Sample records for trickle flow reactors

  1. Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol in a trickle bed reactor over a Pt/TiO2 catalyst.

    PubMed

    Maugans, Clayton B; Akgerman, Aydin

    2003-01-01

    Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol was studied in a batch and a trickle bed reactor using 4.45% Pt/TiO2 catalyst in the temperature range 150-205 degrees C. Kinetic data were obtained from batch reactor studies and used to model the reaction kinetics for phenol disappearance and for total organic carbon disappearance. Trickle bed experiments were then performed to generate data from a heterogeneous flow reactor. Catalyst deactivation was observed in the trickle bed reactor, although the exact cause was not determined. Deactivation was observed to linearly increase with the cumulative amount of phenol that had passed over the catalyst bed. Trickle bed reactor modeling was performed using a three-phase heterogeneous model. Model parameters were determined from literature correlations, batch derived kinetic data, and trickle bed derived catalyst deactivation data. The model equations were solved using orthogonal collocations on finite elements. Trickle bed performance was successfully predicted using the batch derived kinetic model and the three-phase reactor model. Thus, using the kinetics determined from limited data in the batch mode, it is possible to predict continuous flow multiphase reactor performance.

  2. Transesterification of rapeseed oil for biodiesel production in trickle-bed reactors packed with heterogeneous Ca/Al composite oxide-based alkaline catalyst.

    PubMed

    Meng, Yong-Lu; Tian, Song-Jiang; Li, Shu-Fen; Wang, Bo-Yang; Zhang, Min-Hua

    2013-05-01

    A conventional trickle bed reactor and its modified type both packed with Ca/Al composite oxide-based alkaline catalysts were studied for biodiesel production by transesterification of rapeseed oil and methanol. The effects of the methanol usage and oil flow rate on the FAME yield were investigated under the normal pressure and methanol boiling state. The oil flow rate had a significant effect on the FAME yield for the both reactors. The modified trickle bed reactor kept over 94.5% FAME yield under 0.6 mL/min oil flow rate and 91 mL catalyst bed volume, showing a much higher conversion and operational stability than the conventional type. With the modified trickle bed reactor, both transesterification and methanol separation could be performed simultaneously, and glycerin and methyl esters were separated additionally by gravity separation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Experimental and Computational Study of Multiphase Flow Hydrodynamics in 2D Trickle Bed Reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nadeem, H.; Ben Salem, I.; Kurnia, J. C.; Rabbani, S.; Shamim, T.; Sassi, M.

    2014-12-01

    Trickle bed reactors are largely used in the refining processes. Co-current heavy oil and hydrogen gas flow downward on catalytic particle bed. Fine particles in the heavy oil and/or soot formed by the exothermic catalytic reactions deposit on the bed and clog the flow channels. This work is funded by the refining company of Abu Dhabi and aims at mitigating pressure buildup due to fine deposition in the TBR. In this work, we focus on meso-scale experimental and computational investigations of the interplay between flow regimes and the various parameters that affect them. A 2D experimental apparatus has been built to investigate the flow regimes with an average pore diameter close to the values encountered in trickle beds. A parametric study is done for the development of flow regimes and the transition between them when the geometry and arrangement of the particles within the porous medium are varied. Liquid and gas flow velocities have also been varied to capture the different flow regimes. Real time images of the multiphase flow are captured using a high speed camera, which were then used to characterize the transition between the different flow regimes. A diffused light source was used behind the 2D Trickle Bed Reactor to enhance visualizations. Experimental data shows very good agreement with the published literature. The computational study focuses on the hydrodynamics of multiphase flow and to identify the flow regime developed inside TBRs using the ANSYS Fluent Software package. Multiphase flow inside TBRs is investigated using the "discrete particle" approach together with Volume of Fluid (VoF) multiphase flow modeling. The effect of the bed particle diameter, spacing, and arrangement are presented that may be used to provide guidelines for designing trickle bed reactors.

  4. Catalyst and process development for synthesis gas conversion to isobutylene. Quarterly report, October 1, 1992--December 31, 1992

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

    Anthony, R.G.; Akgerman, A.

    1993-02-01

    The objectives of this project are to develop a new catalyst, the kinetics for this catalyst, reactor models for trickle bed, slurry and fixed bed reactors, and simulate the performance of fixed bed trickle flow reactors, slurry flow reactors, and fixed bed gas phase reactors for conversion of a hydrogen lean synthesis gas to isobutylene. The goals for the quarter include: (1) Conduct experiments using a trickle bed reactor to determine the effect of reactor type on the product distribution. (2) Use spherical pellets of silica as a support for zirconia for the purpose of increasing surface, area and performancemore » of the catalysts. (3) Conduct exploratory experiments to determine the effect of super critical drying of the catalyst on the catalyst surface area and performance. (4) Prepare a ceria/zirconia catalyst by the precipitation method.« less

  5. Trickle-bed root culture bioreactor design and scale-up: growth, fluid-dynamics, and oxygen mass transfer.

    PubMed

    Ramakrishnan, Divakar; Curtis, Wayne R

    2004-10-20

    Trickle-bed root culture reactors are shown to achieve tissue concentrations as high as 36 g DW/L (752 g FW/L) at a scale of 14 L. Root growth rate in a 1.6-L reactor configuration with improved operational conditions is shown to be indistinguishable from the laboratory-scale benchmark, the shaker flask (mu=0.33 day(-1)). These results demonstrate that trickle-bed reactor systems can sustain tissue concentrations, growth rates and volumetric biomass productivities substantially higher than other reported bioreactor configurations. Mass transfer and fluid dynamics are characterized in trickle-bed root reactors to identify appropriate operating conditions and scale-up criteria. Root tissue respiration goes through a minimum with increasing liquid flow, which is qualitatively consistent with traditional trickle-bed performance. However, liquid hold-up is much higher than traditional trickle-beds and alternative correlations based on liquid hold-up per unit tissue mass are required to account for large changes in biomass volume fraction. Bioreactor characterization is sufficient to carry out preliminary design calculations that indicate scale-up feasibility to at least 10,000 liters.

  6. Experimental and Computational Study of the Hydrodynamics of Trickle Bed Flow Reactor Operating Under Different Pressure Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rabbani, S.; Ben Salem, I.; Nadeem, H.; Kurnia, J. C.; Shamim, T.; Sassi, M.

    2014-12-01

    Pressure drop estimation and prediction of liquid holdup play a crucial role in design and operation of trickle bed reactors. Experiments are performed for Light Gas Oil (LGO)-nitrogen system in ambient temperature conditions in an industrial pilot plant with reactor height 0.79 m and diameter of 0.0183 m and pressure ranging from atmospheric to 10 bars. It was found that pressure drop increased with increase in system pressure, superficial gas velocity and superficial liquid velocity. It was demonstrated in the experiments that liquid holdup of the system increases with the increase in superficial liquid velocity and tends to decrease with increase in superficial gas velocity which is in good agreement with existing literature. Similar conditions were also simulated using CFD-software FLUENT. The Volume of Fluid (VoF) technique was employed in combination with "discrete particle approach" and results were compared with that of experiments. The overall pressure drop results were compared with the different available models and a new comprehensive model was proposed to predict the pressure drop in Trickle Bed Flow Reactor.

  7. A Numerical Model for Trickle Bed Reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Propp, Richard M.; Colella, Phillip; Crutchfield, William Y.; Day, Marcus S.

    2000-12-01

    Trickle bed reactors are governed by equations of flow in porous media such as Darcy's law and the conservation of mass. Our numerical method for solving these equations is based on a total-velocity splitting, sequential formulation which leads to an implicit pressure equation and a semi-implicit mass conservation equation. We use high-resolution finite-difference methods to discretize these equations. Our solution scheme extends previous work in modeling porous media flows in two ways. First, we incorporate physical effects due to capillary pressure, a nonlinear inlet boundary condition, spatial porosity variations, and inertial effects on phase mobilities. In particular, capillary forces introduce a parabolic component into the recast evolution equation, and the inertial effects give rise to hyperbolic nonconvexity. Second, we introduce a modification of the slope-limiting algorithm to prevent our numerical method from producing spurious shocks. We present a numerical algorithm for accommodating these difficulties, show the algorithm is second-order accurate, and demonstrate its performance on a number of simplified problems relevant to trickle bed reactor modeling.

  8. Integrated detoxification methodology of hazardous phenolic wastewaters in environmentally based trickle-bed reactors: Experimental investigation and CFD simulation.

    PubMed

    Lopes, Rodrigo J G; Almeida, Teresa S A; Quinta-Ferreira, Rosa M

    2011-05-15

    Centralized environmental regulations require the use of efficient detoxification technologies for the secure disposal of hazardous wastewaters. Guided by federal directives, existing plants need reengineering activities and careful analysis to improve their overall effectiveness and to become environmentally friendly. Here, we illustrate the application of an integrated methodology which encompasses the experimental investigation of catalytic wet air oxidation and CFD simulation of trickle-bed reactors. As long as trickle-bed reactors are determined by the flow environment coupled with chemical kinetics, first, on the optimization of prominent numerical solution parameters, the CFD model was validated with experimental data taken from a trickle bed pilot plant specifically designed for the catalytic wet oxidation of phenolic wastewaters. Second, several experimental and computational runs were carried out under unsteady-state operation to evaluate the dynamic performance addressing the TOC concentration and temperature profiles. CFD computations of total organic carbon conversion were found to agree better with experimental data at lower temperatures. Finally, the comparison of test data with simulation results demonstrated that this integrated framework was able to describe the mineralization of organic matter in trickle beds and the validated consequence model can be exploited to promote cleaner remediation technologies of contaminated waters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Investigation of flow dynamics of liquid phase in a pilot-scale trickle bed reactor using radiotracer technique.

    PubMed

    Pant, H J; Sharma, V K

    2016-10-01

    A radiotracer investigation was carried out to measure residence time distribution (RTD) of liquid phase in a trickle bed reactor (TBR). The main objectives of the investigation were to investigate radial and axial mixing of the liquid phase, and evaluate performance of the liquid distributor/redistributor at different operating conditions. Mean residence times (MRTs), holdups (H) and fraction of flow flowing along different quadrants were estimated. The analysis of the measured RTD curves indicated radial non-uniform distribution of liquid phase across the beds. The overall RTD of the liquid phase, measured at the exit of the reactor was simulated using a multi-parameter axial dispersion with exchange model (ADEM), and model parameters were obtained. The results of model simulations indicated that the TBR behaved as a plug flow reactor at most of the operating conditions used in the investigation. The results of the investigation helped to improve the existing design as well as to design a full-scale industrial TBR for petroleum refining applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Biological hydrogen production by Clostridium acetobutylicum in an unsaturated flow reactor.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Husen; Bruns, Mary Ann; Logan, Bruce E

    2006-02-01

    A mesophilic unsaturated flow (trickle bed) reactor was designed and tested for H2 production via fermentation of glucose. The reactor consisted of a column packed with glass beads and inoculated with a pure culture (Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824). A defined medium containing glucose was fed at a flow rate of 1.6 mL/min (0.096 L/h) into the capped reactor, producing a hydraulic retention time of 2.1 min. Gas-phase H2 concentrations were constant, averaging 74 +/- 3% for all conditions tested. H2 production rates increased from 89 to 220 mL/hL of reactor when influent glucose concentrations were varied from 1.0 to 10.5 g/L. Specific H2 production rate ranged from 680 to 1270 mL/g glucose per liter of reactor (total volume). The H2 yield was 15-27%, based on a theoretical limit by fermentation of 4 moles of H2 from 1 mole of glucose. The major fermentation by-products in the liquid effluent were acetate and butyrate. The reactor rapidly (within 60-72 h) became clogged with biomass, requiring manual cleaning of the system. In order to make long-term operation of the reactor feasible, biofilm accumulation in the reactor will need to be controlled through some process such as backwashing. These tests using an unsaturated flow reactor demonstrate the feasibility of the process to produce high H2 gas concentrations in a trickle-bed type of reactor. A likely application of this reactor technology could be H2 gas recovery from pre-treatment of high carbohydrate-containing wastewaters.

  11. Development of a trickle bed reactor of electro-Fenton process for wastewater treatment.

    PubMed

    Lei, Yangming; Liu, Hong; Shen, Zhemin; Wang, Wenhua

    2013-10-15

    To avoid electrolyte leakage and gas bubbles in the electro-Fenton (E-Fenton) reactors using a gas diffusion cathode, we developed a trickle bed cathode by coating a layer composed of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene (C-PTFE) onto graphite chips instead of carbon cloth. The trickle bed cathode was optimized by single-factor and orthogonal experiments, in which carbon black, PTFE, and a surfactant were considered as the determinant of the performance of graphite chips. In the reactor assembled by the trickle bed cathode, H2O2 was generated with a current of 0.3A and a current efficiency of 60%. This performance was attributed to the fine distribution of electrolyte and air, as well as the effective oxygen transfer from the gas phase to the electrolyte-cathode interface. In terms of H2O2 generation and current efficiency, the developed trickle bed reactor had a performance comparable to that of the conventional E-Fenton reactor using a gas diffusion cathode. Further, 123 mg L(-1) of reactive brilliant red X-3B in aqueous solution was decomposed in the optimized trickle bed reactor as E-Fenton reactor. The decolorization ratio reached 97% within 20 min, and the mineralization reached 87% within 3h. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Biocatalytic methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide in an anaerobic three-phase system.

    PubMed

    Burkhardt, M; Koschack, T; Busch, G

    2015-02-01

    A new type of anaerobic trickle-bed reactor was used for biocatalytic methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide under mesophilic temperatures and ambient pressure in a continuous process. The conversion of gaseous substrates through immobilized hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea in a biofilm is a unique feature of this type of reactor. Due to the formation of a three-phase system on the carrier surface and operation as a plug flow reactor without gas recirculation, a complete reaction could be observed. With a methane concentration higher than c(CH4) = 98%, the product gas exhibits a very high quality. A specific methane production of P(CH4) = 1.49 Nm(3)/(m(3)(SV) d) was achieved at a hydraulic loading rate of LR(H2) = 6.0 Nm(3)/(m(3)(SV) d). The relation between trickle flow through the reactor and productivity could be shown. An application for methane enrichment in combination with biogas facilities as a source of carbon dioxide has also been positively proven. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Design and performance of a trickle-bed bioreactor with immobilized hybridoma cells.

    PubMed

    Phillips, H A; Scharer, J M; Bols, N C; Moo-Young, M

    1992-01-01

    A trickle-bed system employing inert matrices of vermiculite or polyurethane foam packed in the downcomer section of a split-flow air-lift reactor has been developed for hybridoma culture to enhance antibody productivity. This quiescent condition favoured occlusion and allowed the cells to achieve densities twelve fold greater (12.8 x 10(6) cells/ml reactor for polyurethane foam) than in free cell suspension. The reactor was operated in a cyclic batch mode whereby defined volumes of medium were periodically withdrawn and replaced with equal volumes of fresh medium. The pH of the medium was used as the indicator of the feeding schedule. Glucose, lactate and ammonia concentrations reached a stationary value after 5 days. With vermiculite packing, a monoclonal antibody (MAb) concentration of 2.4 mg/l was achieved after 12 days. The MAb concentration declined then increased to a value of 1.8 mg/l. In the polyurethane foam average monoclonal antibody (MAb) concentrations reached a stationary value of 1.1 mg/l in the first 20 days and increased to a new stationary state value of 2.1 mg/l for the remainder of the production. MAb productivity in the trickle-bed reactor was 0.3 mg/l.d (polyurethane foam) and 0.18 mg/l.d (vermiculite) in comparison to 0.12 mg/l.d for free cell suspension. This trickle-bed system seems to be an attractive way of increasing MAb productivity in culture.

  14. 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.

  15. Development of a New Design Procedure for Overland Flow System.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-06-18

    reactor kinetics, a concept familiar to most environmental engi- neers. In the case of overland flow, the reactor is the soil surface where various physical...site during the entire study. Perforated plastic pipe was used to distri- bute wastewater along the top of each section, and a bed of crushed stone...particulate BOD. The soluble BOD is oxidized by microorganisms which are probably similar to the attached biomass found in trickling filters. However, some

  16. Ethanol production during semi-continuous syngas fermentation in a trickle bed reactor using Clostridium ragsdalei.

    PubMed

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

    2016-06-01

    An efficient syngas fermentation bioreactor provides a mass transfer capability that matches the intrinsic kinetics of the microorganism to obtain high gas conversion efficiency and productivity. In this study, mass transfer and gas utilization efficiencies of a trickle bed reactor during syngas fermentation by Clostridium ragsdalei were evaluated at various gas and liquid flow rates. Fermentations were performed using a syngas mixture of 38% CO, 28.5% CO2, 28.5% H2 and 5% N2, by volume. Results showed that increasing the gas flow rate from 2.3 to 4.6sccm increased the CO uptake rate by 76% and decreased the H2 uptake rate by 51% up to Run R6. Biofilm formation after R6 increased cells activity with over threefold increase in H2 uptake rate. At 1662h, the final ethanol and acetic acid concentrations were 5.7 and 12.3g/L, respectively, at 200ml/min of liquid flow rate and 4.6sccm gas flow rate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Continuous biological waste gas treatment in stirred trickle-bed reactor with discontinuous removal of biomass.

    PubMed

    Laurenzis, A; Heits, H; Wübker, S; Heinze, U; Friedrich, C; Werner, U

    1998-02-20

    A new reactor for biological waste gas treatment was developed to eliminate continuous solvents from waste gases. A trickle-bed reactor was chosen with discontinuous movement of the packed bed and intermittent percolation. The reactor was operated with toluene as the solvent and an optimum average biomass concentration of between 5 and 30 kg dry cell weight per cubic meter packed bed (m3pb). This biomass concentration resulted in a high volumetric degradation rate. Reduction of surplus biomass by stirring and trickling caused a prolonged service life and prevented clogging of the trickle bed and a pressure drop increase. The pressure drop after biomass reduction was almost identical to the theoretical pressure drop as calculated for the irregular packed bed without biomass. The reduction in biomass and intermittent percolation of mineral medium resulted in high volumetric degradation rates of about 100 g of toluene m-3pb h-1 at a load of 150 g of toluene m-3pb h-1. Such a removal rate with a trickle-bed reactor was not reported before. Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  18. Protection of biomass from snail overgrazing in a trickling filter using sponge media as a biomass carrier: down-flow hanging sponge system.

    PubMed

    Onodera, Takashi; Syutsubo, Kazuaki; Yoochatchaval, Wilasinee; Sumino, Haruhiko; Mizuochi, Motoyuki; Harada, Hideki

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) technology as a promising trickling filter (TF) using sponge media as a biomass carrier with an emphasis on protection of the biomass against macrofauna overgrazing. A pilot-scale DHS reactor fed with low-strength municipal sewage was operated under ambient temperature conditions for 1 year at a sewage treatment plant in Bangkok, Thailand. The results showed that snails (macrofauna) were present on the surface of the sponge media, but could not enter into it, because the sponge media with smaller pores physically protected the biomass from the snails. As a result, the sponge media maintained a dense biomass, with an average value of 22.3 gVSS/L sponge (58.1 gTSS/L sponge) on day 370. The snails could graze biomass on the surface of the sponge media. The DHS reactor process performance was also successful. The DHS reactor requires neither chemical treatments nor specific operations such as flooding for snail control. Overall, the results of this study indicate that the DHS reactor is able to protect biomass from snail overgrazing.

  19. Continuous xylanase production with Aspergillus nidulans under pyridoxine limitation using a trickle bed reactor.

    PubMed

    Müller, Michael; Prade, Rolf A; Segato, Fernando; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Wilkins, Mark R

    2015-01-01

    A trickle bed reactor (TBR) with recycle was designed and tested using Aspergillus nidulans with a pyridoxine marker and over-expressing/secreting recombinant client xylanase B (XynB). The pyridoxine marker prevented the fungus from synthesizing its own pyridoxine and fungus was unable to grow when no pyridoxine was present in the medium; however, enzyme production was unaffected. Uncontrolled mycelia growth that led to clogging of the TBR was observed when fungus without a pyridoxine marker was used for XynB production. Using the fungus with pyridoxine marker, the TBR was operated continuously for 18 days and achieved a XynB output of 41 U/ml with an influent and effluent flow rate of 0.5 ml/min and a recycle flow rate of 56 ml/min. Production yields in the TBR were 1.4 times greater than a static tray culture and between 1.1 and 67 times greater than yields for SSF enzyme production stated in the literature. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Continuous aryl alcohol oxidase production under growth-limited conditions using a trickle bed reactor.

    PubMed

    Pardo-Planas, Oscar; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Prade, Rolf A; Müller, Michael; Wilkins, Mark R

    2018-05-01

    An A. nidulans strain with a pyridoxine marker was used for continuous production of aryl alcohol oxidase (AAO) in a trickle bed reactor (TBR). Modified medium with reduced zinc, no copper, and 5 g/L ascorbic acid that reduced melanin production and increased AAO productivity under growth limited conditions was used. Two air flow rates, 0.11 L/min (0.1 vvm) and 1.1 L/min (1.0 vvm) were tested. More melanin formation and reduced protein productivity were observed with air flow rate of 1.1 L/min. Three random packings were used as support for the fungus inside the TBR column, two of which were hydrophobic and one which was hydrophilic, and three different dilution rates were tested. The use of GEA BCN 030 hydrophobic packing resulted in greater AAO yield and productivity than the other packings. Increasing dilution rates favored melanin formation and citric, lactic and succinic acid accumulation, which decreased AAO yield and productivity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Study of gas-liquid flow in model porous media for heterogeneous catalysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Francois, Marie; Bodiguel, Hugues; Guillot, Pierre; Laboratory of the Future Team

    2015-11-01

    Heterogeneous catalysis of chemical reactions involving a gas and a liquid phase is usually achieved in fixed bed reactors. Four hydrodynamic regimes have been observed. They depend on the total flow rate and the ratio between liquid and gas flow rate. Flow properties in these regimes influence transfer rates. Rather few attempts to access local characterization have been proposed yet, though these seem to be necessary to better describe the physical mechanisms involved. In this work, we propose to mimic slices of reactor by using two-dimensional porous media. We have developed a two-dimensional system that is transparent to allow the direct observation of the flow and the phase distribution. While varying the total flow rate and the gas/liquid flow rate ratio, we observe two hydrodynamic regimes: at low flow rate, the gaseous phase is continuous (trickle flow), while it is discontinuous at higher flow rate (pulsed flow). Thanks to some image analysis techniques, we are able to quantify the local apparent liquid saturation in the system. Its fluctuations in time are characteristic of the transition between the two regimes: at low liquid flow rates, they are negligible since the liquid/gas interface is fixed, whereas at higher flow rates we observe an alternation between liquid and gas. This transition between trickle to pulsed flow is in relative good agreement with the existing state of art. However, we report in the pulsed regime important flow heterogeneities at the scale of a few pores. These heterogeneities are likely to have a strong influence on mass transfers. We acknowledge the support of Solvay.

  2. Performance of system consisting of vertical flow trickling filter and horizontal flow multi-soil-layering reactor for treatment of rural wastewater.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yi; Cheng, Yan; Yang, Chunping; Luo, Wei; Zeng, Guangming; Lu, Li

    2015-10-01

    In order to improve nitrogen removal for rural wastewater, a novel two-stage hybrid system, consisting of a vertical flow trickling filter (VFTF) and a horizontal flow multi-soil-layering (HFMSL) bioreactor was developed. The performance of the apparatus was observed under various carbon-nitrogen ratios and water spraying frequencies separately. The maximum removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) for the hybrid system was 92.8% while the removal rates of CODCr, ammonium (NH4(+)-N), and total phosphorus (TP) were 94.1%, 96.1%, 92.0% respectively, and the corresponding effluent concentrations were 3.61, 21.20, 1.91, and 0.33 mg L(-1). The horizontal flow mode for MSL led the system to denitrifying satisfactorily as it ensured relatively long hydraulic retention time (HRT), ideal anoxic condition and adequate organic substrates supply. Also, higher water spraying frequency benefited intermittent feeding system for pollutants removal. Shock loading test indicated that the hybrid system could operate well even at hydraulic shock loadings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Controlled biomass formation and kinetics of toluene degradation in a bioscrubber and in a reactor with a periodically moved trickle-bed.

    PubMed

    Wübker, S M; Laurenzis, A; Werner, U; Friedrich, C

    1997-08-20

    The kinetics of degradation of toluene from a model waste gas and of biomass formation were examined in a bioscrubber operated under different nutrient limitations with a mixed culture. The applicability of the kinetics of continuous cultivation of the mixed culture was examined for a special trickle-bed reactor with a periodically moved filter bed. The efficiency of toluene elimination of the bioscrubber was 50 to 57% and depended on the toluene mass transfer as evident from a constant productivity of 0.026 g dry cell weight/L . h over the dilution rate. Under potassium limitation the biomass productivity was reduced by 60% to 0.011 g dry cell weight/L . h at a dilution rate of 0.013/h. Conversely, at low dilution rates the specific toluene degradation rates increased. Excess biomass in a trickle-bed reactor causes reduction of interfacial area and mass transfer, and increase in pressure drop. To avoid these disadvantages, the trickle-bed was moved periodically and biomass was removed with outflowing medium. The concentration of steady state biomass fixed on polyamide beads decreased hyperbolically with the dilution rate. Also, the efficiency of toluene degradation decreased from 72 to 56% with increasing dilution rate while the productivity increased. Potassium limitation generally caused a reduction in biomass, productivity, and yield while the specific degradation increased with dilution rate. This allowed the application of the principles of the chemostat to the trickle-bed reactor described here, for toluene degradation from waste gases. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 55: 686-692, 1997.

  4. Catalyst and process development for synthesis gas conversion to isobutylene. Final report, September 1, 1990--January 31, 1994

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

    Anthony, R.G.; Akgerman, A.

    1994-05-06

    Previous work on isosynthesis (conversion of synthesis gas to isobutane and isobutylene) was performed at very low conversions or extreme process conditions. The objectives of this research were (1) determine the optimum process conditions for isosynthesis; (2) determine the optimum catalyst preparation method and catalyst composition/properties for isosynthesis; (3) determine the kinetics for the best catalyst; (4) develop reactor models for trickle bed, slurry, and fixed bed reactors; and (5) simulate the performance of fixed bed trickle flow reactors, slurry flow reactors, and fixed bed gas phase reactors for isosynthesis. More improvement in catalyst activity and selectivity is needed beforemore » isosynthesis can become a commercially feasible (stand-alone) process. Catalysts prepared by the precipitation method show the most promise for future development as compared with those prepared hydrothermally, by calcining zirconyl nitrate, or by a modified sol-gel method. For current catalysts the high temperatures (>673 K) required for activity also cause the production of methane (because of thermodynamics). A catalyst with higher activity at lower temperatures would magnify the unique selectivity of zirconia for isobutylene. Perhaps with a more active catalyst and acidification, oxygenate production could be limited at lower temperatures. Pressures above 50 atm cause an undesirable shift in product distribution toward heavier hydrocarbons. A model was developed that can predict carbon monoxide conversion an product distribution. The rate equation for carbon monoxide conversion contains only a rate constant and an adsorption equilibrium constant. The product distribution was predicted using a simple ratio of the rate of CO conversion. This report is divided into Introduction, Experimental, and Results and Discussion sections.« less

  5. Eukaryotic Community Shift in Response to Organic Loading Rate of an Aerobic Trickling Filter (Down-Flow Hanging Sponge Reactor) Treating Domestic Sewage.

    PubMed

    Miyaoka, Yuma; Hatamoto, Masashi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Syutsubo, Kazuaki

    2017-05-01

    In this study, changes in eukaryotic community structure and water quality were investigated in an aerobic trickling filter (down-flow hanging sponge, DHS) treating domestic sewage under different organic loading rates (OLRs). The OLR clearly influenced both sponge pore water quality and relative flagellates and ciliates (free-swimming, carnivorous, crawling, and stalked protozoa) abundances in the retained sludge. Immediately after the OLR was increased from 1.05 to 1.97 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) m -3  day -1 , COD and NH 4 + -N treatment efficiencies both deteriorated, and relative flagellates and ciliates abundances then increased from 2-8 % to 51-65 % total cells in the middle-bottom part of the DHS reactor. In a continuous operation at a stable OLR (2.01 kg COD m -3  day -1 ), effluent water quality improved, and relative flagellates and ciliates abundances decreased to 15-46 % total cells in the middle-bottom part of the DHS reactor. This result may indicate that flagellates and ciliates preferentially graze on dispersed bacteria, thus, stabilizing effluent water quality. Additionally, to investigate eukaryotic community structure, clone libraries based on the 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene of the retained sludge were constructed. The predominant group was Nucletmycea phylotypes, representing approximately 29-56 % total clones. Furthermore, a large proportion of the clones had <97 % sequence identity in the NCBI database. This result indicates that phylogenetically unknown eukaryotes were present in the DHS reactor. These results provide insights into eukaryotic community shift in the DHS reactor treating domestic sewage.

  6. Conversion of Small Algal Oil Sample to JP-8

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-01-01

    cracking of Algal Oil to SPK Hydroprocessing Lab Plant uop Nitrogen Hydrogen Product ., __ Small Scale Lab Hydprocessing plant - Down flow trickle ... bed configuration - Capable of retaining 25 cc of catalyst bed Meter UOP ·CONFIDENTIAL File Number The catalytic deoxygenation stage of the...content which combined with the samples acidity, is a challenge to reactor metallurgy. None the less, an attempt was made to convert this sample to

  7. Biological production of ethanol from coal. Task 4 report, Continuous reactor studies

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

    Not Available

    The production of ethanol from synthesis gas by the anaerobic bacterium C. ljungdahlii has been demonstrated in continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs), CSTRs with cell recycle and trickle bed reactors. Various liquid media were utilized in these studies including basal medium, basal media with 1/2 B-vitamins and no yeast extract and a medium specifically designed for the growth of C. ljungdahlii in the CSTR. Ethanol production was successful in each of the three reactor types, although trickle bed operation with C. ljungdahlii was not as good as with the stirred tank reactors. Operation in the CSTR with cell recycle wasmore » particularly promising, producing 47 g/L ethanol with only minor concentrations of the by-product acetate.« less

  8. A dual purpose packed-bed reactor for biogas scrubbing and methane-dependent water quality improvement applying to a wastewater treatment system consisting of UASB reactor and trickling filter.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, Yasuo

    2002-08-01

    A wastewater treatment system employing a UASB reactor in temperate regions requires biogas as a heat source for the UASB reactor during low temperature seasons. In this case, removal of H2S in the biogas by means of a scrubber before burning is necessary in order to prevent the boilers from corroding. Heating of the UASB reactor is, however, unnecessary in a warm season, and the scrubber and biogas become useless. Methane-dependent water quality improvement using the scrubber and biogas would be one way to use them efficiently during the warm season. The possible dual-purpose use of a packed-bed reactor was examined, with one of its uses being the scrubbing of biogas during the cold season and the other being the methane-dependent improvement of effluent water quality during the warm season. A bench scale packed-bed filled with plastic latticed-ring media was installed in a livestock wastewater treatment plant consisting of a UASB reactor and a trickling filter for post-treatment. The packed-bed was operated with biogas flowing at a superficial velocity of 0.14-0.39 m h(-1) and the hydraulic loading of trickling filter effluent sprayed onto the media 9.4-26.1 m3 m2 day(-1). H2S in the biogas from the UASB reactor was reduced from 1,200-2,500 ppm to less than 2 ppm by the reactor. Methane-dependent water quality improvement was examined using a laboratory scale reactor to which methane and/or air was supplied from the bottom, while plant effluent was spread from the top of the reactor. When the mixture gas of methane and air (volume ratio 1:3) was added to the reactor, biofilm grew on the surface of the media. Accompanying this growth, ammonium and phosphate in the spread water decreased, probably due to assimilation by the methane-oxidizing bacteria. Though assimilation activity dropped after the accumulation of biomass, it could be reactivated by washing out the excess biomass. Periodical backwash at a rate of more than once a week seemed to efficiently maintain the removal activity. The dark brown color of the wastewater could be also reduced in concert with methane oxidation. It seemed that methane-oxidizing bacteria degraded color-causing compounds. These results suggest that the packed-bed reactor is useful for both H2S purification of biogas and methane-dependent effluent water quality improvement.

  9. Monitoring of itaconic acid hydrogenation in a trickle bed reactor using fiber-optic coupled near-infrared spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Wood, Joseph; Turner, Paul H

    2003-03-01

    Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been applied to determine the conversion of itaconic acid in the effluent stream of a trickle bed reactor. Hydrogenation of itaconic to methyl succinic acid was carried out, with the trickle bed operating in recycle mode. For the first time, NIR spectra of itaconic and methyl succinic acids in aqueous solution, and aqueous mixtures withdrawn from the reactor over a range of reaction times, have been recorded using a fiberoptic sampling probe. The infrared spectra displayed a clear isolated absorption band at a wavenumber of 6186 cm(-1) (wavelength 1.617 microm) resulting from the =C-H bonds of itaconic acid, which was found to decrease in intensity with increasing reaction time. The feature could be more clearly observed from plots of the first derivatives of the spectra. A partial least-squares (PLS) model was developed from the spectra of 13 reference samples and was used successfully to calculate the concentration of the two acids in the reactor effluent solution. Itaconic acid conversions of 23-29% were calculated after 360 min of reaction time. The potential of FT-NIR with fiber-optic sampling for remote monitoring of three-phase catalytic reactors and validation of catalytic reactor models is highlighted in the paper.

  10. High performance biological methanation in a thermophilic anaerobic trickle bed reactor.

    PubMed

    Strübing, Dietmar; Huber, Bettina; Lebuhn, Michael; Drewes, Jörg E; Koch, Konrad

    2017-12-01

    In order to enhance energy efficiency of biological methanation of CO 2 and H 2 , this study investigated the performance of a thermophilic (55°C) anaerobic trickle bed reactor (ATBR) (58.1L) at ambient pressure. With a methane production rate of up to 15.4m 3 CH4 /(m 3 trickle bed ·d) at methane concentrations above 98%, the ATBR can easily compete with the performance of other mixed culture methanation reactors. Control of pH and nutrient supply turned out to be crucial for stable operation and was affected significantly by dilution due to metabolic water production, especially during demand-orientated operation. Considering practical applications, inoculation with digested sludge, containing a diverse biocenosis, showed high adaptive capacity due to intrinsic biological diversity. However, no macroscopic biofilm formation was observed at thermophilic conditions even after 313days of operation. The applied approach illustrates the high potential of thermophilic ATBRs as a very efficient energy conversion and storage technology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Simultaneous fermentation and separation in an immobilized cell trickle bed reactor: Acetone-butanol-ethane (ABE) and ethanol fermentation

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

    Park, C.H.

    1989-01-01

    A novel process employing immobilized cells and in-situ product removal was studied for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation by Clostridium acetobutylicum and ethanol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Experimental studies of ABE fermentation in a trickle bed reactor without product separation showed that solvent production could be improved by one order of magnitude compared to conventional batch fermentation. Control of effluent pH near 4.3 and feed glucose concentrations higher than 10 g/L were the necessary conditions for cell growth and solvent production. A mathematical model using an equilibrium staged model predicted efficient separation of butanol from the fermentation broth. Activity coefficients of multicomponentmore » system were estimated by Wilson's equation or the ASOG method. Inhibition by butanol and organic acids was incorporated into the kinetic expression. Experimental performance of simultaneous fermentation and separation in an immobilized cell trickle bed reactor showed that glucose conversion was improved as predicted by mathematical modeling and analysis. The effect of pH and temperature on ethanol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied in free and immobilized cell reactors. Conditions for the highest glucose conversion, cell viability and least glycerol yield were determined.« less

  12. X-ray digital industrial radiography (DIR) for local liquid velocity (VLL) measurement in trickle bed reactors (TBRs): Validation of the technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohd Salleh, Khairul Anuar; Rahman, Mohd Fitri Abdul; Lee, Hyoung Koo; Al Dahhan, Muthanna H.

    2014-06-01

    Local liquid velocity measurements in Trickle Bed Reactors (TBRs) are one of the essential components in its hydrodynamic studies. These measurements are used to effectively determine a reactor's operating condition. This study was conducted to validate a newly developed technique that combines Digital Industrial Radiography (DIR) with Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) to measure the Local Liquid Velocity (VLL) inside TBRs. Three millimeter-sized Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) beads were used as packing material. Three validation procedures were designed to test the newly developed technique. All procedures and statistical approaches provided strong evidence that the technique can be used to measure the VLL within TBRs.

  13. X-ray digital industrial radiography (DIR) for local liquid velocity (V(LL)) measurement in trickle bed reactors (TBRs): validation of the technique.

    PubMed

    Mohd Salleh, Khairul Anuar; Rahman, Mohd Fitri Abdul; Lee, Hyoung Koo; Al Dahhan, Muthanna H

    2014-06-01

    Local liquid velocity measurements in Trickle Bed Reactors (TBRs) are one of the essential components in its hydrodynamic studies. These measurements are used to effectively determine a reactor's operating condition. This study was conducted to validate a newly developed technique that combines Digital Industrial Radiography (DIR) with Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) to measure the Local Liquid Velocity (V(LL)) inside TBRs. Three millimeter-sized Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) beads were used as packing material. Three validation procedures were designed to test the newly developed technique. All procedures and statistical approaches provided strong evidence that the technique can be used to measure the V(LL) within TBRs.

  14. Air purification from a mixture VOCs in the pilot-scale trickle-bed bioreactor (TBB)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarzyński, Rafał; Gąszczak, Agnieszka; Janecki, Daniel; Bartelmus, Grażyna

    2017-10-01

    The efficiency of the air bio-purification from the mixture of two volatile organic compounds (styrene and p-xylene) was studied. The process was carried out in a pilot-scale trickle-bed bioreactor installation designed to purify ˜200 m3h-1 of the polluted air. The bioreactor operated at concurrent flow of gas and liquid (mineral salt solution) through packing (polypropylene Ralu rings) covered with a thin layer of microorganisms (bacterial consortium of Pseudomonas sp. E-022150 and Pseudomonas putida mt-2). The experiments, carried out for various values of a reactor load with pollutant, confirmed the great efficiency of the investigated process. At the tested bed load with pollution (inlet specific pollutant load was changed within the range of 41 - 84 gm-3 h -1), styrene conversion degree changed within the range of 80-87% and p-xylene conversion degree within the range of 42-48%.

  15. Comparison between several reactors with Trametes versicolor immobilized on lignocellulosic support for the continuous treatments of hospital wastewater.

    PubMed

    Torán, J; Blánquez, P; Caminal, G

    2017-11-01

    Hospital wastewater is a major source of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), which are not all removed in conventional wastewater treatment plants. White rot fungi can degrade PhACs, but their application has been limited to non-sterile conditions due to the competition with other microorganisms for growth. In this study, immobilization of Trametes versicolor on different lignocellulosic supports was studied as strategy to ensure fungal survival under continuous treatment conditions. A fluidized bed reactor and a trickling packed-bed reactor with T. versicolor immobilized on pallet wood were employed for the removal of ibuprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen. Best results were obtained with the trickling packed-bed reactor, which operated for 49days with high removal values in real hospital wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

    PubMed

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

    2009-09-01

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

  17. The Trickling Filter/Solids Contact Process: Application to Army Wastewater Plants

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-08-01

    technology (activated sludge and rotating biological contactors [RBC]). 3 7 For the study, the plant was to be sized at 10 mgd. Electricity purchased from...Project Costs* Estimated Cost** ($K) Trickling Rotating Filter/Solids Activated Biological Item Contact Sludge Contactor Preliminary treatment 1100 1100...basins 4500 - Rotating biological contactor reactors - 4520 Flocculator clarifiers 2000 - - Conventional secondary clarifiers 1770 1500 Dual-media

  18. Influence of operating pressure on the biological hydrogen methanation in trickle-bed reactors.

    PubMed

    Ullrich, Timo; Lindner, Jonas; Bär, Katharina; Mörs, Friedemann; Graf, Frank; Lemmer, Andreas

    2018-01-01

    In order to investigate the influence of pressures up to 9bar absolute on the productivity of trickle-bed reactors for biological methanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, experiments were carried out in a continuously operated experimental plant with three identical reactors. The pressure increase promises a longer residence time and improved mass transfer of H 2 due to higher gas partial pressures. The study covers effects of different pressures on important parameters like gas hourly space velocity, methane formation rate, conversion rates and product gas quality. The methane content of 64.13±3.81vol-% at 1.5bar could be increased up to 86.51±0.49vol-% by raising the pressure to 9bar. Methane formation rates of up to 4.28±0.26m 3 m -3 d -1 were achieved. Thus, pressure increase could significantly improve reactor performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. [Kinetics of catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol in trickle bed reactor].

    PubMed

    Li, Guang-ming; Zhao, Jian-fu; Wang, Hua; Zhao, Xiu-hua; Zhou, Yang-yuan

    2004-05-01

    By using a trickle bed reactor which was designed by the authors, the catalytic wet air oxidation reaction of phenol on CuO/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst was studied. The results showed that in mild operation conditions (at temperature of 180 degrees C, pressure of 3 MPa, liquid feed rate of 1.668 L x h(-1) and oxygen feed rate of 160 L x h(-1)), the removal of phenol can be over 90%. The curve of phenol conversion is similar to "S" like autocatalytic reaction, and is accordance with chain reaction of free radical. The kinetic model of pseudo homogenous reactor fits the catalytic wet air oxidation reaction of phenol. The effects of initial concentration of phenol, liquid feed rate and temperature for reaction also were investigated.

  20. Acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation in an immobilized cell trickle bed reactor.

    PubMed

    Park, C H; Okos, M R; Wankat, P C

    1989-06-05

    Acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation was successfully carried out in an immobilized cell trickle bed reactor. The reactor was composed of two serial columns packed with Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 entrapped on the surface of natural sponge segments at a cell loading in the range of 2.03-5.56 g dry cells/g sponge. The average cell loading was 3.58 g dry cells/g sponge. Batch experiments indicated that a critical pH above 4.2 is necessary for the initiation of cell growth. One of the media used during continuous experiments consisted of a salt mixture alone and the other a nutrient medium containing a salt mixture with yeast extract and peptone. Effluent pH was controlled by supplying various fractions of the two different types of media. A nutrient medium fraction above 0.6 was crucial for successful fermentation in a trickle bed reactor. The nutrient medium fraction is the ratio of the volume of the nutrient medium to the total volume of nutrient plus salt medium. Supplying nutrient medium to both columns continuously was an effective way to meet both pH and nutrient requirement. A 257-mL reactor could ferment 45 g/L glucose from an initial concentration of 60 g/L glucose at a rate of 70 mL/h. Butanol, acetone, and ethanol concentrations were 8.82, 5.22, and 1.45 g/L, respectively, with a butanol and total solvent yield of 19.4 and 34.1 wt %. Solvent productivity in an immobilized cell trickle bed reactor was 4.2 g/L h, which was 10 times higher than that obtained in a batch fermentation using free cells and 2.76 times higher than that of an immobilized CSTR. If the nutrient medium fraction was below 0.6 and the pH was below 4.2, the system degenerated. Oxygen also contributed to the system degeneration. Upon degeneration, glucose consumption and solvent yield decreased to 30.9 g/L and 23.0 wt %, respectively. The yield of total liquid product (40.0 wt %) and butanol selectivity (60.0 wt %) remained almost constant. Once the cells were degenerated, they could not be recovered.

  1. Biodegradation of endocrine disruptors in urban wastewater using Pleurotus ostreatus bioreactor.

    PubMed

    Křesinová, Zdena; Linhartová, Lucie; Filipová, Alena; Ezechiáš, Martin; Mašín, Pavel; Cajthaml, Tomáš

    2018-07-25

    The white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus HK 35, which is also an edible industrial mushroom commonly cultivated in farms, was tested in the degradation of typical representatives of endocrine disrupters (EDCs; bisphenol A, estrone, 17β-estradiol, estriol, 17α-ethinylestradiol, triclosan and 4-n-nonylphenol); its degradation efficiency under model laboratory conditions was greater than 90% within 12 days and better than that of another published strain P. ostreatus 3004. A spent mushroom substrate from a local farm was tested for its applicability in various batch and trickle-bed reactors in degrading EDCs in model fortified and real communal wastewater. The reactors were tested under various regimes including a pilot-scale trickle-bed reactor, which was finally tested at a wastewater treatment plant. The result revealed that the spent substrate is an efficient biodegradation agent, where the fungus was usually able to remove about 95% of EDCs together with suppression of the estrogenic activity of the sample. The results showed the fungus was able to operate in the presence of bacterial microflora in wastewater without any substantial negative effects on the degradation abilities. Finally, a pilot-scale trickle-bed reactor was installed in a wastewater treatment plant and successfully operated for 10days, where the bioreactor was able to remove more than 76% of EDCs present in the wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Evaluation of the process performance of a down-flow hanging sponge reactor for direct treatment of domestic wastewater in Bangkok, Thailand.

    PubMed

    Miyaoka, Yuma; Yoochatchaval, Wilasinee; Sumino, Haruhiko; Banjongproo, Pathan; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Onodera, Takashi; Okadera, Tomohiro; Syutsubo, Kazuaki

    2017-08-24

    This study assesses the performance of an aerobic trickling filter, down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor, as a decentralized domestic wastewater treatment technology. Also, the characteristic eukaryotic community structure in DHS reactor was investigated. Long-term operation of a DHS reactor for direct treatment of domestic wastewater (COD = 150-170 mg/L and BOD = 60-90 mg/L) was performed under the average ambient temperature ranged from 28°C to 31°C in Bangkok, Thailand. Throughout the evaluation period of 550 days, the DHS reactor at a hydraulic retention time of 3 h showed better performance than the existing oxidation ditch process in the removal of organic carbon (COD removal rate = 80-83% and BOD removal rate = 91%), nitrogen compounds (total nitrogen removal rate = 45-51% and NH 4 + -N removal rate = 95-98%), and low excess sludge production (0.04 gTS/gCOD removed). The clone library based on the 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequence revealed that phylogenetic diversity of 18S rRNA gene in the DHS reactor was higher than that of the present oxidation ditch process. Furthermore, the DHS reactor also demonstrated sufficient COD and NH 4 + -N removal efficiency under flow rate fluctuation conditions that simulates a small-scale treatment facility. The results show that a DHS reactor could be applied as a decentralized domestic wastewater treatment technology in tropical regions such as Bangkok, Thailand.

  3. Prevention of clogging in a biological trickle-bed reactor removing toluene from contaminated air.

    PubMed

    Weber, F J; Hartmans, S

    1996-04-05

    Removal of organic compounds like toluene from waste gases with a trickle-bed reactor can result in clogging of the reactor due to the formation of an excessive amount of biomass. We therefore limited the amount of nutrients available for growth, to prevent clogging of the reactor. As a consequence of this nutrient limitation a lower removal rate was observed. However, when a fungal culture was used to inoculate the reactor, the toluene removal rate under nutrient limiting conditions was higher. Over a period of 375 days, an average removal rate of 27 g C/(m(3) h) was obtained with the reactor inoculated with the fungal culture. From the carbon balance over the reactor and the nitrogen availability it was concluded that, under these nutrient-limited conditions, large amounts of carbohydrates are probably formed. We also studied the application of a NaOH wash to remove excess biomass, as a method to prevent clogging. Under these conditions an average toluene removal rate of 35 g C/(m(3) h) was obtained. After about 50 days there was no net increase in the biomass content of the reactor. The amount of biomass which was formed in the reactor equaled the amount removed by the NaOH wash.

  4. In situ magnetic resonance measurement of conversion, hydrodynamics and mass transfer during single- and two-phase flow in fixed-bed reactors.

    PubMed

    Gladden, L F; Alexander, P; Britton, M M; Mantle, M D; Sederman, A J; Yuen, E H L

    2003-01-01

    In recent years there has been increasing interest in applying magnetic resonance (MR) techniques in areas of engineering and chemical technology. The science that underpins many of these applications is the physics and chemistry of transport and reaction processes in porous materials. Key to the exploitation of MR methods will be our ability to demonstrate that MR yields information that cannot be obtained using conventional measurement techniques in engineering research. This article describes two case studies that highlight the power of MR to give new insights to chemical engineers. First, we demonstrate the application of MR techniques to explore both mass transfer and chemical conversion in situ within a fixed bed of catalyst, and we then use these data to identify the rate-controlling step of the chemical conversion. Second, we implement a rapid imaging technique to study the stability of the gas-liquid distribution in the low- and high-interaction two-phase flow regimes in a trickle-bed reactor.

  5. Enhanced biodegradation of methylhydrazine and hydrazine contaminated NASA wastewater in fixed-film bioreactor.

    PubMed

    Nwankwoala, A U; Egiebor, N O; Nyavor, K

    2001-01-01

    The aerobic biodegradation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wastewater that contains mixtures of highly concentrated methylhydrazine/hydrazine, citric acid and their reaction product was studied on a laboratory-scale fixed film trickle-bed reactor. The degrading organisms, Achromobacter sp., Rhodococcus B30 and Rhodococcus J10, were immobilized on coarse sand grains used as support-media in the columns. Under continuous flow operation, Rhodococcus sp. degraded the methylhydrazine content of the wastewater from a concentration of 10 to 2.5 mg/mL within 12 days and the hydrazine from approximately 0.8 to 0.1 mg/mL in 7 days. The Achromobacter sp. was equally efficient in degrading the organics present in the wastewater, reducing the concentration of the methylhydrazine from 10 to approximately 5 mg/mL within 12 days and that of the hydrazine from approximately 0.8 to 0.2 mg/mL in 7 days. The pseudo first-order rate constants of 0.137 day(-1) and 0.232 day(-1) were obtained for the removal of methylhydrazine and hydrazine, respectively, in wastewater in the reactor column. In the batch cultures, rate constants for the degradation were 0.046 and 0.079 day(-1) for methylhydrazine and hydrazine respectively. These results demonstrate that the continuous flow bioreactor afford greater degradation efficiencies than those obtained when the wastewater was incubated with the microbes in growth-limited batch experiments. They also show that wastewater containing hydrazine is more amenable to microbial degradation than one that is predominant in methylhydrazine, in spite of the longer lag period observed for hydrazine containing wastewater. The influence of substrate concentration and recycle rate on the degradation efficiency is reported. The major advantages of the trickle-bed reactor over the batch system include very high substrate volumetric rate of turnover, higher rates of degradation and tolerance of the 100% concentrated NASA wastewater. The results of the present laboratory scale study will be of great importance in the design and operation of an industrial immobilized biofilm reactor for the treatment of methylhydrazine and hydrazine contaminated NASA wastewater.

  6. Effect of loading types on performance characteristics of a trickle-bed bioreactor and biofilter during styrene/acetone vapor biofiltration.

    PubMed

    Halecky, Martin; Paca, Jan; Kozliak, Evguenii; Jones, Kim

    2016-07-02

    A 2:1 (w/w) mixture of styrene (STY) and acetone (AC) was subjected to lab-scale biofiltration under varied loading in both a trickle bed reactor (TBR) and biofilter (BF) to investigate substrate interactions and determine the limits of biofiltration efficiency of typical binary air pollutant mixtures containing both hydrophobic and polar components. A comparison of the STY/AC mixture degradation in the TBR and BF revealed higher pollutant removal efficiencies and degradation rates in the TBR, with the pollutant concentrations increasing up to the overloading limit. The maximum styrene degradation rates were 12 and 8 gc m(-3) h(-1) for the TBR and BF, respectively. However, the order of performance switched in favor of the BF when the loading was conducted by increasing air flow rate while keeping the inlet styrene concentration (Cin) constant in contrast to loading by increasing Cin. This switch may be due to a drastic difference in the effective surface area between these two reactors, so the biofilter becomes the reactor of choice when the rate-limiting step switches from biochemical processes to mass transfer by changing the loading mode. The presence of acetone in the mixture decreased the efficiency of styrene degradation and its degradation rate at high loadings. When the overloading was lifted by lowering the pollutant inlet concentrations, short-term back-stripping of both substrates in both reactors into the outlet air was observed, with a subsequent gradual recovery taking several hours and days in the BF and TBR, respectively. Removal of excess biomass from the TBR significantly improved the reactor performance. Identification of the cultivable strains, which was performed on Day 763 of continuous operation, showed the presence of 7 G(-) bacteria, 2 G(+) bacteria and 4 fungi. Flies and larvae of Lycoriella nigripes survived half a year of the biofilter operation by feeding on the biofilm resulting in the maintenance of a nearly constant pressure drop.

  7. Fluorochemical Mass Flows in a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility

    PubMed Central

    Schultz, Melissa M.; Higgins, Christopher P.; Huset, Carin A.; Luthy, Richard G.; Barofsky, Douglas F.; Field, Jennifer A.

    2008-01-01

    Fluorochemicals have widespread applications and are released into municipal wastewater treatment plants via domestic wastewater. A field study was conducted at a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant to determine the mass flows of selected fluorochemicals. Flow-proportional, 24-h samples of raw influent, primary effluent, trickling filter effluent, secondary effluent, and final effluent and grab samples of primary, thickened, activated, and anaerobically-digested sludge were collected over ten days and analyzed by liquid chromatography electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Significant decreases in the mass flows of perfluorohexane sulfonate and perfluorodecanoate occurred during trickling filtration and primary clarification, while activated sludge treatment decreased the mass flow of perfluorohexanoate. Mass flows of the 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate were unchanged as a result of wastewater treatment, which indicates that conventional wastewater treatment is not effective for removal of these compounds. A net increase in the mass flows for perfluorooctane and perfluorodecane sulfonates occurred from trickling filtration and activated sludge treatment. Mass flows for perfluoroalkylsulfonamides and perfluorononanoate also increased during activated sludge treatment and are attributed to degradation of precursor molecules. PMID:17180988

  8. Local liquid velocity measurement of Trickle Bed Reactor using Digital Industrial X-ray Radiography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohd Salleh, Khairul Anuar

    Trickle Bed Reactors (TBRs) are fixed beds of particles in which both liquid and gas flow concurrently downward. They are widely used to produce not only fuels but also lubrication products. The measurement and the knowledge of local liquid velocities (VLL) in TBRs is less which is essential for advancing the understanding of its hydrodynamics and for validation computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Therefore, this work focused on developing a new, non-invasive, statistically reliable technique that can be used to measure local liquid velocity (VLL) in two-dimensions (2-D). This is performed by combining Digital Industrial X-ray Radiography (DIR) and Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) techniques. This work also make possible the development of three-dimensional (3-D) VLL measurements that can be taken in TBRs. Measurements taken through both the combined and the novel technique, once validated, were found to be comparable to another technique (a two-point fiber optical probe) currently being developed at Missouri University of Science and Technology. The results from this study indicate that, for a gas-liquid-solid type bed, the measured VLL can have a maximum range that is between 35 and 51 times that of its superficial liquid velocity (VSL). Without the existence of gas, the measured VLL can have a maximum range that is between 4 and 4.7 times that of its VSL. At a higher V SL, the particle tracer was greatly distributed and became carried away by a high liquid flow rate. Neither the variance nor the range of measured VLL varied for any of the replications, confirming the reproducibility of the experimental measurements used, regardless of the VSL . The liquid's movement inside the pore was consistent with findings from previous studies that used various techniques.

  9. Computational Flow Modeling of Hydrodynamics in Multiphase Trickle-Bed Reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopes, Rodrigo J. G.; Quinta-Ferreira, Rosa M.

    2008-05-01

    This study aims to incorporate most recent multiphase models in order to investigate the hydrodynamic behavior of a TBR in terms of pressure drop and liquid holdup. Taking into account transport phenomena such as mass and heat transfer, an Eulerian k-fluid model was developed resulting from the volume averaging of the continuity and momentum equations and solved for a 3D representation of the catalytic bed. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model predicts hydrodynamic parameters quite well if good closures for fluid/fluid and fluid/particle interactions are incorporated in the multiphase model. Moreover, catalytic performance is investigated with the catalytic wet oxidation of a phenolic pollutant.

