate concentration, immobilized matrix material, types of immobilization and the type of reactor. Advantages of a membrane associated bioreactor over a free-enzyme biochemical reaction, and a packed bed reactor are, large surface area of immobilization matrix, reuse of enzymes, better product recovery along with heterogeneous reactions, and continuous operation of the reactor. The present research work highlights immobilization techniques, reactor setup, enzyme stability under immobilized conditions, the hydrodynamics of MBR, and its application, particularly, in the field of sugar, starch, drinks, milk, pharmaceutical industries and energy generation.

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.

Ceramic oxygen transport membrane array reactor and reforming method

DOEpatents

Kelly, Sean M.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Robinson, Charles; Wilson, Jamie R; Gonzalez, Javier E.; Doraswami, Uttam R.

2017-10-03

The invention relates to a commercially viable modular ceramic oxygen transport membrane system for utilizing heat generated in reactively-driven oxygen transport membrane tubes to generate steam, heat process fluid and/or provide energy to carry out endothermic chemical reactions. The system provides for improved thermal coupling of oxygen transport membrane tubes to steam generation tubes or process heater tubes or reactor tubes for efficient and effective radiant heat transfer.

In situ hydrogen utilization for high fraction acetate production in mixed culture hollow-fiber membrane biofilm reactor.

PubMed

Zhang, Fang; Ding, Jing; Shen, Nan; Zhang, Yan; Ding, Zhaowei; Dai, Kun; Zeng, Raymond J

2013-12-01

Syngas fermentation is a promising route for resource recovery. Acetate is an important industrial chemical product and also an attractive precursor for liquid biofuels production. This study demonstrated high fraction acetate production from syngas (H₂ and CO₂) in a hollow-fiber membrane biofilm reactor, in which the hydrogen utilizing efficiency reached 100% during the operational period. The maximum concentration of acetate in batch mode was 12.5 g/L, while the acetate concentration in continuous mode with a hydraulic retention time of 9 days was 3.6 ± 0.1 g/L. Since butyrate concentration was rather low and below 0.1 g/L, the acetate fraction was higher than 99% in both batch and continuous modes. Microbial community analysis showed that the biofilm was dominated by Clostridium spp., such as Clostridium ljungdahlii and Clostridium drakei, the percentage of which was 70.5%. This study demonstrates a potential technology for the in situ utilization of syngas and valuable chemical production.

Preparation of novel poly(vinylidene fluoride)/TiO2 photocatalysis membranes for use in direct contact membrane distillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yukun; Dong, Shuying; Zhu, Liang

2018-03-01

Immobilization of TiO2 is a potential approach to obtain photocatalytic membranes that could eliminate concentration polarization in sewage disposal for direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process. A simple non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) method was proposed to prepare poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane, and the double-coating technology was further used to prepare the self-cleaning membranes with different TiO2 content. The effects of TiO2 nano-particles on membrane crystal form, morphology, porosity, pore size, pore size distribution, hydrophobicity, permeation, and photocatalytic efficiency were investigated, respectively. The flux of the prepared membranes is higher than the membrane (MS) provided by Membrane Solutions, LLC, in DCMD process. The contact angle between water and membrane could be increased 22° by introducing photocatalytic layer containing TiO2. During the photocatalytic test, 65.78-96.31% degrading rate of 15 mg/L Rhodamine B (RhB) was achieved. The relative flux of the membrane T-3 can be recovered to 0.96 in photocatalysis-membrane reactor for 8 h UV radiation. The fabricated membrane has great potential in high-salty dyeing wastewater treatment due to its high hydrophobicity and photocatalytic capability. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Virus disinfection in water by biogenic silver immobilized in polyvinylidene fluoride membranes

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

Gusseme, B.D.; Fitts, J.; Hennebel, T.

The development of innovative water disinfection strategies is of utmost importance to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases related to poor treatment of (drinking) water. Recently, the association of silver nanoparticles with the bacterial cell surface of Lactobacillus fermentum (referred to as biogenic silver or bio-Ag{sup 0}) has been reported to exhibit antiviral properties. The microscale bacterial carrier matrix serves as a scaffold for Ag{sup 0} particles, preventing aggregation during encapsulation. In this study, bio-Ag{sup 0} was immobilized in different microporous PVDF membranes using two different pre-treatments of bio-Ag{sup 0} and the immersion-precipitation method. Inactivation of UZ1 bacteriophages using these membranesmore » was successfully demonstrated and was most probably related to the slow release of Ag{sup +} from the membranes. At least a 3.4 log decrease of viruses was achieved by application of a membrane containing 2500 mg bio-Ag{sub powder}{sup 0} m{sup -2} in a submerged plate membrane reactor operated at a flux of 3.1 L m{sup -2} h{sup -1}. Upon startup, the silver concentration in the effluent initially increased to 271 {micro}g L{sup -1} but after filtration of 31 L m{sup -2}, the concentration approached the drinking water limit (= 100 {micro}g L{sup -1}). A virus decline of more than 3 log was achieved at a membrane flux of 75 L m{sup -2} h{sup -1}, showing the potential of this membrane technology for water disinfection on small scale. In biogenic silver, silver nanoparticles are attached to a bacterial carrier matrix. Bio-Ag{sup 0} was successfully immobilized in PVDF membranes using immersion-precipitation. The antiviral activity of this material was demonstrated in a plate membrane reactor. The antimicrobial mechanism was most probably related to the slow release of Ag{sup +} ions. The membranes can be applied for treatment of limited volumes of contaminated water.« less

Construction of a thermoresponsive magnetic porous polymer membrane enzyme reactor for glutaminase kinetics study.

PubMed

Zhao, Liping; Qiao, Juan; Moon, Meyong Hee; Qi, Li

2018-06-16

Fabrication of polymer membranes with nanopores and a confinement effect toward enzyme immobilization has been an enabling endeavor. In the work reported here, an enzyme reactor based on a thermoresponsive magnetic porous block copolymer membrane was designed and constructed. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization was used to synthesize the block copolymer, poly(maleic anhydride-styrene-N-isopropylacrylamide), with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) as the thermoresponsive moiety. The self-assembly property of the block copolymer was used for preparation of magnetic porous thin film matrices with iron oxide nanoparticles. By covalent bonding of glutaminase onto the surface of the membrane matrices and changing the temperature to tune the nanopore size, we observed enhanced enzymolysis efficiency due to the confinement effect. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant and the maximum rate of the enzyme reactor were determined (K m = 32.3 mM, V max = 33.3 mM min -1 ) by a chiral ligand exchange capillary electrochromatography protocol with L-glutamine as the substrate. Compared with free glutaminase in solution, the proposed enzyme reactor exhibits higher enzymolysis efficiency, greater stability, and greater reusability. Furthermore, the enzyme reactor was applied for a glutaminase kinetics study. The tailored pore sizes and the thermoresponsive property of the block copolymer result in the designed porous membrane based enzyme reactor having great potential for high enzymolysis performance. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Auto-thermal reforming using mixed ion-electronic conducting ceramic membranes for a small-scale H₂ production plant.

PubMed

Spallina, Vincenzo; Melchiori, Tommaso; Gallucci, Fausto; van Sint Annaland, Martin

2015-03-18

The integration of mixed ionic electronic conducting (MIEC) membranes for air separation in a small-to-medium scale unit for H2 production (in the range of 650-850 Nm3/h) via auto-thermal reforming of methane has been investigated in the present study. Membranes based on mixed ionic electronic conducting oxides such as Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (BSCF) give sufficiently high oxygen fluxes at temperatures above 800 °C with high purity (higher than 99%). Experimental results of membrane permeation tests are presented and used for the reactor design with a detailed reactor model. The assessment of the H2 plant has been carried out for different operating conditions and reactor geometry and an energy analysis has been carried out with the flowsheeting software Aspen Plus, including also the turbomachines required for a proper thermal integration. A micro-gas turbine is integrated in the system in order to supply part of the electricity required in the system. The analysis of the system shows that the reforming efficiency is in the range of 62%-70% in the case where the temperature at the auto-thermal reforming membrane reactor (ATR-MR) is equal to 900 °C. When the electric consumption and the thermal export are included the efficiency of the plant approaches 74%-78%. The design of the reactor has been carried out using a reactor model linked to the Aspen flowsheet and the results show that with a larger reactor volume the performance of the system can be improved, especially because of the reduced electric consumption. From this analysis it has been found that for a production of about 790 Nm3/h pure H2, a reactor with a diameter of 1 m and length of 1.8 m with about 1500 membranes of 2 cm diameter is required.

Understanding the sorption and biotransformation of organic micropollutants in innovative biological wastewater treatment technologies.

PubMed

Alvarino, T; Suarez, S; Lema, J; Omil, F

2018-02-15

New technologies for wastewater treatment have been developed in the last years based on the combination of biological reactors operating under different redox conditions. Their efficiency in the removal of organic micropollutants (OMPs) has not been clearly assessed yet. This review paper is focussed on understanding the sorption and biotransformation of a selected group of 17 OMPs, including pharmaceuticals, hormones and personal care products, during biological wastewater treatment processes. Apart from considering the role of "classical" operational parameters, new factors such as biomass conformation and particle size, upward velocity applied or the addition of adsorbents have been considered. It has been found that the OMP removal by sorption not only depends on their physico-chemical characteristics and other parameters, such as the biomass conformation and particle size, or some operational conditions also relevant. Membrane biological reactors (MBR), have shown to enhance sorption and biotransformation of some OMPs. The same applies to technologies bases on direct addition of activated carbon in bioreactors. The OMP biotransformation degree and pathway is mainly driven by the redox potential and the primary substrate activity. The combination of different redox potentials in hybrid reactor systems can significantly enhance the overall OMP removal efficiency. Sorption and biotransformation can be synergistically promoted in biological reactors by the addition of activated carbon. The deeper knowledge of the main parameters influencing OMP removal provided by this review will allow optimizing the biological processes in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microfluidic electrochemical reactors

DOEpatents

Nuzzo, Ralph G [Champaign, IL; Mitrovski, Svetlana M [Urbana, IL

2011-03-22

A microfluidic electrochemical reactor includes an electrode and one or more microfluidic channels on the electrode, where the microfluidic channels are covered with a membrane containing a gas permeable polymer. The distance between the electrode and the membrane is less than 500 micrometers. The microfluidic electrochemical reactor can provide for increased reaction rates in electrochemical reactions using a gaseous reactant, as compared to conventional electrochemical cells. Microfluidic electrochemical reactors can be incorporated into devices for applications such as fuel cells, electrochemical analysis, microfluidic actuation, pH gradient formation.

Investigation of a submerged membrane reactor for continuous biomass hydrolysis

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

Malmali, Mohammadmahdi; Stickel, Jonathan; Wickramasinghe, S. Ranil

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose is one of the most costly steps in the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass. Use of a submerged membrane reactor has been investigated for continuous enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose thus allowing for greater use of the enzyme compared to a batch process. Moreover, the submerged 0.65 μm polyethersulfone microfiltration membrane avoids the need to pump a cellulose slurry through an external loop. Permeate containing glucose is withdrawn at pressures slightly below atmospheric pressure. The membrane rejects cellulose particles and cellulase enzyme bound to cellulose. Our proof-of-concept experiments have been conducted using a modified, commercially available membrane filtrationmore » cell under low fluxes around 75 L/(m2 h). The operating flux is determined by the rate of glucose production. Maximizing the rate of glucose production involves optimizing mixing, reactor holding time, and the time the feed is held in the reactor prior to commencement of membrane filtration and continuous operation. When we maximize glucose production rates it will require that we operate it at low glucose concentration in order to minimize the adverse effects of product inhibition. Consequently practical submerged membrane systems will require a combined sugar concentration step in order to concentrate the product sugar stream prior to fermentation.« less

Simulation of Water Gas Shift Zeolite Membrane Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makertiharta, I. G. B. N.; Rizki, Z.; Zunita, Megawati; Dharmawijaya, P. T.

2017-07-01

The search of alternative energy sources keeps growing from time to time. Various alternatives have been introduced to reduce the use of fossil fuel, including hydrogen. Many pathways can be used to produce hydrogen. Among all of those, the Water Gas Shift (WGS) reaction is the most common pathway to produce high purity hydrogen. The WGS technique faces a downstream processing challenge due to the removal hydrogen from the product stream itself since it contains a mixture of hydrogen, carbon dioxide and also the excess reactants. An integrated process using zeolite membrane reactor has been introduced to improve the performance of the process by selectively separate the hydrogen whilst boosting the conversion. Furthermore, the zeolite membrane reactor can be further improved via optimizing the process condition. This paper discusses the simulation of Zeolite Membrane Water Gas Shift Reactor (ZMWGSR) with variation of process condition to achieve an optimum performance. The simulation can be simulated into two consecutive mechanisms, the reaction prior to the permeation of gases through the zeolite membrane. This paper is focused on the optimization of the process parameters (e.g. temperature, initial concentration) and also membrane properties (e.g. pore size) to achieve an optimum product specification (concentration, purity).

Comparison of aerobic granulation and anaerobic membrane bioreactor technologies for winery wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Basset, N; López-Palau, S; Dosta, J; Mata-Álvarez, J

2014-01-01

An anaerobic membrane bioreactor and aerobic granulation technologies were tested at laboratory scale to treat winery wastewater, which is characterised by a high and variable biodegradable organic load. Both technologies have already been tested for alcohol fermentation wastewaters, but there is a lack of data relating to their application to winery wastewater treatment. The anaerobic membrane bioreactor, with an external microfiltration module, was started up for 230 days, achieving a biogas production of up to 0.35 L CH4L(-1)d(-1) when 1.5 kg COD m(-3)d(-1) was applied. Average flux was 10.5 L m(-2) h(-1) (LMH), obtaining a treated effluent free of suspended solids and a chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration lower than 100 mg COD L(-1). In contrast, the aerobic granular sequencing batch reactor coped with 15 kg COD m(-3)d(-1), but effluent quality was slightly worse. Aerobic granulation was identified as a suitable technique to treat this kind of wastewater due to excellent settleability, high biomass retention and a good ability to handle high organic loads and seasonal fluctuations. However, energy generation from anaerobic digestion plays an important role, favouring anaerobic membrane bioreactor application, although it was observed to be sensitive to sudden load fluctuations, which led to a thorough pH control and alkali addition.

Ceramic membrane microfilter as an immobilized enzyme reactor.

PubMed

Harrington, T J; Gainer, J L; Kirwan, D J

1992-10-01

This study investigated the use of a ceramic microfilter as an immobilized enzyme reactor. In this type of reactor, the substrate solution permeates the ceramic membrane and reacts with an enzyme that has been immobilized within its porous interior. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of permeation rate on the observed kinetic parameters for the immobilized enzyme in order to assess possible mass transfer influences or shear effects. Kinetic parameters were found to be independent of flow rate for immobilized penicillinase and lactate dehydrogenase. Therefore, neither mass transfer nor shear effects were observed for enzymes immobilized within the ceramic membrane. Both the residence time and the conversion in the microfilter reactor could be controlled simply by regulating the transmembrane pressure drop. This study suggests that a ceramic microfilter reactor can be a desirable alternative to a packed bed of porous particles, especially when an immobilized enzyme has high activity and a low Michaelis constant.

Pd-Ag Membrane Coupled to a Two-Zone Fluidized Bed Reactor (TZFBR) for Propane Dehydrogenation on a Pt-Sn/MgAl2O4 Catalyst

PubMed Central

Medrano, José-Antonio; Julián, Ignacio; Herguido, Javier; Menéndez, Miguel

2013-01-01

Several reactor configurations have been tested for catalytic propane dehydrogenation employing Pt-Sn/MgAl2O4 as a catalyst. Pd-Ag alloy membranes coupled to the multifunctional Two-Zone Fluidized Bed Reactor (TZFBR) provide an improvement in propane conversion by hydrogen removal from the reaction bed through the inorganic membrane in addition to in situ catalyst regeneration. Twofold process intensification is thereby achieved when compared to the use of traditional fluidized bed reactors (FBR), where coke formation and thermodynamic equilibrium represent important process limitations. Experiments were carried out at 500–575 °C and with catalyst mass to molar flow of fed propane ratios between 15.1 and 35.2 g min mmol−1, employing three different reactor configurations: FBR, TZFBR and TZFBR + Membrane (TZFBR + MB). The results in the FBR showed catalyst deactivation, which was faster at high temperatures. In contrast, by employing the TZFBR with the optimum regenerative agent flow (diluted oxygen), the process activity was sustained throughout the time on stream. The TZFBR + MB showed promising results in catalytic propane dehydrogenation, displacing the reaction towards higher propylene production and giving the best results among the different reactor configurations studied. Furthermore, the results obtained in this study were better than those reported on conventional reactors. PMID:24958620

Simplifying microbial electrosynthesis reactor design.

PubMed

Giddings, Cloelle G S; Nevin, Kelly P; Woodward, Trevor; Lovley, Derek R; Butler, Caitlyn S

2015-01-01

Microbial electrosynthesis, an artificial form of photosynthesis, can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into organic commodities; however, this process has only previously been demonstrated in reactors that have features likely to be a barrier to scale-up. Therefore, the possibility of simplifying reactor design by both eliminating potentiostatic control of the cathode and removing the membrane separating the anode and cathode was investigated with biofilms of Sporomusa ovata. S. ovata reduces carbon dioxide to acetate and acts as the microbial catalyst for plain graphite stick cathodes as the electron donor. In traditional 'H-cell' reactors, where the anode and cathode chambers were separated with a proton-selective membrane, the rates and columbic efficiencies of microbial electrosynthesis remained high when electron delivery at the cathode was powered with a direct current power source rather than with a potentiostat-poised cathode utilized in previous studies. A membrane-less reactor with a direct-current power source with the cathode and anode positioned to avoid oxygen exposure at the cathode, retained high rates of acetate production as well as high columbic and energetic efficiencies. The finding that microbial electrosynthesis is feasible without a membrane separating the anode from the cathode, coupled with a direct current power source supplying the energy for electron delivery, is expected to greatly simplify future reactor design and lower construction costs.

The characteristics of extracellular polymeric substances and soluble microbial products in moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Duan, Liang; Jiang, Wei; Song, Yonghui; Xia, Siqing; Hermanowicz, Slawomir W

2013-11-01

The characteristics of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) in conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR) and in moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactors (MBBR-MBR) were investigated in long-term (170 days) experiments. The results showed that all reactors had high removal efficiency of ammonium and COD, despite very different fouling conditions. The MBBR-MBR with media fill ratio of 26.7% had much lower total membrane resistance and no obvious fouling were detected during the whole operation. In contrast, MBR and MBBR-MBR with lower and higher media fill experienced more significant fouling. Low fouling at optimum fill ratio may be due to the higher percentage of small molecular size (<1 kDa) and lower percentage of large molecular size (>100 kDa) of EPS and SMP in the reactor. The composition of EPS and SMP affected fouling due to different O-H bonds in hydroxyl functional groups, and less polysaccharides and lipids. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phenol removal from hypersaline wastewaters in a Membrane Biological Reactor (MBR): operation and microbiological characterisation.

PubMed

Dosta, J; Nieto, J M; Vila, J; Grifoll, M; Mata-Álvarez, J

2011-03-01

In this study, two Membrane Biological Reactors (MBR) with submerged flat membranes, one at lab-scale conditions and the other at pilot-plant conditions, were operated at environmental temperature to treat an industrial wastewater characterised by low phenol concentrations (8-16 mg L(-1)) and high salinity (∼ 150-160 mS cm(-1)). During the operation of both reactors, the phenol loading rate was progressively increased and less than 1mg phenol L(-1) was detected even at very low HRTs (0.5-0.7 days). Membrane fouling was minimized by the cross flow aeration rate inside the MBRs and by intermittent permeation. Microbial community analysis of both reactors revealed that members of the genera Halomonas and Marinobacter (gammaproteobacteria) were major components. Growth-linked phenol degradation by pure cultures of Marinobacter isolates demonstrated that this bacterium played a major role in the removal of phenol from the bioreactors. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potentiality of a ceramic membrane reactor for the laccase-catalyzed removal of bisphenol A from secondary effluents.

PubMed

Arca-Ramos, A; Eibes, G; Feijoo, G; Lema, J M; Moreira, M T

2015-11-01

In this study, the removal of bisphenol A (BPA) by laccase in a continuous enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR) was investigated. The effects of key parameters, namely, type of laccase, pH, and enzyme activity, were initially evaluated. Once optimal conditions were determined, the continuous removal of the pollutant in an EMR was assessed in synthetic and real biologically treated wastewaters. The reactor configuration consisted of a stirred tank reactor coupled to a ceramic membrane, which prevented the sorption of the pollutant and allowed the recovery and recycling of laccase. Nearly complete removal of BPA was attained under both operation regimes with removal yields above 94.5 %. In experiments with real wastewater, the removal of BPA remained high while the presence of colloids and certain ions and the formation of precipitates on the membrane potentially affected enzyme stability and made necessary the periodic addition of laccase. Polymerization and degradation were observed as probable mechanisms of BPA transformation by laccase.

Investigating the kinetics of the enzymatic depolymerization of polygalacturonic acid in continuous UF-membrane reactors.

PubMed

Gallifuoco, Alberto; Cantarella, Maria; Marucci, Mariagrazia

2007-01-01

A stirred tank membrane reactor is used to study the kinetics of polygalacturonic acid (PGA) enzymatic hydrolysis. The reactor operates in semicontinuous configuration: the native biopolymer is loaded at the initial time and the system is continuously fed with the buffer. The effect of retention time (from 101 to 142 min) and membrane molecular weight cutoff (from 1 to 30 kDa) on the rate of permeable oligomers production is investigated. Reaction products are clustered in two different classes, those sized below the membrane cutoff and those above. The reducing power measured in the permeate is used as an estimate of total product concentration. The characteristic breakdown times range from 40 to 100 min. The overall kinetics obeys a first-order law with a characteristic time estimated to 24 min. New mathematical data handling are developed and illustrated using the experimental data obtained. Finally, the body of the experimental results suggests useful indications (reactor productivity, breakdown induction period) for implementing the bioprocess at the industrial scale.

Carbon-coated ceramic membrane reactor for the production of hydrogen by aqueous-phase reforming of sorbitol.

PubMed

Neira D'Angelo, M F; Ordomsky, V; Schouten, J C; van der Schaaf, J; Nijhuis, T A

2014-07-01

Hydrogen was produced by aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of sorbitol in a carbon-on-alumina tubular membrane reactor (4 nm pore size, 7 cm long, 3 mm internal diameter) that allows the hydrogen gas to permeate to the shell side, whereas the liquid remains in the tube side. The hydrophobic nature of the membrane serves to avoid water loss and to minimize the interaction between the ceramic support and water, thus reducing the risks of membrane degradation upon operation. The permeation of hydrogen is dominated by the diffusivity of the hydrogen in water. Thus, higher operation temperatures result in an increase of the flux of hydrogen. The differential pressure has a negative effect on the flux of hydrogen due to the presence of liquid in the larger pores. The membrane was suitable for use in APR, and yielded 2.5 times more hydrogen than a reference reactor (with no membrane). Removal of hydrogen through the membrane assists in the reaction by preventing its consumption in undesired reactions. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ion transport membrane reactor systems and methods for producing synthesis gas

DOEpatents

Repasky, John Michael

2015-05-12

Embodiments of the present invention provide cost-effective systems and methods for producing a synthesis gas product using a steam reformer system and an ion transport membrane (ITM) reactor having multiple stages, without requiring inter-stage reactant injections. Embodiments of the present invention also provide techniques for compensating for membrane performance degradation and other changes in system operating conditions that negatively affect synthesis gas production.

Evaluation of the Parameters and Conditions of Process in the Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation with Application of Permselective Membranes to Enhance Styrene Yield.

PubMed

Araújo, Paulo Jardel P; Leite, Manuela Souza; Ravagnani, Teresa M Kakuta

2016-01-01

Styrene is an important monomer in the manufacture of thermoplastic. Most of it is produced by the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. In this process that depends on reversible reactions, the yield is usually limited by the establishment of thermodynamic equilibrium in the reactor. The styrene yield can be increased by using a hybrid process, with reaction and separation simultaneously. It is proposed using permselective composite membrane to remove hydrogen and thus suppress the reverse and secondary reactions. This paper describes the simulation of a dehydrogenation process carried out in a tubular fixed-bed reactor wrapped in a permselective composite membrane. A mathematical model was developed, incorporating the various mass transport mechanisms found in each of the membrane layers and in the catalytic fixed bed. The effects of the reactor feed conditions (temperature, steam-to-oil ratio, and the weight hourly space velocity), the fixed-bed geometry (length, diameter, and volume), and the membrane geometry (thickness of the layers) on the styrene yield were analyzed. These variables were used to determine experimental conditions that favour the production of styrene. The simulation showed that an increase of 40.98% in the styrene yield, compared to a conventional fixed-bed process, could be obtained by wrapping the reactor in a permselective composite membrane.

The role of salinity on the changes of the biomass characteristics and on the performance of an OMBR treating tannery wastewater.

PubMed

Luján-Facundo, M J; Fernández-Navarro, J; Alonso-Molina, J L; Amorós-Muñoz, I; Moreno, Y; Mendoza-Roca, J A; Pastor-Alcañiz, L

2018-05-25

Tannery wastewaters are difficult to treat biologically due to the high salinity and organic matter concentration. Conventional treatments, like sequential batch reactors (SBR) and membrane bioreactors (MBR), have showed settling problems, in the case of SBR, and ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling in the case of MBR, slowing their industrial application. In this work, the treatment of tannery wastewater with an osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) is assessed. Forward osmosis (FO) membranes are characterized by a much lower fouling degree than UF membranes. The permeate passes through the membrane pores (practically only water by the high membrane rejection) from the feed solution to the draw solution, which is also an industrial wastewater (ammonia absorption effluent) in this work. Experiments were carried out at laboratory scale with a FO CTA-NW membrane from Hydration Technology Innovations (HTI). Tannery wastewater was treated by means of an OMBR using as DS an actual industrial wastewater mainly consisting of ammonium sulphate. The monitoring of the biological process was carried out with biological indicators like microbial hydrolytic enzymatic activities, dissolved and total adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the mixed liquor and microbial population. Results indicated a limiting conductivity in the reactor of 35 mS cm -1 (on the 43th operation day), from which process was deteriorated. This process performance diminution was associated by a high decrease of the dehydrogenase activity and a sudden increase of the protease and lipase activities. The increase of the bacterial stress index also described appropriately the process performance. Regarding the relative abundance of bacterial phylotypes, 37 phyla were identified in the biomass. Proteobacteria were the most abundant (varying the relative abundance between 50.29% and 34.78%) during the first 34 days of operation. From this day on, Bacteroidetes were detected in a greater extent varying the relative abundance of this phylum between 27.20% and 40.45%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance and Mechanisms of Ultrafiltration Membrane Fouling Mitigation by Coupling Coagulation and Applied Electric Field in a Novel Electrocoagulation Membrane Reactor.

PubMed

Sun, Jingqiu; Hu, Chengzhi; Tong, Tiezheng; Zhao, Kai; Qu, Jiuhui; Liu, Huijuan; Elimelech, Menachem

2017-08-01

A novel electrocoagulation membrane reactor (ECMR) was developed, in which ultrafiltration (UF) membrane modules are placed between electrodes to improve effluent water quality and reduce membrane fouling. Experiments with feedwater containing clays (kaolinite) and natural organic matter (humic acid) revealed that the combined effect of coagulation and electric field mitigated membrane fouling in the ECMR, resulting in higher water flux than the conventional combination of electrocoagulation and UF in separate units (EC-UF). Higher current densities and weakly acidic pH in the EMCR favored faster generation of large flocs and effectively reduced membrane pore blocking. The hydraulic resistance of the formed cake layers on the membrane surface in ECMR was reduced due to an increase in cake layer porosity and polarity, induced by both coagulation and the applied electric field. The formation of a polarized cake layer was controlled by the applied current density and voltage, with cake layers formed under higher electric field strengths showing higher porosity and hydrophilicity. Compared to EC-UF, ECMR has a smaller footprint and could achieve significant energy savings due to improved fouling resistance and a more compact reactor design.

Conducting polymers: Synthesis and industrial applications

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

Gottesfeld, S.

1997-04-01

The Conducting Polymer project funded by the AIM Program has developed new methods for the synthesis of conducting polymers and evaluated new industrial applications for these materials which will result in significant reductions in energy usage or industrial waste. The applications specifically addressed during FY 1996 included two ongoing efforts on membranes for gas separation and on electrochemical capacitors and a third new application: electrochemical reactors (ECRs) based on polymeric electrolytes. As a gas separation membrane, conducting polymers offer high selectivity and the potential to chemically or electrically adapt the membrane for specific gas combinations. Potential energy savings in themore » US for this application are estimated at 1 to 3 quads/yr. As an active material in electrochemical capacitors, electronically conducting polymers have the potential of storing large amounts of electric energy in low cost materials. Potential energy savings estimated at 1 quad/yr would result from introduction of electrochemical capacitors as energy storage devices in power trains of electric and hybrid vehicles, once such vehicles reach 20% of the total transportation market in the US. In the chlor-alkali industry, electrochemical reactors based on polymer electrolyte membranes consume around 1 % of the total electric power in the US. A new activity, started in FY 1996, is devoted to energy efficient ECRs. In the case of the chlor-alkali industry, energy savings as high as 50% seem possible with the novel ECR technology demonstrated by the author in 1996.« less

Fast Pyrolysis Oil Stabilization: An Integrated Catalytic and Membrane Approach for Improved Bio-oils. Final Report

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

George W. Huber; Upadhye, Aniruddha A.; Ford, David M.

This University of Massachusetts, Amherst project, "Fast Pyrolysis Oil Stabilization: An Integrated Catalytic and Membrane Approach for Improved Bio-oils" started on 1st February 2009 and finished on August 31st 2011. The project consisted following tasks: Task 1.0: Char Removal by Membrane Separation Technology The presence of char particles in the bio-oil causes problems in storage and end-use. Currently there is no well-established technology to remove char particles less than 10 micron in size. This study focused on the application of a liquid-phase microfiltration process to remove char particles from bio-oil down to slightly sub-micron levels. Tubular ceramic membranes of nominalmore » pore sizes 0.5 and 0.8m were employed to carry out the microfiltration, which was conducted in the cross-flow mode at temperatures ranging from 38 to 45 C and at three different trans-membrane pressures varying from 1 to 3 bars. The results demonstrated the removal of the major quantity of char particles with a significant reduction in overall ash content of the bio-oil. The results clearly showed that the cake formation mechanism of fouling is predominant in this process. Task 2.0 Acid Removal by Membrane Separation Technology The feasibility of removing small organic acids from the aqueous fraction of fast pyrolysis bio-oils using nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was studied. Experiments were carried out with a single solute solutions of acetic acid and glucose, binary solute solutions containing both acetic acid and glucose, and a model aqueous fraction of bio-oil (AFBO). Retention factors above 90% for glucose and below 0% for acetic acid were observed at feed pressures near 40 bar for single and binary solutions, so that their separation in the model AFBO was expected to be feasible. However, all of the membranes were irreversibly damaged when experiments were conducted with the model AFBO due to the presence of guaiacol in the feed solution. Experiments with model AFBO excluding guaiacol were also conducted. NF membranes showed retention factors of glucose greater than 80% and of acetic acid less than 15% when operated at transmembrane pressures near 60 bar. Task 3.0 Acid Removal by Catalytic Processing It was found that the TAN reduction in bio-oil was very difficult using low temperature hydrogenation in flow and batch reactors. Acetic acid is very resilient to hydrogenation and we could only achieve about 16% conversion for acetic acid. Although it was observed that acetic acid was not responsible for instability of aqueous fraction of bio-oil during ageing studies (described in task 5). The bimetallic catalyst PtRe/ceria-zirconia was found to be best catalyst because its ability to convert the acid functionality with low conversion to gas phase carbon. Hydrogenation of the whole bio-oil was carried out at 125°C, 1450 psi over Ru/C catalyst in a flow reactor. Again, negligible acetic acid conversion was obtained in low temperature hydrogenation. Hydrogenation experiments with whole bio-oil were difficult to perform because of difficulty to pumping the high viscosity oil and reactor clogging. Task 4.0 Acid Removal using Ion Exchange Resins DOWEX M43 resin was used to carry out the neutralization of bio-oil using a packed bed column. The pH of the bio-oil increased from 2.43 to 3.7. The GC analysis of the samples showed that acetic acid was removed from the bio-oil during the neutralization and recovered in the methanol washing. But it was concluded that process would not be economical at large scale as it is extremely difficult to regenerate the resin once the bio-oil is passed over it. Task 5.0 Characterization of Upgraded Bio-oils We investigated the viscosity, microstructure, and chemical composition of bio-oils prepared by a fast pyrolysis approach, upon aging these fuels at 90ºC for periods of several days. Our results suggest that the viscosity increase is not correlated with the acids or char present in the bio-oils. The viscosity increase is due to formation of high molecular weight polymeric species over time. Our work also suggests that hydrogenation of the samples is beneficial in eliminating the viscosity increase. Task 6.0 Commercialization Assessment Renewable Oil International LLC (ROI) was responsible for Task 6.0, Commercialization Assessment. As part of this effort ROI focused on methods to reduce char carryover in the vapor stream from the fast pyrolysis reactor and residence time of the vapor in the reactor. Changes were made in the bio-oil recovery methodology and a reactor sweep gas used to reduce vapor residence time. Cyclones were placed in the vapor stream to reduce char particulate carryover. Microfiltration of the bio-oil was also researched to remove char particulate from the bio-oil. The capital cost for these improvements would be less than 2% of the total plant capital cost.« less

Membrane-based systems for carbon capture and hydrogen purification

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

Berchtold, Kathryn A

2010-11-24

This presentation describes the activities being conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop carbon capture technologies for power systems. This work is aimed at continued development and demonstration of a membrane based pre- and post-combustion carbon capture technology and separation schemes. Our primary work entails the development and demonstration of an innovative membrane technology for pre-combustion capture of carbon dioxide that operates over a broad range of conditions relevant to the power industry while meeting the US DOE's Carbon Sequestration Program goals of 90% CO{sub 2} capture at less than a 10% increase in the cost of energy services.more » Separating and capturing carbon dioxide from mixed gas streams is a first and critical step in carbon sequestration. To be technically and economically viable, a successful separation method must be applicable to industrially relevant gas streams at realistic temperatures and pressures as well as be compatible with large gas volumes. Our project team is developing polymer membranes based on polybenzimidazole (PBI) chemistries that can purify hydrogen and capture CO{sub 2} at industrially relevant temperatures. Our primary objectives are to develop and demonstrate polymer-based membrane chemistries, structures, deployment platforms, and sealing technologies that achieve the critical combination of high selectivity, high permeability, chemical stability, and mechanical stability all at elevated temperatures (> 150 C) and packaged in a scalable, economically viable, high area density system amenable to incorporation into an advanced Integrated Gasification Combined-Cycle (IGCC) plant for pre-combustion CO{sub 2} capture. Stability requirements are focused on tolerance to the primary synthesis gas components and impurities at various locations in the IGCC process. Since the process stream compositions and conditions (temperature and pressure) vary throughout the IGCC process, the project is focused on the optimization of a technology that could be positioned upstream or downstream of one or more of the water-gas-shift reactors (WGSRs) or integrated with a WGSR.« less

Ceramic membrane reactor with two reactant gases at different pressures

DOEpatents

Balachandran, Uthamalingam; Mieville, Rodney L.

2001-01-01

The invention is a ceramic membrane reactor for syngas production having a reaction chamber, an inlet in the reactor for natural gas intake, a plurality of oxygen permeating ceramic slabs inside the reaction chamber with each slab having a plurality of passages paralleling the gas flow for transporting air through the reaction chamber, a manifold affixed to one end of the reaction chamber for intake of air connected to the slabs, a second manifold affixed to the reactor for removing the oxygen depleted air, and an outlet in the reaction chamber for removing syngas.

An Evaluation of the Performance and Economics of Membranes and Separators in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells Treating Domestic Wastewater.

PubMed

Christgen, Beate; Scott, Keith; Dolfing, Jan; Head, Ian M; Curtis, Thomas P

2015-01-01

The cost of materials is one of the biggest barriers for wastewater driven microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Many studies use expensive materials with idealistic wastes. Realistically the choice of an ion selective membrane or nonspecific separators must be made in the context of the cost and performance of materials available. Fourteen membranes and separators were characterized for durability, oxygen diffusion and ionic resistance to enable informed membrane selection for reactor tests. Subsequently MFCs were operated in a cost efficient reactor design using Nafion, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes, a nonspecific separator (Rhinohide), and a no-membrane design with a carbon-paper internal gas diffusion cathode. Peak power densities during polarisation, from MFCs using no-membrane, Nafion and ETFE, reached 67, 61 and 59 mWm(-2), and coulombic efficiencies of 68±11%, 71±12% and 92±6%, respectively. Under 1000 Ω, Nafion and ETFE achieved an average power density of 29 mWm(-2) compared to 24 mWm(-2) for the membrane-less reactors. Over a hypothetical lifetime of 10 years the generated energy (1 to 2.5 kWhm(-2)) would not be sufficient to offset the costs of any membrane and separator tested.

An Evaluation of the Performance and Economics of Membranes and Separators in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells Treating Domestic Wastewater

PubMed Central

Christgen, Beate; Scott, Keith; Dolfing, Jan; Head, Ian M.; Curtis, Thomas P.

2015-01-01

The cost of materials is one of the biggest barriers for wastewater driven microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Many studies use expensive materials with idealistic wastes. Realistically the choice of an ion selective membrane or nonspecific separators must be made in the context of the cost and performance of materials available. Fourteen membranes and separators were characterized for durability, oxygen diffusion and ionic resistance to enable informed membrane selection for reactor tests. Subsequently MFCs were operated in a cost efficient reactor design using Nafion, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes, a nonspecific separator (Rhinohide), and a no-membrane design with a carbon-paper internal gas diffusion cathode. Peak power densities during polarisation, from MFCs using no-membrane, Nafion and ETFE, reached 67, 61 and 59 mWm-2, and coulombic efficiencies of 68±11%, 71±12% and 92±6%, respectively. Under 1000Ω, Nafion and ETFE achieved an average power density of 29 mWm-2 compared to 24 mWm-2 for the membrane-less reactors. Over a hypothetical lifetime of 10 years the generated energy (1 to 2.5 kWhm-2) would not be sufficient to offset the costs of any membrane and separator tested. PMID:26305330

Forced-flow bioreactor for sucrose inversion using ceramic membrane activated by silanization.

PubMed

Nakajima, M; Watanabe, A; Jimbo, N; Nishizawa, K; Nakao, S

1989-02-20

A forced-flow enzyme membrane reactor system for sucrose inversion was investigated using three ceramic membranes having different pore sizes. Invertase was immobilized chemically to the inner surface of a ceramic membrane activated by a silane-glutaraldehyde technique. With the cross-flow filtration of sucrose solution, the reaction rate was a function of the permeate flux, easily controlled by pressure. Using 0.5 microm support pore size of membrane, the volumetric productivity obtained was 10 times higher than that in a reported immobilized enzyme column reactor, with a short residence time of 5 s and 100% conversion of the sucrose inversion.

MBR/RO/ozone processes for TFT-LCD industrial wastewater treatment and recycling.

PubMed

Chen, T K; Ni, C H; Chan, Y C; Lu, M C

2005-01-01

This research is mainly to explore the treatment capacity for TFT-LCD industrial wastewater recycling by the processes combined with membrane bioreactor (MBR), reverse osmosis (RO) and ozone(O3). The organic wastewater from the TFT-LCD industry was selected as the target. MBR, RO and ozone plants were established for evaluation. An MBR plant consisted of a 2-stage anoxic/aerobic bioreactor and an immersed UF membrane unit was employed. The effluent of MBR was conducted into the RO system then into the ozone system. The RO system consisted of a spiral membrane in the vessel. One bubble column, 75 cm high and diameter 5 cm, were used as the ozonation reactor. On the bottom of ozonation reactor is a porous diffuser for releasing gas, with an aperture of 100 microm (0.1 cm). Over the whole experimental period, the MBR process achieved a satisfactory organic removal. The COD could be removed with an average of over 98.5%. For the TOC item, the average removal efficiency was 97.4%. The stable effluent quality and satisfactory removal performance were ensured by the efficient interception performance of an immersed UF membrane device incorporated with the biological reactor. Moreover, the MBR effluent did not contain any suspended solids and the SDI value was under 3. After the treatment of RO, excellent water quality was found. The water quality of permeate was under 5 mg/I, 2 mg/l and 50 micros/cm for COD, TOC and conductivity respectively. The treated water can be recycled and reused for the cooling tower make-up water or other purposes. After the treatment of ozone, the treated water quality was under 5 mg/l and 0.852 mg/l for COD and TOC respectively. The test results of MBR, MBR/RO and MBR/RO/ozone processes were compared as possible appropriate treatment technologies applied in TFT-LCD industrial wastewater reuse and recycling.

Membrane Bioprocesses for Pharmaceutical Micropollutant Removal from Waters

PubMed Central

de Cazes, Matthias; Abejón, Ricardo; Belleville, Marie-Pierre; Sanchez-Marcano, José

2014-01-01

The purpose of this review work is to give an overview of the research reported on bioprocesses for the treatment of domestic or industrial wastewaters (WW) containing pharmaceuticals. Conventional WW treatment technologies are not efficient enough to completely remove all pharmaceuticals from water. Indeed, these compounds are becoming an actual public health problem, because they are more and more present in underground and even in potable waters. Different types of bioprocesses are described in this work: from classical activated sludge systems, which allow the depletion of pharmaceuticals by bio-degradation and adsorption, to enzymatic reactions, which are more focused on the treatment of WW containing a relatively high content of pharmaceuticals and less organic carbon pollution than classical WW. Different aspects concerning the advantages of membrane bioreactors for pharmaceuticals removal are discussed, as well as the more recent studies on enzymatic membrane reactors to the depletion of these recalcitrant compounds. PMID:25295629

Effect of long residence time and high temperature over anaerobic biodegradation of Scenedesmus microalgae grown in wastewater.

PubMed

Greses, S; Zamorano-López, N; Borrás, L; Ferrer, J; Seco, A; Aguado, D

2018-07-15

Anaerobic digestion of indigenous Scenedesmus spp. microalgae was studied in continuous lab-scale anaerobic reactors at different temperatures (35 °C and 55 °C), and sludge retention time - SRT (50 and 70 days). Mesophilic digestion was performed in a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) and in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). Mesophilic CSTR operated at 50 days SRT only achieved 11.9% of anaerobic biodegradability whereas in the AnMBR at 70 days SRT and 50 days HRT reached 39.5%, which is even higher than the biodegradability achieved in the thermophilic CSTR at 50 days SRT (30.4%). Microbial analysis revealed a high abundance of cellulose-degraders in both reactors, AnMBR (mainly composed of 9.4% Bacteroidetes, 10.1% Chloroflexi, 8.0% Firmicutes and 13.2% Thermotogae) and thermophilic CSTR (dominated by 23.8% Chloroflexi and 12.9% Firmicutes). However, higher microbial diversity was found in the AnMBR compared to the thermophilic CSTR which is related to the SRT. since high SRT promoted low growth-rate microorganisms, increasing the hydrolytic potential of the system. These results present the membrane technology as a promising approach to revalue microalgal biomass, suggesting that microalgae biodegradability and consequently the methane production could be improved operating at higher SRT. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Parameters and Conditions of Process in the Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation with Application of Permselective Membranes to Enhance Styrene Yield

PubMed Central

Araújo, Paulo Jardel P.; Leite, Manuela Souza; Kakuta Ravagnani, Teresa M.

2016-01-01

Styrene is an important monomer in the manufacture of thermoplastic. Most of it is produced by the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. In this process that depends on reversible reactions, the yield is usually limited by the establishment of thermodynamic equilibrium in the reactor. The styrene yield can be increased by using a hybrid process, with reaction and separation simultaneously. It is proposed using permselective composite membrane to remove hydrogen and thus suppress the reverse and secondary reactions. This paper describes the simulation of a dehydrogenation process carried out in a tubular fixed-bed reactor wrapped in a permselective composite membrane. A mathematical model was developed, incorporating the various mass transport mechanisms found in each of the membrane layers and in the catalytic fixed bed. The effects of the reactor feed conditions (temperature, steam-to-oil ratio, and the weight hourly space velocity), the fixed-bed geometry (length, diameter, and volume), and the membrane geometry (thickness of the layers) on the styrene yield were analyzed. These variables were used to determine experimental conditions that favour the production of styrene. The simulation showed that an increase of 40.98% in the styrene yield, compared to a conventional fixed-bed process, could be obtained by wrapping the reactor in a permselective composite membrane. PMID:27069982

Fluidized Bed Membrane Reactors for Ultra Pure H₂ Production--A Step forward towards Commercialization.

PubMed

Helmi, Arash; Fernandez, Ekain; Melendez, Jon; Pacheco Tanaka, David Alfredo; Gallucci, Fausto; van Sint Annaland, Martin

2016-03-19

In this research the performance of a fluidized bed membrane reactor for high temperature water gas shift and its long term stability was investigated to provide a proof-of-concept of the new system at lab scale. A demonstration unit with a capacity of 1 Nm³/h of ultra-pure H₂ was designed, built and operated over 900 h of continuous work. Firstly, the performance of the membranes were investigated at different inlet gas compositions and at different temperatures and H₂ partial pressure differences. The membranes showed very high H₂ fluxes (3.89 × 10(-6) mol·m(-2)·Pa(-1)·s(-1) at 400 °C and 1 atm pressure difference) with a H₂/N₂ ideal perm-selectivity (up to 21,000 when integrating five membranes in the module) beyond the DOE 2015 targets. Monitoring the performance of the membranes and the reactor confirmed a very stable performance of the unit for continuous high temperature water gas shift under bubbling fluidization conditions. Several experiments were carried out at different temperatures, pressures and various inlet compositions to determine the optimum operating window for the reactor. The obtained results showed high hydrogen recovery factors, and very low CO concentrations at the permeate side (in average <10 ppm), so that the produced hydrogen can be directly fed to a low temperature PEM fuel cell.

A novel membrane-integrated fermentation reactor system: application to pyruvic acid production in continuous culture by Torulopsis glabrata.

PubMed

Sawai, Hideki; Mimitsuka, Takashi; Minegishi, Shin-Ichi; Henmi, Masahiro; Yamada, Katsushige; Shimizu, Sakayu; Yonehara, Tetsu

2011-08-01

This paper describes the performance of a novel bio-reactor system, the membrane-integrated fermentation reactor (MFR), for efficient continuous fermentation. The MFR, equipped with an autoclavable polyvinylidene difluoride membrane, has normally been used for biological wastewater treatment. The productivity of the MFR system, applied to the continuous production of pyruvic acid by the yeast Torulopsis glabrata, was remarkably high. The volumetric productivity of pyruvic acid increased up to 4.2 g/l/h, about four times higher than that of batch fermentation. Moreover, the membrane was able to filter fermentation broth for more than 300 h without fouling even though the cell density of the fermentation broth reached 600 as OD(660). Transmembrane pressure, used as an indicator of membrane fouling, remained below 5 kPa throughout the continuous fermentation. These results clearly indicate that the MFR system is a simple and highly efficient system that is applicable to the fermentative production of a range of biochemicals.

KSC-04pd1309

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-06-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the KSC Space Life Sciences Lab’s Resource Recovery lab, bioengineer Tony Rector checks the ARMS reactor vessel. ARMS, or Aerobic Rotational Membrane System, is a wastewater processing project being tested for use on the International Space Station to collect, clean and reuse wastewater. It could be adapted for use on the Moon and Mars. The Lab is exploring various aspects of a bioregenerative life support system. Such research and technology development will be crucial to long-term habitation of space by humans.

KSC-04pd1310

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-06-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the KSC Space Life Sciences Lab’s Resource Recovery lab, bioengineer Tony Rector checks the clear plexiglass ARMS reactor vessel. ARMS, or Aerobic Rotational Membrane System, is a wastewater processing project being tested for use on the International Space Station to collect, clean and reuse wastewater. It could be adapted for use on the Moon and Mars. The Lab is exploring various aspects of a bioregenerative life support system. Such research and technology development will be crucial to long-term habitation of space by humans.

ESTIMATION OF EFFECTIVE SHEAR STRESS WORKING ON FLAT SHEET MEMBRANE USING FLUIDIZED MEDIA IN MBRs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaw, Hlwan Moe; Li, Tairi; Nagaoka, Hiroshi; Mishima, Iori

This study was aimed at estimating effective shear stress working on flat sheet membrane by the addition of fluidized media in MBRs. In both of laboratory-scale aeration tanks with and without fluidized media, shear stress variations on membrane surface and water phase velocity variations were measured and MBR operation was conducted. For the evaluation of the effective shear stress working on membrane surface to mitigate membrane surface, simulation of trans-membrane pressure increase was conducted. It was shown that the time-averaged absolute value of shear stress was smaller in the reactor with fluidized media than without fluidized media. However, due to strong turbulence in the reactor with fluidized media caused by interaction between water-phase and media and also due to the direct interaction between membrane surface and fluidized media, standard deviation of shear stress on membrane surface was larger in the reactor with fluidized media than without media. Histograms of shear stress variation data were fitted well to normal distribution curves and mean plus three times of standard deviation was defined to be a maximum shear stress value. By applying the defined maximum shear stress to a membrane fouling model, trans-membrane pressure curve in the MBR experiment was simulated well by the fouling model indicting that the maximum shear stress, not time-averaged shear stress, can be regarded as an effective shear stress to prevent membrane fouling in submerged flat-sheet MBRs.

Reverse-Bumpy-Ball-Type-Nanoreactor-Loaded Nylon Membranes as Peroxidase-Mimic Membrane Reactors for a Colorimetric Assay for H₂O₂.

PubMed

Tong, Ying; Jiao, Xiangyu; Yang, Hankun; Wen, Yongqiang; Su, Lei; Zhang, Xueji

2016-04-01

Herein we report for the first time fabrication of reverse bumpy ball (RBB)-type-nanoreactor-based flexible peroxidase-mimic membrane reactors (MRs). The RBB-type nanoreactors with gold nanoparticles embedded in the inner walls of carbon shells were loaded on nylon membranes through a facile filtration approach. The as-prepared flexible catalytic membrane was studied as a peroxidase-mimic MR. It was found that the obtained peroxidase-mimic MR could exhibit several advantages over natural enzymes, such as facile and good recyclability, long-term stability and easy storage. Moreover, the RBB NS-modified nylon MRs as a peroxidase mimic provide a useful colorimetric assay for H₂O₂.

Novel anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) design for wastewater treatment at long HRT and high solid concentration.

PubMed

Berkessa, Yifru Waktole; Yan, Binghua; Li, Tengfei; Tan, Ming; She, Zonglian; Jegatheesan, Veeriah; Jiang, Heqing; Zhang, Yang

2018-02-01

Performance of two novel designed anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBRs) for wastewater treatment at long hydraulic retention time (HRT, 47 days) and high sludge concentration (22 g·L -1 ) was investigated. Results showed steady chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal (>98%) and mean biogas generation of 0.29 LCH 4 ·g -1 COD. Average permeates flux of 58.70 L·m -2 ·h -1 and 54.00 L·m -2 ·h -1 were achieved for reactors A and B, respectively. On top of reactor configuration, long HRT caused biofilm reduction by heterotrophic bacteria Chloroflexi resulting in high membrane flux. Mean total membrane resistances (2.23 × 10 9  m -1 ) and fouling rates (4.00 × 10 8  m -1 ·day -1 ) of both reactors were low suggesting better membrane fouling control ability of both AnMBRs. Effluent quality analysis showed the effluent soluble microbial products (SMP) were dominated by proteins compared to carbohydrates, and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) analysis revealed effluent from both reactors had low aromaticity with SUVA < 1 (L·mg -1 ·m -1 ) except for the first ten days. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of process performance, energy consumption and microbiota characterization in a ceramic membrane bioreactor for ex-situ biomethanation of H2 and CO2.

PubMed

Alfaro, Natalia; Fdz-Polanco, María; Fdz-Polanco, Fernando; Díaz, Israel

2018-06-01

The performance of a pilot ceramic membrane bioreactor for the bioconversion of H 2 and CO 2 to bioCH 4 was evaluated in thermophilic conditions. The loading rate was between 10 and 30 m 3  H 2 /m 3 reactor  d and the system transformed 95% of H 2 fed. The highest methane yield found was 0.22 m 3  CH 4 /m 3  H 2 , close to the maximum stoichiometric value (0.25 m 3  CH 4 /m 3  H 2 ) thus indicating that archaeas employed almost all H 2 transferred to produce CH 4 . k L a value of 268 h -1 was reached at 30 m 3  H 2 /m 3 reactor  d. DGGE and FISH revealed a remarkable archaeas increase related to the selection-effect of H 2 on community composition over time. Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus was the archaea found with high level of similarity. This study verified the successful application of membrane technology to efficiently transfer H 2 from gas to the liquid phase, the development of a hydrogenotrophic community from a conventional thermophilic sludge and the technical feasibility of the bioconversion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Covalent enzyme immobilization onto carbon nanotubes using a membrane reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voicu, Stefan Ioan; Nechifor, Aurelia Cristina; Gales, Ovidiu; Nechifor, Gheorghe

2011-05-01

Composite porous polysulfone-carbon nanotubes membranes were prepared by dispersing carbon nanotubes into a polysulfone solution followed by the membrane formation by phase inversion-immersion precipitation technique. The carbon nanotubes with amino groups on surface were functionalized with different enzymes (carbonic anhydrase, invertase, diastase) using cyanuric chloride as linker between enzyme and carbon nanotube. The composite membrane was used as a membrane reactor for a better dispersion of carbon nanotubes and access to reaction centers. The membrane also facilitates the transport of enzymes to active carbon nanotubes centers for functionalization (amino groups). The functionalized carbon nanotubes are isolated by dissolving the membranes after the end of reaction. Carbon nanotubes with covalent immobilized enzymes are used for biosensors fabrications. The obtained membranes were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Thermal analysis, FT-IR Spectroscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and functionalized carbon nanotubes were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy.

Functionalizing Microporous Membranes for Protein Purification and Protein Digestion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Jinlan; Bruening, Merlin L.

2015-07-01

This review examines advances in the functionalization of microporous membranes for protein purification and the development of protease-containing membranes for controlled protein digestion prior to mass spectrometry analysis. Recent studies confirm that membranes are superior to bead-based columns for rapid protein capture, presumably because convective mass transport in membrane pores rapidly brings proteins to binding sites. Modification of porous membranes with functional polymeric films or TiO2 nanoparticles yields materials that selectively capture species ranging from phosphopeptides to His-tagged proteins, and protein-binding capacities often exceed those of commercial beads. Thin membranes also provide a convenient framework for creating enzyme-containing reactors that afford control over residence times. With millisecond residence times, reactors with immobilized proteases limit protein digestion to increase sequence coverage in mass spectrometry analysis and facilitate elucidation of protein structures. This review emphasizes the advantages of membrane-based techniques and concludes with some challenges for their practical application.

Functionalizing Microporous Membranes for Protein Purification and Protein Digestion.

PubMed

Dong, Jinlan; Bruening, Merlin L

2015-01-01

This review examines advances in the functionalization of microporous membranes for protein purification and the development of protease-containing membranes for controlled protein digestion prior to mass spectrometry analysis. Recent studies confirm that membranes are superior to bead-based columns for rapid protein capture, presumably because convective mass transport in membrane pores rapidly brings proteins to binding sites. Modification of porous membranes with functional polymeric films or TiO₂ nanoparticles yields materials that selectively capture species ranging from phosphopeptides to His-tagged proteins, and protein-binding capacities often exceed those of commercial beads. Thin membranes also provide a convenient framework for creating enzyme-containing reactors that afford control over residence times. With millisecond residence times, reactors with immobilized proteases limit protein digestion to increase sequence coverage in mass spectrometry analysis and facilitate elucidation of protein structures. This review emphasizes the advantages of membrane-based techniques and concludes with some challenges for their practical application.