  10. Production of α-keto acids Part I. Immobilized cells ofTrigonopsis variabilis containing D-amino acid oxidase.

    PubMed

    Brodelius, P; Nilsson, K; Mosbach, K

    1981-12-01

    Whole cells ofTrigonopsis variabilis were immobilized by entrapment in Ca(2+)-alginate and used for the production of α-keto acids from the corresponding D-amino acids. The D-amino acid oxidase within the immobilized cells has a broad substrate specificity. Hydrogen peroxide formed in the enzymatic reaction was efficiently hydrolyzed by manganese oxide co-immobilized with the cells. The amino acid oxidase activity was assayed with a new method based on reversed-phase HPLC. Oxygen requirements, bead size, concentration of cells in the beads, flow rate, and other factors were investigated in a " trickle-bed " reactor.

  11. Development of the trickle roof cooling and heating system: Experimental plan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haves, P.; Jankovic, T.; Doderer, E.

    1982-07-01

    A passive system applicable both to retrofit and new construction was developed. This system (the trickle roof system) dissipates heat from a thin film of water flowing over the roof. A small scale trickle roof system dissipator was tested at Trinity University under a range of ambient conditions and operating configurations. The results suggest that trickle roof systems should have comparable performance to roof pond systems. Provided is a review of the trickle roof system concept, several possible configurations, and the benefits the systems can provide. Test module experiments And results are presented in detail. The requirements for full scale testing are discussed and a plan is outlined using the two identical residential scale passive test facility buildings at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. Full scale experimental results would be used to validate computer algorithms, provide system optimization, and produce a nationwide performance assessment and design guidelines. This would provide industry with the information necessary to determine the commerical potential of the trickle roof system.

  12. Cometabolic degradation of ethyl mercaptan by phenol-utilizing Ralstonia eutropha in suspended growth and gas-recycling trickle-bed reactor.

    PubMed

    Sedighi, Mahsa; Zamir, Seyed Morteza; Vahabzadeh, Farzaneh

    2016-01-01

    The degradability of ethyl mercaptan (EM), by phenol-utilizing cells of Ralstonia eutropha, in both suspended and immobilized culture systems, was investigated in the present study. Free-cells experiments conducted at EM concentrations ranging from 1.25 to 14.42 mg/l, showed almost complete removal of EM at concentrations below 10.08 mg/l, which is much higher than the maximum biodegradable EM concentration obtained in experiments that did not utilize phenol as the primary substrate, i.e. 2.5 mg/l. The first-order kinetic rate constant (kSKS) for EM biodegradation by the phenol-utilizing cells (1.7 l/g biomass/h) was about 10 times higher than by cells without phenol utilization. Immobilized-cells experiments performed in a gas recycling trickle-bed reactor packed with kissiris particles at EM concentrations ranging from 1.6 to 36.9 mg/l, showed complete removal at all tested concentrations in a much shorter time, compared with free cells. The first-order kinetic rate constant (rmaxKs) for EM utilization was 0.04 l/h for the immobilized system compared to 0.06 for the suspended-growth culture, due to external mass transfer diffusion. Diffusion limitation was decreased by increasing the recycling-liquid flow rate from 25 to 65 ml/min. The removed EM was almost completely mineralized according to TOC and sulfate measurements. Shut down and starvation experiments revealed that the reactor could effectively handle the starving conditions and was reliable for full-scale application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Biological Filters.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klemetson, S. L.

    1978-01-01

    Presents the 1978 literature review of wastewater treatment. The review is concerned with biological filters, and it covers: (1) trickling filters; (2) rotating biological contractors; and (3) miscellaneous reactors. A list of 14 references is also presented. (HM)

  14. Treatment of a non-azo dye aqueous solution by CWAO in continuous reactor using a Ni catalyst derived from hydrotalcite-like precursor.

    PubMed

    Vallet, Ana; Besson, Michèle; Ovejero, Gabriel; García, Juan

    2012-08-15

    Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of a Basic Yellow 11 (BY11) aqueous solution, chosen as a model of a hardly biodegradable non-azo dye was carried out in a continuous-flow trickle-bed reactor, using nickel supported over hydrotalcite precursor calcined at 550°C. An increase in the reaction temperature (120-180°C), and a decrease in dye concentration (1000-3000 ppm) or liquid flow rate (0.1-0.7 mL min(-1)) enhanced the CWAO performance in a 30 and 19% for the variation of the temperature and concentration respectively. After a small leaching observed within the first hours, the catalyst proved to be very stable during the 65-day reaction. The CWAO process was found to be very efficient, achieving BY11 conversion up to 95% and TOC conversion up to 85% at 0.1 mL min(-1) and 180°C under 5 MPa air. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Potential of resource recovery in UASB/trickling filter systems treating domestic sewage in developing countries.

    PubMed

    Bressani-Ribeiro, T; Brandt, E M F; Gutierrez, K G; Díaz, C A; Garcia, G B; Chernicharo, C A L

    2017-04-01

    This paper aims to present perspectives for energy (thermal and electric) and nutrient (N and S) recovery in domestic sewage treatment systems comprised of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors followed by sponge-bed trickling filters (SBTF) in developing countries. The resource recovery potential was characterized, taking into account 114 countries and a corresponding population of 968.9 million inhabitants living in the tropical world, which were grouped into three desired ranges in terms of cities' size. For each of these clusters, a technological arrangement flow-sheet was proposed, depending on their technical and economic viability from our best experience. Considering the population living in cities over 100, 000 inhabitants, the potential of energy and nutrient recovery via the sewage treatment scheme would be sufficient to generate electricity for approximately 3.2 million residents, as well as thermal energy for drying purposes that could result in a 24% volume reduction of sludge to be transported and disposed of in landfills. The results show that UASB/SBTF systems can play a very important role in the sanitation and environmental sector towards more sustainable sewage treatment plants.

  16. Catalytic wet air oxidation of bisphenol A solution in a batch-recycle trickle-bed reactor over titanate nanotube-based catalysts.

    PubMed

    Kaplan, Renata; Erjavec, Boštjan; Senila, Marin; Pintar, Albin

    2014-10-01

    Catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) is classified as an advanced oxidation process, which proved to be highly efficient for the removal of emerging organic pollutant bisphenol A (BPA) from water. In this study, BPA was successfully removed in a batch-recycle trickle-bed reactor over bare titanate nanotube-based catalysts at very short space time of 0.6 min gCAT g(-1). The as-prepared titanate nanotubes, which underwent heat treatment at 600 °C, showed high activity for the removal of aqueous BPA. Liquid-phase recycling (5- or 10-fold recycle) enabled complete BPA conversion already at 200 °C, together with high conversion of total organic carbon (TOC), i.e., 73 and 98 %, respectively. The catalyst was chemically stable in the given range of operating conditions for 189 h on stream.

  17. Characterization of an immobilized cell, trickle bed reactor during long term butanol (ABE) fermentation.

    PubMed

    Park, C H; Okos, M R; Wankat, P C

    1990-06-20

    Acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation was performed continuously in an immobilized cell, trickle bed reactor for 54 days without, degeneration by maintaining the pH above 4.3. Column clogging was minimized by structured packing of immobilization matrix. The reactor contained two serial glass columns packed with Clostridium acetobutylicum adsorbed on 12- and 20-in.-long polyester sponge strips at total flow rates between 38 and 98.7 mL/h. Cells were initially grown at 20 g/L glucose resulting in low butanol (1.15 g/L) production encouraging cell growth. After the initial cell growth phase a higher glucose concentration (38.7 g/L) improved solvent yield from 13.2 to 24.1 wt%, and butanol production rate was the best. Further improvement in solvent yield and butanol production rate was not observed with 60 g/L of glucose. However, when the fresh nutrient supply was limited to only the first column, solvent yield increased to 27.3 wt% and butanol selectivity was improved to 0.592 as compared to 0.541 when fresh feed was fed to both columns. The highest butanol concentration of 5.2 g/L occurred at 55% conversion of the feed with 60 g/L glucose. Liquid product yield of immobilized cells approached the theoretical value reported in the literature. Glucose and product concentration profiles along the column showed that the columns can be divided into production and inhibition regions. The length of each zone was dependent upon the feed glucose concentration and feed pattern. Unlike batch fermentation, there was no clear distinction between acid and solvent production regions. The pH dropped, from 6.18-6.43 to 4.50-4.90 in the first inch of the reactor. The pH dropped further to 4.36-4.65 by the exit of the column. The results indicate that the strategy for long term stable operation with high solvent yield requires a structured packing of biologically stable porous matrix such as polyester sponge, a pH maintenance above 4.3, glucose concentrations up to 60 g/L and nutrient supply only to the inlet of the reactor.

  18. Local liquid velocity measurement in trickle bed reactors (TBRs) using the x-ray digital industrial radiography (DIR) technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anuar Mohd Salleh, Khairul; Lee, Hyoung Koo; Al-Dahhan, Muthanna H.

    2014-01-01

    This work describes the development of a new technique to measure local liquid velocity (VLL) for multiphase flows in trickle bed reactors (TBRs) (gas-liquid-solid system). In the studied TBR, the liquid phase is represented by water, gas by air and 3 mm expanded polystyrene beads as the solid packing. Three different superficial liquid velocities (VSL) and a constant superficial gas velocity (VSG) were used in the packed bed with an internal diameter of 4.25 cm. While the liquid is moving into the packed bed, tracking particles of 106-125 μm diameter (16.45% difference) are injected. The movement of the tracking particles is monitored and digitally recorded by a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detector. In this experiment, x-rays were used as the radiation source. Four replications were made with fresh packing. Comparable observations can be found from other published techniques (i.e. magnetic resonance imaging). Results from this study indicate that, at VSL = 0.13 cm s-1, the measured VLL can reach up to 51 times that of its VSL, while for VSL = 0.27 cm s-1, the measured VLL reached up to 35 times higher than the VSL and for VSL = 0.39 cm s-1, the VLL reached up to 39.8 times higher than its VSL. Through statistical analysis, the implementation of such a method is found to be reproducible throughout the experiments. The mean per cent difference in the measured VLL was 10% and 5% for lower implemented VSL of 0.13 and 0.27 cm s-1, respectively. At higher VSL (0.39 cm s-1), the particle tracer was greatly distributed and carried away by the high liquid flow rate. The variance or the range of the measured VLL does not vary for all replications in every VSL, which confirms the reproducibility of the experimental measurements, regardless of the VSL.

  19. Ni/MgAlO regeneration for catalytic wet air oxidation of an azo-dye in trickle-bed reaction.

    PubMed

    Vallet, Ana; Ovejero, Gabriel; Rodríguez, Araceli; Peres, José A; García, Juan

    2013-01-15

    Active nickel catalysts (7 wt%) supported over Mg-Al mixed oxides have been recently developed and it has also been demonstrated that they are also highly selective in Catalytic Wet air Oxidation (CWAO) of dyes. CWAO of Chromotrope 2R (C2R) has been studied using a trickle bed reactor employing temperatures from 100 to 180 °C, liquid flow rates from 0.1 to 0.7 mL min(-1) and initial dye concentration from 10 to 50 ppm. Total pressure and air flow were 25 bar and 300 mL min(-1), respectively. The catalyst showed a very stable activity up to 24 h on stream with an average TOC conversion of 82% at 150 °C and T(r)=0.098 g(Ni) min mL(-1). After the reaction, a 1.1 wt% C of carbonaceous deposit is formed onto the catalyst and a diminution of 30% of the surface area with respect of the fresh catalyst was observed. An increase in the space time gave higher TOC conversions up to T(r)=0.098 g(Ni) min mL(-1), attaining values of 80% at 180 °C. The performance of TOC and dye removal does not decrease after two regeneration cycles. In total, a 57 h effective reaction has been carried out with no loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Performance and population analysis of a non-sterile trickle bed reactor inoculated with Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, a thermophilic hydrogen producer.

    PubMed

    van Groenestijn, J W; Geelhoed, J S; Goorissen, H P; Meesters, K P M; Stams, A J M; Claassen, P A M

    2009-04-01

    Non-axenic operation of a 400 L trickle bed reactor inoculated with the thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, yielded 2.8 mol H2/mol hexose converted. The reactor was fed with a complex medium with sucrose as the main substrate, continuously flushed with nitrogen gas, and operated at 73 degrees C. The volumetric productivity was 22 mmol H2/(L filterbed h). Acetic acid and lactic acid were the main by-products in the liquid phase. Production of lactic acid occurred when hydrogen partial pressure was elevated above 2% and during suboptimal fermentation conditions that also resulted in the presence of mono- and disaccharides in the effluent. Methane production was negligible. The microbial community was analyzed at two different time points during operation. Initially, other species related to members of the genera Thermoanaerobacterium and Caldicellulosiruptor were present in the reactor. However, these were out-competed by C. saccharolyticus during a period when sucrose was completely used and no saccharides were discharged with the effluent. In general, the use of pure cultures in non-sterile industrial applications is known to be less useful because of contamination. However, our results show that the applied fermentation conditions resulted in a culture of a single dominant organism with excellent hydrogen production characteristics.

  1. Biological treatment of wastewaters from a dye manufacturing company using a trickling filter.

    PubMed

    Kornaros, M; Lyberatos, G

    2006-08-10

    The aim of this work was to assess the effectiveness of a biological trickling filter for the treatment of wastewaters produced by a company manufacturing organic dyes and varnishes. The combined wastewater effluent was fed to a pilot-scale trickling filter in two feeding modes, continuously and as a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The biodegradability of the diluted wastewaters that were subjected to physicochemical treatment, using Ca(OH)(2) and FeSO(4), was initially studied using a continuously operated trickling filter. The system efficiency ranged up to 60-70% for a hydraulic loading of 1.1 m(3)/m(2)day and up to 80-85% for a hydraulic loading 0.6 m(3)/m(2)day. A stable chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 60-70% was achieved even in the case of undiluted wastewater at a hydraulic loading of 1.1 m(3)/m(2)day. The effectiveness of biological treatment of a mixture of the company's main wastewater streams was also examined. The microorganisms developed in the trickling filter were able to efficiently remove COD levels up to 36,000 mg/L, under aerobic conditions at pH values between 5.5 and 8.0. Depending on the operating conditions of the system, about 30-60% of the total COD removal was attributed to air stripping caused by the air supply at the bottom of the filter, whereas the rest of the COD was clearly removed through biological action. The proposed biological treatment process based on a trickling filter, which was operated either continuously or even better in an SBR mode, appears as a promising pretreatment step for coping with dye manufacturing wastewaters in terms of removing a significant portion of the organic content.

  2. JP8 Reformation for Combat Vehicles

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-08-07

    phase (fuel), and a gas phase (hydrogen) at elevated pressures. • Trickle - bed configuration is difficult to model and scale down—not practical for...gases output from HDS reactor are used to fuel the reformer. Current Technology Status: •Integrated desulfurization/reforming system successfully

  3. Analysis of trickle-bed reactor for ethanol production from syngas using Clostridium ragsdalei

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Devarapalli, Mamatha

    The conversion of syngas components (CO, CO2 and H2) to liquid fuels such as ethanol involves complex biochemical reactions catalyzed by a group of acetogens such as Clostridium ljungdahlii, Clostridium carboxidivorans and Clostridium ragsdalei. The low ethanol productivity in this process is associated with the low solubility of gaseous substrates CO and H2 in the fermentation medium. In the present study, a 1-L trickle-bed reactor (TBR) was analyzed to understand its capabilities to improve the mass transfer of syngas in fermentation medium. Further, semi-continuous and continuous syngas fermentations were performed using C. ragsdalei to evaluate the ability of the TBR for ethanol production. In the mass transfer studies, using 6-mm glass beads, it was found that the overall mass transfer coefficient (kLa/V L) increased with the increase in gas flow rate from 5.5 to 130.5 sccm. Further, an increase in the liquid flow rate in the TBR decreased the kLa/VL due to the increase in liquid hold up volume (VL) in the packing. The highest kLa/VL values of 421 h-1 and 178 h-1 were achieved at a gas flow rate of 130.5 sccm for 6-mm and 3-mm glass beads, respectively. Semi-continuous fermentations were performed with repetitive medium replacement in counter-current and co-current modes. In semi-continuous fermentations with syngas consisting of 38% CO, 5% N2, 28.5% CO2 and 28.5% H2 (by volume), the increase in H2 conversion (from 18 to 55%) and uptake (from 0.7 to 2.2 mmol/h) were observed. This increase was attributed to more cell attachment in the packing that reduced CO inhibition to hydrogenase along the column length and increased the H2 uptake. The maximum ethanol produced during counter-current and co-current modes were 3.0 g/L and 5.7 g/L, respectively. In continuous syngas fermentation, the TBR was operated at dilution rates between 0.006 h-1and 0.012 h -1 and gas flow rates between 1.5 sccm and 18.9 sccm. The highest ethanol concentration of 13 g/L was achieved at dilution and gas flow rates of 0.012 h-1 and 18.9 sccm, respectively. The molar ratio of ethanol to acetic acid of 4:1 was obtained during continuous fermentation which was 7.7 times higher than in semi-continuous fermentations. The improvement of the reactor performance in continuous mode gives scope to explore the TBR as a potential bioreactor design for large scale biofuels production.

  4. Treatment of ammonia by catalytic wet oxidation process over platinum-rhodium bimetallic catalyst in a trickle-bed reactor: effect of pH.

    PubMed

    Hung, Chang-Mao; Lin, Wei-Bang; Ho, Ching-Lin; Shen, Yun-Hwei; Hsia, Shao-Yi

    2010-08-01

    This work adopted aqueous solutions of ammonia for use in catalytic liquid-phase reduction in a trickle-bed reactor with a platinum-rhodium bimetallic catalyst, prepared by the co-precipitation of chloroplatinic acid (H2PtCl6) and rhodium nitrate [Rh(NO3)3]. The experimental results demonstrated that a minimal amount of ammonia was removed from the solution by wet oxidation in the absence of any catalyst, while approximately 97.0% of the ammonia was removed by wet oxidation over the platinum-rhodium bimetallic catalyst at 230 degrees C with an oxygen partial pressure of 2.0 MPa. The oxidation of ammonia has been studied as a function of pH, and the main reaction products were determined. A synergistic effect is manifest in the platinum-rhodium bimetallic structure, in which the material has the greatest capacity to reduce ammonia. The reaction pathway linked the oxidizing ammonia to nitric oxide, nitrogen, and water.

  5. Electrical Capacitance Volume Tomography for the Packed Bed Reactor ISS Flight Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marashdeh, Qussai; Motil, Brian; Wang, Aining; Liang-Shih, Fan

    2013-01-01

    Fixed packed bed reactors are compact, require minimum power and maintenance to operate, and are highly reliable. These features make this technology a highly desirable unit operation for long duration life support systems in space. NASA is developing an ISS experiment to address this technology with particular focus on water reclamation and air revitalization. Earlier research and development efforts funded by NASA have resulted in two hydrodynamic models which require validation with appropriate instrumentation in an extended microgravity environment. To validate these models, the instantaneous distribution of the gas and liquid phases must be measured.Electrical Capacitance Volume Tomography (ECVT) is a non-invasive imaging technology recently developed for multi-phase flow applications. It is based on distributing flexible capacitance plates on the peripheral of a flow column and collecting real-time measurements of inter-electrode capacitances. Capacitance measurements here are directly related to dielectric constant distribution, a physical property that is also related to material distribution in the imaging domain. Reconstruction algorithms are employed to map volume images of dielectric distribution in the imaging domain, which is in turn related to phase distribution. ECVT is suitable for imaging interacting materials of different dielectric constants, typical in multi-phase flow systems. ECVT is being used extensively for measuring flow variables in various gas-liquid and gas-solid flow systems. Recent application of ECVT include flows in risers and exit regions of circulating fluidized beds, gas-liquid and gas-solid bubble columns, trickle beds, and slurry bubble columns. ECVT is also used to validate flow models and CFD simulations. The technology is uniquely qualified for imaging phase concentrations in packed bed reactors for the ISS flight experiments as it exhibits favorable features of compact size, low profile sensors, high imaging speed, and flexibility to fit around columns of various shapes and sizes. ECVT is also safer than other commonly used imaging modalities as it operates in the range of low frequencies (1 MHz) and does not radiate radioactive energy. In this effort, ECVT is being used to image flow parameters in a packed bed reactor for an ISS flight experiment.

  6. The application of moving bed biofilm reactor to denitrification process after trickling filters.

    PubMed

    Kopec, Lukasz; Drewnowski, Jakub; Kopec, Adam

    2016-12-01

    The paper presents research of a prototype moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). The device was used for the post-denitrification process and was installed at the end of a technological system consisting of a septic tank and two trickling filters. The concentrations of suspended biomass and biomass attached on the EvU Perl moving bed surface were determined. The impact of the external organic carbon concentration on the denitrification rate and efficiency of total nitrogen removal was also examined. The study showed that the greater part of the biomass was in the suspended form and only 6% of the total biomass was attached to the surface of the moving bed. Abrasion forces between carriers of the moving bed caused the fast stripping of attached microorganisms and formation of flocs. Thanks to immobilization of a small amount of biomass, the MBBR was less prone to leaching of the biomass and the occurrence of scum and swelling sludge. It was revealed that the maximum rate of denitrification was an average of 0.73 gN-NO 3 /gDM·d (DM: dry matter), and was achieved when the reactor was maintained in external organic carbon concentration exceeding 300 mgO 2 /dm 3 chemical oxygen demand. The reactor proved to be an effective device enabling the increase of total nitrogen removal from 53.5% to 86.0%.

  7. Adequate model complexity for scenario analysis of VOC stripping in a trickling filter.

    PubMed

    Vanhooren, H; Verbrugge, T; Boeije, G; Demey, D; Vanrolleghem, P A

    2001-01-01

    Two models describing the stripping of volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) in an industrial trickling filter system are developed. The aim of the models is to investigate the effect of different operating conditions (VOC loads and air flow rates) on the efficiency of VOC stripping and the resulting concentrations in the gas and liquid phases. The first model uses the same principles as the steady-state non-equilibrium activated sludge model Simple Treat, in combination with an existing biofilm model. The second model is a simple mass balance based model only incorporating air and liquid and thus neglecting biofilm effects. In a first approach, the first model was incorporated in a five-layer hydrodynamic model of the trickling filter, using the carrier material design specifications for porosity, water hold-up and specific surface area. A tracer test with lithium was used to validate this approach, and the gas mixing in the filters was studied using continuous CO2 and O2 measurements. With the tracer test results, the biodegradation model was adapted, and it became clear that biodegradation and adsorption to solids can be neglected. On this basis, a simple dynamic mass balance model was built. Simulations with this model reveal that changing the air flow rate in the trickling filter system has little effect on the VOC stripping efficiency at steady state. However, immediately after an air flow rate change, quite high flux and concentration peaks of VOCs can be expected. These phenomena are of major importance for the design of an off-gas treatment facility.

  8. Bioreactor design studies for a hydrogen-producing bacterium.

    PubMed

    Wolfrum, Edward J; Watt, Andrew S

    2002-01-01

    Carbon monoxide (CO) can be metabolized by a number of microorganisms along with water to produce hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide. National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers have isolated a number of bacteria that perform this so-called water-gas shift reaction at ambient temperatures. We performed experiments to measure the rate of CO conversion and H2 production in a trickle-bed reactor (TBR). The liquid recirculation rate and the reactor support material both affected the mass transfer coefficient, which controls the overall performance of the reactor. A simple reactor model taken from the literature was used to quantitatively compare the performance of the TBR geometry at two different size scales. Good agreement between the two reactor scales was obtained.

  9. [Elimination of volatile compounds of leaf tobacco from air emissions using biofiltration].

    PubMed

    Zagustina, N A; Misharina, T A; Vepritskiĭ, A A; Zhukov, V G; Ruzhitskiĭ, A O; Terenina, M B; Krikunova, N I; Kulikova, A K; Popov, V O

    2012-01-01

    The composition of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of various leaf tobacco brands and their blends has been studied. The differences in the content of nicotine, solanone, tetramethyl hexadecenol, megastigmatrienones, and other compounds, determining the specific tobacco smell, have been revealed. A microbial consortium, which is able to deodorize simulated tobacco emissions and decompose nicotine, has been formed by long-term adaptation to the VOCs of tobacco leaves in a laboratory reactor, functioning as a trickle-bed biofilter. Such a biofilter eliminates 90% of the basic toxic compound (nicotine) and odor-active compounds; the filtration efficiency does not change for tobacco brands with different VOC concentrations or in the presence of foreign substances. The main strains, isolated from the formed consortium and participating in the nicotine decomposition process, belong to the genera Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Rhodococcus. An examination of the biofilter trickling fluid has shown full decomposition of nicotine and odor-active VOCs. The compounds, revealed in the trickling fluid, did not have any odor and were nontoxic. The obtained results make it possible to conduct scaling of the biofiltration process to eliminate odor from air emissions in the tobacco industry.

  10. Particle size distribution in effluent of trickling filters and in humus tanks.

    PubMed

    Schubert, W; Günthert, F W

    2001-11-01

    Particles and aggregates from trickling filters must be eliminated from wastewater. Usually this happens through sedimentation in humus tanks. Investigations to characterize these solids by way of particle size measurements, image analysis and particle charge measurements (zeta potential) are made within the scope of Research Center for Science and Technology "Fundamentals of Aerobic biological wastewater treatment" (SFB 411). The particle size measuring results given within this report were obtained at the Ingolstadt wastewater treatment plant, Germany, which served as an example. They have been confirmed by similar results from other facilities. Particles flushed out from trickling filters will be partially destroyed on their way to the humus tank. A large amount of small particles is to be found there. On average 90% of the particles are smaller than 30 microm. Particle size plays a decisive role in the sedimentation behaviour of solids. Small particles need sedimentation times that cannot be provided in settling tanks. As a result they cause turbidity in the final effluent. Therefore quality of sewage discharge suffers, and there are hardly advantages of the fixed film reactor treatment compared to the activated sludge process regarding sedimentation behaviour.

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

    PubMed Central

    Oh, Y S; Bartha, R

    1994-01-01

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

  12. Lifelong Learning: The Value of an Industrial Internship for a Graduate Student Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Honda, Gregory S.; Pazmino, Jorge H.; Hickman, Daniel A.; Varma, Arvind

    2015-01-01

    A chemical engineering PhD student from Purdue University completed an internship at The Dow Chemical Company, evaluating the effect of scale on the hydrodynamics of a trickle bed reactor. A unique aspect of this work was that it arose from an ongoing collaboration, so that the project was within the scope of the graduate student's thesis. This…

  13. Gas treatment in trickle-bed biofilters: biomass, how much is enough?

    PubMed

    Alonso, C; Suidan, M T; Sorial, G A; Smith, F L; Biswas, P; Smith, P J; Brenner, R C

    1997-06-20

    The objective of this article is to define and validate a mathematical model that desribes the physical and biological processes occurring in a trickle-bed air biofilter for waste gas treatment. This model considers a two-phase system, quasi-steady-state processes, uniform bacterial population, and one limiting substrate. The variation of the specific surface area with bacterial growth is included in the model, and its effect on the biofilter performance is analyzed. This analysis leads to the conclusion that excessive accumulation of biomass in the reactor has a negative effect on contaminant removal efficiency. To solve this problem, excess biomass is removed via full media fluidization and backwashing of the biofilter. The backwashing technique is also incorporated in the model as a process variable. Experimental data from the biodegradation of toluene in a pilot system with four packed-bed reactors are used to validate the model. Once the model is calibrated with the estimation of the unknown parameters of the system, it is used to simulate the biofilter performance for different operating conditions. Model predictions are found to be in agreement with experimental data. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 54: 583-594, 1997.

  14. Rain events and their effect on effluent quality studied at a full scale activated sludge treatment plant.

    PubMed

    Wilén, B M; Lumley, D; Mattsson, A; Mino, T

    2006-01-01

    The effect of rain events on effluent quality dynamics was studied at a full scale activated sludge wastewater treatment plant which has a process solution incorporating pre-denitrification in activated sludge with post-nitrification in trickling filters. The incoming wastewater flow varies significantly due to a combined sewer system. Changed flow conditions have an impact on the whole treatment process since the recirculation to the trickling filters is set by the hydraulic limitations of the secondary settlers. Apart from causing different hydraulic conditions in the plant, increased flow due to rain or snow-melting, changes the properties of the incoming wastewater which affects process performance and effluent quality, especially the particle removal efficiency. A comprehensive set of on-line and laboratory data were collected and analysed to assess the impact of rain events on the plant performance.

  15. Assessment of UASB-DHS technology for sewage treatment: a comparative study from a sustainability perspective.

    PubMed

    Maharjan, Namita; Nomoto, Naoki; Tagawa, Tadashi; Okubo, Tsutomu; Uemura, Shigeki; Khalil, Nadeem; Hatamoto, Masashi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Harada, Hideki

    2018-04-06

    This paper assesses the technical and economic sustainability of a combined system of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)-down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) for sewage treatment. Additionally, this study compares UASB-DHS with current technologies in India like trickling filters (TF), sequencing batch reactor (SBR), moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), and other combinations of UASB with post-treatment systems such as final polishing ponds (FPU) and extended aeration sludge process (EASP). The sustainability of the sewage treatment plants (STPs) was evaluated using a composite indicator, which incorporated environmental, societal, and economic dimensions. In case of the individual sustainability indicator study, the results showed that UASB-FPU was the most economically sustainable system with a score of 0.512 and aeration systems such as MBBR, EASP, and SBR were environmentally sustainable, whereas UASB-DHS system was socially sustainable. However, the overall comparative analysis indicated that the UASB-DHS system scored the highest value of 2.619 on the global sustainability indicator followed by EASP and MBBR with scores of 2.322 and 2.279, respectively. The highlight of this study was that the most environmentally sustainable treatment plants were not economically and socially sustainable. Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed that five out of the seven scenarios tested, the UASB-DHS system showed good results amongst the treatment system.

  16. Biotreatment of Petrochemical Wastewater: A Case Study from Northern Tunisia.

    PubMed

    Jemli, Meryem; Zaghden, Hatem; Rezgi, Fatma; Kchaou, Sonia; Aloui, Fathi; Sayadi, Sami

    2017-03-01

      A full-scale study has been conducted to assess the bioaugmentation efficiency of trickling filter process to treat petrochemical wastewater from a lubricant industry recycling waste oils. During 45 weeks, the organic loading rate (OLR) in the trickling filter was increased stepwise from 0.9 to 4 kg of chemical oxygen demand (COD)/(m3·day) at the end of the upgrading period as the flow rate (FR) reached the value of 30 m3/day. The removal, obtained in terms of percentage, for COD ranged from 60 to 84.5 and greater than 98 for total n-alkane (TNA), while those of total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and total phosphor (TP) were about 32 and 55, respectively. The analytical profile index (API) of trickling biofilm has confirmed that 5 strains are closely related to Acinobacter junii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Vibrio vulnificus, Vibrio metschnikovi, Pseudomona slulzeri and Trichosporon spp2.

  17. Liquid-Nitrogen Test for Blocked Tubes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wagner, W. R.

    1984-01-01

    Nondestructive test identifies obstructed tube in array of parallel tubes. Trickle of liquid nitrogen allowed to flow through tube array until array accumulates substantial formation of frost from moisture in air. Flow stopped and warm air introduced into inlet manifold to heat tubes in array. Tubes still frosted after others defrosted identified as obstructed tubes. Applications include inspection of flow systems having parallel legs.

  18. A two-stage combined trickle bed reactor/biofilter for treatment of styrene/acetone vapor mixtures.

    PubMed

    Vanek, Tomas; Halecky, Martin; Paca, Jan; Zapotocky, Lubos; Gelbicova, Tereza; Vadkertiova, Renata; Kozliak, Evguenii; Jones, Kim

    2015-01-01

    Performance of a two-stage biofiltration system was investigated for removal of styrene-acetone mixtures. High steady-state acetone loadings (above C(in)(Ac) = 0.5 g.m(-3) corresponding to the loadings > 34.5 g.m(-3).h(-1)) resulted in a significant inhibition of the system's performance in both acetone and styrene removal. This inhibition was shown to result from the acetone accumulation within the upstream trickle-bed bioreactor (TBR) circulating mineral medium, which was observed by direct chromatographic measurements. Placing a biofilter (BF) downstream to this TBR overcomes the inhibition as long as the biofilter has a sufficient bed height. A different kind of inhibition of styrene biodegradation was observed within the biofilter at very high acetone loadings (above C(in)(Ac) = 1.1 g.m(-3) or 76 g.m(-3).h(-1) loading). In addition to steady-state measurements, dynamic tests confirmed that the reactor overloading can be readily overcome, once the accumulated acetone in the TBR fluids is degraded. No sizable metabolite accumulation in the medium was observed for either TBR or BF. Analyses of the biodegradation activities of microbial isolates from the biofilm corroborated the trends observed for the two-stage biofiltration system, particularly the occurrence of an inhibition threshold by excess acetone.

  19. Pilot-scale testing of a leachbed for anaerobic digestion of livestock residues on-farm.

    PubMed

    Yap, S D; Astals, S; Jensen, P D; Batstone, D J; Tait, S

    2016-04-01

    A leachbed is a relatively simple anaerobic digester suitable for high-solids residues and on-farm applications. However, performance characteristics and optimal configuration of leachbeds are not well-understood. In this study, two 200 L pilot-scale leachbeds fed with spent straw bedding from pigs/swine (methane potential, B0 = 195-218 L CH4 kg(-1) VS fed) were used to assess the effects of leachate recirculation mode (trickling vs. flood-and-drain) on the digestion performance. Results showed comparable substrate solubilisation extents (30-45% of total chemical oxygen demand fed) and methane conversion (50% of the B0) for the trickling and flood-and-drain modes, indicating that digestion performance was insensitive to the mode of leachate flow. However, the flood-and-drain leachbed mobilised more particulates into the leachate than the trickling leachbed, an undesirable outcome, because these particulates were mostly non-biodegradable. Inoculation with solid residues from a previous leachbed (inoculum-to-substrate ratio of 0.22 on a VS basis) hastened the leachbed start-up, but methane recovery remained at 50% of the B0 regardless of the leachate recirculation mode. Post-digestion testing indicated that the leachbeds may have been limited by microbial activity/inhibition. The high residual methane potential of leachate from the trickling (residual Bo = 732 ± 7 L CH4 kg(-1) VS fed) and flood-and-drain leachbeds (582 ± 8 L CH4 kg(-1) VS fed) indicated an opportunity for further processing of leachate via a separate methanogenic step. Overall, a trickling leachbed appeared to be more favourable than the flood-and-drain leachbed for treating spent bedding at farm-scale due to easier operation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Cost Reductions for Wastewater Treatment Utilizing Water Management at Holston Army Ammunition Plant

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1976-05-01

    says that the granular carbon used is made from bituminous coal. As the waste stream pass through a bed of carbon granules, com- pounds are adsorbed to...findings of laboratory-scale reactor studies conducted at Purdue University for * Clark, Dietz and Associates. The original recommendations and cost...Pretreatment Denitrification by Submerged Anaerbbic I ilters I ~ Trickling Filters S F ,2al Clarification "•’i Pump - ~ Sludge ,Treatment Dual Media Filh:ration

  1. 40 CFR 35.2030 - Facilities planning.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2030 Facilities planning. (a... ponds, trickling filters, oxidation ditches, or overland-flow land treatment; and for unsewered portions... a schedule the State accepts and such schedule is inserted as a special condition of the grant...

  2. Investigation of hydrogenation of toluene to methylcyclohexane in a trickle bed reactor by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Guthausen, Gisela; von Garnier, Agnes; Reimert, Rainer

    2009-10-01

    Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is applied to study the hydrogenation of toluene in a lab-scale reactor. A conventional benchtop NMR system was modified to achieve chemical shift resolution. After an off-line validity check of the approach, the reaction product is analyzed on-line during the process, applying chemometric data processing. The conversion of toluene to methylcyclohexane is compared with off-line gas chromatographic analysis. Both classic analytical and chemometric data processing was applied. As the results, which are obtained within a few tens of seconds, are equivalent within the experimental accuracy of both methods, low-field NMR spectroscopy was shown to provide an analytical tool for reaction characterization and immediate feedback.

  3. Decentralized peri-urban wastewater treatment technologies assessment integrating sustainability indicators.

    PubMed

    Mena-Ulecia, Karel; Hernández, Heykel Hernández

    2015-01-01

    Selection of treatment technologies without considering the environmental, economic and social factors associated with each geographical context risks the occurrence of negative impacts that were not properly foreseen, working against the sustainable performance of the technology. The principal aim of this study was to evaluate 12 technologies for decentralized treatment of domestic wastewater applicable to peri-urban communities using sustainability approaches and, at the same time, continuing a discussion about how to address a more integrated assessment of overall sustainability. For this, a set of 13 indicators that embody the environmental, economic and social approach for the overall sustainability assessment were used by means of a target plot diagram as a tool for integrating indicators that represent a holistic analysis of the technologies. The obtained results put forward different degrees of sustainability, which led to the selection of: septic tank+land infiltration; up-flow anaerobic reactor+high rate trickling filter and septic tank+anaerobic filter as the most sustainable and attractive technologies to be applied in peri-urban communities, according to the employed indicators.

  4. Metropolitan Spokane Region Water Resources Study. Appendix H. Volume 1. Plan Formulation and Evaluation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1976-01-01

    Trickling Filter Fairchild A.F.B. Trickling Filter Town of Medical Lake Lagoon Town of Fairfield Lagoon Town of Millwood Activated Sludge (Extended Aeration...sewer system is subject to high levels of in- filtration. The treatment plant has ice problems in winter, trickling filter spreading arm clogging...lagoons. There is need of a routine effluent quan- tity/quality monitoring program. Tekoa. The trickling filter plant is poorly maintained to the point

  5. Nickel-hydrogen battery state of charge during low rate trickle charging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lurie, C.; Foroozan, S.; Brewer, J.; Jackson, L.

    1995-01-01

    Battery temperature increase, due to low rate trickle charging, has been determined experimentally, using a six cell battery module in a test setup simulating the anticipated AXAF-1 prelaunch environment. Test results indicate trickle charge rates less than or equal to the self discharge rate do not increase dissipation beyond that due to the self discharge. Significant trickle charge rates (approximately C/500) result in battery temperatures only a few degrees (F) higher than those observed during periods of open circuit stand.

  6. Trickling Filters. Student Manual. Biological Treatment Process Control.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richwine, Reynold D.

    The textual material for a unit on trickling filters is presented in this student manual. Topic areas discussed include: (1) trickling filter process components (preliminary treatment, media, underdrain system, distribution system, ventilation, and secondary clarifier); (2) operational modes (standard rate filters, high rate filters, roughing…

  7. Wastewater Treatment Evaluation, Mather AFB, CA

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1974-06-01

    conveyed to the treatment facility is provided with secondary (biological) treatment and chlorination followed by polish- ing lagoons prior to bang...comminutor. b. Primary sedimentation (clarifier). c. Biological oxidation by trickling filter. d. Secondary sedimentation (clarifier). e. Chlorination . f...the entrance to the chlorine contact chamber. Following chlorination , the wastewater flows to the wet well of the effluent lift station from

  8. Bacterial community dynamics during start-up of a trickle-bed bioreactor degrading aromatic compounds.

    PubMed

    Stoffels, M; Amann, R; Ludwig, W; Hekmat, D; Schleifer, K H

    1998-03-01

    This study was performed with a laboratory-scale fixed-bed bioreactor degrading a mixture of aromatic compounds (Solvesso100). The starter culture for the bioreactor was prepared in a fermentor with a wastewater sample of a care painting facility as the inoculum and Solvesso100 as the sole carbon source. The bacterial community dynamics in the fermentor and the bioreactor were examined by a conventional isolation procedure and in situ hybridization with fluorescently labeled rRNA-targeted oligonucleotides. Two significant shifts in the bacterial community structure could be demonstrated. The original inoculum from the wastewater of the car factory was rich in proteobacteria of the alpha and beta subclasses, while the final fermentor enrichment was dominated by bacteria closely related to Pseudomonas putida or Pseudomonas mendocina, which both belong to the gamma subclass of the class Proteobacteria. A second significant shift was observed when the fermentor culture was transferred as inoculum to the trickle-bed bioreactor. The community structure in the bioreactor gradually returned to a higher complexity, with the dominance of beta and alpha subclass proteobacteria, whereas the gamma subclass proteobacteria sharply declined. Obviously, the preceded pollutant adaptant did not lead to a significant enrichment of bacteria that finally dominated in the trickle-bed bioreactor. In the course of experiments, three new 16S as well as 23S rRNA-targeted probes for beta subclass proteobacteria were designed, probe SUBU1237 for the genera Burkholderia and Sutterella, probe ALBO34a for the genera Alcaligenes and Bordetella, and probe Bcv13b for Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia vietnamiensis. Bacteria hybridizing with the probe Bcv13b represented the main Solvesso100-degrading population in the reactor.

  9. Bacterial Community Dynamics during Start-Up of a Trickle-Bed Bioreactor Degrading Aromatic Compounds

    PubMed Central

    Stoffels, Marion; Amann, Rudolf; Ludwig, Wolfgang; Hekmat, Dariusch; Schleifer, Karl-Heinz

    1998-01-01

    This study was performed with a laboratory-scale fixed-bed bioreactor degrading a mixture of aromatic compounds (Solvesso100). The starter culture for the bioreactor was prepared in a fermentor with a wastewater sample of a car painting facility as the inoculum and Solvesso100 as the sole carbon source. The bacterial community dynamics in the fermentor and the bioreactor were examined by a conventional isolation procedure and in situ hybridization with fluorescently labeled rRNA-targeted oligonucleotides. Two significant shifts in the bacterial community structure could be demonstrated. The original inoculum from the wastewater of the car factory was rich in proteobacteria of the alpha and beta subclasses, while the final fermentor enrichment was dominated by bacteria closely related to Pseudomonas putida or Pseudomonas mendocina, which both belong to the gamma subclass of the class Proteobacteria. A second significant shift was observed when the fermentor culture was transferred as inoculum to the trickle-bed bioreactor. The community structure in the bioreactor gradually returned to a higher complexity, with the dominance of beta and alpha subclass proteobacteria, whereas the gamma subclass proteobacteria sharply declined. Obviously, the preceded pollutant adaptant did not lead to a significant enrichment of bacteria that finally dominated in the trickle-bed bioreactor. In the course of experiments, three new 16S as well as 23S rRNA-targeted probes for beta subclass proteobacteria were designed, probe SUBU1237 for the genera Burkholderia and Sutterella, probe ALBO34a for the genera Alcaligenes and Bordetella, and probe Bcv13b for Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia vietnamiensis. Bacteria hybridizing with the probe Bcv13b represented the main Solvesso100-degrading population in the reactor. PMID:9501433

  10. Evaluation of Metals Release from Oxidation of Fly Ash during Dredging of the Emory River, TN

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-08-01

    from an oil -free source (trickle flow, 2-5 bubbles per second) to provide some turbulent flow and to maintain dissolved oxygen levels. More rigorous...larval and (b) juvenile Pimephales promelas. ERDC/EL TR-11-9 79 five juvenile fish and was rigorously aerated from an oil -free source to...epithelial width. In contrast, juvenile pike from a reference lake had significantly thicker gill filaments compared to those exposed to Key Lake uranium

  11. Occurrence of organic wastewater compounds in effluent-dominated streams in Northeastern Kansas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lee, C.J.; Rasmussen, T.J.

    2006-01-01

    Fifty-nine stream-water samples and 14 municipal wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) discharge samples in Johnson County, northeastern Kansas, were analyzed for 55 compounds collectively described as organic wastewater compounds (OWCs). Stream-water samples were collected upstream, in, and downstream from WWTF discharges in urban and rural areas during base-flow conditions. The effect of secondary treatment processes on OWC occurrence was evaluated by collecting eight samples from WWTF discharges using activated sludge and six from WWTFs samples using trickling filter treatment processes. Samples collected directly from WWTF discharges contained the largest concentrations of most OWCs in this study. Samples from trickling filter discharges had significantly larger concentrations of many OWCs (p-value < 0.05) compared to samples collected from activated sludge discharges. OWC concentrations decreased significantly in samples from WWTF discharges compared to stream-water samples collected from sites greater than 2000??m downstream. Upstream from WWTF discharges, base-flow samples collected in streams draining predominantly urban watersheds had significantly larger concentrations of cumulative OWCs (p-value = 0.03), caffeine (p-value = 0.01), and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (p-value < 0.01) than those collected downstream from more rural watersheds.

  12. Nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of the stationary dynamics of partially saturated media during steady-state infiltration flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rassi, Erik M.; Codd, Sarah L.; Seymour, Joseph D.

    2011-01-01

    Flow in porous media and the resultant hydrodynamics are important in fields including but not limited to the hydrology, chemical, medical and petroleum industries. The observation and understanding of the hydrodynamics in porous media are critical to the design and optimal utilization of porous media, such as those seen in trickle-bed reactors, medical filters, subsurface flows and carbon sequestration. Magnetic resonance (MR) provides for a non-invasive technique that can probe the hydrodynamics on pore and bulk scale lengths; many previous works have characterized fully saturated porous media, while rapid MR imaging (MRI) methods in particular have previously been applied to partially saturated flows. We present time- and ensemble-averaged MR measurements to observe the effects on a bead pack partially saturated with air under flowing water conditions. The 10 mm internal diameter bead pack was filled with 100 μm borosilicate glass beads. Air was injected into the bead pack as water flowed simultaneously through the sample at 25 ml h-1. The initial partially saturated state was characterized with MRI density maps, free induction decay (FID) experiments, propagators and velocity maps before the water flow rate was increased incrementally from 25 to 500 ml h-1. After the maximum flow rate of 500 ml h-1, the MRI density maps, FID experiments, propagators and velocity maps were repeated and compared to the data taken before the maximum flow rate. This work shows that a partially saturated single-phase flow has global flow dynamics that return to characteristic flow statistics once a steady-state high flow rate has been reached. This high flow rate pushed out a significant amount of the air in the bead pack and caused the return of a preferential flow pattern. Velocity maps indicated that local flow statistics were not the same for the before and after blow out conditions. It has been suggested and shown previously that a flow pattern can return to similar statistics if the preceding flow history is similar.

  13. Diversity of microbial communities correlated to physiochemical parameters in a digestion basin of a zero-discharge mariculture system.

    PubMed

    Cytryn, Eddie; Gelfand, Ilya; Barak, Yoram; van Rijn, Jaap; Minz, Dror

    2003-01-01

    Bacterial community structure and physiochemical parameters were examined in a sedimentation basin of a zero-discharge mariculture system. The system consisted of an intensively stocked fish basin from which water was recirculated through two separate treatment loops. Surface water from the basin was pumped over a trickling filter in one loop while bottom-water was recirculated through a sedimentation basin followed by a fluidized bed reactor in the other. Ammonia oxidation to nitrate in the trickling filter and organic matter digestion together with nitrate reduction in the sedimentation basin and fluidized bed reactor, allowed zero-discharge operation of the system. Relatively high concentrations of oxygen, nitrate, sulphate and organic matter detected simultaneously in the digestion basin suggested the potential for a wide range of microbially-mediated transformation processes. In this study, physiochemical parameters were correlated to bacterial diversity and distribution in horizontal and vertical profiles within this basin in an effort to obtain a basic understanding of the chemical and microbial processes in this system. Chemical activity and microbial diversity, the latter measured by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified 16S rDNA fragments, were higher in the sludge layer than in the overlying aqueous layer of the basin. Chemical parameters in sludge samples close to the basin inlet suggested enhanced microbial activity relative to other sampling areas with evidence of both nitrate and sulphate reduction. Four of the nine DGGE bands identified in this zone were affiliated with the Bacteroidetes phylum. Detected sequences closely related to sequences of organisms involved in the sulphur cycle included Desulfovibrio, Dethiosulfovibrio and apparent sulphur oxidizers from the gamma-proteobacteria. In addition, a number of sequences from the beta and alpha-proteobacteria were identified.

  14. Treatment of mountain refuge wastewater by fixed and moving bed biofilm systems.

    PubMed

    Andreottola, G; Damiani, E; Foladori, P; Nardelli, P; Ragazzi, M

    2003-01-01

    Tourists visiting mountain refuges in the Alps have increased significantly in the last decade and the number of refuges and huts at high altitude too. In this research the results of an intensive monitoring of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for a tourist mountain refuge located at 2,981 m a.s.l. are described. Two biofilm reactors were adopted: (a) a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR); (b) a submerged Fixed Bed Biofilm Reactor (FBBR). The aims of this research were: (i) the evaluation of the main parameters characterising the processes and involved in the design of the wastewater plants, in order to compare advantages and disadvantages of the two tested alternatives; (ii) the acquisition of an adequate knowledge of the problems connected with the wastewater treatment in alpine refuges. The main results have been: (i) a quick start-up of the biological reactors obtainable thanks to a pre-colonization before the transportation of the plastic carriers to the refuge at the beginning of the tourist season; (ii) low volume and area requirement; (iii) significantly higher removal efficiency compared to other fixed biomass systems, such as trickling filters, but the energy consumption is higher.

  15. Electrochemical processing of carbon dioxide.

    PubMed

    Oloman, Colin; Li, Hui

    2008-01-01

    With respect to the negative role of carbon dioxide on our climate, it is clear that the time is ripe for the development of processes that convert CO(2) into useful products. The electroreduction of CO(2) is a prime candidate here, as the reaction at near-ambient conditions can yield organics such as formic acid, methanol, and methane. Recent laboratory work on the 100 A scale has shown that reduction of CO(2) to formate (HCO(2)(-)) may be carried out in a trickle-bed continuous electrochemical reactor under industrially viable conditions. Presuming the problems of cathode stability and formate crossover can be overcome, this type of reactor is proposed as the basis for a commercial operation. The viability of corresponding processes for electrosynthesis of formate salts and/or formic acid from CO(2) is examined here through conceptual flowsheets for two process options, each converting CO(2) at the rate of 100 tonnes per day.

  16. Nitrogen removal from wastewater by a catalytic oxidation method.

    PubMed

    Huang, T L; Macinnes, J M; Cliffe, K R

    2001-06-01

    The ammonia-containing waste produced in industries is usually characterized by high concentration and high temperature, and is not treatable by biological methods directly. In this study, a hydrophobic Pt/SDB catalyst was first used in a trickle-bed reactor to remove ammonia from wastewater. In the reactor, both stripping and catalytic oxidation occur simultaneously. It was found that higher temperature and higher oxygen partial pressure enhanced the ammonia removal. A reaction pathway, which involves oxidizing ammonia to nitric oxide, which then further reacts with ammonia to produce nitrogen and water, was confirmed. Small amounts of by-products, nitrites and nitrates were also detected in the resultant reaction solution. These compounds came from the absorption of nitrogen oxides. Both the minimum NO2- selectivity and maximum ammonia removal were achieved when the resultant pH of treated water was near 7.5 for a feed of unbuffered ammonia solution.

  17. Growth of plant root cultures in liquid- and gas-dispersed reactor environments.

    PubMed

    McKelvey, S A; Gehrig, J A; Hollar, K A; Curtis, W R

    1993-01-01

    The growth of Agrobacterium transformed "hairy root" cultures of Hyoscyamus muticus was examined in various liquid- and gas-dispersed bioreactor configurations. Reactor runs were replicated to provide statistical comparisons of nutrient availability on culture performance. Accumulated tissue mass in submerged air-sparged reactors was 31% of gyratory shake-flask controls. Experiments demonstrate that poor performance of sparged reactors is not due to bubble shear damage, carbon dioxide stripping, settling, or flotation of roots. Impaired oxygen transfer due to channeling and stagnation of the liquid phase are the apparent causes of poor growth. Roots grown on a medium-perfused inclined plane grew at 48% of gyratory controls. This demonstrates the ability of cultures to partially compensate for poor liquid distribution through vascular transport of nutrients. A reactor configuration in which the medium is sprayed over the roots and permitted to drain down through the root tissue was able to provide growth rates which are statistically indistinguishable (95% T-test) from gyratory shake-flask controls. In this type of spray/trickle-bed configuration, it is shown that distribution of the roots becomes a key factor in controlling the rate of growth. Implications of these results regarding design and scale-up of bioreactors to produce fine chemicals from root cultures are discussed.

  18. Removal of Total Coliforms, Thermotolerant Coliforms, and Helminth Eggs in Swine Production Wastewater Treated in Anaerobic and Aerobic Reactors

    PubMed Central

    Zacarias Sylvestre, Silvia Helena; Lux Hoppe, Estevam Guilherme; de Oliveira, Roberto Alves

    2014-01-01

    The present work evaluated the performance of two treatment systems in reducing indicators of biological contamination in swine production wastewater. System I consisted of two upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, with 510 and 209 L in volume, being serially arranged. System II consisted of a UASB reactor, anaerobic filter, trickling filter, and decanter, being also organized in series, with volumes of 300, 190, 250, and 150 L, respectively. Hydraulic retention times (HRT) applied in the first UASB reactors were 40, 30, 20, and 11 h in systems I and II. The average removal efficiencies of total and thermotolerant coliforms in system I were 92.92% to 99.50% and 94.29% to 99.56%, respectively, and increased in system II to 99.45% to 99.91% and 99.52% to 99.93%, respectively. Average removal rates of helminth eggs in system I were 96.44% to 99.11%, reaching 100% as in system II. In reactor sludge, the counts of total and thermotolerant coliforms ranged between 105 and 109 MPN (100 mL)−1, while helminth eggs ranged from 0.86 to 9.27 eggs g−1 TS. PMID:24812560

  19. Relative Water Uptake as a Criterion for the Design of Trickle Irrigation Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Communar, G.; Friedman, S. P.

    2008-12-01

    Previously derived analytical solutions to the 2- and 3-dimensional water flow problems describing trickle irrigation are not being widely used in practice because those formulations either ignore root water uptake or refer to it as a known input. In this lecture we are going to describe a new modeling approach and demonstrate its applicability for designing the geometry of trickle irrigation systems, namely the spacing between the emitters and drip lines. The major difference between our and previous modeling approaches is that we refer to the root water uptake as to the unknown solution of the problem and not as to a known input. We postulate that the solution to the steady-state water flow problem with a root sink that is acting under constant, maximum suction defines un upper bound to the relative water uptake (water use efficiency) in actual transient situations and propose to use it as a design criterion. Following previous derivations of analytical solutions we assume that the soil hydraulic conductivity increases exponentially with its matric head, which allows the linearization of the Richards equation, formulated in terms of the Kirchhoff matric flux potential. Since the transformed problem is linear, the relative water uptake for any given configuration of point or line sources and sinks can be calculated by superposition of the Green's functions of all relevant water sources and sinks. In addition to evaluating the relative water uptake, we also derived analytical expressions for the steam functions. The stream lines separating the water uptake zone from the percolating water provide insight to the dependence of the shape and extent of the actual rooting zone on the source- sink geometry and soil properties. A minimal number of just 3 system parameters: Gardner's (1958) alfa as a soil type quantifier and the depth and diameter of the pre-assumed active root zone are sufficient to characterize the interplay between capillary and gravitational effects on water flow and the competition between the processes of root water uptake and percolation. For accounting also for evaporation from the soil surface, when significant, another parameter is required, adopting the solution of Lomen and Warrick (1978).

  20. Biofiltration of solvent vapors from air

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

    Oh, Young-sook.

    1993-01-01

    For various industrial solvent vapors, biofiltration promises to offer a cost-effective emission control technology. Exploiting the full potential of this technology will help attain the goals of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Concentrating on large volumes of volatile industrial solvents, stable multicomponent microbial enrichments capable of growing a mineral medium with solvent vapors as their only source of carbon and energy were obtained from soil and sewage sludge. These consortia were immobilized on an optimized porous solid support (ground peat moss and perlite). The biofilter material was packed in glass columns connected to an array of pumps andmore » flow meters that allowed the independent variation of superficial velocity and solvent vapor concentrations. In various experiments, single solvents, such as methanol, butanol, acetonitrile, hexane and nitrobenzene, and solvent mixtures, such as benzene-toluene-xylene (BTX) and chlorobenzene-o-dichlorobenzene (CB/DCB) were biofiltered with rates ranging from 15 to334 g solvent removed per m[sup 3] filter volume /h. Pressure drops were low to moderate (0-10 mmHg/m) and with periodic replacement of moisture, the biofiltration activity could be maintained for a period of several months. The experimental data on methanol biofiltration were subjected to mathematical analysis and modeling by the group of Dr. Baltzis at NJIT for a better understanding and a possible scale up of solvent vapor biofilters. In the case of chlorobenzenes and nitrobenzene, the biofilter columns had to be operated with water recirculation in a trickling filter mode. To prevent inactivation of the trickling filter by acidity during CB/DCB removal, pH control was necessary, and the removal rate of CB/DCB was strongly influenced by the flow rate of the recyling water. Nitrobenzene removal in a trickling filter did not require pH control, since the nitro group was reduced and volatilized as ammonia.« less

  1. Synthesizing Equivalence Indices for the Comparative Evaluation of Technoeconomic Efficiency of Industrial Processes at the Design/Re-engineering Level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fotilas, P.; Batzias, A. F.

    2007-12-01

    The equivalence indices synthesized for the comparative evaluation of technoeconomic efficiency of industrial processes are of critical importance since they serve as both, (i) positive/analytic descriptors of the physicochemical nature of the process and (ii) measures of effectiveness, especially helpful for investigated competitiveness in the industrial/energy/environmental sector of the economy. In the present work, a new algorithmic procedure has been developed, which initially standardizes a real industrial process, then analyzes it as a compromise of two ideal processes, and finally synthesizes the index that can represent/reconstruct the real process as a result of the trade-off between the two ideal processes taking as parental prototypes. The same procedure makes fuzzy multicriteria ranking within a set of pre-selected industrial processes for two reasons: (a) to analyze the process most representative of the production/treatment under consideration, (b) to use the `second best' alternative as a dialectic pole in absence of the two ideal processes mentioned above. An implantation of this procedure is presented, concerning a facility of biological wastewater treatment with six alternatives: activated sludge through (i) continuous-flow incompletely-stirred tank reactors in series, (ii) a plug flow reactor with dispersion, (iii) an oxidation ditch, and biological processing through (iv) a trickling filter, (v) rotating contactors, (vi) shallow ponds. The criteria used for fuzzy (to count for uncertainty) ranking are capital cost, operating cost, environmental friendliness, reliability, flexibility, extendibility. Two complementary indices were synthesized for the (ii)-alternative ranked first and their quantitative expressions were derived, covering a variety of kinetic models as well as recycle/bypass conditions. Finally, analysis of estimating the optimal values of these indices at maximum technoeconomic efficiency is presented and the implications (expected to be) caused by exogenous and endogenous factors (e.g., environmental standards change and innovative energy savings/substitution, respectively) are discussed by means of marginal efficiency graphs.

  2. Trust in direct leaders and top leaders: A trickle-up model.

    PubMed

    Fulmer, C Ashley; Ostroff, Cheri

    2017-04-01

    Low levels of employee trust in top leaders pose challenges to organizations with respect to retention, performance, and profits. This research examines how trust in top leaders can be fostered through the relationships individuals have with their direct leaders. We propose a trickle-up model whereby trust in direct leaders exerts an upward influence on trust in top leaders. Drawing on the group value model, we predict that direct leaders' procedural justice serves as the key mechanism in facilitating the trickle-up process. Further, this process should be particularly strong for employees high on vertical collectivism, and the trickled-up trust in top leaders should exert a stronger impact on employees' overall performance in the organization than trust in direct leaders. Multiphase and multisource data from 336 individuals support these hypotheses. The findings advance our understanding of trust and leadership by highlighting that trust in leaders at different levels does not form independently and that trust in leaders trickles up across hierarchical levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Falling through the Cracks: Critical Transitions in the Latina/o Educational Pipeline. 2006 Latina/o Education Summit Report. CSRC Research Report. Number 7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huber, Lindsay Perez; Huidor, Ofelia; Malagon, Maria C.; Sanchez, Gloria; Solorzano, Daniel G.

    2006-01-01

    This report has explores the research literature on Latina/o students throughout the four segments of the educational pipeline: K-12, community college, undergraduate, and graduate. The Latina/o educational pipeline does not ensure a smooth flow of students from one end of the conduit to the other, but a broken trickle of fewer and fewer students…

  4. Active disturbance rejection controller for chemical reactor

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

    Both, Roxana; Dulf, Eva H.; Muresan, Cristina I., E-mail: roxana.both@aut.utcluj.ro

    2015-03-10

    In the petrochemical industry, the synthesis of 2 ethyl-hexanol-oxo-alcohols (plasticizers alcohol) is of high importance, being achieved through hydrogenation of 2 ethyl-hexenal inside catalytic trickle bed three-phase reactors. For this type of processes the use of advanced control strategies is suitable due to their nonlinear behavior and extreme sensitivity to load changes and other disturbances. Due to the complexity of the mathematical model an approach was to use a simple linear model of the process in combination with an advanced control algorithm which takes into account the model uncertainties, the disturbances and command signal limitations like robust control. However themore » resulting controller is complex, involving cost effective hardware. This paper proposes a simple integer-order control scheme using a linear model of the process, based on active disturbance rejection method. By treating the model dynamics as a common disturbance and actively rejecting it, active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) can achieve the desired response. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.« less

  5. Stabilization of Softwood-Derived Pyrolysis Oils for Continuous Bio-oil Hydroprocessing

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

    Olarte, Mariefel V.; Zacher, Alan H.; Padmaperuma, Asanga B.

    The use of fast pyrolysis as a potential renewable liquid transportation fuel alternative to crude oil depends on successful catalytic upgrading to produce a refinery-ready product with oxygen content and qualities (i.e. specific functional group or compound content) that is compatible with the product’s proposed insertion point. Catalytic upgrading of bio-oil requires high temperature and pressure, while similar to crude oil hydrotreating, is not as straightforward for the thermally unstable pyrolysis oil. For years, a two-temperature zone, downflow trickle bed reactor was the state-of-the art for continuous operation. However, pressure excursion due to plug formation still occurred, typically at themore » high temperature transition zone, leading to a process shutdown within 140 h. Recently, a bio-oil pre-treatment process, together with a robust commercial catalyst, was found to be enabling the continuous operation of the two-zone hydroprocessing system. Here, we report the results on pre-treating bio-oil at 413 K and 8.4 MPa of flowing H2 (500 L H2/L bio-oil, 0.5 L bio-oil/L catalyst bed) and the attempts to characterize this oil product to understand the chemistry which enabled the long-term processing of bio-oil.« less

  6. cis,cis-Muconic acid: separation and catalysis to bio-adipic acid for nylon-6,6 polymerization

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

    Vardon, Derek R.; Rorrer, Nicholas A.; Salvachúa, Davinia

    cis,cis-Muconic acid is a polyunsaturated dicarboxylic acid that can be produced renewably via the biological conversion of sugars and lignin-derived aromatic compounds. Subsequently, muconic acid can be catalytically converted to adipic acid -- the most commercially significant dicarboxylic acid manufactured from petroleum. Nylon-6,6 is the major industrial application for adipic acid, consuming 85% of market demand; however, high purity adipic acid (99.8%) is required for polymer synthesis. As such, process technologies are needed to effectively separate and catalytically transform biologically derived muconic acid to adipic acid in high purity over stable catalytic materials. To that end, this study: (1) demonstratesmore » bioreactor production of muconate at 34.5 g L-1 in an engineered strain of Pseudomonas putida KT2440, (2) examines the staged recovery of muconic acid from culture media, (3) screens platinum group metals (e.g., Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru) for activity and leaching stability on activated carbon (AC) and silica supports, (4) evaluates the time-on-stream performance of Rh/AC in a trickle bed reactor, and (5) demonstrates the polymerization of bio-adipic acid to nylon-6,6. Separation experiments confirmed AC effectively removed broth color compounds, but subsequent pH/temperature shift crystallization resulted in significant levels of Na, P, K, S and N in the crystallized product. Ethanol dissolution of muconic acid precipitated bulk salts, achieving a purity of 99.8%. Batch catalysis screening reactions determined that Rh and Pd were both highly active compared to Pt and Ru, but Pd leached significantly (1-9%) from both AC and silica supports. Testing of Rh/AC in a continuous trickle bed reactor for 100 h confirmed stable performance after 24 h, although organic adsorption resulted in reduced steady-state activity. Lastly, polymerization of bio-adipic acid with hexamethyldiamine produced nylon-6,6 with comparable properties to its petrochemical counterpart, thereby demonstrating a path towards bio-based nylon production via muconic acid.« less

  7. Water and Wastewater Characterization Survey, Williams AFB AZ

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-03-01

    effluent discharges. Most industrial effluent originates from the flight line operations. The WWTP includes primary sedimentation , trickling filters...final sedimentation , plug-flow chlorine contact basin, and a stabilization pond. Samples were collected at the influent and effluent of the plant...Stispcndcd Solido ~ 60) 31 pit wvithll 6.0 to 90- *1 1*0 is Totil toxic 0, plan:*’ aq (leCiitc(l at .i10 (1 R Pitt 4133. 5 (IIIL)RINE REOPENEP T1 his permit

  8. Single multivalent vaccination boosted by trickle larval infection confers protection against experimental lymphatic filariasis

    PubMed Central

    Joseph, SK; Ramaswamy, K

    2013-01-01

    The multivalent vaccine BmHAT, consisting of the Brugia malayi infective larval (L3) antigens heat shock protein12.6 (HSP12.6), abundant larval transcript-2 (ALT-2) and tetraspanin large extra cellular loop (TSP-LEL), was shown to be protective in rodent models from our laboratory. We hypothesize that since these antigens were identified using protective antibodies from immune endemic normal individuals, the multivalent vaccine can be augmented by natural L3 infections providing protection to the vaccinated host. This hypothesis was tested using single dose of DNA and Protein or Protein alone of the BmHAT vaccination in gerbils followed by live trickle L3 infection as booster dose. Vaccine-induced protection in gerbils was determined by worm establishment, micropore chamber assay and by antibody dependant cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay. Results were compared with the traditional prime-boost vaccination regimen. Gerbils vaccinated with BmHAT and boosted with L3 trickle infection were protected 51% (BmHAT DNA-Protein) and 48% (BmHAT Protein) respectively. BmHAT vaccination plus L3 trickle booster generated significant titer of antigen-specific IgG antibodies comparable to the traditional prime boost vaccination approach. BmHAT vaccination plus L3 trickle booster also generated antigen-specific cells in the spleen of vaccinated animals and these cells secreted predominantly IFN-γ and IL-4 in response to the vaccine antigens. These studies thus show that single dose of BmHAT multivalent vaccination followed by L3 trickle booster infection can confer significant protection against lymphatic filariasis. PMID:23735679

  9. PERFORMANCE OF TRICKLING FILTER PLANTS: RELIABILITY, STABILITY, VARIABILITY

    EPA Science Inventory

    Effluent quality variability from trickling filters was examined in this study by statistically analyzing daily effluent BOD5 and suspended solids data from 11 treatment plants. Summary statistics (mean, standard deviation, etc.) were examined to determine the general characteris...

  10. The effects of temperatures on the pebble flow in a pebble bed high temperature reactor

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

    Sen, R. S.; Cogliati, J. J.; Gougar, H. D.

    2012-07-01

    The core of a pebble bed high temperature reactor (PBHTR) moves during operation, a feature which leads to better fuel economy (online refueling with no burnable poisons) and lower fuel stress. The pebbles are loaded at the top and trickle to the bottom of the core after which the burnup of each is measured. The pebbles that are not fully burned are recirculated through the core until the target burnup is achieved. The flow pattern of the pebbles through the core is of importance for core simulations because it couples the burnup distribution to the core temperature and power profiles,more » especially in cores with two or more radial burnup 'zones '. The pebble velocity profile is a strong function of the core geometry and the friction between the pebbles and the surrounding structures (other pebbles or graphite reflector blocks). The friction coefficient for graphite in a helium environment is inversely related to the temperature. The Thorium High Temperature Reactor (THTR) operated in Germany between 1983 and 1989. It featured a two-zone core, an inner core (IC) and outer core (OC), with different fuel mixtures loaded in each zone. The rate at which the IC was refueled relative to the OC in THTR was designed to be 0.56. During its operation, however, this ratio was measured to be 0.76, suggesting the pebbles in the inner core traveled faster than expected. It has been postulated that the positive feedback effect between inner core temperature, burnup, and pebble flow was underestimated in THTR. Because of the power shape, the center of the core in a typical cylindrical PBHTR operates at a higher temperature than the region next to the side reflector. The friction between pebbles in the IC is lower than that in the OC, perhaps causing a higher relative flow rate and lower average burnup, which in turn yield a higher local power density. Furthermore, the pebbles in the center region have higher velocities than the pebbles next to the side reflector due to the interaction between the pebbles and the immobile graphite reflector as well as the geometry of the discharge conus near the bottom of the core. In this paper, the coupling between the temperature profile and the pebble flow dynamics was analyzed by using PEBBED/THERMIX and PEBBLES codes by modeling the HTR-10 reactor in China. Two extreme and opposing velocity profiles are used as a starting point for the iterations. The PEBBED/THERMIX code is used to calculate the burnup, power and temperature profiles with one of the velocity profiles as input. The resulting temperature profile is then passed to PEBBLES code to calculate the updated pebble velocity profile taking the new temperature profile into account. If the aforementioned hypothesis is correct, the strong temperature effect upon the friction coefficients would cause the two cases to converge to different final velocity and temperature profiles. The results of this analysis indicates that a single zone pebble bed core is self-stabilizing in terms of the pebble velocity profile and the effect of the temperature profile on the pebble flow is insignificant. (authors)« less

  11. The innovative moving bed biofilm reactor/solids contact reaeration process for secondary treatment of municipal wastewater

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

    Rusten, B.; McCoy, M.; Proctor, R.

    1998-07-01

    The innovative moving bed biofilm reactor/solids contact reaeration (MBBR/SCR) process has been chosen for a new wastewater treatment plant serving a population of 200,000 at Moa Point, Wellington, New Zealand. Because the MBBR/SCR combination was new, a pilot-scale demonstration project was made part of the contract. Thorough pilot tests using a wide range of organic loads under both steady and transient-flow conditions demonstrated that the MBBR/SCR process produced the required effluent quality at loads higher than used in the original design. At 3 days mean cell residence time (MCRT) in the SCR stage, a final effluent with a 5-day biochemicalmore » oxygen demand (BOD{sub 5}) of less than 10 mg/L was achieved at an organic load on the MBBR of 15 g BOD{sub 5}/m{sup 2}{center_dot}d (5.0 kg BOD{sub 5}/m{sup 3}{center_dot}d). With the same MCRT, a final effluent of less than 15 mg BOD{sub 5}/L was achieved at an organic load on the MBBR of 20 g BOD{sub 5}/m{sup 2}{center_dot}d (6.7 kg BOD{sub 5}/m{sup 3}{center_dot}d). Dynamic loading tests demonstrated that a good-quality effluent was produced with a diurnal peak-hour load on the MBBR of more than 40 g BOD{sub 5}/m{sup 2}{center_dot}d (13.3 kg BOD{sub 5}/m{sup 3}{center_dot}d). The MBBR/SCR process was more compact and significantly cheaper than a conventional trickling filter/solids contact or activated-sludge process at the Moa Point site.« less

  12. Detoxification of kraft pulp ECF bleaching effluents by catalytic hydrotreatment.

    PubMed

    Calvo, L; Gilarranz, M A; Casas, J A; Mohedano, A F; Rodríguez, J J

    2007-02-01

    Two different effluents from the D(1) and E(1) stages of the ECF bleaching of Eucalyptus globulus kraft pulp were treated by catalytic hydrogenation in a trickle bed reactor using commercial and homemade Pd/AC catalysts. The reactor was fed with the bleaching effluent and a H(2)/N(2) gas stream. The variables studied were space-time (1.4-5g(cat)min/mL), gas to liquid flow ratio (286-1000vol.), gas feed concentration (H(2):N(2), 1:1-1:7.3vol.), temperature (25-100 degrees C) and pressure (1-11bar). Hydrotreatment performance was evaluated in terms of ecotoxicity, adsorbable organic halogen (AOX), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD(5)) and colour removal. In all the runs, the ecotoxicity of the effluents decreased as a result of the treatment, achieving reductions that ranged from 70% to 98%. Simultaneously to the reduction of toxicity, the hydrotreatment led to a decrease of the colour of the effluents, being the decrease significantly higher in the case of E(1) effluent. The AOX content was reduced by 85% and 23% for E(1) and D(1) effluents, respectively. In the case of D(1) effluent the removal of ecotoxicity was significantly higher than that of AOX, which indicates that much of the toxicity of the effluent must be associated to non-chlorinated organics. In spite of the important reduction of ecotoxicity, the biodegradability of the effluents only increased slightly. The homemade catalysts, prepared from activated carbons with a high external or non-microporous surface area and mesopore volume and a convenient surface chemistry showed a higher efficiency than the commercial one.

  13. Performance of double-layer biofilter packed with coal fly ash ceramic granules in treating highly polluted river water.

    PubMed

    Jing, Zhaoqian; Li, Yu-You; Cao, Shiwei; Liu, Yuyu

    2012-09-01

    To improve trickling filters' denitrification efficiency, a biofilter with a trickling upper layer and a submerged lower layer was developed and applied in treating highly polluted river water. It was packed with porous coal fly ash ceramic granules. Its start-up characteristics, influence of hydraulic loading rates (HLR), carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio and filter depth on pollutants removal were investigated. The results indicated this biofilter was started quickly in 16 days with river sediment as inoculum. Alternating nitrification and denitrification were achieved when water flowed downwards. COD and nitrogen were mainly removed in the upper layer and the lower layer, respectively. With HLR of 4.0-5.0m(3)/(m(2)d), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium (NH(4)(+)-N) and total nitrogen (TN) in the effluent were below 50, 5 and 15 mg/L, respectively. This biofilter removed more than 80% of COD, 85% of NH(4)(+)-N and 60% of TN with C/N ratios ranging from 6 to 10. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. METHODS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF TRICKLING FILTER PLANT PERFORMANCE. PART II. CHEMICAL ADDITION

    EPA Science Inventory

    An experimental program to explore potential methods for removing phosphorus and generally enhancing trickling filter plant performance was conducted at the Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Preliminary investigations included jar testing with se...

  15. DEVELOPMENT OF AEROBIC BIOFILTER DESIGN CRITERIA FOR TREATING VOCS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This paper reports preliminary results on the use of trickle bed biofilters with monolithic ceramic channelized microbial support structures for the treatment of VOCs typical of landfill leachate stripping. Toluene was used for the purpose of characterizing the trickle bed biofi...

  16. Effect of organic nitrogen concentration on the efficiency of trickling filters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kopeć, Łukasz; Drewnowski, Jakub; Fernandez-Morales, F. J.

    2018-02-01

    The study was conducted in Poland at six selected wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) based on the trickling filters Bioclere® technology. The aim of the study was to find the relationship between the influent organic nitrogen concentration and the purification efficiency expressed as effluent COD concentration. In the tests performed, the COD to BOD5 relationship was close to 2 and the ratio of BOD5 to TN was lower than 4. The research indicated that this specific chemical composition of raw wastewater causes appearance of filamentous bacteria on the surface of trickling filter filling and strongly affect the effluent quality.

  17. Formaldehyde removal from air by a biodegradation system.

    PubMed

    Xu, Zhongjun; Hou, Haiping

    2010-07-01

    A biodegradation system was used for the treatment of formaldehyde-polluted air. Air pressure dropped 12 mm water in the trickling biofilter during the experiment of about 4 months. In the range 20-300 mg m(-3) influent formaldehyde, this biodegradation system obtained 4.0-40.0 mg h(-1) degradation capacity, with 100%-66.7% degradation efficiency. The amount of formaldehyde degraded by the trickling biofilter was more than that by the activated sludge bioreactor below 200 mg m(-3) influent gaseous formaldehyde while the amount by the trickling biofilter was less than that by the activated sludge bioreactor over 200 mg m(-3) influent gaseous formaldehyde.

  18. "Trickle-Down" Reform: Hispanics, Higher Education, and the Excellence Movement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halcon, John J.; de la Luz Reyes, Maria

    1991-01-01

    Recent excellence-in-education reform measures have created greater restrictions on the access of Hispanics to higher education. Suggests that reformers expect reform benefits to "trickle down" to minorities after first benefiting mainstream students. The idea of excellence must include that of educational equity. (CJS)

  19. Biofiltration of Chloroform in a Trickle Bed Air Biofilter Under Acidic Conditions

    EPA Science Inventory

    In this paper, the application of biofiltration is investigated for controlled removal of gas phase chloroform through cometabolic degradation with ethanol. A trickle bed air biofilter (TBAB) operated under acidic pH 4 is subjected to aerobic biodegradation of chloroform and etha...

  20. Fate of dissolved organic nitrogen in two stage trickling filter process.

    PubMed

    Simsek, Halis; Kasi, Murthy; Wadhawan, Tanush; Bye, Christopher; Blonigen, Mark; Khan, Eakalak

    2012-10-15

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents a significant portion of nitrogen in the final effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Biodegradable portion of DON (BDON) can support algal growth and/or consume dissolved oxygen in the receiving waters. The fate of DON and BDON has not been studied for trickling filter WWTPs. DON and BDON data were collected along the treatment train of a WWTP with a two-stage trickling filter process. DON concentrations in the influent and effluent were 27% and 14% of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN). The plant removed about 62% and 72% of the influent DON and BDON mainly by the trickling filters. The final effluent BDON values averaged 1.8 mg/L. BDON was found to be between 51% and 69% of the DON in raw wastewater and after various treatment units. The fate of DON and BDON through the two-stage trickling filter treatment plant was modeled. The BioWin v3.1 model was successfully applied to simulate ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, TDN, DON and BDON concentrations along the treatment train. The maximum growth rates for ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria, and AOB half saturation constant influenced ammonia and nitrate output results. Hydrolysis and ammonification rates influenced all of the nitrogen species in the model output, including BDON. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Advanced Trickling Filters. Training Module 2.112.4.77.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Layton, Ronald F.

    This document is an instructional module package prepared in objective form for use by an instructor familiar with operation and maintenance of a trickling filter wastewater treatment plant. Included are objectives, instructor guides, student handouts and transparency masters. This is the third level of a three module series and considers…

  2. EVALUATION OF TRICKLE-BED AIR BIOFILTER PERFORMANCE FOR STYRENE REMOVAL

    EPA Science Inventory

    A pilot-scale trickle-bed air biofilter (TBAB) was evaluated for the removal of styrene from a waste gas stream. Six-millimeter (6 mm) Celite pellets (R-635) were used as the biological attachment medium. The operating parameters considered in the study included the styrene vol...

  3. Bimetallic catalysts for continuous catalytic wet air oxidation of phenol.

    PubMed

    Fortuny, A; Bengoa, C; Font, J; Fabregat, A

    1999-01-29

    Catalytic wet oxidation has proved to be effective at eliminating hazardous organic compounds, such as phenol, from waste waters. However, the lack of active long-life oxidation catalysts which can perform in aqueous phase is its main drawback. This study explores the ability of bimetallic supported catalysts to oxidize aqueous phenol solutions using air as oxidant. Combinations of 2% of CoO, Fe2O3, MnO or ZnO with 10% CuO were supported on gamma-alumina by pore filling, calcined and later tested. The oxidation was carried out in a packed bed reactor operating in trickle flow regime at 140 degrees C and 900 kPa of oxygen partial pressure. Lifetime tests were conducted for 8 days. The pH of the feed solution was also varied. The results show that all the catalysts tested undergo severe deactivation during the first 2 days of operation. Later, the catalysts present steady activity until the end of the test. The highest residual phenol conversion was obtained for the ZnO-CuO, which was significantly higher than that obtained with the 10% CuO catalyst used as reference. The catalyst deactivation is related to the dissolution of the metal oxides from the catalyst surface due to the acidic reaction conditions. Generally, the performance of the catalysts was better when the pH of the feed solution was increased.

  4. Flow Visualization of Liquid Hydrogen Line Chilldown Tests

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rame, Enrique; Hartwig, Jason W.; McQuillen John B.

    2014-01-01

    We present experimental measurements of wall and fluid temperature during chill-down tests of a warm cryogenic line with liquid hydrogen. Synchronized video and fluid temperature measurements are used to interpret stream temperature profiles versus time. When cold liquid hydrogen starts to flow into the warm line, a sequence of flow regimes, spanning from all-vapor at the outset to bubbly with continuum liquid at the end can be observed at a location far downstream of the cold inlet. In this paper we propose interpretations to the observed flow regimes and fluid temperature histories for two chilldown methods, viz. trickle (i.e. continuous) flow and pulse flow. Calculations of heat flux from the wall to the fluid versus wall temperature indicate the presence of the transition/nucleate boiling regimes only. The present tests, run at typical Reynolds numbers of approx O(10 (exp 5)), are in sharp contrast to similar tests conducted at lower Reynolds numbers where a well-defined film boiling region is observed.

  5. Basic Trickling Filters. Training Module 2.110.2.77.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Layton, Ronald F.

    This document is an instructional module package prepared in objective form for use by an instructor familiar with operation and maintenance of a trickling filter wastewater treatment system. Included are objectives, instructor guides, student handouts and transparency masters. This is the first level of a three module series and considers the…

  6. Intermediate Trickling Filters. Training Module 2.111.3.77.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Layton, Ronald F.

    This document is an instructional module package prepared in objective form for use by an instructor familiar with operation and maintenance of a trickling filter wastewater treatment plant. Included are objectives, instructor guides, student handouts and transparency masters. This is the second level of a three module series and considers types…

  7. Trickling Filters. Instructor's Guide. Biological Treatment Process Control.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richwine, Reynold D.

    This instructor's guide contains materials needed for teaching a two-lesson unit on trickling filters. These materials include: (1) an overview of the two lessons; (2) lesson plans; (3) lecture outline (keyed to a set of slides accompanying the unit); (4) overhead transparency masters; (5) student worksheet (with answers); and (6) two copies of a…

  8. Effects of nonpoint and selected point contaminant sources on stream-water quality and relation to land use in Johnson County, northeastern Kansas, October 2002 through June 2004

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lee, Casey J.; Mau, D.P.; Rasmussen, T.J.

    2005-01-01

    Water and sediment samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 12 watersheds in Johnson County, northeastern Kansas, to determine the effects of nonpoint and selected point contaminant sources on stream-water quality and their relation to varying land use. The streams studied were located in urban areas of the county (Brush, Dykes Branch, Indian, Tomahawk, and Turkey Creeks), developing areas of the county (Blue River and Mill Creek), and in more rural areas of the county (Big Bull, Captain, Cedar, Kill, and Little Bull Creeks). Two base-flow synoptic surveys (73 total samples) were conducted in 11 watersheds, a minimum of three stormflow samples were collected in each of six watersheds, and 15 streambed-sediment sites were sampled in nine watersheds from October 2002 through June 2004. Discharge from seven wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) were sampled during base-flow synoptic surveys. Discharge from these facilities comprised greater than 50 percent of streamflow at the farthest downstream sampling site in six of the seven watersheds during base-flow conditions. Nutrients, organic wastewater-indicator compounds, and prescription and nonprescription pharmaceutical compounds generally were found in the largest concentrations during base-flow conditions at sites at, or immediately downstream from, point-source discharges from WWTFs. Downstream from WWTF discharges streamflow conditions were generally stable, whereas nutrient and wastewater-indicator compound concentrations decreased in samples from sites farther downstream. During base-flow conditions, sites upstream from WWTF discharges had significantly larger fecal coliform and Escherichia coli densities than downstream sites. Stormflow samples had the largest suspended-sediment concentrations and indicator bacteria densities. Other than in samples from sites in proximity to WWTF discharges, stormflow samples generally had the largest nutrient concentrations in Johnson County streams. Discharge from WWTFs with trickling-filter secondary treatment processes had the largest concentrations of many potential contaminants during base-flow conditions. Samples from two of three trickling-filter WWTFs exceeded Kansas Department of Health and Environment pH- and temperature-dependent chronic aquatic-life criteria for ammonia when early-life stages of fish are present. Discharge from trickling-filter facilities generally had the most detections and largest concentrations of many organic wastewater-indicator compounds in Johnson County stream-water samples. Caffeine (stimulant), nonylphenol-diethoxylate (detergent surfactant), and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (floor polish, flame retardant, and plasticizer) were found at concentrations larger than maximum concentrations in comparable studies. Land use and seasonality affected the occurrence and magnitude of many potential water-quality contaminants originating from nonpoint sources. Base-flow samples from urban sites located upstream from WWTF discharges had larger indicator bacteria densities and wastewater-indicator compound concentrations than did base-flow samples from sites in nonurban areas. Dissolved-solids concentrations were the largest in winter stormflow samples from urban sites and likely were due to runoff from road-salt application. One sample from an urban watershed had a chloride concentration of 1,000 milligrams per liter, which exceeded the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's acute aquatic-life use criterion (860 milligrams per liter) likely due to effects from road-salt application. Pesticide concentrations were the largest in spring stormflow samples collected in nonurban watersheds. Although most wastewater-indicator compounds were found at the largest concentrations in samples from WWTF discharges, the compounds 9-10, anthraquinone (bird repellent), caffeine (stimulant), carbazole (component of coal tar, petroleum products), nonylphenol-diethoxylate (detergent surfactant),

  9. Enhanced nitrogen removal in trickling filter plants.

    PubMed

    Dai, Y; Constantinou, A; Griffiths, P

    2013-01-01

    The Beaudesert Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), originally built in 1966 and augmented in 1977, is a typical biological trickling filter (TF) STP comprising primary sedimentation tanks (PSTs), TFs and humus tanks. The plant, despite not originally being designed for nitrogen removal, has been consistently achieving over 60% total nitrogen reduction and low effluent ammonium concentration of less than 5 mg NH3-N/L. Through the return of a NO3(-)-rich stream from the humus tanks to the PSTs and maintaining an adequate sludge age within the PSTs, the current plant is achieving a substantial degree of denitrification. Further enhanced denitrification has been achieved by raising the recycle flows and maintaining an adequate solids retention time (SRT) within the PSTs. This paper describes the approach to operating a TF plant to achieve a high degree of nitrification and denitrification. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through the pilot plant trial. The results from the pilot trial demonstrate a significant improvement in nitrogen removal performance whilst maximising the asset life of the existing infrastructure. This shows great potential as a retrofit option for small and rural communities with pre-existing TFs that require improvements in terms of nitrogen removal.

  10. A modified biotrickling filter for nitrification-denitrification in the treatment of an ammonia-contaminated air stream.

    PubMed

    Raboni, Massimo; Torretta, Vincenzo

    2016-12-01

    A conventional biotrickling filter for airborne ammonia nitrification has been modified, by converting the liquid sump into a biological denitrifying reactor. The biotrickling filter achieves an average ammonia removal efficiency of 92.4 %, with an empty bed retention time (EBRT) equal to 36 s and an average ammonia concentration of 54.7 mg Nm -3 in the raw air stream. The denitrification reactor converts ammonia into inert gas N 2 , in addition to other important advantages connected to the alkaline character of the biochemical pathway of the denitrifying bacteria. Firstly, the trickling water crossing the denitrification reactor underwent a notable pH increase from 7.3 to 8.0 which prevented the acidic inhibition of the nitrifying bacteria due to the buildup of nitric and nitrous acids. Secondly, the pH increase created the ideal conditions for the autotrophic nitrifying bacteria. The tests proved that an ammonia removal efficiency of above 90 % can be achieved with an EBRT greater than 30 s and a volumetric load lower than 200 g NH 3  m -3  day -1 . The results of the biofilm observation by using a scanning confocal laser microscope are reported together with the identification of degrading bacteria genera in the biotrickling filter. The efficiency of the plant and its excellent operational stability highlight the effectiveness of the synergistic action between the denitrification reactor and the biotrickling filter in removing airborne ammonia.

  11. Occupant Interactions and Effectiveness of Natural Ventilation Strategies in Contemporary New Housing in Scotland, UK.

    PubMed

    Sharpe, Tim; Farren, Paul; Howieson, Stirling; Tuohy, Paul; McQuillan, Jonathan

    2015-07-21

    The need to reduce carbon emissions and fuel poverty has led to increased building envelope air tightness, intended to reduce uncontrolled ventilation heat losses. Ventilation strategies in dwellings still allow the use of trickle ventilators in window frames for background ventilation. The extent to which this results in "healthy" Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in recently constructed dwellings was a concern of regulators in Scotland. This paper describes research to explore this. First a review of literature was conducted, then data on occupant interactions with ventilation provisions (windows, doors, trickle vents) gathered through an interview-based survey of 200 recently constructed dwellings, and measurements made on a sample of 40 of these. The main measured parameter discussed here is CO2 concentration. It was concluded after the literature review that 1000 ppm absolute was a reasonable threshold to use for "adequate" ventilation. The occupant survey found that there was very little occupant interaction with the trickle ventilators e.g., in bedrooms 63% were always closed, 28% always open, and in only 9% of cases occupants intervened to make occasional adjustments. In the measured dwellings average bedroom CO2 levels of 1520 ppm during occupied (night time) hours were observed. Where windows were open the average bedroom CO2 levels were 972 ppm. With windows closed, the combination of "trickle ventilators open plus doors open" gave an average of 1021 ppm. "Trickle ventilators open" gave an average of 1571 ppm. All other combinations gave averages of 1550 to 2000 ppm. Ventilation rates and air change rates were estimated from measured CO2 levels, for all dwellings calculated ventilation rate was less than 8 L/s/p, in 42% of cases calculated air change rate was less than 0.5 ach. It was concluded that trickle ventilation as installed and used is ineffective in meeting desired ventilation rates, evidenced by high CO2 levels reported across the sampled dwellings. Potential implications of the results are discussed.

  12. Determination of dairy wastewater treatability by bio-trickling filter packed with lava rocks - case study PEGAH dairy factory.

    PubMed

    Mehrdadi, N; Bidhendi, G R Nabi; Shokouhi, M

    2012-01-01

    This paper investigates the effectiveness of a biological trickling filter for the treatment of wastewaters produced by a company manufacturing dairy products. First a bio-trickling column with a height of 150 cm was packed with lava rocks from north mountain of Tehran. It operates with the recirculation of liquid through the packing. In order to startup the pilot scale, steady state condition was gained by pumping activated sludge and dairy wastewater for 23 days. Afterwards, dairy wastewater was added to liquid tank for treatment. Hydraulic retention time (HRT) of treatment decreases from 5 days to 1 day then at HRT of 12, 8, 7, 6 and 4 h. Results show that the average chemical oxygen demand (COD) decreased from 2,750 to 98 mg/L at HRT of 7 h and efficiency of TKN removal was more than 70%. The microorganisms developed in the bio-trickling filter were able to efficiently remove COD levels up to 2,750 mg/L, under aerobic conditions at pH values between 6.8 and 7.2 under low temperature condition between 10 and 13 °C.

  13. Comparison of different packing materials for the biofiltration of air toxics.

    PubMed

    Sakuma, Takeyuki; Hattori, Toshihiro; Deshusses, Marc A

    2006-11-01

    Four different biofilter packing materials (two porous ceramics, perlite, and open pore polyurethane foam) were compared for the removal of toluene vapors. The focus was on evaluating performance at relatively short gas retention time (13.5 and 27 sec). The reactors were initially operated as biotrickling filters with continuous feeding and trickling of a nutrient solution. After significant plugging of the biotrickling filter beds with biomass was observed, the operation mode was switched to biofiltration with only periodic supply of mineral nutrients. This resulted in stable conditions, which allowed detailed investigations over > 6 months. The reactor packed with cattle bone Porcelite (CBP), a ceramic material containing some macronutrients and micronutrients, exhibited the highest performance. The critical load (i.e., load at which 95% removal occurred) was 29 g m(-3) hr(-1) at a gas retention time of 13.5 sec and 66 g m(-3) hr(-1) at a gas retention time of 27 sec. After the long-term experiment, the packing materials were taken from the reactors and examined. The reactors were divided into three sections, top, middle, and bottom, to determine whether spatial differentiation of biomass occurred. The assays included a double-staining technique to count total and live microorganisms and determination of moisture, protein, and dry weight contents. Microbial community analysis was also conducted by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The results showed that most reactors had a significant fraction of inactive biomass. Comparatively, the CBP biofilter held significantly higher densities of active biomass, which may be the reason for the higher toluene removal performance. The analyses suggest that favorable material properties and the nutrients slowly released by the CBP provided better environmental conditions for the process culture.

  14. Evaluation program for secondary spacecraft cells: Evaluation of storage methods, open circuit versus continuous trickle charge, Sonotone 3.5 ampere-hour sealed nickel-cadmium secondary spacecraft cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thomas, R. E.

    1972-01-01

    Twenty-five cells were used in a five-year test to compare, after each successive one-year storage period, the discharge and charge characteristics of charged cells on open circuit versus that of cells on continuous trickle charge. The test procedure, instrumentation, and results are described. Based on the test results, the following recommendations were made: (1) If the user's purpose will allow a rejuvenation cycle or two after a long storage period, the open circuit regime will likely give slightly greater capacity. (2) If the user's purpose demands immediately available power following a long storage period, the trickle charge method of storage is definitely the regime to use.

  15. Activity of Cu-activated carbon fiber catalyst in wet oxidation of ammonia solution.

    PubMed

    Hung, Chang-Mao

    2009-07-30

    Aqueous solutions of 200-1000 mg/L of ammonia were oxidized in a trickle-bed reactor using Cu-activated carbon fiber (ACF) catalysts, which were prepared by incipient wet impregnation with aqueous solutions of copper nitrate that was deposited on ACF substrates. The results reveal that the conversion of ammonia by wet oxidation in the presence of Cu-ACF catalysts was a function of the metal loading weight ratio of the catalyst. The total conversion efficiency of ammonia was 95% during wet oxidation over the catalyst at 463 K at an oxygen partial pressure of 3.0 MPa. Moreover, the effect of the initial concentration of ammonia and the reaction temperature on the removal of ammonia from the effluent streams was also studied at a liquid space velocity of less than 3.0 h(-1).

  16. Conversion and Estrogenicity of 17β-estradiol During Photolytic/Photocatalytic Oxidation and Catalytic Wet-air Oxidation.

    PubMed

    Bistan, Mirjana; Tišler, Tatjana; Pintar, Albin

    2012-06-01

    Estrogen 17β-estradiol (E2), produced by human body and excreted into municipal wastewaters, belongs to the group of endocrine disrupting compounds that are resistant to biological degradation. The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of E2 removal from aqueous solutions by means of catalytic wet-air oxidation (CWAO) and photolytic/photocatalytic oxidation. CWAO experiments were conducted in a trickle-bed reactor at temperatures up to 230 °C and oxygen partial pressure of 10 bar over TiO2 and Ru/TiO2 solids. Photolytic/photocatalytic oxidation was carried out in a batch slurry reactor employing a TiO2 P-25 (Degussa) catalyst under visible or UV light. HPLC analysis and yeast estrogen screen assay were used to evaluate the removal of E2 and estrogenicity of treated samples. The latter was completely removed during photolytic/photocatalytic oxidation under UV (365 nm) light and photocatalytic oxidation under visible light. In CWAO experiments, complete removal of both E2 and estrogenicity from the feed solution were noticed in the presence of TiO2 and Ru/TiO2 catalysts.

  17. Drug discovery in jeopardy

    PubMed Central

    Cuatrecasas, Pedro

    2006-01-01

    Despite striking advances in the biomedical sciences, the flow of new drugs has slowed to a trickle, impairing therapeutic advances as well as the commercial success of drug companies. Reduced productivity in the drug industry is caused mainly by corporate policies that discourage innovation. This is compounded by various consequences of mega-mergers, the obsession for blockbuster drugs, the shift of control of research from scientists to marketers, the need for fast sales growth, and the discontinuation of development compounds for nontechnical reasons. Lessons from the past indicate that these problems can be overcome, and herein, new and improved directions for drug discovery are suggested. PMID:17080187

  18. Trickling Down: Are Rural and Rural Poor Family Incomes Responsive to Regional Economic Growth? Institute for Research on Poverty, Discussion Papers No. 210-74.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weber, Bruce A.

    The past decade has seen a number of studies of how the poverty incidence (the percentage of families below the poverty line) of certain demographic groups changes in response to economic growth. The question of whether regional economic growth trickles down to rural and rural poor families was examined by statistically estimating the relationship…

  19. Use of shredded tire chips and tire crumbs as packing media in trickling filter systems for landfill leachate treatment.

    PubMed

    Mondal, B; Warith, M A

    2008-08-01

    Scrap tire stockpiles are breeding grounds for pests, mosquitoes and west Nile viruses and, thereby, become a potential health risk. This experimental study was carried out in six stages to determine the suitability of shredded tire materials in a trickling filter system to treat landfill leachate. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH3-N removals were obtained in the range of 81 to 96%, 76 to 90% and 15 to 68%, respectively. The removal of organics appears to be largely related to total dissolved solids reduction in leachate. A sudden increase, from time to time, in organic content of effluent could be attributed to biomass sloughing and clogging in the trickling filters. However, tire crumbs exhibited more consistent organics removal throughout the experimental program. Due to the high surface area of shredded tire chips and crumbs, a layer of biomass, 1-2 mm thick, was attached to them and was sloughed off at an interval of 21 days. Apart from that, as shredded tires are comparatively cheaper than any other usable packing material, tire chips and tire crumbs appeared to be quite promising as packing media in trickling filters for landfill leachate treatment.

  20. Control of reactor coolant flow path during reactor decay heat removal

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, Anstein N.

    1988-01-01

    An improved reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system for a sodium cooled nuclear reactor is disclosed. The sodium cooled nuclear reactor is of the type having a reactor vessel liner separating the reactor hot pool on the upstream side of an intermediate heat exchanger and the reactor cold pool on the downstream side of the intermediate heat exchanger. The improvement includes a flow path across the reactor vessel liner flow gap which dissipates core heat across the reactor vessel and containment vessel responsive to a casualty including the loss of normal heat removal paths and associated shutdown of the main coolant liquid sodium pumps. In normal operation, the reactor vessel cold pool is inlet to the suction side of coolant liquid sodium pumps, these pumps being of the electromagnetic variety. The pumps discharge through the core into the reactor hot pool and then through an intermediate heat exchanger where the heat generated in the reactor core is discharged. Upon outlet from the heat exchanger, the sodium is returned to the reactor cold pool. The improvement includes placing a jet pump across the reactor vessel liner flow gap, pumping a small flow of liquid sodium from the lower pressure cold pool into the hot pool. The jet pump has a small high pressure driving stream diverted from the high pressure side of the reactor pumps. During normal operation, the jet pumps supplement the normal reactor pressure differential from the lower pressure cold pool to the hot pool. Upon the occurrence of a casualty involving loss of coolant pump pressure, and immediate cooling circuit is established by the back flow of sodium through the jet pumps from the reactor vessel hot pool to the reactor vessel cold pool. The cooling circuit includes flow into the reactor vessel liner flow gap immediate the reactor vessel wall and containment vessel where optimum and immediate discharge of residual reactor heat occurs.

  1. Nickel-hydrogen battery state of charge during low rate trickle charging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lurie, C.; Foroozan, S.; Brewer, J.; Jackson, L.

    1996-01-01

    The NASA AXAF-I program requires high battery state of charge at launch. Traditional approaches to providing high state of charge, during prelaunch operations, require significant battery cooling. The use of active cooling, in the AXAF-I prelaunch environment, was considered and proved to be difficult to implement and very expensive. Accordingly alternate approaches were considered. An approach utilizing adiabatic charging and low rate trickle charge, was investigated and proved successful.

  2. Does elite success trigger mass participation in table tennis? An analysis of trickle-down effects in Germany, France and Austria.

    PubMed

    Haut, Jan; Gaum, Christian

    2017-08-02

    There is a widespread belief that success at the elite level leads to increasing mass participation in sports. However, this assumption is merely supported by empirical evidence and is analyzed here for the case of table tennis. Therefore long-term data (1964-2014) on participation in Germany, France and Austria is statistically tested for effects of success by the countries' athletes at international competitions. Results indicate that no general trickle-down effect can be confirmed for table tennis in the countries observed. Rather, findings are ambivalent, as a strong positive effect was found for the Austrian case, but a paradox relation for the German case, where elite success has been accompanied by decreasing participation in the last decades. Accordingly, as an "automatic" trickle-down effect is unlikely, more specific analyses and strategies seem necessary to use elite success as a lever for the promotion of the sport.

  3. Resilience and reliability of compact vertical-flow treatment wetlands designed for tropical climates.

    PubMed

    Lombard-Latune, R; Pelus, L; Fina, N; L'Etang, F; Le Guennec, B; Molle, P

    2018-06-10

    Most of the tropical areas have sanitation problems to contend with. The French system of vertical-flow treatment wetlands (FS-VFTW) fed with raw wastewater could be a good water and sludge management solution. The purpose-adapted tropical design can reduce area requirement to below 1 m 2 /population equivalents (p.e.). The Taupinière FS-VFTW on Martinique Island was built according to this design, with one stage but with a saturated layer at the bottom of the filter and a simplified trickling filter (TF) added for further treatment to meet the high performances targeted. Unsaturated/saturated vertical-flow filters (US/S FS-VFTW) have shown improved performances on total nitrogen, carbon and suspended solids removal in temperate climates, but the performances in tropical conditions remain unknown. Here, we report on real-world-operation in the French Overseas Territories (FOT), the reliability and performances of this VFCW tropical-design. The system experienced loading conditions ranging from 30% to 165% of nominal carbonaceous biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ), as well as tropical rainstorms that brought over 7 times the nominal hydraulic load. Over a period of 3 years, 29 campaigns collected 24-h flow-proportional samples at each treatment stage (raw wastewater, FS-VFTW outlet, TF outlet). When applied loads were close to nominal values, the US/S FS-VFTW itself guarantees 85/90/60/50% removal and 125/25/40/50 mg/L at the outlet for chemical oxygen demand (COD)/total suspended solids (TSS)/total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN)/total nitrogen (TN), respectively. By comparison with US/S systems in mainland France, it appears that the warmer tropical-climate temperatures facilitate both nitrification and denitrification kinetics. Performances in overload conditions confirm that the US/S FS-VFTW remains robust and reliable although COD and TKN removal are impacted, especially after strong tropical rain events. By adding a simple compact trickling filter to a US/S FS-VFTW, the treatment system delivers high-level performances (>95% removal for BOD 5 , COD, TSS and TKN) at less than 1 m 2 /p.e. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Utilization of Stop-flow Micro-tubing Reactors for the Development of Organic Transformations.

    PubMed

    Toh, Ren Wei; Li, Jie Sheng; Wu, Jie

    2018-01-04

    A new reaction screening technology for organic synthesis was recently demonstrated by combining elements from both continuous micro-flow and conventional batch reactors, coined stop-flow micro-tubing (SFMT) reactors. In SFMT, chemical reactions that require high pressure can be screened in parallel through a safer and convenient way. Cross-contamination, which is a common problem in reaction screening for continuous flow reactors, is avoided in SFMT. Moreover, the commercially available light-permeable micro-tubing can be incorporated into SFMT, serving as an excellent choice for light-mediated reactions due to a more effective uniform light exposure, compared to batch reactors. Overall, the SFMT reactor system is similar to continuous flow reactors and more superior than batch reactors for reactions that incorporate gas reagents and/or require light-illumination, which enables a simple but highly efficient reaction screening system. Furthermore, any successfully developed reaction in the SFMT reactor system can be conveniently translated to continuous-flow synthesis for large scale production.

  5. Renewable Wood Pulp Paper Reactor with Hierarchical Micro/Nanopores for Continuous-Flow Nanocatalysis.

    PubMed

    Koga, Hirotaka; Namba, Naoko; Takahashi, Tsukasa; Nogi, Masaya; Nishina, Yuta

    2017-06-22

    Continuous-flow nanocatalysis based on metal nanoparticle catalyst-anchored flow reactors has recently provided an excellent platform for effective chemical manufacturing. However, there has been limited progress in porous structure design and recycling systems for metal nanoparticle-anchored flow reactors to create more efficient and sustainable catalytic processes. In this study, traditional paper is used for a highly efficient, recyclable, and even renewable flow reactor by tailoring the ultrastructures of wood pulp. The "paper reactor" offers hierarchically interconnected micro- and nanoscale pores, which can act as convective-flow and rapid-diffusion channels, respectively, for efficient access of reactants to metal nanoparticle catalysts. In continuous-flow, aqueous, room-temperature catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-anchored paper reactor with hierarchical micro/nanopores provided higher reaction efficiency than state-of-the-art AuNP-anchored flow reactors. Inspired by traditional paper materials, successful recycling and renewal of AuNP-anchored paper reactors were also demonstrated while high reaction efficiency was maintained. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  6. Detection of Legionella-contaminated aerosols in the vicinity of a bio-trickling filter of a breeding sow facility - A pilot study.

    PubMed

    Walser, Sandra M; Brenner, Bernhard; Wunderlich, Anika; Tuschak, Christian; Huber, Stefanie; Kolb, Stefanie; Niessner, Reinhard; Seidel, Michael; Höller, Christiane; Herr, Caroline E W

    2017-01-01

    The urbanization of agricultural areas results in a reduction of distances between residential buildings and livestock farms. In the public debate, livestock farming is increasingly criticized due to environmental disturbance and odor nuisance originating from such facilities. One method to reduce odor and ammonia is by exhaust air treatment, for example, by biological exhaust air purification processes with bio-trickling filters filled with tap water. Higher temperatures in the summer time and the generation of biofilms are ideal growth conditions for Legionella. However, there are no studies on the presence of Legionella in the water of bio-trickling filters and the release of Legionella-containing aerosols. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate Legionella in wash water and emitted bioaerosols of a bio-trickling filter system of a breeding sow facility. For this purpose, measurements were carried out using a cyclone sampler. In addition, samples of wash water were taken. Legionella were not found by culture methods. However, using molecular biological methods, Legionella spp. could be detected in wash water as well as in bioaerosol samples. With antibody-based methods, Legionella pneumophila were identified. Further studies are needed to investigate the environmental health relevance of Legionella-containing aerosols emitted by such exhaust air purification systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. An atmospheric pressure flow reactor: Gas phase kinetics and mechanism in tropospheric conditions without wall effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koontz, Steven L.; Davis, Dennis D.; Hansen, Merrill

    1988-01-01

    A new type of gas phase flow reactor, designed to permit the study of gas phase reactions near 1 atm of pressure, is described. A general solution to the flow/diffusion/reaction equations describing reactor performance under pseudo-first-order kinetic conditions is presented along with a discussion of critical reactor parameters and reactor limitations. The results of numerical simulations of the reactions of ozone with monomethylhydrazine and hydrazine are discussed, and performance data from a prototype flow reactor are presented.

  8. Cross-flow electrochemical reactor cells, cross-flow reactors, and use of cross-flow reactors for oxidation reactions

    DOEpatents

    Balachandran, Uthamalingam; Poeppel, Roger B.; Kleefisch, Mark S.; Kobylinski, Thaddeus P.; Udovich, Carl A.

    1994-01-01

    This invention discloses cross-flow electrochemical reactor cells containing oxygen permeable materials which have both electron conductivity and oxygen ion conductivity, cross-flow reactors, and electrochemical processes using cross-flow reactor cells having oxygen permeable monolithic cores to control and facilitate transport of oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas stream to oxidation reactions of organic compounds in another gas stream. These cross-flow electrochemical reactors comprise a hollow ceramic blade positioned across a gas stream flow or a stack of crossed hollow ceramic blades containing a channel or channels for flow of gas streams. Each channel has at least one channel wall disposed between a channel and a portion of an outer surface of the ceramic blade, or a common wall with adjacent blades in a stack comprising a gas-impervious mixed metal oxide material of a perovskite structure having electron conductivity and oxygen ion conductivity. The invention includes reactors comprising first and second zones seprated by gas-impervious mixed metal oxide material material having electron conductivity and oxygen ion conductivity. Prefered gas-impervious materials comprise at least one mixed metal oxide having a perovskite structure or perovskite-like structure. The invention includes, also, oxidation processes controlled by using these electrochemical reactors, and these reactions do not require an external source of electrical potential or any external electric circuit for oxidation to proceed.

  9. Computer study of emergency shutdowns of a 60-kilowatt reactor Brayton space power system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tew, R. C.; Jefferies, K. S.

    1974-01-01

    A digital computer study of emergency shutdowns of a 60-kWe reactor Brayton power system was conducted. Malfunctions considered were (1) loss of reactor coolant flow, (2) loss of Brayton system gas flow, (3)turbine overspeed, and (4) a reactivity insertion error. Loss of reactor coolant flow was the most serious malfunction for the reactor. Methods for moderating the reactor transients due to this malfunction are considered.

  10. Deep Reconditioning Testing for near Earth Orbits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Betz, F. E.; Barnes, W. L.

    1984-01-01

    The problems and benefits of deep reconditioning to near Earth orbit missions with high cycle life and shallow discharge depth requirements is discussed. A simple battery level approach to deep reconditioning of nickel cadmium batteries in near Earth orbit is considered. A test plan was developed to perform deep reconditioning in direct comparison with an alternative trickle charge approach. The results demonstrate that the deep reconditioning procedure described for near Earth orbit application is inferior to the alternative of trickle charging.

  11. Numerical Modeling of the Transient Chilldown Process of a Cryogenic Propellant Transfer Line

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartwig, Jason; Vera, Jerry

    2015-01-01

    Before cryogenic fuel depots can be fully realized, efficient methods with which to chill down the spacecraft transfer line and receiver tank are required. This paper presents numerical modeling of the chilldown of a liquid hydrogen tank-to-tank propellant transfer line using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP). To compare with data from recently concluded turbulent LH2 chill down experiments, seven different cases were run across a range of inlet liquid temperatures and mass flow rates. Both trickle and pulse chill down methods were simulated. The GFSSP model qualitatively matches external skin mounted temperature readings, but large differences are shown between measured and predicted internal stream temperatures. Discrepancies are attributed to the simplified model correlation used to compute two-phase flow boiling heat transfer. Flow visualization from testing shows that the initial bottoming out of skin mounted sensors corresponds to annular flow, but that considerable time is required for the stream sensor to achieve steady state as the system moves through annular, churn, and bubbly flow. The GFSSP model does adequately well in tracking trends in the data but further work is needed to refine the two-phase flow modeling to better match observed test data.

  12. Renewable Wood Pulp Paper Reactor with Hierarchical Micro/Nanopores for Continuous‐Flow Nanocatalysis

    PubMed Central

    Namba, Naoko; Takahashi, Tsukasa; Nogi, Masaya; Nishina, Yuta

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Continuous‐flow nanocatalysis based on metal nanoparticle catalyst‐anchored flow reactors has recently provided an excellent platform for effective chemical manufacturing. However, there has been limited progress in porous structure design and recycling systems for metal nanoparticle‐anchored flow reactors to create more efficient and sustainable catalytic processes. In this study, traditional paper is used for a highly efficient, recyclable, and even renewable flow reactor by tailoring the ultrastructures of wood pulp. The “paper reactor” offers hierarchically interconnected micro‐ and nanoscale pores, which can act as convective‐flow and rapid‐diffusion channels, respectively, for efficient access of reactants to metal nanoparticle catalysts. In continuous‐flow, aqueous, room‐temperature catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol, a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)‐anchored paper reactor with hierarchical micro/nanopores provided higher reaction efficiency than state‐of‐the‐art AuNP‐anchored flow reactors. Inspired by traditional paper materials, successful recycling and renewal of AuNP‐anchored paper reactors were also demonstrated while high reaction efficiency was maintained. PMID:28394501

  13. Microbial Community Profiles in Wastewaters from Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Technology

    PubMed Central

    Jałowiecki, Łukasz; Chojniak, Joanna Małgorzata; Dorgeloh, Elmar; Hegedusova, Berta; Ejhed, Helene; Magnér, Jörgen; Płaza, Grażyna Anna

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study was to determine the potential of community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) methodology as an assay for characterization of the metabolic diversity of wastewater samples and to link the metabolic diversity patterns to efficiency of select onsite biological wastewater facilities. Metabolic fingerprints obtained from the selected samples were used to understand functional diversity implied by the carbon substrate shifts. Three different biological facilities of onsite wastewater treatment were evaluated: fixed bed reactor (technology A), trickling filter/biofilter system (technology B), and aerated filter system (the fluidized bed reactor, technology C). High similarities of the microbial community functional structures were found among the samples from the three onsite wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as shown by the diversity indices. Principal components analysis (PCA) showed that the diversity and CLPPs of microbial communities depended on the working efficiency of the wastewater treatment technologies. This study provided an overall picture of microbial community functional structures of investigated samples in WWTPs and discerned the linkages between microbial communities and technologies of onsite WWTPs used. The results obtained confirmed that metabolic profiles could be used to monitor treatment processes as valuable biological indicators of onsite wastewater treatment technologies efficiency. This is the first step toward understanding relations of technology types with microbial community patterns in raw and treated wastewaters. PMID:26807728

  14. Pressurized water reactor flow skirt apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Kielb, John F.; Schwirian, Richard E.; Lee, Naugab E.; Forsyth, David R.