A forced-flow membrane reactor for transfructosylation using ceramic membrane.

PubMed

Nishizawa, K; Nakajima, M; Nabetani, H

2000-04-05

A forced-flow membrane reactor system for transfructosylation was investigated using several ceramic membranes having different pore sizes. beta-Fructofuranosidase from Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 was immobilized chemically to the inner surface of a ceramic membrane activated by a silane-coupling reagent. Sucrose solution was forced through the ceramic membrane by crossflow filtration while transfructosylation took place. The saccharide composition of the product, which was a mixture of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), was a function of the permeate flux, which was easily controlled by pressure. Using 0.2 micrometer pore size of symmetric ceramic membrane, the volumetric productivity obtained was 3.87 kg m(-3) s(-1), which was 560 times higher than that in a reported batch system, with a short residence time of 11 s. The half-life of the immobilized enzyme in the membrane was estimated to be 35 days by a long-term operation. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kinetics of nitrate and perchlorate reduction in ion exchange brine using the membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR)

EPA Science Inventory

Several sources of bacterial inocula were tested for their ability to reduce nitrate and perchlorate in synthetic ion-exchange spent brine (3-4.5% salinity) using a hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR). Nitrate and perchlorate removal fluxes reached as high as 5.4 g N ...

Mars power system concept definition study. Volume 1: Study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Littman, Franklin D.

1994-01-01

A preliminary top level study was completed to define power system concepts applicable to Mars surface applications. This effort included definition of power system requirements and selection of power systems with the potential for high commonality. These power systems included dynamic isotope, Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) regenerative fuel cell, sodium sulfur battery, photovoltaic, and reactor concepts. Design influencing factors were identified. Characterization studies were then done for each concept to determine system performance, size/volume, and mass. Operations studies were done to determine emplacement/deployment maintenance/servicing, and startup/shutdown requirements. Technology development roadmaps were written for each candidate power system (included in Volume 2). Example power system architectures were defined and compared on a mass basis. The dynamic isotope power system and nuclear reactor power system architectures had significantly lower total masses than the photovoltaic system architectures. Integrated development and deployment time phasing plans were completed for an example DIPS and reactor architecture option to determine the development strategies required to meet the mission scenario requirements.

Improved performance of gravity-driven membrane filtration for seawater pretreatment: Implications of membrane module configuration.

PubMed

Wu, Bing; Christen, Tino; Tan, Hwee Sin; Hochstrasser, Florian; Suwarno, Stanislaus Raditya; Liu, Xin; Chong, Tzyy Haur; Burkhardt, Michael; Pronk, Wouter; Fane, Anthony G

2017-05-01

As a low energy and chemical free process, gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration has shown a potential for seawater pretreatment in our previous studies. In this study, a pilot submerged GDM reactor (effective volume of 720 L) was operated over 250 days and the permeate flux stabilized at 18.6 ± 1.4 L/m 2 h at a hydrostatic pressure of 40 mbar. This flux was higher than those in the lab-scale GDM reactor (16.3 ± 0.2 L/m 2 h; effective volume of 8.4 L) and in the filtration cell system (2.7 ± 0.6 L/m 2 h; feed side volume of 0.0046 L) when the same flat sheet membrane was used. Interestingly, when the filtration cell was submerged into the GDM reactor, the flux (17.2 L/m 2 h) was comparable to the submerged membrane module. Analysis of cake layer morphology and foulant properties indicated that a thicker but more porous cake layer with less accumulation of organic substances (biopolymers and humics) contributed to the improved permeate flux. This phenomenon was possibly associated with longer residence time of organic substances and sufficient space for the growth, predation, and movement of the eukaryotes in the GDM reactor. In addition, the permeate flux of the submerged hollow fibre membrane increased with decreasing packing density. It is thought that the movement of large-sized eukaryotes could be limited when the space between hollow fibres was reduced. In terms of pretreatment, the GDM systems effectively removed turbidity, viable cells, and transparent exopolymer particles from the feed seawater. Importantly, extending the reactor operation time produced a permeate with less assimilable organic carbon and biopolymers. Thus, the superior quality of the GDM permeate has the potential to alleviate subsequent reverse osmosis membrane fouling for seawater treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Navigating environmental, economic, and technological trade-offs in the design and operation of submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs).

PubMed

Pretel, R; Shoener, B D; Ferrer, J; Guest, J S

2015-12-15

Anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) enable energy recovery from wastewater while simultaneously achieving high levels of treatment. The objective of this study was to elucidate how detailed design and operational decisions of submerged AnMBRs influence the technological, environmental, and economic sustainability of the system across its life cycle. Specific design and operational decisions evaluated included: solids retention time (SRT), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration, sludge recycling ratio (r), flux (J), and specific gas demand per membrane area (SGD). The possibility of methane recovery (both as biogas and as soluble methane in reactor effluent) and bioenergy production, nutrient recovery, and final destination of the sludge (land application, landfill, or incineration) were also evaluated. The implications of these design and operational decisions were characterized by leveraging a quantitative sustainable design (QSD) framework which integrated steady-state performance modeling across seasonal temperatures (using pilot-scale experimental data and the simulating software DESASS), life cycle cost (LCC) analysis, and life cycle assessment (LCA). Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were used to characterize the relative importance of individual design decisions, and to navigate trade-offs across environmental, economic, and technological criteria. Based on this analysis, there are design and operational conditions under which submerged AnMBRs could be net energy positive and contribute to the pursuit of carbon negative wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

NONE

During this reporting period, there were three major thrusts in the WVU portion. First, we started a preliminary investigation on the use of a membrane reactor for HAS. Accordingly, the plug-flow reactor which had been isolated from sulfides was substituted by a membrane reactor. The tubular membrane was first characterized in terms of its permeation properties, i.e., the fluxes, permeances and selectivities of the components. After that, a BASF methanol-synthesis catalyst was tested under different conditions on the membrane reactor. The results will be compared with those from a non-permeable stainless steel tubular reactor under the same conditions. Second, wemore » started a detailed study of one of the catalysts tested during the screening runs. Accordingly, a carbon-supported potassium-doped molybdenum-cobalt catalyst was selected to be run in the Rotoberty reactor. Finally, we have started detailed analyses of reaction products from some earlier screening runs in which non-sulfide molybdenum-based catalysts were employed and much more complicated product distributions were generally observed. These products could not hitherto be analyzed using the gas chromatograph which was then available. A Varian gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) is being used to characterize these liquid products. At UCC, we completed a screening of an Engelhard support impregnated with copper and cesium. We have met or exceeded three of four catalyst development targets. Oxygenate selectivity is our main hurdle. Further, we tested the effect of replacing stainless-steel reactor preheater tubing and fittings with titanium ones. We had hoped to reduce the yield of hydrocarbons which may have been produced at high temperatures due to Fischer-Tropsch catalysis with the iron and nickel in the preheater tube walls. Results showed that total hydrocarbon space time yield was actually increased with the titanium preheater, while total alcohol space time yield was not significantly affected.« less

Ceramic membranes with mixed conductivity and their application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozhevnikov, V. L.; Leonidov, I. A.; Patrakeev, M. V.

2013-08-01

Data on the catalytic reactors with ceramic membranes possessing mixed oxygen ion and electronic conductivity that make it possible to integrate the processes of oxygen separation and oxidation are analyzed and generalized. The development of this approach is of interest for the design of energy efficient and environmentally friendly processes for processing natural gas and other raw materials. The general issues concerning the primary processing of light alkanes in reactors with oxygen separating membranes are expounded and general demands to the membrane materials are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the process of oxidative conversion of methane to synthesis gas. The bibliography includes 110 references.

The water treatment and recycling in 105-day bioregenerative life support experiment in the Lunar Palace 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Beizhen; Zhu, Guorong; Liu, Bojie; Su, Qiang; Deng, Shengda; Yang, Lige; Liu, Guanghui; Dong, Chen; Wang, Minjuan; Liu, Hong

2017-11-01

In the bioregenerative life support system (BLSS), water recycling is one of the essential issues. The Lunar Palace 1, a ground-based bioregenerative life support system experimental facility, has been developed by our team and a 105-day closed bioregenerative life support experiment with multi-crew involved has been accomplished within this large-scale facility. During the 105-day experiment, activated carbon-absorption/ultra-filtration, membrane-biological activated carbon reactor and reduced pressure distillation technology have been used to purify the condensate water, sanitary & kitchen wastewater and urine, respectively. The results demonstrated that the combination of those technologies can achieve 100% regeneration of the water inside the Lunar Palace 1. The purified condensate water (the clean water) could meet the standards for drinking water quality in China (GB5749-2006). The treatment capacity of the membrane-biological activated carbon reactor for sanitary & kitchen wastewater could reach 150 kg/d. During the 105-d experiment, the average volume loading of the bioreactor was 0.441 kgCOD/(m3d), and the average COD removal efficiency was about 85.3%. The quality of the purified sanitary & kitchen wastewater (the greywater) could meet the standards for irrigation water quality (GB 5084-2005). In addition, during the 105-day experiment, the total excreted urine volume of three crew members was 346 L and the contained water was totally treated and recovered. The removal efficiency of ion from urine was about 88.12%. Moreover, partial nitrogen within the urine was recovered as well and the average recovery ratio was about 20.5%. The study laid a foundation for the water recycling technologies which could be used in BLSS for lunar or Mars bases.

Fouling potential evaluation of soluble microbial products (SMP) with different membrane surfaces in a hybrid membrane bioreactor using worm reactor for sludge reduction.

PubMed

Li, Zhipeng; Tian, Yu; Ding, Yi; Chen, Lin; Wang, Haoyu

2013-07-01

The fouling characteristics of soluble microbial products (SMP) in the membrane bioreactor coupled with Static Sequencing Batch Worm Reactor (SSBWR-MBR) were tested with different types of membranes. It was noted that the flux decrements of S-SMP (SMP in SSBWR-MBR) with cellulose acetate (CA), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyether sulfones (PES) membranes were respectively 6.7%, 8.5% and 9.5% lower compared to those of C-SMP (SMP in Control-MBR) with corresponding membranes. However, for both the filtration of the C-SMP and S-SMP, the CA membrane exhibited the fastest diminishing rate of flux among the three types of membranes. The surface morphology analysis showed that the CA membrane exhibited more but smaller protuberances compared to the PVDF and PES. The second minimums surrounding each protruding asperity on CA membrane were more than those on the PVDF and PES membranes, enhancing the attachment of SMP onto the membrane surface. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Novel Catalytic Membrane Reactor for Heterogeneous Catalysis in Supercritical CO2

PubMed Central

Islam, Nazrul M.; Chatterjee, Maya; Ikushima, Yutaka; Yokoyama, Toshiro; Kawanami, Hajime

2010-01-01

A novel type of high-pressure membrane reactor has been developed for hydrogenation in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). The main objectives of the design of the reactor are the separate feeding of hydrogen and substrate in scCO2 for safe reactions in a continuous flow process, and to reduce the reaction time. By using this new reactor, hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde into hydrocinnamaldehyde has been successfully carried out with 100% selectivity at 50 °C in 10 MPa (H2: 1 MPa, CO2: 9 MPa) with a flow rate of substrate ranging from 0.05 to 1.0 mL/min. PMID:20162008

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.

Comparison and Analysis of Membrane Fouling between Flocculent Sludge Membrane Bioreactor and Granular Sludge Membrane Bioreactor

PubMed Central

Zhi-Qiang, Chen; Jun-Wen, Li; Yi-Hong, Zhang; Xuan, Wang; Bin, Zhang

2012-01-01

The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of inoculating granules on reducing membrane fouling. In order to evaluate the differences in performance between flocculent sludge and aerobic granular sludge in membrane reactors (MBRs), two reactors were run in parallel and various parameters related to membrane fouling were measured. The results indicated that specific resistance to the fouling layer was five times greater than that of mixed liquor sludge in the granular MBR. The floc sludge more easily formed a compact layer on the membrane surface, and increased membrane resistance. Specifically, the floc sludge had a higher moisture content, extracellular polymeric substances concentration, and negative surface charge. In contrast, aerobic granules could improve structural integrity and strength, which contributed to the preferable permeate performance. Therefore, inoculating aerobic granules in a MBR presents an effective method of reducing the membrane fouling associated with floc sludge the perspective of from the morphological characteristics of microbial aggregates. PMID:22859954

Simultaneous saccharification and extractive fermentation of lignocellulosic materials into lactic acid in a two-zone fermentor-extractor system.

PubMed

Iyer, P V; Lee, Y Y

1999-01-01

Simultaneous saccharification and extractive fermentation of lignocellulosic materials into lactic acid was investigated using a two-zone bioreactor. The system is composed of an immobilized cell reactor, a separate column reactor containing the lignocellulosic substrate and a hollow-fiber membrane. It is operated by recirculating the cell free enzyme (cellulase) solution from the immobilized cell reactor to the column reactor through the membrane. The enzyme and microbial reactions thus occur at separate locations, yet simultaneously. This design provides flexibility in reactor operation as it allows easy separation of the solid substrate from the microorganism, in situ removal of the product and, if desired, different temperatures in the two reactor sections. This reactor system was tested using pretreated switchgrass as the substrate. It was operated under a fed-batch mode with continuous removal of lactic acid by solvent extraction. The overall lactic acid yield obtainable from this bioreactor system is 77% of the theoretical.

Thermodynamic analysis of the advanced zero emission power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotowicz, Janusz; Job, Marcin

2016-03-01

The paper presents the structure and parameters of advanced zero emission power plant (AZEP). This concept is based on the replacement of the combustion chamber in a gas turbine by the membrane reactor. The reactor has three basic functions: (i) oxygen separation from the air through the membrane, (ii) combustion of the fuel, and (iii) heat transfer to heat the oxygen-depleted air. In the discussed unit hot depleted air is expanded in a turbine and further feeds a bottoming steam cycle (BSC) through the main heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). Flue gas leaving the membrane reactor feeds the second HRSG. The flue gas consist mainly of CO2 and water vapor, thus, CO2 separation involves only the flue gas drying. Results of the thermodynamic analysis of described power plant are presented.

Continuous hyperpolarization with parahydrogen in a membrane reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmkuhl, Sören; Wiese, Martin; Schubert, Lukas; Held, Mathias; Küppers, Markus; Wessling, Matthias; Blümich, Bernhard

2018-06-01

Hyperpolarization methods entail a high potential to boost the sensitivity of NMR. Even though the "Signal Amplification by Reversible Exchange" (SABRE) approach uses para-enriched hydrogen, p-H2, to repeatedly achieve high polarization levels on target molecules without altering their chemical structure, such studies are often limited to batch experiments in NMR tubes. Alternatively, this work introduces a continuous flow setup including a membrane reactor for the p-H2, supply and consecutive detection in a 1 T NMR spectrometer. Two SABRE substrates pyridine and nicotinamide were hyperpolarized, and more than 1000-fold signal enhancement was found. Our strategy combines low-field NMR spectrometry and a membrane flow reactor. This enables precise control of the experimental conditions such as liquid and gas pressures, and volume flow for ensuring repeatable maximum polarization.

Pressurized diesel fuel processing using hydrogen peroxide for the fuel cell power unit in low-oxygen environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kwangho; Han, Gwangwoo; Cho, Sungbaek; Bae, Joongmyeon

2018-03-01

A novel concept for diesel fuel processing utilizing H2O2 is suggested to obtain the high-purity H2 required for air-independent propulsion using polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells for use in submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles. The core components include 1) a diesel-H2O2 autothermal reforming (ATR) reactor to produce H2-rich gas, 2) a water-gas shift (WGS) reactor to convert CO to H2, and 3) a H2 separation membrane to separate only high-purity H2. Diesel and H2O2 can easily be pressurized as they are liquids. The application of the H2 separation membrane without a compressor in the middle of the process is thus advantageous. In this paper, the characteristics of pressurized ATR and WGS reactions are investigated according to the operating conditions. In both reactors, the methanation reaction is enhanced as the pressure increases. Then, permeation experiments with a H2 separation membrane are performed while varying the temperature, pressure difference, and inlet gas composition. In particular, approximately 90% of the H2 is recovered when the steam-separated rear gas of the WGS reactor is used in the H2 separation membrane. Finally, based on the experimental results, design points are suggested for maximizing the efficiency of the diesel-H2O2 fuel processor.

Oxygen transport membrane reactor based method and system for generating electric power

DOEpatents

Kelly, Sean M.; Chakravarti, Shrikar; Li, Juan

2017-02-07

A carbon capture enabled system and method for generating electric power and/or fuel from methane containing sources using oxygen transport membranes by first converting the methane containing feed gas into a high pressure synthesis gas. Then, in one configuration the synthesis gas is combusted in oxy-combustion mode in oxygen transport membranes based boiler reactor operating at a pressure at least twice that of ambient pressure and the heat generated heats steam in thermally coupled steam generation tubes within the boiler reactor; the steam is expanded in steam turbine to generate power; and the carbon dioxide rich effluent leaving the boiler reactor is processed to isolate carbon. In another configuration the synthesis gas is further treated in a gas conditioning system configured for carbon capture in a pre-combustion mode using water gas shift reactors and acid gas removal units to produce hydrogen or hydrogen-rich fuel gas that fuels an integrated gas turbine and steam turbine system to generate power. The disclosed method and system can also be adapted to integrate with coal gasification systems to produce power from both coal and methane containing sources with greater than 90% carbon isolation.

Oxygen transport membrane based advanced power cycle with low pressure synthesis gas slip stream

DOEpatents

Kromer, Brian R.; Litwin, Michael M.; Kelly, Sean M.

2016-09-27

A method and system for generating electrical power in which a high pressure synthesis gas stream generated in a gasifier is partially oxidized in an oxygen transport membrane based reactor, expanded and thereafter, is combusted in an oxygen transport membrane based boiler. A low pressure synthesis gas slip stream is split off downstream of the expanders and used as the source of fuel in the oxygen transport membrane based partial oxidation reactors to allow the oxygen transport membrane to operate at low fuel pressures with high fuel utilization. The combustion within the boiler generates heat to raise steam to in turn generate electricity by a generator coupled to a steam turbine. The resultant flue gas can be purified to produce a carbon dioxide product.

Catalytic oxidation for treatment of ECLSS and PMMS waste streams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akse, James R.; Jolly, Clifford D.

1991-01-01

It is shown that catalytic oxidation is an effective technique for the removal of trace organic contaminants in a multifiltration potable processor's effluent. Essential elements of this technology are devices that deliver oxygen to the influent, and remove gaseous reaction byproducts from the effluent, via hollow-tube, gas-permeable membranes. Iodine, which poisons existing catalysis, is removed by a small deiodination bed prior to catalytic reactor entrance. The catalyst used is a mixture of Pt and Ru deposited on carbon, operating at 125-160 C and 39-90 psi pressures.

Catalytic membrane reactor for water and wastewater treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heng, Samuel

A double membrane reactor was fabricated and assessed for continuous treatment of water containing organic contaminants by ozonation. This innovative reactor consisted of a zeolite membrane prepared on the inner surface of a porous a-alumina support, which served as water selective extractor and active contactor, and a porous stainless membrane which was the ozone gas diffuser. The coupling of membrane separation and chemical oxidation was found to be highly beneficial to both processes. The total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate at the retentate was enhanced by up to 2.2 times, as compared to membrane ozonation. Simultaneously, clean water (< 2 mg C.L-1 ) was consistently produced on the permeate side, using a feed solution containing up to 1000 mg C.L-1, while the retentate was concentrated and treated. Most significantly, the addition of an adsorbing material, as a bed or a coated layer, onto the pores of the membrane support, was shown to further enhance TOC degradation, permeated TOC concentration, permeate flux, and moreover, ozone yield. The achievements of this project included: (1) The development of a novel low-temperature zeolite membrane activation method that generates consistently high quality membranes (i.e. high reproducibility and fewer defects). (2) The demonstration that gamma-alumina and gamma-alumina supported catalysts do not have significant activity and that the TOC removal enhancement usually observed during catalytic ozonation was due primarily to the contribution of adsorption and metal leaching. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and elemental analysis (EA) of the spent catalyst showed that, during catalytic ozonation, oxygenated by-products of increased adsorbability were concentrated onto the gamma-alumina contactor, and were subsequently degraded. (3) The development of a method for coating high surface area gamma-alumina layers onto the grains of zeolite membrane support used as the active membrane contactor.

Long-term performance and characterization of microbial desalination cells in treating domestic wastewater.

PubMed

Luo, Haiping; Xu, Pei; Ren, Zhiyong

2012-09-01

Microbial desalination cell represents a new technology for simultaneous wastewater treatment, water desalination, and energy production. This study characterized the long-term performance of MDC during wastewater treatment and identified the key factors that caused performance decline. The 8-month operation shows that MDC performance decreased over time, as indicated by a 47% decline in current density, a 46% drop in Columbic efficiency, and a 27% decrease in desalination efficiency. Advanced electrochemical, microscopy, and spectroscopy analyses all confirmed biofouling on the anion exchange membrane, which increased system resistance and reduced ionic transfer and energy conversion efficiency. Minor chemical scaling was found on the cation exchange membrane surface. Microbial communities became less diverse at the end of operation, and Proteobacteria spp. was dominant on both anode and AEM fouling layer surface. These results provide insights into the viability of long-term MDC operation on reactor performance and direct system development through membrane optimization. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integration of aerobic granular sludge and mesh filter membrane bioreactor for cost-effective wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Li, Wen-Wei; Wang, Yun-Kun; Sheng, Guo-Ping; Gui, Yong-Xin; Yu, Lei; Xie, Tong-Qing; Yu, Han-Qing

2012-10-01

Conventional MBR has been mostly based on floc sludge and the use of costly microfiltration membranes. Here, a novel aerobic granule (AG)-mesh filter MBR (MMBR) process was developed for cost-effective wastewater treatment. During 32-day continuous operation, a predominance of granules was maintained in the system, and good filtration performance was achieved at a low trans-membrane pressure (TMP) of below 0.025 m. The granules showed a lower fouling propensity than sludge flocs, attributed to the formation of more porous biocake layer at mesh surface. A low-flux and low-TMP filtration favored a stable system operation. In addition, the reactor had high pollutant removal efficiencies, with a 91.4% chemical oxygen demand removal, 95.7% NH(4)(+) removal, and a low effluent turbidity of 4.1 NTU at the stable stage. This AG-MMBR process offers a promising technology for low-cost and efficient treatment of wastewaters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of membrane bioreactors in the preliminary treatment of early planetary base wastewater for long-duration space missions.

PubMed

Zhang, Kai; Choi, Hyeok; Dionysiou, Dionysios D; Oerther, Daniel B

2008-12-01

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are the preferred technology for the preliminary treatment of Early Planetary Base Wastewater (EPBW) because of their compact configuration and promising treatment performance. For long-duration space missions, irreversible membrane biofouling resulting from the strong attachment of biomass and the formation of biofilms are major concerns for the MBR process. In this study, a MBR was operated for 230 days treating synthetic EPBW. The reactor demonstrated excellent treatment performance, in terms of chemical oxygen demand removal and nitrification. Filtration resistance is mainly caused by concentration polarization, reversible fouling, and irreversible fouling. Analysis of the microbial communities in the planktonic and corresponding sessile biomass suggested that the microbial community of the planktonic biomass was significantly different from the one of the sessile biomass. This study provides valuable information for the development of the water reuse component in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (Washington, D.C.) Advanced Life Support system for long-term space missions.

Highly hydrophilic poly(vinylidene fluoride)/meso-titania hybrid mesoporous membrane for photocatalytic membrane reactor in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Meng; Yang, Guang; Jin, Peng; Tang, Hao; Wang, Huanhuan; Chen, Yong

2016-01-01

The high hydrophobicity of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane remains an obstacle to be applied in some purification processes of water or wastewater. Herein, a highly hydrophilic hybrid mesoporous titania membrane composed of mesoporous anatase titania (meso-TiO2) materials inside the three-dimensional (3D) macropores of PVDF membrane was successfully prepared by using the dual-templated synthesis method combined with solvent extraction and applied as the photocatalytic membrane reactor for the photodegredation of organic dye in water. The structure and the properties of as-prepared hybrid membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption and contact angle measurements. It was found that the hydrophilicity of PVDF membrane can be significantly improved by filling mesoporous TiO2 inside the 3D macropores of PVDF membrane. Moreover, such a PVDF/meso-TiO2 hybrid membrane exhibits promising photocatalytic degradation of dye in water due to the existence of mesoporous anatase TiO2 materials inside PVDF membrane. This study provides a new strategy to simultaneously introduce hydrophilicity and some desirable properties into PVDF and other hydrophobic membranes.

New nanosized catalytic membrane reactors for hydrogenation with stored hydrogen: Prerequisites and the experimental basis for their creation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soldatov, A. P.; Tsodikov, M. V.; Parenago, O. P.; Teplyakov, V. V.

2010-12-01

The prerequisites and prospects for creating a new generation of nanosized membrane reactors are considered. For the first time, hydrogenation reactions take place in ceramic membrane pores with hydrogen adsorbed beforehand in mono- and multilayered oriented carbon nanotubes with graphene walls (OCNTGs) formed on the internal pore surface. It is shown for Trumem microfiltration membranes with D avg ˜130 nm that oxidation reactions of CO on a Cu0.03Ti0.97O2 ± δ catalyst and the oxidative conversion of methane into synthesis gas and light hydrocarbons on La + Ce/MgO are considerably enhanced when they occur in membranes. Regularities of hydrogen adsorption, storage, and desorption in nanosized membrane reactors are investigated through OCNTG formation in Trumem ultrafiltration membrane pores with D avg = 50 and 90 nm and their saturation with hydrogen at a pressure of 10-13 MPa. It is shown that the amount of adsorbed hydrogen reaches 14.0% of OCNTG mass. Using thermogravimetric analysis in combination with mass-spectrometric analysis, hydrogen adsorption in OCNTG is first determined and its desorption is found to proceed at atmospheric pressure at a temperature of ˜175°C. It is shown that adsorbed hydrogen affects the transport properties of the membranes, reducing their efficiency with respect to liquids by 4-26 times. This is indirect confirmation of its high activity, due apparently the dissociative mechanism of adsorption.

Performance and membrane fouling of a step-fed submerged membrane sequencing batch reactor treating swine biogas digestion slurry.

PubMed

Han, Zhiying; Chen, Shixia; Lin, Xiaochang; Yu, Hongjun; Duan, Li'an; Ye, Zhangying; Jia, Yanbo; Zhu, Songming; Liu, Dezhao

2018-01-02

To identify the performance of step-fed submerged membrane sequencing batch reactor (SMSBR) treating swine biogas digestion slurry and to explore the correlation between microbial metabolites and membrane fouling within this novel reactor, a lab-scale step-fed SMSBR was operated under nitrogen loading rate of 0.026, 0.052 and 0.062 g NH 4 + -N (gVSS·d) -1 . Results show that the total removal efficiencies for NH 4 + -N, total nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand in the reactor (>94%, >89% and >97%, respectively) were high during the whole experiment. However, the cycle removal efficiency of NH 4 + -N decreased significantly when the nitrogen loading rate was increased to 0.062 g NH 4 + -N (gVSS·d) -1 . The total removal efficiency of total phosphorus in the step-fed SMSBR was generally higher than 75%, though large fluctuations were observed during the experiments. In addition, the concentrations of microbial metabolites, i.e., soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from activated sludge increased as nitrogen loading rate increased, both showing quadratic equation correlations with viscosity of the mixed liquid in the step-fed SMSBR (both R 2 > 0.90). EPS content was higher than SMP content, while protein (PN) was detected as the main component in both SMP and EPS. EPS PN was found to be well correlated with transmembrane pressure, membrane flux and the total membrane fouling resistance. Furthermore, the three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy results suggested the tryptophan-like protein as one of the main contributors to the membrane fouling. Overall, this study showed that the step-fed SMSBR could be used to treat swine digestion slurry at nitrogen loading rate of 0.052 g NH 4 + -N (gVSS·d) -1 , and the control strategy of membrane fouling should be developed based on reducing the tryptophan-like PN in EPS.

A comparison of mass transfer coefficients between trickle-bed, hollow fiber membrane and stirred tank reactors.

PubMed

Orgill, James J; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Devarapalli, Mamatha; Phillips, John R; Lewis, Randy S; Huhnke, Raymond L

2013-04-01

Trickle-bed reactor (TBR), hollow fiber membrane reactor (HFR) and stirred tank reactor (STR) can be used in fermentation of sparingly soluble gasses such as CO and H2 to produce biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Gas fermenting reactors must provide high mass transfer capabilities that match the kinetic requirements of the microorganisms used. The present study compared the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (K(tot)A/V(L)) of three reactor types; the TBR with 3 mm and 6 mm beads, five different modules of HFRs, and the STR. The analysis was performed using O2 as the gaseous mass transfer agent. The non-porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) HFR provided the highest K(tot)A/V(L) (1062 h(-1)), followed by the TBR with 6mm beads (421 h(-1)), and then the STR (114 h(-1)). The mass transfer characteristics in each reactor were affected by agitation speed, and gas and liquid flow rates. Furthermore, issues regarding the comparison of mass transfer coefficients are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scaling up microbial fuel cells and other bioelectrochemical systems.

PubMed

Logan, Bruce E

2010-02-01

Scientific research has advanced on different microbial fuel cell (MFC) technologies in the laboratory at an amazing pace, with power densities having reached over 1 kW/m(3) (reactor volume) and to 6.9 W/m(2) (anode area) under optimal conditions. The main challenge is to bring these technologies out of the laboratory and engineer practical systems for bioenergy production at larger scales. Recent advances in new types of electrodes, a better understanding of the impact of membranes and separators on performance of these systems, and results from several new pilot-scale tests are all good indicators that commercialization of the technology could be possible within a few years. Some of the newest advances and future challenges are reviewed here with respect to practical applications of these MFCs for renewable energy production and other applications.

New functional biocarriers for enhancing the performance of a hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor system.

PubMed

Deng, Lijuan; Guo, Wenshan; Ngo, Huu Hao; Zhang, Xinbo; Wang, Xiaochang C; Zhang, Qionghua; Chen, Rong

2016-05-01

In this study, new sponge modified plastic carriers for moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was developed. The performance and membrane fouling behavior of a hybrid MBBR-membrane bioreactor (MBBR-MBR) system were also evaluated. Comparing to the MBBR with plastic carriers (MBBR), the MBBR with sponge modified biocarriers (S-MBBR) showed better effluent quality and enhanced nutrient removal at HRTs of 12h and 6h. Regarding fouling issue of the hybrid systems, soluble microbial products (SMP) of the MBR unit greatly influenced membrane fouling. The sponge modified biocarriers could lower the levels of SMP in mixed liquor and extracellular polymeric substances in activated sludge, thereby mitigating cake layer and pore blocking resistances of the membrane. The reduced SMP and biopolymer clusters in membrane cake layer were also observed. The results demonstrated that the sponge modified biocarriers were capable of improving overall MBBR performance and substantially alleviated membrane fouling of the subsequent MBR unit. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent developments in photocatalytic water treatment technology: a review.

PubMed

Chong, Meng Nan; Jin, Bo; Chow, Christopher W K; Saint, Chris

2010-05-01

In recent years, semiconductor photocatalytic process has shown a great potential as a low-cost, environmental friendly and sustainable treatment technology to align with the "zero" waste scheme in the water/wastewater industry. The ability of this advanced oxidation technology has been widely demonstrated to remove persistent organic compounds and microorganisms in water. At present, the main technical barriers that impede its commercialisation remained on the post-recovery of the catalyst particles after water treatment. This paper reviews the recent R&D progresses of engineered-photocatalysts, photoreactor systems, and the process optimizations and modellings of the photooxidation processes for water treatment. A number of potential and commercial photocatalytic reactor configurations are discussed, in particular the photocatalytic membrane reactors. The effects of key photoreactor operation parameters and water quality on the photo-process performances in terms of the mineralization and disinfection are assessed. For the first time, we describe how to utilize a multi-variables optimization approach to determine the optimum operation parameters so as to enhance process performance and photooxidation efficiency. Both photomineralization and photo-disinfection kinetics and their modellings associated with the photocatalytic water treatment process are detailed. A brief discussion on the life cycle assessment for retrofitting the photocatalytic technology as an alternative waste treatment process is presented. This paper will deliver a scientific and technical overview and useful information to scientists and engineers who work in this field.

Potentialities of a membrane reactor with laccase grafted membranes for the enzymatic degradation of phenolic compounds in water.

PubMed

Chea, Vorleak; Paolucci-Jeanjean, Delphine; Sanchez, José; Belleville, Marie-Pierre

2014-10-06

This paper describes the degradation of phenolic compounds by laccases from Trametes versicolor in an enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR). The enzymatic membranes were prepared by grafting laccase on a gelatine layer previously deposited onto α-alumina tubular membranes. The 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP) was selected  from among the three different phenolic compounds tested (guaiacol, 4-chlorophenol and DMP) to study the performance of the EMR in dead end configuration. At the lowest feed substrate concentration tested (100 mg·L-1), consumption increased with flux (up to 7.9 × 103 mg·h-1·m-2 at 128 L·h-1·m-2), whereas at the highest substrate concentration (500 mg·L-1), it was shown that the reaction was limited by the oxygen content.

Potentialities of a Membrane Reactor with Laccase Grafted Membranes for the Enzymatic Degradation of Phenolic Compounds in Water

PubMed Central

Chea, Vorleak; Paolucci-Jeanjean, Delphine; Sanchez, José; Belleville, Marie-Pierre

2014-01-01

This paper describes the degradation of phenolic compounds by laccases from Trametes versicolor in an enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR). The enzymatic membranes were prepared by grafting laccase on a gelatine layer previously deposited onto α-alumina tubular membranes. The 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP) was selected  from among the three different phenolic compounds tested (guaiacol, 4-chlorophenol and DMP) to study the performance of the EMR in dead end configuration. At the lowest feed substrate concentration tested (100 mg·L−1), consumption increased with flux (up to 7.9 × 103 mg·h−1·m−2 at 128 L·h−1·m−2), whereas at the highest substrate concentration (500 mg·L−1), it was shown that the reaction was limited by the oxygen content. PMID:25295628

Performance of semi-continuous membrane bioreactor in biogas production from toxic feedstock containing D-Limonene.

PubMed

Wikandari, Rachma; Youngsukkasem, Supansa; Millati, Ria; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J

2014-10-01

A novel membrane bioreactor configuration containing both free and encased cells in a single reactor was proposed in this work. The reactor consisted of 120g/L of free cells and 120g/L of encased cells in a polyvinylidene fluoride membrane. Microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) and d-Limonene were used as the models of substrate and inhibitor for biogas production, respectively. Different concentrations of d-Limonene i.e., 1, 5, and 10g/L were tested, and an experiment without the addition of d-Limonene was prepared as control. The digestion was performed in a semi-continuous thermophilic reactor for 75 days. The result showed that daily methane production in the reactor with the addition of 1g/L d-Limonene was similar to that of control. A lag phase was observed in the presence of 5g/L d-Limonene; however, after 10 days, the methane production increased and reached a similar production to that of the control after 15 days. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrafiltration membrane reactors for enzymatic resolution of amino acids: design model and optimization.

PubMed

Bódalo, A; Gómez, J L.; Gómez, E; Bastida, J; Máximo, M F.; Montiel, M C.

2001-03-08

In this paper the possibility of continuous resolution of DL-phenylalanine, catalyzed by L-aminoacylase in a ultrafiltration membrane reactor (UFMR) is presented. A simple design model, based on previous kinetic studies, has been demonstrated to be capable of describing the behavior of the experimental system. The model has been used to determine the optimal experimental conditions to carry out the asymmetrical hydrolysis of N-acetyl-DL-phenylalanine.

Apparatus and process to eliminate diffusional limitations in a membrane biological reactor by pressure cycling

DOEpatents

Efthymiou, George S.; Shuler, Michael L.

1989-08-29

An improved multilayer continuous biological membrane reactor and a process to eliminate diffusional limitations in membrane reactors in achieved by causing a convective flux of nutrient to move into and out of an immobilized biocatalyst cell layer. In a pressure cycled mode, by increasing and decreasing the pressure in the respective layers, the differential pressure between the gaseous layer and the nutrient layer is alternately changed from positive to negative. The intermittent change in pressure differential accelerates the transfer of nutrient from the nutrient layers to the biocatalyst cell layer, the transfer of product from the cell layer to the nutrient layer and the transfer of byproduct gas from the cell layer to the gaseous layer. Such intermittent cycling substantially eliminates mass transfer gradients in diffusion inhibited systems and greatly increases product yield and throughput in both inhibited and noninhibited systems.

A comparison of the physical, chemical, and biological properties of sludges from a complete-mix activated sludge reactor and a submerged membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Merlo, Rion P; Trussell, R Shane; Hermanowicz, Slawomir W; Jenkins, David

2007-03-01

The properties of sludges from a pilot-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) and two bench-scale complete-mix, activated sludge (CMAS) reactors treating municipal primary effluent were determined. Compared with the CMAS sludges, the SMBR sludge contained a higher amount of soluble microbial products (SMP) and colloidal material attributed to the use of a membrane for solid-liquid separation; a higher amount nocardioform bacteria, resulting from efficient foam trapping; and a lower amount of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), possibly because there was no selective pressure for the sludge to settle. High aeration rates in both the CMAS and SMBR reactors produced sludges with higher numbers of smaller particles. Normalized capillary suction time values for the SMBR sludge were lower than for the CMAS sludges, possibly because of its lower EPS content.

Effect of UV on De-NOx performance and microbial community of a hybrid catalytic membrane biofilm reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhouyang; Huang, Zhensha; He, Yiming; Xiao, Xiaoliang; Wei, Zaishan

2018-02-01

The hybrid membrane catalytic biofilm reactor provides a new way of flue gas denitration. However, the effects of UV on denitrification performance, microbial community and microbial nitrogen metabolism are still unknown. In this study, the effects of UV on deNO x performance, nitrification and denitrification, microbial community and microbial nitrogen metabolism of a bench scale N-TiO2/PSF hybrid catalytic membrane biofilm reactor (HCMBR) were evaluated. The change from nature light to UV in the HCMBR leads to the fall of NO removal efficiency of HCMBR from 92.8% to 81.8%. UV affected the microbial community structure, but did not change microbial nitrogen metabolism, as shown by metagenomics sequencing method. Some dominant phyla, such as Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria, increased in abundance, whereas others, such as Proteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria, decreased. There were nitrification, denitrification, nitrogen fixation, and organic nitrogen metabolism in the HCMBR.

Testimony of Fred R. Mynatt before the Energy Research and Development Subcommittee of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, US House of Representatives. [Advanced fuel technology, gas-cooled reactor technology, and liquid metal-cooled reactor technology programs

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

Mynatt, F.R.

1987-03-18

This report provides a description of the statements submitted for the record to the committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the United States House of Representatives. These statements describe three principal areas of activity of the Advanced Reactor Technology Program of the Department of Energy (DOE). These areas are advanced fuel cycle technology, modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology, and liquid metal-cooled reactor. The areas of automated reactor control systems, robotics, materials and structural design shielding and international cooperation were included in these statements describing the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's efforts in these areas. (FI)

Selective purge for hydrogenation reactor recycle loop

DOEpatents

Baker, Richard W.; Lokhandwala, Kaaeid A.

2001-01-01

Processes and apparatus for providing improved contaminant removal and hydrogen recovery in hydrogenation reactors, particularly in refineries and petrochemical plants. The improved contaminant removal is achieved by selective purging, by passing gases in the hydrogenation reactor recycle loop or purge stream across membranes selective in favor of the contaminant over hydrogen.

Performance of a novel baffled osmotic membrane bioreactor-microfiltration hybrid system under continuous operation for simultaneous nutrient removal and mitigation of brine discharge.

PubMed

Pathak, Nirenkumar; Chekli, Laura; Wang, Jin; Kim, Youngjin; Phuntsho, Sherub; Li, Sheng; Ghaffour, Noreddine; Leiknes, TorOve; Shon, Hokyong

2017-09-01

The present study investigated the performance of an integrated osmotic and microfiltration membrane bioreactor system for wastewater treatment employing baffles in the reactor. Thus, this reactor design enables both aerobic and anoxic processes in an attempt to reduce the process footprint and energy costs associated with continuous aeration. The process performance was evaluated in terms of water flux, salinity build up in the bioreactor, organic and nutrient removal and microbial activity using synthetic reverse osmosis (RO) brine as draw solution (DS). The incorporation of MF membrane was effective in maintaining a reasonable salinity level (612-1434mg/L) in the reactor which resulted in a much lower flux decline (i.e. 11.48-6.98LMH) as compared to previous studies. The stable operation of the osmotic membrane bioreactor-forward osmosis (OMBR-FO) process resulted in an effective removal of both organic matter (97.84%) and nutrient (phosphate 87.36% and total nitrogen 94.28%), respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Declassification of radioactive water from a pool type reactor after nuclear facility dismantling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnal, J. M.; Sancho, M.; García-Fayos, B.; Verdú, G.; Serrano, C.; Ruiz-Martínez, J. T.

2017-09-01

This work is aimed to the treatment of the radioactive water from a dismantled nuclear facility with an experimental pool type reactor. The main objective of the treatment is to declassify the maximum volume of water and thus decrease the volume of radioactive liquid waste to be managed. In a preliminary stage, simulation of treatment by the combination of reverse osmosis (RO) and evaporation have been performed. Predicted results showed that the combination of membrane and evaporation technologies would result in a volume reduction factor higher than 600. The estimated time to complete the treatment was around 650 h (25-30 days). For different economical and organizational reasons which are explained in this paper, the final treatment of the real waste had to be reduced and only evaporation was applied. The volume reduction factor achieved in the real treatment was around 170, and the time spent for treatment was 194 days.

Virus disinfection in water by biogenic silver immobilized in polyvinylidene fluoride membranes.

PubMed

De Gusseme, Bart; Hennebel, Tom; Christiaens, Eline; Saveyn, Hans; Verbeken, Kim; Fitts, Jeffrey P; Boon, Nico; Verstraete, Willy

2011-02-01

The development of innovative water disinfection strategies is of utmost importance to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases related to poor treatment of (drinking) water. Recently, the association of silver nanoparticles with the bacterial cell surface of Lactobacillus fermentum (referred to as biogenic silver or bio-Ag(0)) has been reported to exhibit antiviral properties. The microscale bacterial carrier matrix serves as a scaffold for Ag(0) particles, preventing aggregation during encapsulation. In this study, bio-Ag(0) was immobilized in different microporous PVDF membranes using two different pre-treatments of bio-Ag(0) and the immersion-precipitation method. Inactivation of UZ1 bacteriophages using these membranes was successfully demonstrated and was most probably related to the slow release of Ag(+) from the membranes. At least a 3.4 log decrease of viruses was achieved by application of a membrane containing 2500 mg bio-Ag(0)(powder) m(-2) in a submerged plate membrane reactor operated at a flux of 3.1 L m(-2) h(-1). Upon startup, the silver concentration in the effluent initially increased to 271 μg L(-1) but after filtration of 31 L m(-2), the concentration approached the drinking water limit ( = 100 μg L(-1)). A virus decline of more than 3 log was achieved at a membrane flux of 75 L m(-2) h(-1), showing the potential of this membrane technology for water disinfection on small scale. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Sensor Technologies for Advanced Reactors

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

Korsah, Kofi; Kisner, R. A.; Britton Jr., C. L.

This paper provides an assessment of sensor technologies and a determination of measurement needs for advanced reactors (AdvRx). It is a summary of a study performed to provide the technical basis for identifying and prioritizing research targets within the instrumentation and control (I&C) Technology Area under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Technology (ART) program. The study covered two broad reactor technology categories: High Temperature Reactors and Fast Reactors. The scope of “High temperature reactors” included Gen IV reactors whose coolant exit temperatures exceed ≈650 °C and are moderated (as opposed to fast reactors). To bound the scope formore » fast reactors, this report reviewed relevant operating experience from US-operated Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) and relevant test experience from the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). For high temperature reactors the study showed that in many cases instrumentation have performed reasonably well in research and demonstration reactors. However, even in cases where the technology is “mature” (such as thermocouples), HTGRs can benefit from improved technologies. Current HTGR instrumentation is generally based on decades-old technology and adapting newer technologies could provide significant advantages. For sodium fast reactors, the study found that several key research needs arise around (1) radiation-tolerant sensor design for in-vessel or in-core applications, where possible non-invasive sensing approaches for key parameters that minimize the need to deploy sensors in-vessel, (2) approaches to exfiltrating data from in-vessel sensors while minimizing penetrations, (3) calibration of sensors in-situ, and (4) optimizing sensor placements to maximize the information content while minimizing the number of sensors needed.« less

Reactor technology assessment and selection utilizing systems engineering approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zolkaffly, Muhammed Zulfakar; Han, Ki-In

2014-02-01

The first Nuclear power plant (NPP) deployment in a country is a complex process that needs to consider technical, economic and financial aspects along with other aspects like public acceptance. Increased interest in the deployment of new NPPs, both among newcomer countries and those with expanding programs, necessitates the selection of reactor technology among commercially available technologies. This paper reviews the Systems Decision Process (SDP) of Systems Engineering and applies it in selecting the most appropriate reactor technology for the deployment in Malaysia. The integrated qualitative and quantitative analyses employed in the SDP are explored to perform reactor technology assessment and to select the most feasible technology whose design has also to comply with the IAEA standard requirements and other relevant requirements that have been established in this study. A quick Malaysian case study result suggests that the country reside with PWR (pressurized water reactor) technologies with more detailed study to be performed in the future for the selection of the most appropriate reactor technology for Malaysia. The demonstrated technology assessment also proposes an alternative method to systematically and quantitatively select the most appropriate reactor technology.

Hybrid Adsorption-Membrane Biological Reactors for Improved Performance and Reliability of Perchlorate Removal Processes

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

to reduce effluent perchlorate spikes by up to 97% in comparison to a conventional MBR that was subject to sudden changes in influent conditions...biological reactor (HAMBgR). The HAMBgR process integrates a granular adsorptive media into the mixed liquor of a membrane bioreactor ( MBR ), which...although concentrated brine disposal can be problematic. In this study, we measured the performance of a conventional MBR and a HAMBgR process and

A new flat sheet membrane bioreactor hybrid system for advanced treatment of effluent, reverse osmosis pretreatment and fouling mitigation.

PubMed

Hosseinzadeh, Majid; Bidhendi, Gholamreza Nabi; Torabian, Ali; Mehrdadi, Naser; Pourabdullah, Mehdi

2015-09-01

This paper introduces a new hybrid electro membrane bioreactor (HEMBR) for reverse osmosis (RO) pretreatment and advanced treatment of effluent by simultaneously integrating electrical coagulation (EC) with a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and its performance was compared with conventional MBR. Experimental results and their statistical analysis showed removal efficiency for suspended solids (SS) of almost 100% for both reactors. HEMBR removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) improved by 4% and membrane fouling was alleviated according to transmembrane pressure (TMP). The average silt density index (SDI) of HEMBR permeate samples was slightly better indicating less RO membrane fouling. Moreover, based on the SVI comparison of two reactor biomass samples, HEMBR showed better settling characteristics which improved the dewaterability and filterability of the sludge. Analysis the change of membrane surfaces and the cake layer formed over them through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) were also discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in characteristics of soluble microbial products and extracellular polymeric substances in membrane bioreactor coupled with worm reactor: relation to membrane fouling.

PubMed

Tian, Yu; Li, Zhipeng; Lu, Yaobin

2012-10-01

The study focused on the membrane fouling mitigation observed in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) coupled with worm reactor system. During the operation time of 100 days, the transmembrane pressure (TMP) in the combined system was maintained less than 5 kPa, while the final TMP in the Control-MBR increased to 30 kPa. The changes in properties of soluble microbial products (SMP) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) after worm predation were investigated by means of various analytical techniques. It was found that due to the worm predation, the reduced amount of EPS was far more than the increased amount of SMP leading to a significant decrease of protein-like substances which were dominant in the membrane foulants. Except for the content decrease, worm predation destroyed the functional groups of simple aromatic proteins and tryptophan protein-like substances in EPS, making them have lower tendency attaching to the membrane in the combined system. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Periodic venting of MABR lumen allows high removal rates and high gas-transfer efficiencies.

PubMed

Perez-Calleja, P; Aybar, M; Picioreanu, C; Esteban-Garcia, A L; Martin, K J; Nerenberg, R

2017-09-15

The membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) is a novel treatment technology that employs gas-supplying membranes to deliver oxygen directly to a biofilm growing on the membrane surface. When operated with closed-end membranes, the MABR provides 100-percent oxygen transfer efficiencies (OTE), resulting in significant energy savings. However, closed-end MABRs are more sensitive to back-diffusion of inert gases, such as nitrogen. Back-diffusion reduces the average oxygen transfer rates (OTR), consequently decreasing the average contaminant removal fluxes (J). We hypothesized that venting the membrane lumen periodically would increase the OTR and J. Using an experimental flow cell and mathematical modeling, we showed that back-diffusion gas profiles developed over relatively long timescales. Thus, very short ventings could re-establish uniform gas profiles for relatively long time periods. Using modeling, we systematically explored the effect of the venting interval (time between ventings). At moderate venting intervals, opening the membrane for 20 s every 30 min, the venting significantly increased the average OTR and J without substantially impacting the OTEs. When the interval was short enough, in this case shorter than 20 min, the OTR was actually higher than for continuous open-end operation. Our results show that periodic venting is a promising strategy to combine the advantages of open-end and closed end operation, maximizing both the OTR and OTE. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process simulation and economic analysis of biodiesel production from waste cooking oil with membrane bioreactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdurakhman, Yuanita Budiman; Putra, Zulfan Adi; Bilad, Muhammad Roil

2017-10-01

Pollution and shortage of clean energy supply are among major problems that are caused by rapid population growth. Due to this growth, waste cooking oil is one of the pollution sources. On the other hand, biodiesel appears to be one of the most promising and feasible energy sources as it emits less toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases than petroleum diesel. Thus, biodiesel production using waste cooking oil offers a two-in-one solution to cater pollution and energy issues. However, the conventional biodiesel production process using homogeneous base catalyst and stirred tank reactor is unable to produce high purity of biodiesel from waste cooking oil. It is due its sensitivity to free fatty acid (FFA) content in waste cooking oil and purification difficulties. Therefore, biodiesel production using heterogeneous acid catalyst in membrane reactor is suggested. The product of this process is fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or biodiesel with glycerol as by-product. This project is aimed to study techno-economic feasibility of biodiesel production from waste cooking oil via heterogeneous acid catalyst in membrane reactor. Aspen HYSYS is used to accomplish this aim. Several cases, such as considering different residence times and the production of pharmaceutical (USP) grade glycerol, are evaluated and compared. Economic potential of these cases is calculated by considering capital expenditure, utilities cost, product and by-product sales, as well as raw material costs. Waste cooking oil, inorganic pressure-driven membrane and WAl is used as raw material, type of membrane and heterogeneous acid catalyst respectively. Based on literature data, FAME yield formulation is developed and used in the reactor simulation. Simulation results shows that economic potential increases by 30% if pharmaceutical (USP) grade glycerol is produced regardless the residence time of the reactor. In addition, there is no significant effect of residence time on the economic potential.

Methods and apparatus for carbon dioxide removal from a fluid stream

DOEpatents

Wei, Wei; Ruud, James Anthony; Ku, Anthony Yu-Chung; Ramaswamy, Vidya; Liu, Ke

2010-01-19

An apparatus for producing hydrogen gas wherein the apparatus includes a reactor. In one embodiment, the reactor includes at least two conversion-removal portions. Each conversion-removal portion comprises a catalyst section configured to convert CO in the stream to CO.sub.2 and a membrane section located downstream of and in flow communication with the catalyst section. The membrane section is configured to selectively remove the CO.sub.2 from the stream and to be in flow communication with a sweep gas.

Flow-through pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass with inorganic nanoporous membranes

DOEpatents

Bhave, Ramesh R.; Lynd, Lee; Shao, Xiongjun

2018-04-03

A process for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is provided. The process generally includes flowing water through a pretreatment reactor containing a bed of particulate ligno-cellulosic biomass to produce a pressurized, high-temperature hydrolyzate exit stream, separating solubilized compounds from the hydrolyzate exit stream using an inorganic nanoporous membrane element, fractionating the retentate enriched in solubilized organic components and recycling the permeate to the pretreatment reactor. The pretreatment process provides solubilized organics in concentrated form for the subsequent conversion into biofuels and other chemicals.

Application of a low cost ceramic filter to a membrane bioreactor for greywater treatment.

PubMed

Hasan, Md Mahmudul; Shafiquzzaman, Md; Nakajima, Jun; Ahmed, Abdel Kader T; Azam, Mohammad Shafiul

2015-03-01

The performance of a low cost and simple ceramic filter to a membrane bioreactor (MBR) process was evaluated for greywater treatment. The ceramic filter was submerged in an acrylic cylindrical column bioreactor. Synthetic greywater (prepared by shampoo, dish cleaner and laundry detergent) was fed continuously into the reactor. The filter effluent was obtained by gravitational pressure. The average flux performance was observed to be 11.5 LMH with an average hydraulic retention time of 1.7 days. Complete biodegradation of surfactant (methylene blue active substance removal: 99-100%) as well as high organic removal performance (biochemical oxygen demand: 97-100% and total organic carbon: >88%) was obtained. The consistency of flux (11.5 LMH) indicated that the filter can be operated for a long time without fouling. The application of this simple ceramic filter would make MBR technology cost-effective in developing countries for greywater reclamation and reuse.

Development of a hybrid ozonation biofilm-membrane filatration process for the production of drinking water.

PubMed

Leiknes, T; Lazarova, M; Odegaard, H

2005-01-01

Drinking water sources in Norway are characterized by high concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM), low alkalinity and low turbidity. The removal of NOM is therefore a general requirement in producing potable water. Drinking water treatment plants are commonly designed with coagulation direct filtration or NF spiral wound membrane processes. This study has investigated the feasibility and potential of a hybrid process combining ozonation and biofiltration with a rotating disk membrane for treating drinking water with high NOM concentrations. Ozonation will oxidize the NOM content removing colour and form biodegradable organic compounds, which can be removed in biological filters. A constructed water was used in this study which is representative of ozonated NOM-containing water. A rotating membrane disk bioreactor downstream the ozonation process was used to carry out both the biodegradation as well as biomass separation in the same reactor. Maintenance of biodegradation of the organic matter while controlling biofouling of the membrane and acceptable water production rates was the focus in the study. Three operating modes were investigated. Removal of the biodegradable organics was consistent throughout the study indicating that sufficient biomass was maintained in the reactor for all operating conditions tested. Biofouling control was not achieved through shear-induced cleaning by periodically rotating the membrane disks at high speed. By adding a small amount of sponges in the membrane chamber the biofouling could be controlled by mechanical cleaning of the membrane surface during disk rotation. The overall results indicate that the system can favorably be used in an ozonation/biofiltration process by carrying out both biodegradation as well as biomass separation in the same reactor.

Plasma deposition of silver nanoparticles on ultrafiltration membranes: antibacterial and anti-biofouling properties.

PubMed

Cruz, Mercedes Cecilia; Ruano, Gustavo; Wolf, Marcus; Hecker, Dominic; Vidaurre, Elza Castro; Schmittgens, Ralph; Rajal, Verónica Beatriz

2015-02-01

A novel and versatile plasma reactor was used to modify Polyethersulphone commercial membranes. The equipment was applied to: i) functionalize the membranes with low-temperature plasmas, ii) deposit a film of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) and, iii) deposit silver nanoparticles (SNP) by Gas Flow Sputtering. Each modification process was performed in the same reactor consecutively, without exposure of the membranes to atmospheric air. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the particles and modified membranes. SNP are evenly distributed on the membrane surface. Particle fixation and transport inside membranes were assessed before- and after-washing assays by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling analysis. PMMA addition improved SNP fixation. Plasma-treated membranes showed higher hydrophilicity. Anti-biofouling activity was successfully achieved against Gram-positive ( Enterococcus faecalis ) and -negative ( Salmonella Typhimurium) bacteria. Therefore, disinfection by ultrafiltration showed substantial resistance to biofouling. The post-synthesis functionalization process developed provides a more efficient fabrication route for anti-biofouling and anti-bacterial membranes used in the water treatment field. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a gas phase condensation process combined with a PECVD procedure in order to deposit SNP on commercial membranes to inhibit biofouling formation.

Plasma deposition of silver nanoparticles on ultrafiltration membranes: antibacterial and anti-biofouling properties

PubMed Central

Cruz, Mercedes Cecilia; Ruano, Gustavo; Wolf, Marcus; Hecker, Dominic; Vidaurre, Elza Castro; Schmittgens, Ralph; Rajal, Verónica Beatriz

2015-01-01

A novel and versatile plasma reactor was used to modify Polyethersulphone commercial membranes. The equipment was applied to: i) functionalize the membranes with low-temperature plasmas, ii) deposit a film of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) and, iii) deposit silver nanoparticles (SNP) by Gas Flow Sputtering. Each modification process was performed in the same reactor consecutively, without exposure of the membranes to atmospheric air. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the particles and modified membranes. SNP are evenly distributed on the membrane surface. Particle fixation and transport inside membranes were assessed before- and after-washing assays by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling analysis. PMMA addition improved SNP fixation. Plasma-treated membranes showed higher hydrophilicity. Anti-biofouling activity was successfully achieved against Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis) and -negative (Salmonella Typhimurium) bacteria. Therefore, disinfection by ultrafiltration showed substantial resistance to biofouling. The post-synthesis functionalization process developed provides a more efficient fabrication route for anti-biofouling and anti-bacterial membranes used in the water treatment field. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a gas phase condensation process combined with a PECVD procedure in order to deposit SNP on commercial membranes to inhibit biofouling formation. PMID:26166926

Synthesis gas production by mixed conducting membranes with integrated conversion into liquid products

DOEpatents

Nataraj, Shankar; Russek, Steven Lee; Dyer, Paul Nigel

2000-01-01

Natural gas or other methane-containing feed gas is converted to a C.sub.5 -C.sub.19 hydrocarbon liquid in an integrated system comprising an oxygenative synthesis gas generator, a non-oxygenative synthesis gas generator, and a hydrocarbon synthesis process such as the Fischer-Tropsch process. The oxygenative synthesis gas generator is a mixed conducting membrane reactor system and the non-oxygenative synthesis gas generator is preferably a heat exchange reformer wherein heat is provided by hot synthesis gas product from the mixed conducting membrane reactor system. Offgas and water from the Fischer-Tropsch process can be recycled to the synthesis gas generation system individually or in combination.

Genetically engineered Escherichia coli FBR5: Part I. Comparison of high cell density bioreactors for enhanced ethanol production from xylose

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Five reactor systems (free cell batch, free cell continuous, entrapped cell immobilized, adsorbed cell packed bed, and cell recycle membrane reactors) were compared for ethanol production from xylose employing Escherichia coli FBR5. In the free cell batch and free cell continuous reactors (continuo...

Ceramic membranes for catalytic membrane reactors with high ionic conductivities and low expansion properties

DOEpatents

Mackay, Richard; Sammells, Anthony F.

2000-01-01

Ceramics of the composition: Ln.sub.x Sr.sub.2-x-y Ca.sub.y B.sub.z M.sub.2-z O.sub.5+.delta. where Ln is an element selected from the fblock lanthanide elements and yttrium or mixtures thereof; B is an element selected from Al, Ga, In or mixtures thereof; M is a d-block transition element of mixtures thereof; 0.01.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.0; 0.01.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.7; 0.01.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.1.0 and .delta. is a number that varies to maintain charge neutrality are provided. These ceramics are useful in ceramic membranes and exhibit high ionic conductivity, high chemical stability under catalytic membrane reactor conditions and low coefficients of expansion. The materials of the invention are particularly useful in producing synthesis gas.

A membrane-integrated fermentation reactor system: its effects in reducing the amount of sub-raw materials for D-lactic acid continuous fermentation by Sporolactobacillus laevolacticus.

PubMed

Mimitsuka, Takashi; Na, Kyungsu; Morita, Ken; Sawai, Hideki; Minegishi, Shinichi; Henmi, Masahiro; Yamada, Katsushige; Shimizu, Sakayu; Yonehara, Tetsu

2012-01-01

Continuous fermentation by retaining cells with a membrane-integrated fermentation reactor (MFR) system was found to reduce the amount of supplied sub-raw material. If the amount of sub-raw material can be reduced, continuous fermentation with the MFR system should become a more attractive process for industrialization, due to decreased material costs and loads during the refinement process. Our findings indicate that the production rate decreased when the amount of the sub-raw material was reduced in batch fermentation, but did not decrease during continuous fermentation with Sporolactobacillus laevolacticus. Moreover, continuous fermentation with a reduced amount of sub-raw material resulted in a productivity of 11.2 g/L/h over 800 h. In addition, the index of industrial process applicability used in the MFR system increased by 6.3-fold as compared with the conventional membrane-based fermentation reactor previously reported, suggesting a potential for the industrialization of this D-lactic acid continuous fermentation process.

Summary of the Workshop on Molten Salt Reactor Technologies Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Startup of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment

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

Betzler, Benjamin R; Mays, Gary T

2016-01-01

A workshop on Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) technologies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) was held at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on October 15 16, 2015. The MSRE represented a pioneering experiment that demonstrated an advanced reactor technology: the molten salt eutectic-fueled reactor. A multinational group of more than 130 individuals representing a diverse set of stakeholders gathered to discuss the historical, current, and future technical challenges and paths to deployment of MSR technology. This paper provides a summary of the key messages from this workshop.

A comparison of BNR activated sludge systems with membrane and settling tank solid-liquid separation.

PubMed

Ramphao, M C; Wentzel, M C; Ekama, G A; Alexander, W V

2006-01-01

Installing membranes for solid-liquid separation into biological nutrient removal (BNR) activated sludge (AS) systems makes a profound difference not only to the design of the membrane bio-reactor (MBR) BNR system itself, but also to the design approach for the whole wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In multi-zone BNR systems with membranes in the aerobic reactor and fixed volumes for the anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic zones (i.e. fixed volume fractions), the mass fractions can be controlled (within a range) with the inter-reactor recycle ratios. This zone mass fraction flexibility is a significant advantage of MBR BNR systems over BNR systems with secondary settling tanks (SSTs), because it allows changing the mass fractions to optimise biological N and P removal in conformity with influent wastewater characteristics and the effluent N and P concentrations required. For PWWF/ADWF ratios (fq) in the upper range (fq approximately 2.0), aerobic mass fractions in the lower range (f(maer) < 0.60) and high (usually raw) wastewater strengths, the indicated mode of operation of MBR BNR systems is as extended aeration WWTPs (no primary settling and long sludge age). However, the volume reduction compared with equivalent BNR systems with SSTs will not be large (40-60%), but the cost of the membranes can be offset against sludge thickening and stabilisation costs. Moving from a flow unbalanced raw wastewater system to a flow balanced (fq = 1) low (usually settled) wastewater strength system can double the ADWF capacity of the biological reactor, but the design approach of the WWTP changes away from extended aeration to include primary sludge stabilisation. The cost of primary sludge treatment then has to be offset against the savings of the increased WWTP capacity.

Operation of staged membrane oxidation reactor systems

DOEpatents

Repasky, John Michael

2012-10-16

A method of operating a multi-stage ion transport membrane oxidation system. The method comprises providing a multi-stage ion transport membrane oxidation system with at least a first membrane oxidation stage and a second membrane oxidation stage, operating the ion transport membrane oxidation system at operating conditions including a characteristic temperature of the first membrane oxidation stage and a characteristic temperature of the second membrane oxidation stage; and controlling the production capacity and/or the product quality by changing the characteristic temperature of the first membrane oxidation stage and/or changing the characteristic temperature of the second membrane oxidation stage.

Novel functionalized nano-TiO2 loading electrocatalytic membrane for oily wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Yang, Yang; Wang, Hong; Li, Jianxin; He, Benqiao; Wang, Tonghua; Liao, Shijun

2012-06-19

Membrane fouling is a critical problem in membrane filtration processes for water purification. Electrocatalytic membrane reactor (ECMR) was an effective method to avoid membrane fouling and improve water quality. This study focuses on the preparation and characterization of a novel functionalized nano-TiO(2) loading electrocatalytic membrane for oily wastewater treatment. A TiO(2)/carbon membrane used in the reactor is prepared by coating TiO(2) as an electrocatalyst via a sol-gel process on a conductive microporous carbon membrane. In order to immobilize TiO(2) on the carbon membrane, the carbon membrane is first pretreated with HNO(3) to generate the oxygen-containing functional groups on its surface. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses are used to evaluate the morphology and microstructure of the membranes. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements are employed to illustrate the eletrochemical activity of the TiO(2)/carbon membrane. The membrane performance is investigated by treating oily wastewater. The oil removal rate increases with a decrease in the liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) through the ECMR. The COD removal rate was 100% with a LHSV of 7.2 h(-1) and 87.4% with a LHSV of 21.6 h(-1) during the treatment of 200 mg/L oily water. It suggests that the synergistic effect of electrocatalytic oxidation and membrane separation in the ECMR plays a key role.

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

Soldevilla, M.; Salmons, S.; Espinosa, B.

The new application BDDR (Reactor database) has been developed at CEA in order to manage nuclear reactors technological and operating data. This application is a knowledge management tool which meets several internal needs: -) to facilitate scenario studies for any set of reactors, e.g. non-proliferation assessments; -) to make core physics studies easier, whatever the reactor design (PWR-Pressurized Water Reactor-, BWR-Boiling Water Reactor-, MAGNOX- Magnesium Oxide reactor-, CANDU - CANada Deuterium Uranium-, FBR - Fast Breeder Reactor -, etc.); -) to preserve the technological data of all reactors (past and present, power generating or experimental, naval propulsion,...) in a uniquemore » repository. Within the application database are enclosed location data and operating history data as well as a tree-like structure containing numerous technological data. These data address all kinds of reactors features and components. A few neutronics data are also included (neutrons fluxes). The BDDR application is based on open-source technologies and thin client/server architecture. The software architecture has been made flexible enough to allow for any change. (authors)« less

Noncatalytic hydrogenation of decene-1 with hydrogen accumulated in a hybrid carbon nanostructure in nanosized membrane reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soldatov, A. P.

2014-08-01

Studies on the creation of nanosized membrane reactors (NMRs) of a new generation with accumulated hydrogen and a regulated volume of reaction zone were continued at the next stage. Hydrogenation was performed in the pores of ceramic membranes with hydrogen preliminarily adsorbed in mono- and multilayered orientated carbon nanotubes with graphene walls (OCNTGs)—a new hybrid carbon nanostructure formed on the inner pore surface. Quantitative determination of hydrogen adsorption in OCNTGs was performed using TRUMEM ultrafiltration membranes with D av = 50 and 90 nm and showed that hydrogen adsorption was up to ˜1.5% of the mass of OCNTG. The instrumentation and procedure for noncatalytic hydrogenation of decene-1 at 250-350°C using hydrogen accumulated and stored in OCNTG were developed. The conversion of decene-1 into decane was ˜0.2-1.8% at hydrogenation temperatures of 250 and 350°C, respectively. The rate constants and activation energy of hydrogenation were determined. The latter was found to be 94.5 kJ/mol, which is much smaller than the values typical for noncatalytic hydrogenations and very close to the values characteristic for catalytic reactions. The quantitative distribution of the reacting compounds in each pore regarded as a nanosized membrane reactor was determined. The activity of hydrogen adsorbed in a 2D carbon nanostructure was evaluated. Possible mechanisms of noncatalytic hydrogenation were discussed.

Enhanced electricity generation by triclosan and iron anodes in the three-chambered membrane bio-chemical reactor (TC-MBCR).

PubMed

Song, Jing; Liu, Lifen; Yang, Fenglin; Ren, Nanqi; Crittenden, John

2013-11-01

A three-chambered membrane bio-chemical reactor (TC-MBCR) was developed. The stainless steel membrane modules were used as cathodes and iron plates in the middle chamber served as the anode. The TC-MBCR was able to reduce fouling, remove triclosan (TCS) from a synthetic wastewater treatment and enhance electricity generation by ~60% compared with the cell voltage before TCS addition. The TC-MBCR system generated a relatively stable power output (cell voltage ~0.2V) and the corrosion of iron plates contributed to electricity generation together with microbes on iron anode. The permeation flow from anode to cathode chamber was considered important in electricity generation. In addition, the negatively charged cathode membrane and Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) released by iron plates mitigated membrane fouling by approximately 30%, as compared with the control. The removal of COD and total phosphorus was approximately 99% and 90%. The highest triclosan removal rate reached 97.9%. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Emerging electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badwal, Sukhvinder; Giddey, Sarbjit; Munnings, Christopher; Bhatt, Anand; Hollenkamp, Tony

2014-09-01

Electrochemical cells and systems play a key role in a wide range of industry sectors. These devices are critical enabling technologies for renewable energy; energy management, conservation and storage; pollution control / monitoring; and greenhouse gas reduction. A large number of electrochemical energy technologies have been developed in the past. These systems continue to be optimized in terms of cost, life time and performance, leading to their continued expansion into existing and emerging market sectors. The more established technologies such as deep-cycle batteries and sensors are being joined by emerging technologies such as fuel cells, large format lithium-ion batteries, electrochemical reactors; ion transport membranes and supercapacitors. This growing demand (multi billion dollars) for electrochemical energy systems along with the increasing maturity of a number of technologies is having a significant effect on the global research and development effort which is increasing in both in size and depth. A number of new technologies, which will have substantial impact on the environment and the way we produce and utilize energy, are under development. This paper presents an overview of several emerging electrochemical energy technologies along with a discussion some of the key technical challenges.

Emerging electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies

PubMed Central

Badwal, Sukhvinder P. S.; Giddey, Sarbjit S.; Munnings, Christopher; Bhatt, Anand I.; Hollenkamp, Anthony F.

2014-01-01

Electrochemical cells and systems play a key role in a wide range of industry sectors. These devices are critical enabling technologies for renewable energy; energy management, conservation, and storage; pollution control/monitoring; and greenhouse gas reduction. A large number of electrochemical energy technologies have been developed in the past. These systems continue to be optimized in terms of cost, life time, and performance, leading to their continued expansion into existing and emerging market sectors. The more established technologies such as deep-cycle batteries and sensors are being joined by emerging technologies such as fuel cells, large format lithium-ion batteries, electrochemical reactors; ion transport membranes and supercapacitors. This growing demand (multi billion dollars) for electrochemical energy systems along with the increasing maturity of a number of technologies is having a significant effect on the global research and development effort which is increasing in both in size and depth. A number of new technologies, which will have substantial impact on the environment and the way we produce and utilize energy, are under development. This paper presents an overview of several emerging electrochemical energy technologies along with a discussion some of the key technical challenges. PMID:25309898

Solid state proton and electron mediating membrane and use in catalytic membrane reactors

DOEpatents

White, James H.; Schwartz, Michael; Sammells, Anthony F.

1998-01-01

This invention provides catalytic proton and electron mediating membranes useful in catalytic reactors. The membranes have an oxidation and a reduction surface and comprise a single-phase mixed metal oxide material of the formula: AB.sub.1-x B'.sub.x O.sub.3-y wherein A is selected from Ca, Sr or Ba ions; B is selected from Ce, Tb, Pr, or Th ions; B' is selected from Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Al, Ga, or In ions, or combinations thereof; and x is greater than or equal to 0.02 and less than or equal to 0.5. The membranes can further comprise a catalyst on either the oxidation or reduction surface, or both. Membranes include those which are fabricated-by combining powders of metal oxides or metal carbonates of metal A ion, metal B ion and metal B' ion such that the stoichiometric ratio A:B:B' is 1:1-x:x where 0.2.ltoreq..times.0.5, repeatedly calcining and milling the combined powders until a single-phase material is obtained and pressing and sintering the singlephase material to obtain a membrane.

Solid state proton and electron mediating membrane and use in catalytic membrane reactors

DOEpatents

White, J.H.; Schwartz, M.; Sammells, A.F.

1998-10-13

This invention provides catalytic proton and electron mediating membranes useful in catalytic reactors. The membranes have an oxidation and a reduction surface and comprise a single-phase mixed metal oxide material of the formula: AB{sub 1{minus}x}B{prime}{sub x}O{sub 3{minus}y} wherein A is selected from Ca, Sr or Ba ions; B is selected from Ce, Tb, Pr, or Th ions; B{prime} is selected from Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Al, Ga, or In ions, or combinations thereof; and x is greater than or equal to 0.02 and less than or equal to 0.5. The membranes can further comprise a catalyst on either the oxidation or reduction surface, or both. Membranes include those which are fabricated by combining powders of metal oxides or metal carbonates of metal A ion, metal B ion and metal B{prime} ion such that the stoichiometric ratio A:B:B{prime} is 1:1{minus}x:x where 0.2{<=}{times}0.5, repeatedly calcining and milling the combined powders until a single-phase material is obtained and pressing and sintering the single phase material to obtain a membrane. 6 figs.

Effect of hydraulic retention time and sludge recirculation on greenhouse gas emission and related microbial communities in two-stage membrane bioreactor treating solid waste leachate.

PubMed

Nuansawan, Nararatchporn; Boonnorat, Jarungwit; Chiemchaisri, Wilai; Chiemchaisri, Chart

2016-06-01

Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and responsible microorganisms during the treatment of municipal solid waste leachate in two-stage membrane bioreactor (MBR) was investigated. The MBR system, consisting of anaerobic and aerobic stages, were operated at hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 5 and 2.5days in each reactor under the presence and absence of sludge recirculation. Organic and nitrogen removals were more than 80% under all operating conditions during which CH4 emission were found highest under no sludge recirculation condition at HRT of 5days. An increase in hydraulic loading resulted in a reduction in CH4 emission from anaerobic reactor but an increase from the aerobic reactor. N2O emission rates were found relatively constant from anaerobic and aerobic reactors under different operating conditions. Diversity of CH4 and N2O producing microorganisms were found decreasing when hydraulic loading rate to the reactors was increased. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) performance on sewage treatment: removal efficiencies, biogas production and membrane fouling.

PubMed

Chen, Rong; Nie, Yulun; Ji, Jiayuan; Utashiro, Tetsuya; Li, Qian; Komori, Daisuke; Li, Yu-You

2017-09-01

A submerged anaerobic membrane reactor (SAnMBR) was employed for comprehensive evaluation of sewage treatment at 25 °C and its performance in removal efficiency, biogas production and membrane fouling. Average 89% methanogenic degradation efficiency as well as 90%, 94% and 96% removal of total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and nonionic surfactant were obtained, while nitrogen and phosphorus were only subjected to small removals. Results suggest that SAnMBRs can effectively decouple organic degradation and nutrients disposal, and reserve all the nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent for further possible recovery. Small biomass yields of 0.11 g mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS)/gCOD were achieved, coupled to excellent methane production efficiencies of 0.338 NLCH 4 /gCOD, making SAnMBR an attractive technology characterized by low excess sludge production and high bioenergy recovery. Batch tests revealed the SAnMBR appeared to have the potential to bear a high food-to-microorganism ratio (F/M) of 1.54 gCOD/gMLVSS without any inhibition effect, and maximum methane production rate occurred at F/M 0.7 gCOD/gMLVSS. Pore blocking dominated the membrane fouling behaviour at a relative long hydraulic retention time (HRT), i.e. >12 hours, while cake layer dominated significantly at shorter HRTs, i.e. <8 hours.

Proposed Advanced Reactor Adaptation of the Standard Review Plan NUREG-0800 Chapter 4 (Reactor) for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors and Modular High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors

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

Belles, Randy; Poore, III, Willis P.; Brown, Nicholas R.

2017-03-01

This report proposes adaptation of the previous regulatory gap analysis in Chapter 4 (Reactor) of NUREG 0800, Standard Review Plan (SRP) for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR [Light Water Reactor] Edition. The proposed adaptation would result in a Chapter 4 review plan applicable to certain advanced reactors. This report addresses two technologies: the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) and the modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (mHTGR). SRP Chapter 4, which addresses reactor components, was selected for adaptation because of the possible significant differences in advanced non-light water reactor (non-LWR) technologies compared with the current LWR-basedmore » description in Chapter 4. SFR and mHTGR technologies were chosen for this gap analysis because of their diverse designs and the availability of significant historical design detail.« less

SoLid Detector Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labare, Mathieu

2017-09-01

SoLid is a reactor anti-neutrino experiment where a novel detector is deployed at a minimum distance of 5.5 m from a nuclear reactor core. The purpose of the experiment is three-fold: to search for neutrino oscillations at a very short baseline; to measure the pure 235U neutrino energy spectrum; and to demonstrate the feasibility of neutrino detectors for reactor monitoring. This report presents the unique features of the SoLid detector technology. The technology has been optimised for a high background environment resulting from low overburden and the vicinity of a nuclear reactor. The versatility of the detector technology is demonstrated with a 288 kg detector prototype which was deployed at the BR2 nuclear reactor in 2015. The data presented includes both reactor on, reactor off and calibration measurements. The measurement results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations. The 1.6t SoLid detector is currently under construction, with an optimised design and upgraded material technology to enhance the detector capabilities. Its deployement on site is planned for the begin of 2017 and offers the prospect to resolve the reactor anomaly within about two years.

Hydrolysis of lactose by beta-glycosidase CelB from hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus: comparison of hollow-fiber membrane and packed-bed immobilized enzyme reactors for continuous processing of ultrahigh temperature-treated skim milk.

PubMed

Splechtna, Barbara; Petzelbauer, Inge; Kuhn, Bernhard; Kulbe, Klaus D; Nidetzky, Bernd

2002-01-01

Recombinant beta-glycosidase CelB from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcusfuriosus was produced through expression of the plasmid-encoded gene in Escherichia coli. Bioreactor cultivations of E. coli in the presence of the inductor isopropyl-1-thio-beta-D-galactoside (0.1 mM) gave approx 100,000 U of enzyme activity/L of culture medium after 8 h of growth. A technical-grade enzyme for the hydrolysis of lactose was prepared by precipitating the mesophilic protein at 80 degrees C. A hollow-fiber membrane reactor was developed, and its performance during continuous processing of ultrahigh temperature-treated (UHT) skim milk at 70 degrees C was analyzed regarding long-term stability, productivity, and diffusional limitation thereof. CelB was covalently attached onto Eupergit C in yields of 80%, and a packed-bed immobilized enzyme reactor was used for the continuous hydrolysis of lactose in UHT skim milk at 70 degrees C. The packed-bed reactor was approximately 10-fold more stable and gave about the same productivity at 80% substrate conversion as the hollow-fiber reactor at 60% substrate conversion. The marked difference in the stability of free and immobilized CelB seems to reflect mainly binding of the soluble enzyme to the membrane surface of the hollow-fiber module. Under these bound conditions, CelB is essentially inactive. CelB is essentially inactive. Microbial contamination of the reactors did not occur during reaction times of up to 39 d, given that UHT skim milk and not pasteurized skim milk was used as the substrate.

Analysis of Microbial Communities in Biofilms from CSTR-Type Hollow Fiber Membrane Biofilm Reactors for Autotrophic Nitrification and Hydrogenotrophic Denitrification.

PubMed

Shin, Jung-Hun; Kim, Byung-Chun; Choi, Okkyoung; Kim, Hyunook; Sang, Byoung-In

2015-10-01

Two hollow fiber membrane biofilm reactors (HF-MBfRs) were operated for autotrophic nitrification and hydrogenotrophic denitrification for over 300 days. Oxygen and hydrogen were supplied through the hollow fiber membrane for nitrification and denitrification, respectively. During the period, the nitrogen was removed with the efficiency of 82-97% for ammonium and 87-97% for nitrate and with the nitrogen removal load of 0.09-0.26 kg NH4(+)-N/m(3)/d and 0.10-0.21 kg NO3(-)-N/m(3)/d, depending on hydraulic retention time variation by the two HF-MBfRs for autotrophic nitrification and hydrogenotrophic denitrification, respectively. Biofilms were collected from diverse topological positions in the reactors, each at different nitrogen loading rates, and the microbial communities were analyzed with partial 16S rRNA gene sequences in denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Detected DGGE band sequences in the reactors were correlated with nitrification or denitrification. The profile of the DGGE bands depended on the NH4(+) or NO3(-) loading rate, but it was hard to find a major strain affecting the nitrogen removal efficiency. Nitrospira-related phylum was detected in all biofilm samples from the nitrification reactors. Paracoccus sp. and Aquaspirillum sp., which are an autohydrogenotrophic bacterium and an oligotrophic denitrifier, respectively, were observed in the denitrification reactors. The distribution of microbial communities was relatively stable at different nitrogen loading rates, and DGGE analysis based on 16S rRNA (341f /534r) could successfully detect nitrate-oxidizing and hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria but not ammonium-oxidizing bacteria in the HF-MBfRs.

Virus Disinfection in Water by Biogenic Silver Immobilized in Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membranes

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

B De Gusseme; T Hennebel; E Christiaens

The development of innovative water disinfection strategies is of utmost importance to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases related to poor treatment of (drinking) water. Recently, the association of silver nanoparticles with the bacterial cell surface of Lactobacillus fermentum (referred to as biogenic silver or bio-Ag{sup 0}) has been reported to exhibit antiviral properties. The microscale bacterial carrier matrix serves as a scaffold for Ag{sup 0} particles, preventing aggregation during encapsulation. In this study, bio-Ag{sup 0} was immobilized in different microporous PVDF membranes using two different pre-treatments of bio-Ag{sup 0} and the immersion-precipitation method. Inactivation of UZ1 bacteriophages using these membranesmore » was successfully demonstrated and was most probably related to the slow release of Ag{sup +} from the membranes. At least a 3.4 log decrease of viruses was achieved by application of a membrane containing 2500 mg bio-Ag{sup 0}{sub powder} m{sup -2} in a submerged plate membrane reactor operated at a flux of 3.1 L m{sup -2} h{sup -1}. Upon startup, the silver concentration in the effluent initially increased to 271 {mu}g L{sub -1} but after filtration of 31 L m{sup -2}, the concentration approached the drinking water limit (= 100 {mu}g L{sup -1}). A virus decline of more than 3 log was achieved at a membrane flux of 75 L m{sup -2} h{sup -1}, showing the potential of this membrane technology for water disinfection on small scale.« less

Start-up of membrane bioreactor and hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor: kinetic study.

PubMed

Leyva-Díaz, J C; Poyatos, J M

2015-01-01

A hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor (hybrid MBBR-MBR) system was studied as an alternative solution to conventional activated sludge processes and membrane bioreactors. This paper shows the results obtained from three laboratory-scale wastewater treatment plants working in parallel in the start-up and steady states. The first wastewater treatment plant was a MBR, the second one was a hybrid MBBR-MBR system containing carriers both in anoxic and aerobic zones of the bioreactor (hybrid MBBR-MBRa), and the last one was a hybrid MBBR-MBR system which contained carriers only in the aerobic zone (hybrid MBBR-MBRb). The reactors operated with a hydraulic retention time of 30.40 h. A kinetic study for characterizing heterotrophic biomass was carried out and organic matter and nutrients removals were evaluated. The heterotrophic biomass of the hybrid MBBR-MBRb showed the best kinetic performance in the steady state, with yield coefficient for heterotrophic biomass=0.30246 mg volatile suspended solids per mg chemical oxygen demand, maximum specific growth rate for heterotrophic biomass=0.00308 h(-1) and half-saturation coefficient for organic matter=3.54908 mg O2 L(-1). The removal of organic matter was supported by the kinetic study of heterotrophic biomass.

Treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater using a static granular bed reactor (SGBR) coupled with ultrafiltration (UF) membrane system.

PubMed

Basitere, M; Rinquest, Z; Njoya, M; Sheldon, M S; Ntwampe, S K O

2017-07-01

The South African poultry industry has grown exponentially in recent years due to an increased demand for their products. As a result, poultry plants consume large volumes of high quality water to ensure that hygienically safe poultry products are produced. Furthermore, poultry industries generate high strength wastewater, which can be treated successfully at low cost using anaerobic digesters. In this study, the performance of a bench-scale mesophilic static granular bed reactor (SGBR) containing fully anaerobic granules coupled with an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane system, as a post-treatment system, was investigated. The poultry slaughterhouse wastewater was characterized by a chemical oxygen demand (COD) range between 1,223 and 9,695mg/L, average biological oxygen demand of 2,375mg/L and average fats, oil and grease (FOG) of 554mg/L. The SGBR anaerobic reactor was operated for 9 weeks at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs), i.e. 55 and 40 h, with an average organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.01 and 3.14g COD/L.day. The SGBR results showed an average COD, total suspended solids (TSS) and FOG removal of 93%, 95% and 90% respectively, for both OLR. The UF post-treatment results showed an average of COD, TSS and FOG removal of 64%, 88% and 48%, respectively. The overall COD, TSS and FOG removal of the system (SGBR and UF membrane) was 98%, 99.8%, and 92.4%, respectively. The results of the combined SGBR reactor coupled with the UF membrane showed a potential to ensure environmentally friendly treatment of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater.

Advanced reactors and associated fuel cycle facilities: safety and environmental impacts.

PubMed

Hill, R N; Nutt, W M; Laidler, J J

2011-01-01

The safety and environmental impacts of new technology and fuel cycle approaches being considered in current U.S. nuclear research programs are contrasted to conventional technology options in this paper. Two advanced reactor technologies, the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) and the very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR), are being developed. In general, the new reactor technologies exploit inherent features for enhanced safety performance. A key distinction of advanced fuel cycles is spent fuel recycle facilities and new waste forms. In this paper, the performance of existing fuel cycle facilities and applicable regulatory limits are reviewed. Technology options to improve recycle efficiency, restrict emissions, and/or improve safety are identified. For a closed fuel cycle, potential benefits in waste management are significant, and key waste form technology alternatives are described. Copyright © 2010 Health Physics Society

Carbon Molecular Sieve Membrane as a True One Box Unit for Large Scale Hydrogen Production

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

Liu, Paul

2012-05-01

IGCC coal-fired power plants show promise for environmentally-benign power generation. In these plants coal is gasified to syngas then processed in a water gas-shift (WGS) reactor to maximize the hydrogen/CO{sub 2} content. The gas stream can then be separated into a hydrogen rich stream for power generation and/or further purified for sale as a chemical and a CO{sub 2} rich stream for the purpose of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Today, the separation is accomplished using conventional absorption/desorption processes with post CO{sub 2} compression. However, significant process complexity and energy penalties accrue with this approach, accounting for ~20% of themore » capital cost and ~27% parasitic energy consumption. Ideally, a one-box process is preferred in which the syngas is fed directly to the WGS reactor without gas pre-treatment, converting the CO to hydrogen in the presence of H{sub 2}S and other impurities and delivering a clean hydrogen product for power generation or other uses. The development of such a process is the primary goal of this project. Our proposed "one-box" process includes a catalytic membrane reactor (MR) that makes use of a hydrogen-selective, carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane, and a sulfur-tolerant Co/Mo/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst. The membrane reactor's behavior has been investigated with a bench top unit for different experimental conditions and compared with the modeling results. The model is used to further investigate the design features of the proposed process. CO conversion >99% and hydrogen recovery >90% are feasible under the operating pressures available from IGCC. More importantly, the CMS membrane has demonstrated excellent selectivity for hydrogen over H{sub 2}S (>100), and shown no flux loss in the presence of a synthetic "tar"-like material, i.e., naphthalene. In summary, the proposed "one-box" process has been successfully demonstrated with the bench-top reactor. In parallel we have successfully designed and fabricated a full-scale CMS membrane and module for the proposed application. This full-scale membrane element is a 3" diameter with 30"L, composed of ~85 single CMS membrane tubes. The membrane tubes and bundles have demonstrated satisfactory thermal, hydrothermal, thermal cycling and chemical stabilities under an environment simulating the temperature, pressure and contaminant levels encountered in our proposed process. More importantly, the membrane module packed with the CMS bundle was tested for over 30 pressure cycles between ambient pressure and >300 -600 psi at 200 to 300°C without mechanical degradation. Finally, internal baffles have been designed and installed to improve flow distribution within the module, which delivered 90% separation efficiency in comparison with the efficiency achieved with single membrane tubes. In summary, the full-scale CMS membrane element and module have been successfully developed and tested satisfactorily for our proposed one-box application; a test quantity of elements/modules have been fabricated for field testing. Multiple field tests have been performed under this project at National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). The separation efficiency and performance stability of our full-scale membrane elements have been verified in testing conducted for times ranging from 100 to >250 hours of continuous exposure to coal/biomass gasifier off-gas for hydrogen enrichment with no gas pre-treatment for contaminants removal. In particular, "tar-like" contaminants were effectively rejected by the membrane with no evidence of fouling. In addition, testing was conducted using a hybrid membrane system, i.e., the CMS membrane in conjunction with the palladium membrane, to demonstrate that 99+% H{sub 2} purity and a high degree of CO{sub 2} capture could be achieved. In summary, the stability and performance of the full-scale hydrogen selective CMS membrane/module has been verified in multiple field tests in the presence of coal/biomass gasifier off-gas under this project. A promising process scheme has been developed for power generation and/or hydrogen coproduction with CCS based upon our proposed "one-box" process. Our preliminary economic analysis indicates about 10% reduction in the required electricity selling price and ~40% cost reduction in CCS on per ton CO{sub 2} can be achieved in comparison with the base case involving conventional WGS with a two-stage Selexsol® for CCS. Long term field tests (e.g., >1,000 hrs) with the incorporation of the catalyst for the WGS membrane reactor and more in-depth analysis of the process scheme are recommended for the future study.« less

Insight into effects of antibiotics on reactor performance and evolutions of antibiotic resistance genes and microbial community in a membrane reactor.

PubMed

Wen, Qinxue; Yang, Lian; Zhao, Yaqi; Huang, Long; Chen, Zhiqiang

2018-04-01

A lab-scale anoxic/oxic-membrane bioreactor was designed to treat antibiotics containing wastewater at different antibiotics concentrations (0.5 mg/L, 1 mg/L and 3 mg/L of each antibiotic). Overall COD and NH 4 + N removal (more than 90%) were not affected during the exposure to antibiotics and good TN removal was also achieved, while TP removal was significantly affected. The maximum removal efficiency of penicillin and chlorotetracycline reached 97.15% and 96.10% respectively due to strong hydrolysis, and sulfamethoxazole reached 90.07% by biodegradation. However, 63.87% of norfloxacin maximum removal efficiency was achieved mainly by sorption. The system had good ability to reduce ARGs, peaking to more than 4 orders of magnitude, which mainly depended on the biomass retaining of the membrane module. Antibiotics concentration influenced the evolution of ARGs and bacterial communities in the reactor. This research provides great implication to reduce ARGs and antibiotics in antibiotics containing wastewater using A/O-MBR. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A dense cell retention culture system using stirred ceramic membrane reactor.

PubMed

Suzuki, T; Sato, T; Kominami, M

1994-11-20

A novel reactor design incorporating porous ceramic tubes into a stirred jar fermentor was developed. The stirred ceramic membrane reactor has two ceramic tubular membrane units inside the vessel and maintains high filtration flux by alternating use for filtering and recovering from clogging. Each filter unit was linked for both extraction of culture broth and gas sparging. High permeability was maintained for long periods by applying the periodical control between filtering and air sparging during the stirred retention culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ceramic filter aeration system increased the k(L)a to about five times that of ordinary gas sparing. Using the automatic feeding and filtering system, cell mass concentration reached 207 g/L in a short time, while it was 64 g/L in a fed-batch culture. More than 99% of the growing cells were retained in the fermentor by the filtering culture. Both yield and productivity of cells were also increased by controlling the feeding of fresh medium and filtering the supernatant of the dense cells culture. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Development of a Low-Power CO2 Removal and Compression System for Closed-Loop Air Revitalization in Future Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulloth, Lila M.; Rosen, Micha; Affleck, David; LeVan, M. Douglas; Moate, Joe R.

2005-01-01

The current CO2 removal technology of NASA is very energy intensive and contains many non-optimized subsystems. This paper discusses the design and prototype development of a two-stage CO2 removal and compression system that will utilize much less power than NASA s current CO2 removal technology. This integrated system contains a Nafion membrane followed by a residual water adsorber that performs the function of the desiccant beds in the four-bed molecular sieve (4BMS) system of the International Space Station (ISS). The membrane and the water adsorber are followed by a two-stage CO2 removal and compression subsystem that satisfies the operations of the CO2 adsorbent beds of the 4BMS aid the interface compressor for the Sabatier reactor connection. The two-stage compressor will utilize the principles of temperature-swing adsorption (TSA) compression technology for CO2 removal and compression. The similarities in operation and cycle times of the CO2 removal (first stage) and compression (second stage) operations will allow thermal coupling of the processes to maximize the efficiency of the system. In addition to the low-power advantage, this processor will maintain a lower CO2 concentration in the cabin than that can be achieved by the existing CO2 removal systems. The compact, consolidated, configuration of membrane gas dryer and CO2 separator and compressor will allow continuous recycling of humid air in the cabin and supply of compressed CO2 to the reduction unit for oxygen recovery. The device has potential application to the International Space Station and future, long duration, transit, and planetary missions.

Semicontinuous Production of Lactic Acid From Cheese Whey Using Integrated Membrane Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yebo; Shahbazi, Abolghasem; Coulibaly, Sekou; Mims, Michele M.

Semicontinuous production of lactic acid from cheese whey using free cells of Bifidobacterium longum with and without nanofiltration was studied. For the semicontinuous fermentation without membrane separation, the lactic acid productivity of the second and third runs is much lower than the first run. The semicontinuous fermentation with nanoseparation was run semicontinuously for 72 h with lactic acid to be harvested every 24 h using a nanofiltration membrane unit. The cells and unutilized lactose were kept in the reactor and mixed with newly added cheese whey in the subsequent runs. Slight increase in the lactic acid productivity was observed in the second and third runs during the semicontinuous fermentation with nanofiltration. It can be concluded that nanoseparation could improve the lactic acid productivity of the semicontinuous fermentation process.

Technical-economical analysis of selected decentralized technologies for municipal wastewater treatment in the city of Rome.

PubMed

Gavasci, Renato; Chiavola, Agostina; Spizzirri, Massimo

2010-01-01

Several wastewater treatment technologies were evaluated as alternative systems to the more traditional centralized continuous flow system to serve decentralized areas of the city of Rome (Italy). For instance, the following technologies were selected: (1) Constructed wetlands, (2) Membrane Biological Reactor, (3) Deep Shaft, (4) Sequencing Batch Reactor, and (5) Combined Filtration and UV-disinfection. Such systems were distinguished based on the limits they are potentially capable of accomplishing on the effluent. Consequently, the SBR and DS were grouped together for their capability to comply with the standards for the discharge into surface waters (according to the Italian D.Lgs. 152/06, Table 1, All. 5), whereas the MBR and tertiary system (Filtration+UVc-disinfection) were considered together as they should be able to allow effluent discharge into soil (according to the Italian D.Lgs. 152/06, Table 4, All. 5) and/or reuse (according to the Italian D.M. 185/03). Both groups of technologies were evaluated in comparison with the more common continuous flow treatment sequence consisting of a biological activated sludge tank followed by the secondary settlement, with final chlorination. CWs were studied separately as a solution for decentralized urban areas with limited population. After the analysis of the main technical features, an economical estimate was carried out taking into account the investment, operation and maintenance costs as a function of the plant's capacity. The analysis was based on real data provided by the Company who manages the entire water system of the City of Rome (Acea Ato 2 S.p.A.). A preliminary design of the treatment plants using some of the selected technologies was finally carried out.

Functionally gradient material for membrane reactors to convert methane gas into value-added products

DOEpatents

Balachandran, U.; Dusek, J.T.; Kleefisch, M.S.; Kobylinski, T.P.

1996-11-12

A functionally gradient material for a membrane reactor for converting methane gas into value-added-products includes an outer tube of perovskite, which contacts air; an inner tube which contacts methane gas, of zirconium oxide, and a bonding layer between the perovskite and zirconium oxide layers. The bonding layer has one or more layers of a mixture of perovskite and zirconium oxide, with the layers transitioning from an excess of perovskite to an excess of zirconium oxide. The transition layers match thermal expansion coefficients and other physical properties between the two different materials. 7 figs.

Functionally gradient material for membrane reactors to convert methane gas into value-added products

DOEpatents

Balachandran, Uthamalingam; Dusek, Joseph T.; Kleefisch, Mark S.; Kobylinski, Thadeus P.

1996-01-01

A functionally gradient material for a membrane reactor for converting methane gas into value-added-products includes an outer tube of perovskite, which contacts air; an inner tube which contacts methane gas, of zirconium oxide, and a bonding layer between the perovskite and zirconium oxide layers. The bonding layer has one or more layers of a mixture of perovskite and zirconium oxide, with the layers transitioning from an excess of perovskite to an excess of zirconium oxide. The transition layers match thermal expansion coefficients and other physical properties between the two different materials.

Biogas Production from Citrus Waste by Membrane Bioreactor

PubMed Central

Wikandari, Rachma; Millati, Ria; Cahyanto, Muhammad Nur; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J.

2014-01-01

Rapid acidification and inhibition by d-limonene are major challenges of biogas production from citrus waste. As limonene is a hydrophobic chemical, this challenge was encountered using hydrophilic polyvinylidine difluoride (PVDF) membranes in a biogas reactor. The more sensitive methane-producing archaea were encapsulated in the membranes, while freely suspended digesting bacteria were present in the culture as well. In this membrane bioreactor (MBR), the free digesting bacteria digested the citrus wastes and produced soluble compounds, which could pass through the membrane and converted to biogas by the encapsulated cell. As a control experiment, similar digestions were carried out in bioreactors containing the identical amount of just free cells. The experiments were carried out in thermophilic conditions at 55 °C, and hydraulic retention time of 30 days. The organic loading rate (OLR) was started with 0.3 kg VS/m3/day and gradually increased to 3 kg VS/m3/day. The results show that at the highest OLR, MBR was successful to produce methane at 0.33 Nm3/kg VS, while the traditional free cell reactor reduced its methane production to 0.05 Nm3/kg VS. Approximately 73% of the theoretical methane yield was achieved using the membrane bioreactor. PMID:25167328

Evaluation of micropollutant removal and fouling reduction in a hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor system.

PubMed

Luo, Yunlong; Jiang, Qi; Ngo, Huu H; Nghiem, Long D; Hai, Faisal I; Price, William E; Wang, Jie; Guo, Wenshan

2015-09-01

A hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor-membrane bioreactor (MBBR-MBR) system and a conventional membrane bioreactor (CMBR) were compared in terms of micropollutant removal efficiency and membrane fouling propensity. The results show that the hybrid MBBR-MBR system could effectively remove most of the selected micropollutants. By contrast, the CMBR system showed lower removals of ketoprofen, carbamazepine, primidone, bisphenol A and estriol by 16.2%, 30.1%, 31.9%, 34.5%, and 39.9%, respectively. Mass balance calculations suggest that biological degradation was the primary removal mechanism in the MBBR-MBR system. During operation, the MBBR-MBR system exhibited significantly slower fouling development as compared to the CMBR system, which could be ascribed to the wide disparity in the soluble microbial products (SMP) levels between MBBR-MBR (4.02-6.32 mg/L) and CMBR (21.78 and 33.04 mg/L). It is evident that adding an MBBR process prior to MBR treatment can not only enhance micropollutant elimination but also mitigate membrane fouling. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane-aerated biofilm reactor for the removal of 1,2-dichloroethane by Pseudomonas sp. strain DCA1.

PubMed

Hage, J C; Van Houten, R T; Tramper, J; Hartmans, S

2004-06-01

A membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MBR) with a biofilm of Pseudomonas sp. strain DCA1 was studied for the removal of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCA) from water. A hydrophobic membrane was used to create a barrier between the liquid and the gas phase. Inoculation of the MBR with cells of strain DCA1 grown in a continuous culture resulted in the formation of a stable and active DCA-degrading biofilm on the membrane. The maximum removal rate of the MBR was reached at a DCA concentration of approximately 80 micro M. Simulation of the DCA fluxes into the biofilm showed that the MBR performance at lower concentrations was limited by the DCA diffusion rate rather than by kinetic constraints of strain DCA1. Aerobic biodegradation of DCA present in anoxic water could be achieved by supplying oxygen solely from the gas phase to the biofilm grown on the liquid side of the membrane. As a result, direct aeration of the water, which leads to undesired coagulation of iron oxides, could be avoided.

Impact of oxygen on the coexistence of nitrification, denitrification, and sulfate reduction in oxygen-based membrane aerated biofilm.

PubMed

Liu, Hong; Tan, Shuying; Sheng, Zhiya; Yu, Tong; Liu, Yang

2015-03-01

Membrane aerated biofilms (MABs) are subject to "counter diffusion" of oxygen and substrates. In a membrane aerated biofilm reactor, gases (e.g., oxygen) diffuse through the membrane into the MAB, and liquid substrates pass from the bulk liquid into the MAB. This behavior can result in a unique biofilm structure in terms of microbial composition, distribution, and community activity in the MAB. Previous studies have shown simultaneous aerobic oxidation, nitrification, and denitrification within a single MAB. Using molecular techniques, we investigated the growth of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the oxygen-based MAB attached to a flat sheet membrane. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments and functional gene fragments specific for ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (amoA), denitrifying bacteria (nirK), and SRB (dsrB) demonstrated the coexistence of nitrifiers, denitrifiers, and SRB communities within a single MAB. The functional diversities of SRB and denitrifiers decreased with an increase in the oxygen concentration in the bulk water of the reactor.

Characterization of alternative electric generation technologies for the SPS comparative assessment. Volume 1: Summary of central station technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-08-01

The technologies selected for the detailed characterization were: solar technology; terrestrial photovoltaic (200 MWe); coal technologies; conventional high sulfur coal combustion with advanced fine gas desulfurization (1250 MWe), and open cycle gas turbine combined cycle plant with low Btu gasifier (1250 MWe); and nuclear technologies: conventional light water reactor (1250 MWe), liquid metal fast breeder reactor (1250 MWe), and magnetic fusion reactor (1320 MWe). A brief technical summary of each power plant design is given.

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.

A hybrid process combining homogeneous catalytic ozonation and membrane distillation for wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Zhang, Yong; Zhao, Peng; Li, Jie; Hou, Deyin; Wang, Jun; Liu, Huijuan

2016-10-01

A novel catalytic ozonation membrane reactor (COMR) coupling homogeneous catalytic ozonation and direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) was developed for refractory saline organic pollutant treatment from wastewater. An ozonation process took place in the reactor to degrade organic pollutants, whilst the DCMD process was used to recover ionic catalysts and produce clean water. It was found that 98.6% total organic carbon (TOC) and almost 100% salt were removed and almost 100% metal ion catalyst was recovered. TOC in the permeate water was less than 16 mg/L after 5 h operation, which was considered satisfactory as the TOC in the potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) feed water was as high as 1000 mg/L. Meanwhile, the membrane distillation flux in the COMR process was 49.8% higher than that in DCMD process alone after 60 h operation. Further, scanning electron microscope images showed less amount and smaller size of contaminants on the membrane surface, which indicated the mitigation of membrane fouling. The tensile strength and FT-IR spectra tests did not reveal obvious changes for the polyvinylidene fluoride membrane after 60 h operation, which indicated the good durability. This novel COMR hybrid process exhibited promising application prospects for saline organic wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of operating flux in a membrane bio-reactor coupled with a mechanical sieve unit.

PubMed

Park, Seongjun; Yeon, Kyung-Min; Moon, Seheum; Kim, Jong-Oh

2018-01-01

Filtration flux is one of the key factors in regulating the performance of membrane bio-reactors (MBRs) for wastewater treatment. In this study, we explore the effectiveness of a mechanical sieve unit for effective flux enhancement through retardation of the fouling effect in a modified MBR system (SiMBR). In brief, the coarse sieve unit having 100 μm and 50 μm permits small size microorganism flocs to adjust the biomass concentration from the suspended basin to the membrane basin. As a result, the reduced biofouling effect due to the lowered biomass concentration from 7800 mg/L to 2400 mg/L, enables higher flux through the membrane. Biomass rejection rate of the sieve is identified to be the crucial design parameter for the flux enhancement through the incorporation of numerical simulations and operating critical-flux measurement in a batch reactor. Then, the sieve unit is prepared for 10 L lab-scale continuous SiMBR based on the correlation between sieve pore size and biomass rejection characteristics. During continuous operation of lab-scale SiMBR, biomass concentration is maintained with a higher biomass concentration in the aerobic basin (7400 mg/L) than that in the membrane basin (2400 mg/L). In addition, the SiMBR operations are conducted using three different commercial hollow fiber membranes to compare the permeability to that of conventional MBR operations. For all cases, the modified MBR having a sieve unit clearly results in enhanced permeability. These results successfully validate that SiMBR can effectively improve flux through direct reduction of biomass concentration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology for transportation applications

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

Swathirajan, S.

1996-04-01

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells are extremely promising as future power plants in the transportation sector to achieve an increase in energy efficiency and eliminate environmental pollution due to vehicles. GM is currently involved in a multiphase program with the US Department of Energy for developing a proof-of-concept hybrid vehicle based on a PEM fuel cell power plant and a methanol fuel processor. Other participants in the program are Los Alamos National Labs, Dow Chemical Co., Ballard Power Systems and DuPont Co., In the just completed phase 1 of the program, a 10 kW PEM fuel cell power plantmore » was built and tested to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating a methanol fuel processor with a PEM fuel cell stack. However, the fuel cell power plant must overcome stiff technical and economic challenges before it can be commercialized for light duty vehicle applications. Progress achieved in phase I on the use of monolithic catalyst reactors in the fuel processor, managing CO impurity in the fuel cell stack, low-cost electrode-membrane assembles, and on the integration of the fuel processor with a Ballard PEM fuel cell stack will be presented.« less

Mass transfer study on the electrochemical removal of copper ions from synthetic effluents using reticulated vitreous carbon.

PubMed

Britto-Costa, Pedro H; Ruotolo, Luís Augusto M

2013-01-01

Porous electrodes have been successfully used for metal electrodeposition from diluted aqueous solution due to their high porosity and specific surface area, which lead to high mass transfer rates. This work studies the mass transfer of copper electrodeposition on reticulated vitreous carbon in a flow reactor without membrane. The flow configuration, otherwise the filter-press electrochemical reactors, was designed in order to minimize the pressure drop. The mass transfer coefficient was determined by voltammetric and galvanostatic electrodeposition. In the voltammetric experiments a Luggin capillary was used to measure the current-potential curves and to determine the limiting current (and, consequently, the mass transfer coefficient). In the galvanostatic experiments the concentration-time curves were obtained and considering a limiting current kinetics model, the mass transfer coefficient (k(m)) was determined for different flow velocities. The results showed that both methods give similar values of k(m), thus the voltammetric method can be recommended because it is faster and simpler. Finally, the reactor performance was compared with others from literature, and it was observed that the proposed reactor design has high Sherwood numbers similar to other reactor configurations using membranes and reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes.

Membrane distillation combined with an anaerobic moving bed biofilm reactor for treating municipal wastewater.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Chul; Shin, Jaewon; Won, Seyeon; Lee, Jung-Yeol; Maeng, Sung Kyu; Song, Kyung Guen

2015-03-15

A fermentative strategy with an anaerobic moving bed biofilm reactor (AMBBR) was used for the treatment of domestic wastewater. The feasibility of using a membrane separation technique for post-treatment of anaerobic bio-effluent was evaluated with emphasis on employing a membrane distillation (MD). Three different hydrophobic 0.2 μm membranes made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and polypropylene (PP) were examined in this study. The initial permeate flux of the membranes ranged from 2.5 to 6.3 L m(-2) h(-1) when treating AMBBR effluent at a temperature difference between the feed and permeate streams of 20 °C, with the permeate flux increasing in the order PP < PVDF < PTFE. The permeate flux of the PTFE membrane gradually decreased to 84% of the initial flux after the 45 h run for distillation, while a flux decline in MD with either the PVDF or PP membrane was not found under the identical distillation conditions. During long-term distillation with the PVDF membrane, total phosphorus was completely rejected and >98% rejection of dissolved organic carbon was also achieved. The characterization of wastewater effluent organic matter (EfOM) using an innovative suite of analytical tools verified that almost all of the EfOM was rejected via the PVDF MD treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of Molten Salt Reactor Technology to Nuclear Electric Propulsion Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patton, Bruce; Sorensen, Kirk; Rodgers, Stephen L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and planetary surface power missions require reactors that are lightweight, operationally robust, and scalable in power for widely varying scientific mission objectives. Molten salt reactor technology meets all of these requirements and offers an interesting alternative to traditional gas cooled, liquid metal, and heat pipe space reactors.

p-Nitrophenol removal by combination of powdered activated carbon adsorption and ultrafiltration - comparison of different operational modes.

PubMed

Ivancev-Tumbas, Ivana; Hobby, Ralph; Küchle, Benjamin; Panglisch, Stefan; Gimbel, Rolf

2008-09-01

Ultrafiltration is classified as a low-pressure membrane technology which effectively removes particulate matter and microorganisms and to a certain extent dissolved organic matter (15-25%) and colour. The technology has been optimized and is becoming competitive compared to conventional processes for larger scale plant capacities. In combination with activated carbon it is an effective barrier regarding the removal of synthetic organic chemicals. Growing interest in ultrafiltration raises the question of better usage of the adsorption capacity of powdered activated carbon (PAC) used in combination with this low-pressure membrane technique. This paper presents a pilot plant study of different PAC dosing procedures within a combined hybrid membrane IN/OUT process for removal of p-nitrophenol (PNP) from water (c(0)=1mg/L) under real case conditions (e.g. usage of the same module for the whole duration of the experiment, backwashing with permeate water, no separate saturation of the membrane with substance without presence of carbon). p-Nitrophenol was chosen as an appropriate test substance to assess the efficiency of different operation modes. Dead-end and cross-flow filtration were compared with respect to different PAC dosing procedures: continuous dosing into a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) in front of the module and direct dosing into the pipe in front of the module (continuous, single-pulse and multi-pulse dosing). There was no advantage in cross-flow mode over dead-end referring to PNP concentration in the permeate. Relating to the carbon dosing procedure, the best results were obtained for continuous PAC addition. The option of dosing directly into the pipe has the advantage of no additional tank being necessary. In the case of single-pulse dosing, the formation of a carbon layer on the membrane surface was assumed and an LDF model applied for a simplified estimation of the "breakthrough behaviour" in the thus formed "PAC filter layer".

Microbial synthesis gas utilization and ways to resolve kinetic and mass-transfer limitations.

PubMed

Yasin, Muhammad; Jeong, Yeseul; Park, Shinyoung; Jeong, Jiyeong; Lee, Eun Yeol; Lovitt, Robert W; Kim, Byung Hong; Lee, Jinwon; Chang, In Seop

2015-02-01

Microbial conversion of syngas to energy-dense biofuels and valuable chemicals is a potential technology for the efficient utilization of fossils (e.g., coal) and renewable resources (e.g., lignocellulosic biomass) in an environmentally friendly manner. However, gas-liquid mass transfer and kinetic limitations are still major constraints that limit the widespread adoption and successful commercialization of the technology. This review paper provides rationales for syngas bioconversion and summarizes the reaction limited conditions along with the possible strategies to overcome these challenges. Mass transfer and economic performances of various reactor configurations are compared, and an ideal case for optimum bioreactor operation is presented. Overall, the challenges with the bioprocessing steps are highlighted, and potential solutions are suggested. Future research directions are provided and a conceptual design for a membrane-based syngas biorefinery is proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preconceptual design of a fluoride high temperature salt-cooled engineering demonstration reactor: Motivation and overview

DOE PAGES

Qualls, A. Louis; Betzler, Benjamin R.; Brown, Nicholas R.; ...