    2016-04-05

    A pressurized water reactor vessel having a flow skirt formed from a perforated cylinder structure supported in the lower reactor vessel head at the outlet of the downcomer annulus, that channels the coolant flow through flow holes in the wall of the cylinder structure. The flow skirt is supported at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations on the lower reactor vessel head that are not equally spaced or vertically aligned with the core barrel attachment points, and the flow skirt employs a unique arrangement of hole patterns that assure a substantially balanced pressure and flow of the coolant over the entire underside of the lower core support plate.

  15. Flow rate analysis of wastewater inside reactor tanks on tofu wastewater treatment plant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mamat; Sintawardani, N.; Astuti, J. T.; Nilawati, D.; Wulan, D. R.; Muchlis; Sriwuryandari, L.; Sembiring, T.; Jern, N. W.

    2017-03-01

    The research aimed to analyse the flow rate of the wastewater inside reactor tanks which were placed a number of bamboo cutting. The resistance of wastewater flow inside reactor tanks might not be occurred and produce biogas fuel optimally. Wastewater from eleven tofu factories was treated by multi-stages anaerobic process to reduce its organic pollutant and produce biogas. Biogas plant has six reactor tanks of which its capacity for waste water and gas dome was 18 m3 and 4.5 m3, respectively. Wastewater was pumped from collecting ponds to reactors by either serial or parallel way. Maximum pump capacity, head, and electrical motor power was 5m3/h, 50m, and 0.75HP, consecutively. Maximum pressure of biogas inside the reactor tanks was 55 mbar higher than atmosphere pressure. A number of 1,400 pieces of cutting bamboo at 50-60 mm diameter and 100 mm length were used as bacteria growth media inside each reactor tank, covering around 14,287 m2 bamboo area, and cross section area of inner reactor was 4,9 m2. In each reactor, a 6 inches PVC pipe was installed vertically as channel. When channels inside reactor were opened, flow rate of wastewater was 6x10-1 L.sec-1. Contrary, when channels were closed on the upper part, wastewater flow inside the first reactor affected and increased gas dome. Initially, wastewater flowed into each reactor by a gravity mode with head difference between the second and third reactor was 15x10-2m. However, head loss at the second reactor was equal to the third reactor by 8,422 x 10-4m. As result, wastewater flow at the second and third reactors were stagnant. To overcome the problem pump in each reactor should be installed in serial mode. In order to reach the output from the first reactor and the others would be equal, and biogas space was not filled by wastewater, therefore biogas production will be optimum.

  16. Biofiltration of paint solvent mixtures in two reactor types: overloading by hydrophobic components.

    PubMed

    Paca, Jan; Halecky, Martin; Misiaczek, Ondrej; Jones, Kim; Kozliak, Evguenii; Sobotka, Miroslav

    2010-12-01

    Steady-state performance characteristics of a trickle bed reactor (TBR) and a biofilter (BF) in loading experiments with increasing toluene/xylenes inlet concentrations while maintaining a constant loading rate of hydrophilic components (methyl ethyl and methyl isobutyl ketones, acetone, and n-butyl acetate) of 4 g m⁻³ h⁻¹ were evaluated and compared, along with the systems' dynamic responses. At the same combined substrate loading of 55 g m⁻³ h⁻¹ for both reactors, the TBR achieved more than 1.5 times higher overall removal efficiency (RE(W)) than the BF. Increasing the loading rate of aromatics resulted in a gradual decrease of their REs. The degradation rates of acetone and n-butyl acetate were also inhibited at higher loads of aromatics, thus revealing a competition in cell catabolism. A step-drop in loading of aromatics resulted in an immediate increase of RE(W) with variations in the TBR, while the new steady-state value in the BF took 6-7 h to achieve. The TBR consistently showed a greater performance than BF in removing toluene and xylenes. Increasing the loading rate of aromatics resulted in a gradual decrease of their REs. The degradation rates of acetone and n-butyl acetate were also lower at higher OL(AROM), revealing a competition in the cell catabolism. The results obtained are consistent with the proposed hypothesis of greater toxic effects under low water content, i.e., in the biofilter, caused by aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of polar ketones and esters, which may improve the hydrocarbon partitioning into the aqueous phase.

  17. Microbial removal of alkanes from dilute gaseous waste streams: kinetics and mass transfer considerations.

    PubMed

    Barton, J W; Klasson, K T; Koran, L J; Davison, B H

    1997-01-01

    Treatment of dilute gaseous hydrocarbon waste streams remains a current need for many industries, particularly as increasingly stringent environmental regulations and oversight force emission reduction. Biofiltration systems hold promise for providing low-cost alternatives to more traditional, energy-intensive treatment methods such as incineration and adsorption. Elucidation of engineering principles governing the behavior of such systems, including mass transfer limitations, will broaden their applicability. Our processes exploit a microbial consortium to treat a mixture of 0.5% n-pentane and 0.5% isobutane in air. Since hydrocarbon gases are sparingly soluble in water, good mixing and high surface area between the gas and liquid phases are essential for biodegradation to be effective. One liquid-continuous columnar bioreactor was operated for more than 30 months with continued degradation of n-pentane and isobutane as sole carbon and energy sources. The maximum degradation rate observed in this gas-recycle system was 2 g of volatile organic compounds (VOC)/(m3.h). A trickle-bed bioreactor was operated continuously for over 24 months to provide a higher surface area (using a structured packing) with increased rates. Degradation rates consistently achieved were approximately 50 g of VOC/(m3.h) via single pass in this gas-continuous columnar system. Effective mass transfer coefficients comparable to literature values were also measured for this reactor; these values were substantially higher than those found in the gas-recycle reactor. Control of biomass levels was implemented by limiting the level of available nitrogen in the recirculating aqueous media, enabling long-term stability of reactor performance.

  18. Turbulence coefficients and stability studies for the coaxial flow or dissimiliar fluids. [gaseous core nuclear reactors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weinstein, H.; Lavan, Z.

    1975-01-01

    Analytical investigations of fluid dynamics problems of relevance to the gaseous core nuclear reactor program are presented. The vortex type flow which appears in the nuclear light bulb concept is analyzed along with the fluid flow in the fuel inlet region for the coaxial flow gaseous core nuclear reactor concept. The development of numerical methods for the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for appropriate geometries is extended to the case of rotating flows and almost completes the gas core program requirements in this area. The investigations demonstrate that the conceptual design of the coaxial flow reactor needs further development.

  19. Assessing the degree of plug flow in oxidation flow reactors (OFRs): a study on a potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitroo, Dhruv; Sun, Yujian; Combest, Daniel P.; Kumar, Purushottam; Williams, Brent J.

    2018-03-01

    Oxidation flow reactors (OFRs) have been developed to achieve high degrees of oxidant exposures over relatively short space times (defined as the ratio of reactor volume to the volumetric flow rate). While, due to their increased use, attention has been paid to their ability to replicate realistic tropospheric reactions by modeling the chemistry inside the reactor, there is a desire to customize flow patterns. This work demonstrates the importance of decoupling tracer signal of the reactor from that of the tubing when experimentally obtaining these flow patterns. We modeled the residence time distributions (RTDs) inside the Washington University Potential Aerosol Mass (WU-PAM) reactor, an OFR, for a simple set of configurations by applying the tank-in-series (TIS) model, a one-parameter model, to a deconvolution algorithm. The value of the parameter, N, is close to unity for every case except one having the highest space time. Combined, the results suggest that volumetric flow rate affects mixing patterns more than use of our internals. We selected results from the simplest case, at 78 s space time with one inlet and one outlet, absent of baffles and spargers, and compared the experimental F curve to that of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The F curves, which represent the cumulative time spent in the reactor by flowing material, match reasonably well. We value that the use of a small aspect ratio reactor such as the WU-PAM reduces wall interactions; however sudden apertures introduce disturbances in the flow, and suggest applying the methodology of tracer testing described in this work to investigate RTDs in OFRs to observe the effect of modified inlets, outlets and use of internals prior to application (e.g., field deployment vs. laboratory study).

  20. Regional groundwater flow model for C, K. L. and P reactor areas, Savannah River Site, Aiken, SC

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

    Flach, G.P.

    2000-02-11

    A regional groundwater flow model encompassing approximately 100 mi2 surrounding the C, K, L, and P reactor areas has been developed. The reactor flow model is designed to meet the planning objectives outlined in the General Groundwater Strategy for Reactor Area Projects by providing a common framework for analyzing groundwater flow, contaminant migration and remedial alternatives within the Reactor Projects team of the Environmental Restoration Department. The model provides a quantitative understanding of groundwater flow on a regional scale within the near surface aquifers and deeper semi-confined to confined aquifers. The model incorporates historical and current field characterization data upmore » through Spring 1999. Model preprocessing is automated so that future updates and modifications can be performed quickly and efficiently. The CKLP regional reactor model can be used to guide characterization, perform scoping analyses of contaminant transport, and serve as a common base for subsequent finer-scale transport and remedial/feasibility models for each reactor area.« less

  1. Prevention of melanin formation during aryl alcohol oxidase production under growth-limited conditions using an Aspergillus nidulans cell factory.

    PubMed

    Pardo-Planas, Oscar; Prade, Rolf A; Müller, Michael; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Wilkins, Mark R

    2017-11-01

    An Aspergillus nidulans cell factory was genetically engineered to produce an aryl alcohol oxidase (AAO). The cell factory initiated production of melanin when growth-limited conditions were established using stationary plates and shaken flasks. This phenomenon was more pronounced when the strain was cultured in a trickle bed reactor (TBR). This study investigated different approaches to reduce melanin formation in fungal mycelia and liquid medium in order to increase the enzyme production yield. Removal of copper from the medium recipe reduced melanin formation in agar cultures and increased enzyme activities by 48% in agitated liquid cultures. Copper has been reported as a key element for tyrosinase, an enzyme responsible for melanin production. Ascorbic acid (0.44g/L) stopped melanin accumulation, did not affect growth parameters and resulted in AAO activity that was more than two-fold greater than a control treatment with no ascorbic acid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Catalytic wet air oxidation of aniline with nanocasted Mn-Ce-oxide catalyst.

    PubMed

    Levi, R; Milman, M; Landau, M V; Brenner, A; Herskowitz, M

    2008-07-15

    The catalytic wet air oxidation of aqueous solution containing 1000 ppm aniline was conducted in a trickle-bed reactor packed with a novel nanocasted Mn-Ce-oxide catalyst (surface area of 300 m2/g) prepared using SBA-15 silica as a hard template. A range of liquid hourly space velocities (5-20 h(-1)) and temperatures (110-140 degrees C) at 10 bar of oxygen were tested. The experiments were conducted to provide the intrinsic performance of the catalysts. Complete aniline conversion, 90% TOC conversion, and 80% nitrogen mineralization were achieved at 140 degrees C and 5 h(-1). Blank experiments yielded relatively low homogeneous aniline (<35%) and negligible TOC conversions. Fast deactivation of the catalysts was experienced due to leaching caused by complexation with aniline. Acidification of the solution with HCI (molar HCI to aniline ratio of 1.2) was necessary to avoid colloidization and leaching of the nanoparticulate catalyst components. The catalyst displayed stable performance for over 200 h on stream.

  3. Optimization of the microbial synthesis of dihydroxyacetone from glycerol with Gluconobacter oxydans.

    PubMed

    Hekmat, D; Bauer, R; Fricke, J

    2003-12-01

    An optimized repeated-fed-batch fermentation process for the synthesis of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) from glycerol utilizing Gluconobacter oxydans is presented. Cleaning, sterilization, and inoculation procedures could be reduced significantly compared to the conventional fed-batch process. A stringent requirement was that the product concentration was kept below a critical threshold level at all times in order to avoid irreversible product inhibition of the cells. On the basis of experimentally validated model calculations, a threshold value of about 60 kg x m(-3) DHA was obtained. The innovative bioreactor system consisted of a stirred tank reactor combined with a packed trickle-bed column. In the packed column, active cells could be retained by in situ immobilization on a hydrophilized Ralu-ring carrier material. Within 17 days, the productivity of the process could be increased by 75% to about 2.8 kg x m(-3) h(-1). However, it was observed that the maximum achievable productivity had not been reached yet.

  4. Retrofitting existing chemical scrubbers to biotrickling filters for H2S emission control

    PubMed Central

    Gabriel, David; Deshusses, Marc A.

    2003-01-01

    Biological treatment is a promising alternative to conventional air-pollution control methods, but thus far biotreatment processes for odor control have always required much larger reactor volumes than chemical scrubbers. We converted an existing full-scale chemical scrubber to a biological trickling filter and showed that effective treatment of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the converted scrubber was possible even at gas contact times as low as 1.6 s. That is 8–20 times shorter than previous biotrickling filtration reports and comparable to usual contact times in chemical scrubbers. Significant removal of reduced sulfur compounds, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds present in traces in the air was also observed. Continuous operation for >8 months showed stable performance and robust behavior for H2S treatment, with pollutant-removal performance comparable to that achieved by using a chemical scrubber. Our study demonstrates that biotrickling filters can replace chemical scrubbers and be a safer, more economical technique for odor control. PMID:12740445

  5. Retrofitting existing chemical scrubbers to biotrickling filters for H2S emission control.

    PubMed

    Gabriel, David; Deshusses, Marc A

    2003-05-27

    Biological treatment is a promising alternative to conventional air-pollution control methods, but thus far biotreatment processes for odor control have always required much larger reactor volumes than chemical scrubbers. We converted an existing full-scale chemical scrubber to a biological trickling filter and showed that effective treatment of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the converted scrubber was possible even at gas contact times as low as 1.6 s. That is 8-20 times shorter than previous biotrickling filtration reports and comparable to usual contact times in chemical scrubbers. Significant removal of reduced sulfur compounds, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds present in traces in the air was also observed. Continuous operation for >8 months showed stable performance and robust behavior for H2S treatment, with pollutant-removal performance comparable to that achieved by using a chemical scrubber. Our study demonstrates that biotrickling filters can replace chemical scrubbers and be a safer, more economical technique for odor control.

  6. The removal of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disruptors and illicit drugs during wastewater treatment and its impact on the quality of receiving waters.

    PubMed

    Kasprzyk-Hordern, Barbara; Dinsdale, Richard M; Guwy, Alan J

    2009-02-01

    A 5-month monitoring program was undertaken in South Wales in the UK to determine the fate of 55 pharmaceuticals, personal care products, endocrine disruptors and illicit drugs (PPCPs) in two contrasting wastewater plants utilising two different wastewater treatment technologies: activated sludge and trickling filter beds. The impact of treated wastewater effluent on the quality of receiving waters was also assessed. PPCPs were found to be present at high loads reaching 10kgday(-1) in the raw sewage. Concentrations of PPCPs in raw sewage were found to correlate with their usage/consumption patterns in Wales and their metabolism. The efficiency of the removal of PPCPs was found to be strongly dependent on the technology implemented in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In general, the WWTP utilising trickling filter beds resulted in, on average, less than 70% removal of all 55 PPCPs studied, while the WWTP utilising activated sludge treatment gave a much higher removal efficiency of over 85%. The monitoring programme revealed that treated wastewater effluents were the main contributors to PPCPs concentrations (up to 3kg of PPCPsday(-1)) in the rivers studied. Bearing in mind that in the cases examined here the WWTP effluents were also major contributors to rivers' flows (dilution factor for the studied rivers did not exceed 23 times) the effect of WWTP effluent on the quality of river water is significant and cannot be underestimated.

  7. The role of large woody debris in modulating the dispersal of a post-fire sediment pulse

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Short, Lauren E.; Gabet, Emmanuel J.; Hoffman, Daniel F.

    2015-10-01

    In 2001, a series of post-fire debris flows brought 30,000 m3 of sediment, deposited as fans, to the narrow valley floor of Sleeping Child Creek in western Montana (USA). In 2005, pebble-counts and surveys of the channel in proximity to six of the debris flow fans documented a regular sequence of fine-grained aggradation upstream of the fans, incision through the fans, and coarse-grained aggradation downstream of the fans. These measurements were repeated in 2012. We found that the delivery of large woody debris (LWD) over the intervening 7 years has been a dominant factor in the disposition of the debris-flow material. The amount of LWD in the study reach has increased by as much as 50% in the areas with a high burn severity, leading to the formation of large logjams that interrupt the flow of sediment along the streambed. Nearly all of the surveyed reaches have aggraded since 2005, including those that had initially begun incising through the debris flow deposits, and the streambed has become generally finer. We hypothesize that, over the next few decades, debris flow sediment not colonized and anchored by riparian vegetation will trickle out of the affected reaches as the logjams slowly degrade.

  8. Scram signal generator

    DOEpatents

    Johanson, Edward W.; Simms, Richard

    1981-01-01

    A scram signal generating circuit for nuclear reactor installations monitors a flow signal representing the flow rate of the liquid sodium coolant which is circulated through the reactor, and initiates reactor shutdown for a rapid variation in the flow signal, indicative of fuel motion. The scram signal generating circuit includes a long-term drift compensation circuit which processes the flow signal and generates an output signal representing the flow rate of the coolant. The output signal remains substantially unchanged for small variations in the flow signal, attributable to long term drift in the flow rate, but a rapid change in the flow signal, indicative of a fast flow variation, causes a corresponding change in the output signal. A comparator circuit compares the output signal with a reference signal, representing a given percentage of the steady state flow rate of the coolant, and generates a scram signal to initiate reactor shutdown when the output signal equals the reference signal.

  9. Scram signal generator

    DOEpatents

    Johanson, E.W.; Simms, R.

    A scram signal generating circuit for nuclear reactor installations monitors a flow signal representing the flow rate of the liquid sodium coolant which is circulated through the reactor, and initiates reactor shutdown for a rapid variation in the flow signal, indicative of fuel motion. The scram signal generating circuit includes a long-term drift compensation circuit which processes the flow signal and generates an output signal representing the flow rate of the coolant. The output signal remains substantially unchanged for small variations in the flow signal, attributable to long term drift in the flow rate, but a rapid change in the flow signal, indicative of a fast flow variation, causes a corresponding change in the output signal. A comparator circuit compares the output signal with a reference signal, representing a given percentage of the steady state flow rate of the coolant, and generates a scram signal to initiate reactor shutdown when the output signal equals the reference signal.

  10. Integral isolation valve systems for loss of coolant accident protection

    DOEpatents

    Kanuch, David J.; DiFilipo, Paul P.

    2018-03-20

    A nuclear reactor includes a nuclear reactor core comprising fissile material disposed in a reactor pressure vessel having vessel penetrations that exclusively carry flow into the nuclear reactor and at least one vessel penetration that carries flow out of the nuclear reactor. An integral isolation valve (IIV) system includes passive IIVs each comprising a check valve built into a forged flange and not including an actuator, and one or more active IIVs each comprising an active valve built into a forged flange and including an actuator. Each vessel penetration exclusively carrying flow into the nuclear reactor is protected by a passive IIV whose forged flange is directly connected to the vessel penetration. Each vessel penetration carrying flow out of the nuclear reactor is protected by an active IIV whose forged flange is directly connected to the vessel penetration. Each active valve may be a normally closed valve.

  11. Nuclear reactor cavity floor passive heat removal system

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

    Edwards, Tyler A.; Neeley, Gary W.; Inman, James B.

    A nuclear reactor includes a reactor core disposed in a reactor pressure vessel. A radiological containment contains the nuclear reactor and includes a concrete floor located underneath the nuclear reactor. An ex vessel corium retention system includes flow channels embedded in the concrete floor located underneath the nuclear reactor, an inlet in fluid communication with first ends of the flow channels, and an outlet in fluid communication with second ends of the flow channels. In some embodiments the inlet is in fluid communication with the interior of the radiological containment at a first elevation and the outlet is in fluidmore » communication with the interior of the radiological containment at a second elevation higher than the first elevation. The radiological containment may include a reactor cavity containing a lower portion of the pressure vessel, wherein the concrete floor located underneath the nuclear reactor is the reactor cavity floor.« less

  12. Comparison of secondary organic aerosol formed with an aerosol flow reactor and environmental reaction chambers: effect of oxidant concentration, exposure time and seed particles on chemical composition and yield

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lambe, A. T.; Chhabra, P. S.; Onasch, T. B.; Brune, W. H.; Hunter, J. F.; Kroll, J. H.; Cummings, M. J.; Brogan, J. F.; Parmar, Y.; Worsnop, D. R.; Kolb, C. E.; Davidovits, P.

    2014-12-01

    We performed a systematic intercomparison study of the chemistry and yields of SOA generated from OH oxidation of a common set of gas-phase precursors in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) continuous flow reactor and several environmental chambers. In the flow reactor, SOA precursors were oxidized using OH concentrations ranging from 2.0×108 to 2.2×1010 molec cm-3 over exposure times of 100 s. In the environmental chambers, precursors were oxidized using OH concentrations ranging from 2×106 to 2×107 molec cm-3 over exposure times of several hours. The OH concentration in the chamber experiments is close to that found in the atmosphere, but the integrated OH exposure in the flow reactor can simulate atmospheric exposure times of multiple days compared to chamber exposure times of only a day or so. A linear correlation analysis of the mass spectra (m=0.91-0.92, r2=0.93-0.94) and carbon oxidation state (m=1.1, r2=0.58) of SOA produced in the flow reactor and environmental chambers for OH exposures of approximately 1011 molec cm-3 s suggests that the composition of SOA produced in the flow reactor and chambers is the same within experimental accuracy as measured with an aerosol mass spectrometer. This similarity in turn suggests that both in the flow reactor and in chambers, SOA chemical composition at low OH exposure is governed primarily by gas-phase OH oxidation of the precursors, rather than heterogeneous oxidation of the condensed particles. In general, SOA yields measured in the flow reactor are lower than measured in chambers for the range of equivalent OH exposures that can be measured in both the flow reactor and chambers. The influence of sulfate seed particles on isoprene SOA yield measurements was examined in the flow reactor. The studies show that seed particles increase the yield of SOA produced in flow reactors by a factor of 3 to 5 and may also account in part for higher SOA yields obtained in the chambers, where seed particles are routinely used.

  13. Radial blanket assembly orificing arrangement

    DOEpatents

    Patterson, J.F.

    1975-07-01

    A nuclear reactor core for a liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor is described in which means are provided for increasing the coolant flow through the reactor fuel assemblies as the reactor ages by varying the coolant flow rate with the changing coolant requirements during the core operating lifetime. (auth)

  14. 157. ARAIII Reactor building (ARA608) Main gas loop mechanical flow ...

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

    157. ARA-III Reactor building (ARA-608) Main gas loop mechanical flow sheet. This drawing was selected as a typical example of mechanical arrangements within reactor building. Aerojet-general 880-area/GCRE-0608-50-013-102634. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Army Reactors Experimental Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

  15. Effects of chemosignals from sad tears and postprandial plasma on appetite and food intake in humans.

    PubMed

    Oh, Tae Jung; Kim, Min Young; Park, Kyong Soo; Cho, Young Min

    2012-01-01

    Chemosignals from human body fluids may modulate biological functions in humans. The objective of this study was to examine whether chemosignals from human sad tears and postprandial plasma modulate appetite. We obtained fasting and postprandial plasma from male participants and sad tears and saline, which was trickled below the eyelids, from female volunteers. These samples were then randomly distributed to male participants to sniff with a band-aid containing 100 µl of each fluid on four consecutive days in a double-blind fashion. We checked appetite by a visual analogue scale (VAS) and food intake by measuring the consumption of a test meal. In addition, the serum levels of total testosterone and LH were measured. Twenty men (mean age 26.3±4.6 years) were enrolled in this study. They could not discriminate between the smell of fasting and postprandial plasma and the smell of sad tears and trickled saline. Appetite and the amount of food intake were not different between the groups. Although the VAS ratings of appetite correlated with the food intake upon sniffing fasting plasma, postprandial plasma, and trickled saline, there was no such correlation upon sniffing sad tears. In addition, the decrease in serum testosterone levels from the baseline was greater with sad tears than with the trickled saline (-28.6±3.3% vs. -14.0±5.2%; P = 0.019). These data suggest that chemosignals from human sad tears and postprandial plasma do not appear to reduce appetite and food intake. However, further studies are necessary to examine whether sad tears may alter the appetite-eating behavior relation.

  16. Characterization of immune response to Eimeria tenella antigens in a natural immunity model with hosts which differ serologically at the B locus of the major histocompatibility complex.

    PubMed Central

    Brake, D A; Fedor, C H; Werner, B W; Miller, T J; Taylor, R L; Clare, R A

    1997-01-01

    A model to simulate natural immunity to Eimeria tenella was developed in three chicken lines which differ at the B locus of the major histocompatibility complex. Homozygous, 1-day-old chicks of the B19B19, B24B24, or B30B30 genotype were trickle immunized by being orally fed a small infectious dose of E. tenella oocysts for 5 consecutive days. These naturally exposed birds were then challenged at different times between 5 and 24 days after the final dose, and the level of protection was assessed 6 days after challenge, using body weight gain and intestinal lesion scores. The duration of immunity in naturally exposed birds differed among the major histocompatibility complex lines. Trickle immunization of the B19B19 haplotype afforded the longest and strongest level of protection compared to the other two haplotypes tested. In addition, in vitro splenic and peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferative responses in trickle-immunized birds were measured against sporozoite, merozoite, and tissue culture-derived E. tenella parasite antigens isolated from the recently described SB-CEV-1/F7 established cell line. The lymphocytes obtained from B19B19 birds trickle immunized responded in vitro to the E. tenella-infected SB-CEV-1/F7 tissue culture-derived parasite antigen. Furthermore, antigen-specific immune responses appeared earlier in immune, challenged B19B19 birds than in their naive, challenged counterparts. The development of a model simulating natural immunization will serve as a foundation to further characterize both humoral and cell-mediated responses to E. tenella tissue culture-derived parasite antigens and to better understand host protective immune responses to avian coccidiosis. PMID:9119452

  17. Flow tests of a single fuel element coolant channel for a compact fast reactor for space power

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Springborn, R. H.

    1971-01-01

    Water flow tests were conducted on a single-fuel-element cooling channel for a nuclear concept to be used for space power. The tests established a method for measuring coolant flow rate which is applicable to water flow testing of a complete mockup of the reference reactor. The inlet plenum-to-outlet plenum pressure drop, which approximates the overall core pressure drop, was measured and correlated with flow rate. This information can be used for reactor coolant flow and heat transfer calculations. An analytical study of the flow characteristics was also conducted.

  18. A highly efficient autothermal microchannel reactor for ammonia decomposition: Analysis of hydrogen production in transient and steady-state regimes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Engelbrecht, Nicolaas; Chiuta, Steven; Bessarabov, Dmitri G.

    2018-05-01

    The experimental evaluation of an autothermal microchannel reactor for H2 production from NH3 decomposition is described. The reactor design incorporates an autothermal approach, with added NH3 oxidation, for coupled heat supply to the endothermic decomposition reaction. An alternating catalytic plate arrangement is used to accomplish this thermal coupling in a cocurrent flow strategy. Detailed analysis of the transient operating regime associated with reactor start-up and steady-state results is presented. The effects of operating parameters on reactor performance are investigated, specifically, the NH3 decomposition flow rate, NH3 oxidation flow rate, and fuel-oxygen equivalence ratio. Overall, the reactor exhibits rapid response time during start-up; within 60 min, H2 production is approximately 95% of steady-state values. The recommended operating point for steady-state H2 production corresponds to an NH3 decomposition flow rate of 6 NL min-1, NH3 oxidation flow rate of 4 NL min-1, and fuel-oxygen equivalence ratio of 1.4. Under these flows, NH3 conversion of 99.8% and H2 equivalent fuel cell power output of 0.71 kWe is achieved. The reactor shows good heat utilization with a thermal efficiency of 75.9%. An efficient autothermal reactor design is therefore demonstrated, which may be upscaled to a multi-kW H2 production system for commercial implementation.

  19. Partial wetting gas-liquid segmented flow microreactor.

    PubMed

    Kazemi Oskooei, S Ali; Sinton, David

    2010-07-07

    A microfluidic reactor strategy for reducing plug-to-plug transport in gas-liquid segmented flow microfluidic reactors is presented. The segmented flow is generated in a wetting portion of the chip that transitions downstream to a partially wetting reaction channel that serves to disconnect the liquid plugs. The resulting residence time distributions show little dependence on channel length, and over 60% narrowing in residence time distribution as compared to an otherwise similar reactor. This partial wetting strategy mitigates a central limitation (plug-to-plug dispersion) while preserving the many attractive features of gas-liquid segmented flow reactors.

  20. Spinning fluids reactor

    DOEpatents

    Miller, Jan D; Hupka, Jan; Aranowski, Robert

    2012-11-20

    A spinning fluids reactor, includes a reactor body (24) having a circular cross-section and a fluid contactor screen (26) within the reactor body (24). The fluid contactor screen (26) having a plurality of apertures and a circular cross-section concentric with the reactor body (24) for a length thus forming an inner volume (28) bound by the fluid contactor screen (26) and an outer volume (30) bound by the reactor body (24) and the fluid contactor screen (26). A primary inlet (20) can be operatively connected to the reactor body (24) and can be configured to produce flow-through first spinning flow of a first fluid within the inner volume (28). A secondary inlet (22) can similarly be operatively connected to the reactor body (24) and can be configured to produce a second flow of a second fluid within the outer volume (30) which is optionally spinning.

  1. Development and performance of an alternative biofilter system.

    PubMed

    Lee, D H; Lau, A K; Pinder, K L

    2001-01-01

    Step tracer tests were carried out on lab-scale biofilters to determine the residence time distributions (RTDs) of gases passing through two types of biofilters: a standard biofilter with vertical gas flow and a modified biofilter with horizontal gas flow. Results were used to define the flow patterns in the reactors. "Non-ideal flow" indicates that the flow reactors did not behave like either type of ideal reactor: the perfectly stirred reactor [often called a "continuously stirred tank reactor" (CSTR)] or the plug-flow reactor. The horizontal biofilter with back-mixing was able to accommodate a shorter residence time without the usual requirement of greater biofilter surface area for increased biofiltration efficiency. Experimental results indicated that the first bed of the modified biofilter behaved like two CSTRs in series, while the second bed may be represented by two or three CSTRs in series. Because of the flow baffles used in the horizontal biofilter system, its performance was more similar to completely mixed systems, and hence, it could not be modeled as a plug-flow reactor. For the standard biofilter, the number of CSTRs was found to be between 2 and 9 depending on the airflow rate. In terms of NH3 removal efficiency and elimination capacity, the standard biofilter was not as good as the modified system; moreover, the second bed of the modified biofilter exhibited greater removal efficiency than the first bed. The elimination rate increased as biofilter load increased. An opposite trend was exhibited with respect to removal efficiency.

  2. Boiling water neutronic reactor incorporating a process inherent safety design

    DOEpatents

    Forsberg, C.W.

    1985-02-19

    A boiling-water reactor core is positioned within a prestressed concrete reactor vessel of a size which will hold a supply of coolant water sufficient to submerge and cool the reactor core by boiling for a period of at least one week after shutdown. Separate volumes of hot, clean (nonborated) water for cooling during normal operation and cool highly borated water for emergency cooling and reactor shutdown are separated by an insulated wall during normal reactor operation with contact between the two water volumes being maintained at interfaces near the top and bottom ends of the reactor vessel. Means are provided for balancing the pressure of the two water volumes at the lower interface zone during normal operation to prevent entry of the cool borated water into the reactor core region, for detecting the onset of excessive power to coolant flow conditions in the reactor core and for detecting low water levels of reactor coolant. Cool borated water is permitted to flow into the reactor core when low reactor coolant levels or excessive power to coolant flow conditions are encountered.

  3. Boiling water neutronic reactor incorporating a process inherent safety design

    DOEpatents

    Forsberg, Charles W.

    1987-01-01

    A boiling-water reactor core is positioned within a prestressed concrete reactor vessel of a size which will hold a supply of coolant water sufficient to submerge and cool the reactor core by boiling for a period of at least one week after shutdown. Separate volumes of hot, clean (non-borated) water for cooling during normal operation and cool highly borated water for emergency cooling and reactor shutdown are separated by an insulated wall during normal reactor operation with contact between the two water volumes being maintained at interfaces near the top and bottom ends of the reactor vessel. Means are provided for balancing the pressure of the two volumes at the lower interface zone during normal operation to prevent entry of the cool borated water into the reactor core region, for detecting the onset of excessive power to coolant flow conditions in the reactor core and for detecting low water levels of reactor coolant. Cool borated water is permitted to flow into the reactor core when low reactor coolant levels or excessive power to coolant flow conditions are encountered.

  4. Axi-symmetrical flow reactor for .sup.196 Hg photochemical enrichment

    DOEpatents

    Grossman, Mark W.

    1991-01-01

    The present invention is directed to an improved photochemical reactor useful for the isotopic enrichment of a predetermined isotope of mercury, especially, .sup.196 Hg. Specifically, two axi-symmetrical flow reactors were constructed according to the teachings of the present invention. These reactors improve the mixing of the reactants during the photochemical enrichment process, affording higher yields of the desired .sup.196 Hg product. Measurements of the variation of yield (Y) and enrichment factor (E) along the flow axis of these reactors indicates very substantial improvement in process uniformity compared to previously used photochemical reactor systems. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the photoreactor system was built such that the reactor chamber was removable from the system without disturbing the location of either the photochemical lamp or the filter employed therewith.

  5. COMPARISON OF REAL-TIME MICROVASCULAR ABNORMALITIES IN PEDIATRIC AND ADULT SICKLE CELL ANEMIA PATIENTS

    PubMed Central

    Cheung, Anthony T.W.; Miller, Joshua W.; Craig, Sarah M.; To, Patricia L.; Lin, Xin; Samarron, Sandra L.; Chen, Peter C.Y.; Zwerdling, Theodore; Wun, Ted; Li, Chin-Shang; Green, Ralph

    2010-01-01

    The conjunctival microcirculation in 14 pediatric and 8 adult sickle cell anemia (SCA) patients was studied using computer-assisted intravital microscopy. The bulbar conjunctiva in SCA patients in both age groups exhibited a blanched/avascular appearance characterized by decreased vascularity. SCA patients from both age groups had many of the same abnormal morphometric {vessel diameter, vessel distribution, morphometry (shape), tortuosity, arteriole:venule (A:V) ratio, and hemosiderin deposits} and dynamic {vessel sludging/sludged flow, boxcar blood (trickled) flow and abnormal flow velocity} abnormalities. A severity index (SI) was computed to quantify the degree of vasculopathy for comparison between groups. The severity of vasculopathy differed significantly between the pediatric and adult patients (SI: 4.2 ± 1.8 vs 6.6 ± 2.4; p=0.028), indicative of a lesser degree of overall severity in the pediatric patients. Specific abnormalities that were less prominent in the pediatric patients included abnormal vessel morphometry and tortuosity. Sludged flow, abnormal vessel distribution, abnormal A:V ratio, and boxcar flow, appeared in high prevalence in both age groups. The results indicate that SCA microvascular abnormalities develop in childhood and the severity of vasculopathy likely progresses with age. Intervention and effective treatment/management modalities should target pediatric patients to ameliorate, slow down or prevent progressive microvascular deterioration. PMID:20872552

  6. Catalytic and non-catalytic wet air oxidation of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate: kinetics and biodegradability enhancement.

    PubMed

    Suárez-Ojeda, María Eugenia; Kim, Jungkwon; Carrera, Julián; Metcalfe, Ian S; Font, Josep

    2007-06-18

    Wet air oxidation (WAO) and catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) were investigated as suitable precursors for the biological treatment of industrial wastewater containing sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (DBS). Two hours WAO semi-batch experiments were conducted at 15 bar of oxygen partial pressure (P(O2)) and at 180, 200 and 220 degrees C. It was found that the highest temperature provides appreciable total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) abatement of about 42 and 47%, correspondingly. Based on the main identified intermediates (acetic acid and sulfobenzoic acid) a reaction pathway for DBS and a kinetic model in WAO were proposed. In the case of CWAO experiments, seventy-two hours tests were done in a fixed bed reactor in continuous trickle flow regime, using a commercial activated carbon (AC) as catalyst. The temperature and P(O2) were 140-160 degrees C and 2-9 bar, respectively. The influence of the operating conditions on the DBS oxidation, the occurrence of oxidative coupling reactions over the AC, and the catalytic activity (in terms of substrate removal) were established. The results show that the AC without any supported active metal behaves bi-functional as adsorbent and catalyst, giving TOC conversions up to 52% at 160 degrees C and 2 bar of P(O2), which were comparable to those obtained in WAO experiments. Respirometric tests were completed before and after CWAO and to the main intermediates identified through the WAO and CWAO oxidation route. Then, the readily biodegradable COD (COD(RB)) of the CWAO and WAO effluents were found. Taking into account these results it was possible to compare whether or not the CWAO or WAO effluents were suitable for a conventional activated sludge plant inoculated with non adapted culture.

  7. Comparative performance of fixed-film biological filters: Application of reactor theory

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Watten, B.J.; Sibrell, P.L.

    2006-01-01

    Nitrification is classified as a two-step consecutive reaction where R1 represents the rate of formation of the intermediate product NO2-N and R2 represents the rate of formation of the final product NO3-N. The relative rates of R1 and R2 are influenced by reactor type characterized hydraulically as plug-flow, plug-flow with dispersion and mixed-flow. We develop substrate conversion models for fixed-film biofilters operating in the first-order kinetic regime based on application of chemical reactor theory. Reactor type, inlet conditions and the biofilm kinetic constants Ki (h-1) are used to predict changes in NH4-N, NO2-N, NO3-N and BOD5. The inhibiting effects of the latter on R1 and R2 were established based on the ?? relation, e.g.:{A formula is presented}where BOD5,max is the concentration that causes nitrification to cease and N is a variable relating Ki to increasing BOD5. Conversion models were incorporated in spreadsheet programs that provided steady-state concentrations of nitrogen and BOD5 at several points in a recirculating aquaculture system operating with input values for fish feed rate, reactor volume, microscreen performance, make-up and recirculating flow rates. When rate constants are standardized, spreadsheet use demonstrates plug-flow reactors provide higher rates of R1 and R2 than mixed-flow reactors thereby reducing volume requirements for target concentrations of NH4-N and NO2-N. The benefit provided by the plug-flow reactor varies with hydraulic residence time t as well as the effective vessel dispersion number, D/??L. Both reactor types are capable of providing net increases in NO2-N during treatment but the rate of decrease in the mixed-flow case falls well behind that predicted for plug-flow operation. We show the potential for a positive net change in NO2-N increases with decreases in the dimensionless ratios K2, (R2 )/K1,( R1 ) and [NO2-N]/[NH4-N] and when the product K1, (R1) t provides low to moderate NH4-N conversions. Maintaining high levels of the latter reduces the effective reactor utilization rate (%) defined here as (RNavg/RNmax)100 where RNavg is the mean reactive nitrogen concentration ([NH4-N] + [NO2-N]) within the reactor, and RNmax represents the feed concentration of the same. Low utilization rates provide a hedge against unexpected increases in substrate loading and reduce water pumping requirements but force use of elevated reactor volumes. Further ?? effects on R1 and R2 can be reduced through use of a tanks-in-series versus a single mixed-flow reactor configuration and by improving the solids removal efficiency of microscreen treatment.

  8. Characteristics of storage related capacity loss in Ni/H2 cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vaidyanathan, Hari

    1993-01-01

    The changes in the capacity, voltage and pressure profile of flight configuration Ni/H2 cells when they are stored for extended periods is examined. The Ni/H2 cells exhibit capacity fade phenomenon regardless of their design when they are stored at room temperature. Capacity loss also occurs if old cells (5 years old) are stored in a very low rate trickle charge (C/200 rate) condition. A periodic recharge technique leads to pressure rise in the cells. Conventional trickle charge (C/100 rate) helps in minimizing or eliminating the second plateau which is one of the characteristics of the capacity fade phenomenon.

  9. Flow reversal power limit for the HFBR

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

    Cheng, L.Y.; Tichler, P.R.

    The High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) is a pressurized heavy water moderated and cooled research reactor that began operation at 40 MW. The reactor was subsequently upgraded to 60 MW and operated at that level for several years. The reactor undergoes a buoyancy-driven reversal of flow in the reactor core following certain postulated accidents. Questions which were raised about the afterheat removal capability during the flow reversal transition led to a reactor shutdown and subsequent resumption of operation at a reduced power of 30 MW. An experimental and analytical program to address these questions is described in this report. Themore » experiments were single channel flow reversal tests under a range of conditions. The analytical phase involved simulations of the tests to benchmark the physical models and development of a criterion for dryout. The criterion is then used in simulations of reactor accidents to determine a safe operating power level. It is concluded that the limit on the HFBR operating power with respect to the issue of flow reversal is in excess of 60 MW. Direct use of the experimental results and an understanding of the governing phenomenology supports this conclusion.« less

  10. Dumbo: A pachydermal rocket motor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kirk, Bill

    1991-01-01

    A brief historical account is given of the Dumbo nuclear reactor, a type of folded flow reactor that could be used for rocket propulsion. Much of the information is given in viewgraph form. Viewgraphs show details of the reactor system, fuel geometry, and key characteristics of the system (folded flow, use of fuel washers, large flow area, small fuel volume, hybrid modulator, and cermet fuel).

  11. Effect of oxidant concentration, exposure time, and seed particles on secondary organic aerosol chemical composition and yield

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lambe, A. T.; Chhabra, P. S.; Onasch, T. B.; Brune, W. H.; Hunter, J. F.; Kroll, J. H.; Cummings, M. J.; Brogan, J. F.; Parmar, Y.; Worsnop, D. R.; Kolb, C. E.; Davidovits, P.

    2015-03-01

    We performed a systematic intercomparison study of the chemistry and yields of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) generated from OH oxidation of a common set of gas-phase precursors in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) continuous flow reactor and several environmental chambers. In the flow reactor, SOA precursors were oxidized using OH concentrations ranging from 2.0 × 108 to 2.2 × 1010 molec cm-3 over exposure times of 100 s. In the environmental chambers, precursors were oxidized using OH concentrations ranging from 2 × 106 to 2 × 107 molec cm-3 over exposure times of several hours. The OH concentration in the chamber experiments is close to that found in the atmosphere, but the integrated OH exposure in the flow reactor can simulate atmospheric exposure times of multiple days compared to chamber exposure times of only a day or so. In most cases, for a specific SOA type the most-oxidized chamber SOA and the least-oxidized flow reactor SOA have similar mass spectra, oxygen-to-carbon and hydrogen-to-carbon ratios, and carbon oxidation states at integrated OH exposures between approximately 1 × 1011 and 2 × 1011 molec cm-3 s, or about 1-2 days of equivalent atmospheric oxidation. This observation suggests that in the range of available OH exposure overlap for the flow reactor and chambers, SOA elemental composition as measured by an aerosol mass spectrometer is similar whether the precursor is exposed to low OH concentrations over long exposure times or high OH concentrations over short exposure times. This similarity in turn suggests that both in the flow reactor and in chambers, SOA chemical composition at low OH exposure is governed primarily by gas-phase OH oxidation of the precursors rather than heterogeneous oxidation of the condensed particles. In general, SOA yields measured in the flow reactor are lower than measured in chambers for the range of equivalent OH exposures that can be measured in both the flow reactor and chambers. The influence of sulfate seed particles on isoprene SOA yield measurements was examined in the flow reactor. The studies show that seed particles increase the yield of SOA produced in flow reactors by a factor of 3 to 5 and may also account in part for higher SOA yields obtained in the chambers, where seed particles are routinely used.

  12. Jet pump-drive system for heat removal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    French, James R. (Inventor)

    1987-01-01

    The invention does away with the necessity of moving parts such as a check valve in a nuclear reactor cooling system. Instead, a jet pump, in combination with a TEMP, is employed to assure safe cooling of a nuclear reactor after shutdown. A main flow exists for a reactor coolant. A point of withdrawal is provided for a secondary flow. A TEMP, responsive to the heat from said coolant in the secondary flow path, automatically pumps said withdrawn coolant to a higher pressure and thus higher velocity compared to the main flow. The high velocity coolant is applied as a driver flow for the jet pump which has a main flow chamber located in the main flow circulation pump. Upon nuclear shutdown and loss of power for the main reactor pumping system, the TEMP/jet pump combination continues to boost the coolant flow in the direction it is already circulating. During the decay time for the nuclear reactor, the jet pump keeps running until the coolant temperature drops to a lower and safe temperature where the heat is no longer a problem. At this lower temperature, the TEMP/jet pump combination ceases its circulation boosting operation. When the nuclear reactor is restarted and the coolant again exceeds the lower temperature setting, the TEMP/jet pump automatically resumes operation. The TEMP/jet pump combination is thus automatic, self-regulating and provides an emergency pumping system free of moving parts.

  13. Low exchange element for nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Brogli, Rudolf H.; Shamasunder, Bangalore I.; Seth, Shivaji S.

    1985-01-01

    A flow exchange element is presented which lowers temperature gradients in fuel elements and reduces maximum local temperature within high temperature gas-cooled reactors. The flow exchange element is inserted within a column of fuel elements where it serves to redirect coolant flow. Coolant which has been flowing in a hotter region of the column is redirected to a cooler region, and coolant which has been flowing in the cooler region of the column is redirected to the hotter region. The safety, efficiency, and longevity of the high temperature gas-cooled reactor is thereby enhanced.

  14. Passive air cooling of liquid metal-cooled reactor with double vessel leak accommodation capability

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, A.; Boardman, C.E.

    1995-04-11

    A passive and inherent shutdown heat removal method with a backup air flow path which allows decay heat removal following a postulated double vessel leak event in a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor is disclosed. The improved reactor design incorporates the following features: (1) isolation capability of the reactor cavity environment in the event that simultaneous leaks develop in both the reactor and containment vessels; (2) a reactor silo liner tank which insulates the concrete silo from the leaked sodium, thereby preserving the silo`s structural integrity; and (3) a second, independent air cooling flow path via tubes submerged in the leaked sodium which will maintain shutdown heat removal after the normal flow path has been isolated. 5 figures.

  15. Passive air cooling of liquid metal-cooled reactor with double vessel leak accommodation capability

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, Anstein; Boardman, Charles E.

    1995-01-01

    A passive and inherent shutdown heat removal method with a backup air flow path which allows decay heat removal following a postulated double vessel leak event in a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor. The improved reactor design incorporates the following features: (1) isolation capability of the reactor cavity environment in the event that simultaneous leaks develop in both the reactor and containment vessels; (2) a reactor silo liner tank which insulates the concrete silo from the leaked sodium, thereby preserving the silo's structural integrity; and (3) a second, independent air cooling flow path via tubes submerged in the leaked sodium which will maintain shutdown heat removal after the normal flow path has been isolated.

  16. CFD Simulation of flow pattern in a bubble column reactor for forming aerobic granules and its development.

    PubMed

    Fan, Wenwen; Yuan, LinJiang; Li, Yonglin

    2018-06-22

    The flow pattern is considered to play an important role in the formation of aerobic granular sludge in a bubble column reactor; therefore, it is necessary to understand the behavior of the flow in the reactor. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation for bubble column reactor was established to visualize the flow patterns of two-phase air-liquid flow and three-phase air-liquid-sludge flow under different ratios of height to diameter (H/D ratio) and superficial gas upflow velocities (SGVs). Moreover, a simulation of the three-phase flow pattern at the same SGV and different characteristics of the sludge was performed in this study. The results show that not only SGV but also properties of sludge involve the transformation of flow behaviors and relative velocity between liquid and sludge. For the original activated sludge floc to cultivate aerobic granules, the flow pattern has nothing to do with sludge, but is influenced by SGV, and the vortices is occurred and the relative velocity is increased with an increase in SGV; the two-phase flow can simplify the three-phase flow that predicts the flow pattern development in bubble column reactor (BCR) for aerobic granulation. For the aerobic granules, the liquid flow behavior developed from the symmetrical circular flow to numbers and small-size vortices with an increase in the sludge diameter, the relative velocity is amount up to u r  = 5.0, it is 29.4 times of original floc sludge.

  17. Memory Metals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1995-01-01

    Under contract to NASA during preparations for the space station, Memry Technologies Inc. investigated shape memory effect (SME). SME is a characteristic of certain metal alloys that can change shape in response to temperature variations. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Memry used its NASA-acquired expertise to produce a line of home and industrial safety products, and refined the technology in the mid-1990s. Among the new products they developed are three MemrySafe units which prevent scalding from faucets. Each system contains a small valve that reacts to temperature, not pressure. When the water reaches dangerous temperatures, the unit reduces the flow to a trickle; when the scalding temperature subsides, the unit restores normal flow. Other products are the FIRECHEK 2 and 4, heat-activated shutoff valves for industrial process lines, which sense excessive heat and cut off pneumatic pressure. The newest of these products is Memry's Demand Management Water Heater which shifts the electricity requirement from peak to off-peak demands, conserving energy and money.

  18. Lava Flow on Mawson Peak, Heard Island

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    In October 2012, satellites measured subtle signals that suggested volcanic activity on remote Heard Island. These images, captured several months later, show proof of an eruption on Mawson Peak. By April 7, 2013, Mawson's steep-walled summit crater had filled, and a trickle of lava had spilled down the volcano’s southwestern flank. On April 20, the lava flow remained visible and had even widened slightly just below the summit. These natural-color images were collected by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite. Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory Read more: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=81024 NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  19. Axi-symmetrical flow reactor for [sup 196]Hg photochemical enrichment

    DOEpatents

    Grossman, M.W.

    1991-04-30

    The present invention is directed to an improved photochemical reactor useful for the isotopic enrichment of a predetermined isotope of mercury, especially, [sup 196]Hg. Specifically, two axi-symmetrical flow reactors were constructed according to the teachings of the present invention. These reactors improve the mixing of the reactants during the photochemical enrichment process, affording higher yields of the desired [sup 196]Hg product. Measurements of the variation of yield (Y) and enrichment factor (E) along the flow axis of these reactors indicates very substantial improvement in process uniformity compared to previously used photochemical reactor systems. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the photoreactor system was built such that the reactor chamber was removable from the system without disturbing the location of either the photochemical lamp or the filter employed therewith. 10 figures.

  20. The assembly and use of continuous flow systems for chemical synthesis.

    PubMed

    Britton, Joshua; Jamison, Timothy F

    2017-11-01

    The adoption of and opportunities in continuous flow synthesis ('flow chemistry') have increased significantly over the past several years. Continuous flow systems provide improved reaction safety and accelerated reaction kinetics, and have synthesised several active pharmaceutical ingredients in automated reconfigurable systems. Although continuous flow platforms are commercially available, systems constructed 'in-lab' provide researchers with a flexible, versatile, and cost-effective alternative. Herein, we describe the assembly and use of a modular continuous flow apparatus from readily available and affordable parts in as little as 30 min. Once assembled, the synthesis of a sulfonamide by reacting 4-chlorobenzenesulfonyl chloride with dibenzylamine in a single reactor coil with an in-line quench is presented. This example reaction offers the opportunity to learn several important skills including reactor construction, charging of a back-pressure regulator, assembly of stainless-steel syringes, assembly of a continuous flow system with multiple junctions, and yield determination. From our extensive experience of single-step and multistep continuous flow synthesis, we also describe solutions to commonly encountered technical problems such as precipitation of solids ('clogging') and reactor failure. Following this protocol, a nonspecialist can assemble a continuous flow system from reactor coils, syringes, pumps, in-line liquid-liquid separators, drying columns, back-pressure regulators, static mixers, and packed-bed reactors.

  1. Method and apparatus for enhancing reactor air-cooling system performance

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, Anstein

    1996-01-01

    An enhanced decay heat removal system for removing heat from the inert gas-filled gap space between the reactor vessel and the containment vessel of a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor. Multiple cooling ducts in flow communication with the inert gas-filled gap space are incorporated to provide multiple flow paths for the inert gas to circulate to heat exchangers which remove heat from the inert gas, thereby introducing natural convection flows in the inert gas. The inert gas in turn absorbs heat directly from the reactor vessel by natural convection heat transfer.

  2. Packed fluidized bed blanket for fusion reactor

    DOEpatents

    Chi, John W. H.

    1984-01-01

    A packed fluidized bed blanket for a fusion reactor providing for efficient radiation absorption for energy recovery, efficient neutron absorption for nuclear transformations, ease of blanket removal, processing and replacement, and on-line fueling/refueling. The blanket of the reactor contains a bed of stationary particles during reactor operation, cooled by a radial flow of coolant. During fueling/refueling, an axial flow is introduced into the bed in stages at various axial locations to fluidize the bed. When desired, the fluidization flow can be used to remove particles from the blanket.

  3. WATER PROCESS SYSTEM FLOW DIAGRAM FOR MTR, TRA603. SUMMARY OF ...

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

    WATER PROCESS SYSTEM FLOW DIAGRAM FOR MTR, TRA-603. SUMMARY OF COOLANT FLOW FROM WORKING RESERVOIR TO INTERIOR OF REACTOR'S THERMAL SHIELD. NAMES TANK SECTIONS. PIPE AND DRAIN-LINE SIZES. SHOWS DIRECTION OF AIR FLOW THROUGH PEBBLE AND GRAPHITE BLOCK ZONE. NEUTRON CURTAIN AND THERMAL COLUMN DOOR. BLAW-KNOX 3150-92-7, 3/1950. INL INDEX NO. 531-0603-51-098-100036, REV. 6. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Reactor Area, Materials & Engineering Test Reactors, Scoville, Butte County, ID

  4. Numerical Simulations of a 96-rod Polysilicon CVD Reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guoqiang, Tang; Cong, Chen; Yifang, Cai; Bing, Zong; Yanguo, Cai; Tihu, Wang

    2018-05-01

    With the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry, pressurized Siemens belljar-type polysilicon CVD reactors have been enlarged from 24 rods to 96 rods in less than 10 years aimed at much greater single-reactor productivity. A CFD model of an industry-scale 96-rod CVD reactor was established to study the internal temperature distribution and the flow field of the reactor. Numerical simulations were carried out and compared with actual growth results from a real CVD reactor. Factors affecting polysilicon depositions such as inlet gas injections, flow field, and temperature distribution in the CVD reactor are studied.

  5. Measurement and Analysis of Structural Integrity of Reactor Core Support Structure in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Plant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ansari, Saleem A.; Haroon, Muhammad; Rashid, Atif; Kazmi, Zafar

    2017-02-01

    Extensive calculation and measurements of flow-induced vibrations (FIV) of reactor internals were made in a PWR plant to assess the structural integrity of reactor core support structure against coolant flow. The work was done to meet the requirements of the Fukushima Response Action Plan (FRAP) for enhancement of reactor safety, and the regulatory guide RG-1.20. For the core surveillance measurements the Reactor Internals Vibration Monitoring System (IVMS) has been developed based on detailed neutron noise analysis of the flux signals from the four ex-core neutron detectors. The natural frequencies, displacement and mode shapes of the reactor core barrel (CB) motion were determined with the help of IVMS. The random pressure fluctuations in reactor coolant flow due to turbulence force have been identified as the predominant cause of beam-mode deflection of CB. The dynamic FIV calculations were also made to supplement the core surveillance measurements. The calculational package employed the computational fluid dynamics, mode shape analysis, calculation of power spectral densities of flow & pressure fields and the structural response to random flow excitation forces. The dynamic loads and stiffness of the Hold-Down Spring that keeps the core structure in position against upward coolant thrust were also determined by noise measurements. Also, the boron concentration in primary coolant at any time of the core cycle has been determined with the IVMS.

  6. Flow reversal power limit for the HFBR

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

    Cheng, Lap Y.; Tichler, P.R.

    The High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) undergoes a buoyancy-driven reversal of flow in the reactor core following certain postulated accidents. Uncertainties about the afterheat removal capability during the flow reversal has limited the reactor operating power to 30 MW. An experimental and analytical program to address these uncertainties is described in this report. The experiments were single channel flow reversal tests under a range of conditions. The analytical phase involved simulations of the tests to benchmark the physical models and development of a criterion for dryout. The criterion is then used in simulations of reactor accidents to determine a safemore » operating power level. It is concluded that the limit on the HFBR operating power with respect to the issue of flow reversal is in excess of 60 MW.« less

  7. Nuclear engine flow reactivity shim control

    DOEpatents

    Walsh, J.M.

    1973-12-11

    A nuclear engine control system is provided which automatically compensates for reactor reactivity uncertainties at the start of life and reactivity losses due to core corrosion during the reactor life in gas-cooled reactors. The coolant gas flow is varied automatically by means of specially provided control apparatus so that the reactor control drums maintain a predetermined steady state position throughout the reactor life. This permits the reactor to be designed for a constant drum position and results in a desirable, relatively flat temperature profile across the core. (Official Gazette)

  8. Flow photochemistry: Old light through new windows

    PubMed Central

    Knowles, Jonathan P; Elliott, Luke D

    2012-01-01

    Summary Synthetic photochemistry carried out in classic batch reactors has, for over half a century, proved to be a powerful but under-utilised technique in general organic synthesis. Recent developments in flow photochemistry have the potential to allow this technique to be applied in a more mainstream setting. This review highlights the use of flow reactors in organic photochemistry, allowing a comparison of the various reactor types to be made. PMID:23209538

  9. CFD Investigation of the effects of bubble aerator layouts on hydrodynamics of an activated sludge channel reactor.

    PubMed

    Hreiz, Rainier; Potier, Olivier; Wicks, Jim; Commenge, Jean-Marc

    2018-03-08

    In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are employed to characterize the effects of bubble aerator layouts (i.e. spatial arrangement) on the hydrodynamics in activated sludge (AS) reactors. The first configuration considered is a channel reactor with aerators placed alongside one lateral wall, for which velocity measurements are available in literature. CFD results were in good agreement with experimental data, which proves that the model is sufficiently accurate and predictive. Accordingly, simulations and numerical residence time distribution tests were conducted for different aerator layouts to determine their effects on the reactor hydrodynamics. The results revealed that the flow characteristics are extremely sensitive to the aerators arrangement given the high gas flow rates used in AS processes. Among the layouts investigated, the one where diffusers are placed all over the reactor floor has led to the least dispersive flow, i.e. which characteristics best tend toward that of an ideal plug flow reactor. Indeed, this flow field presented the lowest average turbulent diffusion and the most uniform axial velocity and turbulence fields. Such a flow behaviour is expected to be highly beneficial for biological treatment since it reduces pollutant dilution by axial diffusion and limits raw wastewater channelling to the outlet.

  10. Nuclear reactor control column

    DOEpatents

    Bachovchin, Dennis M.

    1982-01-01

    The nuclear reactor control column comprises a column disposed within the nuclear reactor core having a variable cross-section hollow channel and containing balls whose vertical location is determined by the flow of the reactor coolant through the column. The control column is divided into three basic sections wherein each of the sections has a different cross-sectional area. The uppermost section of the control column has the greatest cross-sectional area, the intermediate section of the control column has the smallest cross-sectional area, and the lowermost section of the control column has the intermediate cross-sectional area. In this manner, the area of the uppermost section can be established such that when the reactor coolant is flowing under normal conditions therethrough, the absorber balls will be lifted and suspended in a fluidized bed manner in the upper section. However, when the reactor coolant flow falls below a predetermined value, the absorber balls will fall through the intermediate section and into the lowermost section, thereby reducing the reactivity of the reactor core and shutting down the reactor.

  11. Effect of oxidant concentration, exposure time, and seed particles on secondary organic aerosol chemical composition and yield

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

    Lambe, A. T.; Chhabra, P. S.; Onasch, T. B.

    We performed a systematic intercomparison study of the chemistry and yields of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) generated from OH oxidation of a common set of gas-phase precursors in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) continuous flow reactor and several environmental chambers. In the flow reactor, SOA precursors were oxidized using OH concentrations ranging from 2.0 × 10 8 to 2.2 × 10 10 molec cm -3 over exposure times of 100 s. In the environmental chambers, precursors were oxidized using OH concentrations ranging from 2 × 10 6 to 2 × 10 7 molec cm -3 over exposure times of severalmore » hours. The OH concentration in the chamber experiments is close to that found in the atmosphere, but the integrated OH exposure in the flow reactor can simulate atmospheric exposure times of multiple days compared to chamber exposure times of only a day or so. In most cases, for a specific SOA type the most-oxidized chamber SOA and the least-oxidized flow reactor SOA have similar mass spectra, oxygen-to-carbon and hydrogen-to-carbon ratios, and carbon oxidation states at integrated OH exposures between approximately 1 × 10 11 and 2 × 10 11 molec cm -3 s, or about 1–2 days of equivalent atmospheric oxidation. This observation suggests that in the range of available OH exposure overlap for the flow reactor and chambers, SOA elemental composition as measured by an aerosol mass spectrometer is similar whether the precursor is exposed to low OH concentrations over long exposure times or high OH concentrations over short exposure times. This similarity in turn suggests that both in the flow reactor and in chambers, SOA chemical composition at low OH exposure is governed primarily by gas-phase OH oxidation of the precursors rather than heterogeneous oxidation of the condensed particles. In general, SOA yields measured in the flow reactor are lower than measured in chambers for the range of equivalent OH exposures that can be measured in both the flow reactor and chambers. The influence of sulfate seed particles on isoprene SOA yield measurements was examined in the flow reactor. The studies show that seed particles increase the yield of SOA produced in flow reactors by a factor of 3 to 5 and may also account in part for higher SOA yields obtained in the chambers, where seed particles are routinely used.« less

  12. Effect of oxidant concentration, exposure time, and seed particles on secondary organic aerosol chemical composition and yield

    DOE PAGES

    Lambe, A. T.; Chhabra, P. S.; Onasch, T. B.; ...

    2015-03-18

    We performed a systematic intercomparison study of the chemistry and yields of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) generated from OH oxidation of a common set of gas-phase precursors in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) continuous flow reactor and several environmental chambers. In the flow reactor, SOA precursors were oxidized using OH concentrations ranging from 2.0 × 10 8 to 2.2 × 10 10 molec cm -3 over exposure times of 100 s. In the environmental chambers, precursors were oxidized using OH concentrations ranging from 2 × 10 6 to 2 × 10 7 molec cm -3 over exposure times of severalmore » hours. The OH concentration in the chamber experiments is close to that found in the atmosphere, but the integrated OH exposure in the flow reactor can simulate atmospheric exposure times of multiple days compared to chamber exposure times of only a day or so. In most cases, for a specific SOA type the most-oxidized chamber SOA and the least-oxidized flow reactor SOA have similar mass spectra, oxygen-to-carbon and hydrogen-to-carbon ratios, and carbon oxidation states at integrated OH exposures between approximately 1 × 10 11 and 2 × 10 11 molec cm -3 s, or about 1–2 days of equivalent atmospheric oxidation. This observation suggests that in the range of available OH exposure overlap for the flow reactor and chambers, SOA elemental composition as measured by an aerosol mass spectrometer is similar whether the precursor is exposed to low OH concentrations over long exposure times or high OH concentrations over short exposure times. This similarity in turn suggests that both in the flow reactor and in chambers, SOA chemical composition at low OH exposure is governed primarily by gas-phase OH oxidation of the precursors rather than heterogeneous oxidation of the condensed particles. In general, SOA yields measured in the flow reactor are lower than measured in chambers for the range of equivalent OH exposures that can be measured in both the flow reactor and chambers. The influence of sulfate seed particles on isoprene SOA yield measurements was examined in the flow reactor. The studies show that seed particles increase the yield of SOA produced in flow reactors by a factor of 3 to 5 and may also account in part for higher SOA yields obtained in the chambers, where seed particles are routinely used.« less

  13. Direct numerical simulation of reactor two-phase flows enabled by high-performance computing

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

    Fang, Jun; Cambareri, Joseph J.; Brown, Cameron S.

    Nuclear reactor two-phase flows remain a great engineering challenge, where the high-resolution two-phase flow database which can inform practical model development is still sparse due to the extreme reactor operation conditions and measurement difficulties. Owing to the rapid growth of computing power, the direct numerical simulation (DNS) is enjoying a renewed interest in investigating the related flow problems. A combination between DNS and an interface tracking method can provide a unique opportunity to study two-phase flows based on first principles calculations. More importantly, state-of-the-art high-performance computing (HPC) facilities are helping unlock this great potential. This paper reviews the recent researchmore » progress of two-phase flow DNS related to reactor applications. The progress in large-scale bubbly flow DNS has been focused not only on the sheer size of those simulations in terms of resolved Reynolds number, but also on the associated advanced modeling and analysis techniques. Specifically, the current areas of active research include modeling of sub-cooled boiling, bubble coalescence, as well as the advanced post-processing toolkit for bubbly flow simulations in reactor geometries. A novel bubble tracking method has been developed to track the evolution of bubbles in two-phase bubbly flow. Also, spectral analysis of DNS database in different geometries has been performed to investigate the modulation of the energy spectrum slope due to bubble-induced turbulence. In addition, the single-and two-phase analysis results are presented for turbulent flows within the pressurized water reactor (PWR) core geometries. The related simulations are possible to carry out only with the world leading HPC platforms. These simulations are allowing more complex turbulence model development and validation for use in 3D multiphase computational fluid dynamics (M-CFD) codes.« less

  14. Nuclear reactor reflector

    DOEpatents

    Hopkins, Ronald J.; Land, John T.; Misvel, Michael C.

    1994-01-01

    A nuclear reactor reflector is disclosed that comprises a stack of reflector blocks with vertical water flow passages to cool the reflector. The interface between blocks is opposite support points for reactor fuel rods. Water flows between the reflector and the reactor barrel from passages in a bottom block. The top block contains a flange to limit this flow and the flange has a slot to receive an alignment pin that is welded to the barrel. The pin is held in the slot by two removable shims. Alignment bars extend the length of the stack in slots machined in each block when the stack is assembled.

  15. Nuclear reactor reflector

    DOEpatents

    Hopkins, R.J.; Land, J.T.; Misvel, M.C.

    1994-06-07

    A nuclear reactor reflector is disclosed that comprises a stack of reflector blocks with vertical water flow passages to cool the reflector. The interface between blocks is opposite support points for reactor fuel rods. Water flows between the reflector and the reactor barrel from passages in a bottom block. The top block contains a flange to limit this flow and the flange has a slot to receive an alignment pin that is welded to the barrel. The pin is held in the slot by two removable shims. Alignment bars extend the length of the stack in slots machined in each block when the stack is assembled. 12 figs.

  16. Method and apparatus for enhancing reactor air-cooling system performance

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, A.

    1996-03-12

    An enhanced decay heat removal system is disclosed for removing heat from the inert gas-filled gap space between the reactor vessel and the containment vessel of a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor. Multiple cooling ducts in flow communication with the inert gas-filled gap space are incorporated to provide multiple flow paths for the inert gas to circulate to heat exchangers which remove heat from the inert gas, thereby introducing natural convection flows in the inert gas. The inert gas in turn absorbs heat directly from the reactor vessel by natural convection heat transfer. 6 figs.

  17. [Kinetic model and simulation of the adsorption-biofilm theory for the process of biopurifying VOC waste gases].

    PubMed

    Sun, Peishi; Huang, Bing; Huang, Ruohua; Yang, Ping

    2002-05-01

    For the process of biopurifying waste gas containing VOC in low concentration by using a biological trickling filter, the related kinetic model and simulation of the new Adsorption-Biofilm theory were investigated in this study. By using the lab test data and the industrial test data, the results of contrast and validation indicated that the model had a good applicability for describing the practical bio-purification process of VOC waste gas. In the simulation study for the affection of main factor, such as the concentration of toluene in inlet gas, the gas flow and the height of biofilm-packing, a good pertinence was showed between calculated data and test dada, the interrelation coefficients were in 0.80-0.97.

  18. Impact of VOC Composition and Reactor Conditions on the Aging of Biomass Cookstove Emission in an Oxidation Flow Reactor

    EPA Science Inventory

    Oxidation flow reactor (OFR) experiments in our lab have explored secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production during photochemical aging of emissions from cookstoves used by billions in developing countries. Previous experiments, conducted with red oak fuel under conditions of hig...

  19. Impact of VOC Composition and Reactor Conditions on the Aging of Biomass Cookstove Emissions in an Oxidation Flow Reactor

    EPA Science Inventory

    Oxidation flow reactor (OFR) experiments in our lab have explored secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production during photochemical aging of emissions from cookstoves used by billions in developing countries. Previous experiments, conducted with red oak fuel under conditions of hig...

  20. Phenol oxidation by a sequential CWPO-CWAO treatment with a Fe/AC catalyst.

    PubMed

    Quintanilla, A; Fraile, A F; Casas, J A; Rodríguez, J J

    2007-07-31

    Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of phenol with a homemade Fe/activated carbon (Fe/AC) catalyst has been studied in a stainless steel fixed-bed reactor at different operating conditions (T=23-100 degrees C, P(T)=1-8atm, W=0-2.5g, and tau=20-320g(CAT)h/g(Phenol)). The results show that, thanks to the incorporation of Fe on the activated carbon, phenol conversion improved dramatically, reaching a 90% at 65 degrees C, 2atm, and 40g(CAT)h/g(Phenol). However, TOC conversion values remain fairly low, (around 5% at 40g(CAT)h/g(Phenol)), and no improvement was obtained with the inclusion of Fe. The presence of Fe seems to promote the nondesirable coupling reactions that take place in CWPO of phenol due to the condensation of the ring intermediates (the primary phenol oxidation products). These condensation products are quite refractory to CWPO at the conditions employed. Taking advantage of the high phenol conversions in CWPO and the high phenol mineralization in CWAO, along with the good stability of the Fe/AC catalyst, a CWPO-CWAO sequential treatment has been successfully performed by using a fixed-bed and trickle-bed reactor in series. A CWPO treatment at ambient conditions followed by a CWAO treatment at mild conditions (100 degrees C and 8atm) is presented as high efficiency process for the decontamination of phenolic wastewaters.

  1. Fluidic self-actuating control assembly

    DOEpatents

    Grantz, Alan L.

    1979-01-01

    A fluidic self-actuating control assembly for use in a reactor wherein no external control inputs are required to actuate (scram) the system. The assembly is constructed to scram upon sensing either a sudden depressurization of reactor inlet flow or a sudden increase in core neutron flux. A fluidic control system senses abnormal flow or neutron flux transients and actuates the system, whereupon assembly coolant flow reverses, forcing absorber balls into the reactor core region.

  2. Shuttle APS propellant thermal conditioner study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fulton, D. L.

    1971-01-01

    The conditioner design concept selected for evaluation consists of an integral reactor and baffle-type heat exchanger. Heat exchange is accomplished by flowing reactor hot gases past a series of slotted and formed plates, through which the conditioned propellant flows. Heat transfer analysis has resulted in the selection of a reactor hot gas nominal mixture ratio of 1.0, giving a combustion temperature of 1560 F with a hydrogen inlet temperature of 275 R. Worst case conditions result in a combustion gas temperature of 2060 F, satisfying the condition of no damage to the conditioner in case of failure to flow cold fluid. In addition, evaluation of hot gas flow requirements and conditioner weight has resulted in the selection of a reactor hot gas exhaust temperature of 750 R.

  3. Impact of post-infiltration soil aeration at different growth stages of sub-surface trickle-irrigated tomato plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yuan; Jia, Zong-xia; Niu, Wen-Quan; Wang, Jing-wei

    2016-07-01

    Sensitivity to low rhizosphere soil aeration may change over time and therefore plant response may also depend on different growth stages of a crop. This study quantified effects of soil aeration during 5 different periods, on growth and yield of trickle-irrigated potted single tomato plants. Irrigation levels were 0.6 to 0.7 (low level) or 0.7 to 0.8 (high level) of total water holding capacity of the pots. Soil was aerated by injecting 2.5 l of air into each pot through the drip tubing immediately after irrigation. Fresh fruit yield, above ground plant dry weight, plant height, and leaf area index response to these treatments were measured. For all these 4 response variables, means of post-infiltration aeration between 58 to 85 days after sowing were 13.4, 43.5, 13.7, and 37.7% higher than those for the non-aerated pots, respectively. The results indicated that: post-infiltration soil aeration can positively impact the yield and growth of sub-surface trickle-irrigated potted tomato plants; positive effects on plant growth can be obtained with aeration during the whole growth period or with aeration for partial periods; positive growth effects of partial periods of aeration appears to persist and result in yield benefit.

  4. FLOW SYSTEM FOR REACTOR

    DOEpatents

    Zinn, W.H.

    1963-06-11

    A reactor is designed with means for terminating the reaction when returning coolant is below a predetermined temperature. Coolant flowing from the reactor passes through a heat exchanger to a lower reservoir, and then circulates between the lower reservoir and an upper reservoir before being returned to the reactor. Means responsive to the temperature of the coolant in the return conduit terminate the chain reaction when the temperature reaches a predetermined minimum value. (AEC)

  5. Evaluation of infrared thermography as a diagnostic tool in CVD applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, E. J.; Hyer, P. V.; Culotta, P. W.; Clark, I. O.

    1998-05-01

    This research is focused on the feasibility of using infrared temperature measurements on the exterior of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor to ascertain both real-time information on the operating characteristics of a CVD system and provide data which could be post-processed to provide quantitative information for research and development on CVD processes. Infrared thermography techniques were used to measure temperatures on a horizontal CVD reactor of rectangular cross section which were correlated with the internal gas flow field, as measured with the laser velocimetry (LV) techniques. For the reactor tested, thermal profiles were well correlated with the gas flow field inside the reactor. Correlations are presented for nitrogen and hydrogen carrier gas flows. The infrared data were available to the operators in real time with sufficient sensitivity to the internal flow field so that small variations such as misalignment of the reactor inlet could be observed. The same data were post-processed to yield temperature measurements at known locations on the reactor surface. For the experiments described herein, temperatures associated with approximately 3.3 mm 2 areas on the reactor surface were obtained with a precision of ±2°C. These temperature measurements were well suited for monitoring a CVD production reactor, development of improved thermal boundary conditions for use in CFD models of reactors, and for verification of expected thermal conditions.

  6. Reactor design rules for GaN epitaxial layer growths on sapphire in metal-organic chemical vapour deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Keunjoo; Noh, Sam Kyu

    2000-08-01

    The thermal process of the growth of GaN-based semiconductors was analysed for two home-made horizontal reactors. The reactors were designed to make the ammonia gas flow in the opposite direction to the main gas flow. For two horizontal reactors different in dimension, the low Reynolds numbers of Re = 2.94 and 4.15 were chosen for stable laminar flow and the Rayleigh numbers governing the heat convection were optimized to the values of Ra = 6.0 and 76.2, respectively. The qualities of GaN and InGaN films were characterized by Hall effect measurement, x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence and compared with respect to the reactor dependency.

  7. Catalytic wet oxidation of ammonia solution: activity of the nanoscale platinum-palladium-rhodium composite oxide catalyst.

    PubMed

    Hung, Chang-Mao

    2009-04-15

    Aqueous solutions of 400-1000 mg/L of ammonia were oxidized in a trickle-bed reactor (TBR) in this study of nanoscale platinum-palladium-rhodium composite oxide catalysts, which were prepared by the co-precipitation of H(2)PtCl(6), Pd(NO(3))(3) and Rh(NO(3))(3). Hardly any of the dissolved ammonia was removed by wet oxidation in the absence of any catalyst, whereas about 99% of the ammonia was reduced during wet oxidation over nanoscale platinum-palladium-rhodium composite oxide catalysts at 503 K in an oxygen partial pressure of 2.0 MPa. A synergistic effect exists in the nanoscale platinum-palladium-rhodium composite structure, which is the material with the highest ammonia reduction activity. The nanometer-sized particles were characterized by TEM, XRD and FTIR. The effect of the initial concentration and reaction temperature on the removal of ammonia from the effluent streams was also studied at a liquid hourly space velocity of under 9 h(-1) in the wet catalytic processes.

  8. Hydrodesulfurization reactions of atmospheric gas oil over CoMo/alumina-aluminum borate catalysts

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

    Chiuping Li; Jungchung Wu; Yuwen Chen

    1993-08-01

    A precipitation technique at constant pH value was used to prepare a series of alumina-aluminum borates (AABs) with various Al/B atomic ratios. These materials were used as the supports of Co-Mo catalysts. Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of Kuwait atmospheric gas (AGO) oil was carried out over these presulfided catalysts in a bench-scale trickle bed reactor at 400 psi and 340 C. All CoMo/AAB catalysts are much more active than the conventional CoMo/Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] catalyst on HDS reactions. A correlation exists between the acidity and the HDS activity of the catalysts. The high activities of the CoMo/AAB catalysts can be rationalized onmore » the presence of boron. On one hand, it can increase the metal dispersions and hydrogenation capabilities. On the other hand, it can enhance the acidities and cracking abilities of the catalysts. The desulfurization data can be fitted with a pseudo-second-order rate equation. The activation energy for desulfurization is found to be 26 kcal/mol.« less

  9. Innovative conception and performance evaluation of a compact on-site treatment system.

    PubMed

    Sousa, V P; Chernicharo, C A L

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a new configuration for a compact on-site treatment system, which could become an attractive alternative, from technical, economic, social and environmental viewpoints, to the technologies that are currently employed. The treatment unit consists of a cylindrical tank, where half of the volume is used as a modified septic tank and the other half is divided between an anaerobic hybrid reactor and a trickling filter. An intermittent feeding system was used, with minimum, mean and maximum flowrate settings (Qmin = 0.25l.s(-1), Qmean = 0.50l.s(-1) and Qmax = 1.00l.s(-1)), to reflect the actual operating conditions of a compact on-site treatment system serving a typical dwelling. An average 24-hour hydraulic detention time was used, corresponding to a flowrate of 750l.d(-1). High removal efficiencies and low concentrations of COD, BOD and TSS in the final effluent were achieved, even when the unit was exposed to hydraulic loading peaks during feeding periods at maximum flowrate.

  10. Selection criteria for wastewater treatment technologies to protect drinking water.

    PubMed

    von Sperling, M

    2000-01-01

    The protection of water bodies used as sources for drinking water is intimately linked to the adoption of adequate technologies for the treatment of the wastewater generated in the catchment area. The paper presents a general overview of the main technologies used for the treatment of domestic sewage, with a special emphasis on developing countries, and focussing on the main parameters of interest, such as BOD, coliforms and nutrients. A series of tables, figures and charts that can be used for the preliminary selection of treatment technologies is presented. The systems analysed are: stabilisation ponds, activated sludge, trickling filters, anaerobic systems and land disposal. Within each system, the main process variants are covered. Two summary tables are presented, one for quantitative analysis, including easily usable information based on per capita values (US$/cap, Watts/cap, m2 area/cap, m3 sludge/cap), and another for a qualitative comparison among the technologies, based on a one-to-five-star scoring system. The recent trend in tropical countries in the use of UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) reactors is also discussed.

  11. Generation of hazardous methyl azide and its application to synthesis of a key-intermediate of picarbutrazox, a new potent pesticide in flow.

    PubMed

    Ichinari, Daisuke; Nagaki, Aiichiro; Yoshida, Jun-Ichi

    2017-12-01

    Generation and reactions of methyl azide (MeN 3 ) were successfully performed by using a flow reactor system, demonstrating that the flow method serves as a safe method for handling hazardous explosive methyl azide. The reaction of NaN 3 and Me 2 SO 4 in a flow reactor gave a MeN 3 solution, which was used for Huisgen reaction with benzoyl cyanide in a flow reactor after minimal washing. The resulting 1-methyl-5-benzoyltetrazole serves as a key intermediate of picarbutrazox (IX), a new potent pesticide. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Trickling filter for urea and bio-waste processing - dynamic modelling of nitrogen cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhukov, Anton; Hauslage, Jens; Tertilt, Gerin; Bornemann, Gerhild

    Mankind’s exploration of the solar system requires reliable Life Support Systems (LSS) enabling long duration manned space missions. In the absence of frequent resupply missions, closure of the LSS will play a very important role and its maximisation will to a large extent drive the selection of appropriate LSS architectures. One of the significant issues on the way to full closure is to effectively utilise biological wastes such as urine, inedible biomass etc. A very promising concept of biological waste reprocessing is the use of trickling filters which are currently being developed and investigated by DLR, Cologne, Germany. The concept is called Combined Regenerative Organic-Food Production (C.R.O.P.) and is based on the microbiological treatment of biological wastes and reprocessing them into aqueous fertilizer which can directly be used in a greenhouse for food production. Numerous experiments have been and are being conducted by DLR in order to fully understand and characterize the process. The human space exploration group of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in cooperation with DLR has started to establish a dynamic model of the trickling filter system to be able to assess its performance on the LSS level. In the first development stage the model covers the nitrogen cycle enabling to simulate urine processing. This paper describes briefly the C.R.O.P. concept and the status of the trickling filter model development. The model is based on enzyme-catalyzed reaction kinetics for the fundamental microbiological reaction chain and is created in MATLAB. Verification and correlation of the developed model with experiment results has been performed. Several predictive studies for batch sequencing behavior have been performed, demonstrating a good capability of C.R.O.P. concept to be used in closed LSS. Achieved results are critically discussed and way forward is presented.

  13. Study on bubbly flow behavior in natural circulation reactor by thermal-hydraulic simulation tests with SF6-Gas and ethanol liquid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kondo, Yoshiyuki; Suga, Keishi; Hibi, Koki; Okazaki, Toshihiko; Komeno, Toshihiro; Kunugi, Tomoaki; Serizawa, Akimi; Yoneda, Kimitoshi; Arai, Takahiro

    2009-02-01

    An advanced experimental technique has been developed to simulate two-phase flow behavior in a light water reactor (LWR). The technique applies three kinds of methods; (1) use of sulfur-hexafluoride (SF6) gas and ethanol (C2H5OH) liquid at atmospheric temperature and a pressure less than 1.0MPa, where the fluid properties are similar to steam-water ones in the LWR, (2) generation of bubble with a sintering tube, which simulates bubble generation on heated surface in the LWR, (3) measurement of detailed bubble distribution data with a bi-optical probe (BOP), (4) and measurement of liquid velocities with the tracer liquid. This experimental technique provides easy visualization of flows by using a large scale experimental apparatus, which gives three-dimensional flows, and measurement of detailed spatial distributions of two-phase flow. With this technique, we have carried out experiments simulating two-phase flow behavior in a single-channel geometry, a multi-rod-bundle one, and a horizontal-tube-bundle one on a typical natural circulation reactor system. Those experiments have clarified a) a flow regime map in a rod bundle on the transient region between bubbly and churn flow, b) three-dimensional flow behaviour in rod-bundles where inter-subassembly cross-flow occurs, c) bubble-separation behavior with consideration of reactor internal structures. The data have given analysis models for the natural circulation reactor design with good extrapolation.

  14. Computational and Experimental Investigations of the Coolant Flow in the Cassette Fissile Core of a KLT-40S Reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dmitriev, S. M.; Varentsov, A. V.; Dobrov, A. A.; Doronkov, D. V.; Pronin, A. N.; Sorokin, V. D.; Khrobostov, A. E.

    2017-07-01

    Results of experimental investigations of the local hydrodynamic and mass-exchange characteristics of a coolant flowing through the cells in the characteristic zones of a fuel assembly of a KLT-40S reactor plant downstream of a plate-type spacer grid by the method of diffusion of a gas tracer in the coolant flow with measurement of its velocity by a five-channel pneumometric probe are presented. An analysis of the concentration distribution of the tracer in the coolant flow downstream of a plate-type spacer grid in the fuel assembly of the KLT-40S reactor plant and its velocity field made it possible to obtain a detailed pattern of this flow and to determine its main mechanisms and features. Results of measurement of the hydraulic-resistance coefficient of a plate-type spacer grid depending on the Reynolds number are presented. On the basis of the experimental data obtained, recommendations for improvement of the method of calculating the flow rate of a coolant in the cells of the fissile core of a KLT-40S reactor were developed. The results of investigations of the local hydrodynamic and mass-exchange characteristics of the coolant flow in the fuel assembly of the KLT-40S reactor plant were accepted for estimating the thermal and technical reliability of the fissile cores of KLT-40S reactors and were included in the database for verification of computational hydrodynamics programs (CFD codes).

  15. Single Channel Testing for Characterization of the Direct Gas Cooled Reactor and the SAFE-100 Heat Exchanger

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

    Bragg-Sitton, S.M.; Propulsion Research Center, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812; Kapernick, R.

    2004-02-04

    Experiments have been designed to characterize the coolant gas flow in two space reactor concepts that are currently under investigation by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory: the direct-drive gas-cooled reactor (DDG) and the SAFE-100 heatpipe-cooled reactor (HPR). For the DDG concept, initial tests have been completed to measure pressure drop versus flow rate for a prototypic core flow channel, with gas exiting to atmospheric pressure conditions. The experimental results of the completed DDG tests presented in this paper validate the predicted results to within a reasonable margin of error. These tests have resulted in amore » re-design of the flow annulus to reduce the pressure drop. Subsequent tests will be conducted with the re-designed flow channel and with the outlet pressure held at 150 psi (1 MPa). Design of a similar test for a nominal flow channel in the HPR heat exchanger (HPR-HX) has been completed and hardware is currently being assembled for testing this channel at 150 psi. When completed, these test programs will provide the data necessary to validate calculated flow performance for these reactor concepts (pressure drop and film temperature rise)« less

  16. Applying chemical engineering concepts to non-thermal plasma reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pedro AFFONSO, NOBREGA; Alain, GAUNAND; Vandad, ROHANI; François, CAUNEAU; Laurent, FULCHERI

    2018-06-01

    Process scale-up remains a considerable challenge for environmental applications of non-thermal plasmas. Undersanding the impact of reactor hydrodynamics in the performance of the process is a key step to overcome this challenge. In this work, we apply chemical engineering concepts to analyse the impact that different non-thermal plasma reactor configurations and regimes, such as laminar or plug flow, may have on the reactor performance. We do this in the particular context of the removal of pollutants by non-thermal plasmas, for which a simplified model is available. We generalise this model to different reactor configurations and, under certain hypotheses, we show that a reactor in the laminar regime may have a behaviour significantly different from one in the plug flow regime, often assumed in the non-thermal plasma literature. On the other hand, we show that a packed-bed reactor behaves very similarly to one in the plug flow regime. Beyond those results, the reader will find in this work a quick introduction to chemical reaction engineering concepts.

  17. Loss-of-flow-without-scram tests in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II and comparison with pretest predictions

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

    Chang, L.K.; Mohr, D.; Planchon, H.P.

    This article discusses a series of successful loss-of-flow-without-scram tests conducted in Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), a metal-fueled, sodium-cooled fast reactor. These May 1985 tests demonstrated the capability of the EBR to reduce reactor power passively during a loss of flow and to maintain reactor temperatures within bounds without any reliance on an active safety system. The tests were run from reduced power to ensure that temperatures could be maintained well below the fuel-clad eutectic temperature. Good agreement was found between selected test data and pretest predictions made with the EBR-II system analysis code NATDEMO and the hot channel analysis codemore » HOTCHAN. The article also discusses safety assessments of the tests as well as modifications required on the EBR-II reactor safety system for conducting required on the EBR-II reactor safety system for the conducting the tests.« less

  18. Catalytic Reactor for Inerting of Aircraft Fuel Tanks

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1974-06-01

    Aluminum Panels After Triphase Corrosion Test 79 35 Inerting System Flows in Various Flight Modes 82 36 High Flow Reactor Parametric Data 84 37 System...AD/A-000 939 CATALYTIC REACTOR FOR INERTING OF AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS George H. McDonald, et al AiResearch Manufacturing Company Prepared for: Air Force...190th Street 2b. GROUP Torrance, California .. REPORT TITLE CATALYTIC REACTOR FOR INERTING OF AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS . OESCRIP TIVE NOTEs (Thpe of refpoft

  19. Silane-Pyrolysis Reactor With Nonuniform Heating

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Iya, Sridhar K.

    1991-01-01

    Improved reactor serves as last stage in system processing metallurgical-grade silicon feedstock into silicon powder of ultrahigh purity. Silane pyrolized to silicon powder and hydrogen gas via homogeneous decomposition reaction in free space. Features set of individually adjustable electrical heaters and purge flow of hydrogen to improve control of pyrolysis conditions. Power supplied to each heater set in conjunction with flow in reactor to obtain desired distribution of temperature as function of position along reactor.

  20. Self-actuating reactor shutdown system

    DOEpatents

    Barrus, Donald M.; Brummond, Willian A; Peterson, Leslie F.

    1988-01-01

    A control system for the automatic or self-actuated shutdown or "scram" of a nuclear reactor. The system is capable of initiating scram insertion by a signal from the plant protection system or by independent action directly sensing reactor conditions of low-flow or over-power. Self-actuation due to a loss of reactor coolant flow results from a decrease of pressure differential between the upper and lower ends of an absorber element. When the force due to this differential falls below the weight of the element, the element will fall by gravitational force to scram the reactor. Self-actuation due to high neutron flux is accomplished via a valve controlled by an electromagnet and a thermionic diode. In a reactor over-power, the diode will be heated to a change of state causing the electromagnet to be shorted thereby actuating the valve which provides the changed flow and pressure conditions required for scramming the absorber element.

  1. Control of Advanced Reactor-Coupled Heat Exchanger System: Incorporation of Reactor Dynamics in System Response to Load Disturbances

    DOE PAGES

    Skavdahl, Isaac; Utgikar, Vivek; Christensen, Richard; ...

    2016-05-24

    We present an alternative control schemes for an Advanced High Temperature Reactor system consisting of a reactor, an intermediate heat exchanger, and a secondary heat exchanger (SHX) in this paper. One scheme is designed to control the cold outlet temperature of the SHX (T co) and the hot outlet temperature of the intermediate heat exchanger (T ho2) by manipulating the hot-side flow rates of the heat exchangers (F h/F h2) responding to the flow rate and temperature disturbances. The flow rate disturbances typically require a larger manipulation of the flow rates than temperature disturbances. An alternate strategy examines the controlmore » of the cold outlet temperature of the SHX (T co) only, since this temperature provides the driving force for energy production in the power conversion unit or the process application. The control can be achieved by three options: (1) flow rate manipulation; (2) reactor power manipulation; or (3) a combination of the two. The first option has a quicker response but requires a large flow rate change. The second option is the slowest but does not involve any change in the flow rates of streams. The final option appears preferable as it has an intermediate response time and requires only a minimal flow rate change.« less

  2. Nuclear reactor downcomer flow deflector

    DOEpatents

    Gilmore, Charles B [Greensburg, PA; Altman, David A [Pittsburgh, PA; Singleton, Norman R [Murrysville, PA

    2011-02-15

    A nuclear reactor having a coolant flow deflector secured to a reactor core barrel in line with a coolant inlet nozzle. The flow deflector redirects incoming coolant down an annulus between the core barrel and the reactor vessel. The deflector has a main body with a front side facing the fluid inlet nozzle and a rear side facing the core barrel. The rear side of the main body has at least one protrusion secured to the core barrel so that a gap exists between the rear side of the main body adjacent the protrusion and the core barrel. Preferably, the protrusion is a relief that circumscribes the rear side of the main body.

  3. Nuclear reactor overflow line

    DOEpatents

    Severson, Wayne J.

    1976-01-01

    The overflow line for the reactor vessel of a liquid-metal-cooled nuclear reactor includes means for establishing and maintaining a continuous bleed flow of coolant amounting to 5 to 10% of the total coolant flow through the overflow line to prevent thermal shock to the overflow line when the reactor is restarted following a trip. Preferably a tube is disposed concentrically just inside the overflow line extending from a point just inside the reactor vessel to an overflow tank and a suction line is provided opening into the body of liquid metal in the reactor vessel and into the annulus between the overflow line and the inner tube.

  4. Flow Reactor for studying Physicochemical and aging properties of SOA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Babar, Z. B.

    2016-12-01

    Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) have importance in environmental processes such as affecting earth's radiative balance and cloud formation processes. For studying SOA formation large scale environmental batch reactors and laboratory scale flow reactors have been used. In this study application of flow reactor to study physicochemical properties of SOA is also investigated after its characterization. The flow reactor is of cylindrical design (ID 15 cm x L 70 cm) equipped with UV lamps. It is coupled with various instruments such as scanning mobility particle sizer, NOx analyzer, ozone analyzer, VOC analyzer, hygrometer, and temperature sensors for gas and particle phase measurements. OH radicals were generated by custom build ozone generator and relative humidity. The following characterizations were performed: (1) residence time distribution (RTD) measurements, (2) RH and temperature control, (3) OH radical exposure range (atmospheric aging time), (4) gas phase oxidation of SOA precursors such as α-pinene by OH radical. The flow reactor yielded narrow RTDs. In particular, RH and temperature can be controlled effectively between 0-60% and 22-43oC, respectively. OH radical exposure ranges from 6.49x1010 to 3.68x1011 molecules/cm3s (0.49 to 4.91 days). Our initial efforts on OH radical generation using hydrogen peroxide and its quantification by using flourescenet technique will be also be presented.

  5. Numerical Investigation of a Novel Microscale Swirling Jet Reactor for Medical Sensor Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ogus, G.; Baelmans, M.; Lammertyn, J.; Vanierschot, M.

    2018-03-01

    A microscale swirler and corresponding reactor for a recent detection and analysis tool for healthcare applications, Fiber optic-surface plasmon resonance (FO-SPR), is presented in this study. The sensor is a 400 μm diameter needle that works as a detector for certain particles. Currently, the detection process relies on diffusion of particles towards the sensor and hence diagnostic time is rather long. The aim of this study is to decrease that diagnostic time by introducing convective mixing in the reactor by means of a swirling inlet flow. This will increase the particle deposition on the FO-SPR sensor and hence an increase in detection rate, as this rate strongly depends on the aimed particle concentration near the sensor. As the flow rates are rather low and the length scales are small, the flow in such reactors is laminar. In this study, robustly controllable mixing features of a swirling jet flow is used to increase the particle concentration near the sensor. A numerical analysis (CFD) is performed to characterize the flow and a detailed analysis of flow structures depending on the flow rate are reported.

  6. Analysis of the stochastic excitability in the flow chemical reactor

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

    Bashkirtseva, Irina

    2015-11-30

    A dynamic model of the thermochemical process in the flow reactor is considered. We study an influence of the random disturbances on the stationary regime of this model. A phenomenon of noise-induced excitability is demonstrated. For the analysis of this phenomenon, a constructive technique based on the stochastic sensitivity functions and confidence domains is applied. It is shown how elaborated technique can be used for the probabilistic analysis of the generation of mixed-mode stochastic oscillations in the flow chemical reactor.

  7. Analysis of the stochastic excitability in the flow chemical reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bashkirtseva, Irina

    2015-11-01

    A dynamic model of the thermochemical process in the flow reactor is considered. We study an influence of the random disturbances on the stationary regime of this model. A phenomenon of noise-induced excitability is demonstrated. For the analysis of this phenomenon, a constructive technique based on the stochastic sensitivity functions and confidence domains is applied. It is shown how elaborated technique can be used for the probabilistic analysis of the generation of mixed-mode stochastic oscillations in the flow chemical reactor.

  8. Simultaneous C and N removal from saline salmon effluents in filter reactors comprising anoxic-anaerobic-aerobic processes: effect of recycle ratio.

    PubMed

    Giustinianovich, Elisa A; Aspé, Estrella R; Huiliñir, César E; Roeckel, Marlene D

    2014-01-01

    Salmon processing generates saline effluents with high protein load. To treat these effluents, three compact tubular filter reactors were installed and an integrated anoxic/anaerobic/aerobic process was developed with recycling flow from the reactor's exit to the inlet stream in order to save organic matter (OM) for denitrification. The reactors were aerated in the upper section with recycle ratios (RR) of 0, 2, and 10, respectively, at 30°C. A tubular reactor behave as a plug flow reactor when RR = 0, and as a mixed flow reactor when recycle increases, thus, different RR values were used to evaluate how it affects the product distribution and the global performance. Diluted salmon process effluent was prepared as substrate. Using loads of 1.0 kg COD m(-3)d(-1) and 0.15 kg total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) m(-3)d(-1) at HRT of 2 d, 100% removal efficiencies for nitrite and nitrate were achieved in the anoxic-denitrifying section without effect of the dissolved oxygen in the recycled flow on denitrification. Removals >98% for total organic carbon (TOC) was achieved in the three reactors. The RR had no effect on the TOC removal; nevertheless a higher efficiency in total nitrogen removal in the reactor with the highest recycle ratio was observed: 94.3% for RR = 10 and 46.6% for RR = 2. Results showed that the proposed layout with an alternative distribution in a compact reactor can efficiently treat high organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations from a saline fish effluent with OM savings in denitrification.

  9. Hydraulic Actuator for Ganged Control Rods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, D. C.; Robey, R. M.

    1986-01-01

    Hydraulic actuator moves several nuclear-reactor control rods in unison. Electromagnetic pump pushes liquid lithium against ends of control rods, forcing them out of or into nuclear reactor. Color arrows show lithium flow for reactor startup and operation. Flow reversed for shutdown. Conceived for use aboard spacecraft, actuator principle applied to terrestrial hydraulic machinery involving motion of ganged rods.

  10. Liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors with passive cooling system

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, Anstein; Fanning, Alan W.

    1991-01-01

    A liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor having a passive cooling system for removing residual heat resulting from fuel decay during reactor shutdown. The passive cooling system comprises a plurality of cooling medium flow circuits which cooperate to remove and carry heat away from the fuel core upon loss of the normal cooling flow circuit to areas external thereto.

  11. Successive and large-scale synthesis of InP/ZnS quantum dots in a hybrid reactor and their application to white LEDs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kyungnam; Jeong, Sohee; Woo, Ju Yeon; Han, Chang-Soo

    2012-02-01

    We report successive and large-scale synthesis of InP/ZnS core/shell nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) using a customized hybrid flow reactor, which is based on serial combination of a batch-type mixer and a flow-type furnace. InP cores and InP/ZnS core/shell QDs were successively synthesized in the hybrid reactor in a simple one-step process. In this reactor, the flow rate of the solutions was typically 1 ml min-1, 100 times larger than that of conventional microfluidic reactors. In order to synthesize high-quality InP/ZnS QDs, we controlled both the flow rate and the crystal growth temperature. Finally, we obtained high-quality InP/ZnS QDs in colors from bluish green to red, and we demonstrated that these core/shell QDs could be incorporated into white-light-emitting diode (LED) devices to improve color rendering performance.

  12. Successive and large-scale synthesis of InP/ZnS quantum dots in a hybrid reactor and their application to white LEDs.

    PubMed

    Kim, Kyungnam; Jeong, Sohee; Woo, Ju Yeon; Han, Chang-Soo

    2012-02-17

    We report successive and large-scale synthesis of InP/ZnS core/shell nanocrystal quantum dots (QDs) using a customized hybrid flow reactor, which is based on serial combination of a batch-type mixer and a flow-type furnace. InP cores and InP/ZnS core/shell QDs were successively synthesized in the hybrid reactor in a simple one-step process. In this reactor, the flow rate of the solutions was typically 1 ml min(-1), 100 times larger than that of conventional microfluidic reactors. In order to synthesize high-quality InP/ZnS QDs, we controlled both the flow rate and the crystal growth temperature. Finally, we obtained high-quality InP/ZnS QDs in colors from bluish green to red, and we demonstrated that these core/shell QDs could be incorporated into white-light-emitting diode (LED) devices to improve color rendering performance.

  13. Application of a novel type impinging streams reactor in solid-liquid enzyme reactions and modeling of residence time distribution using GDB model.

    PubMed

    Fatourehchi, Niloufar; Sohrabi, Morteza; Dabir, Bahram; Royaee, Sayed Javid; Haji Malayeri, Adel

    2014-02-05

    Solid-liquid enzyme reactions constitute important processes in biochemical industries. The isomerization of d-glucose to d-fructose, using the immobilized glucose isomerase (Sweetzyme T), as a typical example of solid-liquid catalyzed reactions has been carried out in one stage and multi-stage novel type of impinging streams reactors. Response surface methodology was applied to determine the effects of certain pertinent parameters of the process namely axial velocity (A), feed concentration (B), nozzles' flow rates (C) and enzyme loading (D) on the performance of the apparatus. The results obtained from the conversion of glucose in this reactor were much higher than those expected in conventional reactors, while residence time was decreased dramatically. Residence time distribution (RTD) in a one-stage impinging streams reactor was investigated using colored solution as the tracer. The results showed that the flow pattern in the reactor was close to that in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Based on the analysis of flow region in the reactor, gamma distribution model with bypass (GDB) was applied to study the RTD of the reactor. The results indicated that RTD in the impinging streams reactor could be described by the latter model. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. ELEMENTAL MERCURY CAPTURE BY ACTIVATED CARBON IN A FLOW REACTOR

    EPA Science Inventory


    The paper gives results of bench-scale experiments in a flow reactor to simulate the entrained-flow capture of elemental mercury (Hgo) using solid sorbents. Adsorption of Hgo by a lignite-based activated carbon (Calgon FGD) was examined at different carbon/mercury (C/Hg) rat...

  15. 75 FR 8412 - Office of New Reactors: Interim Staff Guidance on Assessing Ground Water Flow and Transport of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-24

    ... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2010-0047] Office of New Reactors: Interim Staff Guidance on Assessing Ground Water Flow and Transport of Accidental Radionuclide Releases; Solicitation of Public... ground water flow and transport of accidental radionuclide releases necessary to demonstrate compliance...

  16. Design, Operation, and Modeling of a Vertical APCVD Reactor for Silicon Carbide Film Growth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeAnna, Russell G.; Fleischman, Aaron J.; Zorman, Christian A.; Mehregany, Mehran

    1998-01-01

    An atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) reactor utilizing a unique vertical geometry which enables 3C-SiC films to be grown on two, 4-inch diameter Si wafers has been constructed. Contrary to expectations, 3C-SiC films grown in this reactor are thickest at the downstream end of the substrates. To better understand the reason for the thickness distribution on the wafers, an axisymmetric finite-element model of the gas flow in the reactor was constructed. The model uses the ANSYS53 Flowtran package and includes compressible and temperature-dependent fluid properties in laminar or turbulent flow. It does not include reaction chemistry or unsteady flow. The ANSYS53 results predict that the cool, inlet fluid falls through the inlet pipe and the warm, diffuser region like a jet. This jet impinges on top of the susceptor and gets diverted to the reactor side walls, where it flows to the bottom of the reactor, turns, and slowly rises along the face of the susceptor. This may explain why the SiC films are thickest at the downstream side of the wafers, as gas containing fresh reactants first passes over this region. Modeling results are presented for both one atmosphere and one half atmosphere reactor pressure.

  17. METHOD FOR SENSING DEGREE OF FLUIDIZATION IN FLUIDIZED BED

    DOEpatents

    Levey, R.P. Jr.; Fowler, A.H.

    1961-12-12

    A method is given for detecting, indicating, and controlling the degree of fluidization in a fluid-bed reactor into which powdered material is fed. The method comprises admitting of gas into the reactor, inserting a springsupported rod into the powder bed of the reactor, exciting the rod to vibrate at its resonant frequency, deriving a signal responsive to the amplitude of vibi-ation of the rod and spring, the signal being directiy proportional to the rate of flow of the gas through the reactor, displaying the signal to provide an indication of the degree of fluidization within the reactor, and controlling the rate of gas flow into the reactor until said signal stabilizes at a constant value to provide substantially complete fluidization within the reactor. (AEC)

  18. Core Dynamics Analysis for Reactivity Insertion and Loss of Coolant Flow Tests Using the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takamatsu, Kuniyoshi; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Takeda, Tetsuaki

    Safety demonstration tests using the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) are in progress to verify its inherent safety features and improve the safety technology and design methodology for High-temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs). The reactivity insertion test is one of the safety demonstration tests for the HTTR. This test simulates the rapid increase in the reactor power by withdrawing the control rod without operating the reactor power control system. In addition, the loss of coolant flow tests has been conducted to simulate the rapid decrease in the reactor power by tripping one, two or all out of three gas circulators. The experimental results have revealed the inherent safety features of HTGRs, such as the negative reactivity feedback effect. The numerical analysis code, which was named-ACCORD-, was developed to analyze the reactor dynamics including the flow behavior in the HTTR core. We have modified this code to use a model with four parallel channels and twenty temperature coefficients. Furthermore, we added another analytical model of the core for calculating the heat conduction between the fuel channels and the core in the case of the loss of coolant flow tests. This paper describes the validation results for the newly developed code using the experimental results. Moreover, the effect of the model is formulated quantitatively with our proposed equation. Finally, the pre-analytical result of the loss of coolant flow test by tripping all gas circulators is also discussed.

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

    Salko, Robert K; Sung, Yixing; Kucukboyaci, Vefa

    The Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications core simulator (VERA-CS) being developed by the Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) includes coupled neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, and fuel temperature components with an isotopic depletion capability. The neutronics capability employed is based on MPACT, a three-dimensional (3-D) whole core transport code. The thermal-hydraulics and fuel temperature models are provided by the COBRA-TF (CTF) subchannel code. As part of the CASL development program, the VERA-CS (MPACT/CTF) code system was applied to model and simulate reactor core response with respect to departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR) at the limiting time stepmore » of a postulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) main steamline break (MSLB) event initiated at the hot zero power (HZP), either with offsite power available and the reactor coolant pumps in operation (high-flow case) or without offsite power where the reactor core is cooled through natural circulation (low-flow case). The VERA-CS simulation was based on core boundary conditions from the RETRAN-02 system transient calculations and STAR-CCM+ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) core inlet distribution calculations. The evaluation indicated that the VERA-CS code system is capable of modeling and simulating quasi-steady state reactor core response under the steamline break (SLB) accident condition, the results are insensitive to uncertainties in the inlet flow distributions from the CFD simulations, and the high-flow case is more DNB limiting than the low-flow case.« less

  20. The role of heater thermal response in reactor thermal limits during oscillartory two-phase flows

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

    Ruggles, A.E.; Brown, N.W.; Vasil`ev, A.D.

    1995-09-01

    Analytical and numerical investigations of critical heat flux (CHF) and reactor thermal limits are conducted for oscillatory two-phase flows often associated with natural circulation conditions. It is shown that the CHF and associated thermal limits depend on the amplitude of the flow oscillations, the period of the flow oscillations, and the thermal properties and dimensions of the heater. The value of the thermal limit can be much lower in unsteady flow situations than would be expected using time average flow conditions. It is also shown that the properties of the heater strongly influence the thermal limit value in unsteady flowmore » situations, which is very important to the design of experiments to evaluate thermal limits for reactor fuel systems.« less

  1. Thermal margin protection system for a nuclear reactor

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

    Musick, C.R.

    1974-02-12

    A thermal margin protection system for a nuclear reactor is described where the coolant flow flow trip point and the calculated thermal margin trip point are switched simultaneously and the thermal limit locus is made more restrictive as the allowable flow rate is decreased. The invention is characterized by calculation of the thermal limit Locus in response to applied signals which accurately represent reactor cold leg temperature and core power; cold leg temperature being corrected for stratification before being utilized and reactor power signals commensurate with power as a function of measured neutron flux and thermal energy added to themore » coolant being auctioneered to select the more conservative measure of power. The invention further comprises the compensation of the selected core power signal for the effects of core radial peaking factor under maximum coolant flow conditions. (Official Oazette)« less

  2. Numerical investigation of flow and heat transfer in a novel configuration multi-tubular fixed bed reactor for propylene to acrolein process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Bin; Hao, Li; Zhang, Luhong; Sun, Yongli; Xiao, Xiaoming

    2015-01-01

    In the present contribution, a numerical study of fluid flow and heat transfer performance in a pilot-scale multi-tubular fixed bed reactor for propylene to acrolein oxidation reaction is presented using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Firstly, a two-dimensional CFD model is developed to simulate flow behaviors, catalytic oxidation reaction, heat and mass transfer adopting porous medium model on tube side to achieve the temperature distribution and investigate the effect of operation parameters on hot spot temperature. Secondly, based on the conclusions of tube-side, a novel configuration multi-tubular fixed-bed reactor comprising 790 tubes design with disk-and-doughnut baffles is proposed by comparing with segmental baffles reactor and their performance of fluid flow and heat transfer is analyzed to ensure the uniformity condition using molten salt as heat carrier medium on shell-side by three-dimensional CFD method. The results reveal that comprehensive performance of the reactor with disk-and-doughnut baffles is better than that of with segmental baffles. Finally, the effects of operating conditions to control the hot spots are investigated. The results show that the flow velocity range about 0.65 m/s is applicable and the co-current cooling system flow direction is better than counter-current flow to control the hottest temperature.

  3. Electrogenerative gold recovery from cyanide solutions using a flow-through cell with activated reticulated vitreous carbon.

    PubMed

    Yap, Chin Yean; Mohamed, Norita

    2008-10-01

    An electrogenerative flow-through reactor with an activated reticulated vitreous carbon cathode was developed. The influence of palladium-tin activation of the cathode towards gold deposition was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The reactor proved to be efficient in recovering more than 99% of gold within 4 h of operation. The performance of the reactor was evaluated with initial gold concentrations of 10, 100 and 500 mg L-1 and various electrolyte flow rates. Gold recovery was found to be strongly dependent on electrolyte flow rate and initial gold concentration in the cyanide solution under the experimental conditions used.

  4. Performance Assessment of the Commercial CFD Software for the Prediction of the Reactor Internal Flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Gong Hee; Bang, Young Seok; Woo, Sweng Woong; Kim, Do Hyeong; Kang, Min Ku

    2014-06-01

    As the computer hardware technology develops the license applicants for nuclear power plant use the commercial CFD software with the aim of reducing the excessive conservatism associated with using simplified and conservative analysis tools. Even if some of CFD software developer and its user think that a state of the art CFD software can be used to solve reasonably at least the single-phase nuclear reactor problems, there is still limitation and uncertainty in the calculation result. From a regulatory perspective, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) is presently conducting the performance assessment of the commercial CFD software for nuclear reactor problems. In this study, in order to examine the validity of the results of 1/5 scaled APR+ (Advanced Power Reactor Plus) flow distribution tests and the applicability of CFD in the analysis of reactor internal flow, the simulation was conducted with the two commercial CFD software (ANSYS CFX V.14 and FLUENT V.14) among the numerous commercial CFD software and was compared with the measurement. In addition, what needs to be improved in CFD for the accurate simulation of reactor core inlet flow was discussed.

  5. Practical experience with full-scale structured sheet media (SSM) integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) systems for nitrification.

    PubMed

    Li, Hua; Zhu, Jia; Flamming, James J; O'Connell, Jack; Shrader, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Many wastewater treatment plants in the USA, which were originally designed as secondary treatment systems with no or partial nitrification requirements, are facing increased flows, loads, and more stringent ammonia discharge limits. Plant expansion is often not cost-effective due to either high construction costs or lack of land. Under these circumstances, integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) systems using both suspended growth and biofilms that grow attached to a fixed plastic structured sheet media are found to be a viable solution for solving the challenges. Multiple plants have been retrofitted with such IFAS systems in the past few years. The system has proven to be efficient and reliable in achieving not only consistent nitrification, but also enhanced bio-chemical oxygen demand removal and sludge settling characteristics. This paper presents long-term practical experiences with the IFAS system design, operation and maintenance, and performance for three full-scale plants with distinct processes; that is, a trickling filter/solids contact process, a conventional plug flow activated sludge process and an extended aeration process.