2016-12-21

Engineering demonstration reactors are nuclear reactors built to establish proof of concept for technology options that have never been built. Examples of engineering demonstration reactors include Peach Bottom 1 for high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) and Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) for sodium-cooled fast reactors. Historically, engineering demonstrations have played a vital role in advancing the technology readiness level of reactor technologies. Our paper details a preconceptual design for a fluoride salt-cooled engineering demonstration reactor. The fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) demonstration reactor (DR) is a concept for a salt-cooled reactor with 100 megawatts of thermal output (MWt). It would usemore » tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel within prismatic graphite blocks. FLiBe (2 7LiF-BeF2) is the reference primary coolant. The FHR DR is designed to be small, simple, and affordable. Development of the FHR DR is a necessary intermediate step to enable near-term commercial FHRs. The design philosophy of the FHR DR was focused on safety, near-term deployment, and flexibility. Lower risk technologies are purposely included in the initial FHR DR design to ensure that the reactor can be built, licensed, and operated as an engineering demonstration with minimal risk and cost. These technologies include TRISO particle fuel, replaceable core structures, and consistent structural material selection for core structures and the primary and intermediate loops, and tube-and-shell primary-to-intermediate heat exchangers. Important capabilities to be demonstrated by building and operating the FHR DR include fabrication and operation of high temperature reactors; heat exchanger performance (including passive decay heat removal); pump performance; and reactivity control; salt chemistry control to maximize vessel life; tritium management; core design methodologies; salt procurement, handling, maintenance and ultimate disposal. It is recognized that non-nuclear separate and integral test efforts (e.g., heated salt loops or loops using simulant fluids) are necessary to develop the technologies that will be demonstrated in the FHR DR.« less

Preconceptual design of a fluoride high temperature salt-cooled engineering demonstration reactor: Motivation and overview

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

Qualls, A. Louis; Betzler, Benjamin R.; Brown, Nicholas R.

Engineering demonstration reactors are nuclear reactors built to establish proof of concept for technology options that have never been built. Examples of engineering demonstration reactors include Peach Bottom 1 for high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) and Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) for sodium-cooled fast reactors. Historically, engineering demonstrations have played a vital role in advancing the technology readiness level of reactor technologies. Our paper details a preconceptual design for a fluoride salt-cooled engineering demonstration reactor. The fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) demonstration reactor (DR) is a concept for a salt-cooled reactor with 100 megawatts of thermal output (MWt). It would usemore » tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel within prismatic graphite blocks. FLiBe (2 7LiF-BeF2) is the reference primary coolant. The FHR DR is designed to be small, simple, and affordable. Development of the FHR DR is a necessary intermediate step to enable near-term commercial FHRs. The design philosophy of the FHR DR was focused on safety, near-term deployment, and flexibility. Lower risk technologies are purposely included in the initial FHR DR design to ensure that the reactor can be built, licensed, and operated as an engineering demonstration with minimal risk and cost. These technologies include TRISO particle fuel, replaceable core structures, and consistent structural material selection for core structures and the primary and intermediate loops, and tube-and-shell primary-to-intermediate heat exchangers. Important capabilities to be demonstrated by building and operating the FHR DR include fabrication and operation of high temperature reactors; heat exchanger performance (including passive decay heat removal); pump performance; and reactivity control; salt chemistry control to maximize vessel life; tritium management; core design methodologies; salt procurement, handling, maintenance and ultimate disposal. It is recognized that non-nuclear separate and integral test efforts (e.g., heated salt loops or loops using simulant fluids) are necessary to develop the technologies that will be demonstrated in the FHR DR.« less

Advanced Reactor Technologies - Regulatory Technology Development Plan (RTDP)

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

Moe, Wayne L.

This DOE-NE Advanced Small Modular Reactor (AdvSMR) regulatory technology development plan (RTDP) will link critical DOE nuclear reactor technology development programs to important regulatory and policy-related issues likely to impact a “critical path” for establishing a viable commercial AdvSMR presence in the domestic energy market. Accordingly, the regulatory considerations that are set forth in the AdvSMR RTDP will not be limited to any one particular type or subset of advanced reactor technology(s) but rather broadly consider potential regulatory approaches and the licensing implications that accompany all DOE-sponsored research and technology development activity that deal with commercial non-light water reactors. However,more » it is also important to remember that certain “minimum” levels of design and safety approach knowledge concerning these technology(s) must be defined and available to an extent that supports appropriate pre-licensing regulatory analysis within the RTDP. Final resolution to advanced reactor licensing issues is most often predicated on the detailed design information and specific safety approach as documented in a facility license application and submitted for licensing review. Because the AdvSMR RTDP is focused on identifying and assessing the potential regulatory implications of DOE-sponsored reactor technology research very early in the pre-license application development phase, the information necessary to support a comprehensive regulatory analysis of a new reactor technology, and the resolution of resulting issues, will generally not be available. As such, the regulatory considerations documented in the RTDP should be considered an initial “first step” in the licensing process which will continue until a license is issued to build and operate the said nuclear facility. Because a facility license application relies heavily on the data and information generated by technology development studies, the anticipated regulatory importance of key DOE reactor research initiatives should be assessed early in the technology development process. Quality assurance requirements supportive of later licensing activities must also be attached to important research activities to ensure resulting data is usable in that context. Early regulatory analysis and licensing approach planning thus provides a significant benefit to the formulation of research plans and also enables the planning and development of a compatible AdvSMR licensing framework, should significant modification be required.« less

Advanced Reactor Technology -- Regulatory Technology Development Plan (RTDP)

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

Moe, Wayne Leland

This DOE-NE Advanced Small Modular Reactor (AdvSMR) regulatory technology development plan (RTDP) will link critical DOE nuclear reactor technology development programs to important regulatory and policy-related issues likely to impact a “critical path” for establishing a viable commercial AdvSMR presence in the domestic energy market. Accordingly, the regulatory considerations that are set forth in the AdvSMR RTDP will not be limited to any one particular type or subset of advanced reactor technology(s) but rather broadly consider potential regulatory approaches and the licensing implications that accompany all DOE-sponsored research and technology development activity that deal with commercial non-light water reactors. However,more » it is also important to remember that certain “minimum” levels of design and safety approach knowledge concerning these technology(s) must be defined and available to an extent that supports appropriate pre-licensing regulatory analysis within the RTDP. Final resolution to advanced reactor licensing issues is most often predicated on the detailed design information and specific safety approach as documented in a facility license application and submitted for licensing review. Because the AdvSMR RTDP is focused on identifying and assessing the potential regulatory implications of DOE-sponsored reactor technology research very early in the pre-license application development phase, the information necessary to support a comprehensive regulatory analysis of a new reactor technology, and the resolution of resulting issues, will generally not be available. As such, the regulatory considerations documented in the RTDP should be considered an initial “first step” in the licensing process which will continue until a license is issued to build and operate the said nuclear facility. Because a facility license application relies heavily on the data and information generated by technology development studies, the anticipated regulatory importance of key DOE reactor research initiatives should be assessed early in the technology development process. Quality assurance requirements supportive of later licensing activities must also be attached to important research activities to ensure resulting data is usable in that context. Early regulatory analysis and licensing approach planning thus provides a significant benefit to the formulation of research plans and also enables the planning and development of a compatible AdvSMR licensing framework, should significant modification be required.« less

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Support of Non-light Water Reactor Technologies: Capabilities Assessment for NRC Near-term Implementation Action Plans for Non-light Water Reactors

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

Belles, Randy; Jain, Prashant K.; Powers, Jeffrey J.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has a rich history of support for light water reactor (LWR) and non-LWR technologies. The ORNL history involves operation of 13 reactors at ORNL including the graphite reactor dating back to World War II, two aqueous homogeneous reactors, two molten salt reactors (MSRs), a fast-burst health physics reactor, and seven LWRs. Operation of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) has been ongoing since 1965. Expertise exists amongst the ORNL staff to provide non-LWR training; support evaluation of non-LWR licensing and safety issues; perform modeling and simulation using advanced computational tools; run laboratory experiments usingmore » equipment such as the liquid salt component test facility; and perform in-depth fuel performance and thermal-hydraulic technology reviews using a vast suite of computer codes and tools. Summaries of this expertise are included in this paper.« less

An experimental study of perovskite-structured mixed ionic- electronic conducting oxides and membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Pingying

In recent decades, ceramic membranes based on mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) perovskite-structured oxides have received many attentions for their applications for air separation, or as a membrane reactor for methane oxidation. While numerous perovskite oxide materials have been explored over the past two decades; there are hardly any materials with sufficient practical economic value and performance for large scale applications, which justifies continuing the search for new materials. The main purposes of this thesis study are: (1) develop several novel SrCoO3-delta based MIEC oxides, SrCoCo1-xMxO3-delta, based on which membranes exhibit excellent oxygen permeability; (2) investigate the significant effects of the species and concentration of the dopants M (metal ions with fixed valences) on the various properties of these membranes; (3) investigate the significant effects of sintering temperature on the microstructures and performance of oxygen permeation membranes; and (4) study the performance of oxygen permeation membranes as a membrane reactor for methane combustion. To stabilize the cubic phase structure of the SrCoO3-delta oxide, various amounts of scandium was doped into the B-site of SrCoO 3-delta to form a series of new perovskite oxides, SrScxCoCo 1-xO3-delta (SSCx, x = 0-0.7). The significant effects of scandium-doping concentration on the phase structure, electrical conductivity, sintering performance, thermal and structural stability, cathode performance, and oxygen permeation performance of the SSCx membranes, were systematically studied. Also for a more in-depth understanding, the rate determination steps for the oxygen transport process through the membranes were clarified by theoretical and experimental investigation. It was found that only a minor amount of scandium (5 mol%) doping into the B-site of SrCoO3-delta can effectively stabilize the cubic phase structure, and thus significantly improve the electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability of the SrCoO3-delta membrane. Among all the disk-shaped SSCx (x = 0-0.7) membranes with a thickness of 0.91 mm, both SSC0.05 and SSC0.1 exhibit the highest oxygen permeation rate of about 3.2 mL.cm-2.min-1 (STP) at 900 °C, SSC0.1 also shows excellent cathode performance for a solid oxide fuel cell. Therefore SSC0.1 is of special interest, and thus investigated regarding the performance as a membrane reactor for methane combustion. The performance was evaluated based on the results of methane conversion rates and CO 2 selectivity. Inspired by the above findings, a series of mixed-conducting perovskite oxides SrCo0.95M0.05O3-delta (SCM, M = Bi5+, Zr4+, Ce4+, Sc3+ , La3+, Y3+, Al3+, Zn 2+) were prepared to study the effects of different dopants M on the performance of SrCo0.95M0.05O3-delta. It was found that the M cations significantly affect the crystal phase structure, grain growth, membrane porosity, electrical conductivity, and the oxygen permeability of the SCM membranes. Specifically, it is postulated in this study that the formation of the cubic perovskite structure is dependent on the electron configuration in the outer orbits of M cations, which may provide theoretical guidance for future development of high oxygen permeation ceramic membranes based on the perovskite materials. To study the significant effects of grain sizes on the oxygen permeation behaviors of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta (LSCF) and SrSc0.1Co0.9O 3-delta (SSC0.1) membranes, the LSCF and SSC0.1 membranes were sintered at various temperatures to form different microstructures. Properties of these membranes with varied grain sizes were compared. Results showed that the oxygen permeation rate of the LSCF membrane increases with increasing the grain size, however, it is interesting that the oxygen permeation rate of the SSC0.1 membrane decreases with increasing the grain size. This implies that oxygen transport occurs more, however, less rapidly along grain boundaries than through the bulks in the LSCF and SSC0.1 membranes, respectively. A LSCF hollow fiber membrane and a SSC0.1 planar membrane were applied as membrane reactors for methane combustion. To improve their performances, LSCF powder and SSC0.1 powder were dip-coated and spray-coated on the permeation sides of LSCF hollow fiber membranes and SSC0.1 planar membranes, respectively. The exhaust gas components were analyzed by Gas Chromatography (GC). The performance was evaluated based on the results of methane conversion rates and CO 2 selectivity. The highest CO2 selectivity of the LSCF hollow fiber membrane and the SSC0.1 planar membrane is about 88 and 85 %, respectively. This indicates that the application of an oxygen permeation membrane as methane combustion reactor is feasible.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY BULLETIN: VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND REMOVAL FROM AIR STREAMS BY MEMBRANES SEPARATION MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH, INC.

EPA Science Inventory

This membrane separation technology developed by Membrane Technology and Research (MTR), Incorporated, is designed to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from contaminated air streams. In the process, organic vapor-laden air contacts one side of a membrane that is permeable ...

Stimulating hydrogenotrophic denitrification in simulated groundwater containing high dissolved oxygen and nitrate concentrations.

PubMed

Schnobrich, Matthew R; Chaplin, Brian P; Semmens, Michael J; Novak, Paige J

2007-05-01

In agricultural areas, nitrate (NO3-) is a common groundwater pollutant as a result of extensive fertilizer application. At elevated concentrations, NO3- consumption causes methemoglobinemia in infants and has been linked to several cancers; therefore, its removal from groundwater is important. The addition of hydrogen gas (H2) via gas-permeable membranes has been shown to stimulate denitrification in a laboratory-scale reactor. This research, using large columns packed with aquifer material to which a simulated groundwater was fed, was conducted to further identify the conditions required for the use of membrane-delivered H2 in situ. In this study, we show that this novel technology was capable of treating highly contaminated (25 mg/L NO3- -N) and oxygenated (5.5mg/L dissolved oxygen) water, but that nutrient addition and gas pressure adjustment was required. Complete NO3- reduction was possible without the accumulation of either NO2- or N2O when the H2 lumen pressure was increased to 17 psi and phosphate was added to the groundwater. The total organic carbon content of the effluent, 110 cm downgradient of H2 addition, did not increase. The results from these experiments demonstrate that this technology can be optimized to provide effective NO3- removal in even challenging field applications.

Reactor vessel using metal oxide ceramic membranes

DOEpatents

Anderson, Marc A.; Zeltner, Walter A.

1992-08-11

A reaction vessel for use in photoelectrochemical reactions includes as its reactive surface a metal oxide porous ceramic membrane of a catalytic metal such as titanium. The reaction vessel includes a light source and a counter electrode. A provision for applying an electrical bias between the membrane and the counter electrode permits the Fermi levels of potential reaction to be favored so that certain reactions may be favored in the vessel. The electrical biasing is also useful for the cleaning of the catalytic membrane.

Advantages of liquid fluoride thorium reactor in comparison with light water reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahri, Che Nor Aniza Che Zainul; Majid, Amran Ab.; Al-Areqi, Wadeeah M.

2015-04-01

Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) is an innovative design for the thermal breeder reactor that has important potential benefits over the traditional reactor design. LFTR is fluoride based liquid fuel, that use the thorium dissolved in salt mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride. Therefore, LFTR technology is fundamentally different from the solid fuel technology currently in use. Although the traditional nuclear reactor technology has been proven, it has perceptual problems with safety and nuclear waste products. The aim of this paper is to discuss the potential advantages of LFTR in three aspects such as safety, fuel efficiency and nuclear waste as an alternative energy generator in the future. Comparisons between LFTR and Light Water Reactor (LWR), on general principles of fuel cycle, resource availability, radiotoxicity and nuclear weapon proliferation shall be elaborated.

Advantages of liquid fluoride thorium reactor in comparison with light water reactor

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

Bahri, Che Nor Aniza Che Zainul, E-mail: anizazainul@gmail.com; Majid, Amran Ab.; Al-Areqi, Wadeeah M.

2015-04-29

Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) is an innovative design for the thermal breeder reactor that has important potential benefits over the traditional reactor design. LFTR is fluoride based liquid fuel, that use the thorium dissolved in salt mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride. Therefore, LFTR technology is fundamentally different from the solid fuel technology currently in use. Although the traditional nuclear reactor technology has been proven, it has perceptual problems with safety and nuclear waste products. The aim of this paper is to discuss the potential advantages of LFTR in three aspects such as safety, fuel efficiency and nuclearmore » waste as an alternative energy generator in the future. Comparisons between LFTR and Light Water Reactor (LWR), on general principles of fuel cycle, resource availability, radiotoxicity and nuclear weapon proliferation shall be elaborated.« less

Effect of sludge retention time on the biological performance of anaerobic membrane bioreactors treating corn-to-ethanol thin stillage with high lipid content.

PubMed

Dereli, Recep Kaan; van der Zee, Frank P; Heffernan, Barry; Grelot, Aurelie; van Lier, Jules B

2014-02-01

The potential of anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) for the treatment of lipid rich corn-to-ethanol thin stillage was investigated at three different sludge retention times (SRT), i.e. 20, 30 and 50 days. The membrane assisted biomass retention in AnMBRs provided an excellent solution to sludge washout problems reported for the treatment of lipid rich wastewaters by granular sludge bed reactors. The AnMBRs achieved high COD removal efficiencies up to 99% and excellent effluent quality. Although higher organic loading rates (OLRs) up to 8.0 kg COD m(-3) d(-1) could be applied to the reactors operated at shorter SRTs, better biological degradation efficiencies, i.e. up to 83%, was achieved at increased SRTs. Severe long chain fatty acid (LCFA) inhibition was observed at 50 days SRT, possibly caused by the extensive dissolution of LCFA in the reactor broth, inhibiting the methanogenic biomass. Physicochemical mechanisms such as precipitation with divalent cations and adsorption on the sludge played an important role in the occurrence of LCFA removal, conversion, and inhibition. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An isothermal amplification reactor with an integrated isolation membrane for point-of-care detection of infectious diseases

PubMed Central

Liu, Changchun; Geva, Eran; Mauk, Michael; Qiu, Xianbo; Abrams, William R.; Malamud, Daniel; Curtis, Kelly; Owen, S. Michele; Bau, Haim H.

2015-01-01

A simple, point of care, inexpensive, disposable cassette for the detection of nucleic acids extracted from pathogens was designed, constructed, and tested. The cassette utilizes a single reaction chamber for isothermal amplification of nucleic acids. The chamber is equipped with an integrated, flow-through, Flinders Technology Associates (Whatman FTA®) membrane for the isolation, concentration, and purification of DNA and/or RNA. The nucleic acids captured by the membrane are used directly as templates for amplification without elution, thus simplifying the cassette’s flow control. The FTA membrane also serves another critical role—enabling the removal of inhibitors that dramatically reduce detection sensitivity. Thermal control is provided with a thin film heater external to the cassette. The amplification process was monitored in real time with a portable, compact fluorescent reader. The utility of the integrated, single-chamber cassette was demonstrated by detecting the presence of HIV-1 in oral fluids. The HIV RNA was reverse transcribed and subjected to loop-mediated, isothermal amplification (LAMP). A detection limit of less than 10 HIV particles was demonstrated. The cassette is particularly suitable for resource poor regions, where funds and trained personnel are in short supply. The cassette can be readily modified to detect nucleic acids associated with other pathogens borne in saliva, urine, and other body fluids as well as in water and food. PMID:21455542

An isothermal amplification reactor with an integrated isolation membrane for point-of-care detection of infectious diseases.

PubMed

Liu, Changchun; Geva, Eran; Mauk, Michael; Qiu, Xianbo; Abrams, William R; Malamud, Daniel; Curtis, Kelly; Owen, S Michele; Bau, Haim H

2011-05-21

A simple, point of care, inexpensive, disposable cassette for the detection of nucleic acids extracted from pathogens was designed, constructed, and tested. The cassette utilizes a single reaction chamber for isothermal amplification of nucleic acids. The chamber is equipped with an integrated, flow-through, Flinders Technology Associates (Whatman FTA®) membrane for the isolation, concentration, and purification of DNA and/or RNA. The nucleic acids captured by the membrane are used directly as templates for amplification without elution, thus simplifying the cassette's flow control. The FTA membrane also serves another critical role-enabling the removal of inhibitors that dramatically reduce detection sensitivity. Thermal control is provided with a thin film heater external to the cassette. The amplification process was monitored in real time with a portable, compact fluorescent reader. The utility of the integrated, single-chamber cassette was demonstrated by detecting the presence of HIV-1 in oral fluids. The HIV RNA was reverse transcribed and subjected to loop-mediated, isothermal amplification (LAMP). A detection limit of less than 10 HIV particles was demonstrated. The cassette is particularly suitable for resource poor regions, where funds and trained personnel are in short supply. The cassette can be readily modified to detect nucleic acids associated with other pathogens borne in saliva, urine, and other body fluids as well as in water and food.

Guideline for Performing Systematic Approach to Evaluate and Qualify Legacy Documents that Support Advanced Reactor Technology Activity

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

Honma, George

The establishment of a systematic process for the evaluation of historic technology information for use in advanced reactor licensing is described. Efforts are underway to recover and preserve Experimental Breeder Reactor II and Fast Flux Test Facility historical data. These efforts have generally emphasized preserving information from data-acquisition systems and hard-copy reports and entering it into modern electronic formats suitable for data retrieval and examination. The guidance contained in this document has been developed to facilitate consistent and systematic evaluation processes relating to quality attributes of historic technical information (with focus on sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) technology) that will bemore » used to eventually support licensing of advanced reactor designs. The historical information may include, but is not limited to, design documents for SFRs, research-and-development (R&D) data and associated documents, test plans and associated protocols, operations and test data, international research data, technical reports, and information associated with past U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews of SFR designs. The evaluation process is prescribed in terms of SFR technology, but the process can be used to evaluate historical information for any type of advanced reactor technology. An appendix provides a discussion of typical issues that should be considered when evaluating and qualifying historical information for advanced reactor technology fuel and source terms, based on current light water reactor (LWR) requirements and recent experience gained from Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP).« less

Current Abstracts Nuclear Reactors and Technology

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

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

1993-01-01

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

Nuclear Reactors and Technology

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

Cason, D.L.; Hicks, S.C.

1992-01-01

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

Microbial Community Structure during Nitrate and Perchlorate Reduction in Ion-exchange Brine Using the Hydrogen-based membrane Biofilm Reactor (MBIR)

EPA Science Inventory

Detoxification of perchlorate by microbial communities under denitrifying conditions has been recently reported, although the identity of the mixed populations involved in perchlorate reduction is not well understood. In order to address this, the bacterial diversity of membrane ...

Method for culturing mammalian cells in a horizontally rotated bioreactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarz, Ray P. (Inventor); Wolf, David A. (Inventor); Trinh, Tinh T. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A bio-reactor system where cell growth microcarrier beads are suspended in a zero head space fluid medium by rotation about a horizontal axis and where the fluid is continuously oxygenated from a tubular membrane which rotates on a shaft together with rotation of the culture vessel. The oxygen is continuously throughput through the membrane and disbursed into the fluid medium along the length of the membrane.

Treatment of kraft evaporator condensate using a thermophilic submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Liao, B Q; Xie, K; Lin, H J; Bertoldo, Daniel

2010-01-01

The feasibility of using a thermophilic submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) for kraft evaporator condensate treatment was studied at 55+/-1 degrees C over 6.5 months. Under tested organic loading rate of 1-7 kg COD/m(3) day, a soluble COD removal efficiency of 85-97% was obtained. The methane production rate was 0.35+/-0.1 L methane/g COD and the produced biogas was of excellent fuel quality with 80-90% methane. A higher membrane fouling rate was related to the presence of a larger portion of fine colloidal particles (1-10 mum). The thermophilic SAnMBR was sensitive to the presence of toxic compounds in feed and unexpected pH probe failure (leading to a higher pH). Feed toxic shock caused sludge deflocculation and thus deteriorated membrane performance. Operating the reactor as a conventional anaerobic reactor to waste some of the fine flocs in treated effluent during the start-up process was an effective strategy to reduce membrane fouling. The experimental results from this study indicate that treatment of kraft evaporator condensate is feasible in terms of COD removal and biogas production using thermophilic SAnMBRs but pre-treatment may be needed to remove toxic sulfur compounds and membrane fouling caused by the large portion of fine particles may be a challenge.

Engineering a self-driven PVDF/PDA hybrid membranes based on membrane micro-reactor effect to achieve super-hydrophilicity, excellent antifouling properties and hemocompatibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jian-Hua; Ni, Xing-Xing; Zhang, De-Bin; Zheng, Hui; Wang, Jia-Bin; Zhang, Qi-Qing

2018-06-01

A facile and versatile approach for the preparation of super-hydrophilic, excellent antifouling and hemocompatibility membranes had been developed through the generation in situ of bio-inspired polydopamine (PDA) microspheres on PVDF membranes. SEM images showed that the PDA microspheres were uniformly dispersed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the modified membranes. And there were a great number of PDA microspheres immobilized on the cross-section, but the interconnected pores structure was not destroyed. These facts indicated the existence of membrane micro-reactor effect for the whole membrane structure. Considering the remarkable improvement of hydrophilicity, antifouling properties, and permeation fluxes, we also proposed the cluster phenolic hydroxyl effect for the PVDF/PDA hybrid membranes. And the cluster phenolic hydroxyl effect can be ascribed to the all directions distributed phenolic hydroxyl groups on the whole membrane structure. Besides, the self-driven filtration experiments showed the great wetting ability and permeability of the PVDF/PDA hybrid membranes in filtration process without any external pressure. This implied the existence of accelerating self-driven force after the water flow flowed into the internal of membranes, which contributed to the increase of water flow velocity. All the three aspects were in favor of the enhancement of hydrophilicity, antifouling properties and permeability of the modified membranes. Moreover, the conventional filtration tests, oil/water emulsion filtration tests and protein adsorption tests were also carried out to discuss the practical applications of PVDF/PDA hybrid membranes. And the hemocompatibility of the modified membranes was also proved to enhance greatly through the hemolysis tests and platelet adhesion tests, indicating that the membranes were greatly promising in biomedical applications. The strategy of material modification reported here is substrate-independent and can be extended to other substrate materials, and allows the development of novel functional membranes through secondary treatments.

Core Design Characteristics of the Fluoride Salt-Cooled High Temperature Demonstration Reactor

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

Brown, Nicholas R; Qualls, A L; Betzler, Benjamin R

2016-01-01

Fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactors (FHRs) are a promising reactor technology option with significant knowledge gaps to implementation. One potential approach to address those technology gaps is via a small-scale demonstration reactor with the goal of increasing the technology readiness level (TRL) of the overall system for the longer term. The objective of this paper is to outline a notional concept for such a system, and to address how the proposed concept would advance the TRL of FHR concepts. Development of the proposed FHR Demonstration Reactor (DR) will enable commercial FHR deployment through disruptive and rapid technology development and demonstration.more » The FHR DR will close remaining gaps to commercial viability. Lower risk technologies are included in the initial FHR DR design to ensure that the reactor can be built, licensed, and operated within an acceptable budget and schedule. Important capabilities that will be demonstrated by building and operating the FHR DR include core design methodologies; fabrication and operation of high temperature reactors; salt procurement, handling, maintenance, and ultimate disposal; salt chemistry control to maximize vessel life; tritium management; heat exchanger performance; pump performance; and reactivity control. The FHR DR is considered part of a broader set of FHR technology development and demonstration efforts, some of which are already underway. Nonreactor test efforts (e.g., heated salt loops or loops using simulant fluids) can demonstrate many technologies necessary for commercial deployment of FHRs. The FHR DR, however, fulfills a crucial role in FHR technology development by advancing the technical maturity and readiness level of the system as a whole.« less

Generating Aromatics From CO2 on Mars or Natural Gas on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muscatello, Anthony C.; Zubrin, Robert; Berggren, Mark

2006-01-01

Methane to aromatics on Mars ( METAMARS ) is the name of a process originally intended as a means of converting Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide to aromatic hydrocarbons and oxygen, which would be used as propellants for spacecraft to return to Earth. The process has been demonstrated on Earth on a laboratory scale. A truncated version of the process could be used on Earth to convert natural gas to aromatic hydrocarbon liquids. The greater (relative to natural gas) density of aromatic hydrocarbon liquids makes it more economically feasible to ship them to distant markets. Hence, this process makes it feasible to exploit some reserves of natural gas that, heretofore, have been considered as being "stranded" too far from markets to be of economic value. In the full version of METAMARS, carbon dioxide is frozen out of the atmosphere and fed to a Sabatier reactor along with hydrogen (which, on Mars, would have been brought from Earth). In the Sabatier reactor, these feedstocks are converted to methane and water. The water is condensed and electrolyzed to oxygen (which is liquefied) and hydrogen (which is recycled to the Sabatier reactor). The methane is sent to an aromatization reactor, wherein, over a molybdenum-on-zeolite catalyst at a temperature 700 C, it is partially converted into aromatic hydrocarbons (specifically, benzene, toluene, and naphthalene) along with hydrogen. The aromatics are collected by freezing, while unreacted methane and hydrogen are separated by a membrane. Most of the hydrogen is recycled to the Sabatier reactor, while the methane and a small portion of the hydrogen are recycled to the aromatization reactor. The partial recycle of hydrogen to the aromatization reactor greatly increases the catalyst lifetime and eases its regeneration by preventing the formation of graphitic carbon, which could damage the catalyst. (Moreover, if graphitic carbon were allowed to form, it would be necessary to use oxygen to remove it.) Because the aromatics contain only one hydrogen atom per carbon atom, METAMARS produces four times as much propellant from a given amount of hydrogen as does a related process that includes the Sabatier reaction and electrolysis but not aromatization. In the terrestrial version of METAMARS, the Sabatier reactor and electrolyzer would be omitted, while the hydrogen/ methane membrane-separating membrane, the aromatization reactor, and the unreacted-gas-recycling subsystem would be retained. Natural gas would be fed directly to the aromatization reactor. Because natural gas consists of higher hydrocarbons in addition to methane, the aromatization subprocess should be more efficient than it is for methane alone.

Hollow Fiber Membrane Bioreactor Systems for Wastewater Processing: Effects of Environmental Stresses Including Dormancy Cycling and Antibiotic Dosing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coutts, Janelle L.; Hummerick, Mary E.; Lunn, Griffin M.; Larson, Brian D.; Spencer, LaShelle E.; Kosiba, Michael L.; Khodadad, Christina L.; Catechis, John A.; Birmele, Michele N.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

2016-01-01

Membrane-aerated biofilm reactors (MABRs) have been studied for a number of years as an alternate approach for treating wastewater streams during space exploration. While the technology provides a promising pre-treatment for lowering organic carbon and nitrogen content without the need for harsh stabilization chemicals, several challenges must be addressed before adoption of the technology in future missions. One challenge is the transportation of bioreactors containing intact, active biofilms as a means for rapid start-up on the International Space Station or beyond. Similarly, there could be a need for placing these biological systems into a dormant state for extended periods when the system is not in use, along with the ability for rapid restart. Previous studies indicated that there was little influence of storage condition (4 or 25 C, with or without bulk fluid) on recovery of bioreactors with immature biofilms (48 days old), but that an extensive recovery time was required (20+ days). Bioreactors with fully established biofilms (13 months) were able to recover from a 7-month dormancy within 4 days (approximately 1 residence). Further dormancy and recovery testing is presented here that examines the role of biofilm age on recovery requirements, repeated dormancy cycle capabilities, and effects of long-duration dormancy cycles (8-9 months) on HFMB systems. Another challenge that must be addressed is the possibility of antibiotics entering the wastewater stream. Currently, for most laboratory tests of biological water processors, donors providing urine may not contribute to the study when taking antibiotics because the effects on the system are yet uncharacterized. A simulated urinary tract infection event, where an opportunistic, pathogenic organism, E. coli, was introduced to the HFMBs followed by dosing with an antibiotic, ciprofloxacin, was completed to study the effect of the antibiotic on reactor performance and to also examine the development of antibiotic-resistant communities within the system.

Mixed ionic and electronic conducting ceramic membranes for hydrocarbon processing

DOEpatents

Van Calcar, Pamela; Mackay, Richard; Sammells, Anthony F.

2002-01-01

The invention relates to mixed phase materials for the preparation of catalytic membranes which exhibit ionic and electronic conduction and which exhibit improved mechanical strength compared to single phase ionic and electronic conducting materials. The mixed phase materials are useful for forming gas impermeable membranes either as dense ceramic membranes or as dense thin films coated onto porous substrates. The membranes and materials of this invention are useful in catalytic membrane reactors in a variety of applications including synthesis gas production. One or more crystalline second phases are present in the mixed phase material at a level sufficient to enhance the mechanical strength of the mixture to provide membranes for practical application in CMRs.

A fluidized bed membrane bioelectrochemical reactor for energy-efficient wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Li, Jian; Ge, Zheng; He, Zhen

2014-09-01

A fluidized bed membrane bioelectrochemical reactor (MBER) was investigated using fluidized granular activated carbon (GAC) as a mean of membrane fouling control. During the 150-day operation, the MBER generated electricity with contaminant removal from either synthetic solution or actual wastewater, as a standalone or a coupled system. It was found that fluidized GAC could significantly reduce transmembrane pressure (TMP), although its function as a part of the anode electrode was minor. When the MBER was linked to a regular microbial fuel cell (MFC) for treating a wastewater from a cheese factory, the MFC acted as a major process for energy recovery and contaminant removal, and the coupled system removed more than 90% of chemical oxygen demand and >80% of suspended solids. The analysis showed that the ratio of energy recovery and consumption was slightly larger than one, indicating that the coupled system could be theoretically energy neutral. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of Supported Pd-Based Membranes Preparation by Electroless Plating for Ultra-Pure Hydrogen Production

PubMed Central

Alique, David; Martinez-Diaz, David; Sanz, Raul

2018-01-01

In the last years, hydrogen has been considered as a promising energy vector for the oncoming modification of the current energy sector, mainly based on fossil fuels. Hydrogen can be produced from water with no significant pollutant emissions but in the nearest future its production from different hydrocarbon raw materials by thermochemical processes seems to be more feasible. In any case, a mixture of gaseous compounds containing hydrogen is produced, so a further purification step is needed to purify the hydrogen up to required levels accordingly to the final application, i.e., PEM fuel cells. In this mean, membrane technology is one of the available separation options, providing an efficient solution at reasonable cost. Particularly, dense palladium-based membranes have been proposed as an ideal chance in hydrogen purification due to the nearly complete hydrogen selectivity (ideally 100%), high thermal stability and mechanical resistance. Moreover, these membranes can be used in a membrane reactor, offering the possibility to combine both the chemical reaction for hydrogen production and the purification step in a unique device. There are many papers in the literature regarding the preparation of Pd-based membranes, trying to improve the properties of these materials in terms of permeability, thermal and mechanical resistance, poisoning and cost-efficiency. In this review, the most relevant advances in the preparation of supported Pd-based membranes for hydrogen production in recent years are presented. The work is mainly focused in the incorporation of the hydrogen selective layer (palladium or palladium-based alloy) by the electroless plating, since it is one of the most promising alternatives for a real industrial application of these membranes. The information is organized in different sections including: (i) a general introduction; (ii) raw commercial and modified membrane supports; (iii) metal deposition insights by electroless-plating; (iv) trends in preparation of Pd-based alloys, and, finally; (v) some essential concluding remarks in addition to futures perspectives. PMID:29360777

Simulator platform for fast reactor operation and safety technology demonstration

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

Vilim, R. B.; Park, Y. S.; Grandy, C.

2012-07-30

A simulator platform for visualization and demonstration of innovative concepts in fast reactor technology is described. The objective is to make more accessible the workings of fast reactor technology innovations and to do so in a human factors environment that uses state-of-the art visualization technologies. In this work the computer codes in use at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) for the design of fast reactor systems are being integrated to run on this platform. This includes linking reactor systems codes with mechanical structures codes and using advanced graphics to depict the thermo-hydraulic-structure interactions that give rise to an inherently safe responsemore » to upsets. It also includes visualization of mechanical systems operation including advanced concepts that make use of robotics for operations, in-service inspection, and maintenance.« less

Application of Ozone MBBR Process in Refinery Wastewater Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Wang

2018-01-01

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) is a kind of sewage treatment technology based on fluidized bed. At the same time, it can also be regarded as an efficient new reactor between active sludge method and the biological membrane method. The application of ozone MBBR process in refinery wastewater treatment is mainly studied. The key point is to design the ozone +MBBR combined process based on MBBR process. The ozone +MBBR process is used to analyze the treatment of concentrated water COD discharged from the refinery wastewater treatment plant. The experimental results show that the average removal rate of COD is 46.0%~67.3% in the treatment of reverse osmosis concentrated water by ozone MBBR process, and the effluent can meet the relevant standard requirements. Compared with the traditional process, the ozone MBBR process is more flexible. The investment of this process is mainly ozone generator, blower and so on. The prices of these items are relatively inexpensive, and these costs can be offset by the excess investment in traditional activated sludge processes. At the same time, ozone MBBR process has obvious advantages in water quality, stability and other aspects.

Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Reactor Materials: News for the Reactor Materials Crosscut, May 2016

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

Maloy, Stuart Andrew

In this newsletter for Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Reactor Materials, pages 1-3 cover highlights from the DOE-NE (Nuclear Energy) programs, pages 4-6 cover determining the stress-strain response of ion-irradiated metallic materials via spherical nanoindentation, and pages 7-8 cover theoretical approaches to understanding long-term materials behavior in light water reactors.

Analysis of Process Gases and Trace Contaminants in Membrane-Aerated Gaseous Effluent Streams.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coutts, Janelle L.; Lunn, Griffin Michael; Meyer, Caitlin E.

2015-01-01

In membrane-aerated biofilm reactors (MABRs), hollow fibers are used to supply oxygen to the biofilms and bulk fluid. A pressure and concentration gradient between the inner volume of the fibers and the reactor reservoir drives oxygen mass transport across the fibers toward the bulk solution, providing the fiber-adhered biofilm with oxygen. Conversely, bacterial metabolic gases from the bulk liquid, as well as from the biofilm, move opposite to the flow of oxygen, entering the hollow fiber and out of the reactor. Metabolic gases are excellent indicators of biofilm vitality, and can aid in microbial identification. Certain gases can be indicative of system perturbations and control anomalies, or potentially unwanted biological processes occurring within the reactor. In confined environments, such as those found during spaceflight, it is important to understand what compounds are being stripped from the reactor and potentially released into the crew cabin to determine the appropriateness or the requirement for additional mitigation factors. Reactor effluent gas analysis focused on samples provided from Kennedy Space Center's sub-scale MABRs, as well as Johnson Space Center's full-scale MABRs, using infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography techniques. Process gases, such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrous oxide, were quantified to monitor reactor operations. Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) GC-MS analysis was used to identify trace volatile compounds. Compounds of interest were subsequently quantified. Reactor supply air was examined to establish target compound baseline concentrations. Concentration levels were compared to average ISS concentration values and/or Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentration (SMAC) levels where appropriate. Based on a review of to-date results, current trace contaminant control systems (TCCS) currently on board the ISS should be able to handle the added load from bioreactor systems without the need for secondary mitigation.

Optimizing the biocatalytic productivity of an engineered sialidase from Trypanosoma rangeli for 3'-sialyllactose production.

PubMed

Zeuner, Birgitte; Luo, Jianquan; Nyffenegger, Christian; Aumala, Ville; Mikkelsen, Jørn Dalgaard; Meyer, Anne S

2014-02-05

An engineered sialidase, Tr6, from Trypanosoma rangeli was used for biosynthetic production of 3'-sialyllactose, a human milk oligosaccharide case compound, from casein glycomacropeptide (CGMP) and lactose, components abundantly present in industrial dairy side streams. Four different enzyme re-use methods were compared to optimize the biocatalytic productivity, i.e. 3'-sialyllactose formation per amount of Tr6 employed: (i) His-tag immobilization on magnetic Cu²⁺-iminodiacetic acid-functionalized nanoparticles (MNPs), (ii) membrane immobilization, (iii) calcium alginate encapsulation of cross-linked Tr6, and (iv) Tr6 catalysis in a membrane reactor. Tr6 immobilized on MNPs gave a biocatalytic productivity of 84 mg 3'-sialyllactose/mg Tr6 after seven consecutive reaction runs. Calcium-alginate and membrane immobilization were inefficient. Using free Tr6 in a 10 kDa membrane reactor produced a 9-fold biocatalytic productivity increase compared to using free Tr6 in a batch reactor giving 306 mg 3'-sialyllactose/mg Tr6 after seven consecutive reaction runs. The 3'-sialyllactose yield on α-2,3-bound sialic acid in CGMP was 74%. Using circular dichroism, a temperature denaturation midpoint of Tr6, Tm, of 57.2 °C was determined. The thermal stability of free Tr6 was similarly high and the Tr6 was stable at the reaction temperature (25 °C) for at least 24 h. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reactor for making uniform capsules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Taylor G. (Inventor); Anikumar, Amrutur V. (Inventor); Lacik, Igor (Inventor)

1999-01-01

The present invention provides a novel reactor for making capsules with uniform membrane. The reactor includes a source for providing a continuous flow of a first liquid through the reactor; a source for delivering a steady stream of drops of a second liquid to the entrance of the reactor; a main tube portion having at least one loop, and an exit opening, where the exit opening is at a height substantially equal to the entrance. In addition, a method for using the novel reactor is provided. This method involves providing a continuous stream of a first liquid; introducing uniformly-sized drops of the second liquid into the stream of the first liquid; allowing the drops to react in the stream for a pre-determined period of time; and collecting the capsules.

Advanced Demonstration and Test Reactor Options Study

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

Petti, David Andrew; Hill, R.; Gehin, J.

Global efforts to address climate change will require large-scale decarbonization of energy production in the United States and elsewhere. Nuclear power already provides 20% of electricity production in the United States (U.S.) and is increasing in countries undergoing rapid growth around the world. Because reliable, grid-stabilizing, low emission electricity generation, energy security, and energy resource diversity will be increasingly valued, nuclear power’s share of electricity production has a potential to grow. In addition, there are non electricity applications (e.g., process heat, desalination, hydrogen production) that could be better served by advanced nuclear systems. Thus, the timely development, demonstration, and commercializationmore » of advanced nuclear reactors could diversify the nuclear technologies available and offer attractive technology options to expand the impact of nuclear energy for electricity generation and non-electricity missions. The purpose of this planning study is to provide transparent and defensible technology options for a test and/or demonstration reactor(s) to be built to support public policy, innovation and long term commercialization within the context of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) broader commitment to pursuing an “all of the above” clean energy strategy and associated time lines. This planning study includes identification of the key features and timing needed for advanced test or demonstration reactors to support research, development, and technology demonstration leading to the commercialization of power plants built upon these advanced reactor platforms. This planning study is consistent with the Congressional language contained within the fiscal year 2015 appropriation that directed the DOE to conduct a planning study to evaluate “advanced reactor technology options, capabilities, and requirements within the context of national needs and public policy to support innovation in nuclear energy”. Advanced reactors are defined in this study as reactors that use coolants other than water. Advanced reactor technologies have the potential to expand the energy applications, enhance the competitiveness, and improve the sustainability of nuclear energy.« less

The effect of hydraulic retention time on the performance and fouling characteristics of membrane sequencing batch reactors used for the treatment of synthetic petroleum refinery wastewater.

PubMed

Shariati, Seyed Ramin Pajoum; Bonakdarpour, Babak; Zare, Nasim; Ashtiani, Farzin Zokaee

2011-09-01

The use of membrane sequencing batch reactors, operated at HRT of 8, 16 and 24h, was considered for the treatment of a synthetic petroleum wastewater. Increase in HRT resulted in statistically significant decrease in MLSS. Removal efficiencies higher than 97% were found for the three model hydrocarbon pollutants at all HRTs, with air stripping making a small contribution to overall removal. Particle size distribution (PSD) and microscopic analysis showed reduction in the protozoan populations in the activated sludge with decreasing HRT. PSD analysis also showed a higher proportion of larger and smaller sized particles at the lowest HRT. The rate of membrane fouling was found to increase with decreasing HRT; SMP, especially carbohydrate SMP, and mixed liquor apparent viscosity also showed a pronounced increase with decreasing HRT, whereas the concentration of EPS and its components decreased. FTIR analysis identified organic compounds as the main component of membrane pore fouling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vibro-acoustic Imaging at the Breazeale Reactor

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

Smith, James Arthur; Jewell, James Keith; Lee, James Edwin

2016-09-01

The INL is developing Vibro-acoustic imaging technology to characterize microstructure in fuels and materials in spent fuel pools and within reactor vessels. A vibro-acoustic development laboratory has been established at the INL. The progress in developing the vibro-acoustic technology at the INL is the focus of this report. A successful technology demonstration was performed in a working TRIGA research reactor. Vibro-acoustic imaging was performed in the reactor pool of the Breazeale reactor in late September of 2015. A confocal transducer driven at a nominal 3 MHz was used to collect the 60 kHz differential beat frequency induced in a spentmore » TRIGA fuel rod and empty gamma tube located in the main reactor water pool. Data was collected and analyzed with the INLDAS data acquisition software using a short time Fourier transform.« less

Fast Breeder Reactors in Sweden: Vision and Reality.

PubMed

Fjaestad, Maja

2015-01-01

The fast breeder is a type of nuclear reactor that aroused much attention in the 1950s and '60s. Its ability to produce more nuclear fuel than it consumes offered promises of cheap and reliable energy. Sweden had advanced plans for a nuclear breeder program, but canceled them in the middle of the 1970s with the rise of nuclear skepticism. The article investigates the nuclear breeder as a technological vision. The nuclear breeder reactor is an example of a technological future that did not meet its industrial expectations. But that does not change the fact that the breeder was an influential technology. Decisions about the contemporary reactors were taken with the idea that in a foreseeable future they would be replaced with the efficient breeder. The article argues that general themes in the history of the breeder reactor can deepen our understanding of the mechanisms behind technological change.

Progress in space nuclear reactor power systems technology development - The SP-100 program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, H. S.

1984-01-01

Activities related to the development of high-temperature compact nuclear reactors for space applications had reached a comparatively high level in the U.S. during the mid-1950s and 1960s, although only one U.S. nuclear reactor-powered spacecraft was actually launched. After 1973, very little effort was devoted to space nuclear reactor and propulsion systems. In February 1983, significant activities toward the development of the technology for space nuclear reactor power systems were resumed with the SP-100 Program. Specific SP-100 Program objectives are partly related to the determination of the potential performance limits for space nuclear power systems in 100-kWe and 1- to 100-MW electrical classes. Attention is given to potential missions and applications, regimes of possible space power applicability, safety considerations, conceptual system designs, the establishment of technical feasibility, nuclear technology, materials technology, and prospects for the future.

Small reactor power system for space application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirbacheh, M.

1987-01-01

A development history and comparative performance capability evaluation is presented for spacecraft nuclear powerplant Small Reactor Power System alternatives. The choice of power conversion technology depends on the reactor's operating temperature; thermionic, thermoelectric, organic Rankine, and Alkali metal thermoelectric conversion are the primary power conversion subsystem technology alternatives. A tabulation is presented for such spacecraft nuclear reactor test histories as those of SNAP-10A, SP-100, and NERVA.

Multifunctional nanocomposite hollow fiber membranes by solvent transfer induced phase separation.

PubMed

Haase, Martin F; Jeon, Harim; Hough, Noah; Kim, Jong Hak; Stebe, Kathleen J; Lee, Daeyeon

2017-11-01

The decoration of porous membranes with a dense layer of nanoparticles imparts useful functionality and can enhance membrane separation and anti-fouling properties. However, manufacturing of nanoparticle-coated membranes requires multiple steps and tedious processing. Here, we introduce a facile single-step method in which bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsions are used to form nanoparticle-functionalized hollow fiber membranes. The resulting nanocomposite membranes prepared via solvent transfer-induced phase separation and photopolymerization have exceptionally high nanoparticle loadings (up to 50 wt% silica nanoparticles) and feature densely packed nanoparticles uniformly distributed over the entire membrane surfaces. These structurally well-defined, asymmetric membranes facilitate control over membrane flux and selectivity, enable the formation of stimuli responsive hydrogel nanocomposite membranes, and can be easily modified to introduce antifouling features. This approach forms a foundation for the formation of advanced nanocomposite membranes comprising diverse building blocks with potential applications in water treatment, industrial separations and as catalytic membrane reactors.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China: Energy.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-30

breeder reactors should become...the primary type of reactors . In developing breeder reactors , we should follow the path of using metal fuel. Breeder reactors give us more time to...first reactor used for power generation was a fast reactor : the " Breeder 1" reactor at the Idaho National Reactor Test Center which was used to

ENVIROMETAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. - METAL-ENHANCED DECHLORINATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS USING AN ABOVE-GROUND REACTOR, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION REPORT

EPA Science Inventory

EnviroMetal Technology's metal-enhanced dechlorination technology employs an electrochemical process that involves oxidation of iron and reductive dehalogenation of halogenated VOCs in aqueous media. The process can be operated as an above ground reactor or can alternatively perf...

Reactor process using metal oxide ceramic membranes

DOEpatents

Anderson, Marc A.

1994-01-01

A reaction vessel for use in photoelectrochemical reactions includes as its reactive surface a metal oxide porous ceramic membrane of a catalytic metal such as titanium. The reaction vessel includes a light source and a counter electrode. A provision for applying an electrical bias between the membrane and the counter electrode permits the Fermi levels of potential reaction to be favored so that certain reactions may be favored in the vessel. The electrical biasing is also useful for the cleaning of the catalytic membrane. Also disclosed is a method regenerating a porous metal oxide ceramic membrane used in a photoelectrochemical catalytic process by periodically removing the reactants and regenerating the membrane using a variety of chemical, thermal, and electrical techniques.

The recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor.

PubMed

Ren, Xiulian; Wei, Qifeng; Hu, Surong; Wei, Sijie

2010-09-15

This paper reports the optimization of the process parameters for recovery of zinc from hot galvanizing slag in an anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor. The experiments were carried out in an ammoniacal ammonium chloride system. The influence of composition of electrolytes, pH, stirring rate, current density and temperature, on cathodic current efficiency, specific power consumption and anodic dissolution of Zn were investigated. The results indicate that the cathode current efficiency increases and the hydrogen evolution decreased with increasing the cathode current density. The partial current for electrodeposition of Zn has liner relationship with omega(1/2) (omega: rotation rate). The highest current efficiency for dissolving zinc was obtained when NH(4)Cl concentration was 53.46 g L(-1) and the anodic dissolution of zinc was determined by mass transfer rate at stirring rate 0-300 r min(-1). Increase in temperature benefits to improve CE and dissolution of Zn, and reduce cell voltage. Initial pH of electrolytes plays an important role in the deposition and anodic dissolution of Zn. The results of single factor experiment show that about 50% energy consumption was saved for electrodeposition of Zn in the anion-exchange membrane electrolysis reactor. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hollow fiber membrane based H₂ diffusion for efficient in situ biogas upgrading in an anaerobic reactor.

PubMed

Luo, Gang; Angelidaki, Irini

2013-04-01

Bubbleless gas transfer through a hollow fiber membrane (HFM) module was used to supply H2 to an anaerobic reactor for in situ biogas upgrading, and it creates a novel system that could achieve a CH4 content higher than 90 % in the biogas. The increase of CH4 content and pH, and the decrease of bicarbonate concentration were related with the increase of the H2 flow rate. The CH4 content increased from 78.4 % to 90.2 % with the increase of the H2 flow rate from 930 to 1,440 ml/(l  day), while the pH in the reactor remained below 8.0. An even higher CH4 content (96.1 %) was achieved when the H2 flow rate was increased to 1,760 ml/(l  day); however, the pH increased to around 8.3 due to bicarbonate consumption which hampered the anaerobic process. The biofilm formed on the HFM was found not to be beneficial for the process since it increased the resistance of H2 diffusion to the liquid. The study also demonstrated that the biofilm formed on the membrane only contributed 22-36 % to the H2 consumption, while most of the H2 was consumed by the microorganisms in the liquid phase.

Membrane Bioreactor With Pressure Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Efthymiou, George S.; Shuler, Michael L.

1991-01-01

Improved class of multilayer membrane bioreactors uses convention forced by differences in pressure to overcome some of diffusional limitations of prior bioreactors. In reactor of new class, flow of nutrient solution reduces adverse gradients of concentration, keeps cells supplied with fresh nutrient, and sweeps away products faster than diffusion alone. As result, overall yield and rate of reaction increased. Pressures in sweeping gas and nutrient alternated to force nutrient liquid into and out of biocatalyst layer through hyrophilic membrane.

Performance of integrated bioelectrochemical membrane reactor: Energy recovery, pollutant removal and membrane fouling alleviation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yue; He, Weihua; Li, Chao; Liang, Dandan; Qu, Youpeng; Han, Xiaoyu; Feng, Yujie

2018-04-01

A novel hybrid bioelectrochemical membrane reactor with integrated microfiltration membrane as the separator between electrodes is developed for domestic wastewater treatment. After accumulation of biofilm, the organic pollutants are mainly degraded in anodic compartment, and microfiltration membrane blocks the adverse leakage of dissolved oxygen from aerated cathodic compartment. The maximum system power output is restricted by gas-water ratio following a Monod-like relationship. Within the tested gas-water ratios ranging from 0.6 to 42.9, the half-saturation constant (KQ) is 5.9 ± 0.9 with a theoretic maximum power density of 20.4 ± 1.0 W m-3. Energy balance analysis indicates an appropriate gas-water ratio regulation (from 2.3 to 28.6) for cathodic compartment is necessary to obtain positive energy output for the system. A maximum net electricity output is 9.09 × 10-3 kWh m-3 with gas-water ratio of 17.1. Notably, the system achieves the chemical oxygen demand removal of 98.3 ± 0.3%, ammonia nitrogen removal of 99.6 ± 0.1%, and total nitrogen removal of 80.0 ± 0.9%. This work verifies an effective integration of microfiltration membrane into bioelectrochemical system as separator for high-quality effluent and provides an insight into the operation and regulation of biocathode system for effective electrical energy output.

Production of Biodiesel Using a Membrane Reactor to Minimize Separation Cost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olagunju, O. A.; Musonge, P.

2017-07-01

This study investigates the performance of a packed bed membrane reactor in the transesterification process of triglycerides to methyl ester using soyabean oil as feedstock. A TiO2/Al2O3 ceramic microporous membrane was selected due to its chemical inert nature and thermal stability to selectively remove the product from the reaction medium. CaO impregnated on the surface of activated carbon was packed into the membrane and acted as catalyst. The synthesized catalyst had a total loading of 40.50 % and was characterized by XRD and temperature-programmed desorption of CO2 (CO2-TPD). The crude biodiesel produced was micro-filtered by the ceramic membrane with a pore size of 0.02 μm to retain the unreacted oil and free glycerol, at the transmembrane pressure of 100 KPa. The best condition was achieved with a temperature of 65 °C, methanol/oil molar ratio of 6:1 for 150 minutes, which resulted in the highest FAME yield of 94 %. Methyl ester produced met the ASTM D6751 and SANS 1935 specifications. The product obtained was mainly composed of methyl esters. Glycerol was not detected in the product stream due to the ability of the membrane to retain the glycerol and the unreacted oil in the medium, which solved the issue of glycerol separation from biodiesel.

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in a novel membrane bioelectrochemical reactor with low membrane fouling tendency.