  6. Identifying future directions for subsurface hydrocarbon migration research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leifer, I.; Clark, J. F.; Luyendyk, B.; Valentine, D.

    Subsurface hydrocarbon migration is important for understanding the input and impacts of natural hydrocarbon seepage on the environment. Great uncertainties remain in most aspects of hydrocarbon migration, including some basic mechanisms of this four-phase flow of tar, oil, water, and gas through the complex fracture-network geometry particularly since the phases span a wide range of properties. Academic, government, and industry representatives recently attended a workshop to identify the areas of greatest need for future research in shallow hydrocarbon migration.Novel approaches such as studying temporal and spatial seepage variations and analogous geofluid systems (e.g., geysers and trickle beds) allow deductions of subsurface processes and structures that remain largely unclear. Unique complexities exist in hydrocarbon migration due to its multiphase flow and complex geometry, including in-situ biological weathering. Furthermore, many aspects of the role of hydrocarbons (positive and negative) in the environment are poorly understood, including how they enter the food chain (respiration, consumption, etc.) and “percolate” to higher trophic levels. But understanding these ecological impacts requires knowledge of the emissions' temporal and spatial variability and trajectories.

  7. Removal of natural organic matter and arsenic from water by electrocoagulation/flotation continuous flow reactor.

    PubMed

    Mohora, Emilijan; Rončević, Srdjan; Dalmacija, Božo; Agbaba, Jasmina; Watson, Malcolm; Karlović, Elvira; Dalmacija, Milena

    2012-10-15

    The performance of the laboratory scale electrocoagulation/flotation (ECF) reactor in removing high concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM) and arsenic from groundwater was analyzed in this study. An ECF reactor with bipolar plate aluminum electrodes was operated in the horizontal continuous flow mode. Electrochemical and flow variables were optimized to examine ECF reactor contaminants removal efficiency. The optimum conditions for the process were identified as groundwater initial pH 5, flow rate=4.3 l/h, inter electrode distance=2.8 cm, current density=5.78 mA/cm(2), A/V ratio=0.248 cm(-1). The NOM removal according to UV(254) absorbance and dissolved organic matter (DOC) reached highest values of 77% and 71% respectively, relative to the raw groundwater. Arsenic removal was 85% (6.2 μg As/l) relative to raw groundwater, satisfying the drinking water standards. The specific reactor electrical energy consumption was 17.5 kWh/kg Al. The specific aluminum electrode consumption was 66 g Al/m(3). According to the obtained results, ECF in horizontal continuous flow mode is an energy efficient process to remove NOM and arsenic from groundwater. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

    Oktamuliani, Sri, E-mail: srioktamuliani@ymail.com; Su’ud, Zaki, E-mail: szaki@fi.itb.ac.id

    A preliminary study designs SPINNOR (Small Power Reactor, Indonesia, No On-Site Refueling) liquid metal Pb-Bi cooled fast reactors, fuel (U, Pu)N, 150 MWth have been performed. Neutronic calculation uses SRAC which is designed cylindrical core 2D (R-Z) 90 × 135 cm, on the core fuel composed of heterogeneous with percentage difference of PuN 10, 12, 13% and the result of calculation is effective neutron multiplication 1.0488. Power density distribution of the output SRAC is generated for thermal hydraulic calculation using Delphi based on Pascal language that have been developed. The research designed a reactor that is capable of natural circulation atmore » inlet temperature 300 °C with variation of total mass flow rate. Total mass flow rate affect pressure drop and temperature outlet of the reactor core. The greater the total mass flow rate, the smaller the outlet temperature, but increase the pressure drop so that the chimney needed more higher to achieve natural circulation or condition of the system does not require a pump. Optimization of the total mass flow rate produces optimal reactor design on the total mass flow rate of 5000 kg/s with outlet temperature 524,843 °C but require a chimney of 6,69 meters.« less

  9. The Mexican Revolution and health care or the health of the Mexican Revolution.

    PubMed

    Horn, J J

    1985-01-01

    Despite a victorious social revolution, a self-proclaimed "revolutionary" government, and a significant post-war economic growth, Mexico has not achieved a just or equitable social system. The Mexican Revolution led to the emergence of a new bureaucratic class whose "trickle-down" development strategy sacrificed social welfare to capital accumulation. Mexican morbidity and mortality patterns resemble those of more impoverished developing nations without revolutionary experience. The patterns of health care in Mexico reflect inequities and contradictions in the society and economy at large and flow from the erosion of the egalitarian aims of the revolution concomitant with the expansion of capitalism and the concentration of the benefits of "modernization" in the hands of privileged elites. Mexico's health problems are symptomatic of a general socio-economic malaise which questions the legitimacy of the Revolution.

  10. Phonological studies of the new gas-induced agitated reactor using computational fluid dynamics.

    PubMed

    Yang, T C; Hsu, Y C; Wang, S F

    2001-06-01

    An ozone-induced agitated reactor has been found to be very effective in degrading industrial wastewater. However, the cost of the ozone generation as well as its short residence time in reactors has restricted its application in a commercial scale. An innovated gas-induced draft tube installed inside a conventional agitated reactor was proved to effectively retain the ozone in a reactor. The setup was demonstrated to significantly promote the ozone utilization rate up to 96% from the conventional rate of 60% above the onset speed. This work investigates the mixing mechanism of an innovated gas-induced reactor for the future scale-up design by using the technique of computational fluid dynamics. A three-dimensional flow model was proposed to compute the liquid-gas free surface as well as the flow patterns inside the reactor. The turbulent effects generated by two 45 degrees pitch-blade turbines were considered and the two phases mixing phenomena were also manipulated by the Eulerian-Eulerian techniques. The consistency of the free surface profiles and the fluid flow patterns proved a good agreement between computational results and the experimental observation.

  11. Deleterious Thermal Effects due to Randomized Flow Paths in Pebble Bed, and Particle Bed Style Reactors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moran, Robert P.

    2013-01-01

    Reactor fuel rod surface area that is perpendicular to coolant flow direction (+S) i.e. perpendicular to the P creates areas of coolant stagnation leading to increased coolant temperatures resulting in localized changes in fluid properties. Changes in coolant fluid properties caused by minor increases in temperature lead to localized reductions in coolant mass flow rates leading to localized thermal instabilities. Reductions in coolant mass flow rates result in further increases in local temperatures exacerbating changes to coolant fluid properties leading to localized thermal runaway. Unchecked localized thermal runaway leads to localized fuel melting. Reactor designs with randomized flow paths are vulnerable to localized thermal instabilities, localized thermal runaway, and localized fuel melting.

  12. Characteristics of adapted hydrogenotrophic community during biomethanation.

    PubMed

    Rachbauer, Lydia; Beyer, Reinhard; Bochmann, Günther; Fuchs, Werner

    2017-10-01

    The results presented in this study were carried out as concomitant experiments during the start-up and operation of a biomethanation unit to evaluate the effect of process parameters on carbon conversion, product formation (methane and acetate) and community composition. For that, two different samples were withdrawn from a trickle-bed reactor with immobilized enrichment culture of hydrogenotrophic methanogens adapted from sewage sludge. One sample was taken from the recirculation liquid during start-up phase while the other was withdrawn directly from the carrier material in the reactor. Elevated acid levels especially during start-up were shown to affect the overall carbon conversion. This effect was also seen during the acid tolerance testing reported here. Final acid concentrations of 1.6±0.3g/L resulted in a reduced conversion ratio of only 46%. Without acid addition complete conversion of CO 2 in the headspace was achieved. However, maximum methane production of 0.55±0.02mmol after 4days of incubation was monitored at moderate initial acetate concentration of 0.4g/L. In both analyzed inoculation materials Methanobacterium species were by far the most dominant Archaea with 21.8% in the recirculation liquid during start-up and 84.8% in the enrichment culture immobilized on the carrier material. The microbial composition of the two analyzed samples is in accordance with the results obtained for the carbon conversion and product formation. With approximately 50% of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes present during reactor start-up the acetic acid production significantly contributed to the overall carbon conversion. In contrast, methane was produced almost exclusively in trials representing continuous operation where acetogenic bacteria accounted only up to 17.5%. In summary, the acid accumulation monitored during reactor start-up of a biomethanation unit is most likely to result from the microbial composition present. Nevertheless, complete adaptation to hydrogenotrophic conditions was proven to alter the consortium and yield methane as main product alongside high carbon conversion of up to 70.5±1.8%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Deleterious Thermal Effects Due To Randomized Flow Paths in Pebble Bed, and Particle Bed Style Reactors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moran, Robert P.

    2013-01-01

    A review of literature associated with Pebble Bed and Particle Bed reactor core research has revealed a systemic problem inherent to reactor core concepts which utilize randomized rather than structured coolant channel flow paths. For both the Pebble Bed and Particle Bed Reactor designs; case studies reveal that for indeterminate reasons, regions within the core would suffer from excessive heating leading to thermal runaway and localized fuel melting. A thermal Computational Fluid Dynamics model was utilized to verify that In both the Pebble Bed and Particle Bed Reactor concepts randomized coolant channel pathways combined with localized high temperature regions would work together to resist the flow of coolant diverting it away from where it is needed the most to cooler less resistive pathways where it is needed the least. In other words given the choice via randomized coolant pathways the reactor coolant will take the path of least resistance, and hot zones offer the highest resistance. Having identified the relationship between randomized coolant channel pathways and localized fuel melting it is now safe to assume that other reactor concepts that utilize randomized coolant pathways such as the foam core reactor are also susceptible to this phenomenon.

  14. Student-Fabricated Microfluidic Devices as Flow Reactors for Organic and Inorganic Synthesis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feng, Z. Vivian; Edelman, Kate R.; Swanson, Benjamin P.

    2015-01-01

    Flow synthesis in microfluidic devices has been rapidly adapted in the pharmaceutical industry and in many research laboratories. Yet, the cost of commercial flow reactors is a major factor limiting the dissemination of this technology in the undergraduate curriculum. Here, we present a laboratory activity where students design and fabricate…

  15. Process optimization of an auger pyrolyzer with heat carrier using response surface methodology.

    PubMed

    Brown, J N; Brown, R C

    2012-01-01

    A 1 kg/h auger reactor utilizing mechanical mixing of steel shot heat carrier was used to pyrolyze red oak wood biomass. Response surface methodology was employed using a circumscribed central composite design of experiments to optimize the system. Factors investigated were: heat carrier inlet temperature and mass flow rate, rotational speed of screws in the reactor, and volumetric flow rate of sweep gas. Conditions for maximum bio-oil and minimum char yields were high flow rate of sweep gas (3.5 standard L/min), high heat carrier temperature (∼600 °C), high auger speeds (63 RPM) and high heat carrier mass flow rates (18 kg/h). Regression models for bio-oil and char yields are described including identification of a novel interaction effect between heat carrier mass flow rate and auger speed. Results suggest that auger reactors, which are rarely described in literature, are well suited for bio-oil production. The reactor achieved liquid yields greater than 73 wt.%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Numerical modeling of turbulent swirling flow in a multi-inlet vortex nanoprecipitation reactor using dynamic DDES

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hill, James C.; Liu, Zhenping; Fox, Rodney O.; Passalacqua, Alberto; Olsen, Michael G.

    2015-11-01

    The multi-inlet vortex reactor (MIVR) has been developed to provide a platform for rapid mixing in the application of flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) for manufacturing functional nanoparticles. Unfortunately, commonly used RANS methods are unable to accurately model this complex swirling flow. Large eddy simulations have also been problematic, as expensive fine grids to accurately model the flow are required. These dilemmas led to the strategy of applying a Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) method to the vortex reactor. In the current work, the turbulent swirling flow inside a scaled-up MIVR has been investigated by using a dynamic DDES model. In the DDES model, the eddy viscosity has a form similar to the Smagorinsky sub-grid viscosity in LES and allows the implementation of a dynamic procedure to determine its coefficient. The complex recirculating back flow near the reactor center has been successfully captured by using this dynamic DDES model. Moreover, the simulation results are found to agree with experimental data for mean velocity and Reynolds stresses.

  17. Analysis of fluid fuel flow to the neutron kinetics on molten salt reactor FUJI-12

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aji, Indarta Kuncoro; Waris, Abdul; Permana, Sidik

    2015-09-01

    Molten Salt Reactor is a reactor are operating with molten salt fuel flowing. This condition interpret that the neutron kinetics of this reactor is affected by the flow rate of the fuel. This research analyze effect by the alteration velocity of the fuel by MSR type Fuji-12, with fuel composition LiF-BeF2-ThF4-233UF4 respectively 71.78%-16%-11.86%-0.36%. Calculation process in this study is performed numerically by SOR and finite difference method use C programming language. Data of reactivity, neutron flux, and the macroscopic fission cross section for calculation process obtain from SRAC-CITATION (Standard thermal Reactor Analysis Code) and JENDL-4.0 data library. SRAC system designed and developed by JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency). This study aims to observe the effect of the velocity of fuel salt to the power generated from neutron precursors at fourth year of reactor operate (last critical condition) with number of multiplication effective; 1.0155.

  18. Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation of hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae in a continuous plug-flow reactor.

    PubMed

    Ranganathan, Panneerselvam; Savithri, Sivaraman

    2018-06-01

    Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technique is used in this work to simulate the hydrothermal liquefaction of Nannochloropsis sp. microalgae in a lab-scale continuous plug-flow reactor to understand the fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and reaction kinetics in a HTL reactor under hydrothermal condition. The temperature profile in the reactor and the yield of HTL products from the present simulation are obtained and they are validated with the experimental data available in the literature. Furthermore, the parametric study is carried out to study the effect of slurry flow rate, reactor temperature, and external heat transfer coefficient on the yield of products. Though the model predictions are satisfactory in comparison with the experimental results, it still needs to be improved for better prediction of the product yields. This improved model will be considered as a baseline for design and scale-up of large-scale HTL reactor. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Numerical modeling of carrier gas flow in atomic layer deposition vacuum reactor: A comparative study of lattice Boltzmann models

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

    Pan, Dongqing; Chien Jen, Tien; Li, Tao

    2014-01-15

    This paper characterizes the carrier gas flow in the atomic layer deposition (ALD) vacuum reactor by introducing Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) to the ALD simulation through a comparative study of two LBM models. Numerical models of gas flow are constructed and implemented in two-dimensional geometry based on lattice Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook (LBGK)-D2Q9 model and two-relaxation-time (TRT) model. Both incompressible and compressible scenarios are simulated and the two models are compared in the aspects of flow features, stability, and efficiency. Our simulation outcome reveals that, for our specific ALD vacuum reactor, TRT model generates better steady laminar flow features all over the domainmore » with better stability and reliability than LBGK-D2Q9 model especially when considering the compressible effects of the gas flow. The LBM-TRT is verified indirectly by comparing the numerical result with conventional continuum-based computational fluid dynamics solvers, and it shows very good agreement with these conventional methods. The velocity field of carrier gas flow through ALD vacuum reactor was characterized by LBM-TRT model finally. The flow in ALD is in a laminar steady state with velocity concentrated at the corners and around the wafer. The effects of flow fields on precursor distributions, surface absorptions, and surface reactions are discussed in detail. Steady and evenly distributed velocity field contribute to higher precursor concentration near the wafer and relatively lower particle velocities help to achieve better surface adsorption and deposition. The ALD reactor geometry needs to be considered carefully if a steady and laminar flow field around the wafer and better surface deposition are desired.« less

  20. Combustion Chemistry of Fuels: Quantitative Speciation Data Obtained from an Atmospheric High-temperature Flow Reactor with Coupled Molecular-beam Mass Spectrometer.

    PubMed

    Köhler, Markus; Oßwald, Patrick; Krueger, Dominik; Whitside, Ryan

    2018-02-19

    This manuscript describes a high-temperature flow reactor experiment coupled to the powerful molecular beam mass spectrometry (MBMS) technique. This flexible tool offers a detailed observation of chemical gas-phase kinetics in reacting flows under well-controlled conditions. The vast range of operating conditions available in a laminar flow reactor enables access to extraordinary combustion applications that are typically not achievable by flame experiments. These include rich conditions at high temperatures relevant for gasification processes, the peroxy chemistry governing the low temperature oxidation regime or investigations of complex technical fuels. The presented setup allows measurements of quantitative speciation data for reaction model validation of combustion, gasification and pyrolysis processes, while enabling a systematic general understanding of the reaction chemistry. Validation of kinetic reaction models is generally performed by investigating combustion processes of pure compounds. The flow reactor has been enhanced to be suitable for technical fuels (e.g. multi-component mixtures like Jet A-1) to allow for phenomenological analysis of occurring combustion intermediates like soot precursors or pollutants. The controlled and comparable boundary conditions provided by the experimental design allow for predictions of pollutant formation tendencies. Cold reactants are fed premixed into the reactor that are highly diluted (in around 99 vol% in Ar) in order to suppress self-sustaining combustion reactions. The laminar flowing reactant mixture passes through a known temperature field, while the gas composition is determined at the reactors exhaust as a function of the oven temperature. The flow reactor is operated at atmospheric pressures with temperatures up to 1,800 K. The measurements themselves are performed by decreasing the temperature monotonically at a rate of -200 K/h. With the sensitive MBMS technique, detailed speciation data is acquired and quantified for almost all chemical species in the reactive process, including radical species.

  1. Preliminary safety analysis of Pb-Bi cooled 800 MWt modified CANDLE burn-up scheme based fast reactors

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

    Su'ud, Zaki, E-mail: szaki@fi.itba.c.id; Sekimoto, H., E-mail: hsekimot@gmail.com

    2014-09-30

    Pb-Bi Cooled fast reactors with modified CANDLE burn-up scheme with 10 regions and 10 years cycle length has been investigated from neutronic aspects. In this study the safety aspect of such reactors have been investigated and discussed. Several condition of unprotected loss of flow (ULOF) and unprotected rod run-out transient over power (UTOP) have been simulated and the results show that the reactors excellent safety performance. At 80 seconds after unprotected loss of flow condition, the core flow rate drop to about 25% of its initial flow and slowly move toward its natural circulation level. The maximum fuel temperature canmore » be managed below 1000°C and the maximum cladding temperature can be managed below 700°C. The dominant reactivity feedback is radial core expansion and Doppler effect, followed by coolant density effect and fuel axial expansion effect.« less

  2. Pressure regulator

    DOEpatents

    Ebeling, Jr., Robert W.; Weaver, Robert B.

    1979-01-01

    The pressure within a pressurized flow reactor operated under harsh environmental conditions is controlled by establishing and maintaining a fluidized bed of uniformly sized granular material of selected density by passing the gas from the reactor upwardly therethrough at a rate sufficient to fluidize the bed and varying the height of the bed by adding granular material thereto or removing granular material therefrom to adjust the backpressure on the flow reactor.

  3. Methods for dehydration of sugars and sugar alcohols

    DOEpatents

    Holladay, Johnathan E [Kennewick, WA; Hu, Jianli [Kennewick, WA; Zhang, Xinjie [Burlington, MA; Wang, Yong [Richland, WA

    2010-08-10

    The invention includes a method of dehydration of a sugar using a dehydration catalyst and a co-catalyst within a reactor. A sugar is introduced and H.sub.2 is flowed through the reactor at a pressure of less than or equal to about 300 psig to convert at least some of the sugar into an anhydrosugar product. The invention includes a process for producing isosorbide. A starting material comprising sorbitol is flowed into a reactor. H.sub.2 is counter flowed through the reactor. The starting material is exposed to a catalyst in the presence of a co-catalyst which comprises at least one metal. The exposing is conducted at a hydrogen pressure of less than or equal to 300 psig within the reactor and the hydrogen removes at least some of any water present during the exposing and inhibits formation of colored byproducts.

  4. Cooling Performance Analysis of ThePrimary Cooling System ReactorTRIGA-2000Bandung

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irianto, I. D.; Dibyo, S.; Bakhri, S.; Sunaryo, G. R.

    2018-02-01

    The conversion of reactor fuel type will affect the heat transfer process resulting from the reactor core to the cooling system. This conversion resulted in changes to the cooling system performance and parameters of operation and design of key components of the reactor coolant system, especially the primary cooling system. The calculation of the operating parameters of the primary cooling system of the reactor TRIGA 2000 Bandung is done using ChemCad Package 6.1.4. The calculation of the operating parameters of the cooling system is based on mass and energy balance in each coolant flow path and unit components. Output calculation is the temperature, pressure and flow rate of the coolant used in the cooling process. The results of a simulation of the performance of the primary cooling system indicate that if the primary cooling system operates with a single pump or coolant mass flow rate of 60 kg/s, it will obtain the reactor inlet and outlet temperature respectively 32.2 °C and 40.2 °C. But if it operates with two pumps with a capacity of 75% or coolant mass flow rate of 90 kg/s, the obtained reactor inlet, and outlet temperature respectively 32.9 °C and 38.2 °C. Both models are qualified as a primary coolant for the primary coolant temperature is still below the permitted limit is 49.0 °C.

  5. CFD Study of Full-Scale Aerobic Bioreactors: Evaluation of Dynamic O2 Distribution, Gas-Liquid Mass Transfer and Reaction

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

    Humbird, David; Sitaraman, Hariswaran; Stickel, Jonathan

    If advanced biofuels are to measurably displace fossil fuels in the near term, they will have to operate at levels of scale, efficiency, and margin unprecedented in the current biotech industry. For aerobically-grown products in particular, scale-up is complex and the practical size, cost, and operability of extremely large reactors is not well understood. Put simply, the problem of how to attain fuel-class production scales comes down to cost-effective delivery of oxygen at high mass transfer rates and low capital and operating costs. To that end, very large reactor vessels (>500 m3) are proposed in order to achieve favorable economiesmore » of scale. Additionally, techno-economic evaluation indicates that bubble-column reactors are more cost-effective than stirred-tank reactors in many low-viscosity cultures. In order to advance the design of extremely large aerobic bioreactors, we have performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of bubble-column reactors. A multiphase Euler-Euler model is used to explicitly account for the spatial distribution of air (i.e., gas bubbles) in the reactor. Expanding on the existing bioreactor CFD literature (typically focused on the hydrodynamics of bubbly flows), our simulations include interphase mass transfer of oxygen and a simple phenomenological reaction representing the uptake and consumption of dissolved oxygen by submerged cells. The simulations reproduce the expected flow profiles, with net upward flow in the center of column and downward flow near the wall. At high simulated oxygen uptake rates (OUR), oxygen-depleted regions can be observed in the reactor. By increasing the gas flow to enhance mixing and eliminate depleted areas, a maximum oxygen transfer (OTR) rate is obtained as a function of superficial velocity. These insights regarding minimum superficial velocity and maximum reactor size are incorporated into NREL's larger techno-economic models to supplement standard reactor design equations.« less

  6. Analysis of granular flow in a pebble-bed nuclear reactor.

    PubMed

    Rycroft, Chris H; Grest, Gary S; Landry, James W; Bazant, Martin Z

    2006-08-01

    Pebble-bed nuclear reactor technology, which is currently being revived around the world, raises fundamental questions about dense granular flow in silos. A typical reactor core is composed of graphite fuel pebbles, which drain very slowly in a continuous refueling process. Pebble flow is poorly understood and not easily accessible to experiments, and yet it has a major impact on reactor physics. To address this problem, we perform full-scale, discrete-element simulations in realistic geometries, with up to 440,000 frictional, viscoelastic 6-cm-diam spheres draining in a cylindrical vessel of diameter 3.5m and height 10 m with bottom funnels angled at 30 degrees or 60 degrees. We also simulate a bidisperse core with a dynamic central column of smaller graphite moderator pebbles and show that little mixing occurs down to a 1:2 diameter ratio. We analyze the mean velocity, diffusion and mixing, local ordering and porosity (from Voronoi volumes), the residence-time distribution, and the effects of wall friction and discuss implications for reactor design and the basic physics of granular flow.

  7. Signs of Labor

    MedlinePlus

    ... bag of waters breaks, some women feel a big rush of water. Others feel just a trickle. ... find solutions. We're empowering families with the knowledge and tools to have healthier pregnancies. By uniting ...

  8. Eddy Current Flow Measurements in the FFTF

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

    Nielsen, Deborah L.; Polzin, David L.; Omberg, Ronald P.

    2017-02-02

    The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is the most recent liquid metal reactor (LMR) to be designed, constructed, and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The 400-MWt sodium-cooled, fast-neutron flux reactor plant was designed for irradiation testing of nuclear reactor fuels and materials for liquid metal fast breeder reactors. Following shut down of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant (CRBRP) project in 1983, FFTF continued to play a key role in providing a test bed for demonstrating performance of advanced fuel designs and demonstrating operation, maintenance, and safety of advanced liquid metal reactors. The FFTF Program provides valuablemore » information for potential follow-on reactor projects in the areas of plant system and component design, component fabrication, fuel design and performance, prototype testing, site construction, and reactor control and operations. This report provides HEDL-TC-1344, “ECFM Flow Measurements in the FFTF Using Phase-Sensitive Detectors”, March 1979.« less

  9. Cooling system for a nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Amtmann, Hans H.

    1982-01-01

    A cooling system for a gas-cooled nuclear reactor is disclosed which includes at least one primary cooling loop adapted to pass coolant gas from the reactor core and an associated steam generator through a duct system having a main circulator therein, and at least one auxiliary cooling loop having communication with the reactor core and adapted to selectively pass coolant gas through an auxiliary heat exchanger and circulator. The main and auxiliary circulators are installed in a common vertical cavity in the reactor vessel, and a common return duct communicates with the reactor core and intersects the common cavity at a junction at which is located a flow diverter valve operative to effect coolant flow through either the primary or auxiliary cooling loops.

  10. Spatial distribution of total, ammonia-oxidizing, and denitrifying bacteria in biological wastewater treatment reactors for bioregenerative life support

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sakano, Yuko; Pickering, Karen D.; Strom, Peter F.; Kerkhof, Lee J.; Janes, H. W. (Principal Investigator)

    2002-01-01

    Bioregenerative life support systems may be necessary for long-term space missions due to the high cost of lifting supplies and equipment into orbit. In this study, we investigated two biological wastewater treatment reactors designed to recover potable water for a spacefaring crew being tested at Johnson Space Center. The experiment (Lunar-Mars Life Support Test Project-Phase III) consisted of four crew members confined in a test chamber for 91 days. In order to recycle all water during the experiment, an immobilized cell bioreactor (ICB) was employed for organic carbon removal and a trickling filter bioreactor (TFB) was utilized for ammonia removal, followed by physical-chemical treatment. In this study, the spatial distribution of various microorganisms within each bioreactor was analyzed by using biofilm samples taken from four locations in the ICB and three locations in the TFB. Three target genes were used for characterization of bacteria: the 16S rRNA gene for the total bacterial community, the ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene for ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, and the nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) gene for denitrifying bacteria. A combination of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), sequence, and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the microbial community composition in the ICB and the TFB consisted mainly of Proteobacteria, low-G+C gram-positive bacteria, and a Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides group. Fifty-seven novel 16S rRNA genes, 8 novel amoA genes, and 12 new nosZ genes were identified in this study. Temporal shifts in the species composition of total bacteria in both the ICB and the TFB and ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying bacteria in the TFB were also detected when the biofilms were compared with the inocula after 91 days. This result suggests that specific microbial populations were either brought in by the crew or enriched in the reactors during the course of operation.

  11. Biofiltration of paint solvent mixtures in two reactor types: overloading by polar components.

    PubMed

    Paca, Jan; Halecky, Martin; Misiaczek, Ondrej; Kozliak, Evguenii I; Jones, Kim

    2012-01-01

    Steady-state performances of a trickle bed reactor (TBR) and a biofilter (BF) in loading experiments with increasing inlet concentrations of polar solvents, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone and n-butyl acetate, were investigated, along with the system's dynamic responses. Throughout the entire experimentation time, a constant loading rate of aromatic components of 4 g(c)·m(-3)·h(-1) was maintained to observe the interactions between the polar substrates and aromatic hydrocarbons. Under low combined substrate loadings, the BF outperformed TBR not only in the removal of aromatic hydrocarbons but also in the removal of polar substrates. However, increasing the loading rate of polar components above the threshold value of 31-36 g(c)·m(-3)·h(-1) resulted in a steep and significant drop in the removal efficiencies of both polar (except for butyl acetate) and hydrophobic components, which was more pronounced in the BF; so the relative TBR/BF efficiency became reversed under such overloading conditions. A step-drop of the overall OL(POLAR) (combined loading by polar air pollutants) from overloading values to 7 g(c)·m(-3)·h(-1) resulted in an increase of all pollutant removal efficiencies, although in TBR the recovery was preceded by lag periods lasting between 5 min (methyl ethyl ketone) to 3.7 h (acetone). The occurrence of lag periods in the TBR recovery was, in part, due to the saturation of mineral medium with water-soluble polar solvents, particularly, acetone. The observed bioreactor behavior was consistent with the biological steps being rate-limiting.

  12. MANUFACTURE OF UF$sub 4$

    DOEpatents

    Calcott, W.S.

    1959-10-13

    The manufacture of uranium tetrafluoride from urarium dioxide is described. Uranium dioxide is heated to about 500 deg C in a reactor. Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride is passed through the reactor in contact with uranium dioxide for several hours, the flow of hydrogen fluoride is discontinued, and hydrogen passed through the reactor for less than an hour. The flow of hydrogen fluoride is resumed for several hours, and then nitrogen is passed for a few minutes to expel unreacted hydrogen fluoride as water vapor. The reactor is cooled to room temperature and the uranium tetrafluoride removed.

  13. Method and apparatus for chemically altering fluids in continuous flow

    DOEpatents

    Heath, W.O.; Virden, J.W. Jr.; Richardson, R.L.; Bergsman, T.M.

    1993-10-19

    The present invention relates to a continuous flow fluid reactor for chemically altering fluids. The reactor operates on standard frequency (50 to 60 Hz) electricity. The fluid reactor contains particles that are energized by the electricity to form a corona throughout the volume of the reactor and subsequently a non-equilibrium plasma that interacts with the fluid. Particles may form a fixed bed or a fluid bed. Electricity may be provided through electrodes or through an inductive coil. Fluids include gases containing exhaust products and organic fuels requiring oxidation. 4 figures.

  14. Method and apparatus for chemically altering fluids in continuous flow

    DOEpatents

    Heath, William O.; Virden, Jr., Judson W.; Richardson, R. L.; Bergsman, Theresa M.

    1993-01-01

    The present invention relates to a continuous flow fluid reactor for chemically altering fluids. The reactor operates on standard frequency (50 to 60 Hz) electricity. The fluid reactor contains particles that are energized by the electricity to form a corona throughout the volume of the reactor and subsequently a non-equilibrium plasma that interacts with the fluid. Particles may form a fixed bed or a fluid bed. Electricity may be provided through electrodes or through an inductive coil. Fluids include gases containing exhaust products and organic fuels requiring oxidation.

  15. Performance analysis of a continuous serpentine flow reactor for electrochemical oxidation of synthetic and real textile wastewater: Energy consumption, mass transfer coefficient and economic analysis.

    PubMed

    Pillai, Indu M Sasidharan; Gupta, Ashok K

    2017-05-15

    A continuous flow electrochemical reactor was developed, and its application was tested for the treatment of textile wastewater. A parallel plate configuration with serpentine flow was chosen for the continuous flow reactor. Uniparameter optimization was carried out for electrochemical oxidation of synthetic and real textile wastewater (collected from the inlet of the effluent treatment plant). Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) removal efficiency of 90% was achieved for synthetic textile wastewater (initial COD - 780 mg L -1 ) at a flow rate of 500 mL h -1 (retention time of 6 h) and a current density of 1.15 mA cm -2 and the energy consumption for the degradation was 9.2 kWh (kg COD) -1 . The complete degradation of real textile wastewater (initial COD of 368 mg L -1 ) was obtained at a current density of 1.15 mA cm -2 , NaCl concentration of 1 g L -1 and retention time of 6 h. Energy consumption and mass transfer coefficient of the reactions were calculated. The continuous flow reactor performed better than batch reactor with reference to energy consumption and economy. The overall treatment cost for complete COD removal of real textile wastewater was 5.83 USD m -3 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Application of ATHLET/DYN3D coupled codes system for fast liquid metal cooled reactor steady state simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ivanov, V.; Samokhin, A.; Danicheva, I.; Khrennikov, N.; Bouscuet, J.; Velkov, K.; Pasichnyk, I.

    2017-01-01

    In this paper the approaches used for developing of the BN-800 reactor test model and for validation of coupled neutron-physic and thermohydraulic calculations are described. Coupled codes ATHLET 3.0 (code for thermohydraulic calculations of reactor transients) and DYN3D (3-dimensional code of neutron kinetics) are used for calculations. The main calculation results of reactor steady state condition are provided. 3-D model used for neutron calculations was developed for start reactor BN-800 load. The homogeneous approach is used for description of reactor assemblies. Along with main simplifications, the main reactor BN-800 core zones are described (LEZ, MEZ, HEZ, MOX, blankets). The 3D neutron physics calculations were provided with 28-group library, which is based on estimated nuclear data ENDF/B-7.0. Neutron SCALE code was used for preparation of group constants. Nodalization hydraulic model has boundary conditions by coolant mass-flow rate for core inlet part, by pressure and enthalpy for core outlet part, which can be chosen depending on reactor state. Core inlet and outlet temperatures were chosen according to reactor nominal state. The coolant mass flow rate profiling through the core is based on reactor power distribution. The test thermohydraulic calculations made with using of developed model showed acceptable results in coolant mass flow rate distribution through the reactor core and in axial temperature and pressure distribution. The developed model will be upgraded in future for different transient analysis in metal-cooled fast reactors of BN type including reactivity transients (control rods withdrawal, stop of the main circulation pump, etc.).

  17. MODFLOW 2.0: A program for predicting moderator flow patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peterson, P. F.; Paik, I. K.

    1991-07-01

    Sudden changes in the temperature of flowing liquids can result in transient buoyancy forces which strongly impact the flow hydrodynamics via flow stratification. These effects have been studied for the case of potential flow of stratified liquids to line sinks, but not for moderator flow in SRS reactors. Standard codes, such as TRAC and COMMIX, do not have the capability to capture the stratification effect, due to strong numerical diffusion which smears away the hot/cold fluid interface. A related problem with standard codes is the inability to track plumes injected into the liquid flow, again due to numerical diffusion. The combined effects of buoyant stratification and plume dispersion have been identified as being important in the operation of the Supplementary Safety System which injects neutron-poison ink into SRS reactors to provide safe shutdown in the event of safety rod failure. The MODFLOW code discussed here provides transient moderator flow pattern information with stratification effects, and tracks the location of ink plumes in the reactor. The code, written in Fortran, is compiled for Macintosh II computers, and includes subroutines for interactive control and graphical output. Removing the graphics capabilities, the code can also be compiled on other computers. With graphics, in addition to the capability to perform safety related computations, MODFLOW also provides an easy tool for becoming familiar with flow distributions in SRS reactors.

  18. Efficient H2O2/CH3COOH oxidative desulfurization/denitrification of liquid fuels in sonochemical flow-reactors.

    PubMed

    Calcio Gaudino, Emanuela; Carnaroglio, Diego; Boffa, Luisa; Cravotto, Giancarlo; Moreira, Elizabeth M; Nunes, Matheus A G; Dressler, Valderi L; Flores, Erico M M

    2014-01-01

    The oxidative desulfurization/denitrification of liquid fuels has been widely investigated as an alternative or complement to common catalytic hydrorefining. In this process, all oxidation reactions occur in the heterogeneous phase (the oil and the polar phase containing the oxidant) and therefore the optimization of mass and heat transfer is of crucial importance to enhancing the oxidation rate. This goal can be achieved by performing the reaction in suitable ultrasound (US) reactors. In fact, flow and loop US reactors stand out above classic batch US reactors thanks to their greater efficiency and flexibility as well as lower energy consumption. This paper describes an efficient sonochemical oxidation with H2O2/CH3COOH at flow rates ranging from 60 to 800 ml/min of both a model compound, dibenzotiophene (DBT), and of a mild hydro-treated diesel feedstock. Four different commercially available US loop reactors (single and multi-probe) were tested, two of which were developed in the authors' laboratory. Full DBT oxidation and efficient diesel feedstock desulfurization/denitrification were observed after the separation of the polar oxidized S/N-containing compounds (S≤5 ppmw, N≤1 ppmw). Our studies confirm that high-throughput US applications benefit greatly from flow-reactors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Arc dynamics of a pulsed DC nitrogen rotating gliding arc discharge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Fengsen; Zhang, Hao; Li, Xiaodong; Wu, Angjian; Yan, Jianhua; Ni, Mingjiang; Tu, Xin

    2018-03-01

    In this study, a novel pulsed direct current (DC) rotating gliding arc (RGA) plasma reactor co-driven by an external magnetic field and a tangential gas flow has been developed. The dynamic characteristics of the rotating gliding arc have been investigated by means of numerical simulation and experiment. The simulation results show that a highly turbulent vortex flow can be generated at the bottom of the RGA reactor to accelerate the arc rotation after arc ignition, whereas the magnitude of gas velocity declined significantly along the axial direction of the RGA reactor. The calculated arc rotation frequency (14.4 Hz) is reasonably close to the experimental result (18.5 Hz) at a gas flow rate of 10 l min-1. In the presence of an external magnet, the arc rotation frequency is around five times higher than that of the RGA reactor without using a magnet, which suggests that the external magnetic field plays a dominant role in the maintenance of the arc rotation in the upper zone of the RGA reactor. In addition, when the magnet is placed outside the reactor reversely to form a reverse external magnetic field, the arc can be stabilized at a fixed position in the inner wall of the outer electrode at a critical gas flow rate of 16 l min-1.

  20. Coupled reactor kinetics and heat transfer model for heat pipe cooled reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, Steven A.; Houts, Michael

    2001-02-01

    Heat pipes are often proposed as cooling system components for small fission reactors. SAFE-300 and STAR-C are two reactor concepts that use heat pipes as an integral part of the cooling system. Heat pipes have been used in reactors to cool components within radiation tests (Deverall, 1973); however, no reactor has been built or tested that uses heat pipes solely as the primary cooling system. Heat pipe cooled reactors will likely require the development of a test reactor to determine the main differences in operational behavior from forced cooled reactors. The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of a systems code capable of modeling the coupling between the reactor kinetics and heat pipe controlled heat transport. Heat transport in heat pipe reactors is complex and highly system dependent. Nevertheless, in general terms it relies on heat flowing from the fuel pins through the heat pipe, to the heat exchanger, and then ultimately into the power conversion system and heat sink. A system model is described that is capable of modeling coupled reactor kinetics phenomena, heat transfer dynamics within the fuel pins, and the transient behavior of heat pipes (including the melting of the working fluid). This paper focuses primarily on the coupling effects caused by reactor feedback and compares the observations with forced cooled reactors. A number of reactor startup transients have been modeled, and issues such as power peaking, and power-to-flow mismatches, and loading transients were examined, including the possibility of heat flow from the heat exchanger back into the reactor. This system model is envisioned as a tool to be used for screening various heat pipe cooled reactor concepts, for designing and developing test facility requirements, for use in safety evaluations, and for developing test criteria for in-pile and out-of-pile test facilities. .

  1. Mixed Convection Flow in Horizontal CVD Reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiu, Wilson K. S.; Richards, Cristy J.; Jaluria, Yogesh

    1998-11-01

    Increasing demands for high quality films and production rates are challenging current Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technology. Since film quality and deposition rates are strongly dependent on gas flow and heat transfer (W.K.S. Chiu and Y. Jaluria, ASME HTD-Vol. 347, pp. 293-311, 1997.), process improvement is obtained through the study of mixed convection flow and temperature distribution in a CVD reactor. Experimental results are presented for a CVD chamber with a horizontal or inclined resistance heated susceptor. Vaporized glycol solution illuminated by a light sheet is used for flow visualization. Temperature measurements are obtained by inserting thermocouple probes into the gas stream or embedding probes into the reactor walls. Flow visualization and temperature measurements show predominantly two dimensional flow and temperature distributions along the streamwise direction under forced convection conditions. Natural convection dominates under large heating rates and low flow rates. Over the range of parameters studied, several distinct flow regimes, characterized by instability, separation, and turbulence, are evident. Different flow regimes alter the flow pattern and temperature distribution, and in consequence, significantly modify deposition rates and uniformity.

  2. Small scale recirculating vertical flow constructed wetland (RVFCW) for the treatment and reuse of wastewater.

    PubMed

    Gross, A; Sklarz, M Y; Yakirevich, A; Soares, M I M

    2008-01-01

    The quantity of freshwater available worldwide is declining, revealing a pressing need for its more efficient use. Moreover, in many developing countries and lightly populated areas, raw wastewater is discarded into the environment posing serious ecological and health problems. Unfortunately, this situation will persist unless low-cost, effective and simple technologies are brought in. The aim of this study is to present such a treatment method, a novel setup which is termed recirculating vertical flow constructed wetland (RVFCW). The RVFCW is composed of two components: (i) a three-layer bed consisting of planted organic soil over an upper layer of filtering media (i.e. tuff or beads) and a lower layer of limestone pebbles, and (ii) a reservoir located beneath the bed. Wastewater flows directly into the plant root zone and trickles down through the three-layer bed into the reservoir, allowing passive aeration. From the reservoir the water is recirculated back to the bed, several times, until the desired purification is achieved. The results obtained show that the RVFCW is an effective and convenient strategy to treat (domestic, grey and agro) wastewater for re-use in irrigation. The system performance is expected to be further improved once current optimization experiments and mathematical modeling studies are concluded. IWA Publishing 2008.

  3. Energy efficient continuous flow ash lockhopper

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Collins, Earl R., Jr. (Inventor); Suitor, Jerry W. (Inventor); Dubis, David (Inventor)

    1989-01-01

    The invention relates to an energy efficient continuous flow ash lockhopper, or other lockhopper for reactor product or byproduct. The invention includes an ash hopper at the outlet of a high temperature, high pressure reactor vessel containing heated high pressure gas, a fluidics control chamber having an input port connected to the ash hopper's output port and an output port connected to the input port of a pressure letdown means, and a control fluid supply for regulating the pressure in the control chamber to be equal to or greater than the internal gas pressure of the reactor vessel, whereby the reactor gas is contained while ash is permitted to continuously flow from the ash hopper's output port, impelled by gravity. The main novelty resides in the use of a control chamber to so control pressure under the lockhopper that gases will not exit from the reactor vessel, and to also regulate the ash flow rate. There is also novelty in the design of the ash lockhopper shown in two figures. The novelty there is the use of annular passages of progressively greater diameter, and rotating the center parts on a shaft, with the center part of each slightly offset from adjacent ones to better assure ash flow through the opening.

  4. NEUTRONIC REACTOR SYSTEM

    DOEpatents

    Treshow, M.

    1959-02-10

    A reactor system incorporating a reactor of the heterogeneous boiling water type is described. The reactor is comprised essentially of a core submerged adwater in the lower half of a pressure vessel and two distribution rings connected to a source of water are disposed within the pressure vessel above the reactor core, the lower distribution ring being submerged adjacent to the uppcr end of the reactor core and the other distribution ring being located adjacent to the top of the pressure vessel. A feed-water control valve, responsive to the steam demand of the load, is provided in the feedwater line to the distribution rings and regulates the amount of feed water flowing to each distribution ring, the proportion of water flowing to the submerged distribution ring being proportional to the steam demand of the load. This invention provides an automatic means exterior to the reactor to control the reactivity of the reactor over relatively long periods of time without relying upon movement of control rods or of other moving parts within the reactor structure.

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

    Trianti, Nuri, E-mail: nuri.trianti@gmail.com; Nurjanah,; Su’ud, Zaki

    Thermalhydraulic of reactor core is the thermal study on fluids within the core reactor, i.e. analysis of the thermal energy transfer process produced by fission reaction from fuel to the reactor coolant. This study include of coolant temperature and reactor power density distribution. The purposes of this analysis in the design of nuclear power plant are to calculate the coolant temperature distribution and the chimney height so natural circulation could be occurred. This study was used boiling water reactor (BWR) with cylinder type reactor core. Several reactor core properties such as linear power density, mass flow rate, coolant density andmore » inlet temperature has been took into account to obtain distribution of coolant density, flow rate and pressure drop. The results of calculation are as follows. Thermal hydraulic calculations provide the uniform pressure drop of 1.1 bar for each channels. The optimum mass flow rate to obtain the uniform pressure drop is 217g/s. Furthermore, from the calculation it could be known that outlet temperature is 288°C which is the saturated fluid’s temperature within the system. The optimum chimney height for natural circulation within the system is 14.88 m.« less

  6. Automatic coolant flow control device for a nuclear reactor assembly

    DOEpatents

    Hutter, E.

    1984-01-27

    A device which controls coolant flow through a nuclear reactor assembly comprises a baffle means at the exit end of said assembly having a plurality of orifices, and a bimetallic member in operative relation to the baffle means such that at increased temperatures said bimetallic member deforms to unblock some of said orifices and allow increased coolant flow therethrough.

  7. Automatic coolant flow control device for a nuclear reactor assembly

    DOEpatents

    Hutter, Ernest

    1986-01-01

    A device which controls coolant flow through a nuclear reactor assembly comprises a baffle means at the exit end of said assembly having a plurality of orifices, and a bimetallic member in operative relation to the baffle means such that at increased temperatures said bimetallic member deforms to unblock some of said orifices and allow increased coolant flow therethrough.

  8. Hydrodynamics of Packed Bed Reactor in Low Gravity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Motil, Brian J.; Nahra, Henry K.; Balakotaiah, Vemuri

    2005-01-01

    Packed bed reactors are well known for their vast and diverse applications in the chemical industry; from gas absorption, to stripping, to catalytic conversion. Use of this type of reactor in terrestrial applications has been rather extensive because of its simplicity and relative ease of operation. Developing similar reactors for use in microgravity is critical to many space-based advanced life support systems. However, the hydrodynamics of two-phase flow packed bed reactors in this new environment and the effects of one physiochemical process on another has not been adequately assessed. Surface tension or capillary forces play a much greater role which results in a shifting in flow regime transitions and pressure drop. Results from low gravity experiments related to flow regimes and two-phase pressure drop models are presented in this paper along with a description of plans for a flight experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). Understanding the packed bed hydrodynamics and its effects on mass transfer processes in microgravity is crucial for the design of packed bed chemical or biological reactors to be used for water reclamation and other life support processes involving water purification.

  9. Analysis of fluid fuel flow to the neutron kinetics on molten salt reactor FUJI-12

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

    Aji, Indarta Kuncoro, E-mail: indartaaji@s.itb.ac.id; Waris, Abdul, E-mail: awaris@fi.itb.ac.id; Permana, Sidik

    Molten Salt Reactor is a reactor are operating with molten salt fuel flowing. This condition interpret that the neutron kinetics of this reactor is affected by the flow rate of the fuel. This research analyze effect by the alteration velocity of the fuel by MSR type Fuji-12, with fuel composition LiF-BeF{sub 2}-ThF{sub 4}-{sup 233}UF{sub 4} respectively 71.78%-16%-11.86%-0.36%. Calculation process in this study is performed numerically by SOR and finite difference method use C programming language. Data of reactivity, neutron flux, and the macroscopic fission cross section for calculation process obtain from SRAC-CITATION (Standard thermal Reactor Analysis Code) and JENDL-4.0 datamore » library. SRAC system designed and developed by JAEA (Japan Atomic Energy Agency). This study aims to observe the effect of the velocity of fuel salt to the power generated from neutron precursors at fourth year of reactor operate (last critical condition) with number of multiplication effective; 1.0155.« less

  10. Emergency core cooling system

    DOEpatents

    Schenewerk, William E.; Glasgow, Lyle E.

    1983-01-01

    A liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactor provided with an emergency core cooling system includes a reactor vessel which contains a reactor core comprising an array of fuel assemblies and a plurality of blanket assemblies. The reactor core is immersed in a pool of liquid metal coolant. The reactor also includes a primary coolant system comprising a pump and conduits for circulating liquid metal coolant to the reactor core and through the fuel and blanket assemblies of the core. A converging-diverging venturi nozzle with an intermediate throat section is provided in between the assemblies and the pump. The intermediate throat section of the nozzle is provided with at least one opening which is in fluid communication with the pool of liquid sodium. In normal operation, coolant flows from the pump through the nozzle to the assemblies with very little fluid flowing through the opening in the throat. However, when the pump is not running, residual heat in the core causes fluid from the pool to flow through the opening in the throat of the nozzle and outwardly through the nozzle to the assemblies, thus providing a means of removing decay heat.

  11. Trickle-Down Preferences: Preferential Conformity to High Status Peers in Fashion Choices.

    PubMed

    Galak, Jeff; Gray, Kurt; Elbert, Igor; Strohminger, Nina

    2016-01-01

    How much do our choices represent stable inner preferences versus social conformity? We examine conformity and consistency in sartorial choices surrounding a common life event of new norm exposure: relocation. A large-scale dataset of individual purchases of women's shoes (16,236 transactions) across five years and 2,007 women reveals a balance of conformity and consistency, moderated by changes in location socioeconomic status. Women conform to new local norms (i.e., average heel size) when moving to relatively higher status locations, but mostly ignore new local norms when moving to relatively lower status locations. In short, at periods of transition, it is the fashion norms of the rich that trickle down to consumers. These analyses provide the first naturalistic large-scale demonstration of the tension between psychological conformity and consistency, with real decisions in a highly visible context.

  12. Oscillations in the reduction of permanganate by hydrogen peroxide or by ninhydrin in a batch reactor and mixed-mode oscillations in a continuous-flow stirred tank reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tóthová, Mária; Nagy, Arpád; Treindl, Ľudovít.

    1999-01-01

    The periodical reduction of permanganate by hydrogen peroxide or by ninhydrin with transient oscillations in a closed system has been observed and discussed in relation to the first two permanganate oscillators described earlier. The mixed-mode oscillations of the permanganate-H 2O 2 oscillating system in a continuous-flow stirred tank reactor have been described.

  13. Aerodynamic drag characterization and deposition studies of irregular particles. Part 3: Analysis of flow and temperature field inside the Combustion Deposition Entrained Reactor (CDER)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Celik, I.; Katragadda, S.; Nagarajan, R.

    1990-01-01

    An experimental and numerical analysis was performed of the temperature and flow field involved in co-axial, confined, non-reacting heated jets in a drop tube reactor. An electrically heated 2-inch (50.8 mm) diameter drop tube reactor was utilized to study the jet characteristics. Profiles of gas temperature, typically in the range of 800 to 1600 K were measured in the mixing zone of the jet with a K-Type thermocouple. Measured temperatures were corrected for conduction, convection, and radiation heat losses. Because of limited access to the mixing zone, characterization of the flow field at high temperatures with laser Doppler or hot wire anemometry were impractical. A computer program which solves the full equations of motion and energy was employed to simulate the temperature and flow fields. The location of the recirculation region, the flow regimes, and the mixing phenomena were studied. The wall heating, laminar and turbulent flow regimes were considered in the simulations. The predictions are in fairly good agreement with the corrected temperature measurements provided that the flow is turbulent. The results of this study demonstrate how a numerical method and measurement can be used together to analyze the flow conditions inside a reactor which has limited access because of very high temperatures.

  14. Effect of biogenic fermentation impurities on lactic acid hydrogenation to propylene glycol.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Zhigang; Jackson, James E; Miller, Dennis J

    2008-09-01

    The effect of residual impurities from glucose fermentation to lactic acid (LA) on subsequent ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogenation of LA to propylene glycol (PG) is examined. Whereas refined LA feed exhibits stable conversion to PG over carbon-supported ruthenium catalyst in a trickle bed reactor, partially refined LA from fermentation shows a steep decline in PG production over short (<40 h) reaction times followed by a further slow decay in performance. Addition of model impurities to refined LA has varying effects: organic acids, sugars, or inorganic salts have little effect on conversion; alanine, a model amino acid, results in a strong but reversible decline in conversion via competitive adsorption between alanine and LA on the Ru surface. The sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine irreversibly poison the catalyst for LA conversion. Addition of 0.1 wt% albumin as a model protein leads to slow decline in rate, consistent with pore plugging or combined pore plugging and poisoning of the Ru surface. This study points to the need for integrated design and operation of biological processes and chemical processes in the biorefinery in order to make efficient conversion schemes viable.

  15. Phenol wastewater remediation: advanced oxidation processes coupled to a biological treatment.

    PubMed

    Rubalcaba, A; Suárez-Ojeda, M E; Stüber, F; Fortuny, A; Bengoa, C; Metcalfe, I; Font, J; Carrera, J; Fabregat, A

    2007-01-01

    Nowadays, there are increasingly stringent regulations requiring more and more treatment of industrial effluents to generate product waters which could be easily reused or disposed of to the environment without any harmful effects. Therefore, different advanced oxidation processes were investigated as suitable precursors for the biological treatment of industrial effluents containing phenol. Wet air oxidation and Fenton process were tested batch wise, while catalytic wet air oxidation and H2O2-promoted catalytic wet air oxidation processes were studied in a trickle bed reactor, the last two using over activated carbon as catalyst. Effluent characterisation was made by means of substrate conversion (using high liquid performance chromatography), chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon. Biodegradation parameters (i.e. maximum oxygen uptake rate and oxygen consumption) were obtained from respirometric tests using activated sludge from an urban biological wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The main goal was to find the proper conditions in terms of biodegradability enhancement, so that these phenolic effluents could be successfully treated in an urban biological WWTP. Results show promising research ways for the development of efficient coupled processes for the treatment of wastewater containing toxic or biologically non-degradable compounds.

  16. Dynamic characteristics of a VK-50 reactor operating under conditions of the loss of a normal feedwater flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Semidotskiy, I. I.; Kurskiy, A. S.

    2013-12-01

    The paper describes the conditions of the ATWS type with virtually complete cessation of the feed-water flow at the operating power level of a reactor of the VK-50 type. Under these conditions, the role of spatial kinetics in the system of feedback between thermohydraulic and nuclear processes with bulk boiling of the coolant in the reactor core is clearly seen. This feature determines the specific character of experimental data obtained and the suitability of their use for verification of the associated codes used for calculating water-water reactors.

  17. Characterization of a continuous agitated cell reactor for oxygen dependent biocatalysis.

    PubMed

    Toftgaard Pedersen, Asbjørn; de Carvalho, Teresa Melo; Sutherland, Euan; Rehn, Gustav; Ashe, Robert; Woodley, John M

    2017-06-01

    Biocatalytic oxidation reactions employing molecular oxygen as the electron acceptor are difficult to conduct in a continuous flow reactor because of the requirement for high oxygen transfer rates. In this paper, the oxidation of glucose to glucono-1,5-lactone by glucose oxidase was used as a model reaction to study a novel continuous agitated cell reactor (ACR). The ACR consists of ten cells interconnected by small channels. An agitator is placed in each cell, which mixes the content of the cell when the reactor body is shaken by lateral movement. Based on tracer experiments, a hydrodynamic model for the ACR was developed. The model consisted of ten tanks-in-series with back-mixing occurring within and between each cell. The back-mixing was a necessary addition to the model in order to explain the observed phenomenon that the ACR behaved as two continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) at low flow rates, while it at high flow rates behaved as the expected ten CSTRs in series. The performance of the ACR was evaluated by comparing the steady state conversion at varying residence times with the conversion observed in a stirred batch reactor of comparable size. It was found that the ACR could more than double the overall reaction rate, which was solely due to an increased oxygen transfer rate in the ACR caused by the intense mixing as a result of the spring agitators. The volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient, k L a, was estimated to be 344 h -1 in the 100 mL ACR, opposed to only 104 h -1 in a batch reactor of comparable working volume. Interestingly, the large deviation from plug flow behavior seen in the tracer experiments was found to have little influence on the conversion in the ACR, since both a plug flow reactor (PFR) model and the backflow cell model described the data sufficiently well. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1222-1230. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Synthesis of carbohydrates in a continuous flow reactor by immobilized phosphatase and aldolase.