PubMed

Li, Hui; Zuo, Wei; Tian, Yu; Zhang, Jun; Di, Shijing; Li, Lipin; Su, Xinying

2017-02-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can use nitrate as a cathodic electron acceptor for electrochemical denitrification, yet there is little knowledge about how to apply them into current wastewater treatment process to achieve efficient nitrogen removal. In this study, two dual-chamber MFCs were integrated with an aerobic membrane bioreactor to construct a novel membrane bioelectrochemical reactor (MBER) for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification under specific aeration. The effects of chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate, COD/N ratio, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and external resistance on the system performance were investigated. High effluent quality was obtained in the MBER in terms of COD and ammonium. During the operation, denitrification simultaneously occurred with nitrification at the bio-cathode of the MBER, achieving a maximal nitrogen removal efficiency of 84.3 %. A maximum power density of 1.8 W/m 3 and a current density of 8.5 A/m 3 were achieved with a coulombic efficiency of 12.1 %. Furthermore, compared to the control system, the MBER exhibited lower membrane fouling tendency due to mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSSs) and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) reductions, EPSp/EPSc ratio decrease, and particle size increase of the sludge. These results suggest that the MBER holds potential for efficient nitrogen removal, electricity production, and membrane fouling mitigation.

Long-term MBR performance of polymeric membrane modified with Bismuth-BAL chelate (BisBAL).

PubMed

Turken, Turker; Kose-Mutlu, Borte; Okatan, Selin; Durmaz, Gamze; Guclu, Mehmet C; Guclu, Serkan; Ovez, Suleyman; Koyuncu, Ismail

2018-02-15

An ultrafiltration membrane prepared by polyethersulfone (PES) was modified with Bismuth-BAL chelate (BisBAL) and was used in submerged membrane bioreactor system. Moreover, a control membrane reactor was also tasked to evaluate the effect of BisBAL on the membrane performance. The flux profile, transmembrane pressure, the effect of chemical treatment, cake layer formation, anti-fouling properties against extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) were studied. The UF modified membrane demonstrated a sustained permeability, low cleaning frequency, and longer filtration time. In terms of anti-EPS and SMP accumulation, the modified membrane showed a lower membrane resistance. It can be illustrated from scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscope images that the modified membrane had presented better properties than bare PES membrane, as it was looser and thinner. Thus, the UF membrane proved to be more efficient in terms of permeability and lifetime.

Solid state proton and electron mediating membrane and use in catalytic membrane reactors

DOEpatents

White, James H.; Schwartz, Michael; Sammells, Anthony F.

2001-01-01

Mixed electron- and proton-conducting metal oxide materials are provided. These materials are useful in fabrication of membranes for use in catalytic membrane reactions, particularly for promoting dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, oligomerization of hydrocarbons and for the decomposition of hydrogen-containing gases. Membrane materials are perovskite compounds of the formula: AB.sub.1-x B'.sub.x O.sub.3-y where A=Ca, Sr, or Ba; B=Ce, Tb, Pr or Th; B'=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu; 0.2.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.5, and y is a number sufficient to neutralize the charge in the mixed metal oxide material.

Solid state proton and electron mediating membrane and use in catalytic membrane reactors

DOEpatents

White, James H.; Schwartz, Michael; Sammells, Anthony F.

2000-01-01

Mixed electron- and proton-conducting metal oxide materials are provided. These materials are useful in fabrication of membranes for use in catalytic membrane reactions, particularly for promoting dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, oligomerization of hydrocarbons and for the decomposition of hydrogen-containing gases. Membrane materials are perovskite compounds of the formula: AB.sub.1-x B'.sub.x O.sub.3-y where A=Ca, Sr, or Ba; B=Ce, Tb, Pr or Th; B'=Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu; 0.2

Development of Inspection and Repair Technology for Heat Exchanger Tubes in Fast Breeder Reactors

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

Technology for Heat Exchanger Tubes in Fast Breeder Reactors Akihiko NISHIMURA *1 , Takahisa SHOBU, Kiyoshi OKA, Toshihiko YAMAGUCHI, Yukihiro SHIMADA...fast breeder reactors (FBRs). It comprises a laser processing head combined with an eddy current testing unit. Ultrashort laser pulse ablation is used...be applied in the main- tenance of large structures such as nuclear reactors and chemical factories [1]. Internal access to a blanket cooling pipe

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-18

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

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

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

Membrane separation technology in the 1980s

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lonsdale, H. K.

1982-01-01

The current status of membrane technology is assessed and industrial processes in which membrane technology could effect energy savings or other advantages are identified. The extension of current trends is recommended; i.e., the development of ultrathin and highly permselective membranes, the use of specific carriers to enhance permselectivity and permit 'uphill' diffusion, and the improvement of separation efficiency. Membranes are predicted to be important in biotechnology and in the production of solar energy. Guidelines indicating where and how to look for opportunities where evolving membrane technology might fit are provided.

Pilot-scale investigation of sludge reduction in aerobic digestion system with endospore-forming bacteria.

PubMed

Seo, Kyu Won; Choi, Yong-Su; Gu, Man Bock; Kwon, Eilhann E; Tsang, Yiu Fai; Rinklebe, Jörg; Park, Chanhyuk

2017-11-01

A pilot-scale investigation of membrane-based aerobic digestion system dominated by endospore-forming bacteria was evaluated as one of the potential sludge treatment processes (STP). Most of the organic matter in the sludge was removed (90.1%) by the particular bacteria in the STP, which consisted of mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) contact reactor (MCR), MLSS oxidation reactor (MOR), and membrane bioreactor (MBR). The sludge was accumulated in the MBR without wasting, and then the effluent in STP was fed into the first step in water resource recovery facility (WRRF). According to the analysis of microbial communities in all reactors, various Bacillus species were present in the STP, mainly due to their intrinsic resistance to the extreme conditions. As the surviving Bacillus species might consume degraded microorganisms for their growth, these endospore-forming bacteria-based STP could be suitable for the sludge reduction when they operated for a long time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment of synthetic kraft evaporator condensate using thermophilic and mesophilic membrane aerated biofilm reactors.

PubMed

Liao, B Q; Zheng, M R; Ratana-Rueangsri, L

2010-01-01

A comparative study on the treatment of synthetic kraft evaporator condensate was conducted using thermophilic (55 degrees C) and mesophilic (30 degrees C) membrane aerated biofilm reactors (MABRs) and sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) for 8 months. Under tested conditions, a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 80-95% was achieved with both thermophilic and mesophilic MABRs and SBRs. The COD removal efficiency of thermophilic MABR (80-90%) was slightly lower than that of the mesophilic MABR (85-95%) and the thermophilic SBR (90-95%). A significant amount (13-37%) of COD was stripped by conventional aeration in the SBRs, while stripping in MABRs was negligible. Simultaneous COD removal and denitrification were observed in the mesophilic MABR, while the thermophilic MABR contributed mainly for COD removal. Nitrification was not significant in both the thermophilic and mesophilic MABRs. The results suggest that treatment of kraft evaporator condensate is feasible with the use of both thermophilic and mesophilic MABRs in terms of COD removal with the advantages of negligible stripping.

Enzyme-based CO2 capture for advanced life support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ge, Jijun; Cowan, Robert M.; Tu, Chingkuang; McGregor, Martin L.; Trachtenberg, Michael C.

2002-01-01

Elevated CO2 levels in air can lead to impaired functioning and even death to humans. Control of CO2 is critical in confined spaces that have little physical or biological buffering capacity (e.g., spacecraft, submarines, or aircraft). A novel enzyme-based contained liquid membrane bioreactor was designed for CO2 capture and certain application cases are reported in this article. The results show that the liquid layer accounts for the major transport resistance. With addition of carbonic anhydrase, the transport resistance decreased by 71%. Volatile organic compounds of the type and concentration expected to be present in either the crew cabin or a plant growth chamber did not influence carbonic anhydrase activity or reactor operation during 1-day operation. Alternative sweep method studies, examined as a means of eliminating consumables, showed that the feed gas could be used successfully in a bypass mode when combined with medium vacuum pressure (-85 kPa) to achieve CO2 separation comparable to that with an inert sweep gas. The reactor exhibited a selectivity for CO2 versus N2 of 1400:1 and CO2 versus O2 is 866:1. The CO2 permeance was 1.44 x 10(-7) mol m-2 Pa-1 s-1 (4.3 x 10(-4) cm3 cm-2 s-1 cmHg-1) at a feed concentration of 0.1% CO2. These data show that the enzyme-based contained liquid membrane is a promising candidate technology that may be suitable for NASA applications to control CO2 in the crew or plant chambers.

Principles of an enhanced MBR-process with mechanical cleaning.

PubMed

Rosenberger, S; Helmus, F P; Krause, S; Bareth, A; Meyer-Blumenroth, U

2011-01-01

Up to date, different physical and chemical cleaning protocols are necessary to limit membrane fouling in membrane bioreactors. This paper deals with a mechanical cleaning process, which aims at the avoidance of hypochlorite and other critical chemicals in MBR with submerged flat sheet modules. The process basically consists of the addition of plastic particles into the loop circulation within submerged membrane modules. Investigations of two pilot plants are presented: Pilot plant 1 is equipped with a 10 m(2) membrane module and operated with a translucent model suspension; pilot plant 2 is equipped with four 50 m(2) membrane modules and operated with pretreated sewage. Results of pilot plant 1 show that the establishment of a fluidised bed with regular particle distribution is possible for a variety of particles. Particles with maximum densities of 1.05 g/cm(3) and between 3 and 5 mm diameter form a stable fluidised bed almost regardless of activated sludge concentration, viscosity and reactor geometry. Particles with densities between 1.05 g/cm(3) and 1.2 g/cm(3) form a stable fluidised bed, if the velocity at the reactor bottom is sufficiently high. Activities within pilot plant 2 focused on plant optimisation and the development of an adequate particle retention system.

A self-sustained, complete and miniaturized methanol fuel processor for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Mei; Jiao, Fengjun; Li, Shulian; Li, Hengqiang; Chen, Guangwen

2015-08-01

A self-sustained, complete and miniaturized methanol fuel processor has been developed based on modular integration and microreactor technology. The fuel processor is comprised of one methanol oxidative reformer, one methanol combustor and one two-stage CO preferential oxidation unit. Microchannel heat exchanger is employed to recover heat from hot stream, miniaturize system size and thus achieve high energy utilization efficiency. By optimized thermal management and proper operation parameter control, the fuel processor can start up in 10 min at room temperature without external heating. A self-sustained state is achieved with H2 production rate of 0.99 Nm3 h-1 and extremely low CO content below 25 ppm. This amount of H2 is sufficient to supply a 1 kWe proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The corresponding thermal efficiency of whole processor is higher than 86%. The size and weight of the assembled reactors integrated with microchannel heat exchangers are 1.4 L and 5.3 kg, respectively, demonstrating a very compact construction of the fuel processor.

Beryllium processing technology review for applications in plasma-facing components

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

Castro, R.G.; Jacobson, L.A.; Stanek, P.W.

1993-07-01

Materials research and development activities for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), i.e., the next generation fusion reactor, are investigating beryllium as the first-wall containment material for the reactor. Important in the selection of beryllium is the ability to process, fabricate and repair beryllium first-wall components using existing technologies. Two issues that will need to be addressed during the engineering design activity will be the bonding of beryllium tiles in high-heat-flux areas of the reactor, and the in situ repair of damaged beryllium tiles. The following review summarizes the current technology associated with welding and joining of beryllium to itselfmore » and other materials, and the state-of-the-art in plasma-spray technology as an in situ repair technique for damaged beryllium tiles. In addition, a review of the current status of beryllium technology in the former Soviet Union is also included.« less

Nitrous oxide from moving bed based integrated fixed film activated sludge membrane bioreactors.

PubMed

Mannina, Giorgio; Capodici, Marco; Cosenza, Alida; Di Trapani, Daniele; Laudicina, Vito Armando; Ødegaard, Hallvard

2017-02-01

The present paper reports the results of a nitrous oxide (N 2 O) production investigation in a moving bed based integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) membrane bioreactor (MBR) pilot plant designed in accordance with the University of Cape Town layout for biological phosphorous removal. Gaseous and liquid samples were collected in order to measure the gaseous as well as the dissolved concentration of N 2 O. Furthermore, the gas flow rate from each reactor was measured and the gas flux was estimated. The results confirmed that the anoxic reactor represents the main source of nitrous oxide production. A significant production of N 2 O was, however, also found in the anaerobic reactor, thus indicating a probable occurrence of the denitrifying phosphate accumulating organism activity. The highest N 2 O fluxes were emitted from the aerated reactors (3.09 g N 2 ON m -2  h -1 and 9.87 g N 2 ON m -2  h -1 , aerobic and MBR tank, respectively). The emission factor highlighted that only 1% of the total treated nitrogen was emitted from the pilot plant. Furthermore, the measured N 2 O concentrations in the permeate flow were comparable with other reactors. Nitrous oxide mass balances outlined a moderate production also in the MBR reactor despite the low hydraulic retention time. On the other hand, the mass balance showed that in the aerobic reactor a constant consumption of nitrous oxide (up to almost 15 mg N 2 O h -1 ) took place, due to the high amount of stripped gas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status of Fuel Development and Manufacturing for Space Nuclear Reactors at BWX Technologies

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

Carmack, W.J.; Husser, D.L.; Mohr, T.C.

2004-02-04

New advanced nuclear space propulsion systems will soon seek a high temperature, stable fuel form. BWX Technologies Inc (BWXT) has a long history of fuel manufacturing. UO2, UCO, and UCx have been fabricated at BWXT for various US and international programs. Recent efforts at BWXT have focused on establishing the manufacturing techniques and analysis capabilities needed to provide a high quality, high power, compact nuclear reactor for use in space nuclear powered missions. To support the production of a space nuclear reactor, uranium nitride has recently been manufactured by BWXT. In addition, analytical chemistry and analysis techniques have been developedmore » to provide verification and qualification of the uranium nitride production process. The fabrication of a space nuclear reactor will require the ability to place an unclad fuel form into a clad structure for assembly into a reactor core configuration. To this end, BWX Technologies has reestablished its capability for machining, GTA welding, and EB welding of refractory metals. Specifically, BWX Technologies has demonstrated GTA welding of niobium flat plate and EB welding of niobium and Nb-1Zr tubing. In performing these demonstration activities, BWX Technologies has established the necessary infrastructure to manufacture UO2, UCx, or UNx fuel, components, and complete reactor assemblies in support of space nuclear programs.« less

Simultaneous removal of selected oxidized contaminants in groundwater using a continuously stirred hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor.

PubMed

Xia, Siqing; Liang, Jun; Xu, Xiaoyin; Shen, Shuang

2013-01-01

A laboratory trial was conducted for evaluating the capability of a continuously stirred hydrogen-based membrane biofilm reactor to simultaneously reduce nitrate (NO(3-)-N), sulfate (SO4(2-)), bromate (BrO3-), hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and parachloronitrobenzene (p-CNB). The reactor contained two bundles of hollow fiber membranes functioning as an autotrophic biofilm carrier and hydrogen pipe as well. On the condition that hydrogen was supplied as electron donor and diffused into water through membrane pores, autohydrogenotrophic bacteria were capable of reducing contaminants to forms with lower toxicity. Reduction occurred within 1 day and removal fluxes for NO(3-)-N, SO4(2-), BrO3-, Cr(VI), and p-CNB reached 0.641, 2.396, 0.008, 0.016 and 0.031 g/(day x m2), respectively after 112 days of continuous operation. Except for the fact that sulfate was 37% removed under high surface loading, the other four contaminants were reduced by over 95%. The removal flux comparison between phases varying in surface loading and H2 pressure showed that decreasing surface loading or increasing H2 pressure would promote removal flux. Competition for electrons occurred among the five contaminants. Electron-equivalent flux analysis showed that the amount of utilized hydrogen was mainly controlled by NO(3-)-N and SO4(2-) reduction, which accounted for over 99% of the electron flux altogether. It also indicated the electron acceptor order, showing that nitrate was the most prior electron acceptor while suIfate was the second of the five contaminants.

Proceedings of a Symposium on Advanced Compact Reactor Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Reactor system technologies suitable for a variety of aerospace and terrestrial applications are considered. Technologies, safety and regulatory considerations, potential applications, and research and development opportunities are covered.

Highly Selective Nuclide Removal from the R-Reactor Disassembly Basin at the SRS

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

Pickett, J. B.; Austin, W. E.; Dukes, H. H.

This paper describes the results of a deployment of highly selective ion-exchange resin technologies for the in-situ removal of Cs-137 and Sr-90 from the Savannah River Site (SRS) R-Reactor Disassembly Basin. The deployment was supported by the DOE Office of Science and Technology's (OST, EM-50) National Engineering Technology Laboratory (NETL), as a part of an Accelerated Site Technology Deployment (ASTD) project. The Facilities Decontamination and Decommissioning (FDD) Program at the SRS conducted this deployment as a part of an overall program to deactivate three of the site's five reactor disassembly basins.

Highly Selective Nuclide Removal from the R-Reactor Disassembly Basin at SRS

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

Pickett, J.B.

This paper describes the results of a deployment of highly selective ion-exchange resin technologies for the in-situ removal of Cs-137 and Sr-90 from the Savannah River Site (SRS) R-Reactor Disassembly Basin. The deployment was supported by the DOE Office of Science and Technology's (OST, EM-50) National Engineering Technology Laboratory (NETL), as a part of an Accelerated Site Technology Deployment (ASTD) project. The Facilities Decontamination and Decommissioning (FDD) Program at the SRS conducted this deployment as a part of an overall program to deactivate three of the site's five reactor disassembly basins

Final Report: Hydrogen Production Pathways Cost Analysis (2013 – 2016)

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

James, Brian David; DeSantis, Daniel Allan; Saur, Genevieve

This report summarizes work conducted under a three year Department of Energy (DOE) funded project to Strategic Analysis, Inc. (SA) to analyze multiple hydrogen (H 2) production technologies and project their corresponding levelized production cost of H 2. The analysis was conducted using the H2A Hydrogen Analysis Tool developed by the DOE and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The project was led by SA but conducted in close collaboration with the NREL and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). In-depth techno-economic analysis (TEA) of five different H 2 production methods was conducted. These TEAs developed projections for capital costs, fuel/feedstock usage, energymore » usage, indirect capital costs, land usage, labor requirements, and other parameters, for each H 2 production pathway, and use the resulting cost and system parameters as inputs into the H2A discounted cash flow model to project the production cost of H 2 ($/kgH 2). Five technologies were analyzed as part of the project and are summarized in this report: Proton Exchange Membrane technology (PEM), High temperature solid oxide electrolysis cell technology (SOEC), Dark fermentation of biomass for H 2 production, H 2 production via Monolithic Piston-Type Reactors with rapid swing reforming and regeneration reactions, and Reformer-Electrolyzer-Purifier (REP) technology developed by Fuel Cell Energy, Inc. (FCE).« less

Process analytical technology (PAT) in insect and mammalian cell culture processes: dielectric spectroscopy and focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM).

PubMed

Druzinec, Damir; Weiss, Katja; Elseberg, Christiane; Salzig, Denise; Kraume, Matthias; Pörtner, Ralf; Czermak, Peter

2014-01-01

Modern bioprocesses demand for a careful definition of the critical process parameters (CPPs) already during the early stages of process development in order to ensure high-quality products and satisfactory yields. In this context, online monitoring tools can be applied to recognize unfavorable changes of CPPs during the production processes and to allow for early interventions in order to prevent losses of production batches due to quality issues. Process analytical technologies such as the dielectric spectroscopy or focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) are possible online monitoring tools, which can be applied to monitor cell growth as well as morphological changes. Since the dielectric spectroscopy only captures cells with intact cell membranes, even information about dead cells with ruptured or leaking cell membranes can be derived. The following chapter describes the application of dielectric spectroscopy on various virus-infected and non-infected cell lines with respect to adherent as well as suspension cultures in common stirred tank reactors. The adherent mammalian cell lines Vero (African green monkey kidney cells) and hMSC-TERT (telomerase-immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells) are thereby cultured on microcarrier, which provide the required growth surface and allow the cultivation of these cells even in dynamic culture systems. In turn, the insect-derived cell lines S2 and Sf21 are used as examples for cells typically cultured in suspension. Moreover, the FBRM technology as a further monitoring tool for cell culture applications has been included in this chapter using the example of Drosophila S2 insect cells.

[Optimization theory and practical application of membrane science technology based on resource of traditional Chinese medicine residue].

PubMed

Zhu, Hua-Xu; Duan, Jin-Ao; Guo, Li-Wei; Li, Bo; Lu, Jin; Tang, Yu-Ping; Pan, Lin-Mei

2014-05-01

Resource of traditional Chinese medicine residue is an inevitable choice to form new industries characterized of modem, environmental protection and intensive in the Chinese medicine industry. Based on the analysis of source and the main chemical composition of the herb residue, and for the advantages of membrane science and technology used in the pharmaceutical industry, especially membrane separation technology used in improvement technical reserves of traditional extraction and separation process in the pharmaceutical industry, it is proposed that membrane science and technology is one of the most important choices in technological design of traditional Chinese medicine resource industrialization. Traditional Chinese medicine residue is a very complex material system in composition and character, and scientific and effective "separation" process is the key areas of technology to re-use it. Integrated process can improve the productivity of the target product, enhance the purity of the product in the separation process, and solve many tasks which conventional separation is difficult to achieve. As integrated separation technology has the advantages of simplified process and reduced consumption, which are in line with the trend of the modern pharmaceutical industry, the membrane separation technology can provide a broad platform for integrated process, and membrane separation technology with its integrated technology have broad application prospects in achieving resource and industrialization process of traditional Chinese medicine residue. We discuss the principles, methods and applications practice of effective component resources in herb residue using membrane separation and integrated technology, describe the extraction, separation, concentration and purification application of membrane technology in traditional Chinese medicine residue, and systematically discourse suitability and feasibility of membrane technology in the process of traditional Chinese medicine resource industrialization in this paper.

Water vapor diffusion membranes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, F. F., Jr.; Smith, J. K.

1974-01-01

The program is reported, which was designed to define the membrane technology of the vapor diffusion water recovery process and to test this technology using commercially available or experimental membranes. One membrane was selected, on the basis of the defined technology, and was subjected to a 30-day demonstration trial.

Hybrid sulfur cycle operation for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors

DOEpatents

Gorensek, Maximilian B

2015-02-17

A hybrid sulfur (HyS) cycle process for the production of hydrogen is provided. The process uses a proton exchange membrane (PEM) SO.sub.2-depolarized electrolyzer (SDE) for the low-temperature, electrochemical reaction step and a bayonet reactor for the high-temperature decomposition step The process can be operated at lower temperature and pressure ranges while still providing an overall energy efficient cycle process.

Membrane reactor for water detritiation: a parametric study on operating parameters

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

Mascarade, J.; Liger, K.; Troulay, M.

2015-03-15

This paper presents the results of a parametric study done on a single stage finger-type packed-bed membrane reactor (PBMR) used for heavy water vapor de-deuteration. Parametric studies have been done on 3 operating parameters which are: the membrane temperature, the total feed flow rate and the feed composition through D{sub 2}O content variations. Thanks to mass spectrometer analysis of streams leaving the PBMR, speciation of deuterated species was achieved. Measurement of the amounts of each molecular component allowed the calculation of reaction quotient at the packed-bed outlet. While temperature variation mainly influences permeation efficiency, feed flow rate perturbation reveals dependencemore » of conversion and permeation properties to contact time between catalyst and reacting mixture. The study shows that isotopic exchange reactions occurring on the catalyst particles surface are not thermodynamically balanced. Moreover, the variation of the heavy water content in the feed exhibits competition between permeation and conversion kinetics.« less

Reactor process using metal oxide ceramic membranes

DOEpatents

Anderson, M.A.

1994-05-03

A reaction vessel for use in photoelectrochemical reactions includes as its reactive surface a metal oxide porous ceramic membrane of a catalytic metal such as titanium. The reaction vessel includes a light source and a counter electrode. A provision for applying an electrical bias between the membrane and the counter electrode permits the Fermi levels of potential reaction to be favored so that certain reactions may be favored in the vessel. The electrical biasing is also useful for the cleaning of the catalytic membrane. Also disclosed is a method regenerating a porous metal oxide ceramic membrane used in a photoelectrochemical catalytic process by periodically removing the reactants and regenerating the membrane using a variety of chemical, thermal, and electrical techniques. 2 figures.

Development of a reactor with carbon catalysts for modular-scale, low-cost electrochemical generation of H 2O 2

DOE PAGES

Chen, Zhihua; Chen, Shucheng; Siahrostami, Samira; ...

2017-03-01

The development of small-scale, decentralized reactors for H 2O 2 production that can couple to renewable energy sources would be of great benefit, particularly for water purification in the developing world. Herein, we describe our efforts to develop electrochemical reactors for H 2O 2 generation with high Faradaic efficiencies of >90%, requiring cell voltages of only ~1.6 V. The reactor employs a carbon-based catalyst that demonstrates excellent performance for H 2O 2 production under alkaline conditions, as demonstrated by fundamental studies involving rotating-ring disk electrode methods. Finally, the low-cost, membrane-free reactor design represents a step towards a continuous, modular-scale, de-centralizedmore » production of H 2O 2.« less

AQUABOX 50 AND MARABU PACKED BIOLOGICAL REACTOR SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION, STADTWERKE DUESSELDORF AG SITE, DUESSELDORF, GERMANY

EPA Science Inventory

This ITER summarizes the results of an evaluation of the AQUABOX 50 and MARABU Packed Biological Reactor technologies. The evaluation was conducted under a bilateral agreement between the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund Innovative Technology ...

High-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology development program. Annual progress report for period ending December 31, 1982

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

Kasten, P.R.; Rittenhouse, P.L.; Bartine, D.E.

1983-06-01

During 1982 the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) Technology Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) continued to develop experimental data required for the design and licensing of cogeneration HTGRs. The program involves fuels and materials development (including metals, graphite, ceramic, and concrete materials), HTGR chemistry studies, structural component development and testing, reactor physics and shielding studies, performance testing of the reactor core support structure, and HTGR application and evaluation studies.

Assessment of Sensor Technologies for Advanced Reactors

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

Korsah, Kofi; Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Vlim, R.

2016-10-01

Sensors and measurement technologies provide information on processes, support operations and provide indications of component health. They are therefore crucial to plant operations and to commercialization of advanced reactors (AdvRx). This report, developed by a three-laboratory team consisting of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), provides an assessment of sensor technologies and a determination of measurement needs for AdvRx. It provides the technical basis for identifying and prioritizing research targets within the instrumentation and control (I&C) Technology Area under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Technology (ART) program and contributesmore » to the design and implementation of AdvRx concepts.« less

A membrane stirrer for product recovery and substrate feeding.

PubMed

Femmer, T; Carstensen, F; Wessling, M

2015-02-01

During fermentation processes, in situ product recovery (ISPR) using submerged membranes allows a continuous operation mode with effective product removal. Continuous recovery reduces product inhibition and organisms in the reactor are not exposed to changing reaction conditions. For an effective in situ product removal, submerged membrane systems should have a sufficient large membrane area and an anti-fouling concept integrated in a compact device for the limited space in a lab-scale bioreactor. We present a new membrane stirrer with integrated filtration membranes on the impeller blades as well as an integrated gassing concept in an all-in-one device. The stirrer is fabricated by rapid prototyping and is equipped with a commercial micromesh membrane. Filtration performance is tested using a yeast cell suspension with different stirring speeds and aeration fluxes. We reduce membrane fouling by backflushing through the membrane with the product stream. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optimization of design parameters for bulk micromachined silicon membranes for piezoresistive pressure sensing application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belwanshi, Vinod; Topkar, Anita

2016-05-01

Finite element analysis study has been carried out to optimize the design parameters for bulk micro-machined silicon membranes for piezoresistive pressure sensing applications. The design is targeted for measurement of pressure up to 200 bar for nuclear reactor applications. The mechanical behavior of bulk micro-machined silicon membranes in terms of deflection and stress generation has been simulated. Based on the simulation results, optimization of the membrane design parameters in terms of length, width and thickness has been carried out. Subsequent to optimization of membrane geometrical parameters, the dimensions and location of the high stress concentration region for implantation of piezoresistors have been obtained for sensing of pressure using piezoresistive sensing technique.

Stimulation of the hydrolytic stage for biogas production from cattle manure in an electrochemical bioreactor.

PubMed

Samani, Saeed; Abdoli, Mohammad Ali; Karbassi, Abdolreza; Amin, Mohammad Mehdi

Electrical current in the hydrolytic phase of the biogas process might affect biogas yield. In this study, four 1,150 mL single membrane-less chamber electrochemical bioreactors, containing two parallel titanium plates were connected to the electrical source with voltages of 0, -0.5, -1 and -1.5 V, respectively. Reactor 1 with 0 V was considered as a control reactor. The trend of biogas production was precisely checked against pH, oxidation reduction potential and electrical power at a temperature of 37 ± 0.5°C amid cattle manure as substrate for 120 days. Biogas production increased by voltage applied to Reactors 2 and 3 when compared with the control reactor. In addition, the electricity in Reactors 2 and 3 caused more biogas production than Reactor 4. Acetogenic phase occurred more quickly in Reactor 3 than in the other reactors. The obtained results from Reactor 4 were indicative of acidogenic domination and its continuous behavior under electrical stimulation. The results of the present investigation clearly revealed that phasic electrical current could enhance the efficiency of biogas production.

Application of Molten Salt Reactor Technology to MMW In-Space NEP and Surface Power Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patton, Bruce; Sorensen, Kirk; Rodgers, Stephen (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Anticipated manned nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and planetary surface power missions will require multimegawatt nuclear reactors that are lightweight, operationally robust, and scalable in power for widely varying scientific mission objectives. Molten salt reactor technology meets all of these requirements and offers an interesting alternative to traditional multimegawatt gas-cooled and liquid metal concepts.

Immobilization of catalase on electrospun PVA/PA6-Cu(II) nanofibrous membrane for the development of efficient and reusable enzyme membrane reactor.

PubMed

Feng, Quan; Zhao, Yong; Wei, Anfang; Li, Changlong; Wei, Qufu; Fong, Hao

2014-09-02

In this study, a mat/membrane consisting of overlaid PVA/PA6-Cu(II) composite nanofibers was prepared via the electrospinning technique followed by coordination/chelation with Cu(II) ions; an enzyme of catalase (CAT) was then immobilized onto the PVA/PA6-Cu(II) nanofibrous membrane. The amount of immobilized catalase reached a high value of 64 ± 4.6 mg/g, while the kinetic parameters (Vmax and Km) of enzyme were 3774 μmol/mg·min and 41.13 mM, respectively. Furthermore, the thermal stability and storage stability of immobilized catalase were improved significantly. Thereafter, a plug-flow type of immobilized enzyme membrane reactor (IEMR) was assembled from the PVA/PA6-Cu(II)-CAT membrane. With the increase of operational pressure from 0.02 to 0.2 MPa, the flux value of IEMR increased from 0.20 ± 0.02 to 0.76 ± 0.04 L/m(2)·min, whereas the conversion ratio of H2O2 decreased slightly from 92 ± 2.5% to 87 ± 2.1%. After 5 repeating cycles, the production capacity of IEMR was merely decreased from 0.144 ± 0.006 to 0.102 ± 0.004 mol/m(2)·min. These results indicated that the assembled IEMR possessed high productivity and excellent reusability, suggesting that the IEMR based on electrospun PVA/PA6-Cu(II) nanofibrous membrane might have great potential for various applications, particularly those related to environmental protection.

75 FR 68629 - Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor Notice of Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-08

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-020; NRC-2010-0313] Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor Notice of Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating; License No. R-37 The U.S. Nuclear... Institute of Technology (the licensee), which authorizes continued operation of the Massachusetts Institute...

TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION REPORT: SITE PROGRAM DEMON- STRATION TEST - HORSEHEAD RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, INC. - FLAME REACTOR TECHNOLOGY - MONACA, PENNSYLVANIA

EPA Science Inventory

A SITE demonstration of the Horsehead Resource Development (HRD) Company, Inc. Flame Reactor Technology was conducted in March 1991 at the HRD facility in Monaca, Pennsylvania. or this demonstration, secondary lead smelter soda slag was treated to produce a potentially recyclable...

The history and perspective of Romania-USA cooperation in the field of technologic transfer of TRIGA reactor concept

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

Ciocaanescu, M.; Ionescu, M.

1996-08-01

The cooperation between Romania and the USA in the field of technologic transfer of nuclear research reactor technology began with the steady state 14 MW{sub t} TRIGA reactor, installed at INR Pitesti, Romania. It is the first in the range of TRIGA reactors proposed as a materials testing reactor. The first criticality was reached in November 19, 1979 and first operation at 14 MW{sub t} level was in February 1980. The paper will present the short history of this cooperation and the perspective for a new cooperation for building a Nuclear Heating Plant using the TRIGA reactor concept for demonstrationmore » purpose. The energy crisis is a world-wide problem which affects each country in different ways because the resources and the consumption are unfairly distributed. World-wide research points out that the fossil fuel sources are not to be considered the main energy sources for the long term as they are limited.« less

Hydrodynamic effects of air sparging on hollow fiber membranes in a bubble column reactor.

PubMed

Xia, Lijun; Law, Adrian Wing-Keung; Fane, Anthony G

2013-07-01

Air sparging is now a standard approach to reduce concentration polarization and fouling of membrane modules in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). The hydrodynamic shear stresses, bubble-induced turbulence and cross flows scour the membrane surfaces and help reduce the deposit of foulants onto the membrane surface. However, the detailed quantitative knowledge on the effect of air sparging remains lacking in the literature due to the complex hydrodynamics generated by the gas-liquid flows. To date, there is no valid model that describes the relationship between the membrane fouling performance and the flow hydrodynamics. The present study aims to examine the impact of hydrodynamics induced by air sparging on the membrane fouling mitigation in a quantitative manner. A modelled hollow fiber module was placed in a cylindrical bubble column reactor at different axial heights with the trans-membrane pressure (TMP) monitored under constant flux conditions. The configuration of bubble column without the membrane module immersed was identical to that studied by Gan et al. (2011) using Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA), to ensure a good quantitative understanding of turbulent flow conditions along the column height. The experimental results showed that the meandering flow regime which exhibits high flow instability at the 0.3 m is more beneficial to fouling alleviation compared with the steady flow circulation regime at the 0.6 m. The filtration tests also confirmed the existence of an optimal superficial air velocity beyond which a further increase is of no significant benefit on the membrane fouling reduction. In addition, the alternate aeration provided by two air stones mounted at the opposite end of the diameter of the bubble column was also studied to investigate the associated flow dynamics and its influence on the membrane filtration performance. It was found that with a proper switching interval and membrane module orientation, the membrane fouling can be effectively controlled with even smaller superficial air velocity than the optimal value provided by a single air stone. Finally, the testing results with both inorganic and organic feeds showed that the solid particle composition and particle size distribution all contribute to the cake formation in a membrane filtration system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drinking water treatment using a submerged internal-circulation membrane coagulation reactor coupled with permanganate oxidation.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhongguo; Liu, Dan; Qian, Yu; Wu, Yue; He, Peiran; Liang, Shuang; Fu, Xiaozheng; Li, Jiding; Ye, Changqing

2017-06-01

A submerged internal circulating membrane coagulation reactor (MCR) was used to treat surface water to produce drinking water. Polyaluminum chloride (PACl) was used as coagulant, and a hydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) submerged hollow fiber microfiltration membrane was employed. The influences of trans-membrane pressure (TMP), zeta potential (ZP) of the suspended particles in raw water, and KMnO 4 dosing on water flux and the removal of turbidity and organic matter were systematically investigated. Continuous bench-scale experiments showed that the permeate quality of the MCR satisfied the requirement for a centralized water supply, according to the Standards for Drinking Water Quality of China (GB 5749-2006), as evaluated by turbidity (<1 NTU) and total organic carbon (TOC) (<5mg/L) measurements. Besides water flux, the removal of turbidity, TOC and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the raw water also increased with increasing TMP in the range of 0.01-0.05MPa. High ZP induced by PACl, such as 5-9mV, led to an increase in the number of fine and total particles in the MCR, and consequently caused serious membrane fouling and high permeate turbidity. However, the removal of TOC and DOC increased with increasing ZP. A slightly positive ZP, such as 1-2mV, corresponding to charge neutralization coagulation, was favorable for membrane fouling control. Moreover, dosing with KMnO 4 could further improve the removal of turbidity and DOC, thereby mitigating membrane fouling. The results are helpful for the application of the MCR in producing drinking water and also beneficial to the research and application of other coagulation and membrane separation hybrid processes. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ex situ treatment of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in groundwater using a fluidized bed reactor.

PubMed

Webster, Todd S; Condee, Charles; Hatzinger, Paul B

2013-02-01

N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a suspected human carcinogen that has traditionally been treated in water using ultraviolet irradiation (UV). The objective of this research was to examine the application of a laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactor (FBR) as an alternative technology for treating NDMA to part-per-trillion (ng/L) concentrations in groundwater. Previous studies have shown that the bacterium Rhodococcus ruber ENV425 is capable of cometabolizing NDMA during growth on propane as a primary substrate in batch culture (Fournier et al., 2009) and in a bench-scale membrane bioreactor (Hatzinger et al., 2011) to low ng/L concentrations. R. ruber ENV425 was inoculated into the FBR during this study. With a hydraulic residence time (HRT) of 20 min, the FBR was found to be an effective means to treat 10-20 μg/L of NDMA to effluent concentrations less than 100 ng/L. When the HRT was increased to 30 min and oxygen and propane addition rates were optimized, the FBR system demonstrated treatment of the NDMA to effluent concentrations of less than 10 ng/L. Short-term shutdowns and the presence of trichloroethene (TCE) at 6 μg/L as a co-contaminant had minimal effect on the treatment of NDMA in the FBR. The data suggest that the FBR technology can be a viable alternative to UV for removing NDMA from groundwater. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physicochemical properties of cross-linked and acetylated starches and products of their hydrolysis in continuous recycle membrane reactor.

PubMed

Prochaska, Krystyna; Konował, Emilia; Sulej-Chojnacka, Joanna; Lewandowicz, Grazyna

2009-11-01

The aim of the present work was to study the physicochemical properties of doubly modified, by cross-linking and acetylating, starches as well as the products of their enzymatic hydrolysis. A two step procedure of hydrolysis, including the batch and membrane reactors, were investigated. The second step of enzymatic processes were carried out in a continuous recycle membrane reactor (CRMR). Three kinds of commercial starches--two preparations of acetylated distarch adipate E1422 of different degrees of cross-linking, as well as one preparation of acetylated distarch phosphate E1414 were examined. It was found that the degree of substitution of acetyl groups in the macromolecules of starch did not influence the effectiveness of hydrolysis. However, the degree of cross-linking with adipate groups slightly decreased the efficiency of processing in the CRMR. Additionally, the relationship between the type of hydrocolloid and its adsorption activity in the air/water and oil/water systems was considered. All obtained derivatives revealed adsorption properties and reduced the surface/interface tension in the air/water and oil/water systems. The efficiency and effectiveness of adsorption of the investigated hydrocolloids were affected by the type of modification as well as the degree of substitution of acetyl groups in the macromolecules of starch. Particle size distributions formed in aqueous solutions for all investigated hydrolyses were determined and compared with results obtained for commercial products.

Sensitivity Analysis and Optimization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: A Systematic Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passerini, Stefano

For decades, nuclear energy development was based on the expectation that recycling of the fissionable materials in the used fuel from today's light water reactors into advanced (fast) reactors would be implemented as soon as technically feasible in order to extend the nuclear fuel resources. More recently, arguments have been made for deployment of fast reactors in order to reduce the amount of higher actinides, hence the longevity of radioactivity, in the materials destined to a geologic repository. The cost of the fast reactors, together with concerns about the proliferation of the technology of extraction of plutonium from used LWR fuel as well as the large investments in construction of reprocessing facilities have been the basis for arguments to defer the introduction of recycling technologies in many countries including the US. In this thesis, the impacts of alternative reactor technologies on the fuel cycle are assessed. Additionally, metrics to characterize the fuel cycles and systematic approaches to using them to optimize the fuel cycle are presented. The fuel cycle options of the 2010 MIT fuel cycle study are re-examined in light of the expected slower rate of growth in nuclear energy today, using the CAFCA (Code for Advanced Fuel Cycle Analysis). The Once Through Cycle (OTC) is considered as the base-line case, while advanced technologies with fuel recycling characterize the alternative fuel cycle options available in the future. The options include limited recycling in L WRs and full recycling in fast reactors and in high conversion LWRs. Fast reactor technologies studied include both oxide and metal fueled reactors. Additional fuel cycle scenarios presented for the first time in this work assume the deployment of innovative recycling reactor technologies such as the Reduced Moderation Boiling Water Reactors and Uranium-235 initiated Fast Reactors. A sensitivity study focused on system and technology parameters of interest has been conducted to test the robustness of the conclusions presented in the MIT Fuel Cycle Study. These conclusions are found to still hold, even when considering alternative technologies and different sets of simulation assumptions. Additionally, a first of a kind optimization scheme for the nuclear fuel cycle analysis is proposed and the applications of such an optimization are discussed. Optimization metrics of interest for different stakeholders in the fuel cycle (economics, fuel resource utilization, high level waste, transuranics/proliferation management, and environmental impact) are utilized for two different optimization techniques: a linear one and a stochastic one. Stakeholder elicitation provided sets of relative weights for the identified metrics appropriate to each stakeholder group, which were then successfully used to arrive at optimum fuel cycle configurations for recycling technologies. The stochastic optimization tool, based on a genetic algorithm, was used to identify non-inferior solutions according to Pareto's dominance approach to optimization. The main tradeoff for fuel cycle optimization was found to be between economics and most of the other identified metrics. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, libraries.mit.edu/docs - docs mit.edu)

Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

PubMed Central

Gildemyn, Sylvia; Luther, Amanda K.; Andersen, Stephen J.; Desloover, Joachim; Rabaey, Korneel

2015-01-01

Streams such as urine and manure can contain high levels of ammonium, which could be recovered for reuse in agriculture or chemistry. The extraction of ammonium from an ammonium-rich stream is demonstrated using an electrochemical and a bioelectrochemical system. Both systems are controlled by a potentiostat to either fix the current (for the electrochemical cell) or fix the potential of the working electrode (for the bioelectrochemical cell). In the bioelectrochemical cell, electroactive bacteria catalyze the anodic reaction, whereas in the electrochemical cell the potentiostat applies a higher voltage to produce a current. The current and consequent restoration of the charge balance across the cell allow the transport of cations, such as ammonium, across a cation exchange membrane from the anolyte to the catholyte. The high pH of the catholyte leads to formation of ammonia, which can be stripped from the medium and captured in an acid solution, thus enabling the recovery of a valuable nutrient. The flux of ammonium across the membrane is characterized at different anolyte ammonium concentrations and currents for both the abiotic and biotic reactor systems. Both systems are compared based on current and removal efficiencies for ammonium, as well as the energy input required to drive ammonium transfer across the cation exchange membrane. Finally, a comparative analysis considering key aspects such as reliability, electrode cost, and rate is made. This video article and protocol provide the necessary information to conduct electrochemical and bioelectrochemical ammonia recovery experiments. The reactor setup for the two cases is explained, as well as the reactor operation. We elaborate on data analysis for both reactor types and on the advantages and disadvantages of bioelectrochemical and electrochemical systems. PMID:25651406

Electrochemically and bioelectrochemically induced ammonium recovery.

PubMed

Gildemyn, Sylvia; Luther, Amanda K; Andersen, Stephen J; Desloover, Joachim; Rabaey, Korneel

2015-01-22

Streams such as urine and manure can contain high levels of ammonium, which could be recovered for reuse in agriculture or chemistry. The extraction of ammonium from an ammonium-rich stream is demonstrated using an electrochemical and a bioelectrochemical system. Both systems are controlled by a potentiostat to either fix the current (for the electrochemical cell) or fix the potential of the working electrode (for the bioelectrochemical cell). In the bioelectrochemical cell, electroactive bacteria catalyze the anodic reaction, whereas in the electrochemical cell the potentiostat applies a higher voltage to produce a current. The current and consequent restoration of the charge balance across the cell allow the transport of cations, such as ammonium, across a cation exchange membrane from the anolyte to the catholyte. The high pH of the catholyte leads to formation of ammonia, which can be stripped from the medium and captured in an acid solution, thus enabling the recovery of a valuable nutrient. The flux of ammonium across the membrane is characterized at different anolyte ammonium concentrations and currents for both the abiotic and biotic reactor systems. Both systems are compared based on current and removal efficiencies for ammonium, as well as the energy input required to drive ammonium transfer across the cation exchange membrane. Finally, a comparative analysis considering key aspects such as reliability, electrode cost, and rate is made. This video article and protocol provide the necessary information to conduct electrochemical and bioelectrochemical ammonia recovery experiments. The reactor setup for the two cases is explained, as well as the reactor operation. We elaborate on data analysis for both reactor types and on the advantages and disadvantages of bioelectrochemical and electrochemical systems.

NASA-EPA automotive thermal reactor technology program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, C. P.; Hibbard, R. R.

1972-01-01

The status of the NASA-EPA automotive thermal reactor technology program is summarized. This program is concerned primarily with materials evaluation, reactor design, and combustion kinetics. From engine dynamometer tests of candidate metals and coatings, two ferritic iron alloys (GE 1541 and Armco 18-SR) and a nickel-base alloy (Inconel 601) offer promise for reactor use. None of the coatings evaluated warrant further consideration. Development studies on a ceramic thermal reactor appear promising based on initial vehicle road tests. A chemical kinetic study has shown that gas temperatures of at least 900 K to 1000 K are required for the effective cleanup of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, but that higher temperatures require shorter combustion times and thus may permit smaller reactors.

Multi-Purpose Thermal Hydraulic Loop: Advanced Reactor Technology Integral System Test (ARTIST) Facility for Support of Advanced Reactor Technologies

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

James E. O'Brien; Piyush Sabharwall; SuJong Yoon

2001-11-01

Effective and robust high temperature heat transfer systems are fundamental to the successful deployment of advanced reactors for both power generation and non-electric applications. Plant designs often include an intermediate heat transfer loop (IHTL) with heat exchangers at either end to deliver thermal energy to the application while providing isolation of the primary reactor system. In order to address technical feasibility concerns and challenges a new high-temperature multi-fluid, multi-loop test facility “Advanced Reactor Technology Integral System Test facility” (ARTIST) is under development at the Idaho National Laboratory. The facility will include three flow loops: high-temperature helium, molten salt, and steam/water.more » Details of some of the design aspects and challenges of this facility, which is currently in the conceptual design phase, are discussed« less

Thermodynamic Simulation of Equilibrium Composition of Reaction Products at Dehydration of a Technological Channel in a Uranium-Graphite Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavliuk, A. O.; Zagumennov, V. S.; Kotlyarevskiy, S. G.; Bespala, E. V.

2018-01-01

The problems of accumulation of nuclear fuel spills in the graphite stack in the course of operation of uranium-graphite nuclear reactors are considered. The results of thermodynamic analysis of the processes in the graphite stack at dehydration of a technological channel, fuel element shell unsealing and migration of fission products, and activation of stable nuclides in structural elements of the reactor and actinides inside the graphite moderator are given. The main chemical reactions and compounds that are produced in these modes in the reactor channel during its operation and that may be hazardous after its shutdown and decommissioning are presented. Thermodynamic simulation of the equilibrium composition is performed using the specialized code TERRA. The results of thermodynamic simulation of the equilibrium composition in different cases of technological channel dehydration in the course of the reactor operation show that, if the temperature inside the active core of the nuclear reactor increases to the melting temperature of the fuel element, oxides and carbides of nuclear fuel are produced. The mathematical model of the nonstationary heat transfer in a graphite stack of a uranium-graphite reactor in the case of the technological channel dehydration is presented. The results of calculated temperature evolution at the center of the fuel element, the replaceable graphite element, the air gap, and in the surface layer of the block graphite are given. The numerical results show that, in the case of dehydration of the technological channel in the uranium-graphite reactor with metallic uranium, the main reaction product is uranium dioxide UO2 in the condensed phase. Low probability of production of pyrophoric uranium compounds (UH3) in the graphite stack is proven, which allows one to disassemble the graphite stack without the risk of spontaneous graphite ignition in the course of decommissioning of the uranium-graphite nuclear reactor.

Ion transport membrane module and vessel system

DOEpatents

Stein, VanEric Edward; Carolan, Michael Francis; Chen, Christopher M.; Armstrong, Phillip Andrew; Wahle, Harold W.; Ohrn, Theodore R.; Kneidel, Kurt E.; Rackers, Keith Gerard; Blake, James Erik; Nataraj, Shankar; van Doorn, Rene Hendrik Elias; Wilson, Merrill Anderson

2007-02-20

An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet; (b) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules; and (c) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel. The ion transport membrane system may be utilized in a gas separation device to recover oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas or as an oxidation reactor to oxidize compounds in a feed gas stream by oxygen permeated through the mixed metal oxide ceramic material of the membrane modules.

Ion transport membrane module and vessel system

DOEpatents

Stein, VanEric Edward [Allentown, PA; Carolan, Michael Francis [Allentown, PA; Chen, Christopher M [Allentown, PA; Armstrong, Phillip Andrew [Orefield, PA; Wahle, Harold W [North Canton, OH; Ohrn, Theodore R [Alliance, OH; Kneidel, Kurt E [Alliance, OH; Rackers, Keith Gerard [Louisville, OH; Blake, James Erik [Uniontown, OH; Nataraj, Shankar [Allentown, PA; Van Doorn, Rene Hendrik Elias; Wilson, Merrill Anderson [West Jordan, UT

2012-02-14

An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet; (b) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules; and (c) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel. The ion transport membrane system may be utilized in a gas separation device to recover oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas or as an oxidation reactor to oxidize compounds in a feed gas stream by oxygen permeated through the mixed metal oxide ceramic material of the membrane modules.

Ion transport membrane module and vessel system

DOEpatents

Stein, VanEric Edward [Allentown, PA; Carolan, Michael Francis [Allentown, PA; Chen, Christopher M [Allentown, PA; Armstrong, Phillip Andrew [Orefield, PA; Wahle, Harold W [North Canton, OH; Ohrn, Theodore R [Alliance, OH; Kneidel, Kurt E [Alliance, OH; Rackers, Keith Gerard [Louisville, OH; Blake, James Erik [Uniontown, OH; Nataraj, Shankar [Allentown, PA; van Doorn, Rene Hendrik Elias; Wilson, Merrill Anderson [West Jordan, UT

2008-02-26

An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet; (b) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules; and (c) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel.The ion transport membrane system may be utilized in a gas separation device to recover oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas or as an oxidation reactor to oxidize compounds in a feed gas stream by oxygen permeated through the mixed metal oxide ceramic material of the membrane modules.

Enhancing biodegradation of C16-alkyl quaternary ammonium compounds using an oxygen-based membrane biofilm reactor.

PubMed

Lai, YenJung Sean; Ontiveros-Valencia, Aura; Ilhan, Zehra Esra; Zhou, Yun; Miranda, Evelyn; Maldonado, Juan; Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa; Rittmann, Bruce E

2017-10-15

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) (e.g., hexadecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide, CTAB) are emerging contaminants with widespread use as surfactants and disinfectants. Because the initial step of QAC biodegradation is mono-oxygenation, QAC degraders require O 2 , but normal aeration leads to serious foaming. Here, we developed and tested an oxygen-based membrane biofilm reactor (O 2 -MBfR) that delivers O 2 by diffusion through the walls of hollow-membranes to a biofilm accumulating on the outer surface of membranes. The O 2 -MBfR sustained QAC biodegradation even with high and toxic QAC input concentrations, up to 400 mg/L CTAB. Bubbleless O 2 transfer completely eliminated foaming, and biofilm accumulation helped the QAC biodegraders resist toxicity. Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, Stenotrophomonas, and members of the Xanthomonadaceae family were dominant in the biofilm communities degrading CTAB, and their proportions depended on the O 2 -delivery capacity of the membranes. Bacteria capable of biodegrading QACs often harbor antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) that help them avoid QAC toxicity. Gene copies of ARGs were detected in biofilms and liquid, but the levels of ARGs were 5- to 35-fold lower in the liquid than in the biofilm. In summary, the O 2 -MBfR achieved aerobic biodegradation of CTAB with neither foaming nor toxicity, and it also minimized the spread of ARGs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the treatability of a winery distillery (vinasse) wastewater by UASB, anoxic-aerobic UF-MBR and chemical precipitation/adsorption.

PubMed

Petta, Luigi; De Gisi, Sabino; Casella, Patrizia; Farina, Roberto; Notarnicola, Michele

2017-10-01

A multi-stage pilot-scale treatment cycle consisting of an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor (UASB) followed by an anoxic-aerobic Ultra Filtration Membrane Bio Reactor (UF-MBR) and a post treatment based on chemical precipitation with lime or adsorption on Granular Activated Carbons (GAC), was applied in order to evaluate the treatment feasibility of a real winery distillery wastewater at laboratory and bench scale. The wastewater was classified as high strength with acidic pH (3.8), and concentrations of 44,600, 254, 604 and 660 mg/l for COD tot , total nitrogen, total phosphorous and phenols, respectively. The UASB reactor was operated at Organic Loading Rates (OLR) in the range 3.0-11.5 kgCOD tot /m 3 /d achieving treatment efficiency up to 97%, with an observed methane production of 340 L of CH 4 /kgCOD. The MBR system was operated with an organic load in the range 0.070-0.185 kgCOD/kgVSS/d, achieving a removal up to 48%, 67% and 65% of the influent COD, total nitrogen and phenols, respectively. The combination of UASB and UF-MBR treatment units was not effective in phosphate and colour removal assigning to further chemical precipitation and adsorption processes, respectively, their complete removal in order to comply with legal standards for wastewater discharge. Subsequently, the optimization of the investigated treatment chain was assessed by applying a chemical precipitation step upstream and downstream the UASB reactor, and a related treatment unit cost assessment is presented in view of a further technological scale-up. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a proton-exchange membrane electrochemical reclaimed water post-treatment system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaba, Lamine; Verostko, Charles E.; Hitchens, G. D.; Murphy, Oliver J.

1991-01-01

A single-cell electrochemical reactor that utilizes a proton exchange membrane (PEM) as a solid electrolyte is being investigated for posttreatment of reclaimed waste waters with low or negligible electrolyte content. Posttreatment is a final 'polishing' of reclaimed waste waters prior to reuse, and involves removing organic impurities at levels as high as 100 ppm to below 500 ppb total organic carbon (TOC) content to provide disinfection. The system does not utilize or produce either expendable hardware components or chemicals and has no moving parts. Test data and kinetic analysis are presented. The feasibility and application for water reclamation processes in controlled ecological environments (e.g., lunar/Mars habitats) are also presented. Test results show that the electrochemical single cell reactor provides effective posttreatment.

Nitrile bioconversion by Microbacterium imperiale CBS 498-74 resting cells in batch and ultrafiltration membrane bioreactors.

PubMed

Cantarella, M; Cantarella, L; Gallifuoco, A; Spera, A

2006-03-01

The biohydration of acrylonitrile, propionitrile and benzonitrile catalysed by the NHase activity contained in resting cells of Microbacterium imperiale CBS 498-74 was operated at 5, 10 and 20 degrees C in laboratory-scale batch and membrane bioreactors. The bioreactions were conducted in buffered medium (50 mM Na(2)HPO(4)/NaH(2)PO(4), pH 7.0) in the presence of distilled water or tap-water, to simulate a possible end-pipe biotreatment process. The integral bioreactor performances were studied with a cell loading (dry cell weight; DCW) varying from 0.1 mg(DCW) per reactor to 16 mg(DCW) per reactor, in order to realize near 100% bioconversion of acrylonitrile, propionitrile and benzonitrile without consistent loss of NHase activity.