    PubMed

    Babich, Lara; Hartog, Aloysius F; van Hemert, Lieke J C; Rutjes, Floris P J T; Wever, Ron

    2012-12-01

    Herein, we report a new flow process with immobilized enzymes to synthesize complex chiral carbohydrate analogues from achiral inexpensive building blocks in a three-step cascade reaction. The first reactor contained immobilized acid phosphatase, which phosphorylated dihydroxyacetone to dihydroxyacetone phosphate using pyrophosphate as the phosphate donor. The second flow reactor contained fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase (RAMA, rabbit muscle aldolase) or rhamnulose-1-phosphate aldolase (RhuA from Thermotoga maritima) and acid phosphatase. The immobilized aldolases coupled the formed dihydroxyacetone phosphate to aldehydes, resulting in phosphorylated carbohydrates. A final reactor containing acid phosphatase that dephosphorylated the phosphorylated product yielded the final product. Different aldehydes were used to synthesize carbohydrates on a gram scale. To demonstrate the feasibility of the flow systems, we synthesized 0.6 g of the D-fagomine precursor. By using immobilized aldolase RhuA we were also able to obtain other stereoisomers of the D-fagomine precursor. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Preliminary analysis of loss-of-coolant accident in Fukushima nuclear accident

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

    Su'ud, Zaki; Anshari, Rio

    Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) especially on Fukushima Nuclear Accident will be discussed in this paper. The Tohoku earthquake triggered the shutdown of nuclear power reactors at Fukushima Nuclear Power station. Though shutdown process has been completely performed, cooling process, at much smaller level than in normal operation, is needed to remove decay heat from the reactor core until the reactor reach cold-shutdown condition. If LOCA happen at this condition, it will cause the increase of reactor fuel and other core temperatures and can lead to reactor core meltdown and exposure of radioactive material to the environmentmore » such as in the Fukushima Dai Ichi nuclear accident case. In this study numerical simulation has been performed to calculate pressure composition, water level and temperature distribution on reactor during this accident. There are two coolant regulating system that operational on reactor unit 1 at this accident, Isolation Condensers (IC) system and Safety Relief Valves (SRV) system. Average mass flow of steam to the IC system in this event is 10 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 3,2 hours and fully uncovered in 4,7 hours later. There are two coolant regulating system at operational on reactor unit 2, Reactor Core Isolation Condenser (RCIC) System and Safety Relief Valves (SRV). Average mass flow of coolant that correspond this event is 20 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 73 hours and fully uncovered in 75 hours later. There are three coolant regulating system at operational on reactor unit 3, Reactor Core Isolation Condenser (RCIC) system, High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) system and Safety Relief Valves (SRV). Average mass flow of water that correspond this event is 15 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 37 hours and fully uncovered in 40 hours later.« less

  20. Preliminary analysis of loss-of-coolant accident in Fukushima nuclear accident

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su'ud, Zaki; Anshari, Rio

    2012-06-01

    Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) especially on Fukushima Nuclear Accident will be discussed in this paper. The Tohoku earthquake triggered the shutdown of nuclear power reactors at Fukushima Nuclear Power station. Though shutdown process has been completely performed, cooling process, at much smaller level than in normal operation, is needed to remove decay heat from the reactor core until the reactor reach cold-shutdown condition. If LOCA happen at this condition, it will cause the increase of reactor fuel and other core temperatures and can lead to reactor core meltdown and exposure of radioactive material to the environment such as in the Fukushima Dai Ichi nuclear accident case. In this study numerical simulation has been performed to calculate pressure composition, water level and temperature distribution on reactor during this accident. There are two coolant regulating system that operational on reactor unit 1 at this accident, Isolation Condensers (IC) system and Safety Relief Valves (SRV) system. Average mass flow of steam to the IC system in this event is 10 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 3,2 hours and fully uncovered in 4,7 hours later. There are two coolant regulating system at operational on reactor unit 2, Reactor Core Isolation Condenser (RCIC) System and Safety Relief Valves (SRV). Average mass flow of coolant that correspond this event is 20 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 73 hours and fully uncovered in 75 hours later. There are three coolant regulating system at operational on reactor unit 3, Reactor Core Isolation Condenser (RCIC) system, High Pressure Coolant Injection (HPCI) system and Safety Relief Valves (SRV). Average mass flow of water that correspond this event is 15 kg/s and could keep reactor core from uncovered about 37 hours and fully uncovered in 40 hours later.

  1. Development of a Reduced-Order Three-Dimensional Flow Model for Thermal Mixing and Stratification Simulation during Reactor Transients

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

    Hu, Rui

    2017-09-03

    Mixing, thermal-stratification, and mass transport phenomena in large pools or enclosures play major roles for the safety of reactor systems. Depending on the fidelity requirement and computational resources, various modeling methods, from the 0-D perfect mixing model to 3-D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models, are available. Each is associated with its own advantages and shortcomings. It is very desirable to develop an advanced and efficient thermal mixing and stratification modeling capability embedded in a modern system analysis code to improve the accuracy of reactor safety analyses and to reduce modeling uncertainties. An advanced system analysis tool, SAM, is being developedmore » at Argonne National Laboratory for advanced non-LWR reactor safety analysis. While SAM is being developed as a system-level modeling and simulation tool, a reduced-order three-dimensional module is under development to model the multi-dimensional flow and thermal mixing and stratification in large enclosures of reactor systems. This paper provides an overview of the three-dimensional finite element flow model in SAM, including the governing equations, stabilization scheme, and solution methods. Additionally, several verification and validation tests are presented, including lid-driven cavity flow, natural convection inside a cavity, laminar flow in a channel of parallel plates. Based on the comparisons with the analytical solutions and experimental results, it is demonstrated that the developed 3-D fluid model can perform very well for a wide range of flow problems.« less

  2. Integrated horizontal-flow anaerobic and radial-flow aerobic reactors for the removal of organic matter and nitrogen from domestic sewage.

    PubMed

    Vieira, L G T; Fazolo, A; Zaiat, M; Foresti, E

    2003-01-01

    This paper presents the conception and discusses the results obtained from the operation of an integrated biological anaerobic/aerobic/anaerobic system composed of horizontal-flow anaerobic and radial-flow aerobic reactors for domestic sewage treatment. The performance of a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor, with five stages,followed by a radial-flow aerobic immobilized biomass reactor was evaluated along 22 weeks. After the 14th week, the last stage of the HAIB reactor was used as a denitrifying unit. Polyurethane foam cubic matrices with 1-cm sides were used as support for biomass immobilization in all the units. The influent domestic sewage presented mean chemical oxygen demand of 365 +/- 71 mg. 1(-1) and the temperature was 23 +/- 3degrees C. The integrated system achieved COD removal efficiency of 90% while the maximum ammonium removal efficiency was 97% in the aerobic post-treatment unit. The nitrification process was found to be better represented by first-order reactions in series model. The apparent first-order kinetic coefficient for nitrate formation was about 50 times higher than that estimated for the nitrite formation. The denitrification process was well represented by a Monod-type kinetic model. The maximum specific denitrifying rate and the half-saturation coefficient were 2.9 x 10(-4) mg NO(3)(-)-N mg(-1) VSS h(-1) and 19.4 mg NO(3)(-)-N 1(-1), respectively.

  3. Electrochemical study of multi-electrode microbial fuel cells under fed-batch and continuous flow conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Lijiao; Ahn, Yongtae; Hou, Huijie; Zhang, Fang; Logan, Bruce E.

    2014-07-01

    Power production of four hydraulically connected microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was compared with the reactors operated using individual electrical circuits (individual), and when four anodes were wired together and connected to four cathodes all wired together (combined), in fed-batch or continuous flow conditions. Power production under these different conditions could not be made based on a single resistance, but instead required polarization tests to assess individual performance relative to the combined MFCs. Based on the power curves, power produced by the combined MFCs (2.12 ± 0.03 mW, 200 Ω) was the same as the summed power (2.13 mW, 50 Ω) produced by the four individual reactors in fed-batch mode. With continuous flow through the four MFCs, the maximum power (0.59 ± 0.01 mW) produced by the combined MFCs was slightly lower than the summed maximum power of the four individual reactors (0.68 ± 0.02 mW). There was a small parasitic current flow from adjacent anodes and cathodes, but overall performance was relatively unaffected. These findings demonstrate that optimal power production by reactors hydraulically and electrically connected can be predicted from performance by individual reactors.

  4. Passive containment cooling system

    DOEpatents

    Conway, Lawrence E.; Stewart, William A.

    1991-01-01

    A containment cooling system utilizes a naturally induced air flow and a gravity flow of water over the containment shell which encloses a reactor core to cool reactor core decay heat in two stages. When core decay heat is greatest, the water and air flow combine to provide adequate evaporative cooling as heat from within the containment is transferred to the water flowing over the same. The water is heated by heat transfer and then evaporated and removed by the air flow. After an initial period of about three to four days when core decay heat is greatest, air flow alone is sufficient to cool the containment.

  5. Hydrodynamic study of an internal airlift reactor for microalgae culture.

    PubMed

    Rengel, Ana; Zoughaib, Assaad; Dron, Dominique; Clodic, Denis

    2012-01-01

    Internal airlift reactors are closed systems considered today for microalgae cultivation. Several works have studied their hydrodynamics but based on important solid concentrations, not with biomass concentrations usually found in microalgae cultures. In this study, an internal airlift reactor has been built and tested in order to clarify the hydrodynamics of this system, based on microalgae typical concentrations. A model is proposed taking into account the variation of air bubble velocity according to volumetric air flow rate injected into the system. A relationship between riser and downcomer gas holdups is established, which varied slightly with solids concentrations. The repartition of solids along the reactor resulted to be homogenous for the range of concentrations and volumetric air flow rate studied here. Liquid velocities increase with volumetric air flow rate, and they vary slightly when solids are added to the system. Finally, liquid circulation time found in each section of the reactor is in concordance with those employed in microalgae culture.

  6. Electrochemical treatment of tannery effluent using a battery integrated DC-DC converter and solar PV power supply--an approach towards environment and energy management.

    PubMed

    Iyappan, K; Basha, C Ahmed; Saravanathamizhan, R; Vedaraman, N; Tahiyah Nou Shene, C A; Begum, S Nathira

    2014-01-01

    Electrochemical oxidation of tannery effluent was carried out in batch, batch recirculation and continuous reactor configurations under different conditions using a battery-integrated DC-DC converter and solar PV power supply. The effect of current density, electrolysis time and fluid flow rate on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and energy consumption has been evaluated. The results of batch reactor show that a COD reduction of 80.85% to 96.67% could be obtained. The results showed that after 7 h of operation at a current density of 2.5 A dm(-2) and flow rate of 100 L h(-1) in batch recirculation reactor, the removal of COD is 82.14% and the specific energy consumption was found to be 5.871 kWh (kg COD)(-1) for tannery effluent. In addition, the performance of single pass flow reactors (single and multiple reactors) system of various configurations are analyzed.

  7. Experimental investigation and CFD analysis on cross flow in the core of PMR200

    DOE PAGES

    Lee, Jeong -Hun; Yoon, Su -Jong; Cho, Hyoung -Kyu; ...

    2015-04-16

    The Prismatic Modular Reactor (PMR) is one of the major Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) concepts, which consists of hexagonal prismatic fuel blocks and reflector blocks made of nuclear gradegraphite. However, the shape of the graphite blocks could be easily changed by neutron damage duringthe reactor operation and the shape change can create gaps between the blocks inducing the bypass flow.In the VHTR core, two types of gaps, a vertical gap and a horizontal gap which are called bypass gap and cross gap, respectively, can be formed. The cross gap complicates the flow field in the reactor core by connectingmore » the coolant channel to the bypass gap and it could lead to a loss of effective coolant flow in the fuel blocks. Thus, a cross flow experimental facility was constructed to investigate the cross flow phenomena in the core of the VHTR and a series of experiments were carried out under varying flow rates and gap sizes. The results of the experiments were compared with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis results in order to verify its prediction capability for the cross flow phenomena. Fairly good agreement was seen between experimental results and CFD predictions and the local characteristics of the cross flow was discussed in detail. Based on the calculation results, pressure loss coefficient across the cross gap was evaluated, which is necessary for the thermo-fluid analysis of the VHTR core using a lumped parameter code.« less

  8. The synthesis of cadmium sulfide nanoplatelets using a novel continuous flow sonochemical reactor

    DOE PAGES

    Palanisamy, Barath; Paul, Brian; Chang, Chih -hung

    2015-01-21

    A continuous flow sonochemical reactor was developed capable of producing metastable cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoplatelets with thicknesses at or below 10 nm. The continuous flow sonochemical reactor included the passive in-line micromixing of reagents prior to sonochemical reaction. Synthesis results were compared with those from reactors involving batch conventional heating and batch ultrasound-induced heating. The continuous sonochemical synthesis was found to result in high aspect ratio hexagonal platelets of CdS possessing cubic crystal structures with thicknesses well below 10 nm. The unique shape and crystal structure of the nanoplatelets are suggestive of high localized temperatures within the sonochemical process. Asmore » a result, the particle size uniformity and product throughput are much higher for the continuous sonochemical process in comparison to the batch sonochemical process and conventional synthesis processes.« less

  9. Automatic safety rod for reactors. [LMFBR

    DOEpatents

    Germer, J.H.

    1982-03-23

    An automatic safety rod for a nuclear reactor containing neutron absorbing material and designed to be inserted into a reactor core after a loss-of-flow. Actuation is based upon either a sudden decrease in core pressure drop or the pressure drop decreases below a predetermined minimum value. The automatic control rod includes a pressure regulating device whereby a controlled decrease in operating pressure due to reduced coolant flow does not cause the rod to drop into the core.

  10. Automatic safety rod for reactors

    DOEpatents

    Germer, John H.

    1988-01-01

    An automatic safety rod for a nuclear reactor containing neutron absorbing material and designed to be inserted into a reactor core after a loss-of-core flow. Actuation is based upon either a sudden decrease in core pressure drop or the pressure drop decreases below a predetermined minimum value. The automatic control rod includes a pressure regulating device whereby a controlled decrease in operating pressure due to reduced coolant flow does not cause the rod to drop into the core.

  11. Determination of the Arrhenius Activation Energy Using a Temperature-Programmed Flow Reactor.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Kit-ha C.; Tse, R. S.

    1984-01-01

    Describes a novel method for the determination of the Arrhenius activation energy, without prejudging the validity of the Arrhenius equation or the concept of activation energy. The method involves use of a temperature-programed flow reactor connected to a concentration detector. (JN)

  12. Attrition reactor system

    DOEpatents

    Scott, Charles D.; Davison, Brian H.

    1993-01-01

    A reactor vessel for reacting a solid particulate with a liquid reactant has a centrifugal pump in circulatory flow communication with the reactor vessel for providing particulate attrition, resulting in additional fresh surface where the reaction can occur.

  13. 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

  14. A Geostatistical Approach to the Trickle Irrigation Design in a Heterogeneous Soil 2. A Field Test

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Russo, David

    1984-05-01

    In a heterogeneous field in which the soil water properties vary under a "deterministic" uniform trickle irrigation system, the midway soil-water pressure head hc and the yield of a crop also differ from place to place. These differences may, in turn, reduce the average (over the field) yield relative to the yield that would be obtained if the soil was uniform throughout the field. A field experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that this yield reduction may be eliminated by using a spatially variable trickle irrigation system. Twenty-five plots (200 m2 each) were established on a 30-m2 grid. Half of each plot was equipped with a standard trickle irrigation system with constant spacing between emitters of d = 50 cm (control plots), and the other half was equipped with a trickle irrigation system for which the spacing between the emitters was selected by using the pertinent hydraulic properties (the saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks and the soil parameter α) according to the procedure of Bresler (1978) as described in paper 1 (Russo, 1983b). Values of hc measured at different times, as well as the total fruit yield Y of bell pepper (Capsicum frutescens var. "Maor"), were used to estimate the seasonal and the spatial distributions of hc and the spatial distribution of Y and their moments. The variograms of hc and Y were calculated and used to estimate their integral scales. It was found that the use of a spatially variable d relative to the use of a uniform d did not change the seasonal behavior of hc but reduced the spatial variability in hc and Y by 35% and 11%, respectively, and increased the integral scale of hc and Y by 30% and 10%, respectively, but increased the average total fruit yield by only 1.9%. The use of a spatially variable d reduced the dependence of Y on hc. This indicates that when the emitters are properly spaced, it is not the water but other factors that most influence yield. When a constant d was used, the dependence of Y of hc decreased with time. This and the relatively good agreement between the values of hc measured at the initial stages of the growing season and those calculated in paper 1 demonstrate that the concept of hc is important in the early stages of the plant's growth, when the root system is not fully developed. Both the theoretical (paper 1) and the experimental results showed that although Ks and α, as well as hc, varied considerably in the field the spatial variability of the crop yield was relatively small. This explains why the use of a spatially variable d essentially was not an improvement over the fixed d. It is suggested that this study will be considered as a methodological one, which can be adapted to solve practical problems associated with field spatial variability.

  15. KINETIC STUDY OF ADSORPTION AND TRANSFORMATION OF MERCURY ON FLY ASH PARTICLES IN AN ENTRAINED FLOW REACTOR

    EPA Science Inventory

    Experimental studies were performed to investigate the interactions of elemental mercury vapor with entrained fly ash particles from coal combustion in a flow reactor. The rate of transformation of elemental mercury on fly ash particles was evauated over the temperature range fro...

  16. STUDY OF MERCURY OXIDATION BY SCR CATALYST IN AN ENTRAINED-FLOW REACTOR UNDER SIMULATED PRB CONDITIONS

    EPA Science Inventory

    A bench-scale entrained-flow reactor system was constructed for studying elemental mercury oxidation under selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction conditions. Simulated flue gas was doped with fly ash collected from a subbituminous Powder River Basin (PRB) coal-fired boiler ...

  17. MTBE BIODEGRADATION IN A GRAVITY FLOW, HIGH-BIOMASS RETAINING BIOREACTOR

    EPA Science Inventory

    The aerobic biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MtBE), a widely used fuel oxygenate, was investigated using a pilot-scale biomass-retaining bioreactor called a Biomass Concentrator Reactor (BCR). The reactor was operated for a year at a flow rate of 2500 L/d on Ci...

  18. Jet pump-drive system for heat removal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    French, J. R. (Inventor)

    1985-01-01

    A jet pump, in combination with a TEMP, is employed to assure safe cooling of a nuclear reactor after shutdown. A TEMP, responsive to the heat from the coolant in the secondary flow path, automatically pumps the withdrawn coolant to a higher pressure and thus higher velocity compared to the main flow. The high velocity coolant is applied as a driver flow for the jet pump which has a main flow chamber located in the main flow circulation pump. Upon nuclear shutdown and loss of power for the main reactor pumping system, the TEMP/jet pump combination continues to boost the coolant flow in the direction it is already circulating. During the decay time for the nuclear reactor, the jet pump keeps running until the coolant temperature drops to a lower and safe temperature. At this lower temperature, the TEMP/jet jump combination ceases its circulation boosting operation. The TEMP/jet pump combination is automatic, self-regulating and provides an emergency pumping system free of moving parts.

  19. Attrition reactor system

    DOEpatents

    Scott, C.D.; Davison, B.H.

    1993-09-28

    A reactor vessel for reacting a solid particulate with a liquid reactant has a centrifugal pump in circulatory flow communication with the reactor vessel for providing particulate attrition, resulting in additional fresh surface where the reaction can occur. 2 figures.

  20. FAST NEUTRON REACTOR

    DOEpatents

    Soodak, H.; Wigner, E.P.

    1961-07-25

    A reactor comprising fissionable material in concentration sufficiently high so that the average neutron enengy within the reactor is at least 25,000 ev is described. A natural uranium blanket surrounds the reactor, and a moderating reflector surrounds the blanket. The blanket is thick enough to substantially eliminate flow of neutrons from the reflector.

  1. Multi channel thermal hydraulic analysis of gas cooled fast reactor using genetic algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drajat, R. Z.; Su'ud, Z.; Soewono, E.; Gunawan, A. Y.

    2012-05-01

    There are three analyzes to be done in the design process of nuclear reactor i.e. neutronic analysis, thermal hydraulic analysis and thermodynamic analysis. The focus in this article is the thermal hydraulic analysis, which has a very important role in terms of system efficiency and the selection of the optimal design. This analysis is performed in a type of Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) using cooling Helium (He). The heat from nuclear fission reactions in nuclear reactors will be distributed through the process of conduction in fuel elements. Furthermore, the heat is delivered through a process of heat convection in the fluid flow in cooling channel. Temperature changes that occur in the coolant channels cause a decrease in pressure at the top of the reactor core. The governing equations in each channel consist of mass balance, momentum balance, energy balance, mass conservation and ideal gas equation. The problem is reduced to finding flow rates in each channel such that the pressure drops at the top of the reactor core are all equal. The problem is solved numerically with the genetic algorithm method. Flow rates and temperature distribution in each channel are obtained here.

  2. Particle bed reactor modeling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sapyta, Joe; Reid, Hank; Walton, Lew

    1993-01-01

    The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: particle bed reactor (PBR) core cross section; PBR bleed cycle; fuel and moderator flow paths; PBR modeling requirements; characteristics of PBR and nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) modeling; challenges for PBR and NTP modeling; thermal hydraulic computer codes; capabilities for PBR/reactor application; thermal/hydralic codes; limitations; physical correlations; comparison of predicted friction factor and experimental data; frit pressure drop testing; cold frit mask factor; decay heat flow rate; startup transient simulation; and philosophy of systems modeling.

  3. Connected motorcycle crash warning interfaces.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-01-15

    Crash warning systems have been deployed in the high-end vehicle market segment for some time and are trickling down to additional motor vehicle industry segments each year. The motorcycle segment, however, has no deployed crash warning system to dat...

  4. Long-term storage of nickel-hydrogen cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vaidyanathan, Hari

    1987-01-01

    Representative samples of nickel hydrogen cells for the INTELSAT program were used to evaluate the effects of prolonged storage under passive conditions such as open circuit discharged at 0 C, room temperature, and -20 C, and under quasidynamic conditions such as top-off charge and trickle charge. Cell capacity declines when cells are stored open-circuit discharged at room temperature, and a second plateau occurs in the discharge curve. Capacity loss was 47 percent for a cell with hydrogen precharge and 24.5 percent for one with no hydrogen precharge. Capacity recovery was observed following top-off charge storage of cells which had exhibited faded capacity as a result of passive storage at room temperature. Cells stored either at -20 C or on trickle charge maintained their capacity. At 0 C storage, the capacity of all three cells under tests was greater than 55 Ah (which exceeds the required minimum of 44 Ah) after 7 months.

  5. Trickle-Down Preferences: Preferential Conformity to High Status Peers in Fashion Choices

    PubMed Central

    Galak, Jeff; Gray, Kurt; Elbert, Igor; Strohminger, Nina

    2016-01-01

    How much do our choices represent stable inner preferences versus social conformity? We examine conformity and consistency in sartorial choices surrounding a common life event of new norm exposure: relocation. A large-scale dataset of individual purchases of women’s shoes (16,236 transactions) across five years and 2,007 women reveals a balance of conformity and consistency, moderated by changes in location socioeconomic status. Women conform to new local norms (i.e., average heel size) when moving to relatively higher status locations, but mostly ignore new local norms when moving to relatively lower status locations. In short, at periods of transition, it is the fashion norms of the rich that trickle down to consumers. These analyses provide the first naturalistic large-scale demonstration of the tension between psychological conformity and consistency, with real decisions in a highly visible context. PMID:27144595

  6. The Development of Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysis in Flow.

    PubMed

    Garlets, Zachary J; Nguyen, John D; Stephenson, Corey R J

    2014-04-01

    Visible-light photoredox catalysis has recently emerged as a viable alternative for radical reactions otherwise carried out with tin and boron reagents. It has been recognized that by merging photoredox catalysis with flow chemistry, slow reaction times, lower yields, and safety concerns may be obviated. While flow reactors have been successfully applied to reactions carried out with UV light, only recent developments have demonstrated the same potential of flow reactors for the improvement of visible-light-mediated reactions. This review examines the initial and continuing development of visible-light-mediated photoredox flow chemistry by exemplifying the benefits of flow chemistry compared with conventional batch techniques.

  7. The Development of Visible-Light Photoredox Catalysis in Flow

    PubMed Central

    Garlets, Zachary J.; Nguyen, John D.

    2014-01-01

    Visible-light photoredox catalysis has recently emerged as a viable alternative for radical reactions otherwise carried out with tin and boron reagents. It has been recognized that by merging photoredox catalysis with flow chemistry, slow reaction times, lower yields, and safety concerns may be obviated. While flow reactors have been successfully applied to reactions carried out with UV light, only recent developments have demonstrated the same potential of flow reactors for the improvement of visible-light-mediated reactions. This review examines the initial and continuing development of visible-light-mediated photoredox flow chemistry by exemplifying the benefits of flow chemistry compared with conventional batch techniques. PMID:25484447

  8. Bioclogging in Porous Media: Preferential Flow Paths and Anomalous Transport

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holzner, M.; Carrel, M.; Morales, V.; Derlon, N.; Beltran, M. A.; Morgenroth, E.; Kaufmann, R.

    2016-12-01

    Biofilms are sessile communities of microorganisms held together by an extracellular polymeric substance that enables surface colonization. In porous media (e.g. soils, trickling filters etc.) biofilm growth has been shown to affect the hydrodynamics in a complex fashion at the pore-scale by clogging individual pores and enhancing preferential flow pathways and anomalous transport. These phenomena are a direct consequence of microbial growth and metabolism, mass transfer processes and complex flow velocity fields possibly exhibiting pronounced three-dimensional features. Despite considerable past work, however, it is not fully understood how bioclogging interacts with flow and mass transport processes in porous media. In this work we use imaging techniques to determine the flow velocities and the distribution of biofilm in a porous medium. Three-dimensional millimodels are packed with a transparent porous medium and a glucose solution to match the optical refractive index. The models are inoculated with planktonic wildtype bacteria and biofilm cultivated for 60 h under a constant flow and nutrient conditions. The pore flow velocities in the increasingly bioclogged medium are measured using 3D particle tracking velocimetry (3D-PTV). The three-dimensional spatial distribution of the biofilm within the pore space is assessed by imaging the model with X-Ray microtomography. We find that biofilm growth increases the complexity of the pore space, leading to the formation of preferential flow pathways and "dead" pore zones. The probability of persistent high and low velocity regions (within preferential paths resp. stagnant flow regions) thus increases upon biofilm growth, leading to an enhancement of anomalous transport. The structural data seems to indicate that the largest pores are not getting clogged and carry the preferential flow, whereas intricated structures develop in the smallest pores, where the flow becomes almost stagnant. These findings may be relevant for applications such as bioremediation of contaminated aquifers, groundwater injection wells for geothermal or drinking water purposes, tertiary oil recovery.

  9. Neutron radiography experiments for verification of soluble boron mixing and transport modeling under natural circulation conditions

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

    Feltus, M.A.; Morlang, G.M.

    1996-06-01

    The use of neutron radiography for visualization of fluid flow through flow visualization modules has been very successful. Current experiments at the Penn State Breazeale Reactor serve to verify the mixing and transport of soluble boron under natural flow conditions as would be experienced in a pressurized water reactor. Different flow geometries have been modeled including holes, slots, and baffles. Flow modules are constructed of aluminum box material 1 1/2 inches by 4 inches in varying lengths. An experimental flow system was built which pumps fluid to a head tank and natural circulation flow occurs from the head tank throughmore » the flow visualization module to be radiographed. The entire flow system is mounted on a portable assembly to allow placement of the flow visualization module in front of the neutron beam port. A neutron-transparent fluorinert fluid is used to simulate water at different densities. Boron is modeled by gadolinium oxide powder as a tracer element, which is placed in a mixing assembly and injected into the system by remote operated electric valve, once the reactor is at power. The entire sequence is recorded on real-time video. Still photographs are made frame-by-frame from the video tape. Computers are used to digitally enhance the video and still photographs. The data obtained from the enhancement will be used for verification of simple geometry predictions using the TRAC and RELAP thermal-hydraulic codes. A detailed model of a reactor vessel inlet plenum, downcomer region, flow distribution area and core inlet is being constructed to model the AP600 plenum. Successive radiography experiments of each section of the model under identical conditions will provide a complete vessel/core model for comparison with the thermal-hydraulic codes.« less

  10. A Computer Model for Analyzing Volatile Removal Assembly

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Guo, Boyun

    2010-01-01

    A computer model simulates reactional gas/liquid two-phase flow processes in porous media. A typical process is the oxygen/wastewater flow in the Volatile Removal Assembly (VRA) in the Closed Environment Life Support System (CELSS) installed in the International Space Station (ISS). The volatile organics in the wastewater are combusted by oxygen gas to form clean water and carbon dioxide, which is solved in the water phase. The model predicts the oxygen gas concentration profile in the reactor, which is an indicator of reactor performance. In this innovation, a mathematical model is included in the computer model for calculating the mass transfer from the gas phase to the liquid phase. The amount of mass transfer depends on several factors, including gas-phase concentration, distribution, and reaction rate. For a given reactor dimension, these factors depend on pressure and temperature in the reactor and composition and flow rate of the influent.

  11. Apparatus for controlling coolant level in a liquid-metal-cooled nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Jones, Robert D.

    1978-01-01

    A liquid-metal-cooled fast-breeder reactor which has a thermal liner spaced inwardly of the pressure vessel and includes means for passing bypass coolant through the annulus between the thermal liner and the pressure vessel to insulate the pressure vessel from hot outlet coolant includes control ports in the thermal liner a short distance below the normal operating coolant level in the reactor and an overflow nozzle in the pressure vessel below the control ports connected to an overflow line including a portion at an elevation such that overflow coolant flow is established when the coolant level in the reactor is above the top of the coolant ports. When no makeup coolant is added, bypass flow is inwardly through the control ports and there is no overflow; when makeup coolant is being added, coolant flow through the overflow line will maintain the coolant level.

  12. Prediction of acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials in batch and plug flow reactors.

    PubMed

    Jaramillo, Oscar Johnny; Gómez-García, Miguel Ángel; Fontalvo, Javier

    2013-08-01

    This study unifies contradictory conclusions reported in literature on acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials, using batch and plug flow reactors, regarding the influence of the initial liquid ratio of acid aqueous solution to solid lignocellulosic material on sugar yield and concentration. The proposed model takes into account the volume change of the reaction media during the hydrolysis process. An error lower than 8% was found between predictions, using a single set of kinetic parameters for several liquid to solid ratios, and reported experimental data for batch and plug flow reactors. For low liquid-solid ratios, the poor wetting and the acid neutralization, due to the ash presented in the solid, will both reduce the sugar yield. Also, this study shows that both reactors are basically equivalent in terms of the influence of the liquid to solid ratio on xylose and glucose yield. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Combustion synthesis continuous flow reactor

    DOEpatents

    Maupin, G.D.; Chick, L.A.; Kurosky, R.P.

    1998-01-06

    The present invention is a reactor for combustion synthesis of inorganic powders. The reactor includes a reaction vessel having a length and a first end and a second end. The reaction vessel further has a solution inlet and a carrier gas inlet. The reactor further has a heater for heating both the solution and the carrier gas. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction vessel is heated and the solution is in contact with the heated reaction vessel. It is further preferred that the reaction vessel be cylindrical and that the carrier gas is introduced tangentially into the reaction vessel so that the solution flows helically along the interior wall of the reaction vessel. As the solution evaporates and combustion produces inorganic material powder, the carrier gas entrains the powder and carries it out of the reactor. 10 figs.

  14. Combustion synthesis continuous flow reactor

    DOEpatents

    Maupin, Gary D.; Chick, Lawrence A.; Kurosky, Randal P.

    1998-01-01

    The present invention is a reactor for combustion synthesis of inorganic powders. The reactor includes a reaction vessel having a length and a first end and a second end. The reaction vessel further has a solution inlet and a carrier gas inlet. The reactor further has a heater for heating both the solution and the carrier gas. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction vessel is heated and the solution is in contact with the heated reaction vessel. It is further preferred that the reaction vessel be cylindrical and that the carrier gas is introduced tangentially into the reaction vessel so that the solution flows helically along the interior wall of the reaction vessel. As the solution evaporates and combustion produces inorganic material powder, the carrier gas entrains the powder and carries it out of the reactor.

  15. The determination of nonylphenol and its precursors in a trickling filter wastewater treatment process.

    PubMed

    Petrie, Bruce; McAdam, Ewan J; Whelan, Mick J; Lester, John N; Cartmell, Elise

    2013-04-01

    An ultra performance liquid chromatography method coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was developed to determine nonylphenol and 15 of its possible precursors (nonylphenol ethoxylates and nonylphenol carboxylates) in aqueous and particulate wastewater matrices. Final effluent method detection limits for all compounds ranged from 1.4 to 17.4 ng l(-1) in aqueous phases and from 1.4 to 39.4 ng g(-1) in particulate phases of samples. The method was used to measure the performance of a trickling filter wastewater treatment works, which are not routinely monitored despite their extensive usage. Relatively good removals of nonylphenol were observed over the biological secondary treatment process, accounting for a 53 % reduction. However, only an 8 % reduction in total nonylphenolic compound load was observed. This was explained by a shortening in ethoxylate chain length which initiated production of shorter polyethoxylates ranging from 1 to 4 ethoxylate units in length in final effluents. Modelling the possible impact of trickling filter discharge demonstrated that the nonylphenol environmental quality standard may be exceeded in receiving waters with low dilution ratios. In addition, there is a possibility that the EQS can be exceeded several kilometres downstream of the mixing zone due to the biotransformation of readily degradable short-chained precursors. This accentuates the need to monitor 'non-priority' parent compounds in wastewater treatment works since monitoring nonylphenol alone can give a false indication of process performance. It is thus recommended that future process performance monitoring and optimisation is undertaken using the full suite of nonylphenolic moieties which this method can facilitate.

  16. Continuous flow synthesis of ZSM-5 zeolite on the order of seconds

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Zhendong; Okabe, Kotatsu; Anand, Chokkalingam; Yonezawa, Yasuo; Zhu, Jie; Yamada, Hiroki; Endo, Akira; Yanaba, Yutaka; Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Ohara, Koji; Okubo, Tatsuya; Wakihara, Toru

    2016-01-01

    The hydrothermal synthesis of zeolites carried out in batch reactors takes a time so long (typically, on the order of days) that the crystallization of zeolites has long been believed to be very slow in nature. We herein present a synthetic process for ZSM-5, an industrially important zeolite, on the order of seconds in a continuous flow reactor using pressurized hot water as a heating medium. Direct mixing of a well-tuned precursor (90 °C) with the pressurized water preheated to extremely high temperature (370 °C) in the millimeter-sized continuous flow reactor resulted in immediate heating to high temperatures (240–300 °C); consequently, the crystallization of ZSM-5 in a seed-free system proceeded to completion within tens of or even several seconds. These results indicate that the crystallization of zeolites can complete in a period on the order of seconds. The subtle design combining a continuous flow reactor with pressurized hot water can greatly facilitate the mass production of zeolites in the future. PMID:27911823

  17. Research and proposal on selective catalytic reduction reactor optimization for industrial boiler.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yiming; Li, Jian; He, Hong

    2017-08-24

    The advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software STAR-CCM+ was used to simulate a denitrification (De-NOx) project for a boiler in this paper, and the simulation result was verified based on a physical model. Two selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reactors were developed: reactor 1 was optimized and reactor 2 was developed based on reactor 1. Various indicators, including gas flow field, ammonia concentration distribution, temperature distribution, gas incident angle, and system pressure drop were analyzed. The analysis indicated that reactor 2 was of outstanding performance and could simplify developing greatly. Ammonia injection grid (AIG), the core component of the reactor, was studied; three AIGs were developed and their performances were compared and analyzed. The result indicated that AIG 3 was of the best performance. The technical indicators were proposed for SCR reactor based on the study. Flow filed distribution, gas incident angle, and temperature distribution are subjected to SCR reactor shape to a great extent, and reactor 2 proposed in this paper was of outstanding performance; ammonia concentration distribution is subjected to ammonia injection grid (AIG) shape, and AIG 3 could meet the technical indicator of ammonia concentration without mounting ammonia mixer. The developments above on the reactor and the AIG are both of great application value and social efficiency.

  18. Visualizing and quantifying dose distribution in a UV reactor using three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence.

    PubMed

    Gandhi, Varun N; Roberts, Philip J W; Kim, Jae-Hong

    2012-12-18

    Evaluating the performance of typical water treatment UV reactors is challenging due to the complexity in assessing spatial and temporal variation of UV fluence, resulting from highly unsteady, turbulent nature of flow and variation in UV intensity. In this study, three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence (3DLIF) was applied to visualize and quantitatively analyze a lab-scale UV reactor consisting of one lamp sleeve placed perpendicular to flow. Mapping the spatial and temporal fluence delivery and MS2 inactivation revealed the highest local fluence in the wake zone due to longer residence time and higher UV exposure, while the lowest local fluence occurred in a region near the walls due to short-circuiting flow and lower UV fluence rate. Comparing the tracer based decomposition between hydrodynamics and IT revealed similar coherent structures showing the dependency of fluence delivery on the reactor flow. The location of tracer injection, varying the height and upstream distance from the lamp center, was found to significantly affect the UV fluence received by the tracer. A Lagrangian-based analysis was also employed to predict the fluence along specific paths of travel, which agreed with the experiments. The 3DLIF technique developed in this study provides new insight on dose delivery that fluctuates both spatially and temporally and is expected to aid design and optimization of UV reactors as well as validate computational fluid dynamics models that are widely used to simulate UV reactor performances.

  19. 3D-printed devices for continuous-flow organic chemistry.

    PubMed

    Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Rosnes, Mali H; Kitson, Philip J; Cronin, Leroy

    2013-01-01

    We present a study in which the versatility of 3D-printing is combined with the processing advantages of flow chemistry for the synthesis of organic compounds. Robust and inexpensive 3D-printed reactionware devices are easily connected using standard fittings resulting in complex, custom-made flow systems, including multiple reactors in a series with in-line, real-time analysis using an ATR-IR flow cell. As a proof of concept, we utilized two types of organic reactions, imine syntheses and imine reductions, to show how different reactor configurations and substrates give different products.

  20. The electrical characteristics of the dielectric barrier discharges

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

    Yehia, Ashraf, E-mail: yehia30161@yahoo.com; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516

    2016-06-15

    The electrical characteristics of the dielectric barrier discharges have been studied in this paper under different operating conditions. The dielectric barrier discharges were formed inside two reactors composed of electrodes in the shape of two parallel plates. The dielectric layers inside these reactors were pasted on the surface of one electrode only in the first reactor and on the surfaces of the two electrodes in the second reactor. The reactor under study has been fed by atmospheric air that flowed inside it with a constant rate at the normal temperature and pressure, in parallel with applying a sinusoidal ac voltagemore » between the electrodes of the reactor. The amount of the electric charge that flows from the reactors to the external circuit has been studied experimentally versus the ac peak voltage applied to them. An analytical model has been obtained for calculating the electrical characteristics of the dielectric barrier discharges that were formed inside the reactors during a complete cycle of the ac voltage. The results that were calculated by using this model have agreed well with the experimental results under the different operating conditions.« less

  1. Startup and oxygen concentration effects in a continuous granular mixed flow autotrophic nitrogen removal reactor.

    PubMed

    Varas, Rodrigo; Guzmán-Fierro, Víctor; Giustinianovich, Elisa; Behar, Jack; Fernández, Katherina; Roeckel, Marlene

    2015-08-01

    The startup and performance of the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process was tested in a continuously fed granular bubble column reactor (BCR) with two different aeration strategies: controlling the oxygen volumetric flow and oxygen concentration. During the startup with the control of oxygen volumetric flow, the air volume was adjusted to 60mL/h and the CANON reactor had volumetric N loadings ranging from 7.35 to 100.90mgN/Ld with 36-71% total nitrogen removal and high instability. In the second stage, the reactor was operated at oxygen concentrations of 0.6, 0.4 and 0.2mg/L. The best condition was 0.2 mgO2/L with a total nitrogen removal of 75.36% with a CANON reactor activity of 0.1149gN/gVVSd and high stability. The feasibility and effectiveness of CANON processes with oxygen control was demonstrated, showing an alternative design tool for efficiently removing nitrogen species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flows Through Packed Bed Reactors in Microgravity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Motil, Brian J.; Balakotaiah, Vemuri

    2001-01-01

    The simultaneous flow of gas and liquid through a fixed bed of particles occurs in many unit operations of interest to the designers of space-based as well as terrestrial equipment. Examples include separation columns, gas-liquid reactors, humidification, drying, extraction, and leaching. These operations are critical to a wide variety of industries such as petroleum, pharmaceutical, mining, biological, and chemical. NASA recognizes that similar operations will need to be performed in space and on planetary bodies such as Mars if we are to achieve our goals of human exploration and the development of space. The goal of this research is to understand how to apply our current understanding of two-phase fluid flow through fixed-bed reactors to zero- or partial-gravity environments. Previous experiments by NASA have shown that reactors designed to work on Earth do not necessarily function in a similar manner in space. Two experiments, the Water Processor Assembly and the Volatile Removal Assembly have encountered difficulties in predicting and controlling the distribution of the phases (a crucial element in the operation of this type of reactor) as well as the overall pressure drop.

  3. Measurement of Turbulent Fluxes of Swirling Flow in a Scaled Up Multi Inlet Vortex Reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olsen, Michael; Hitimana, Emmanual; Hill, James; Fox, Rodney

    2017-11-01

    The multi-inlet vortex reactor (MIVR) has been developed for use in the FlashNanoprecipitation (FNP) process. The MIVR has four identical square inlets connected to a central cylindrical mixing chamber with one common outlet creating a highly turbulent swirling flow dominated by a strong vortex in the center. Efficient FNP requires rapid mixing within the MIVR. To investigate the mixing, instantaneous velocity and concentration fields were acquired using simultaneous stereoscopic particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence. The simultaneous velocity and concentration data were used to determine turbulent fluxes and spatial cross-correlations of velocity and concentration fluctuations. The measurements were performed for four inlet flow Reynolds numbers (3250, 4875, 6500, and 8125) and at three measurement planes within the reactor. A correlation between turbulent fluxes and vortex strength was found. For all Reynolds numbers, turbulent fluxes are maximum in the vortex dominated central region of the reactor and decay away from the vortex. Increasing Reynolds number increased turbulent fluxes and subsequently enhanced mixing. The mixing performance was confirmed by determining coefficients of concentration variance within the reactor.

  4. Characteristics of trapping various organophosphorus pesticides with a ferritin reactor of shark liver (Sphyrna zygaena).

    PubMed

    Huang, He-Qing; Xiao, Zhi-Qun; Lin, Qing-Mei; Chen, Ping

    2005-03-15

    A reactor is composed of liver ferritin of Sphyrna zygaena (SZLF) and an oscillating bag. A reactive procedure for trapping various organphosphorus pesticides (OPs) with the SZLF reactor in the flowing water is described in detail, showing the maximal trapping numbers of 28 +/-1.0 dichlorovos/SZLF, 42 +/- 1.0 dimethoate/SZLF, and 55 +/- 1.0 methamido-phos/SZLF determined by a improved spectrophotometric method in 12 h. In addition, it is found that the OP numbers trapped by the reactor increase along with the incubation time and its concentration increment in the flowing water (or seawater), respectively. This trapping capacity is considered to depend on the composition of amino acids on the surface of the ferritin shell interior rather than the available volume within the shell. A novel pathway for trapping various OPs with the ferritin is suggested in reference to unstable characteristics of the protein subunits. We claim that the ferritin reactor will be employed to monitor the contamination level of various OPs in the flowing water continuously.

  5. Carbofuran removal in continuous-photocatalytic reactor: Reactor optimization, rate-constant determination and carbofuran degradation pathway analysis.

    PubMed

    Vishnuganth, M A; Remya, Neelancherry; Kumar, Mathava; Selvaraju, N

    2017-05-04

    Carbofuran (CBF) removal in a continuous-flow photocatalytic reactor with granular activated carbon supported titanium dioxide (GAC-TiO 2 ) catalyst was investigated. The effects of feed flow rate, TiO 2 concentration and addition of supplementary oxidants on CBF removal were investigated. The central composite design (CCD) was used to design the experiments and to estimate the effects of feed flow rate and TiO 2 concentration on CBF removal. The outcome of CCD experiments demonstrated that reactor performance was influenced mainly by feed flow rate compared to TiO 2 concentration. A second-order polynomial model developed based on CCD experiments fitted the experimental data with good correlation (R 2 ∼ 0.964). The addition of 1 mL min -1 hydrogen peroxide has shown complete CBF degradation and 76% chemical oxygen demand removal under the following operating conditions of CBF ∼50 mg L -1 , TiO 2 ∼5 mg L -1 and feed flow rate ∼82.5 mL min -1 . Rate constant of the photodegradation process was also calculated by applying the kinetic data in pseudo-first-order kinetics. Four major degradation intermediates of CBF were identified using GC-MS analysis. As a whole, the reactor system and GAC-TiO 2 catalyst used could be constructive in cost-effective CBF removal with no impact to receiving environment through getaway of photocatalyst.

  6. NEUTRONIC REACTOR POWER PLANT

    DOEpatents

    Metcalf, H.E.

    1962-12-25

    This patent relates to a nuclear reactor power plant incorporating an air-cooled, beryllium oxide-moderated, pebble bed reactor. According to the invention means are provided for circulating a flow of air through tubes in the reactor to a turbine and for directing a sidestream of the circu1ating air through the pebble bed to remove fission products therefrom as well as assist in cooling the reactor. (AEC)

  7. Nitrate removal with lateral flow sulphur autotrophic denitrification reactor.

    PubMed

    Lv, Xiaomei; Shao, Mingfei; Li, Ji; Xie, Chuanbo

    2014-01-01

    An innovative lateral flow sulphur autotrophic denitrification (LFSAD) reactor was developed in this study; the treatment performance was evaluated and compared with traditional sulphur/limestone autotrophic denitrification (SLAD) reactor. Results showed that nitrite accumulation in the LFSAD reactor was less than 1.0 mg/L during the whole operation. Denitrification rate increased with the increased initial alkalinity and was approaching saturation when initial alkalinity exceeded 2.5 times the theoretical value. Higher influent nitrate concentration could facilitate nitrate removal capacity. In addition, denitrification efficiency could be promoted under an appropriate reflux ratio, and the highest nitrate removal percentage was achieved under reflux ratio of 200%, increased by 23.8% than that without reflux. Running resistance was only about 1/9 of that in SLAD reactor with equal amount of nitrate removed, which was the prominent excellence of the new reactor. In short, this study indicated that the developed reactor was feasible for nitrate removal from waters with lower concentrations, including contaminated surface water, groundwater or secondary effluent of municipal wastewater treatment with fairly low running resistance. The innovation in reactor design in this study may bring forth new ideas of reactor development of sulphur autotrophic denitrification for nitrate-contaminated water treatment.

  8. A High Performance Biofilter for VOC Emission Control.

    PubMed

    Wu, G; Conti, B; Leroux, A; Brzezinski, R; Viel, G; Heitz, M

    1999-02-01

    Biofiltration is a cleaning technique for waste air contaminated with some organic compounds. The advantages of the conventional biofilter over other biological systems are a high-superficial area best suited for the treatment of some compounds with poor water solubility, ease of operation, and low operating costs. It has crucial disadvantages, however; for example, it is not suitable to treat waste gases with high VOC concentrations and it has poor control of reaction conditions. To improve on these problems and to build a high-performance biofilter, three structured peat media and two trickling systems have been introduced in this study. The influences of media size and composition have been investigated experimentally. Peat bead blended with 30% (w/w) certain mineral material with a good binding capacity has advantages over other packing materials, for example, suitable size to prevent blockage due to microbial growth, strong buffering capacity to neutralize acidic substances in the system, and a pH range of 7.0-7.2 suitable for the growth of bacteria. Dropwise trickling system offers an effective measure to easily control the moisture content of the bed and the reaction conditions (pH, nutrient) and to partially remove excess biomass produced during the metabolic processes of microorganisms. The influence of nutrient supplementation has also been investigated in this study, which has revealed that the biological system was in a condition of nutrient limitation instead of carbon limitation. The biofilters built in our laboratory were used to treat waste gas contaminated with toluene in a concentration range of 1 to 3.2 g/m 3 and at the specific gas flow rate of 24 to120 m 3 /m 2 .hr. Under the conditions employed, a high elimination capacity (135 g/m 3 .hr) was obtained in the biofilter packed with peat beads (blended with 30% of the mineral material), and no blockage problem was observed in an experimental period of 2-3 months.

  9. A NEUTRONIC REACTOR

    DOEpatents

    Luebke, E.A.; Vandenberg, L.B.

    1959-09-01

    A nuclear reactor for producing thermoelectric power is described. The reactor core comprises a series of thermoelectric assemblies, each assembly including fissionable fuel as an active element to form a hot junction and a thermocouple. The assemblies are disposed parallel to each other to form spaces and means are included for Introducing an electrically conductive coolant between the assemblies to form cold junctions of the thermocouples. An electromotive force is developed across the entire series of the thermoelectric assemblies due to fission heat generated in the fuel causing a current to flow perpendicular to the flow of coolant and is distributed to a load outside of the reactor by means of bus bars electrically connected to the outermost thermoelectric assembly.

  10. 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

  11. Progressing batch hydrolysis process

    DOEpatents

    Wright, J.D.

    1985-01-10

    A progressive batch hydrolysis process is disclosed for producing sugar from a lignocellulosic feedstock. It comprises passing a stream of dilute acid serially through a plurality of percolation hydrolysis reactors charged with feed stock, at a flow rate, temperature and pressure sufficient to substantially convert all the cellulose component of the feed stock to glucose. The cooled dilute acid stream containing glucose, after exiting the last percolation hydrolysis reactor, serially fed through a plurality of pre-hydrolysis percolation reactors, charged with said feedstock, at a flow rate, temperature and pressure sufficient to substantially convert all the hemicellulose component of said feedstock to glucose. The dilute acid stream containing glucose is cooled after it exits the last prehydrolysis reactor.

  12. Progressing batch hydrolysis process

    DOEpatents

    Wright, John D.

    1986-01-01

    A progressive batch hydrolysis process for producing sugar from a lignocellulosic feedstock, comprising passing a stream of dilute acid serially through a plurality of percolation hydrolysis reactors charged with said feedstock, at a flow rate, temperature and pressure sufficient to substantially convert all the cellulose component of the feedstock to glucose; cooling said dilute acid stream containing glucose, after exiting the last percolation hydrolysis reactor, then feeding said dilute acid stream serially through a plurality of prehydrolysis percolation reactors, charged with said feedstock, at a flow rate, temperature and pressure sufficient to substantially convert all the hemicellulose component of said feedstock to glucose; and cooling the dilute acid stream containing glucose after it exits the last prehydrolysis reactor.

  13. Applying flow chemistry: methods, materials, and multistep synthesis.

    PubMed

    McQuade, D Tyler; Seeberger, Peter H

    2013-07-05

    The synthesis of complex molecules requires control over both chemical reactivity and reaction conditions. While reactivity drives the majority of chemical discovery, advances in reaction condition control have accelerated method development/discovery. Recent tools include automated synthesizers and flow reactors. In this Synopsis, we describe how flow reactors have enabled chemical advances in our groups in the areas of single-stage reactions, materials synthesis, and multistep reactions. In each section, we detail the lessons learned and propose future directions.

  14. Modification of UASB reactor by using CFD simulations for enhanced treatment of municipal sewage.

    PubMed

    Das, Suprotim; Sarkar, Supriya; Chaudhari, Sanjeev

    2018-02-01

    Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) has been in use since last few decades for the treatment of organic wastewaters. However, the performance of UASB reactor is quite low for treatment of low strength wastewaters (LSWs) due to less biogas production leading to poor mixing. In the present research work, a modification was done in the design of UASB to improve mixing of reactor liquid which is important to enhance the reactor performance. The modified UASB (MUASB) reactor was designed by providing a slanted baffle along the height of the reactor having an angle of 5.7° with the vertical wall. A two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of three phase gas-liquid-solid flow in MUASB reactor was performed and compared with conventional UASB reactor. The CFD study indicated better mixing in terms of vorticity magnitude in MUASB reactor as compared to conventional UASB, which was reflected in the reactor performance. The performance of MUASB was compared with conventional UASB reactor for the onsite treatment of domestic sewage as LSW. Around 16% higher total chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency was observed in MUASB reactor as compared to conventional UASB during this study. Therefore, this MUASB model demonstrates a qualitative relationship between mixing and performance during the treatment of LSW. From the study, it seems that MUASB holds promise for field applications.

  15. Modeling of Gallium Nitride Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meyyappan, Meyya; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

    1997-01-01

    A reactor model for the hydride vapor phase epitaxy of GaN is presented. The governing flow, energy, and species conservation equations are solved in two dimensions to examine the growth characteristics as a function of process variables and reactor geometry. The growth rate varies with GaCl composition but independent of NH3 and H2 flow rates. A change in carrier gas for Ga source from H2 to N2 affects the growth rate and uniformity for a fixed reactor configuration. The model predictions are in general agreement with observed experimental behavior.

  16. Hydrogeological Analysis and Groundwater Flow for C-Reactor Area with Contaminant Transport for C-Reactor Seepage Basins (CRSB) and C-Area Burning/Rubble Pit (CBRP)

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

    FLACH, GREGORYP.

    1999-12-01

    A groundwater flow model encompassing approximately 4 mi2 within C Reactor area has been developed. The objectives and goals of the C Reactor Area groundwater model are to: Provide a common hydrogeologic and groundwater flow modeling framework for C Area that can be easily updated as additional field data is collected from waste site investigations. Provide a baseline groundwater flow model for use in subsequent flow and transport simulations for remedial/feasibility studies for C Area waste sites. Provide baseline transport simulations for CBRP and CRSB that reconstruct historical contaminant distributions and simulate future plume migration from each waste unit. Providemore » a working groundwater flow model for particle tracking and analysis to guide subsequent field characterization activities. The model incorporates historical and current field characterization data up through spring 1999. The model simulates groundwater flow within the area bounded to the west and north by Fourmile Branch, to the south by Caster Creek, and to the east by a line between Fourmile Branch and the headwaters of Caster Creek. Vertically the model extends from ground surface to the top of the Gordon aquifer. The chosen areal grid is 14,600 by 13,200 feet with a resolution of 200 feet. The model accurately reproduces groundwater flow directions from the CBRP and CRSB, and matches targets for hydraulic head, recharge and baseflow within calibration goals. The hydrogeologic model reflects aquifer heterogeneity as derived from CPT lithologic data.« less

  17. Safety and the Human Factor.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Ann

    1982-01-01

    Discusses four elements of safety programs: (1) safety training; (2) safety inspections; (3) accident investigations; and (4) protective safety equipment. Also discusses safety considerations in water/wastewater treatment facilities focusing on falls, drowning hazards, trickling filters, confined space entry, collection/distribution system safety,…

  18. 10 CFR Appendix E to Part 50 - Emergency Planning and Preparedness for Production and Utilization Facilities

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... could communicate with a safety system. In this case, appropriate isolation devices would be required at..., feedwater flow, and reactor power; (2) Safety injection: Reactor core isolation cooling flow, high-pressure... data points identified in the ERDS Data Point Library 9 (site specific data base residing on the ERDS...

  19. 10 CFR Appendix E to Part 50 - Emergency Planning and Preparedness for Production and Utilization Facilities

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... could communicate with a safety system. In this case, appropriate isolation devices would be required at..., feedwater flow, and reactor power; (2) Safety injection: Reactor core isolation cooling flow, high-pressure... data points identified in the ERDS Data Point Library 9 (site specific data base residing on the ERDS...

  20. THE EFFECT OF WATER (VAPOR-PHASE) AND CARBON ON ELEMENTAL MERCURY REMOVAL IN A FLOW REACTOR

    EPA Science Inventory

    The paper gives results of studying the effect of vapor-phase moisture on elemental mercury (Hgo) removal by activated carbon (AC) in a flow reactor. tests involved injecting AC into both a dry and a 4% moisture nitrogen (N2) /Hgo gas stream. A bituminous-coal-based AC (Calgon WP...

  1. 40 CFR 63.107 - Identification of process vents subject to this subpart.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... process vents associated with an air oxidation reactor, distillation unit, or reactor that is in a source.... (b) Some, or all, of the gas stream originates as a continuous flow from an air oxidation reactor... specified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (3) of this section. (1) Is directly from an air oxidation reactor...