High yields of hydrogen production from methanol steam reforming with a cross-U type reactor

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shubin; Chen, Junyu; Zhang, Xuelin; Liu, Xiaowei

2017-01-01

This paper presents a numerical and experimental study on the performance of a methanol steam reformer integrated with a hydrogen/air combustion reactor for hydrogen production. A CFD-based 3D model with mass and momentum transport and temperature characteristics is established. The simulation results show that better performance is achieved in the cross-U type reactor compared to either a tubular reactor or a parallel-U type reactor because of more effective heat transfer characteristics. Furthermore, Cu-based micro reformers of both cross-U and parallel-U type reactors are designed, fabricated and tested for experimental validation. Under the same condition for reforming and combustion, the results demonstrate that higher methanol conversion is achievable in cross-U type reactor. However, it is also found in cross-U type reactor that methanol reforming selectivity is the lowest due to the decreased water gas shift reaction under high temperature, thereby carbon monoxide concentration is increased. Furthermore, the reformed gas generated from the reactors is fed into a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In the test of discharging for 4 h, the fuel cell fed by cross-U type reactor exhibits the most stable performance. PMID:29121067

High yields of hydrogen production from methanol steam reforming with a cross-U type reactor.

PubMed

Zhang, Shubin; Zhang, Yufeng; Chen, Junyu; Zhang, Xuelin; Liu, Xiaowei

2017-01-01

This paper presents a numerical and experimental study on the performance of a methanol steam reformer integrated with a hydrogen/air combustion reactor for hydrogen production. A CFD-based 3D model with mass and momentum transport and temperature characteristics is established. The simulation results show that better performance is achieved in the cross-U type reactor compared to either a tubular reactor or a parallel-U type reactor because of more effective heat transfer characteristics. Furthermore, Cu-based micro reformers of both cross-U and parallel-U type reactors are designed, fabricated and tested for experimental validation. Under the same condition for reforming and combustion, the results demonstrate that higher methanol conversion is achievable in cross-U type reactor. However, it is also found in cross-U type reactor that methanol reforming selectivity is the lowest due to the decreased water gas shift reaction under high temperature, thereby carbon monoxide concentration is increased. Furthermore, the reformed gas generated from the reactors is fed into a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In the test of discharging for 4 h, the fuel cell fed by cross-U type reactor exhibits the most stable performance.

An evaluation of alternative reactor vessel cutting technologies for the experimental boiling water reactor at Argonne National Laboratory

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

Boing, L.E.; Henley, D.R.; Manion, W.J.

1989-12-01

Metal cutting techniques that can be used to segment the reactor pressure vessel of the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have been evaluated by Nuclear Energy Services. Twelve cutting technologies are described in terms of their ability to perform the required task, their performance characteristics, environmental and radiological impacts, and cost and schedule considerations. Specific recommendations regarding which technology should ultimately be used by ANL are included. The selection of a cutting method was the responsibility of the decommissioning staff at ANL, who included a relative weighting of the parameters described in this document inmore » their evaluation process. 73 refs., 26 figs., 69 tabs.« less

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY BULLETIN: SPOUTED BED REACTOR

EPA Science Inventory

The Spouted Bed Reactor (SBR) technology utilizes the unique attributes of the "spouting " fluidization regime, which can provide heat transfer rates comparable to traditional fluid beds, while providing robust circulation of highly heterogeneous solids, concurrent with very agg...

An underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors

DOEpatents

Hampel, V.E.

1988-05-17

A nuclear reactor for generating electricity is disposed underground at the bottom of a vertical hole that can be drilled using conventional drilling technology. The primary coolant of the reactor core is the working fluid in a plurality of thermodynamically coupled heat pipes emplaced in the hole between the heat source at the bottom of the hole and heat exchange means near the surface of the earth. Additionally, the primary coolant (consisting of the working fluid in the heat pipes in the reactor core) moderates neutrons and regulates their reactivity, thus keeping the power of the reactor substantially constant. At the end of its useful life, the reactor core may be abandoned in place. Isolation from the atmosphere in case of accident or for abandonment is provided by the operation of explosive closures and mechanical valves emplaced along the hole. This invention combines technology developed and tested for small, highly efficient, space-based nuclear electric power plants with the technology of fast- acting closure mechanisms developed and used for underground testing of nuclear weapons. This invention provides a nuclear power installation which is safe from the worst conceivable reactor accident, namely, the explosion of a nuclear weapon near the ground surface of a nuclear power reactor. 5 figs.

Underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors

DOEpatents

Hampel, Viktor E.

1989-01-01

A nuclear reactor for generating electricity is disposed underground at the bottom of a vertical hole that can be drilled using conventional drilling technology. The primary coolant of the reactor core is the working fluid in a plurality of thermodynamically coupled heat pipes emplaced in the hole between the heat source at the bottom of the hole and heat exchange means near the surface of the earth. Additionally, the primary coolant (consisting of the working flud in the heat pipes in the reactor core) moderates neutrons and regulates their reactivity, thus keeping the power of the reactor substantially constant. At the end of its useful life, the reactor core may be abandoned in place. Isolation from the atmosphere in case of accident or for abandonment is provided by the operation of explosive closures and mechanical valves emplaced along the hole. This invention combines technology developed and tested for small, highly efficient, space-based nuclear electric power plants with the technology of fast-acting closure mechanisms developed and used for underground testing of nuclear weapons. This invention provides a nuclear power installation which is safe from the worst conceivable reactor accident, namely, the explosion of a nuclear weapon near the ground surface of a nuclear power reactor.

Ongoing Development of a Series Bosch Reactor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abney, Morgan; Mansell, Matt; DuMez, Sam; Thomas, John; Cooper, Charlie; Long, David

2013-01-01

Future manned missions to deep space or planetary surfaces will undoubtedly require highly robust, efficient, and regenerable life support systems that require minimal consumables. To meet this requirement, NASA continues to explore a Bosch-based carbon dioxide reduction system to recover oxygen from CO2. In order to improve the equivalent system mass of Bosch systems, we seek to design and test a "Series Bosch" system in which two reactors in series are optimized for the two steps of the reaction, as well as to explore the use of in situ materials as carbon deposition catalysts. Here we report recent developments in this effort including assembly and initial testing of a Reverse Water-Gas Shift reactor (RWGSr) and initial testing of two gas separation membranes. The RWGSr was sized to reduce CO2 produced by a crew of four to carbon monoxide as the first stage in a Series Bosch system. The gas separation membranes, necessary to recycle unreacted hydrogen and CO2, were similarly sized. Additionally, we report results of preliminary experiments designed to determine the catalytic properties of Martian and Lunar regolith simulant for the carbon deposition step.

Ongoing Development of a Series Bosch Reactor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abney, Morgan B; Mansell, J. Matthew; Stanley, Christine; Edmunson, Jennifer; DuMez, Samuel J.; Chen, Kevin

2013-01-01

Future manned missions to deep space or planetary surfaces will undoubtedly incorporate highly robust, efficient, and regenerable life support systems that require minimal consumables. To meet this requirement, NASA continues to explore a Bosch-based carbon dioxide reduction system to recover oxygen from CO2. In order to improve the equivalent system mass of Bosch systems, we seek to design and test a "Series Bosch" system in which two reactors in series are optimized for the two steps of the reaction, as well as to explore the use of in situ materials as carbon deposition catalysts. Here we report recent developments in this effort including assembly and initial testing of a Reverse Water-Gas Shift reactor (RWGSr) and initial testing of two gas separation membranes. The RWGSr was sized to reduce CO2 produced by a crew of four to carbon monoxide as the first stage in a Series Bosch system. The gas separation membranes, necessary to recycle unreacted hydrogen and CO2, were similarly sized. Additionally, we report results of preliminary experiments designed to determine the catalytic properties of Martian regolith simulant for the carbon formation step.

Perchlorate bioreduction linked to methane oxidation in a membrane biofilm reactor: Performance and microbial community structure.

PubMed

Xie, Ting; Yang, Qi; Winkler, Mari K H; Wang, Dongbo; Zhong, Yu; An, Hongxue; Chen, Fei; Yao, Fubin; Wang, Xiaolin; Wu, Jiawei; Li, Xiaoming

2018-06-05

Perchlorate bioreduction coupled to methane oxidation was successfully achieved without the addition of nitrate or nitrite in a membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) inoculated with a mixture of freshwater sediments and anaerobic digester sludge as well as return activated sludge. The reactor was operated at different methane pressures (60, 40 and 20 Kpa) and influent perchlorate concentrations (1, 5 and 10 mg/L) to evaluate the biochemical process of perchlorate bioreduction coupled to methane oxidation. Perchlorate was completely reduced with a higher removal flux of 92.75 mg/m 2 ·d using methane as the sole carbon source and electron donor, other than hydrogen or other limiting organics. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that bacteria prevailed over archaea and the abundances of mcrA, pMMO, pcrA, and nirS genes were correlated with the influent perchlorate flux. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes demonstrated that the functional community consisted of methanotrophs, methylotrophs, perchlorate-reducing bacteria, as well as various denitrifiers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Performance enhancement with powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating distillery effluent.

PubMed

Satyawali, Yamini; Balakrishnan, Malini

2009-10-15

This work investigated the effect of powdered activated carbon (PAC) addition on the operation of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating sugarcane molasses based distillery wastewater (spentwash). The 8L reactor was equipped with a submerged 30 microm nylon mesh filter with 0.05 m(2) filtration area. Detailed characterization of the commercial wood charcoal based PAC was performed before using it in the MBR. The MBR was operated over 200 days at organic loading rates (OLRs) varying from 4.2 to 6.9 kg m(-3)d(-1). PAC addition controlled the reactor foaming during start up and enhanced the critical flux by around 23%; it also prolonged the duration between filter cleaning. Operation at higher loading rates was possible and for a given OLR, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was higher with PAC addition. However, biodegradation in the reactor was limited and the high molecular weight compounds were not affected by PAC supplementation. The functional groups on PAC appear to interact with the polysaccharide portion of the sludge, which may reduce its propensity to interact with the nylon mesh.

Anaerobic digestion for simultaneous sewage sludge treatment and CO biomethanation: process performance and microbial ecology.

PubMed

Luo, Gang; Wang, Wen; Angelidaki, Irini

2013-09-17

Syngas is produced by thermal gasification of both nonrenewable and renewable sources including biomass and coal, and it consists mainly of CO, CO2, and H2. In this paper we aim to bioconvert CO in the syngas to CH4. A novel technology for simultaneous sewage sludge treatment and CO biomethanation in an anaerobic reactor was presented. Batch experiments showed that CO was inhibitory to methanogens, but not to bacteria, at CO partial pressure between 0.25 and 1 atm under thermophilic conditions. During anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge supplemented with CO added through a hollow fiber membrane (HFM) module in continuous thermophilic reactors, CO did not inhibit the process even at a pressure as high as 1.58 atm inside the HFM, due to the low dissolved CO concentration in the liquid. Complete consumption of CO was achieved with CO gas retention time of 0.2 d. Results from high-throughput sequencing analysis showed clear differences of the microbial community structures between the samples from liquid and biofilm on the HFM in the reactor with CO addition. Species close to Methanosarcina barkeri and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus were the two main archaeal species involved in CO biomethanation. However, the two species were distributed differently in the liquid phase and in the biofilm. Although the carboxidotrophic activities test showed that CO was converted by both archaea and bacteria, the bacterial species responsible for CO conversion are unknown.

Carbon dioxide-selective membranes and their applications in hydrogen processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Jian

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

The Simulator Development for RDE Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subekti, Muhammad; Bakhri, Syaiful; Sunaryo, Geni Rina

2018-02-01

BATAN is proposing the construction of experimental power reactor (RDE reactor) for increasing the public acceptance on NPP development plan, proofing the safety level of the most advanced reactor by performing safety demonstration on the accidents such as Chernobyl and Fukushima, and owning the generation fourth (G4) reactor technology. For owning the reactor technology, the one of research activities is RDE’s simulator development that employing standard equation. The development utilizes standard point kinetic and thermal equation. The examination of the simulator carried out comparison in which the simulation’s calculation result has good agreement with assumed parameters and ChemCAD calculation results. The transient simulation describes the characteristic of the simulator to respond the variation of power increase of 1.5%/min, 2.5%/min, and 3.5%/min.

Concurrent microbial reduction of high concentrations of nitrate and perchlorate in an ion exchange membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Fox, Shalom; Bruner, Tali; Oren, Yoram; Gilron, Jack; Ronen, Zeev

2016-09-01

We investigated effective simultaneous removal of high loads of nitrate and perchlorate from synthetic groundwater using an ion exchange membrane bioreactor (IEMB). The aim of this research was to characterize both transport aspects and biodegradation mechanisms involved in the treatment process of high loads of the two anions. Biodegradation process was proven to be efficient with over 99% efficiency of both perchlorate and nitrate, regardless of their load. The maximum biodegradation rates were 18.3 (mmol m(-2)  h(-1) ) and 5.5 (mmol m(-2)  h(-1) ) for nitrate and perchlorate, respectively. The presence of a biofilm on the bio-side of the membrane only slightly increased the nitrate and perchlorate transmembrane flux as compared to the measured flux during a Donnan dialysis experiment where there is no biodegradation of perchlorate and nitrate in the bio-compartment. The nitrate flux in presence of a biofilm was 18.3 (±1.9) (mmole m(-2)  h(-1) ), while without the biofilm, the flux was 16.9 (±1.5) (mmole m(-2)  h(-1) ) for the same feed inlet nitrate concentration of 4 mM. The perchlorate transmembrane flux increased similarly by an average of 5%. Samples of membrane biofilm and suspended bacteria from the bio-reactor were analyzed for diversity and abundance of the perchlorate and nitrate reducing bacteria. Klebsiella oxytoca, known as a glycerol fermenter, accounted for 70% of the suspended bacteria. In contrast, perchlorate and nitrate reducing bacteria predominated in the biofilm present on the membrane. These results are consistent with our proposed two stage biodegradation mechanism where glycerol is first fermented in the suspended phase of the bio-reactor and the fermentation products drive perchlorate and nitrate bio-reduction in the biofilm attached to the membrane. These results suggest that the niche exclusion of microbial populations in between the reactor and membrane is controlled by the fluxes of the electron donors and acceptors. Such a mechanism has important implications for controlling the bio-reduction reaction in the IEMB when using glycerol as a carbon source and allowing treating a complex contamination of high concentrations of perchlorate and nitrating in groundwater and successfully biodegrading them to non-hazardous components. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1881-1891. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fiber Attachment Module Experiment (FAME): Using a Multiplexed Miniature Hollow Fiber Membrane Bioreactor Solution for Rapid Process Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunn, Griffin; Wheeler, Raymond; Hummerick, Mary; Birmele, Michele; Richards, Jeffrey; Coutts, Janelle; Koss, Lawrence; Spencer, Lashelle.; Johnsey, Marissa; Ellis, Ronald

Bioreactor research, even today, is mostly limited to continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs). These are not an option for microgravity applications due to the lack of a gravity gradient to drive aeration as described by the Archimedes principle. This has led to testing of Hollow Fiber Membrane Bioreactors (HFMBs) for microgravity applications, including possible use for wastewater treatment systems for the International Space Station (ISS). Bioreactors and filtration systems for treating wastewater could avoid the need for harsh pretreatment chemicals and improve overall water recovery. However, the construction of these reactors is difficult and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) versions do not exist in small sizes. We have used 1-L modular HFMBs in the past, but the need to perform rapid testing has led us to consider even smaller systems. To address this, we designed and built 125-mL, rectangular reactors, which we have called the Fiber Attachment Module Experiment (FAME) system. A polycarbonate rack of four square modules was developed with each module containing removable hollow fibers. Each FAME reactor is self-contained and can be easily plumbed with peristaltic and syringe pumps for continuous recycling of fluids and feeding, as well as fitted with sensors for monitoring pH, dissolved oxygen, and gas measurements similar to their larger counterparts. The first application tested in the FAME racks allowed analysis of over a dozen fiber surface treatments and three inoculation sources to achieve rapid reactor startup and biofilm attachment (based on carbon oxidation and nitrification of wastewater). With these miniature FAME reactors, data for this multi-factorial test were collected in duplicate over a six-month period; this greatly compressed time period required for gathering data needed to study and improve bioreactor performance.

Flow chemistry: intelligent processing of gas-liquid transformations using a tube-in-tube reactor.

PubMed

Brzozowski, Martin; O'Brien, Matthew; Ley, Steven V; Polyzos, Anastasios

2015-02-17

CONSPECTUS: The previous decade has witnessed the expeditious uptake of flow chemistry techniques in modern synthesis laboratories, and flow-based chemistry is poised to significantly impact our approach to chemical preparation. The advantages of moving from classical batch synthesis to flow mode, in order to address the limitations of traditional approaches, particularly within the context of organic synthesis are now well established. Flow chemistry methodology has led to measurable improvements in safety and reduced energy consumption and has enabled the expansion of available reaction conditions. Contributions from our own laboratories have focused on the establishment of flow chemistry methods to address challenges associated with the assembly of complex targets through the development of multistep methods employing supported reagents and in-line monitoring of reaction intermediates to ensure the delivery of high quality target compounds. Recently, flow chemistry approaches have addressed the challenges associated with reactions utilizing reactive gases in classical batch synthesis. The small volumes of microreactors ameliorate the hazards of high-pressure gas reactions and enable improved mixing with the liquid phase. Established strategies for gas-liquid reactions in flow have relied on plug-flow (or segmented flow) regimes in which the gas plugs are introduced to a liquid stream and dissolution of gas relies on interfacial contact of the gas bubble with the liquid phase. This approach confers limited control over gas concentration within the liquid phase and is unsuitable for multistep methods requiring heterogeneous catalysis or solid supported reagents. We have identified the use of a gas-permeable fluoropolymer, Teflon AF-2400, as a simple method of achieving efficient gas-liquid contact to afford homogeneous solutions of reactive gases in flow. The membrane permits the transport of a wide range of gases with significant control of the stoichiometry of reactive gas in a given reaction mixture. We have developed a tube-in-tube reactor device consisting of a pair of concentric capillaries in which pressurized gas permeates through an inner Teflon AF-2400 tube and reacts with dissolved substrate within a liquid phase that flows within a second gas impermeable tube. This Account examines our efforts toward the development of a simple, unified methodology for the processing of gaseous reagents in flow by way of development of a tube-in-tube reactor device and applications to key C-C, C-N, and C-O bond forming and hydrogenation reactions. We further describe the application to multistep reactions using solid-supported reagents and extend the technology to processes utilizing multiple gas reagents. A key feature of our work is the development of computer-aided imaging techniques to allow automated in-line monitoring of gas concentration and stoichiometry in real time. We anticipate that this Account will illustrate the convenience and benefits of membrane tube-in-tube reactor technology to improve and concomitantly broaden the scope of gas/liquid/solid reactions in organic synthesis.

Impact of sludge retention time on the fine composition of the microbial community and extracellular polymeric substances in a membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Silva, Ana F; Antunes, Sílvia; Saunders, Aaron; Freitas, Filomena; Vieira, Anabela; Galinha, Claudia F; Nielsen, Per H; Barreto Crespo, Maria Teresa; Carvalho, Gilda

2016-10-01

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are an advanced technology for wastewater treatment whose wide application has been hindered by rapid fouling of the membranes. MBRs can be operated with long sludge retention time (SRT), a crucial parameter impacting microbial selection in the reactor. This also affects filtration performance, since a major fouling agent are the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). In this study, the impact of the SRT on the ecophysiology of the MBRs and, consequently, on membrane fouling was evaluated. A MBR was operated under a SRT of 60 days followed by a SRT of 20 days. A comprehensive analysis of the microbial community structure and EPS proteins and polysaccharide profiles of the mixed liquor and cake layer was carried out throughout both operation periods. The results of this study showed that the imposition of a shorter SRT led to a shift in the dominant bacterial populations. The mixed liquor and cake layer communities were very different, with Actinomycetales order standing out in the cake layer at SRT of 20 days. Overall, higher EPS concentrations (particularly proteins) were found at this SRT. Furthermore, EPS profiles were clearly affected by the SRT: it was possible to correlate a group of soluble EPS proteins with the SRT of 60 days, and a lower sludge age led to a lower diversity of polysaccharide sugar monomers, with an increase of glucose and galactose in the cake layer. This study improves our knowledge regarding the molecular reasons for fouling, which may contribute to improve MBR design and operation.

Occurrence and elimination of antibiotics in three sewage treatment plants with different treatment technologies in Urumqi and Shihezi, Xinjiang.

PubMed

Liu, Jiang; Lu, Jianjiang; Tong, Yanbin; Li, Chao

2017-03-01

Fourteen antibiotics, including five quinolones (QNs), five sulfonamides (SAs), and four tetracyclines (TCs), were selected to investigate their occurrence and elimination in three sewage treatment plants (STPs) by employing different treatment technologies in Urumqi (two STPs) and Shihezi (one STP), China. The STP in Shihezi was chosen as representative to investigate the distribution of antibiotics in a sludge-sewage system. Results showed that the concentrations of most detected antibiotics ranged from tens to hundreds of nanograms per liter in influent samples and under 100 ng L -1 in effluent samples. QNs and TCs were dominant species with concentrations of 2.33 mg kg -1 to 3.34 mg kg -1 and 0.36 mg kg -1 to 0.47 mg kg -1 in sludge samples, respectively. The elimination rates of target antibiotics by various STPs ranged from 17% to 100%. The STP with anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic and membrane bio-reactor technology removed antibiotics more efficiently than those with anaerobic/anoxic/oxic and oxidation ditch technology. The elimination capacities of treatment units from the three STPs were also investigated. SAs were mainly degraded in biological treatment units; conversely, QNs and TCs were significantly eliminated in sedimentary treatment units. Ozonation effectively removed remaining antibiotics but not UV and chlorination disinfection in this study.

Thermal-Hydraulic Design of a Fluoride High-Temperature Demonstration Reactor

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

Carbajo, Juan J; Qualls, A L

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION The Fluoride High-Temperature Reactor (FHR) named the Demonstration Reactor (DR) is a novel reactor concept using molten salt coolant and TRIstructural ISOtropic (TRISO) fuel that is being developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The objective of the FHR DR is to advance the technology readiness level of FHRs. The FHR DR will demonstrate technologies needed to close remaining gaps to commercial viability. The FHR DR has a thermal power of 100 MWt, very similar to the SmAHTR, another FHR ORNL concept (Refs. 1 and 2) with a power of 125 MWt. The FHR DR is also a smallmore » version of the Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR), with a power of 3400 MWt, cooled by a molten salt and also being developed at ORNL (Ref. 3). The FHR DR combines three existing technologies: (1) high-temperature, low-pressure molten salt coolant, (2) high-temperature coated-particle TRISO fuel, (3) and passive decay heat cooling systems by using Direct Reactor Auxiliary Cooling Systems (DRACS). This paper presents FHR DR thermal-hydraulic design calculations.« less

Gas-phase optical fiber photocatalytic reactors for indoor air application: a preliminary study on performance indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmiste, Ü.; Voll, H.

2017-10-01

The development of advanced air cleaning technologies aims to reduce building energy consumption by reduction of outdoor air flow rates while keeping the indoor air quality at an acceptable level by air cleaning. Photocatalytic oxidation is an emerging technology for gas-phase air cleaning that can be applied in a standalone unit or a subsystem of a building mechanical ventilation system. Quantitative information on photocatalytic reactor performance is required to evaluate the technical and economic viability of the advanced air cleaning by PCO technology as an energy conservation measure in a building air conditioning system. Photocatalytic reactors applying optical fibers as light guide or photocatalyst coating support have been reported as an approach to address the current light utilization problems and thus, improve the overall efficiency. The aim of the paper is to present a preliminary evaluation on continuous flow optical fiber photocatalytic reactors based on performance indicators commonly applied for air cleaners. Based on experimental data, monolith-type optical fiber reactor performance surpasses annular-type optical fiber reactors in single-pass removal efficiency, clean air delivery rate and operating cost efficiency.

Alternative nuclear technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, E.

1981-10-01

The lead times required to develop a select group of nuclear fission reactor types and fuel cycles to the point of readiness for full commercialization are compared. Along with lead times, fuel material requirements and comparative costs of producing electric power were estimated. A conservative approach and consistent criteria for all systems were used in estimates of the steps required and the times involved in developing each technology. The impact of the inevitable exhaustion of the low- or reasonable-cost uranium reserves in the United States on the desirability of completing the breeder reactor program, with its favorable long-term result on fission fuel supplies, is discussed. The long times projected to bring the most advanced alternative converter reactor technologies the heavy water reactor and the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor into commercial deployment when compared to the time projected to bring the breeder reactor into equivalent status suggest that the country's best choice is to develop the breeder. The perceived diversion-proliferation problems with the uranium plutonium fuel cycle have workable solutions that can be developed which will enable the use of those materials at substantially reduced levels of diversion risk.

Perspective of Membrane Technology in Dairy Industry: A Review

PubMed Central

Kumar, Pavan; Sharma, Neelesh; Ranjan, Rajeev; Kumar, Sunil; Bhat, Z. F.; Jeong, Dong Kee

2013-01-01

Membrane technology has revolutionized the dairy sector. Different types of membranes are used in the industry for various purposes like extending the shelf life of milk without exposure to heat treatment, standardization of the major components of milk for tailoring new products as well increasing yield and quality of the dairy products, and concentrating, fractionation and purification of milk components especially valuable milk proteins in their natural state. In the cheese industry, membranes increase the yield and quality of cheese and control the whey volume, by concentrating the cheese milk. With the advancement of newer technology in membrane processes, it is possible to recover growth factor from whey. With the introduction of superior quality membranes as well as newer technology, the major limitation of membranes, fouling or blockage has been overcome to a greater extent. PMID:25049918

Perspective of membrane technology in dairy industry: a review.

PubMed

Kumar, Pavan; Sharma, Neelesh; Ranjan, Rajeev; Kumar, Sunil; Bhat, Z F; Jeong, Dong Kee

2013-09-01

Membrane technology has revolutionized the dairy sector. Different types of membranes are used in the industry for various purposes like extending the shelf life of milk without exposure to heat treatment, standardization of the major components of milk for tailoring new products as well increasing yield and quality of the dairy products, and concentrating, fractionation and purification of milk components especially valuable milk proteins in their natural state. In the cheese industry, membranes increase the yield and quality of cheese and control the whey volume, by concentrating the cheese milk. With the advancement of newer technology in membrane processes, it is possible to recover growth factor from whey. With the introduction of superior quality membranes as well as newer technology, the major limitation of membranes, fouling or blockage has been overcome to a greater extent.

Hanford Atomic Products Operation monthly report for March 1956

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

Not Available

1956-04-20

This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, March, 1956. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology; financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, employee relations, pile technology, safety and radiological sciences are discussed.

Developing the European Center of Competence on VVER-type nuclear power reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geraskin, Nikolay; Pironkov, Lyubomir; Kulikov, Evgeny; Glebov, Vasily

2017-09-01

This paper presents the results of the European educational projects CORONA and CORONA-II which are dedicated to preserving and further developing nuclear knowledge and competencies in the area of VVER-type nuclear power reactors technologies (Water-Water Energetic Reactor, WWER or VVER). The development of the European Center of Competence for VVER-technology is focused on master's degree programmes. The specifics of a systematic approach to training in the area of VVER-type nuclear power reactors technologies are analysed. This paper discusses enhancement of the training opportunities of the European Center that have arisen from advances in methodology and distance education. With a special attention paid to the European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN), the possibilities of further development of the international cooperation between European countries and educational institutions are examined.

Surface-Enhanced Separation of Water from Hydrocarbons: Potential Dewatering Membranes for the Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pine Biomass

DOE PAGES

Engtrakul, Dr. Chaiwat; Hu, Michael Z.; Bischoff, Brian L; ...

2016-01-01

The impact of surface-selective coatings on water permeation through a membrane when exposed to catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) vapor products was studied by tailoring the surface properties of the membrane coating from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Our approach utilized high-performance architectured surface-selective (HiPAS) membranes that were inserted after a CFP reactor. At this insertion point, the inner wall surface of a tubular membrane was exposed to a mixture of water and upgraded product vapors, including light gases and deoxygenated hydrocarbons. Under proper membrane operating conditions, a high selectivity for water over 1-ring upgraded biomass pyrolysis hydrocarbons was observed due to amore » surface-enhanced capillary condensation process. Owing to this surface-enhanced effect, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable high flux separations suggesting that water can be selectively removed from the CFP product vapors.« less

Surface-Enhanced Separation of Water from Hydrocarbons: Potential Dewatering Membranes for the Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Pine Biomass

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

Engtrakul, Chaiwat; Hu, Michael Z.; Bischoff, Brian L.

2016-10-20

The impact of surface-selective coatings on water permeation through a membrane when exposed to catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) vapor products was studied by tailoring the surface properties of the membrane coating from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Our approach used high-performance architectured surface-selective (HiPAS) membranes that were inserted after a CFP reactor. At this insertion point, the inner wall surface of a tubular membrane was exposed to a mixture of water and upgraded product vapors, including light gases and deoxygenated hydrocarbons. Under proper membrane operating conditions, a high selectivity for water over one-ring upgraded biomass pyrolysis hydrocarbons was observed as a resultmore » of a surface-enhanced capillary condensation process. Owing to this surface-enhanced effect, HiPAS membranes have the potential to enable high flux separations, suggesting that water can be selectively removed from the CFP product vapors.« less

A Biologically-Based Alternative Water Processor for Long Duration Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Pickering, Karen D.; Meyer, Caitlin; Pensinger, Stuart; Vega, Leticia; Flynn, Michael; Jackson, Andrew; Wheeler, Raymond

2015-01-01

A wastewater recovery system has been developed that combines novel biological and physicochemical components for recycling wastewater on long duration space missions. Functionally, this Alternative Water Processor (AWP) would replace the Urine Processing Assembly on the International Space Station and reduce or eliminate the need for the multifiltration beds of the Water Processing Assembly (WPA). At its center are two unique game changing technologies: 1) a biological water processor (BWP) to mineralize organic forms of carbon and nitrogen and 2) an advanced membrane processor (Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment) for removal of solids and inorganic ions. The AWP is designed for recycling larger quantities of wastewater from multiple sources expected during future exploration missions, including urine, hygiene (hand wash, shower, oral and shave) and laundry. The BWP utilizes a single-stage membrane-aerated biological reactor for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. The Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment (FOST) system uses a combination of forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO), is resistant to biofouling and can easily tolerate wastewaters high in non-volatile organics and solids associated with shower and/or hand washing. The BWP was operated continuously for over 300 days. After startup, the mature biological system averaged 85% organic carbon removal and 44% nitrogen removal, close to maximum based on available carbon. The FOST has averaged 93% water recovery, with a maximum of 98%. If the wastewater is slighty acidified, ammonia rejection is optimal. This paper will provide a description of the technology and summarize results from ground-based testing using real wastewater.

Proceedings of the Natick Science Symposium (4th) Held in Natick, Massachusetts on 9-10 June 1992

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

HQ - hydroquinone; MG - methyl gallate; CA - caffeic acid ; CHIA - chlorogenic acid ; GA - gallic acid ; FOLY - polymeric antioxidant. Values shown...examples 268 FQRrER & BIACK (qu~tin, hydroquinone, caffeic acid , chlorogenic acid and gallic acid ) , these are relatively ineffective in HSV...unless covalently bonded to the membrane. 279 SENECAL & RAND A membrane lactase reactor, modelled after the mammalian small intestine, has been

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urano, Takeshi; Kubo, Keiko; Saito, Tomoyuki; Hitomi, Atsushi

2011-05-01

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

Effects of bamboo charcoal on fouling and microbial diversity in a flat-sheet ceramic membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenjie; Liu, Xiaoning; Wang, Dunqiu; Jin, Yue

2017-11-01

Membrane fouling is a problem in full-scale membrane bioreactors. In this study, bamboo charcoal (BC) was evaluated for its efficacy in alleviating membrane fouling in flat-sheet membrane bioreactors treating municipal wastewater. The results showed that BC addition markedly improved treatment performance based on COD, NH 4 + -N, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus levels. Adding BC slowed the increase in the trans-membrane pressure rate and resulted in lower levels of soluble microbial products and extracellular polymeric substances detected in the flat-sheet membrane bioreactor. BC has a porous structure, and a large quantity of biomass was detected using scanning electron microscopy. The microbial community analysis results indicated that BC increased the microbial diversity and Aminomonas, Anaerofustis, uncultured Anaerolineaceae, Anaerolinea, and Anaerotruncus were found in higher abundances in the reactor with BC. BC addition is an effective method for reducing membrane fouling, and can be applied to full-scale flat-sheet membrane bioreactors to improve their function. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of mediator and granular activated carbon addition on degradation of trace organic contaminants by an enzymatic membrane reactor.

PubMed

Nguyen, Luong N; Hai, Faisal I; Price, William E; Leusch, Frederic D L; Roddick, Felicity; Ngo, Hao H; Guo, Wenshan; Magram, Saleh F; Nghiem, Long D

2014-09-01

The removal of four recalcitrant trace organic contaminants (TrOCs), namely carbamazepine, diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole and atrazine by laccase in an enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR) was studied. Laccases are not effective for degrading non-phenolic compounds; nevertheless, 22-55% removal of these four TrOCs was achieved by the laccase EMR. Addition of the redox-mediator syringaldehyde (SA) to the EMR resulted in a notable dose-dependent improvement (15-45%) of TrOC removal affected by inherent TrOC properties and loading rates. However, SA addition resulted in a concomitant increase in the toxicity of the treated effluent. A further 14-25% improvement in aqueous phase removal of the TrOCs was consistently observed following a one-off dosing of 3g/L granular activated carbon (GAC). Mass balance analysis reveals that this improvement was not due solely to adsorption but also enhanced biodegradation. GAC addition also reduced membrane fouling and the SA-induced toxicity of the effluent. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane technology for the future treatment of paper mill effluents: chances and challenges of further system closure.

PubMed

Simstich, B; Oeller, H-J

2010-01-01

The pressure on the European paper industry to further close its water circuits has increased significantly during the past decade. Since the technologies of the past can no longer meet the requirements of the future, new water treatment methods have become necessary. A constant rise in the interest in membrane technology expressed by the European paper industry confirms that in the future this method will evolve into a key technology for continued water savings. The publication provides an overview of current and future applications of membrane plants in the European paper industry. A range of technologies is briefly presented together with their advantages and drawbacks, and the economic potential of membrane use is discussed. Among other topics, the authors take a look at the utilization of membrane filtration for treating internal circulation water, partial flows containing coating colours, and biologically treated effluents. The technologies addressed include ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and membrane bioreactor technology. Possible recovery and treatment routes for the concentrates produced by the nanofiltration of biologically treated effluents are examined and evaluated.

A group decision-making tool for the application of membrane technologies in different water reuse scenarios.

PubMed

Sadr, S M K; Saroj, D P; Kouchaki, S; Ilemobade, A A; Ouki, S K

2015-06-01

A global challenge of increasing concern is diminishing fresh water resources. A growing practice in many communities to supplement diminishing fresh water availability has been the reuse of water. Novel methods of treating polluted waters, such as membrane assisted technologies, have recently been developed and successfully implemented in many places. Given the diversity of membrane assisted technologies available, the current challenge is how to select a reliable alternative among numerous technologies for appropriate water reuse. In this research, a fuzzy logic based multi-criteria, group decision making tool has been developed. This tool has been employed in the selection of appropriate membrane treatment technologies for several non-potable and potable reuse scenarios. Robust criteria, covering technical, environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects, were selected, while 10 different membrane assisted technologies were assessed in the tool. The results show this approach capable of facilitating systematic and rigorous analysis in the comparison and selection of membrane assisted technologies for advanced wastewater treatment and reuse. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engineering design and theoretical analysis of nanoporous carbon membranes for gas separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acharya, Madhav

1999-11-01

Gases are used in a direct or indirect manner in virtually every major industry, such as steel manufacturing, oil production, foodstuffs and electronics. Membranes are being investigated as an alternative to established methods of gas separation such as pressure swing adsorption and cryogenic distillation. Membranes can be used in continuous operation and work very well at ambient conditions, thus representing a tremendous energy and economic saving over the other technologies. In addition, the integration of reaction and separation into a single unit known as a membrane reactor has the potential to revolutionize the chemical industry by making selective reactions a reality. Nanoporous carbons are highly disordered materials obtained from organic polymers or natural sources. They have the ability to separate gas molecules by several different mechanisms, and hence there is a growing effort to form them into membranes. In this study, nanoporous carbon membranes were prepared on macroporous stainless steel supports of both tubular and disk geometries. The precursor used was poly(furfuryl alcohol) and different synthesis protocols were employed. A spray coating method also was developed which allowed reproducible synthesis of membranes with very few defects. High gas selectivities were obtained such as O2/N2 = 6, H2/C2H 4 = 70 and CO2/N2 = 20. Membranes also were characterized using SEM and AFM, which revealed thin layers of carbon that were quite uniform and homogeneous. The simulation of nanoporous carbon structures also was carried out using a simple algorithmic approach. 5,6 and 7-membered rings were introduced into the structure, thus resulting in considerable curvature. The density of the structures were calculated and found to compare favorably with experimental findings. Finally, a theoretical analysis of size selective transport was performed using transition state theory concepts. A definite correlation of gas permeance with molecular size was obtained after removal of adsorption effects. The transition state enthalpy change was determined and increased with effective diameter, which is consistent with previous studies, as well as with predictions from the Everett-Powl mean field potential model.

Staged membrane oxidation reactor system

DOEpatents

Repasky, John Michael; Carolan, Michael Francis; Stein, VanEric Edward; Chen, Christopher Ming-Poh

2014-05-20

Ion transport membrane oxidation system comprising (a) two or more membrane oxidation stages, each stage comprising a reactant zone, an oxidant zone, one or more ion transport membranes separating the reactant zone from the oxidant zone, a reactant gas inlet region, a reactant gas outlet region, an oxidant gas inlet region, and an oxidant gas outlet region; (b) an interstage reactant gas flow path disposed between each pair of membrane oxidation stages and adapted to place the reactant gas outlet region of a first stage of the pair in flow communication with the reactant gas inlet region of a second stage of the pair; and (c) one or more reactant interstage feed gas lines, each line being in flow communication with any interstage reactant gas flow path or with the reactant zone of any membrane oxidation stage receiving interstage reactant gas.

Staged membrane oxidation reactor system

DOEpatents

Repasky, John Michael; Carolan, Michael Francis; Stein, VanEric Edward; Chen, Christopher Ming-Poh

2013-04-16

Ion transport membrane oxidation system comprising (a) two or more membrane oxidation stages, each stage comprising a reactant zone, an oxidant zone, one or more ion transport membranes separating the reactant zone from the oxidant zone, a reactant gas inlet region, a reactant gas outlet region, an oxidant gas inlet region, and an oxidant gas outlet region; (b) an interstage reactant gas flow path disposed between each pair of membrane oxidation stages and adapted to place the reactant gas outlet region of a first stage of the pair in flow communication with the reactant gas inlet region of a second stage of the pair; and (c) one or more reactant interstage feed gas lines, each line being in flow communication with any interstage reactant gas flow path or with the reactant zone of any membrane oxidation stage receiving interstage reactant gas.

Staged membrane oxidation reactor system

DOEpatents

Repasky, John Michael; Carolan, Michael Francis; Stein, VanEric Edward; Chen, Christopher Ming-Poh

2012-09-11

Ion transport membrane oxidation system comprising (a) two or more membrane oxidation stages, each stage comprising a reactant zone, an oxidant zone, one or more ion transport membranes separating the reactant zone from the oxidant zone, a reactant gas inlet region, a reactant gas outlet region, an oxidant gas inlet region, and an oxidant gas outlet region; (b) an interstage reactant gas flow path disposed between each pair of membrane oxidation stages and adapted to place the reactant gas outlet region of a first stage of the pair in flow communication with the reactant gas inlet region of a second stage of the pair; and (c) one or more reactant interstage feed gas lines, each line being in flow communication with any interstage reactant gas flow path or with the reactant zone of any membrane oxidation stage receiving interstage reactant gas.

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.

Current and future trends for biofilm reactors for fermentation processes.

PubMed

Ercan, Duygu; Demirci, Ali

2015-03-01

Biofilms in the environment can both cause detrimental and beneficial effects. However, their use in bioreactors provides many advantages including lesser tendencies to develop membrane fouling and lower required capital costs, their higher biomass density and operation stability, contribution to resistance of microorganisms, etc. Biofilm formation occurs naturally by the attachment of microbial cells to the support without use of any chemicals agent in biofilm reactors. Biofilm reactors have been studied and commercially used for waste water treatment and bench and pilot-scale production of value-added products in the past decades. It is important to understand the fundamentals of biofilm formation, physical and chemical properties of a biofilm matrix to run the biofilm reactor at optimum conditions. This review includes the principles of biofilm formation; properties of a biofilm matrix and their roles in the biofilm formation; factors that improve the biofilm formation, such as support materials; advantages and disadvantages of biofilm reactors; and industrial applications of biofilm reactors.

Comparative study between single core model and detail core model of CFD modelling on reactor core cooling behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darmawan, R.

2018-01-01

Nuclear power industry is facing uncertainties since the occurrence of the unfortunate accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The issue of nuclear power plant safety becomes the major hindrance in the planning of nuclear power program for new build countries. Thus, the understanding of the behaviour of reactor system is very important to ensure the continuous development and improvement on reactor safety. Throughout the development of nuclear reactor technology, investigation and analysis on reactor safety have gone through several phases. In the early days, analytical and experimental methods were employed. For the last four decades 1D system level codes were widely used. The continuous development of nuclear reactor technology has brought about more complex system and processes of nuclear reactor operation. More detailed dimensional simulation codes are needed to assess these new reactors. Recently, 2D and 3D system level codes such as CFD are being explored. This paper discusses a comparative study on two different approaches of CFD modelling on reactor core cooling behaviour.

Advanced Reactor Technology/Energy Conversion Project FY17 Accomplishments.

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

Rochau, Gary E.

The purpose of the ART Energy Conversion (EC) Project is to provide solutions to convert the heat from an advanced reactor to useful products that support commercial application of the reactor designs.

Safety and core design of large liquid-metal cooled fast breeder reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qvist, Staffan Alexander

In light of the scientific evidence for changes in the climate caused by greenhouse-gas emissions from human activities, the world is in ever more desperate need of new, inexhaustible, safe and clean primary energy sources. A viable solution to this problem is the widespread adoption of nuclear breeder reactor technology. Innovative breeder reactor concepts using liquid-metal coolants such as sodium or lead will be able to utilize the waste produced by the current light water reactor fuel cycle to power the entire world for several centuries to come. Breed & burn (B&B) type fast reactor cores can unlock the energy potential of readily available fertile material such as depleted uranium without the need for chemical reprocessing. Using B&B technology, nuclear waste generation, uranium mining needs and proliferation concerns can be greatly reduced, and after a transitional period, enrichment facilities may no longer be needed. In this dissertation, new passively operating safety systems for fast reactors cores are presented. New analysis and optimization methods for B&B core design have been developed, along with a comprehensive computer code that couples neutronics, thermal-hydraulics and structural mechanics and enables a completely automated and optimized fast reactor core design process. In addition, an experiment that expands the knowledge-base of corrosion issues of lead-based coolants in nuclear reactors was designed and built. The motivation behind the work presented in this thesis is to help facilitate the widespread adoption of safe and efficient fast reactor technology.

Nitrifying biomass characterization and monitoring during bioaugmentation in a membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

D'Anteo, Sibilla; Mannucci, Alberto; Meliani, Matteo; Verni, Franco; Petroni, Giulio; Munz, Giulio; Lubello, Claudio; Mori, Gualtiero; Vannini, Claudia

2015-01-01

A membrane bioreactor (MBR), fed with domestic wastewater, was bioaugmented with nitrifying biomass selected in a side-stream MBR fed with a synthetic high nitrogen-loaded influent. Microbial communities evolution was monitored and comparatively analysed through an extensive bio-molecular investigation (16S rRNA gene library construction and terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques) followed by statistical analyses. As expected, a highly specialized nitrifying biomass was selected in the side-stream reactor fed with high-strength ammonia synthetic wastewater. The bioaugmentation process caused an increase of nitrifying bacteria of the genera Nitrosomonas (up to more than 30%) and Nitrobacter in the inoculated MBR reactor. The overall structure of the microbial community changed in the mainstream MBR as a result of bioaugmentation. The effect of bioaugmentation in the shift of the microbial community was also verified through statistical analysis.

Removal of gaseous trichloroethylene (TCE) in a composite membrane biofilm reactor.

PubMed

Kumar, Amit; Vercruyssen, Aline; Dewulf, Jo; Lens, Piet; Van Langenhove, Herman

2012-01-01

A membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) was investigated for the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) vapors inoculated by Burkholderia vietnamiensis G4. Toluene (TOL) was used as the primary substrate. The MBfR was loaded sequentially with TOL, TCE (or both) during 110 days. In this study, a maximum steady-state TCE removal efficiency of 23% and a maximum volumetric elimination capacity (EC) of 2.1 g m(-3) h(-1) was achieved. A surface area based maximum elimination capacity (EC(m)) of 4.2 × 10(-3) g m(-2) h(-1) was observed, which is 2-10 times higher than reported in other gas phase biological treatment studies. However, further research is needed to optimize the TCE feeding cycle and to evaluate the inhibiting effects of TCE and its intermediates on TOL biodegradation.

Advanced Water Recovery Technologies for Long Duration Space Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Scan X.

2005-01-01

Extended-duration space travel and habitation require recovering water from wastewater generated in spacecrafts and extraterrestrial outposts since the largest consumable for human life support is water. Many wastewater treatment technologies used for terrestrial applications are adoptable to extraterrestrial situations but challenges remain as constraints of space flights and habitation impose severe limitations of these technologies. Membrane-based technologies, particularly membrane filtration, have been widely studied by NASA and NASA-funded research groups for possible applications in space wastewater treatment. The advantages of membrane filtration are apparent: it is energy-efficient and compact, needs little consumable other than replacement membranes and cleaning agents, and doesn't involve multiphase flow, which is big plus for operations under microgravity environment. However, membrane lifespan and performance are affected by the phenomena of concentration polarization and membrane fouling. This article attempts to survey current status of membrane technologies related to wastewater treatment and desalination in the context of space exploration and quantify them in terms of readiness level for space exploration. This paper also makes specific recommendations and predictions on how scientist and engineers involving designing, testing, and developing space-certified membrane-based advanced water recovery technologies can improve the likelihood of successful development of an effective regenerative human life support system for long-duration space missions.

Novel method for high-throughput colony PCR screening in nanoliter-reactors

PubMed Central

Walser, Marcel; Pellaux, Rene; Meyer, Andreas; Bechtold, Matthias; Vanderschuren, Herve; Reinhardt, Richard; Magyar, Joseph; Panke, Sven; Held, Martin

2009-01-01

We introduce a technology for the rapid identification and sequencing of conserved DNA elements employing a novel suspension array based on nanoliter (nl)-reactors made from alginate. The reactors have a volume of 35 nl and serve as reaction compartments during monoseptic growth of microbial library clones, colony lysis, thermocycling and screening for sequence motifs via semi-quantitative fluorescence analyses. nl-Reactors were kept in suspension during all high-throughput steps which allowed performing the protocol in a highly space-effective fashion and at negligible expenses of consumables and reagents. As a first application, 11 high-quality microsatellites for polymorphism studies in cassava were isolated and sequenced out of a library of 20 000 clones in 2 days. The technology is widely scalable and we envision that throughputs for nl-reactor based screenings can be increased up to 100 000 and more samples per day thereby efficiently complementing protocols based on established deep-sequencing technologies. PMID:19282448

Forward Osmosis in Wastewater Treatment Processes.

PubMed

Korenak, Jasmina; Basu, Subhankar; Balakrishnan, Malini; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus; Petrinic, Irena

2017-01-01

In recent years, membrane technology has been widely used in wastewater treatment and water purification. Membrane technology is simple to operate and produces very high quality water for human consumption and industrial purposes. One of the promising technologies for water and wastewater treatment is the application of forward osmosis. Essentially, forward osmosis is a process in which water is driven through a semipermeable membrane from a feed solution to a draw solution due to the osmotic pressure gradient across the membrane. The immediate advantage over existing pressure driven membrane technologies is that the forward osmosis process per se eliminates the need for operation with high hydraulic pressure and forward osmosis has low fouling tendency. Hence, it provides an opportunity for saving energy and membrane replacement cost. However, there are many limitations that still need to be addressed. Here we briefly review some of the applications within water purification and new developments in forward osmosis membrane fabrication.

A Review of Ultrafiltration and Forward Osmosis:application and modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Gong; Shuili, Yu; Yufei, Shangguan; Zhengyang, Gu; Wangzhen, Yang; Liumo, Ren

2018-03-01

As a new treatment, membrane filtration is playing a more prominent role in treating many kinds of wastewater. Among all the membrane technologies, ultrafiltration(UF) and forward osmosis(FO) technology has been widely utilized and developed in oil field and refinery produced water. However, the reports about the differences between the two kinds of membrane technology used in oily wastewater are not yet available. In this review, at first we introduce the advantages, shortcomings and applications of UF and FO membranes. Among these, we mainly illustrate the membrane fouling, which now is a big problem because it increases costs and decreases membrane life to limit the industrialization of the membrane, and the different modification methods of membranes are discussed to figure out how these ways can ease the membrane fouling. Next we make a comparison of the two membranes. Finally we illustrate the future research topics.

CFD modelling of a membrane reactor for hydrogen production from ammonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shwe Hla, San; Dolan, Michael D.

2018-01-01

Despite the growing use of hydrogen (H2) as a transport fuel, one of the major barriers still remaining is efficient and inexpensive fuel distribution and storage. Current approaches, such as compression, liquefaction or metal hydride formation, incur a significant energy penalty. Ammonia (NH3) has long been considered a prospective H2 medium, exhibiting a higher volumetric H2 density than liquid H2, through liquid-phase storage at mild pressure. Decomposition of NH3 into H2 and N2 can be achieved via use of catalytic reactors and fuel-cell-grade H2 can be produced using metal membranes at H2 distribution sites.In this study, a 3-Dimensional (3D) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model has been developed to understand the performance of the H2 separation process in gas mixtures derived from an NH3-cracking reaction. The reactor consists of 19 tubular membrane tubes, each 470 mm long, inside a tubular shell with an inner diameter of 130 mm. Standard transport and energy equations governing a 3D, pressure-based, steady-state model were derived from the laws of conservation of mass, momentum and energy. The governing equations were solved using commercial CFD software ANSYS Fluent 18.0. Gas flow and mixing were modelled by the two-equation standard k-epsilon model for closure. Coupled solver was used for pressure-velocity coupling, enabling a pseudo-transient option with pseudo time steps of 0.01 s. To estimate H2 permeation through the metal membrane, a constant H2 permeability of 3.0E-07 mol.m-1 s-1 Pa-0.5 derived from series of experiments tested under a range of industrial conditions, was used. Model simulations were conducted for an adiabatic temperature of 300 °C, a feed-side pressure of 7.8 bara and a permeate side pressure of 0.1 bara. A parametric analysis was carried out to explore the effects of variation in total feed-gas flow and effects of changes in NH3-cracking efficiency on H2 production rates and H2 yields. The model estimated that 4.6-11.6 kg H2/day can be produced from a 30-70 L min-1 NH3 inlet flow with 80-90% NH3-cracking efficiency. At lower NH3 inlet flow rates, higher H2 yields can be obtained within a shorter distance of the membrane tubes due to relatively slower velocities and longer residence times. At high inlet flow rates, H2 yields were significantly lower due to their faster velocities and shorter resident times, but high yields (>95%) were still observed at the membrane reactor outlet. A sensitivity analysis of the model showed that even if metal membranes functioned at only 50% of the maximum permeability, a high H2 yield similar to that estimated using 100% permeability can still be achieved at the H2 outlets.

Key Assets for a Sustainable Low Carbon Energy Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carre, Frank

2011-10-01

Since the beginning of the 21st century, concerns of energy security and climate change gave rise to energy policies focused on energy conservation and diversified low-carbon energy sources. Provided lessons of Fukushima accident are evidently accounted for, nuclear energy will probably be confirmed in most of today's nuclear countries as a low carbon energy source needed to limit imports of oil and gas and to meet fast growing energy needs. Future challenges of nuclear energy are then in three directions: i) enhancing safety performance so as to preclude any long term impact of severe accident outside the site of the plant, even in case of hypothetical external events, ii) full use of Uranium and minimization long lived radioactive waste burden for sustainability, and iii) extension to non-electricity energy products for maximizing the share of low carbon energy source in transportation fuels, industrial process heat and district heating. Advanced LWRs (Gen-III) are today's best available technologies and can somewhat advance nuclear energy in these three directions. However, breakthroughs in sustainability call for fast neutron reactors and closed fuel cycles, and non-electric applications prompt a revival of interest in high temperature reactors for exceeding cogeneration performances achievable with LWRs. Both types of Gen-IV nuclear systems by nature call for technology breakthroughs to surpass LWRs capabilities. Current resumption in France of research on sodium cooled fast neutron reactors (SFRs) definitely aims at significant progress in safety and economic competitiveness compared to earlier reactors of this type in order to progress towards a new generation of commercially viable sodium cooled fast reactor. Along with advancing a new generation of sodium cooled fast reactor, research and development on alternative fast reactor types such as gas or lead-alloy cooled systems (GFR & LFR) is strategic to overcome technical difficulties and/or political opposition specific to sodium. In conclusion, research and technology breakthroughs in nuclear power are needed for shaping a sustainable low carbon future. International cooperation is key for sharing costs of research and development of the required novel technologies and cost of first experimental reactors needed to demonstrate enabling technologies. At the same time technology breakthroughs are developed, pre-normative research is required to support codification work and harmonized regulations that will ultimately apply to safety and security features of resulting innovative reactor types and fuel cycles.

Hydrogen production from methane using oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faraji, Sedigheh

Non-porous ceramic membranes with mixed ionic and electronic conductivity have received significant interest in membrane reactor systems for the conversion of methane and higher hydrocarbons to higher value products like hydrogen. However, hydrogen generation by this method has not yet been commercialized and suffers from low membrane stability, low membrane oxygen flux, high membrane fabrication costs, and high reaction temperature requirements. In this dissertation, hydrogen production from methane on two different types of ceramic membranes (dense SFC and BSCF) has been investigated. The focus of this research was on the effects of different parameters to improve hydrogen production in a membrane reactor. These parameters included operating temperature, type of catalyst, membrane material, membrane thickness, membrane preparation pH, and feed ratio. The role of the membrane in the conversion of methane and the interaction with a Pt/CeZrO2 catalyst has been studied. Pulse studies of reactants and products over physical mixtures of crushed membrane material and catalyst have clearly demonstrated that a synergy exists between the membrane and the catalyst under reaction conditions. The degree of catalyst/membrane interaction strongly impacts the conversion of methane and the catalyst performance. During thermogravimetric analysis, the onset temperature of oxygen release for BSCF was observed to be lower than that for SFC while the amount of oxygen release was significantly greater. Pulse injections of CO2 over crushed membranes at 800°C have shown more CO2 dissociation on the BSCF membrane than the SFC membrane, resulting in higher CO formation on the BSCF membrane. Similar to the CO2 pulses, when CO was injected on the samples at 800°C, CO2 production was higher on BSCF than SFC. It was found that hydrogen consumption on BSCF particles is 24 times higher than that on SFC particles. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption studies of CO and CO2 showed a higher CO and CO2 adsorption (for temperatures ranging from room temperature to 600°C) on BSCF compared to the SFC membrane. CO2 reforming reactions on BSCF and SFC dense membranes in a membrane reactor showed higher methane conversion and H2/CO ratio on BSCF than SFC in the presence of the Pt/CeZrO2 catalyst. This high conversion and H2/CO ratio could be ascribed to higher CO, CO2, and H2 adsorption on BSCF than SFC, resulting in higher steam and CO2 reforming on the BSCF. The Pt-Ni/CeZrO2 catalyst exhibits promising performance for hydrogen production. Platinum enhances the reducibility of Ni/Al2O 3 and Ni/CeZrO2 catalysts resulting in improved catalysts for H2 production at moderate temperatures. TPR and Raman studies show an alloy formation in the Pt-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. Further work is required to study the interaction between Pt and Ni in the bimetallic Pt-Ni/CeZrO2 and Pt-Ni/Al2O3 catalysts. Although the Pt-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst shows high methane conversion in the presence of the BSCF membrane at 800°C, the activity of this catalyst is low at 600°C. Pt-Ni/CeZrO2 bimetallic catalyst demonstrates superior performance compared to Pt-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst at 600°C. The thinner BSCF membrane (2.2 mm) demonstrates a higher methane conversion and H2:CO ratio than the thicker BSCF membrane (2.6 mm) because membrane oxygen flux is inversely proportional to thickness. Varying the pH of the precursor solution during membrane preparation has no significant effect on the oxygen flux or the reaction. The CH 4:CO2 feed ratio significantly affects the hydrogen production over the BSCF membrane. Altering the CH4:CO2 ratio has a direct impact on the oxygen flux, which in turn can influence the reaction pathway. These studies suggest that the Pt-Ni/CeZrO2 catalyst might be suitable for low-temperature hydrocarbon conversion reactions over thin BSCF ceramic membranes. Most importantly, the BSCF membrane can reduce the apparent activation energy of the CO2 reforming reaction by changing the reaction pathway to include more steam reforming.

Evolving Maturation of the Series-Bosch System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, Christine; Abney, Morgan B.; Barnett, Bill

2017-01-01

Human exploration missions to Mars and other destinations beyond low Earth orbit require highly robust, reliable, and maintainable life support systems that maximize recycling of water and oxygen. In order to meet this requirement, NASA has continued the development of a Series-Bosch System, a two stage reactor process that reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) with hydrogen (H2) to produce water and solid carbon. Theoretically, the Bosch process can recover 100% of the oxygen (O2) from CO2 in the form of water, making it an attractive option for long duration missions. The Series Bosch system includes a reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reactor, a carbon formation reactor (CFR), an H2 extraction membrane, and a CO2 extraction membrane. In 2016, the results of integrated testing of the Series Bosch system showed great promise and resulted in design modifications to the CFR to further improve performance. This year, integrated testing was conducted with the modified reactor to evaluate its performance and compare it with the performance of the previous configuration. Additionally, a CFR with the capability to load new catalyst and remove spent catalyst in-situ was built. Flow demonstrations were performed to evaluate both the catalyst loading and removal process and the hardware performance. The results of the integrated testing with the modified CFR as well as the flow demonstrations are discussed in this paper.

Performance and microbial community of a membrane bioreactor system - Treating wastewater from ethanol fermentation of food waste.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiaobiao; Li, Mengqi; Zheng, Wei; Liu, Rui; Chen, Lujun

2017-03-01

In this study, a lab-scale biological anaerobic/anaerobic/anoxic/membrane bioreactor (A 3 -MBR) was designed to treat wastewater from the ethanol fermentation of food waste, a promising way for the disposal of food waste and reclamation of resources. The 454 pyrosequencing technique was used to investigate the composition of the microbial community in the treatment system. The system yielded a stable effluent concentration of chemical oxygen demand (202±23mg/L), total nitrogen (62.1±7.1mg/L), ammonia (0.3±0.13mg/L) and total phosphorus (8.3±0.9mg/L), and the reactors played different roles in specific pollutant removal. The exploration of the microbial community in the system revealed that: (1) the microbial diversity of anaerobic reactors A 1 and A 2 , in which organic pollutants were massively degraded, was much higher than that in anoxic A 3 and aerobic MBR; (2) although the community composition in each reactor was quite different, bacteria assigned to the classes Clostridia, Bacteroidia, and Synergistia were important and common microorganisms for organic pollutant degradation in the anaerobic units, and bacteria from Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria were the dominant microbial population in A 3 and MBR; (3) the taxon identification indicated that Arcobacter in the anaerobic reactors and Thauera in the anoxic reactor were two representative genera in the biological process. Our results proved that the biological A 3 -MBR process is an alternative technique for treating wastewater from food waste. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

APPLICATION ANALYSIS REPORT: HORSEHEAD RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY INC., FLAME REACTOR TECHNOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

A SITE demonstration of the Horsehead Resource Development (HRD) company, Inc. Flame Reactor Technology was conducted in March 1991 at the HRD facility in Monaca, Pennsylvania. For this demonstration, secondary lead smelter soda slag was treated to produce a potentially recyclabl...

Implementation Plan for Qualification of Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor Technology Information

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

Moe, Wayne; Honma, George

This document identifies and discusses implementation elements that can be used to facilitate consistent and systematic evaluation processes relating to quality attributes of technical information (with focus on SFR technology) that will be used to support licensing of advanced reactor designs. Information may include, but is not limited to, design documents for SFRs, research-and-development (R&D) data and associated documents, test plans and associated protocols, operations and test data, international research data, technical reports, and information associated with past U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews of SFR designs. The approach for determining acceptability of test data, analysis, and/or other technical informationmore » is based on guidance provided in INL/EXT-15-35805, “Guidance on Evaluating Historic Technology Information for Use in Advanced Reactor Licensing.” The implementation plan can be adopted into a working procedure at each of the national laboratories performing data qualification, or by applicants seeking future license application for advanced reactor technology.« less

Combination of cupric ion with hydroxylamine and hydrogen peroxide for the control of bacterial biofilms on RO membranes.

PubMed

Lee, Hye-Jin; Kim, Hyung-Eun; Lee, Changha

2017-03-01

Combinations of Cu(II) with hydroxylamine (HA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) (i.e., Cu(II)/HA, Cu(II)/H 2 O 2 , and Cu(II)/HA/H 2 O 2 systems) were investigated for the control of P. aeruginosa biofilms on reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. These Cu(II)-based disinfection systems effectively inactivated P. aeruginosa cells, exhibiting different behaviors depending on the state of bacterial cells (planktonic or biofilm) and the condition of biofilm growth and treatment (normal or pressurized condition). The Cu(II)/HA and Cu(II)/HA/H 2 O 2 systems were the most effective reagents for the inactivation of planktonic cells. However, these systems were not effective in inactivating cells in biofilms on the RO membranes possibly due to the interactions of Cu(I) with extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), where biofilms were grown and treated in center for disease control (CDC) reactors. Different from the results using CDC reactors, in a pressurized cross-flow RO filtration unit, the Cu(II)/HA/H 2 O 2 treatment significantly inactivated biofilm cells formed on the RO membranes, successfully recovering the permeate flux reduced by the biofouling. The pretreatment of feed solutions by Cu(II)/HA and Cu(II)/HA/H 2 O 2 systems (applied before the biofilm formation) effectively mitigated the permeate flux decline by preventing the biofilm growth on the RO membranes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY: OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLYHEDRAL OLIGOMERIC SILSESQUIOXANES (POSS) IN MEMBRANE-BASED SEPARATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

Membrane Technology: Opportunities for Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS?) in Membrane-Based Separations

Leland M. Vane, Ph.D.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research & Development
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Vane.Leland@epa.gov

A sign...

Long-term effect on membrane fouling in a new membrane bioreactor as a pretreatment to seawater desalination.

PubMed

Jeong, Sanghyun; Rice, Scott A; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuthu

2014-08-01

Submerged membrane adsorption bio-reactors (SMABR) were investigated as a new pretreatment for seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination. They were tested with different doses of powder activated carbon (PAC) on-site for a long-term. The biofouling on the membrane was assessed in terms of DNA (cells) and polysaccharide distribution. MBR without PAC addition resulted in severe fouling on membrane. When PAC is added in the MBR, PAC could reduce the organic fouling. Hence the biofilm formation on membrane was reduced without any membrane damage. PAC also helped to remove low molecular weight (LMW) organics responsible for biofouling of RO membrane. A linear correlation between assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and LMW organics was observed. A small amount of PAC (2.4-8.0g of PAC/m(3) of seawater) was sufficient to reduce biofouling. It indicated that SMABR is an environmentally-friendly biological pretreatment to reduce biofouling for SWRO. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Liu, Jia

Biorefineries convert biomass into many useful intermediates. For bio-based products to be used for fuel, energy, chemical, and many other applications, water needs to be removed from these aqueous products. Membrane separation technologies can significantly reduce separation energy consumption compared with conventional separation processes such as distillation. Nanoporous inorganic membranes have superior pervaporation performance with excellent organic fouling resistance. However, their commercial applications are limited due to high membrane costs and poor production reproducibility. A novel cost-effective inorganic membrane fabrication technology has been developed with low cost materials and using an advanced membrane fabrication technology. Low cost precursor material formulationmore » was successfully developed with desired material properties for membrane fabrication. An advanced membrane fabrication process was developed using the novel membrane materials to enable the fabrication of separation membranes of various geometries. The structural robustness and separation performance of the low cost inorganic membranes were evaluated. The novel inorganic membranes demonstrated high structural integrity and were effective in pervaporation removal of water.« less

Materials technology for an advanced space power nuclear reactor concept: Program summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gluyas, R. E.; Watson, G. K.

1975-01-01

The results of a materials technology program for a long-life (50,000 hr), high-temperature (950 C coolant outlet), lithium-cooled, nuclear space power reactor concept are reviewed and discussed. Fabrication methods and compatibility and property data were developed for candidate materials for fuel pins and, to a lesser extent, for potential control systems, reflectors, reactor vessel and piping, and other reactor structural materials. The effects of selected materials variables on fuel pin irradiation performance were determined. The most promising materials for fuel pins were found to be 85 percent dense uranium mononitride (UN) fuel clad with tungsten-lined T-111 (Ta-8W-2Hf).

Demand driven salt clean-up in a molten salt fast reactor - Defining a priority list.

PubMed

Merk, B; Litskevich, D; Gregg, R; Mount, A R

2018-01-01

The PUREX technology based on aqueous processes is currently the leading reprocessing technology in nuclear energy systems. It seems to be the most developed and established process for light water reactor fuel and the use of solid fuel. However, demand driven development of the nuclear system opens the way to liquid fuelled reactors, and disruptive technology development through the application of an integrated fuel cycle with a direct link to reactor operation. The possibilities of this new concept for innovative reprocessing technology development are analysed, the boundary conditions are discussed, and the economic as well as the neutron physical optimization parameters of the process are elucidated. Reactor physical knowledge of the influence of different elements on the neutron economy of the reactor is required. Using an innovative study approach, an element priority list for the salt clean-up is developed, which indicates that separation of Neodymium and Caesium is desirable, as they contribute almost 50% to the loss of criticality. Separating Zirconium and Samarium in addition from the fuel salt would remove nearly 80% of the loss of criticality due to fission products. The theoretical study is followed by a qualitative discussion of the different, demand driven optimization strategies which could satisfy the conflicting interests of sustainable reactor operation, efficient chemical processing for the salt clean-up, and the related economic as well as chemical engineering consequences. A new, innovative approach of balancing the throughput through salt processing based on a low number of separation process steps is developed. Next steps for the development of an economically viable salt clean-up process are identified.

NGNP Data Management and Analysis System Analysis and Web Delivery Capabilities

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

Cynthia D. Gentillon

2010-09-01

Projects for the Very High Temperature Reactor Technology Development Office provide data in support of Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing of the very high temperature reactor. Fuel and materials to be used in the reactor are tested and characterized to quantify performance in high-temperature and high-fluence environments. In addition, thermal-hydraulic experiments are conducted to validate codes used to assess reactor safety. The Very High Temperature Reactor Technology Development Office has established the NGNP Data Management and Analysis System (NDMAS) at the Idaho National Laboratory to ensure that very high temperature reactor data are (1) qualified for use, (2) stored in amore » readily accessible electronic form, and (3) analyzed to extract useful results. This document focuses on the third NDMAS objective. It describes capabilities for displaying the data in meaningful ways and for data analysis to identify useful relationships among the measured quantities.« less

The United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program - Over 151 Million Miles Safely Steamed on Nuclear Power

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

None, None

NNSA’s third mission pillar is supporting the U.S. Navy’s ability to protect and defend American interests across the globe. The Naval Reactors Program remains at the forefront of technological developments in naval nuclear propulsion and ensures a commanding edge in warfighting capabilities by advancing new technologies and improvements in naval reactor performance and reliability. In 2015, the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program pioneered advances in nuclear reactor and warship design – such as increasing reactor lifetimes, improving submarine operational effectiveness, and reducing propulsion plant crewing. The Naval Reactors Program continued its record of operational excellence by providing the technical expertise requiredmore » to resolve emergent issues in the Nation’s nuclear-powered fleet, enabling the Fleet to safely steam more than two million miles. Naval Reactors safely maintains, operates, and oversees the reactors on the Navy’s 82 nuclear-powered warships, constituting more than 45 percent of the Navy’s major combatants.« less

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

Qualls, A. L.; Brown, Nicholas R.; Betzler, Benjamin R.

The fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR) demonstration reactor (DR) is a concept for a salt-cooled reactor with 100 megawatts of thermal output (MWt). It would use tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel within prismatic graphite blocks. FLiBe (2 LiF-BeF 2) is the reference primary coolant. The FHR DR is designed to be small, simple, and affordable. Development of the FHR DR is a necessary intermediate step to enable near-term commercial FHRs. Lower risk technologies are purposely included in the initial FHR DR design to ensure that the reactor can be built, licensed, and operated within an acceptable budget and schedule. These technologiesmore » include TRISO particle fuel, replaceable core structural material, the use of that same material for the primary and intermediate loops, and tube-and-shell primary-to-intermediate heat exchangers. Several preconceptual and conceptual design efforts that have been conducted on FHR concepts bear a significant influence on the FHR DR design. Specific designs include the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) advanced high-temperature reactor (AHTR) with 3400/1500 MWt/megawatts of electric output (MWe), as well as a 125 MWt small modular AHTR (SmAHTR) from ORNL. Other important examples are the Mk1 pebble bed FHR (PB-FHR) concept from the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), and an FHR test reactor design developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The MIT FHR test reactor is based on a prismatic fuel platform and is directly relevant to the present FHR DR design effort. These FHR concepts are based on reasonable assumptions for credible commercial prototypes. The FHR DR concept also directly benefits from the operating experience of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE), as well as the detailed design efforts for a large molten salt reactor concept and its breeder variant, the Molten Salt Breeder Reactor. The FHR DR technology is most representative of the 3400 MWt AHTR concept, and it will demonstrate key operational features of that design. The FHR DR will be closely scaled to the SmAHTR concept in power and flows, so any technologies demonstrated will be directly applicable to a reactor concept of that size. The FHR DR is not a commercial prototype design, but rather a DR that serves a cost and risk mitigation function for a later commercial prototype. It is expected to have a limited operational lifetime compared to a commercial plant. It is designed to be a low-cost reactor compared to more mature advanced prototype DRs. A primary reason to build the FHR DR is to learn about salt reactor technologies and demonstrate solutions to remaining technical gaps.« less

Microchannel Reactors for ISRU Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carranza, Susana; Makel, Darby B.; Blizman, Brandon; Ward, Benjamin J.

2005-02-01

Affordable planning and execution of prolonged manned space missions depend upon the utilization of local resources and the waste products which are formed in manned spacecraft and surface bases. Successful in-situ resources utilization (ISRU) will require component technologies which provide optimal size, weight, volume, and power efficiency. Microchannel reactors enable the efficient chemical processing of in situ resources. The reactors can be designed for the processes that generate the most benefit for each mission. For instance, propellants (methane) can be produced from carbon dioxide from the Mars atmosphere using the Sabatier reaction and ethylene can be produced from the partial oxidation of methane. A system that synthesizes ethylene could be the precursor for systems to synthesize ethanol and polyethylene. Ethanol can be used as a nutrient for Astrobiology experiments, as well as the production of nutrients for human crew (e.g. sugars). Polyethylene can be used in the construction of habitats, tools, and replacement parts. This paper will present recent developments in miniature chemical reactors using advanced Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and microchannel technology to support ISRU of Mars and lunar missions. Among other applications, the technology has been demonstrated for the Sabatier process and for the partial oxidation of methane. Microchannel reactors were developed based on ceramic substrates as well as metal substrates. In both types of reactors, multiple layers coated with catalytic material are bonded, forming a monolithic structure. Such reactors are readily scalable with the incorporation of extra layers. In addition, this reactor structure minimizes pressure drop and catalyst settling, which are common problems in conventional packed bed reactors.

Agile Port and High Speed Ship Technologies, Vol 1: FY05 Projects 3-6 and 8-10

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-02

Computational Fluid Dynamics DTMB - David Taylor Model Basin JVR - Jet Velocity Ratio NSWCCD - Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division SDD - Systems...immature current state of the technology employed for the reactor system (multiple closed Brayton Cycle, Helium Cooled Gas reactors); (iii) several

75 FR 62892 - Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor Environmental Assessment and Finding of No...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-13

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-020; NRC-2010-0313] Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Correction In notice document 2010-24809 beginning on page 61220 in the issue of Monday, October 4, 2010, make the...

Long-term stability of thermophilic co-digestion submerged anaerobic membrane reactor encountering high organic loading rate, persistent propionate and detectable hydrogen in biogas.

PubMed

Qiao, Wei; Takayanagi, Kazuyuki; Niu, Qigui; Shofie, Mohammad; Li, Yu You

2013-12-01

The performance of thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of coffee grounds and sludge using membrane reactor was investigated for 148 days, out of a total research duration of 263 days. The OLR was increased from 2.2 to 33.7 kg-COD/m(3)d and HRT was shortened from 70 to 7 days. A significant irreversible drop in pH confirmed the overload of reactor. Under a moderately high OLR of 23.6 kg-COD/m(3)d, and with HRT and influent total solids of 10 days and 150 g/L, respectively, the COD removal efficiency was 44.5%. Hydrogen in biogas was around 100-200 ppm, which resulted in the persistent propionate of 1.0-3.2g/L. The VFA consumed approximately 60% of the total alkalinity. NH4HCO3 was supplemented to maintain alkalinity. The stability of system relied on pH management under steady state. The 16SrDNA results showed that hydrogen-utilizing methanogens dominates the archaeal community. The propionate-oxidizing bacteria in bacterial community was insufficient. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program Advanced Instrumentation, Information, and Control Systems Technologies Technical Program Plan for FY 2016

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

Hallbert, Bruce Perry; Thomas, Kenneth David

2015-10-01

Reliable instrumentation, information, and control (II&C) systems technologies are essential to ensuring safe and efficient operation of the U.S. light water reactor (LWR) fleet. These technologies affect every aspect of nuclear power plant (NPP) and balance-of-plant operations. In 1997, the National Research Council conducted a study concerning the challenges involved in modernization of digital instrumentation and control systems in NPPs. Their findings identified the need for new II&C technology integration.

Propulsion and Power Technologies for the NASA Exploration Vision: A Research Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litchford, Ron J.

2004-01-01

Future propulsion and power technologies for deep space missions are profiled in this viewgraph presentation. The presentation includes diagrams illustrating possible future travel times to other planets in the solar system. The propulsion technologies researched at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) include: 1) Chemical Propulsion; 2) Nuclear Propulsion; 3) Electric and Plasma Propulsion; 4) Energetics. The presentation contains additional information about these technologies, as well as space reactors, reactor simulation, and the Propulsion Research Laboratory (PRL) at MSFC.

Polymerization Reactor Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skaates, J. Michael

1987-01-01

Describes a polymerization reactor engineering course offered at Michigan Technological University which focuses on the design and operation of industrial polymerization reactors to achieve a desired degree of polymerization and molecular weight distribution. Provides a list of the course topics and assigned readings. (TW)

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

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

Hilaly, Ahmad; Georgas, Adam; Leboreiro, Jose

2011-09-30

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

Significance of dissolved methane in effluents of anaerobically treated low strength wastewater and potential for recovery as an energy product: A review.

PubMed

Crone, Brian C; Garland, Jay L; Sorial, George A; Vane, Leland M

2016-11-01

The need for energy efficient Domestic Wastewater (DWW) treatment is increasing annually with population growth and expanding global energy demand. Anaerobic treatment of low strength DWW produces methane which can be used to as an energy product. Temperature sensitivity, low removal efficiencies (Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Suspended Solids (SS), and Nutrients), alkalinity demand, and potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have limited its application to warmer climates. Although well designed anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors (AnMBRs) are able to effectively treat DWW at psychrophilic temperatures (10-30 °C), lower temperatures increase methane solubility leading to increased energy losses in the form of dissolved methane in the effluent. Estimates of dissolved methane losses are typically based on concentrations calculated using Henry's Law but advection limitations can lead to supersaturation of methane between 1.34 and 6.9 times equilibrium concentrations and 11-100% of generated methane being lost in the effluent. In well mixed systems such as AnMBRs which use biogas sparging to control membrane fouling, actual concentrations approach equilibrium values. Non-porous membranes have been used to recover up to 92.6% of dissolved methane and well suited for degassing effluents of Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors which have considerable solids and organic contents and can cause pore wetting and clogging in microporous membrane modules. Microporous membranes can recover up to 98.9% of dissolved methane in AnMBR effluents which have low COD and SS concentrations. Sequential Down-flow Hanging Sponge (DHS) reactors have been used to recover between 57 and 88% of dissolved methane from Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor effluent at concentrations of greater than 30% and oxidize the rest for a 99% removal of total dissolved methane. They can also remove 90% of suspended solids and COD in UASB effluents and produce a high quality effluent. In situ degassing can increase process stability, COD removal, biomass retention, and headspace methane concentrations. A model for estimating energy consumption associated with membrane-based dissolved methane recovery predicts that recovered dissolved and headspace methane may provide all the energy required for operation of an anaerobic system treating DWW at psychrophilic temperatures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of Fuel Cell Technologies for Military Land Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

fuel cell technologies for APUs are Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells ( PEMFC ), direct methanol fuel cells and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). The...6 4.2 Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells ( PEMFC ...OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer PEM Proton Exchange Membrane PEMFC Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell SOFC Solid Oxide Fuel Cell TRL Technical

Applicability of dynamic membrane technology in anaerobic membrane bioreactors.

PubMed

Ersahin, Mustafa Evren; Ozgun, Hale; Tao, Yu; van Lier, Jules B

2014-01-01

This study investigated the applicability of dynamic membrane technology in anaerobic membrane bioreactors for the treatment of high strength wastewaters. A monofilament woven fabric was used as support material for dynamic membrane formation. An anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor (AnDMBR) was operated under a variety of operational conditions, including different sludge retention times (SRTs) of 20 and 40 days in order to determine the effect of SRT on both biological performance and dynamic membrane filtration characteristics. High COD removal efficiencies exceeding 99% were achieved during the operation at both SRTs. Higher filtration resistances were measured during the operation at SRT of 40 days in comparison to SRT of 20 days, applying a stable flux of 2.6 L/m(2) h. The higher filtration resistances coincided with lower extracellular polymeric substances concentration in the bulk sludge at SRT of 40 days, likely resulting in a decreased particle flocculation. Results showed that dynamic membrane technology achieved a stable and high quality permeate and AnDMBRs can be used as a reliable and satisfactory technology for treatment of high strength wastewaters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The status of membrane bioreactor technology.

PubMed

Judd, Simon

2008-02-01

In this article, the current status of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for wastewater treatment is reviewed. Fundamental facets of the MBR process and membrane and process configurations are outlined and the advantages and disadvantages over conventional suspended growth-based biotreatment are briefly identified. Key process design and operating parameters are defined and their significance explained. The inter-relationships between these parameters are identified and their implications discussed, with particular reference to impacts on membrane surface fouling and channel clogging. In addition, current understanding of membrane surface fouling and identification of candidate foulants is appraised. Although much interest in this technology exists and its penetration of the market will probably increase significantly, there remains a lack of understanding of key process constraints such as membrane channel clogging, and of the science of membrane cleaning.

Gravity filtration performances of the bio-diatomite dynamic membrane reactor for slightly polluted surface water purification.

PubMed

Chu, Huaqiang; Dong, Bingzhi; Zhang, Yalei; Zhou, Xuefei

2012-01-01

A bio-diatomite dynamic membrane (BDDM) reactor for surface water treatment under a water head of 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 cm, respectively, was investigated, which was very effective for pollutants removal. The water head exerted strong influences on filtration flux of BDDM during the precoating process, as well as on the formation of BDDM and turbidity variations. A high filtration flux (approximately 200-300 L/m2 h) could be achieved in the long filtration times of BDDM with a stable effluent turbidity of approximately 0.11-0.25 NTU. The BDDM could remove particles larger than 25 μm completely. The adopted sintered diatomite mainly consisted of macro pores, which were beneficial for improving the filtration flux of BDDM. During the backwash stage, the BDDM could be removed completely by the air backwash.

Deactivation of TEM-1 β-Lactamase Investigated by Isothermal Batch and Non-Isothermal Continuous Enzyme Membrane Reactor Methods

PubMed Central

Rogers, Thomas A.

2011-01-01

The thermal deactivation of TEM-1 β-lactamase was examined using two experimental techniques: a series of isothermal batch assays and a single, continuous, non-isothermal assay in an enzyme membrane reactor (EMR). The isothermal batch-mode technique was coupled with the three-state “Equilibrium Model” of enzyme deactivation, while the results of the EMR experiment were fitted to a four-state “molten globule model”. The two methods both led to the conclusions that the thermal deactivation of TEM-1 β-lactamase does not follow the Lumry-Eyring model and that the Teq of the enzyme (the point at which active and inactive states are present in equal amounts due to thermodynamic equilibrium) is at least 10 °C from the Tm (melting temperature), contrary to the idea that the true temperature optimum of a biocatalyst is necessarily close to the melting temperature. PMID:22039393

Non-equilibrium steady states in supramolecular polymerization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorrenti, Alessandro; Leira-Iglesias, Jorge; Sato, Akihiro; Hermans, Thomas M.

2017-06-01

Living systems use fuel-driven supramolecular polymers such as actin to control important cell functions. Fuel molecules like ATP are used to control when and where such polymers should assemble and disassemble. The cell supplies fresh ATP to the cytosol and removes waste products to sustain steady states. Artificial fuel-driven polymers have been developed recently, but keeping them in sustained non-equilibrium steady states (NESS) has proven challenging. Here we show a supramolecular polymer that can be kept in NESS, inside a membrane reactor where ATP is added and waste removed continuously. Assembly and disassembly of our polymer is regulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, respectively. Waste products lead to inhibition, causing the reaction cycle to stop. Inside the membrane reactor, however, waste can be removed leading to long-lived NESS conditions. We anticipate that our approach to obtain NESS can be applied to other stimuli-responsive materials to achieve more life-like behaviour.

Ultrastructure and Viral Metagenome of Bacteriophages from an Anaerobic Methane Oxidizing Methylomirabilis Bioreactor Enrichment Culture

PubMed Central

Gambelli, Lavinia; Cremers, Geert; Mesman, Rob; Guerrero, Simon; Dutilh, Bas E.; Jetten, Mike S. M.; Op den Camp, Huub J. M.; van Niftrik, Laura

2016-01-01

With its capacity for anaerobic methane oxidation and denitrification, the bacterium Methylomirabilis oxyfera plays an important role in natural ecosystems. Its unique physiology can be exploited for more sustainable wastewater treatment technologies. However, operational stability of full-scale bioreactors can experience setbacks due to, for example, bacteriophage blooms. By shaping microbial communities through mortality, horizontal gene transfer, and metabolic reprogramming, bacteriophages are important players in most ecosystems. Here, we analyzed an infected Methylomirabilis sp. bioreactor enrichment culture using (advanced) electron microscopy, viral metagenomics and bioinformatics. Electron micrographs revealed four different viral morphotypes, one of which was observed to infect Methylomirabilis cells. The infected cells contained densely packed ~55 nm icosahedral bacteriophage particles with a putative internal membrane. Various stages of virion assembly were observed. Moreover, during the bacteriophage replication, the host cytoplasmic membrane appeared extremely patchy, which suggests that the bacteriophages may use host bacterial lipids to build their own putative internal membrane. The viral metagenome contained 1.87 million base pairs of assembled viral sequences, from which five putative complete viral genomes were assembled and manually annotated. Using bioinformatics analyses, we could not identify which viral genome belonged to the Methylomirabilis- infecting bacteriophage, in part because the obtained viral genome sequences were novel and unique to this reactor system. Taken together these results show that new bacteriophages can be detected in anaerobic cultivation systems and that the effect of bacteriophages on the microbial community in these systems is a topic for further study. PMID:27877158

Fully 3D printed integrated reactor array for point-of-care molecular diagnostics.

PubMed

Kadimisetty, Karteek; Song, Jinzhao; Doto, Aoife M; Hwang, Young; Peng, Jing; Mauk, Michael G; Bushman, Frederic D; Gross, Robert; Jarvis, Joseph N; Liu, Changchun

2018-06-30

Molecular diagnostics that involve nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are crucial for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. In this study, we developed a simple, inexpensive, disposable, fully 3D printed microfluidic reactor array that is capable of carrying out extraction, concentration and isothermal amplification of nucleic acids in variety of body fluids. The method allows rapid molecular diagnostic tests for infectious diseases at point of care. A simple leak-proof polymerization strategy was developed to integrate flow-through nucleic acid isolation membranes into microfluidic devices, yielding a multifunctional diagnostic platform. Static coating technology was adopted to improve the biocompatibility of our 3D printed device. We demonstrated the suitability of our device for both end-point colorimetric qualitative detection and real-time fluorescence quantitative detection. We applied our diagnostic device to detection of Plasmodium falciparum in plasma samples and Neisseria meningitides in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples by loop-mediated, isothermal amplification (LAMP) within 50 min. The detection limits were 100 fg for P. falciparum and 50 colony-forming unit (CFU) for N. meningitidis per reaction, which are comparable to that of benchtop instruments. This rapid and inexpensive 3D printed device has great potential for point-of-care molecular diagnosis of infectious disease in resource-limited settings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Feasibility study of a magnetic fusion production reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moir, R. W.

1986-12-01

A magnetic fusion reactor can produce 10.8 kg of tritium at a fusion power of only 400 MW —an order of magnitude lower power than that of a fission production reactor. Alternatively, the same fusion reactor can produce 995 kg of plutonium. Either a tokamak or a tandem mirror production plant can be used for this purpose; the cost is estimated at about 1.4 billion (1982 dollars) in either case. (The direct costs are estimated at 1.1 billion.) The production cost is calculated to be 22,000/g for tritium and 260/g for plutonium of quite high purity (1%240Pu). Because of the lack of demonstrated technology, such a plant could not be constructed today without significant risk. However, good progress is being made in fusion technology and, although success in magnetic fusion science and engineering is hard to predict with assurance, it seems possible that the physics basis and much of the needed technology could be demonstrated in facilities now under construction. Most of the remaining technology could be demonstrated in the early 1990s in a fusion test reactor of a few tens of megawatts. If the Magnetic Fusion Energy Program constructs a fusion test reactor of approximately 400 MW of fusion power as a next step in fusion power development, such a facility could be used later as a production reactor in a spinoff application. A construction decision in the late 1980s could result in an operating production reactor in the late 1990s. A magnetic fusion production reactor (MFPR) has four potential advantages over a fission production reactor: (1) no fissile material input is needed; (2) no fissioning exists in the tritium mode and very low fissioning exists in the plutonium mode thus avoiding the meltdown hazard; (3) the cost will probably be lower because of the smaller thermal power required; (4) and no reprocessing plant is needed in the tritium mode. The MFPR also has two disadvantages: (1) it will be more costly to operate because it consumes rather than sells electricity, and (2) there is a risk of not meeting the design goals.

Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-10

scale pressurized water reactors suitable for destroyer-sized vessels or for alternative nuclear power systems using thorium liquid salt technology...or to design a new reactor type potentially using a thorium liquid salt reactor developed for maritime use. The committee recommends an increase of...either using a pressurized water reactor or a thorium liquid salt reactor . (Page 158) Senate The Senate Armed Services Committee, in its report

Preliminary design of high temperature ultrasonic transducers for liquid sodium environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prowant, M. S.; Dib, G.; Qiao, H.; Good, M. S.; Larche, M. R.; Sexton, S. S.; Ramuhalli, P.

2018-04-01

Advanced reactor concepts include fast reactors (including sodium-cooled fast reactors), gas-cooled reactors, and molten-salt reactors. Common to these concepts is a higher operating temperature (when compared to light-water-cooled reactors), and the proposed use of new alloys with which there is limited operational experience. Concerns about new degradation mechanisms, such as high-temperature creep and creep fatigue, that are not encountered in the light-water fleet and longer operating cycles between refueling intervals indicate the need for condition monitoring technology. Specific needs in this context include periodic in-service inspection technology for the detection and sizing of cracking, as well as technologies for continuous monitoring of components using in situ probes. This paper will discuss research on the development and evaluation of high temperature (>550°C; >1022°F) ultrasonic probes that can be used for continuous monitoring of components. The focus of this work is on probes that are compatible with a liquid sodium-cooled reactor environment, where the core outlet temperatures can reach 550°C (1022°F). Modeling to assess sensitivity of various sensor configurations and experimental evaluation have pointed to a preferred design and concept of operations for these probes. This paper will describe these studies and ongoing work to fabricate and fully evaluate survivability and sensor performance over extended periods at operational temperatures.

[Effect of Membrane Wettability on Membrane Fouling and Chemical Durability of SPG Membranes].

PubMed

Zhang, Jing; Xiao, Tai-min; Zhang, Jing; Cao, Li-ya; Du, Ya-wei; Liu, Chun; Zhang, Lei

2015-05-01

Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membranes have been applied for microbubble aeration in aerobic wastewater treatment. In the present study, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic SPG membranes were used in a microbubble-aerated biofilm reactor with online chemical cleaning, and their membrane fouling and chemical durability were determined to be strongly dependent on the membrane wettability. The fouling layer formed on the surface of both membranes was confirmed to be mainly organic fouling, and the hydrophobic membrane showed a relatively stronger resistance to the organic fouling. The severe chemical corrosion of the hydrophilic membrane was observed due to exposure to the alkaline sodium hypochlorite solution used for chemical cleaning, which resulted in significant increases in the median pore diameter and the porosity. On the other hand, the pore structure of the hydrophobic membrane changed slightly when exposed to the alkaline sodium hypochlorite solution, suggesting its strong alkali-resistance due to the non-wetting surface. However, the surface hydrophobic groups of hydrophobic membrane could be oxidized by sodium hypochlorite solution, resulting in more wettable membrane surface. The hydrophobic membrane also showed better performance in the respects of oxygen transfer, contaminant removal and energy-saving. Therefore, the hydrophobic membrane seemed more appropriate to be applied for microbubble aeration in aerobic wastewater treatment process.

ADVANCED SEISMIC BASE ISOLATION METHODS FOR MODULAR REACTORS

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

E. Blanford; E. Keldrauk; M. Laufer

2010-09-20

Advanced technologies for structural design and construction have the potential for major impact not only on nuclear power plant construction time and cost, but also on the design process and on the safety, security and reliability of next generation of nuclear power plants. In future Generation IV (Gen IV) reactors, structural and seismic design should be much more closely integrated with the design of nuclear and industrial safety systems, physical security systems, and international safeguards systems. Overall reliability will be increased, through the use of replaceable and modular equipment, and through design to facilitate on-line monitoring, in-service inspection, maintenance, replacement,more » and decommissioning. Economics will also receive high design priority, through integrated engineering efforts to optimize building arrangements to minimize building heights and footprints. Finally, the licensing approach will be transformed by becoming increasingly performance based and technology neutral, using best-estimate simulation methods with uncertainty and margin quantification. In this context, two structural engineering technologies, seismic base isolation and modular steel-plate/concrete composite structural walls, are investigated. These technologies have major potential to (1) enable standardized reactor designs to be deployed across a wider range of sites, (2) reduce the impact of uncertainties related to site-specific seismic conditions, and (3) alleviate reactor equipment qualification requirements. For Gen IV reactors the potential for deliberate crashes of large aircraft must also be considered in design. This report concludes that base-isolated structures should be decoupled from the reactor external event exclusion system. As an example, a scoping analysis is performed for a rectangular, decoupled external event shell designed as a grillage. This report also reviews modular construction technology, particularly steel-plate/concrete construction using factory prefabricated structural modules, for application to external event shell and base isolated structures.« less

Nuclear Energy Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-10

Small Modular Reactors Rising cost estimates for large conventional nuclear power plants—widely projected to be $6 billion or more—have contributed to growing interest in proposals for smaller, modular reactors. Ranging from about 40 to 350 megawatts of electrical capacity, such reactors would be only a fraction of the size of current commercial reactors. Several modular reactors would be installed together to make up a power block with a single control room, under most concepts. Modular reactor concepts would use a variety of technologies,

Antifouling membranes for sustainable water purification: strategies and mechanisms.

PubMed

Zhang, Runnan; Liu, Yanan; He, Mingrui; Su, Yanlei; Zhao, Xueting; Elimelech, Menachem; Jiang, Zhongyi

2016-10-24

One of the greatest challenges to the sustainability of modern society is an inadequate supply of clean water. Due to its energy-saving and cost-effective features, membrane technology has become an indispensable platform technology for water purification, including seawater and brackish water desalination as well as municipal or industrial wastewater treatment. However, membrane fouling, which arises from the nonspecific interaction between membrane surface and foulants, significantly impedes the efficient application of membrane technology. Preparing antifouling membranes is a fundamental strategy to deal with pervasive fouling problems from a variety of foulants. In recent years, major advancements have been made in membrane preparation techniques and in elucidating the antifouling mechanisms of membrane processes, including ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and forward osmosis. This review will first introduce the major foulants and the principal mechanisms of membrane fouling, and then highlight the development, current status and future prospects of antifouling membranes, including antifouling strategies, preparation techniques and practical applications. In particular, the strategies and mechanisms for antifouling membranes, including passive fouling resistance and fouling release, active off-surface and on-surface strategies, will be proposed and discussed extensively.

An intrinsically safe facility for forefront research and training on nuclear technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansani, L.; Monti, S.; Ricco, G.; Ricotti, M.

2014-04-01

In this short paper the motivations for the development of fast spectrum lead-cooled reactors are briefly summarized. In particular the importance of subcritical research reactors, like the one described in this Focus Point, for the investigation of various scientifical and technological aspects and the training of students, is discussed.

Reactors Save Energy, Costs for Hydrogen Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2014-01-01

While examining fuel-reforming technology for fuel cells onboard aircraft, Glenn Research Center partnered with Garrettsville, Ohio-based Catacel Corporation through the Glenn Alliance Technology Exchange program and a Space Act Agreement. Catacel developed a stackable structural reactor that is now employed for commercial hydrogen production and results in energy savings of about 20 percent.

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-21

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

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

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

Design and Analysis of Embedded I&C for a Fully Submerged Magnetically Suspended Impeller Pump

DOE PAGES

Melin, Alexander M.; Kisner, Roger A.

2018-04-03

Improving nuclear reactor power system designs and fuel-processing technologies for safer and more efficient operation requires the development of new component designs. In particular, many of the advanced reactor designs such as the molten salt reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors have operating environments beyond the capability of most currently available commercial components. To address this gap, new cross-cutting technologies need to be developed that will enable design, fabrication, and reliable operation of new classes of reactor components. The Advanced Sensor Initiative of the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies initiative is investigating advanced sensor and control designs that are capable of operatingmore » in these extreme environments. Under this initiative, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been developing embedded instrumentation and control (I&C) for extreme environments. To develop, test, and validate these new sensing and control techniques, ORNL is building a pump test bed that utilizes submerged magnetic bearings to levitate the shaft. The eventual goal is to apply these techniques to a high-temperature (700°C) canned rotor pump that utilizes active magnetic bearings to eliminate the need for mechanical bearings and seals. The technologies will benefit the Next Generation Power Plant, Advanced Reactor Concepts, and Small Modular Reactor programs. In this paper, we will detail the design and analysis of the embedded I&C test bed with submerged magnetic bearings, focusing on the interplay between the different major systems. Then we will analyze the forces on the shaft and their role in the magnetic bearing design. Next, we will develop the radial and thrust bearing geometries needed to meet the operational requirements of the test bed. In conclusion, we will present some initial system identification results to validate the theoretical models of the test bed dynamics.« less

Design and Analysis of Embedded I&C for a Fully Submerged Magnetically Suspended Impeller Pump

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

Melin, Alexander M.; Kisner, Roger A.

Improving nuclear reactor power system designs and fuel-processing technologies for safer and more efficient operation requires the development of new component designs. In particular, many of the advanced reactor designs such as the molten salt reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors have operating environments beyond the capability of most currently available commercial components. To address this gap, new cross-cutting technologies need to be developed that will enable design, fabrication, and reliable operation of new classes of reactor components. The Advanced Sensor Initiative of the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies initiative is investigating advanced sensor and control designs that are capable of operatingmore » in these extreme environments. Under this initiative, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been developing embedded instrumentation and control (I&C) for extreme environments. To develop, test, and validate these new sensing and control techniques, ORNL is building a pump test bed that utilizes submerged magnetic bearings to levitate the shaft. The eventual goal is to apply these techniques to a high-temperature (700°C) canned rotor pump that utilizes active magnetic bearings to eliminate the need for mechanical bearings and seals. The technologies will benefit the Next Generation Power Plant, Advanced Reactor Concepts, and Small Modular Reactor programs. In this paper, we will detail the design and analysis of the embedded I&C test bed with submerged magnetic bearings, focusing on the interplay between the different major systems. Then we will analyze the forces on the shaft and their role in the magnetic bearing design. Next, we will develop the radial and thrust bearing geometries needed to meet the operational requirements of the test bed. In conclusion, we will present some initial system identification results to validate the theoretical models of the test bed dynamics.« less

Demand driven salt clean-up in a molten salt fast reactor – Defining a priority list

PubMed Central

Litskevich, D.; Gregg, R.; Mount, A. R.

2018-01-01

The PUREX technology based on aqueous processes is currently the leading reprocessing technology in nuclear energy systems. It seems to be the most developed and established process for light water reactor fuel and the use of solid fuel. However, demand driven development of the nuclear system opens the way to liquid fuelled reactors, and disruptive technology development through the application of an integrated fuel cycle with a direct link to reactor operation. The possibilities of this new concept for innovative reprocessing technology development are analysed, the boundary conditions are discussed, and the economic as well as the neutron physical optimization parameters of the process are elucidated. Reactor physical knowledge of the influence of different elements on the neutron economy of the reactor is required. Using an innovative study approach, an element priority list for the salt clean-up is developed, which indicates that separation of Neodymium and Caesium is desirable, as they contribute almost 50% to the loss of criticality. Separating Zirconium and Samarium in addition from the fuel salt would remove nearly 80% of the loss of criticality due to fission products. The theoretical study is followed by a qualitative discussion of the different, demand driven optimization strategies which could satisfy the conflicting interests of sustainable reactor operation, efficient chemical processing for the salt clean-up, and the related economic as well as chemical engineering consequences. A new, innovative approach of balancing the throughput through salt processing based on a low number of separation process steps is developed. Next steps for the development of an economically viable salt clean-up process are identified. PMID:29494604

Removal of dyes from textile wastewater by using nanofiltration polyetherimide membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karisma, Doni; Febrianto, Gabriel; Mangindaan, Dave

2017-12-01

Followed by rapid development of the textile industries since 19th century the dyeing technology is thriving ever since. However, its progress is followed by lack of responsibility and knowledge in treating the dye-containing wastewater. There are some emerging technologies in treating such kind of wastewater, where membrane technology is one of those technologies that has uniqueness in the performance of separating dyes from wastewater, accompanied with small amount of energy. The development of membrane technology is one of several eco-engineering developments for sustainability in water resource management. However, there are a lot of rooms for improvement for this membrane technology, especially for the application in treating textile wastewater in Indonesia. Based on the demand in Indonesia for clean water and further treatment of dye-containing wastewater, the purpose of this research is to fabricate nanofiltration (NF) membranes to accommodate those problems. Furthermore, the fabricated NF membrane will be modified by interfacial polymerization to impart a new selective layer on top of NF membrane to improve the performance of the separation of the dyes from dye-containing wastewater. This research was conducted into two phases of experiments. In the first phase the formulation of polymeric dope solution of PEI/Acetone/NMP (N-methyl-pyrollidone), using the variation of 15/65/20, 16/64/20, and 17/63/20. This research show that many areas still can be explored in textile wastewater treatment using membrane in Indonesia.

Bio-diatomite dynamic membrane reactor for micro-polluted surface water treatment.

PubMed

Chu, Huaqiang; Cao, Dawen; Dong, Bingzhi; Qiang, Zhimin

2010-03-01

This work investigated the feasibility of treating micro-polluted surface water for drinking water production with a bio-diatomite dynamic membrane reactor (BDDMR) at lab-scale in continuous-flow mode. Results indicate that the BDDMR was effective in removing COD(Mn), DOC, UV(254), NH(3)-N and trihalomethanes' formation potential (THMFP) at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3.5h due to its high concentrations of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS). The removal of pollutants was mainly ascribed to microbial degradation in BDDMR because the dynamic membrane alone was much less effective in pollutant removal. Though the diatomite particles (5-20microm) were much smaller in size than the aperture of the stainless steel support mesh (74microm), microorganisms and their extracellular polymer substances could bind these particles tightly to form bio-diatomite particles which were completely retained by the support mesh. The analysis of molecular weight (MW) distribution by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) shows that the BDDMR could effectively remove the hydrophilic fraction of dissolved organic materials present in the raw water. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A membrane assisted hybrid bioreactor for the post treatment of an anaerobic effluent from a fish canning factory.

PubMed

Oyanedel, V; Garrido, J M; Lema, J M; Méndez, R

2003-01-01

An innovative membrane assisted hybrid bioreactor was used to treat a mixture of two streams produced in a fish canning factory: a highly loaded stream that had previously been treated in an anaerobic contact reactor, and a second stream with a relatively low COD and N concentration. Experiments were carried out during two experimental stages: an aerobic stage, which is focused in the study on the aerobic oxidation of ammonia and COD and a nitrification-denitrification stage in which the study was mainly focused on the removal of nitrogen. Results of the aerobic period pointed out that it was feasible to achieve ammonia and COD removals of around 99% at OLR of 6.5 kg COD/m3 x d and NLR of 1.8 kg N-NH4+/m3 x d. Specific nitrifying activities of up to 0.78 g N-NH4+/g protein x d and 0.25 g N-NH4+/g VSS x d, were recorded for the attached and suspended biomass, respectively. Around 50-60% of the nitrifying capacity of the reactor was a result of the nitrifying capacity of the biofilm. During the nitrification-denitrification stage 76% of nitrogen removal was attained at an NLR of 0.8 kg N-NH4+/m3 x d. The biofilm nitrifying activity was not affected by the operating conditions of the system, as a result of the preferential consumption of COD by suspended biomass in the reactor. Thus, the combination of a hybrid system, with both suspended and attached biomass, and an ultrafiltration membrane module might be an alternative for treating wastewaters in compact biological systems. The intrinsic characteristics of the system made it feasible to operate at high OLR without problems related with the settling properties of the sludge or the drop in the nitrogen conversion. There were no solids in the effluent as a result of the use of the membrane filtration module.

In situ coagulation versus pre-coagulation for gravity-driven membrane bioreactor during decentralized sewage treatment: Permeability stabilization, fouling layer formation and biological activity.

PubMed

Ding, An; Wang, Jinlong; Lin, Dachao; Tang, Xiaobin; Cheng, Xiaoxiang; Li, Guibai; Ren, Nanqi; Liang, Heng

2017-12-01

Gravity-driven membrane filtration systems are promising for decentralized sewage treatment due to their low energy consumption and low maintenance. However, the low stable permeability/flux is currently limiting their wider application. With the ultimate goal of increasing permeability, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of coagulation (in situ coagulation and pre-coagulation) on the performance of a gravity-driven membrane bioreactor (GDMBR) during treatment of synthetic sewage. Results show that in situ coagulation significantly increased permeability (more than two-fold); however, no stabilization of permeability occurred over the whole operation, when non-coagulated and pre-coagulated reactors were compared. The high permeability observed was attributed to the accumulated aluminium floc in the reactor, which prevented formation of fluorescent microbial metabolites (aromatic and tryptophan proteins, as well as fulvic acids), and further avoided membrane pore blocking. In addition, the surface porosity of the fouling layer was improved (from 11.2% to 32.4% for non-coagulated and in situ coagulated reactors). The unstable permeability was possibly associated with lower biological processes within the fouling layer. These might include lower adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and lower fluorescent metabolites from the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) caused by the accumulated Al (compared with the control). On the other hand, pre-coagulation improved the level of stable permeability compared with the control (80 versus 40 L/m 2 h bar), mainly because pre-coagulation decreased the EPS content and also maintained high ATP content of the fouling layer. In addition, both coagulation processes reduced the total filtration resistance, mainly the hydraulically reversible resistance and cake layer resistance, which could lower the cleaning frequency. Overall, coagulation could greatly increase the removal efficiency and improve the GDMBR permeability, which would make the process suitable for decentralized wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydroxyapatite crystallization from a highly concentrated phosphate solution using powdered converter slag as a seed material.

PubMed

Kim, Eung-Ho; Yim, Soo-Bin; Jung, Ho-Chan; Lee, Eok-Jae

2006-08-25

A system for recovering phosphorus from membrane-filtrate from a sludge reduction process containing high phosphorus concentrations was developed. In this system, referred to as the completely mixed phosphorus crystallization reactor, powdered converter slag was used as a seed material. In a preliminary experiment, the optimal pH range for metastable crystallization of phosphorus from membrane-filtrate containing about 100mg/L PO(4)-P was found to be 6.6-7.0. The laboratory scale completely mixed phosphorus crystallization reactor, actually operated in pH range of 6.8-7.6 for influent 72.9 mg/L PO(4)-P, achieved an average efficiency of phosphorus removal from the membrane-filtrate of 52.4% during a 30-day experiment. Mixed-liquor suspended solids (MLSS) measurements revealed that, out of 0.24 kg PO(4)-P in the original membrane-filtrate fed into the reactor, 0.12 kg PO(4)-P was recovered on the seed particles after 30 days. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the crystalline material deposited on the seed particles showed peaks consistent with hydroxyapatite. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) images exhibited that finely distributed crystalline material was formed on the surfaces of seed particles. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping analysis revealed that the molar composition ratio of Ca/P of the crystalline material was 1.84. The Ca/P molar ratio>1.67 for crystalline substance might result from the presence of CaCO(3) on the crystalline surfaces. A particle size distribution analysis showed that the average particle size increased from 22 microm for the original converter slag seed particles, to 94 microm after 30 days of phosphorus crystallization. Collectively, the present results suggest that the proposed phosphorus crystallization recovery system is an effective tool for recycling phosphorus from phosphate solution.

Research gaps and technology needs in development of PHM for passive AdvSMR components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Ryan M.; Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Coble, Jamie B.; Hirt, Evelyn H.; Mitchell, Mark R.; Wootan, David W.; Berglin, Eric J.; Bond, Leonard J.; Henagar, Chuck H., Jr.

2014-02-01

Advanced small modular reactors (AdvSMRs), which are based on modularization of advanced reactor concepts, may provide a longer-term alternative to traditional light-water reactors and near-term small modular reactors (SMRs), which are based on integral pressurized water reactor (iPWR) concepts. SMRs are challenged economically because of losses in economy of scale; thus, there is increased motivation to reduce the controllable operations and maintenance costs through automation technologies including prognostics health management (PHM) systems. In this regard, PHM systems have the potential to play a vital role in supporting the deployment of AdvSMRs and face several unique challenges with respect to implementation for passive AdvSMR components. This paper presents a summary of a research gaps and technical needs assessment performed for implementation of PHM for passive AdvSMR components.

Application of biocatalysts to Space Station ECLSS and PMMS water reclamation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolly, Clifford D.; Bagdigian, Robert M.

1989-01-01

Immobilized enzyme reactors have been developed and tested for potential water reclamation applications in the Space Station Freedom Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) and Process Materials Management System (PMMS). The reactors convert low molecular weight organic contaminants found in ECLSS and PMMS wastewaters to compounds that are more efficiently removed by existing technologies. Demonstration of the technology was successfully achieved with two model reactors. A packed bed reactor containing immobilized urease was found to catalyze the complete decomposition of urea to by-products that were subsequently removed using conventional ion exchange results. A second reactor containing immobilized alcohol oxidase showed promising results relative to its ability to convert methanol and ethanol to the corresponding aldehydes for subsequent removal. Preliminary assessments of the application of biocatalysts to ECLSS and PMMS water reclamation sytems are presented.

High aspect ratio catalytic reactor and catalyst inserts therefor

DOEpatents

Lin, Jiefeng; Kelly, Sean M.

2018-04-10

The present invention relates to high efficient tubular catalytic steam reforming reactor configured from about 0.2 inch to about 2 inch inside diameter high temperature metal alloy tube or pipe and loaded with a plurality of rolled catalyst inserts comprising metallic monoliths. The catalyst insert substrate is formed from a single metal foil without a central supporting structure in the form of a spiral monolith. The single metal foil is treated to have 3-dimensional surface features that provide mechanical support and establish open gas channels between each of the rolled layers. This unique geometry accelerates gas mixing and heat transfer and provides a high catalytic active surface area. The small diameter, high aspect ratio tubular catalytic steam reforming reactors loaded with rolled catalyst inserts can be arranged in a multi-pass non-vertical parallel configuration thermally coupled with a heat source to carry out steam reforming of hydrocarbon-containing feeds. The rolled catalyst inserts are self-supported on the reactor wall and enable efficient heat transfer from the reactor wall to the reactor interior, and lower pressure drop than known particulate catalysts. The heat source can be oxygen transport membrane reactors.

Domestic wastewater treatment by a submerged MBR (membrane bio-reactor) with enhanced air sparging.

PubMed

Chang, I S; Judd, S J

2003-01-01

The air sparging technique has been recognised as an effective way to control membrane fouling. However, its application to a submerged MBR (Membrane Bio-Reactor) has not yet been reported. This paper deals with the performances of air sparging on a submerged MBR for wastewater treatment. Two kinds of air sparging techniques were used respectively. First, air is injected into the membrane tube channels so that mixed liquor can circulate in the bioreactor (air-lift mode). Second, a periodic air-jet into the membrane tube is introduced (air-jet mode). Their applicability was evaluated with a series of lab-scale experiments using domestic wastewater. The flux increased from 23 to 33 l m(-2) h(-1) (43% enhancement) when air was injected for the air-lift module. But further increase of flux was not observed as the gas flow increased. The Rc/(Rc+Rf), ratio of cake resistance (Rc) to sum of Rc and Rf (internal fouling resistance), was 23%, indicating that the Rc is not the predominant resistance unlike other MBR studies. It showed that the cake layer was removed sufficiently due to the air injection. Thus, an increase of airflow could not affect the flux performance. The air-jet module suffered from a clogging problem with accumulated sludge inside the lumen. Because the air-jet module has characteristics of dead end filtration, a periodic air-jet was not enough to blast all the accumulated sludge out. But flux was greater than in the air-lift module if the clogging was prevented by an appropriate cleaning regime such as periodical backwashing.

Utilizing a one-dimensional multispecies model to simulate the nutrient reduction and biomass structure in two types of H2-based membrane-aeration biofilm reactors (H2-MBfR): model development and parametric analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Zuowei; Xia, Siqing; Xu, Xiaoyin; Wang, Chenhui

2016-02-01

In this study, a one-dimensional multispecies model (ODMSM) was utilized to simulate NO3(-)-N and ClO4(-) reduction performances in two kinds of H2-based membrane-aeration biofilm reactors (H2-MBfR) within different operating conditions (e.g., NO3(-)-N/ClO4(-) loading rates, H2 partial pressure, etc.). Before the simulation process, we conducted the sensitivity analysis of some key parameters which would fluctuate in different environmental conditions, then we used the experimental data to calibrate the more sensitive parameters μ1 and μ2 (maximum specific growth rates of denitrification bacteria and perchlorate reduction bacteria) in two H2-MBfRs, and the diversity of the two key parameters' values in two types of reactors may be resulted from the different carbon source fed in the reactors. From the simulation results of six different operating conditions (four in H2-MBfR 1 and two in H2-MBfR 2), the applicability of the model was approved, and the variation of the removal tendency in different operating conditions could be well simulated. Besides, the rationality of operating parameters (H2 partial pressure, etc.) could be judged especially in condition of high nutrients' loading rates. To a certain degree, the model could provide theoretical guidance to determine the operating parameters on some specific conditions in practical application.

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

Mendez Cruz, Carmen Margarita; Rochau, Gary E.; Middleton, Bobby

Sandia National Laboratories and General Atomics are pleased to respond to the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-e)’s request for information on innovative developments that may overcome various current reactor-technology limitations. The RFI is particularly interested in innovations that enable ultra-safe and secure modular nuclear energy systems. Our response addresses the specific features for reactor designs called out in the RFI, including a brief assessment of the current state of the technologies that would enable each feature and the methods by which they could be best incorporated into a reactor design.

The CANDU Reactor System: An Appropriate Technology.

PubMed

Robertson, J A

1978-02-10

CANDU power reactors are characterized by the combination of heavy water as moderator and pressure tubes to contain the fuel and coolant. Their excellent neutron economy provides the simplicity and low costs of once-through natural-uranium fueling. Future benefits include the prospect of a near-breeder thorium fuel cycle to provide security of fuel supply without the need to develop a new reactor such as the fast breeder. These and other features make the CANDU system an appropriate technology for countries, like Canada, of intermediate economic and industrial capacity.

An Alternative Water Processor for Long Duration Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barta, Daniel J.; Pickering, Karen D.; Meyer, Caitlin; Pennsinger, Stuart; Vega, Leticia; Flynn, Michael; Jackson, Andrew; Wheeler, Raymond

2014-01-01

A new wastewater recovery system has been developed that combines novel biological and physicochemical components for recycling wastewater on long duration human space missions. Functionally, this Alternative Water Processor (AWP) would replace the Urine Processing Assembly on the International Space Station and reduce or eliminate the need for the multi-filtration beds of the Water Processing Assembly (WPA). At its center are two unique game changing technologies: 1) a biological water processor (BWP) to mineralize organic forms of carbon and nitrogen and 2) an advanced membrane processor (Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment) for removal of solids and inorganic ions. The AWP is designed for recycling larger quantities of wastewater from multiple sources expected during future exploration missions, including urine, hygiene (hand wash, shower, oral and shave) and laundry. The BWP utilizes a single-stage membrane-aerated biological reactor for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification. The Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment (FOST) system uses a combination of forward osmosis (FO) and reverse osmosis (RO), is resistant to biofouling and can easily tolerate wastewaters high in non-volatile organics and solids associated with shower and/or hand washing. The BWP has been operated continuously for over 300 days. After startup, the mature biological system averaged 85% organic carbon removal and 44% nitrogen removal, close to stoichiometric maximum based on available carbon. To date, the FOST has averaged 93% water recovery, with a maximum of 98%. If the wastewater is slighty acidified, ammonia rejection is optimal. This paper will provide a description of the technology and summarize results from ground-based testing using real wastewater

Hybrid electro-optical nanosystem for neurons investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miu, Mihaela; Kleps, Irina; Craciunoiu, Florea; Simion, Monica; Bragaru, Adina; Ignat, Teodora

2010-11-01

The scope of this paper is development of a new laboratory-on-a-chip (LOC) device for biomedical studies consisting of a microfluidic system coupled to microelectronic/optical transducers with nanometric features, commonly called biosensors. The proposed device is a hybrid system with sensing element on silicon (Si) chip and microfluidic system on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates, taking into accounts their particular advantages. Different types of nanoelectrode arrays, positioned in the reactor, have been investigated as sensitive elements for electrical detection and the recording of neuron extracellular electric activity has been monitorized in parallel with whole-cell patch-clamp membrane current. Moreover, using an additional porosification process the sensing element became efficient for optical detection also. The preliminary test results demonstrate the functionality of the proposed design and also the fabrication technology, the devices bringing advantages in terms enhancement of sensitivity in both optoelectronic detection schemes.

Hydrogen generation from biogenic and fossil fuels by autothermal reforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rampe, Thomas; Heinzel, Angelika; Vogel, Bernhard

Hydrogen generation for fuel cell systems by reforming technologies from various fuels is one of the main fields of investigation of the Fraunhofer ISE. Suitable fuels are, on the one hand, gaseous hydrocarbons like methane, propane but also, on the other hand, liquid hydrocarbons like gasoline and alcohols, e.g., ethanol as biogenic fuel. The goal is to develop compact systems for generation of hydrogen from fuel being suitable for small-scale membrane fuel cells. The most recent work is related to reforming according to the autothermal principle — fuel, air and steam is supplied to the reactor. Possible applications of such small-scale autothermal reformers are mobile systems and also miniature fuel cell as co-generation plant for decentralised electricity and heat generation. For small stand-alone systems without a connection to the natural gas grid liquid gas, a mixture of propane and butane is an appropriate fuel.

Linking ceragenins to water-treatment membranes to minimize biofouling.

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

Hibbs, Michael R.; Altman, Susan Jeanne; Feng, Yanshu

Ceragenins were used to create biofouling resistant water-treatment membranes. Ceragenins are synthetically produced antimicrobial peptide mimics that display broad-spectrum bactericidal activity. While ceragenins have been used on bio-medical devices, use of ceragenins on water-treatment membranes is novel. Biofouling impacts membrane separation processes for many industrial applications such as desalination, waste-water treatment, oil and gas extraction, and power generation. Biofouling results in a loss of permeate flux and increase in energy use. Creation of biofouling resistant membranes will assist in creation of clean water with lower energy usage and energy with lower water usage. Five methods of attaching three different cerageninmore » molecules were conducted and tested. Biofouling reduction was observed in the majority of the tests, indicating the ceragenins are a viable solution to biofouling on water treatment membranes. Silane direct attachment appears to be the most promising attachment method if a high concentration of CSA-121a is used. Additional refinement of the attachment methods are needed in order to achieve our goal of several log-reduction in biofilm cell density without impacting the membrane flux. Concurrently, biofilm forming bacteria were isolated from source waters relevant for water treatment: wastewater, agricultural drainage, river water, seawater, and brackish groundwater. These isolates can be used for future testing of methods to control biofouling. Once isolated, the ability of the isolates to grow biofilms was tested with high-throughput multiwell methods. Based on these tests, the following species were selected for further testing in tube reactors and CDC reactors: Pseudomonas ssp. (wastewater, agricultural drainage, and Colorado River water), Nocardia coeliaca or Rhodococcus spp. (wastewater), Pseudomonas fluorescens and Hydrogenophaga palleronii (agricultural drainage), Sulfitobacter donghicola, Rhodococcus fascians, Rhodobacter katedanii, and Paracoccus marcusii (seawater), and Sphingopyxis spp. (groundwater). The testing demonstrated the ability of these isolates to be used for biofouling control testing under laboratory conditions. Biofilm forming bacteria were obtained from all the source water samples.« less

Conception and construction of an LPG tank using a composite membrane technology

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

Fuvel, P.; Claude, J.

TECHNIGAZ and TOTAL C.F.P. have developed a new LPG storage technology derived from the membrane concept used for LNG storage and transportation. This technology called GMS uses a composite membrane as primary barrier. A 2 000 m/sup 3/ storage pilot unit, based on that concept, is under construction in TOTAL's refinery at DUNKIRK (France) since September 1983.

Engineered Transport in Microporous Materials and Membranes for Clean Energy Technologies

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

Li, Changyi; Meckler, Stephen M.; Smith, Zachary P.

Many forward-looking clean-energy technologies hinge on the development of scalable and efficient membrane-based separations. Ongoing investment in the basic research of microporous materials is beginning to pay dividends in membrane technology maturation. Specifically, improvements in membrane selectivity, permeability, and durability are being leveraged for more efficient carbon capture, desalination, and energy storage, and the market adoption of membranes in those areas appears to be on the horizon. Herein, an overview of the microporous materials chemistry driving advanced membrane development, the clean-energy separations employing them, and the theoretical underpinnings tying membrane performance to membrane structure across multiple length scales is provided.more » The interplay of pore architecture and chemistry for a given set of analytes emerges as a critical design consideration dictating mass transport outcomes. Also discussed are opportunities and outstanding challenges in the field, including high-flux 2D molecular-sieving membranes, phase-change adsorbents as performance-enhancing components in composite membranes, and the need for quantitative metrologies for understanding mass transport in heterophasic materials and in micropores with unusual chemical interactions with analytes of interest.« less

Exploiting lipopolysaccharide-induced deformation of lipid bilayers to modify membrane composition and generate two-dimensional geometric membrane array patterns

DOE PAGES

Adams, Peter G.; Swingle, Kirstie L.; Paxton, Walter F.; ...

2015-05-27

Supported lipid bilayers have proven effective as model membranes for investigating biophysical processes and in development of sensor and array technologies. The ability to modify lipid bilayers after their formation and in situ could greatly advance membrane technologies, but is difficult via current state-of-the-art technologies. Here we demonstrate a novel method that allows the controlled post-formation processing and modification of complex supported lipid bilayer arrangements, under aqueous conditions. We exploit the destabilization effect of lipopolysaccharide, an amphiphilic biomolecule, interacting with lipid bilayers to generate voids that can be backfilled to introduce desired membrane components. We further demonstrate that when usedmore » in combination with a single, traditional soft lithography process, it is possible to generate hierarchically-organized membrane domains and microscale 2-D array patterns of domains. Significantly, this technique can be used to repeatedly modify membranes allowing iterative control over membrane composition. This approach expands our toolkit for functional membrane design, with potential applications for enhanced materials templating, biosensing and investigating lipid-membrane processes.« less

Engineered Transport in Microporous Materials and Membranes for Clean Energy Technologies

DOE PAGES

Li, Changyi; Meckler, Stephen M.; Smith, Zachary P.; ...

2018-01-08

Many forward-looking clean-energy technologies hinge on the development of scalable and efficient membrane-based separations. Ongoing investment in the basic research of microporous materials is beginning to pay dividends in membrane technology maturation. Specifically, improvements in membrane selectivity, permeability, and durability are being leveraged for more efficient carbon capture, desalination, and energy storage, and the market adoption of membranes in those areas appears to be on the horizon. Herein, an overview of the microporous materials chemistry driving advanced membrane development, the clean-energy separations employing them, and the theoretical underpinnings tying membrane performance to membrane structure across multiple length scales is provided.more » The interplay of pore architecture and chemistry for a given set of analytes emerges as a critical design consideration dictating mass transport outcomes. Also discussed are opportunities and outstanding challenges in the field, including high-flux 2D molecular-sieving membranes, phase-change adsorbents as performance-enhancing components in composite membranes, and the need for quantitative metrologies for understanding mass transport in heterophasic materials and in micropores with unusual chemical interactions with analytes of interest.« less

Nanoscale tailor-made membranes for precise and rapid molecular sieve separation.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Zhu, Junyong; Zhang, Yatao; Liu, Jindun; Van der Bruggen, Bart

2017-03-02

The precise and rapid separation of different molecules from aqueous, organic solutions and gas mixtures is critical to many technologies in the context of resource-saving and sustainable development. The strength of membrane-based technologies is well recognized and they are extensively applied as cost-effective, highly efficient separation techniques. Currently, empirical-based approaches, lacking an accurate nanoscale control, are used to prepare the most advanced membranes. In contrast, nanoscale control renders the membrane molecular specificity (sub-2 nm) necessary for efficient and rapid molecular separation. Therefore, as a growing trend in membrane technology, the field of nanoscale tailor-made membranes is highlighted in this review. An in-depth analysis of the latest advances in tailor-made membranes for precise and rapid molecule sieving is given, along with an outlook to future perspectives of such membranes. Special attention is paid to the established processing strategies, as well as the application of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in nanoporous membrane design. This review will provide useful guidelines for future research in the development of nanoscale tailor-made membranes with a precise and rapid molecular sieve separation property.

Syngas Production By Thermochemical Conversion Of H2o And Co2 Mixtures Using A Novel Reactor Design

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

Pearlman, Howard; Chen, Chien-Hua

The Department of Energy awarded Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. (ACT) an SBIR Phase II contract (#DE-SC0004729) to develop a high-temperature solar thermochemical reactor for syngas production using water and/or carbon dioxide as feedstocks. The technology aims to provide a renewable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, promote energy independence and mitigate adverse issues associated with climate change by essentially recycling carbon from carbon dioxide emitted by the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. To commercialize the technology and drive down the cost of solar fuels, new advances are needed in materials development and reactor design, both of which are integral elements inmore » this program.« less

Development of the Technology of Vortex Diagnostics to Improve the Safety of Operation of Nuclear Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitrofanova, O. V.; Ivlev, O. A.; Pozdeeva, I. G.; Urtenov, D. S.

2017-11-01

The results of studies are aimed at developing theoretical foundations and instrumentation system to ensure a technology of vortex diagnostics of the state of flows of fluids for nuclear power installations with power water reactors and fast neutrons reactors with liquid-metal coolants. The technology of vortex diagnostics is based on the study of acoustic, magneto-hydrodynamic and resonant effects related to the formation of stable vortex structures. For creation a system of monitoring and diagnostics of the crisis phenomena due to hydrodynamics of the flow, it is proposed to use acoustic method to record the radiation of elastic waves in the fluids caused by the dynamic local rearrangement of its structure.

Apparatus and methods for direct conversion of gaseous hydrocarbons to liquids

DOEpatents

Kong, Peter C.; Lessing, Paul A.

2006-04-25

A chemical reactor for direct conversion of hydrocarbons includes a dielectric barrier discharge plasma cell and a solid oxide electrochemical cell in fluid communication therewith. The discharge plasma cell comprises a pair of electrodes separated by a dielectric material and passageway therebetween. The electrochemical cell comprises a mixed-conducting solid oxide electrolyte membrane tube positioned between a porous cathode and a porous anode, and a gas inlet tube for feeding oxygen containing gas to the porous cathode. An inlet is provided for feeding hydrocarbons to the passageway of the discharge plasma cell, and an outlet is provided for discharging reaction products from the reactor. A packed bed catalyst may optionally be used in the reactor to increase efficiency of conversion. The reactor can be modified to allow use of a light source for directing ultraviolet light into the discharge plasma cell and the electrochemical cell.

Steady-state generation of hydrogen peroxide: kinetics and stability of alcohol oxidase immobilized on nanoporous alumina.

PubMed

Kjellander, Marcus; Götz, Kathrin; Liljeruhm, Josefine; Boman, Mats; Johansson, Gunnar

2013-04-01

Alcohol oxidase from Pichia pastoris was immobilized on nanoporous aluminium oxide membranes by silanization and activation by carbonyldiimidazole to create a flow-through enzyme reactor. Kinetic analysis of the hydrogen peroxide generation was carried out for a number of alcohols using a subsequent reaction with horseradish peroxidase and ABTS. The activity data for the immobilized enzyme showed a general similarity with literature data in solution, and the reactor could generate 80 mmol H2O2/h per litre reactor volume. Horseradish peroxidase was immobilized by the same technique to construct bienzymatic modular reactors. These were used in both single pass mode and circulating mode. Pulsed injections of methanol resulted in a linear relation between response and concentration, allowing quantitative concentration measurement. The immobilized alcohol oxidase retained 58 % of initial activity after 3 weeks of storage and repeated use.

Method for direct conversion of gaseous hydrocarbons to liquids

DOEpatents

Kong, Peter C.; Lessing, Paul A.

2006-03-07

A chemical reactor for direct conversion of hydrocarbons includes a dielectric barrier discharge plasma cell and a solid oxide electrochemical cell in fluid communication therewith. The discharge plasma cell comprises a pair of electrodes separated by a dielectric material and passageway therebetween. The electrochemical cell comprises a mixed-conducting solid oxide electrolyte membrane tube positioned between a porous cathode and a porous anode, and a gas inlet tube for feeding oxygen containing gas to the porous cathode. An inlet is provided for feeding hydrocarbons to the passageway of the discharge plasma cell, and an outlet is provided for discharging reaction products from the reactor. A packed bed catalyst may optionally be used in the reactor to increase efficiency of conversion. The reactor can be modified to allow use of a light source for directing ultraviolet light into the discharge plasma cell and the electrochemical cell.

A light hydrocarbon fuel processor producing high-purity hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löffler, Daniel G.; Taylor, Kyle; Mason, Dylan

This paper discusses the design process and presents performance data for a dual fuel (natural gas and LPG) fuel processor for PEM fuel cells delivering between 2 and 8 kW electric power in stationary applications. The fuel processor resulted from a series of design compromises made to address different design constraints. First, the product quality was selected; then, the unit operations needed to achieve that product quality were chosen from the pool of available technologies. Next, the specific equipment needed for each unit operation was selected. Finally, the unit operations were thermally integrated to achieve high thermal efficiency. Early in the design process, it was decided that the fuel processor would deliver high-purity hydrogen. Hydrogen can be separated from other gases by pressure-driven processes based on either selective adsorption or permeation. The pressure requirement made steam reforming (SR) the preferred reforming technology because it does not require compression of combustion air; therefore, steam reforming is more efficient in a high-pressure fuel processor than alternative technologies like autothermal reforming (ATR) or partial oxidation (POX), where the combustion occurs at the pressure of the process stream. A low-temperature pre-reformer reactor is needed upstream of a steam reformer to suppress coke formation; yet, low temperatures facilitate the formation of metal sulfides that deactivate the catalyst. For this reason, a desulfurization unit is needed upstream of the pre-reformer. Hydrogen separation was implemented using a palladium alloy membrane. Packed beds were chosen for the pre-reformer and reformer reactors primarily because of their low cost, relatively simple operation and low maintenance. Commercial, off-the-shelf balance of plant (BOP) components (pumps, valves, and heat exchangers) were used to integrate the unit operations. The fuel processor delivers up to 100 slm hydrogen >99.9% pure with <1 ppm CO, <3 ppm CO 2. The thermal efficiency is better than 67% operating at full load. This fuel processor has been integrated with a 5-kW fuel cell producing electricity and hot water.

Preparation of Water-Selective Polybutadiene Membranes and Their Use in Drying Alcohols by Pervaporation and Vapor Permeation Technologies

EPA Science Inventory

Separating azeotrope-forming solvent-water mixtures by conventional distillation poses technical, economic, and environmental challenges. Membrane technology using water-permselective membranes provides an efficient alternative for water removal from solvents. We present here a n...

Kr/Xe Separation over a Chabazite Zeolite Membrane

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

Feng, Xuhui; Zong, Zhaowang; Elsaidi, Sameh K.

2016-08-10

Cryogenic distillation, the current conventional technology to separate Krypton and Xenon from air, and from nuclear reprocessing technologies, is an energy-intensive and expensive process. Membrane technology could potentially make this challenging industrial separation less energy intensive and economically viable. We demonstrate that chabazite zeolite SAPO-34 membranes effectively separated Kr/Xe gas mixtures at industrially relevant compositions. Control over membrane thickness and average crystal size led to industrial range permeances and high separation selectivities. Specifically, SAPO-34 membranes can separate Kr/Xe mixtures with Kr permeances as high as 361.4 GPU and separation selectivities of 34.8 for molar compositions close to typical concentrations ofmore » these two gases in air. In addition, SAPO-34 membranes separated Kr/Xe mixtures with Kr permeances as high as 525.7 GPU and separation selectivities up to 45.1 for molar compositions as might be encountered in nuclear reprocessing technologies. Molecular sieving and differences in diffusivities were identified as the dominant separation mechanisms.« less

Research and Development Roadmaps for Liquid Metal Cooled Fast Reactors

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

Kim, T. K.; Grandy, C.; Natesan, K.

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) commissioned the development of technology roadmaps for advanced (non-light water reactor) reactor concepts to help focus research and development funding over the next five years. The roadmaps show the research and development needed to support demonstration of an advanced (non-LWR) concept by the early 2030s, consistent with DOE’s Vision and Strategy for the Development and Deployment of Advanced Reactors. The intent is only to convey the technical steps that would be required to achieve such a goal; the means by which DOE will determine whether to invest in specific tasks will be treatedmore » separately. The starting point for the roadmaps is the Technical Readiness Assessment performed as part of an Advanced Test and Demonstration Reactor study released in 2016. The roadmaps were developed based upon a review of technical reports and vendor literature summarizing the technical maturity of each concept and the outstanding research and development needs. Critical path tasks for specific systems were highlighted on the basis of time and resources needed to complete the tasks and the importance of the system to the performance of the reactor concept. The roadmaps are generic, i.e. not specific to a particular vendor’s design but vendor design information may have been used as representative of the concept family. In the event that both near-term and more advanced versions of a concept are being developed, either a single roadmap with multiple branches or separate roadmaps for each version were developed. In each case, roadmaps point to a demonstration reactor (engineering or commercial) and show the activities that must be completed in parallel to support that demonstration in the 2030-2035 window. This report provides the roadmaps for two fast reactor concepts, the Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) and the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR). The SFR technology is mature enough for commercial demonstration by the early 2030s, and the remaining critical paths and R&D needs are generally related to the completion of qualification of fuel and structural materials, validation of reactor design codes and methods, and support of the licensing frameworks. The LFR’s technology is instead less-mature compared to the SFR’s, and will be at the engineering demonstration stage by the early 2030s. Key LFR technology development activities will focus on resolving remaining design challenges and demonstrating the viability of systems and components in the integral system, which will be done in parallel with addressing the gaps shared with SFR technology. The approach and timeline presented here assume that, for the first module demonstration, vendors would pursue a two-step licensing process based on 10CFR Part 50.« less

Dispersible Exfoliated Zeolite Nanosheets and Their Application as a Selective Membrane

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

Varoon, Kumar; Zhang, Xueyi; Elyassi, Bahman

2011-10-06

Thin zeolite films are attractive for a wide range of applications, including molecular sieve membranes, catalytic membrane reactors, permeation barriers, and low-dielectric-constant materials. Synthesis of thin zeolite films using high-aspect-ratio zeolite nanosheets is desirable because of the packing and processing advantages of the nanosheets over isotropic zeolite nanoparticles. Attempts to obtain a dispersed suspension of zeolite nanosheets via exfoliation of their lamellar precursors have been hampered because of their structure deterioration and morphological damage (fragmentation, curling, and aggregation). We demonstrated the synthesis and structure determination of highly crystalline nanosheets of zeolite frameworks MWW and MFI. The purity and morphological integritymore » of these nanosheets allow them to pack well on porous supports, facilitating the fabrication of molecular sieve membranes.« less

[Optimization of Energy Saving Measures with ABR-MBR Integrated Process].

PubMed

Wu, Peng; Lu, Shuang-jun; Xu, Yue-zhong; Liu, Jie; Shen, Yao-liang

2015-08-01

High energy consumption and membrane fouling are important factors that limit the wide use of membrane bioreactor (MBR). In order to reduce energy consumption and delay the process of membrane fouling, the process of anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR)-MBR was used to treat domestic sewage. The structure of the process and conditions of nitrogen and phosphorus removal were optimized in this study. The results showed that energy consumption was reduced by 43% through optimizing the structure of ABR-MBR process. Meanwhile, the process achieved a high level of COD, NH: -N, TN and TP removal, with the average removal efficiencies of 91%, 85%, 76% and 86%, respectively. In addition, the added particulate media could effectively delay membrane fouling, while the formation process of membrane fouling was changed. The extracted amount of carbohydrates increased while the amount of proteins decreased. Finally, the potential was enhanced for the practical application of MBR.

Development of polymeric palladium-nanoparticle membrane-installed microflow devices and their application in hydrodehalogenation.

PubMed

Yamada, Yoichi M A; Watanabe, Toshihiro; Ohno, Aya; Uozumi, Yasuhiro

2012-02-13

We have developed a variety of polymeric palladium-nanoparticle membrane-installed microflow devices. Three types of polymers were convoluted with palladium salts under laminar flow conditions in a microflow reactor to form polymeric palladium membranes at the laminar flow interface. These membranes were reduced with aqueous sodium formate or heat to create microflow devices that contain polymeric palladium-nanoparticle membranes. These microflow devices achieved instantaneous hydrodehalogenation of aryl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and triflates by 10-1000 ppm within a residence time of 2-8 s at 50-90 °C by using safe, nonexplosive, aqueous sodium formate to quantitatively afford the corresponding hydrodehalogenated products. Polychlorinated biphenyl (10-1000 ppm) and polybrominated biphenyl (1000 ppm) were completely decomposed under similar conditions, yielding biphenyl as a fungicidal compound. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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.

Long-term proliferation and safeguards issues in future technologies

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

Keisch, B.; Auerbach, C.; Fainberg, A.

1986-02-01

The purpose of the task was to assess the effect of potential new technologies, nuclear and non-nuclear, on safeguards needs and non-proliferation policies, and to explore possible solutions to some of the problems envisaged. Eight subdivisions were considered: New Enrichment Technologies; Non-Aqueous Reprocessing Technologies; Fusion; Accelerator-Driven Reactor Systems; New Reactor Types; Heavy Water and Deuterium; Long-Term Storage of Spent Fuel; and Other Future Technologies (Non-Nuclear). For each of these subdivisions, a careful review of the current world-wide effort in the field provided a means of subjectively estimating the viability and qualitative probability of fruition of promising technologies. Technologies for whichmore » safeguards and non-proliferation requirements have been thoroughly considered by others were not restudied here (e.g., the Fast Breeder Reactor). The time scale considered was 5 to 40 years for possible initial demonstration although, in some cases, a somewhat optimistic viewpoint was embraced. Conventional nuclear-material safeguards are only part of the overall non-proliferation regime. Other aspects are international agreements, export controls on sensitive technologies, classification of information, intelligence gathering, and diplomatic initiatives. The focus here is on safeguards, export controls, and classification.« less

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion: A Joint NASA/DOE/DOD Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, John S. (Editor)

1991-01-01

Papers presented at the joint NASA/DOE/DOD workshop on nuclear thermal propulsion are compiled. The following subject areas are covered: nuclear thermal propulsion programs; Rover/NERVA and NERVA systems; Low Pressure Nuclear Thermal Rocket (LPNTR); particle bed reactor nuclear rocket; hybrid propulsion systems; wire core reactor; pellet bed reactor; foil reactor; Droplet Core Nuclear Rocket (DCNR); open cycle gas core nuclear rockets; vapor core propulsion reactors; nuclear light bulb; Nuclear rocket using Indigenous Martian Fuel (NIMF); mission analysis; propulsion and reactor technology; development plans; and safety issues.

Thorium fueled reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sipaun, S.

2017-01-01

Current development in thorium fueled reactors shows that they can be designed to operate in the fast or thermal spectrum. The thorium/uranium fuel cycle converts fertile thorium-232 into fissile uranium-233, which fissions and releases energy. This paper analyses the characteristics of thorium fueled reactors and discusses the thermal reactor option. It is found that thorium fuel can be utilized in molten salt reactors through many configurations and designs. A balanced assessment on the feasibility of adopting one reactor technology versus another could lead to optimized benefits of having thorium resource.

Generic Stellarator-like Magnetic Fusion Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheffield, John; Spong, Donald

2015-11-01

The Generic Magnetic Fusion Reactor paper, published in 1985, has been updated, reflecting the improved science and technology base in the magnetic fusion program. Key changes beyond inflation are driven by important benchmark numbers for technologies and costs from ITER construction, and the use of a more conservative neutron wall flux and fluence in modern fusion reactor designs. In this paper the generic approach is applied to a catalyzed D-D stellarator-like reactor. It is shown that an interesting power plant might be possible if the following parameters could be achieved for a reference reactor: R/ < a > ~ 4 , confinement factor, fren = 0.9-1.15, < β > ~ 8 . 0 -11.5 %, Zeff ~ 1.45 plus a relativistic temperature correction, fraction of fast ions lost ~ 0.07, Bm ~ 14-16 T, and R ~ 18-24 m. J. Sheffield was supported under ORNL subcontract 4000088999 with the University of Tennessee.

Biological processing in oscillatory baffled reactors: operation, advantages and potential

PubMed Central

Abbott, M. S. R.; Harvey, A. P.; Perez, G. Valente; Theodorou, M. K.

2013-01-01

The development of efficient and commercially viable bioprocesses is essential for reducing the need for fossil-derived products. Increasingly, pharmaceuticals, fuel, health products and precursor compounds for plastics are being synthesized using bioprocessing routes as opposed to more traditional chemical technologies. Production vessels or reactors are required for synthesis of crude product before downstream processing for extraction and purification. Reactors are operated either in discrete batches or, preferably, continuously in order to reduce waste, cost and energy. This review describes the oscillatory baffled reactor (OBR), which, generally, has a niche application in performing ‘long’ processes in plug flow conditions, and so should be suitable for various bioprocesses. We report findings to suggest that OBRs could increase reaction rates for specific bioprocesses owing to low shear, good global mixing and enhanced mass transfer compared with conventional reactors. By maintaining geometrical and dynamic conditions, the technology has been proved to be easily scaled up and operated continuously, allowing laboratory-scale results to be easily transferred to industrial-sized processes. This is the first comprehensive review of bioprocessing using OBRs. The barriers facing industrial adoption of the technology are discussed alongside some suggested strategies to overcome these barriers. OBR technology could prove to be a major aid in the development of commercially viable and sustainable bioprocesses, essential for moving towards a greener future. PMID:24427509

Contributions to nuclear safety and radiation technologies in Ukraine by the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taranenko, L.; Janouch, F.; Owsiacki, L.

2001-06-01

This paper presents Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) activities devoted to furthering nuclear and radiation safety, which is a prioritized STCU area. The STCU, an intergovernmental organization with the principle objective of non-proliferation, administers financial support from the USA, Canada, and the EU to Ukrainian projects in various scientific and technological areas; coordinates projects; and promotes the integration of Ukrainian scientists into the international scientific community, including involving western collaborators. The paper focuses on STCU's largest project to date "Program Supporting Y2K Readiness at Ukrainian NPPs" initiated in April 1999 and designed to address possible Y2K readiness problems at 14 Ukrainian nuclear reactors. Other presented projects demonstrate a wide diversity of supported directions in the fields of nuclear and radiation safety, including reactor material improvement ("Improved Zirconium-Based Elements for Nuclear Reactors"), information technologies for nuclear industries ("Ukrainian Nuclear Data Bank in Slavutich"), and radiation health science ("Diagnostics and Treatment of Radiation-Induced Injuries of Human Biopolymers").

Current Development in Treatment and Hydrogen Energy Conversion of Organic Solid Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Hang-Sik

2008-02-01

This manuscript summarized current developments on continuous hydrogen production technologies researched in Korea advanced institute of science and technology (KAIST). Long-term continuous pilot-scale operation of hydrogen producing processes fed with non-sterile food waste exhibited successful results. Experimental findings obtained by the optimization processes of growth environments for hydrogen producing bacteria, the development of high-rate hydrogen producing strategies, and the feasibility tests for real field application could contribute to the progress of fermentative hydrogen production technologies. Three major technologies such as controlling dilution rate depending on the progress of acidogenesis, maintaining solid retention time independently from hydraulic retention time, and decreasing hydrogen partial pressure by carbon dioxide sparging could enhance hydrogen production using anaerobic leaching beds reactors and anaerobic sequencing batch reactors. These findings could contribute to stable, reliable and effective performances of pilot-scale reactors treating organic wastes.

Application of an automation system and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for the optimal operation of a membrane adsorption hybrid system.

PubMed

Smith, P J; Vigneswaran, S; Ngo, H H; Nguyen, H T; Ben-Aim, R

2006-01-01

The application of automation and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to municipal water and wastewater treatment plants is rapidly increasing. However, the application of these systems is less frequent in the research and development phases of emerging treatment technologies used in these industries. This study involved the implementation of automation and a SCADA system to the submerged membrane adsorption hybrid system for use in a semi-pilot scale research project. An incremental approach was used in the development of the automation and SCADA systems, leading to the development of two new control systems. The first system developed involved closed loop control of the backwash initiation, based upon a pressure increase, leading to productivity improvements as the backwash is only activated when required, not at a fixed time. This system resulted in a 40% reduction in the number of backwashes required and also enabled optimised operations under unsteady concentrations of wastewater. The second system developed involved closed loop control of the backwash duration, whereby the backwash was terminated when the pressure reached a steady state. This system resulted in a reduction of the duration of the backwash of up to 25% and enabled optimised operations as the foulant build-up within the reactor increased.

[Study on essential oil separation from Forsythia suspensa oil-bearing water body based on vapor permeation membrane separation technology].

PubMed

Zhang, Qian; Zhu, Hua-Xu; Tang, Zhi-Shu; Pan, Yong-Lan; Li, Bo; Fu, Ting-Ming; Yao, Wei-Wei; Liu, Hong-Bo; Pan, Lin-Mei

2018-04-01

To investigate the feasibility of vapor permeation membrane technology in separating essential oil from oil-water extract by taking the Forsythia suspensa as an example. The polydimethylsiloxane/polyvinylidene fluoride (PDMS/PVDF) composite flat membrane and a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) flat membrane was collected as the membrane material respectively. Two kinds of membrane osmotic liquids were collected by self-made vapor permeation device. The yield of essential oil separated and enriched from two kinds of membrane materials was calculated, and the microscopic changes of membrane materials were analyzed and compared. Meanwhile, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to compare and analyze the differences in chemical compositions of essential oil between traditional steam distillation, PVDF membrane enriched method and PDMS/PVDF membrane enriched method. The results showed that the yield of essential oil enriched by PVDF membrane was significantly higher than that of PDMS/PVDF membrane, and the GC-MS spectrum showed that the content of main compositions was higher than that of PDMS/PVDF membrane; The GC-MS spectra showed that the components of essential oil enriched by PVDF membrane were basically the same as those obtained by traditional steam distillation. The above results showed that vapor permeation membrane separation technology shall be feasible for the separation of Forsythia essential oil-bearing water body, and PVDF membrane was more suitable for separation and enrichment of Forsythia essential oil than PDMS/PVDF membrane. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Membrane Technologies in Wine Industry: An Overview.

PubMed

El Rayess, Youssef; Mietton-Peuchot, Martine

2016-09-09

Membrane processes are increasingly reported for various applications in wine industry such as microfiltration, electrodialysis, and reverse osmosis, but also emerging processes as bipolar electrodialysis and membrane contactor. Membrane-based processes are playing a critical role in the field of separation/purification, clarification, stabilization, concentration, and de-alcoholization of wine products. They begin to be an integral part of the winemaking process. This review will provide an overview of recent developments, applications, and published literature in membrane technologies applied in wine industry.

Membrane bioreactors for the removal of anionic micropollutants from drinking water.

PubMed

Crespo, João G; Velizarov, Svetlozar; Reis, Maria A

2004-10-01

Biological treatment processes allow for the effective elimination of anionic micropollutants from drinking water. However, special technologies have to be implemented to eliminate the target pollutants without changing water quality, either by adding new pollutants or removing essential water components. Some innovative technologies that combine the use of membranes with the biological degradation of ionic micropollutants in order to minimize the secondary contamination of treated water include pressure-driven membrane bioreactors, gas-transfer membrane bioreactors and ion exchange membrane bioreactors.

DEMONSTRATION BULLETIN: MEMBRANE FILTRATION - SBP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

EPA Science Inventory

SBP Technologies Inc. (SBP) has developed a membrane-based separation technology that can reduce the volume of contaminated groundwater requiring treatment. The SBP Filtration Unit consists of porous, sintered, stainless steel tubes arranged in a shell-and-tube module configurati...

FOST 2 Upgrade with Hollow-Fiber CTA FO Module and Generation of Osmotic Agent for Microorganism Growth Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parodi, Jurek; Mangado, Jaione Romero; Stefanson, Ofir; Flynn, Michael; Shaw, Hali; Beeler, David

2016-01-01

FOST 2 is an integrated membrane system that incorporates a forward osmosis subsystem and a reverse osmosis subsystem working in series. It has been designed as a post treatment system to process the effluent from the Membrane Aerated Biological Reactor developed at NASA Johnson Space Center and Texas Tech University. Its function is to remove dissolved solids residual such as ammonia and suspended solids, as well as to provide a physical barrier to microbial and viral contamination. A tubular CTA membrane module from HTI and a flat-sheet lipid-base membrane module from Porifera were integrated and tested on FOST 2 in the past, using both a bioreactor's effluent and greywater as the feed solution. This paper documents the performance of FOST 2 after its upgrade with a hollow-fiber CTA membrane module from Toyobo, treating real black-water to generate the osmotic agent solution necessary to conduct growth studies of genetically engineered microorganism for the Synthetic Biological Membrane project.

Conversion of hydrophilic SiOC nanofibrous membrane to robust hydrophobic materials by introducing palladium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Nan; Wan, Lynn Yuqin; Wang, Yingde; Ko, Frank

2017-12-01

Hydrophobic ceramic nanofibrous membranes have wide applications in the fields of high-temperature filters, oil/water separators, catalyst supports and membrane reactors, for their water repellency property, self-cleaning capability, good environmental stability and long life span. In this work, we fabricated an inherently hydrophobic ceramic nanofiber membrane without any surface modification through pyrolysis of electrospun polycarbosilane nanofibers. The hydrophobicity was introduced by the hierarchical microstructure formed on the surface of the nanofibers and the special surface composition by the addition of trace amounts of palladium. Furthermore, the flexible ceramic mats demonstrated robust chemical resistance properties with consistent hydrophobicity over the entire pH value range and effective water-in-oil emulsion separation performance. Interestingly, a highly cohesive force was found between water droplet and the ceramic membranes, suggesting their great potentials in micro-liquid transportation. This work provides a new route for adjusting the composition of ceramic surface and flexible, recyclable and multifunctional ceramic fibrous membranes for utilization in harsh environments.

Pre-Combustion Carbon Capture by a Nanoporous, Superhydrophobic Membrane Contactor Process

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

Meyer, Howard; Zhou, S James; Ding, Yong

2012-03-31

This report summarizes progress made during Phase I and Phase II of the project: "Pre-Combustion Carbon Capture by a Nanoporous, Superhydrophobic Membrane Contactor Process," under contract DE-FE-0000646. The objective of this project is to develop a practical and cost effective technology for CO{sub 2} separation and capture for pre-combustion coal-based gasification plants using a membrane contactor/solvent absorption process. The goals of this technology development project are to separate and capture at least 90% of the CO{sub 2} from Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants with less than 10% increase in the cost of energy services. Unlike conventional gas separationmore » membranes, the membrane contactor is a novel gas separation process based on the gas/liquid membrane concept. The membrane contactor is an advanced mass transfer device that operates with liquid on one side of the membrane and gas on the other. The membrane contactor can operate with pressures that are almost the same on both sides of the membrane, whereas the gas separation membranes use the differential pressure across the membrane as driving force for separation. The driving force for separation for the membrane contactor process is the chemical potential difference of CO{sub 2} in the gas phase and in the absorption liquid. This process is thus easily tailored to suit the needs for pre-combustion separation and capture of CO{sub 2}. Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and PoroGen Corporation (PGC) have developed a novel hollow fiber membrane technology that is based on chemically and thermally resistant commercial engineered polymer poly(ether ether ketone) or PEEK. The PEEK membrane material used in the membrane contactor during this technology development program is a high temperature engineered plastic that is virtually non-destructible under the operating conditions encountered in typical gas absorption applications. It can withstand contact with most of the common treating solvents. GTI and PGC have developed a nanoporous and superhydrophobic PEEK-based hollow fiber membrane contactor tailored for the membrane contactor/solvent absorption application for syngas cleanup. The membrane contactor modules were scaled up to 8-inch diameter commercial size modules. We have performing extensive laboratory and bench testing using pure gases, simulated water-gas-shifted (WGS) syngas stream, and a slipstream from a gasification derived syngas from GTI's Flex-Fuel Test Facility (FFTF) gasification plant under commercially relevant conditions. The team have also carried out an engineering and economic analysis of the membrane contactor process to evaluate the economics of this technology and its commercial potential. Our test results have shown that 90% CO{sub 2} capture can be achieved with several physical solvents such as water and chilled methanol. The rate of CO{sub 2} removal by the membrane contactor is in the range of 1.5 to 2.0 kg/m{sup 2}/hr depending on the operating pressures and temperatures and depending on the solvents used. The final economic analysis has shown that the membrane contactor process will cause the cost of electricity to increase by 21% from the base plant without CO{sub 2} capture. The goal of 10% increase in levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) from base DOE Case 1(base plant without capture) is not achieved by using the membrane contactor. However, the 21% increase in LCOE is a substantial improvement as compared with the 31.6% increase in LCOE as in DOE Case 2(state of art capture technology using 2-stages of Selexol{TM}).« less

Dopamine: Just the Right Medicine for Membranes

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

Yang, Hao-Cheng; Waldman, Ruben Z.; Wu, Ming-Bang

Mussel-inspired chemistry has attracted widespread interest in membrane science and technology. Demonstrating the rapid growth of this field over the past several years, substantial progress has been achieved in both mussel-inspired chemistry and membrane surface engineering based on mussel-inspired coatings. At this stage, it is valuable to summarize the most recent and distinctive developments, as well as to frame the challenges and opportunities remaining in this field. In this review, recent advances in rapid and controllable deposition of mussel-inspired coatings, dopamine-assisted codeposition technology, and photoinitiated grafting directly on mussel-inspired coatings are presented. Some of these technologies have not yet beenmore » employed directly in membrane science. Beyond discussing advances in conventional membrane processes, emerging applications of mussel-inspired coatings in membranes are discussed, including as a skin layer in nanofiltration, interlayer in metal-organic framework based membranes, hydrophilic layer in Janus membranes, and protective layer in catalytic membranes. Finally, some critical unsolved challenges are raised in this field and some potential pathways are proposed to address them.« less

Dopamine: Just the Right Medicine for Membranes

DOE PAGES

Yang, Hao-Cheng; Waldman, Ruben Z.; Wu, Ming-Bang; ...

2018-01-09

Mussel-inspired chemistry has attracted widespread interest in membrane science and technology. Demonstrating the rapid growth of this field over the past several years, substantial progress has been achieved in both mussel-inspired chemistry and membrane surface engineering based on mussel-inspired coatings. At this stage, it is valuable to summarize the most recent and distinctive developments, as well as to frame the challenges and opportunities remaining in this field. In this review, recent advances in rapid and controllable deposition of mussel-inspired coatings, dopamine-assisted codeposition technology, and photoinitiated grafting directly on mussel-inspired coatings are presented. Some of these technologies have not yet beenmore » employed directly in membrane science. Beyond discussing advances in conventional membrane processes, emerging applications of mussel-inspired coatings in membranes are discussed, including as a skin layer in nanofiltration, interlayer in metal-organic framework based membranes, hydrophilic layer in Janus membranes, and protective layer in catalytic membranes. Finally, some critical unsolved challenges are raised in this field and some potential pathways are proposed to address them.« less

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

Hua, Xin; Yu, Xiao-Ying; Wang, Zhaoying

The first results of using a novel single channel microfluidic reactor to enable Shewanella biofilm growth and in situ characterization using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) in the hydrated environment are presented. The new microfluidic interface allows direct probing of the liquid surface using ToF-SIMS, a vacuum surface technique. The detection window is an aperture of 2 m in diameter on a thin silicon nitride (SiN) membrane and it allows direct detection of the liquid surface. Surface tension of the liquid flowing inside the microchannel holds the liquid within the aperture. ToF-SIMS depth profiling was used to drill throughmore » the SiN membrane and the biofilm grown on the substrate. In situ 2D imaging of the biofilm in hydrated state was acquired, providing spatial distribution of the chemical compounds in the biofilm system. This data was compared with a medium filled microfluidic reactor devoid of biofilm and dried biofilm samples deposited on clean silicon wafers. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) was used to investigate these observations. Our results show that imaging biofilms in the hydrated environment using ToF-SIMS is possible using the unique microfluidic reactor. Moreover, characteristic biofilm fatty acids fragments were observed in the hydrated biofilm grown in the microfluidic channel, illustrating the advantage of imaging biofilm in its native environment.« less

Membrane-Based Technologies in the Pharmaceutical Industry and Continuous Production of Polymer-Coated Crystals/Particles.

PubMed

Chen, Dengyue; Sirkar, Kamalesh K; Jin, Chi; Singh, Dhananjay; Pfeffer, Robert

2017-01-01

Membrane technologies are of increasing importance in a variety of separation and purification applications involving liquid phases and gaseous mixtures. Although the most widely used applications at this time are in water treatment including desalination, there are many applications in chemical, food, healthcare, paper and petrochemical industries. This brief review is concerned with existing and emerging applications of various membrane technologies in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry. The goal of this review article is to identify important membrane processes and techniques which are being used or proposed to be used in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical operations. How novel membrane processes can be useful for delivery of crystalline/particulate drugs is also of interest. Membrane separation technologies are extensively used in downstream processes for bio-pharmaceutical separation and purification operations via microfiltration, ultrafiltration and diafiltration. Also the new technique of membrane chromatography allows efficient purification of monoclonal antibodies. Membrane filtration techniques of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration are being combined with bioreactors and advanced oxidation processes to treat wastewaters from pharmaceutical plants. Nanofiltration with organic solvent-stable membranes can implement solvent exchange and catalyst recovery during organic solvent-based drug synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds/intermediates. Membranes in the form of hollow fibers can be conveniently used to implement crystallization of pharmaceutical compounds. The novel crystallization methods of solid hollow fiber cooling crystallizer (SHFCC) and porous hollow fiber anti-solvent crystallization (PHFAC) are being developed to provide efficient methods for continuous production of polymer-coated drug crystals in the area of drug delivery. This brief review provides a general introduction to various applications of membrane technologies in the pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industry with special emphasis on novel membrane techniques for pharmaceutical applications. The method of coating a drug particle with a polymer using the SHFCC method is stable and ready for scale-up for operation over an extended period. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

PALLADIUM-FACILITATED ELECTROLYTIC DECHLORINATION OF 2-CHLOROBIPHENYL USING A GRANULAR-GRAPHITE ELECTRODE.

EPA Science Inventory

Palladium-assisted electrocatalytic dechlorination of 2-chlorobiphenyl (2-Cl BP) in aqueous solutions was conducted in a membrane-separated electrochemical reactor with granular-graphite packed electrodes. The dechlorination took place at a granular-graphite cathode while Pd was ...

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

Klipstein, David H.; Robinson, Sharon

The Reaction Engineering Roadmap is a part of an industry- wide effort to create a blueprint of the research and technology milestones that are necessary to achieve longterm industry goals. This report documents the results of a workshop focused on the research needs, technology barriers, and priorities of the chemical industry as they relate to reaction engineering viewed first by industrial use (basic chemicals; specialty chemicals; pharmaceuticals; and polymers) and then by technology segment (reactor system selection, design, and scale-up; chemical mechanism development and property estimation; dealing with catalysis; and new, nonstandard reactor types).

Recycling of the Electronic Waste Applying the Plasma Reactor Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lázár, Marián; Jasminská, Natália; Čarnogurská, Mária; Dobáková, Romana

2016-12-01

The following paper discusses a high-temperature gasification process and melting of electronic components and computer equipment using plasma reactor technology. It analyses the marginal conditions of batch processing, as well as the formation of solid products which result from the procedure of waste processing. Attention is also paid to the impact of the emerging products on the environment.

ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY IN NUCLEAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGY. Analysis of Reactor Fuels, Fission-Product Mixtures and Related Materials: Analytical Chemistry of Plutonium and the Transplutonic Elements. Third Conference, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, October 26-29, 1959

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

None

1960-01-01

Thirty-one papers and 10 summaries of papers presented at the Third Conference on Analytical Chemistry in Nuclear Reactor Technology held at Gatlinburg, Tennessee, October 26 to 29, 1959, are given. The papers are grouped into four sections: general, analytical chemistry of fuels, analytical chemistry of plutonium and the transplutonic elements, and the analysis of fission-product mixtures. Twenty-seven of the papers are covered by separate abstracts. Four were previously abstracted for NSA. (M.C.G.)

Space nuclear power systems; Proceedings of the 8th Symposium, Albuquerque, NM, Jan. 6-10, 1991. Pts. 1-3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Genk, Mohamed S. (Editor); Hoover, Mark D. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The present conference discusses NASA mission planning for space nuclear power, lunar mission design based on nuclear thermal rockets, inertial-electrostatic confinement fusion for space power, nuclear risk analysis of the Ulysses mission, the role of the interface in refractory metal alloy composites, an advanced thermionic reactor systems design code, and space high power nuclear-pumped lasers. Also discussed are exploration mission enhancements with power-beaming, power requirement estimates for a nuclear-powered manned Mars rover, SP-100 reactor design, safety, and testing, materials compatibility issues for fabric composite radiators, application of the enabler to nuclear electric propulsion, orbit-transfer with TOPAZ-type power sources, the thermoelectric properties of alloys, ruthenium silicide as a promising thermoelectric material, and innovative space-saving device for high-temperature piping systems. The second volume of this conference discusses engine concepts for nuclear electric propulsion, nuclear technologies for human exploration of the solar system, dynamic energy conversion, direct nuclear propulsion, thermionic conversion technology, reactor and power system control, thermal management, thermionic research, effects of radiation on electronics, heat-pipe technology, radioisotope power systems, and nuclear fuels for power reactors. The third volume discusses space power electronics, space nuclear fuels for propulsion reactors, power systems concepts, space power electronics systems, the use of artificial intelligence in space, flight qualifications and testing, microgravity two-phase flow, reactor manufacturing and processing, and space and environmental effects.

Reference reactor module for NASA's lunar surface fission power system

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

Poston, David I; Kapernick, Richard J; Dixon, David D

Surface fission power systems on the Moon and Mars may provide the first US application of fission reactor technology in space since 1965. The Affordable Fission Surface Power System (AFSPS) study was completed by NASA/DOE to determine the cost of a modest performance, low-technical risk surface power system. The AFSPS concept is now being further developed within the Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project, which is a near-term technology program to demonstrate system-level TRL-6 by 2013. This paper describes the reference FSP reactor module concept, which is designed to provide a net power of 40 kWe for 8 years on themore » lunar surface; note, the system has been designed with technologies that are fully compatible with a Martian surface application. The reactor concept uses stainless-steel based. UO{sub 2}-fueled, pumped-NaK fission reactor coupled to free-piston Stirling converters. The reactor shielding approach utilizes both in-situ and launched shielding to keep the dose to astronauts much lower than the natural background radiation on the lunar surface. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide a 'workhorse' power system that NASA can utilize in near-term and future Lunar and Martian mission architectures, with the eventual capability to evolve to very high power, low mass systems, for either surface, deep space, and/or orbital missions.« less

Membrane electrode gasket assembly (MEGA) technology for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozio, A.; Giorgi, L.; De Francesco, M.; Silva, R. F.; Lo Presti, R.; Danzi, A.

A new technology for the production of a membrane electrode gasket assembly (MEGA) for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is defined. The MEGA system was prepared by sealing a previously prepared membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in a moulded gasket. For this aim, a proprietary silicone based liquid mixture was injected directly into the MEA borders. Gaskets obtained in different shapes and hardness grades are stable in a wide temperature range. The MEGA technology shows several advantages with respect to traditional PEFCs stack assembling systems: effective membrane saving, reduced fabrication time, possibility of quality control and failed elements substitution. This technology was successfully tested at the ENEA laboratories and the results were acquired in laboratory scale, but industrial production appears to be simple and cheap.

New membranes could speed the biofuels conversion process and reduce cost

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

Hu, Michael

2014-07-23

ORNL researchers have developed a new class of membranes that could enable faster, more cost efficient biofuels production. These membranes are tunable at the nanopore level and have potential uses in separating water from fuel and acid from bio-oils. The membrane materials technology just won an R&D 100 award. ORNL and NREL are partnering, with support from the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, to determine the best uses of these membranes to speed the biofuels conversion process. Development of the membranes was funded by DOE BETO and ORNL's Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program.

New membranes could speed the biofuels conversion process and reduce cost

ScienceCinema

Hu, Michael

2018-01-26

ORNL researchers have developed a new class of membranes that could enable faster, more cost efficient biofuels production. These membranes are tunable at the nanopore level and have potential uses in separating water from fuel and acid from bio-oils. The membrane materials technology just won an R&D 100 award. ORNL and NREL are partnering, with support from the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, to determine the best uses of these membranes to speed the biofuels conversion process. Development of the membranes was funded by DOE BETO and ORNL's Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program.

Treatment of Spacecraft Wastewater Using a Hollow Fiber Membrane Biofilm Redox Control Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Daniel P.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop and evaluate design concepts for biological treatment reactors for the purification of spacecraft wastewater prior to reverse osmosis treatment. The motivating factor is that wastewater recovery represents the greatest single potential reduction in the resupply requirements for crewed space missions. Spacecraft wastewater composition was estimated from the characteristics of the three major component streams: urine/flush water, hygiene water, and atmospheric condensate. The key characteristics of composite spacecraft wastewater are a theoretical oxygen demand of 4519 mg/L, of which 65% is nitrogenous oxygen demand, in a volume of 11.5 liter/crew-day. The organic carbon to nitrogen ratio of composite wastewater is 0.86. Urine represents 93% of nitrogen and 49% of the organic carbon in the composite wastestream. Various bioreaction scenarios were evaluated to project stoichiometric oxygen demands and the ability of wastewater carbon to support denitrification. Ammonia nitrification to the nitrite oxidation state reduced the oxygen requirement and enabled wastewater carbon to provide nearly complete denitrification. A conceptual bioreactor design was established using hollow fiber membranes for bubbleless oxygen transfer in a gravity-free environment, in close spatial juxtaposition to a second interspaced hollow fiber array for supplying molecular hydrogen. Highly versatile redox control and an enhanced ability to engineer syntrophic associations are stated advantages. A prototype reactor was constructed using a microporous hollow fiber membrane module for aeration. Maintaining inlet gas pressure within 0.25 psi of the external water pressure resulted in bubble free operation with no water ingress into hollow fiber lumens. Recommendations include the design and operational testing of hollow fiber bioreactors using: 1) Partial nitrification/nitrite predenitrification; 2) Limited aeration for simultaneous nitrification/denitrification or for nitrite reduction/ammonia oxidation; 3) Hydrogenotrophic denitrification.

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

Wichman, K.; Tsao, J.; Mayfield, M.

The regulatory application of leak before break (LBB) for operating and advanced reactors in the U.S. is described. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the application of LBB for six piping systems in operating reactors: reactor coolant system primary loop piping, pressurizer surge, safety injection accumulator, residual heat removal, safety injection, and reactor coolant loop bypass. The LBB concept has also been applied in the design of advanced light water reactors. LBB applications, and regulatory considerations, for pressurized water reactors and advanced light water reactors are summarized in this paper. Technology development for LBB performed by the NRCmore » and the International Piping Integrity Research Group is also briefly summarized.« less

A review on bisphenol A occurrences, health effects and treatment process via membrane technology for drinking water.

PubMed

Muhamad, Mimi Suliza; Salim, Mohd Razman; Lau, Woei Jye; Yusop, Zulkifli

2016-06-01

Massive utilization of bisphenol A (BPA) in the industrial production of polycarbonate plastics has led to the occurrence of this compound (at μg/L to ng/L level) in the water treatment plant. Nowadays, the presence of BPA in drinking water sources is a major concern among society because BPA is one of the endocrine disruption compounds (EDCs) that can cause hazard to human health even at extremely low concentration level. Parallel to these issues, membrane technology has emerged as the most feasible treatment process to eliminate this recalcitrant contaminant via physical separation mechanism. This paper reviews the occurrences and effects of BPA toward living organisms as well as the application of membrane technology for their removal in water treatment plant. The potential applications of using polymeric membranes for BPA removal are also discussed. Literature revealed that modifying membrane surface using blending approach is the simple yet effective method to improve membrane properties with respect to BPA removal without compromising water permeability. The regeneration process helps in maintaining the performances of membrane at desired level. The application of large-scale membrane process in treatment plant shows the feasibility of the technology for removing BPA and possible future prospect in water treatment process.