  2. Parametric study of natural circulation flow in molten salt fuel in molten salt reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pauzi, Anas Muhamad; Cioncolini, Andrea; Iacovides, Hector

    2015-04-01

    The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is one of the most promising system proposed by Generation IV Forum (GIF) for future nuclear reactor systems. Advantages of the MSR are significantly larger compared to other reactor system, and is mainly achieved from its liquid nature of fuel and coolant. Further improvement to this system, which is a natural circulating molten fuel salt inside its tube in the reactor core is proposed, to achieve advantages of reducing and simplifying the MSR design proposed by GIF. Thermal hydraulic analysis on the proposed system was completed using a commercial computation fluid dynamics (CFD) software called FLUENT by ANSYS Inc. An understanding on theory behind this unique natural circulation flow inside the tube caused by fission heat generated in molten fuel salt and tube cooling was briefly introduced. Currently, no commercial CFD software could perfectly simulate natural circulation flow, hence, modeling this flow problem in FLUENT is introduced and analyzed to obtain best simulation results. Results obtained demonstrate the existence of periodical transient nature of flow problem, hence improvements in tube design is proposed based on the analysis on temperature and velocity profile. Results show that the proposed system could operate at up to 750MW core power, given that turbulence are enhanced throughout flow region, and precise molten fuel salt physical properties could be defined. At the request of the authors and the Proceedings Editor the name of the co-author Andrea Cioncolini was corrected from Andrea Coincolini. The same name correction was made in the Acknowledgement section on page 030004-10 and in reference number 4. The updated article was published on 11 May 2015.

  3. Stabilized three-stage oxidation of DME/air mixture in a micro flow reactor with a controlled temperature profile

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

    Oshibe, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Hisashi; Tezuka, Takuya

    Ignition and combustion characteristics of a stoichiometric dimethyl ether (DME)/air mixture in a micro flow reactor with a controlled temperature profile which was smoothly ramped from room temperature to ignition temperature were investigated. Special attention was paid to the multi-stage oxidation in low temperature condition. Normal stable flames in a mixture flow in the high velocity region, and non-stationary pulsating flames and/or repetitive extinction and ignition (FREI) in the medium velocity region were experimentally confirmed as expected from our previous study on a methane/air mixture. In addition, stable double weak flames were observed in the low velocity region for themore » present DME/air mixture case. It is the first observation of stable double flames by the present methodology. Gas sampling was conducted to obtain major species distributions in the flow reactor. The results indicated that existence of low-temperature oxidation was conjectured by the production of CH{sub 2}O occured in the upstream side of the experimental first luminous flame, while no chemiluminescence from it was seen. One-dimensional computation with detailed chemistry and transport was conducted. At low mixture velocities, three-stage oxidation was confirmed from profiles of the heat release rate and major chemical species, which was broadly in agreement with the experimental results. Since the present micro flow reactor with a controlled temperature profile successfully presented the multi-stage oxidations as spatially separated flames, it is shown that this flow reactor can be utilized as a methodology to separate sets of reactions, even for other practical fuels, at different temperature. (author)« less

  4. Reflux cooling experiments on the NCSU scaled PWR facility

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

    Doster, J.M.; Giavedoni, E.

    1993-01-01

    Under loss of forced circulation, coupled with the loss or reduction in primary side coolant inventory, horizontal stratified flows can develop in the hot and cold legs of pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Vapor produced in the reactor vessel is transported through the hot leg to the steam generator tubes where it condenses and flows back to the reactor vessel. Within the steam generator tubes, the flow regimes may range from countercurrent annular flow to single-phase convection. As a result, a number of heat transfer mechanisms are possible, depending on the loop configuration, total heat transfer rate, and the steam flowmore » rate within the tubes. These include (but are not limited to) two-phase natural circulation, where the condensate flows concurrent to the vapor stream and is transported to the cold leg so that the entire reactor coolant loop is active, and reflux cooling, where the condensate flows back down the interior of the coolant tubes countercurrent to the vapor stream and is returned to the reactor vessel through the hot leg. While operating in the reflux cooling mode, the cold leg can effectively be inactive. Heat transfer can be further influenced by noncondensables in the vapor stream, which accumulate within the upper regions of the steam generator tube bundle. In addition to reducing the steam generator's effective heat transfer area, under these conditions operation under natural circulation may not be possible, and reflux cooling may be the only viable heat transfer mechanism. The scaled PWR (SPWR) facility in the nuclear engineering department at North Carolina State Univ. (NCSU) is being used to study the effectiveness of two-phase natural circulation and reflux cooling under conditions associated with loss of forced circulation, midloop coolant levels, and noncondensables in the primary coolant system.« less

  5. Autonomous sensor particle for parameter tracking in large vessels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thiele, Sebastian; Da Silva, Marco Jose; Hampel, Uwe

    2010-08-01

    A self-powered and neutrally buoyant sensor particle has been developed for the long-term measurement of spatially distributed process parameters in the chemically harsh environments of large vessels. One intended application is the measurement of flow parameters in stirred fermentation biogas reactors. The prototype sensor particle is a robust and neutrally buoyant capsule, which allows free movement with the flow. It contains measurement devices that log the temperature, absolute pressure (immersion depth) and 3D-acceleration data. A careful calibration including an uncertainty analysis has been performed. Furthermore, autonomous operation of the developed prototype was successfully proven in a flow experiment in a stirred reactor model. It showed that the sensor particle is feasible for future application in fermentation reactors and other industrial processes.

  6. Degradation of trichloroethylene by photocatalysis in an internally circulating slurry bubble column reactor.

    PubMed

    Jeon, Jin Hee; Kim, Sang Done; Lim, Tak Hyoung; Lee, Dong Hyun

    2005-08-01

    The effects of initial trichloroethylene (TCE) concentration, recirculating liquid flow rate and gas velocity on photodegradation of TCE have been determined in an internally circulating slurry bubble column reactor (0.15m-ID x 0.85 m-high). Titanium dioxide (TiO2) powder was employed as a photocatalyst and the optimum loading of TiO2 in the present system is found to be approximately 0.2 wt%. The stripping fraction of TCE by air flow increases but photodegradation fraction of TCE decreases with increasing the initial TCE concentration, recirculating liquid flow rate and gas velocity. The average removal efficiency of TCE is found to be approximately 97% in an internally circulating slurry bubble column reactor.

  7. A peculiar segmented flow microfluidics for isoquercitrin biosynthesis based on coupling of reaction and separation.

    PubMed

    Gong, An; Gu, Shuang-Shuang; Wang, Jun; Sheng, Sheng; Wu, Fu-An

    2015-10-01

    A segmented flow containing a buffer-ionic liquid/solvent in a micro-channel reactor was applied to synthesize isoquercitrin by the hesperidinase-catalyzed selective hydrolysis of rutin, based on a novel system of reaction coupling with separation. Within the developed microchannel reactor with one T-shaped inlet and outlet, the maximum isoquercitrin yield (101.7 ± 2.6%) was achieved in 20 min at 30 °C and 4 μL/min. Compared with a continuous-flow reactor, reaction rate was increased 4-fold due to a glycine-sodium hydroxide:[Bmim][BF4]/glycerol triacetate (1:1, v/v) system that formed a slug flow in microchannel and significantly increased mass transfer rates. The mass transfer coefficient significantly increased and exhibited a linear relationship with the flow rate. Hesperidinase could be efficiently reused at least 5 times, without losing any activity. The bonding mechanism and secondary structure of hesperidinase indicated that hesperidinase had a greater affinity to rutin at a production rate of 4 μL/min in this segmented flow microreactor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effects of turbulence modelling on prediction of flow characteristics in a bench-scale anaerobic gas-lift digester.

    PubMed

    Coughtrie, A R; Borman, D J; Sleigh, P A

    2013-06-01

    Flow in a gas-lift digester with a central draft-tube was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and different turbulence closure models. The k-ω Shear-Stress-Transport (SST), Renormalization-Group (RNG) k-∊, Linear Reynolds-Stress-Model (RSM) and Transition-SST models were tested for a gas-lift loop reactor under Newtonian flow conditions validated against published experimental work. The results identify that flow predictions within the reactor (where flow is transitional) are particularly sensitive to the turbulence model implemented; the Transition-SST model was found to be the most robust for capturing mixing behaviour and predicting separation reliably. Therefore, Transition-SST is recommended over k-∊ models for use in comparable mixing problems. A comparison of results obtained using multiphase Euler-Lagrange and singlephase approaches are presented. The results support the validity of the singlephase modelling assumptions in obtaining reliable predictions of the reactor flow. Solver independence of results was verified by comparing two independent finite-volume solvers (Fluent-13.0sp2 and OpenFOAM-2.0.1). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Continuous production of tritium in an isotope-production reactor with a separate circulation system

    DOEpatents

    Cawley, W.E.; Omberg, R.P.

    1982-08-19

    A method is described for producing tritium in a fast breeder reactor cooled with liquid metal. Lithium is allowed to flow through the reactor in separate loops in order to facilitate the production and removal of tritium.

  10. Organic Synthesis in a Spinning Tube-in-Tube (STT¢) Reactor

    EPA Science Inventory

    Continuous-flow reactors have been designed to minimize and potentially overcome the limitations of heat and mass transfer that are encountered in chemical reactors and further experienced upon scale up of a reaction. With process intensification, optimization of the reaction i...

  11. Variable flow control for a nuclear reactor control rod

    DOEpatents

    Carleton, Richard D.; Bhattacharyya, Ajay

    1978-01-01

    A variable flow control for a control rod assembly of a nuclear reactor that depends on turbulent friction though an annulus. The annulus is formed by a piston attached to the control rod drive shaft and a housing or sleeve fitted to the enclosure housing the control rod. As the nuclear fuel is burned up and the need exists for increased reactivity, the control rods are withdrawn, which increases the length of the annulus and decreases the rate of coolant flow through the control rod assembly.

  12. Highly effective synthesis of a cobalt(ii) metal-organic coordination polymer by using continuous flow chemistry.

    PubMed

    Gong, Chunhua; Zhang, Junyong; Zeng, Xianghua; Xie, Jingli

    2016-12-20

    The coordination polymer [Co 2 L 4 (H 2 O) 2 ]·CH 3 CN·H 2 O (HL = (E)-2-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)vinyl]-8-hydroxyquinoline) has been achieved with 95% yield by using an Asia flow synthesis system (chip reactor). Compared with the conventional batch-type methods such as diffusion, reflux and solvothermal reactions, higher yielding reactions carried out in a flow reactor have demonstrated that this technique is a powerful strategy to obtain coordination compounds.

  13. On The Stability Of Model Flows For Chemical Vapour Deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Robert

    2016-11-01

    The flow in a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) reactor is assessed. The reactor is modelled as a flow over an infinite-radius rotating disk, where the mean flow and convective instability of the disk boundary layer are measured. Temperature-dependent viscosity and enforced axial flow are used to model the steep temperature gradients present in CVD reactors and the pumping of the gas towards the disk, respectively. Increasing the temperature-dependence parameter of the fluid viscosity (ɛ) results in an overall narrowing of the fluid boundary layer. Increasing the axial flow strength parameter (Ts) accelerates the fluid both radially and axially, while also narrowing the thermal boundary layer. It is seen that when both effects are imposed, the effects of axial flow generally dominate those of the viscosity temperature dependence. A local stability analysis is performed and the linearized stability equations are solved using a Galerkin projection in terms of Chebyshev polynomials. The neutral stability curves are then plotted for a range of ɛ and Ts values. Preliminary results suggest that increasing Ts has a stabilising effect on both type I and type II stationary instabilities, while small increases in ɛ results in a significant reduction to the critical Reynolds number.

  14. 3D-printed devices for continuous-flow organic chemistry

    PubMed Central

    Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Rosnes, Mali H; Kitson, Philip J

    2013-01-01

    Summary We present a study in which the versatility of 3D-printing is combined with the processing advantages of flow chemistry for the synthesis of organic compounds. Robust and inexpensive 3D-printed reactionware devices are easily connected using standard fittings resulting in complex, custom-made flow systems, including multiple reactors in a series with in-line, real-time analysis using an ATR-IR flow cell. As a proof of concept, we utilized two types of organic reactions, imine syntheses and imine reductions, to show how different reactor configurations and substrates give different products. PMID:23766811

  15. The startup of the Dodewaard natural circulation boiling water reactor -- Experiences

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

    Nissen, W.H.M.; Van Der Voet, J.; Karuza, J.

    1994-07-01

    Because of its similarity to the simplified boiling water reactor (SBWR), the Dodewaard natural circulation boiling water reactor (BWR) is of special interest to further development of the SBWR design. It has become especially important to gain more insight into the Dodewaard BWR behavior during startup, paying special attention to its stability. Therefore, special instrumentation was used by means of which a series of measurements were taken during the two startups in February and June 1992. The results obtained from these measurements are used to deepen insight into the recirculation flow and the stability of the reactor during startup undermore » conditions with a normal pressure/power trajectory. They have already shown a very early recirculation flow onset during low-power operation and no indication of reactor instability. Furthermore, they will be used as a basis for the research program investigating the reactor behavior under different pressure/power conditions, which is scheduled for next year.« less

  16. Non-Intrusive Velocity Measurements with MTV During DCC Event in the HTTF

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Andre, M. A.; Bardet, P. M.; Cadell, S. R.; Woods, B.; Burns, R. A.; Danehy, P. M.

    2017-01-01

    Velocity profiles are measured using molecular tagging velocimetry (MTV) in the high temperature test facility (HTTF) at Oregon State University during a depressurized conduction cooldown (DCC) event. The HTTF is a quarter scale electrically heated nuclear reactor simulator designed to replicate various accident scenarios. During a DCC, a double ended guillotine break results in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) depressurizing into the reactor cavity and ultimately leading to air ingress in the reactor core (lock-exchange and gas diffusion). It is critical to understand the resulting buoyancy-driven flow to characterize the reactor self-cooling capacity through natural circulation. During tests conducted at ambient pressure and temperature, the RPV containing helium is opened (via the hot and cold legs) to a large vessel filled with nitrogen to simulate the atmosphere. The velocity profile on the hot leg pipe centerline is recorded at 10 Hz with MTV based on NO tracers. The precision of the velocimetry was measured to be 0.02 m/s in quiescent flow prior to the tests. A helium flow from the RPV is initially observed in the top quarter of the pipe. During the first 20 seconds of the event, helium flows out of the RPV with a maximum velocity below 2 m/s. The velocity profile transitions from parabolic to linear in character and decays slowly over the rest of the recording; peak velocities of 0.2 m/s are observed after 30 min. A counter-flow of nitrogen is also observed intermittently, which occurs at lower velocities (>0.1 m/s).

  17. Liquid uranium alloy-helium fission reactor

    DOEpatents

    Minkov, V.

    1984-06-13

    This invention describes a nuclear fission reactor which has a core vessel and at least one tandem heat exchanger vessel coupled therewith across upper and lower passages to define a closed flow loop. Nuclear fuel such as a uranium alloy in its liquid phase fills these vessels and flow passages. Solid control elements in the reactor core vessel are adapted to be adjusted relative to one another to control fission reaction of the liquid fuel therein. Moderator elements in the other vessel and flow passages preclude fission reaction therein. An inert gas such as helium is bubbled upwardly through the heat exchanger vessel operable to move the liquid fuel upwardly therein and unidirectionally around the closed loop and downwardly through the core vessel. This helium gas is further directed to heat conversion means outside of the reactor vessels to utilize the heat from the fission reaction to generate useful output. The nuclear fuel operates in the 1200 to 1800/sup 0/C range, and even higher to 2500/sup 0/C.

  18. Partial nitrification using aerobic granules in continuous-flow reactor: rapid startup.

    PubMed

    Wan, Chunli; Sun, Supu; Lee, Duu-Jong; Liu, Xiang; Wang, Li; Yang, Xue; Pan, Xiangliang

    2013-08-01

    This study applied a novel strategy to rapid startup of partial nitrification in continuous-flow reactor using aerobic granules. Mature aerobic granules were first cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor at high chemical oxygen demand in 16 days. The strains including the Pseudoxanthomonas mexicana strain were enriched in cultivated granules to enhance their structural stability. Then the cultivated granules were incubated in a continuous-flow reactor with influent chemical oxygen deamnad being stepped decreased from 1,500 ± 100 (0-19 days) to 750 ± 50 (20-30 days), and then to 350 ± 50 mg l(-1) (31-50 days); while in the final stage 350 mg l(-1) bicarbonate was also supplied. Using this strategy the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium, Nitrosomonas europaea, was enriched in the incubated granules to achieve partial nitrification efficiency of 85-90% since 36 days and onwards. The partial nitrification granules were successfully harvested after 52 days, a period much shorter than those reported in literature. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A flow reactor setup for photochemistry of biphasic gas/liquid reactions

    PubMed Central

    Schachtner, Josef; Bayer, Patrick

    2016-01-01

    Summary A home-built microreactor system for light-mediated biphasic gas/liquid reactions was assembled from simple commercial components. This paper describes in full detail the nature and function of the required building elements, the assembly of parts, and the tuning and interdependencies of the most important reactor and reaction parameters. Unlike many commercial thin-film and microchannel reactors, the described set-up operates residence times of up to 30 min which cover the typical rates of many organic reactions. The tubular microreactor was successfully applied to the photooxygenation of hydrocarbons (Schenck ene reaction). Major emphasis was laid on the realization of a constant and highly reproducible gas/liquid slug flow and the effective illumination by an appropriate light source. The optimized set of conditions enabled the shortening of reaction times by more than 99% with equal chemoselectivities. The modular home-made flow reactor can serve as a prototype model for the continuous operation of various other reactions at light/liquid/gas interfaces in student, research, and industrial laboratories. PMID:27829887

  20. A Plasma Reactor for the Synthesis of High-Temperature Materials: Electro Thermal, Processing and Service Life Characteristics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galevskiy, G. V.; Rudneva, V. V.; Galevskiy, S. G.; Tomas, K. I.; Zubkov, M. S.

    2016-08-01

    The three-jet direct-flow plasma reactor with a channel diameter of 0.054 m was studied in terms of service life, thermal, technical, and functional capabilities. It was established that the near-optimal combination of thermal efficiency, required specific enthalpy of the plasma-forming gas and its mass flow rate is achieved at a reactor power of 150 kW. The bulk temperature of plasma flow over the rector of 12 gauges long varies within 5500÷3200 K and the wall temperature within 1900÷850 K, when a cylinder from zirconium dioxide of 0.005 m thick is used to thermally insulate the reactor. The specific electric power reaches a high of 1214 MW/m3. The rated service life of electrodes is 4700 hours for a copper anode and 111 hours for a tungsten cathode. The projected contamination of carbides and borides with elec-trode-erosion products doesn't exceed 0.0001% of copper and 0.00002% of tungsten.

  1. Achieve efficient nitrogen removal from real sewage in a plug-flow integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) reactor via partial nitritation/anammox pathway.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yandong; Zhang, Liang; Cheng, Jun; Zhang, Shujun; Li, Baikun; Peng, Yongzhen

    2017-09-01

    This study tested the feasibility of plug-flow integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) reactor in applying sewage partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) process. The IFAS reactor was fed with real pre-treated sewage (C/N ratio=1.3) and operated for 200days. High nitrogen removal efficiency of 82% was achieved with nitrogen removal rates of 0.097±0.019kgN/(m 3 ·d). Therefore, plug-flow IFAS reactor could be an alternative to applying sewage PN/A process. Besides, it was found that the stability of sewage PN/A process was significantly affected by residual ammonium. Nitrate accumulated in effluent and PN/A performance deteriorated when residual ammonium was below 1mg/L. On the contrary, long-term stable PN/A operation was achieved when residual ammonium was over 3mg/L. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Development of a model and computer code to describe solar grade silicon production processes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gould, R. K.; Srivastava, R.

    1979-01-01

    Two computer codes were developed for describing flow reactors in which high purity, solar grade silicon is produced via reduction of gaseous silicon halides. The first is the CHEMPART code, an axisymmetric, marching code which treats two phase flows with models describing detailed gas-phase chemical kinetics, particle formation, and particle growth. It can be used to described flow reactors in which reactants, mix, react, and form a particulate phase. Detailed radial gas-phase composition, temperature, velocity, and particle size distribution profiles are computed. Also, deposition of heat, momentum, and mass (either particulate or vapor) on reactor walls is described. The second code is a modified version of the GENMIX boundary layer code which is used to compute rates of heat, momentum, and mass transfer to the reactor walls. This code lacks the detailed chemical kinetics and particle handling features of the CHEMPART code but has the virtue of running much more rapidly than CHEMPART, while treating the phenomena occurring in the boundary layer in more detail.

  3. Plasma flow reactor for steady state monitoring of physical and chemical processes at high temperatures.

    PubMed

    Koroglu, Batikan; Mehl, Marco; Armstrong, Michael R; Crowhurst, Jonathan C; Weisz, David G; Zaug, Joseph M; Dai, Zurong; Radousky, Harry B; Chernov, Alex; Ramon, Erick; Stavrou, Elissaios; Knight, Kim; Fabris, Andrea L; Cappelli, Mark A; Rose, Timothy P

    2017-09-01

    We present the development of a steady state plasma flow reactor to investigate gas phase physical and chemical processes that occur at high temperature (1000 < T < 5000 K) and atmospheric pressure. The reactor consists of a glass tube that is attached to an inductively coupled argon plasma generator via an adaptor (ring flow injector). We have modeled the system using computational fluid dynamics simulations that are bounded by measured temperatures. In situ line-of-sight optical emission and absorption spectroscopy have been used to determine the structures and concentrations of molecules formed during rapid cooling of reactants after they pass through the plasma. Emission spectroscopy also enables us to determine the temperatures at which these dynamic processes occur. A sample collection probe inserted from the open end of the reactor is used to collect condensed materials and analyze them ex situ using electron microscopy. The preliminary results of two separate investigations involving the condensation of metal oxides and chemical kinetics of high-temperature gas reactions are discussed.

  4. Flow duct for nuclear reactors

    DOEpatents

    Straalsund, Jerry L.

    1978-01-01

    Improved liquid sodium flow ducts for nuclear reactors are described wherein the improvement comprises varying the wall thickness of each of the walls of a polygonal tubular duct structure so that each of the walls is of reduced cross-section along the longitudinal center line and of a greater cross-section along wall junctions with the other walls to form the polygonal tubular configuration.

  5. Evaluation on nitrogen oxides and nanoparticle removal and nitrogen monoxide generation using a wet-type nonthermal plasma reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takehana, Kotaro; Kuroki, Tomoyuki; Okubo, Masaaki

    2018-05-01

    Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted from power plants and combustion sources cause air pollution problems. Selective catalytic reduction technology is remarkably useful for NOx removal. However, there are several drawbacks such as preparation of reducing agents, usage of harmful heavy metals, and higher cost. On the other hand, trace NO is a vasodilator agent and employed in inhalation therapies for treating pulmonary hypertension in humans. Considering these factors, in the present study, a wet-type nonthermal plasma reactor, which can control NOx and nanoparticle emissions and generate NO, is investigated. The fundamental characteristics of the reactor are investigated. First, the experiment of nanoparticle removal is carried out. Collection efficiencies of over 99% are achieved for nanoparticles at 50 and 100 ml min‑1 of liquid flow rates. Second, experiments of NOx removal under air atmosphere and NOx generation under nitrogen atmosphere are carried out. NOx-removal efficiencies of over 95% under the air plasma are achieved in 50–200 ml min‑1 liquid flow rates. Moreover, under nitrogen plasma, NOx is generated, of which the major portion is NO. For example, NO concentration is 25 ppm, while NOx concentration is 31 ppm at 50 ml min‑1 liquid flow rate. Finally, experiments of NO generation under the nitrogen atmosphere with or without flowing water are carried out. When water flows on the inner surface of the reactor, approximately 14 ppm of NO is generated. Therefore, NO generation requires flowing water. It is considered that the reaction of N and OH, which is similar to the extended Zeldovich mechanism, could occur to induce NO formation. From these results, it is verified that the wet-type plasma reactor is useful for NOx removal and NO generation under nitrogen atmosphere with flowing water.

  6. Comparison of reactivity in a flow reactor and a single cylinder engine

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

    Natelson, Robert H.; Johnson, Rodney O.; Kurman, Matthew S.

    2010-10-15

    The relative reactivity of 2:1:1 and 1:1:1 mixtures of n-decane:n-butylcyclohexane:n-butylbenzene and an average sample of JP-8 were evaluated in a single cylinder engine and compared to results obtained in a pressurized flow reactor. At compression ratios of 14:1, 15:1, and 16:1, inlet temperature of 500 K, inlet pressure of 0.1 MPa, equivalence ratio of 0.23, and engine speed of 800 RPM, the autoignition delay times were, from shortest to longest, the 2:1:1, followed by the 1:1:1, and then the JP-8. This order corresponded with recent results in a pressurized flow reactor, where the preignition oxidation chemistry was monitored at temperaturesmore » of 600-800 K, 0.8 MPa pressure, and an equivalence ratio of 0.30, and where the preignition reactivity from highest to lowest was the 2:1:1, followed by the 1:1:1, and the JP-8. This shows that the relative reactivity at low temperatures in the flow reactor tracks the autoignition tendencies in the engine for these particular fuels. (author) the computed experimental error. (author)« less

  7. Molecular characterization of anaerobic sulfur-oxidizing microbial communities in up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor treating municipal sewage.

    PubMed

    Aida, Azrina A; Hatamoto, Masashi; Yamamoto, Masamitsu; Ono, Shinya; Nakamura, Akinobu; Takahashi, Masanobu; Yamaguchi, Takashi

    2014-11-01

    A novel wastewater treatment system consisting of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and a down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor with sulfur-redox reaction was developed for treatment of municipal sewage under low-temperature conditions. In the UASB reactor, a novel phenomenon of anaerobic sulfur oxidation occurred in the absence of oxygen, nitrite and nitrate as electron acceptors. The microorganisms involved in anaerobic sulfur oxidation have not been elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we studied the microbial communities existing in the UASB reactor that probably enhanced anaerobic sulfur oxidation. Sludge samples collected from the UASB reactor before and after sulfur oxidation were used for cloning and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the 16S rRNA genes of the bacterial and archaeal domains. The microbial community structures of bacteria and archaea indicated that the genus Smithella and uncultured bacteria within the phylum Caldiserica were the dominant bacteria groups. Methanosaeta spp. was the dominant group of the domain archaea. The T-RFLP analysis, which was consistent with the cloning results, also yielded characteristic fingerprints for bacterial communities, whereas the archaeal community structure yielded stable microbial community. From these results, it can be presumed that these major bacteria groups, genus Smithella and uncultured bacteria within the phylum Caldiserica, probably play an important role in sulfur oxidation in UASB reactors. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. 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.

  9. Determining Coolant Flow Rate Distribution In The Fuel-Modified TRIGA Plate Reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Puji Hastuti, Endiah; Widodo, Surip; Darwis Isnaini, M.; Geni Rina, S.; Syaiful, B.

    2018-02-01

    TRIGA 2000 reactor in Bandung is planned to have the fuel element replaced, from cylindrical uranium and zirconium-hydride (U-ZrH) alloy to U3Si2-Al plate type of low enriched uranium of 19.75% with uranium density of 2.96 gU/cm3, while the reactor power is maintained at 2 MW. This change is planned to anticipate the discontinuity of TRIGA fuel element production. The selection of this plate-type fuel element is supported by the fact that such fuel type has been produced in Indonesia and used in MPR-30 safely since 2000. The core configuration of plate-type-fuelled TRIGA reactor requires coolant flow rate through each fuel element channel in order to meet its safety function. This paper is aimed to describe the results of coolant flow rate distribution in the TRIGA core that meets the safety function at normal operation condition, physical test, shutdown, and at initial event of loss of coolant flow due power supply interruption. The design analysis to determine coolant flow rate in this paper employs CAUDVAP and COOLODN computation code. The designed coolant flow rate that meets the safety criteria of departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR), onset of flow instability ratio (OFIR), and ΔΤ onset of nucleate boiling (ONB), indicates that the minimum flow rate required to cool the plate-type fuelled TRIGA core at 2 MW is 80 kg/s. Therefore, it can be concluded that the operating limitation condition (OLC) for the minimum flow rate is 80 kg/s; the 72 kg/s is to cool the active core; while the minimum flow rate for coolant flow rate drop is limited to 68 kg/s with the coolant inlet temperature 35°C. This thermohydraulic design also provides cooling for 4 positions irradiation position (IP) utilization and 1 central irradiation position (CIP) with end fitting inner diameter (ID) of 10 mm and 20 mm, respectively.

  10. Test Plan for Methanotrophic Bioreactor at Savannah River Site-TNX

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

    Berry, C.J.

    1994-10-04

    The primary purpose of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility and practicality of operating a methanotrophic mobile trickle filter bioreactor (MMB) unit to effectively reduce or eliminate trichloroethylene (TCE) and associated hydrocarbons from contaminated groundwater. The two-column trickle filter system can process 1.67 gallons per minute (gpm) of contaminated groundwater. During this project, the pilot system will evaluate, optimize, and demonstrate methanotrophic treatment technology (MTT). The mobile system will receive a 1--4% methane to air mixture for stimulating the methanotrophic TCE degrading bacteria, thereby increasing the rates of degradation of these contaminants. This project will also evaluate the efficacymore » of different bacteria for degrading TCE for use in the system at the laboratory-scale sample groundwater monitoring wells at TNX and set up the system for continued operation. The trickle filter system may be used to inexpensively treat other small-scale organic waste streams at SRS after the initial start-up. The MTT was demonstrated as an effective and efficient method of degrading TCE in the laboratory and during a field-scale in situ demonstration for degrading TCE in a groundwater plume at SRS. The methanotrophic bacteria increase significantly in population numbers and in the production of methane monooxygenase (MMO), an extremely powerful oxidizer. MMO was demonstrated as effective in oxidizing TCE and other recalcitrant compounds in laboratory studies. In the presence of MMO, TCE is oxidized to TCE-epoxide, which breaks down spontaneously into simple, easily degraded, daughter compounds. The system will receive a 1--4% methane to air mixture, which will effectively grow and maintain the methanotrophic bacteria that will degrade TCE. This demonstration will have broad applications to bioremediating contaminated groundwater systems where in situ bioremediation is not practical.« less

  11. The scheme for evaluation of isotopic composition of fast reactor core in closed nuclear fuel cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saldikov, I. S.; Ternovykh, M. Yu; Fomichenko, P. A.; Gerasimov, A. S.

    2017-01-01

    The PRORYV (i.e. «Breakthrough» in Russian) project is currently under development. Within the framework of this project, fast reactors BN-1200 and BREST-OD-300 should be built to, inter alia, demonstrate possibility of the closed nuclear fuel cycle technologies with plutonium as a main source of power. Russia has a large inventory of plutonium which was accumulated in the result of reprocessing of spent fuel of thermal power reactors and conversion of nuclear weapons. This kind of plutonium will be used for development of initial fuel assemblies for fast reactors. To solve the closed nuclear fuel modeling tasks REPRORYV code was developed. It simulates the mass flow for nuclides in the closed fuel cycle. This paper presents the results of modeling of a closed nuclear fuel cycle, nuclide flows considering the influence of the uncertainty on the outcome of neutron-physical characteristics of the reactor.

  12. CFD optimization of continuous stirred-tank (CSTR) reactor for biohydrogen production.

    PubMed

    Ding, Jie; Wang, Xu; Zhou, Xue-Fei; Ren, Nan-Qi; Guo, Wan-Qian

    2010-09-01

    There has been little work on the optimal configuration of biohydrogen production reactors. This paper describes three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of gas-liquid flow in a laboratory-scale continuous stirred-tank reactor used for biohydrogen production. To evaluate the role of hydrodynamics in reactor design and optimize the reactor configuration, an optimized impeller design has been constructed and validated with CFD simulations of the normal and optimized impeller over a range of speeds and the numerical results were also validated by examination of residence time distribution. By integrating the CFD simulation with an ethanol-type fermentation process experiment, it was shown that impellers with different type and speed generated different flow patterns, and hence offered different efficiencies for biohydrogen production. The hydrodynamic behavior of the optimized impeller at speeds between 50 and 70 rev/min is most suited for economical biohydrogen production. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Novel micro-reactor flow cell for investigation of model catalysts using in situ grazing-incidence X-ray scattering

    PubMed Central

    Kehres, Jan; Pedersen, Thomas; Masini, Federico; Andreasen, Jens Wenzel; Nielsen, Martin Meedom; Diaz, Ana; Nielsen, Jane Hvolbæk; Hansen, Ole

    2016-01-01

    The design, fabrication and performance of a novel and highly sensitive micro-reactor device for performing in situ grazing-incidence X-ray scattering experiments of model catalyst systems is presented. The design of the reaction chamber, etched in silicon on insulator (SIO), permits grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) in transmission through 10 µm-thick entrance and exit windows by using micro-focused beams. An additional thinning of the Pyrex glass reactor lid allows simultaneous acquisition of the grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). In situ experiments at synchrotron facilities are performed utilizing the micro-reactor and a designed transportable gas feed and analysis system. The feasibility of simultaneous in situ GISAXS/GIWAXS experiments in the novel micro-reactor flow cell was confirmed with CO oxidation over mass-selected Ru nanoparticles. PMID:26917133

  14. In situ IR and X-ray high spatial-resolution microspectroscopy measurements of multistep organic transformation in flow microreactor catalyzed by Au nanoclusters.

    PubMed

    Gross, Elad; Shu, Xing-Zhong; Alayoglu, Selim; Bechtel, Hans A; Martin, Michael C; Toste, F Dean; Somorjai, Gabor A

    2014-03-05

    Analysis of catalytic organic transformations in flow reactors and detection of short-lived intermediates are essential for optimization of these complex reactions. In this study, spectral mapping of a multistep catalytic reaction in a flow microreactor was performed with a spatial resolution of 15 μm, employing micrometer-sized synchrotron-based IR and X-ray beams. Two nanometer sized Au nanoclusters were supported on mesoporous SiO2, packed in a flow microreactor, and activated toward the cascade reaction of pyran formation. High catalytic conversion and tunable products selectivity were achieved under continuous flow conditions. In situ synchrotron-sourced IR microspectroscopy detected the evolution of the reactant, vinyl ether, into the primary product, allenic aldehyde, which then catalytically transformed into acetal, the secondary product. By tuning the residence time of the reactants in a flow microreactor a detailed analysis of the reaction kinetics was performed. An in situ micrometer X-ray absorption spectroscopy scan along the flow reactor correlated locally enhanced catalytic conversion, as detected by IR microspectroscopy, to areas with high concentration of Au(III), the catalytically active species. These results demonstrate the fundamental understanding of the mechanism of catalytic reactions which can be achieved by the detailed mapping of organic transformations in flow reactors.

  15. Flow characteristics of Korea multi-purpose research reactor

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

    Heonil Kim; Hee Taek Chae; Byung Jin Jun

    1995-09-01

    The construction of Korea Multi-purpose Research Reactor (KMRR), a 30 MW{sub th} open-tank-in-pool type, is completed. Various thermal-hydraulic experiments have been conducted to verify the design characteristics of the KMRR. This paper describes the commissioning experiments to determine the flow distribution of KMRR core and the flow characteristics inside the chimney which stands on top of the core. The core flow is distributed to within {+-}6% of the average values, which is sufficiently flat in the sense that the design velocity in the fueled region is satisfied. The role of core bypass flow to confine the activated core coolant inmore » the chimney structure is confirmed.« less

  16. Catalytic biofilms on structured packing for the production of glycolic acid.

    PubMed

    Li, Xuan Zhong; Hauer, Bernhard; Rosche, Bettina

    2013-02-01

    While structured packing modules are known to be efficient for surface wetting and gas-liquid exchange in abiotic surface catalysis, this model study explores structured packing as a growth surface for catalytic biofilms. Microbial biofilms have been proposed as self-immobilized and self-regenerating catalysts for the production of chemicals. A concern is that the complex and dynamic nature of biofilms may cause fluctuations in their catalytic performance over time or may affect process reproducibility. An aerated continuous trickle-bed biofilm reactor system was designed with a 3 L structured packing, liquid recycling and pH control. Pseudomonas diminuta established a biofilm on the stainless steel structured packing with a specific surface area of 500 m2 m-3 and catalyzed the oxidation of ethylene glycol to glycolic acid for over two months of continuous operation. A steady-state productivity of up to 1.6 gl-1h-1 was achieved at a dilution rate of 0.33 h-1. Process reproducibility between three independent runs was excellent, despite process interruptions and activity variations in cultures grown from biofilm effluent cells. The results demonstrate the robustness of a catalytic biofilm on structured packing, despite its dynamic nature. Implementation is recommended for whole-cell processes that require efficient gas-liquid exchange, catalyst retention for continuous operation, or improved catalyst stability.

  17. Development of a tritium recovery system from CANDU tritium removal facility

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

    Draghia, M.; Pasca, G.; Porcariu, F.

    2015-03-15

    The main purpose of the Tritium Recovery System (TRS) is to reduce to a maximum possible extent the release of tritium from the facility following a tritium release in confinement boundaries and also to have provisions to recover both elemental and vapors tritium from the purging gases during maintenance and components replacement from various systems processing tritium. This work/paper proposes a configuration of Tritium Recovery System wherein elemental tritium and water vapors are recovered in a separated, parallel manner. The proposed TRS configuration is a combination of permeators, a platinum microreactor (MR) and a trickle bed reactor (TBR) and consistsmore » of two branches: one branch for elemental tritium recovery from tritiated deuterium gas and the second one for tritium recovery from streams containing a significant amount of water vapours but a low amount, below 5%, of tritiated gas. The two branches shall work in a complementary manner in such a way that the bleed stream from the permeators shall be further processed in the MR and TBR in view of achieving the required decontamination level. A preliminary evaluation of the proposed TRS in comparison with state of the art tritium recovery system from tritium processing facilities is also discussed. (authors)« less

  18. 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.

  19. Design Rules for High Temperature Microchemical Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-10-25

    as expected for a CSTR , while the conversion in the channel reactor is as expected for a PFR. Flow visualization using smoke to image the flow...that according to the standard Taylor-Aris analysis all reactors should show CSTR behavior in the limit of rapid diffusion of all of the reactants...0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 C on ve rs io n CSTR PFR Data Posted Reactor PFR CSTR 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 Residence Time, Sec 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 C on ve

  20. TREATMENT OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN WASTE GASES USING A TRICKLING BIOFILTER SYSTEM: A MODELING APPROACH

    EPA Science Inventory

    Biofiltration represents a novel strategy for controlling VOC emissions from a variety of industrial processes. As commercial applications of these systems increase, sophisticated theoretical models will be useful in establishing design criteria for providing insights into impor...

  1. Biomass Production of Hairy Roots of Artemisia annua and Arachis hypogaea in a Scaled-Up Mist Bioreactor

    PubMed Central

    Sivakumar, Ganapathy; Liu, Chunzhao; Towler, Melissa J.

    2014-01-01

    Hairy roots have the potential to produce a variety of valuable small and large molecules. The mist reactor is a gas phase bioreactor that has shown promise for low-cost culture of hairy roots. Using a newer, disposable culture bag, mist reactor performance was studied with two species, Artemisia annua L. and Arachis hypogaea (peanut), at scales from 1 to 20 L. Both species of hairy roots when grown at 1 L in the mist reactor showed growth rates that surpassed that in shake flasks. From the information gleaned at 1 L, Arachis was scaled further to 4 and then 20 L. Misting duty cycle, culture medium flow rate, and timing of when flow rate was increased were varied. In a mist reactor increasing the misting cycle or increasing the medium flow rate are the two alternatives for increased delivery of liquid nutrients to the root bed. Longer misting cycles beyond 2–3 min were generally deemed detrimental to growth. On the other hand, increasing the medium flow rate to the sonic nozzle especially during the exponential phase of root growth (weeks 2–3) was the most important factor for increasing growth rates and biomass yields in the 20 L reactors. A. hypogaea growth in 1 L reactors was μ = 0.173 day−1 with biomass yield of 12.75 g DWL−1. This exceeded that in shake flasks at μ = 0.166 day−1 and 11.10 g DWL−1. Best growth rate and biomass yield at 20 L was μ = 0.147 and 7.77 g DWL−1, which was mainly achieved when medium flow rate delivery was increased. The mist deposition model was further evaluated using this newer reactor design and when the apparent thickness of roots (+hairs) was taken into account, the empirical data correlated with model predictions. Together these results establish the most important conditions to explore for future optimization of the mist bioreactor for culture of hairy roots. PMID:20687140

  2. Transformation of molecular weight distributions of dissolved organic carbon and UV-absorbing compounds at full-scale wastewater-treatment plants.

    PubMed

    Esparza-Soto, Mario; Fox, Peter; Westerhoff, Paul

    2006-03-01

    The molecular-weight distribution (MWD) of wastewater dissolved-organic carbon (DOC) was determined in samples from seven full-scale wastewater-treatment plants (WWTPs) that use different biological treatments (air activated sludge [air-AS], pure-oxygen AS [O2-AS], and trickling filters). The research objective was to determine how different biological treatments influenced the MWD of wastewater DOC. Primary sedimentation effluent DOC from most of the WWTPs exhibited a skewed distribution toward the low-molecular-weight fraction (MWF) (40 to 50%, < 0.5 K Daltons [KDa]). The Air-AS effluent DOC exhibited a centrally clustered distribution, with the majority of DOC in the intermediate MWF (0.5 to 3 KDa). The O2-AS effluent DOC exhibited a skewed distribution toward the high MWF (> 3 KDa). The removal of DOC by air- and O2-AS bacteria followed trends predicted by a macromolecule degradation model. Trickling-filter effluent DOC exhibited a skewed distribution toward the high MWF (50% DOC, > 3 KDa).

  3. Cold climate performance analysis of on-site domestic wastewater treatment systems.

    PubMed

    Williamson, Eric

    2010-06-01

    Household on-site septic systems with secondary wastewater treatment in Anchorage, Alaska, were sampled and analyzed for performance parameters during the winter to spring months. System types included intermittent dosing sand filters (ISF), three types of recirculating trickling filters (RTF), and suspended-growth aeration tanks. Total nitrogen from the trickling filter and aeration tank effluent was fairly uniform, at approximately 30 mg/L. Total suspended solids (TSS) means were mostly less than 15 mg/L. The 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BODs) showed considerable variability, with means ranging from 9.2 mg/ L for ISFs up to 39.5 mg/L for one type of RTF, even though this type has shown excellent results in several test programs. The data suggested that effluent temperature within the sample range had almost no effect on effluent concentrations of BOD5 or TSS and only a small effect on the removal of total nitrogen. Non-climatic factors were probably of equal importance to treatment results.

  4. Delayed Neutrons Effect on Power Reactor with Variation of Fluid Fuel Velocity at MSR Fuji-12

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuncoro Aji, Indarta; Pramuditya, Syeilendra; Novitrian; Irwanto, Dwi; Waris, Abdul

    2017-01-01

    As the nuclear reactor operate with liquid fuel, controlling velocity of the fuel flow on the Molten salt reactor very influence on the neutron kinetics in that reactor system. The effect of the pace fuel changes to the populations number of neutrons and power density on vertical direction (1 dimension) from the first until fifth year reactor operating had been analyzed on this research. This research had been conducted on MSR Fuji-12 with a two meters core high, and LiF-BeF2-ThF4-233UF4 as fuel composition respectively 71.78%-16%-11.86%-0.36%. Data of reactivity, neutron flux, and the macroscopic fission cross section obtained from ouput of SRAC (neutronic calculation code has been developed by JAEA, with JENDL-4.0 as data library on the SRAC calculation) was being used for the calculation process of this research. The calculation process of this research had been performed numerically by SOR (successive over relaxation) and finite difference methode, as well as using C programing language. From the calculation, regarding to the value of power density resulting from delayed neutrons, concluded that 20 m/s is the optimum fuel flow velocity in all the years reactor had operated. Where the increases number of power are inversely proportional with the fuel flow speed.

  5. Twenty years of experience in monitoring 41Ar in a research reactor and decrease of its discharge into the environment.

    PubMed

    Fukui, M

    2004-04-01

    The radioactive gas 41Ar has been produced at high concentration by neutron activation near the reactor core in the Kyoto University Research Reactor. A pipe line for an exhaust stream, so-called sweep gas, was fabricated at the construction of the reactor in 1964 in order to exhale 41Ar from the facilities above to the environment. Other exhaust lines with decay tanks were established separately from the sweep line for both the cold neutron source in 1986 and the heavy-water tank in 1996, respectively, because a higher amount of 41Ar was thought to be produced from these facilities due to the improvement. As a result, a slight change in the flow rate of the exhaust was found to have a great deal of influence on both the 41Ar concentration in the reactor room and the rate of emission from the stack. By monitoring the exhaust air from the decay tanks, the mechanism for decreasing the emission was clarified together with identifying an obstacle, i.e., the condensate against the steady state flow, formed in the exhaust pipe. By setting the flow rate suitably in the exhaust line, the rate of 41Ar emission from the biological shielding into both the work place in the reactor room and the environment has been controlled as low as reasonably achievable.

  6. BIODEGRADATION OF METHYL TERT-BUTYL ETHER USING AN INNOVATIVE BIOMASS CONCENTRATOR REACTOR

    EPA Science Inventory

    The aerobic biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was investigated using a pilot-scale Biomass Concentrator Reactor (BCR). The reactor was operated for a year at a flow rate of 2500 L/d of Cincinnati dechlorinated tap water and an influent MTBE concentration o...

  7. An Idealized Direct-Contact Biomass Pyrolysis Reactor Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, R. S.; Bellan, J.

    1996-01-01

    A numerical study is performed in order to assess the performance of biomass pyrolysis reactors which utilize direct particle-wall thermal conduction heating. An idealized reactor configuration consisting of a flat-plate turbulent boundary layer flow with particle convection along the heated wall and incorporating particle re-entrainment is considered.

  8. Flow instability in particle-bed nuclear reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kerrebrock, Jack L.

    The particle-bed core offers mitigation of some of the problems of solid-core nuclear rocket reactors. Dividing the fuel elements into small spherical particles contained in a cylindrical bed through which the propellant flows radially, may reduce the thermal stress in the fuel elements, allowing higher propellant temperatures to be reached. The high temperature regions of the reactor are confined to the interior of cylindrical fuel assemblies, so most of the reactor can be relatively cool. This enables the use of structural and moderating materials which reduce the minimum critical size and mass of the reactor. One of the unresolved questions about this concept is whether the flow through the particle-bed will be well behaved, or will be subject to destructive flow instabilities. Most of the recent analyses of the stability of the particle-bed reactor have been extensions of the approach of Bussard and Delauer, where the bed is essentially treated as an array of parallel passages, so that the mass flow is continuous from inlet to outlet through any one passage. A more general three dimensional model of the bed is adopted, in which the fluid has mobility in three dimensions. Comparison of results of the earlier approach to the present one shows that the former does not accurately represent the stability at low Re. The more complete model presented should be capable of meeting this deficiency while accurately representing the effects of the cold and hot frits, and of heat conduction and radiation in the particle-bed. It can be extended to apply to the cylindrical geometry of particle-bed reactors without difficulty. From the exemplary calculations which were carried out, it can be concluded that a particle-bed without a cold frit would be subject to instability if operated at the high temperatures desired for nuclear rockets, and at power densities below about 4 megawatts per liter. Since the desired power density is about 40 megawatts per liter, it can be concluded that operation at design exit temperature but at reduced power could be hazardous for such a reactor. But the calculations also show that an appropriate cold frit could very likely cure the instability. More definite conclusions must await calculations for specific designs.

  9. Flow instability in particle-bed nuclear reactors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerrebrock, Jack L.

    1993-01-01

    The particle-bed core offers mitigation of some of the problems of solid-core nuclear rocket reactors. Dividing the fuel elements into small spherical particles contained in a cylindrical bed through which the propellant flows radially, may reduce the thermal stress in the fuel elements, allowing higher propellant temperatures to be reached. The high temperature regions of the reactor are confined to the interior of cylindrical fuel assemblies, so most of the reactor can be relatively cool. This enables the use of structural and moderating materials which reduce the minimum critical size and mass of the reactor. One of the unresolved questions about this concept is whether the flow through the particle-bed will be well behaved, or will be subject to destructive flow instabilities. Most of the recent analyses of the stability of the particle-bed reactor have been extensions of the approach of Bussard and Delauer, where the bed is essentially treated as an array of parallel passages, so that the mass flow is continuous from inlet to outlet through any one passage. A more general three dimensional model of the bed is adopted, in which the fluid has mobility in three dimensions. Comparison of results of the earlier approach to the present one shows that the former does not accurately represent the stability at low Re. The more complete model presented should be capable of meeting this deficiency while accurately representing the effects of the cold and hot frits, and of heat conduction and radiation in the particle-bed. It can be extended to apply to the cylindrical geometry of particle-bed reactors without difficulty. From the exemplary calculations which were carried out, it can be concluded that a particle-bed without a cold frit would be subject to instability if operated at the high temperatures desired for nuclear rockets, and at power densities below about 4 megawatts per liter. Since the desired power density is about 40 megawatts per liter, it can be concluded that operation at design exit temperature but at reduced power could be hazardous for such a reactor. But the calculations also show that an appropriate cold frit could very likely cure the instability. More definite conclusions must await calculations for specific designs.

  10. Shutdown system for a nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Groh, E.F.; Olson, A.P.; Wade, D.C.; Robinson, B.W.

    1984-06-05

    An ultimate shutdown system is provided for termination of neutronic activity in a nuclear reactor. The shutdown system includes bead chains comprising spherical containers suspended on a flexible cable. The containers are comprised of mating hemispherical shells which provide a ruggedized enclosure for reactor poison material. The bead chains, normally suspended above the reactor core on storage spools, are released for downward travel upon command from an external reactor monitor. The chains are capable of horizontal movement, so as to flow around obstructions in the reactor during their downward motion. 8 figs.

  11. Reactor vessel support system. [LMFBR

    DOEpatents

    Golden, M.P.; Holley, J.C.

    1980-05-09

    A reactor vessel support system includes a support ring at the reactor top supported through a box ring on a ledge of the reactor containment. The box ring includes an annular space in the center of its cross-section to reduce heat flow and is keyed to the support ledge to transmit seismic forces from the reactor vessel to the containment structure. A coolant channel is provided at the outside circumference of the support ring to supply coolant gas through the keyways to channels between the reactor vessel and support ledge into the containment space.

  12. Shutdown system for a nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Groh, Edward F.; Olson, Arne P.; Wade, David C.; Robinson, Bryan W.

    1984-01-01

    An ultimate shutdown system is provided for termination of neutronic activity in a nuclear reactor. The shutdown system includes bead chains comprising spherical containers suspended on a flexible cable. The containers are comprised of mating hemispherical shells which provide a ruggedized enclosure for reactor poison material. The bead chains, normally suspended above the reactor core on storage spools, are released for downward travel upon command from an external reactor monitor. The chains are capable of horizontal movement, so as to flow around obstructions in the reactor during their downward motion.

  13. Risk factors for bacterial contamination during boar semen collection.

    PubMed

    Goldberg, Ana Maria G; Argenti, Laura E; Faccin, Jamil E; Linck, Lídia; Santi, Mônica; Bernardi, Mari Lourdes; Cardoso, Marisa R I; Wentz, Ivo; Bortolozzo, Fernando P

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of multiple factors on bacterial contamination in 213 ejaculates from four boar studs. Semen contamination by aerobic mesophiles increased in ejaculates where the preputial fluid flowed into the collection container, collection glove was dirty, preputial hair was long (>1.0 cm), the collection lasted >7 min and boars were older than 18 months. An increase in coliforms occurred when preputial fluid dripped into the collection container, collections lasted >7 min or when penis escaped during collection. Semen contamination increased when two or more factors related to hygiene (poor hygiene of the boar, dirty preputial ostium, large preputial diverticulum, long preputial hair, dirty gloves, preputial liquid trickling from the hand of the technician into the semen container and penis escaping) were present. A vigilant protocol of collection must be followed to minimize bacterial contamination, especially avoiding dripping of preputial liquid into the semen container. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Flood basalts and mass extinctions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morgan, W. Jason

    1988-01-01

    There appears to be a correlation between the times of flood basalts and mass-extinction events. There is a correlation of flood basalts and hotspot tracks--flood basalts appear to mark the beginning of a new hotspot. Perhaps there is an initial instability in the mantle that bursts forth as a flood basalt but then becomes a steady trickle that persists for many tens of millions of years. Suppose that flood basalts and not impacts cause the environmental changes that lead to mass-extinctions. This is a very testable hypothesis: it predicts that the ages of the flows should agree exactly with the times of extinctions. The Deccan and K-T ages agree with this hypothesis; An iridium anomaly at extinction boundaries apparently can be explained by a scaled-up eruption of the Hawaiian type; the occurrence of shocked-quartz is more of a problem. However if the flood basalts are all well dated and their ages indeed agree with extinction times, then surely some mechanism to appropriately produce shocked-quartz will be found.

  15. FUEL SUBASSEMBLY CONSTRUCTION FOR RADIAL FLOW IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR

    DOEpatents

    Treshow, M.

    1962-12-25

    An assembly of fuel elements for a boiling water reactor arranged for radial flow of the coolant is described. The ingress for the coolant is through a central header tube, perforated with parallel circumferertial rows of openings each having a lip to direct the coolant flow downward. Around the central tube there are a number of equally spaced concentric trays, closely fitiing the central header tube. Cylindrical fuel elements are placed in a regular pattern around the central tube, piercing the trays. A larger tube encloses the arrangement, with space provided for upward flow of coolart beyond the edge of the trays. (AEC)

  16. Flow effects in a vertical CVD reactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Young, G. W.; Hariharan, S. I.; Carnahan, R.

    1992-01-01

    A model is presented to simulate the non-Boussinesq flow in a vertical, two-dimensional, chemical vapor deposition reactor under atmospheric pressure. Temperature-dependent conductivity, mass diffusivity, viscosity models, and reactive species mass transfer to the substrate are incorporated. In the limits of small Mach number and small aspect ratio, asymptotic expressions for the flow, temperature, and species fields are developed. Soret diffusion effects are also investigated. Analytical solutions predict an inverse relationship between temperature field and concentration field due to Soret effects. This finding is consistent with numerical simulations, assisting in the understanding of the complex interactions amongst the flow, thermal, and species fields in a chemically reacting system.

  17. Efficiency of a pilot-scale integrated sludge thickening and digestion reactor in treating low-organic excess sludge.

    PubMed

    He, Qiang; Li, Jiang; Liu, Hongxia; Tang, Chuandong; de Koning, Jaap; Spanjers, Henri

    2012-06-01

    The sludge production from medium- and small-scale wastewater treatment plants in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region is low and non-stable; especially, the organic content in this sludge is low (near 40% of VS/TS). An integrated thickening and digestion (ISTD) reactor was developed to treat this low-organic excess sludge. After a flow test and start-up experiment of the reactor, a running experiment was used to investigate the excess sludge treatment efficiency under five different excess sludge inflows: 200, 300, 400, 500 and 400 L/d (a mixture of excess sludge and primary sludge in a volume ratio of 9:1). This trial was carried out in the wastewater treatment plant in Chongqing, which covers 80% of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, under the following conditions: (1) sludge was heated to 38-40 degrees C using an electrical heater to maintain anaerobic mesophilic digestion; (2) the biogas produced was recirculated to mix raw sludge with anaerobic sludge in the reactor under the flow rate of 12.5 L/min. There were three main results. Firstly, the flow pattern of the inner reactor was almost completely mixed under the air flow of 12.0 L/min using clear water. Secondly, under all the different sludge inflows, the water content in the outlet sludge was below 93%. Thirdly, the organic content in the outlet sludge was decreased from 37% to 30% and from 24% to 20%, whose removal ratio was in relation to the organic content of the inlet sludge. The excess sludge treatment capacity of the ISTD reactor was according to the organic content in the excess sludge.

  18. Apparatus for controlling nuclear core debris

    DOEpatents

    Jones, Robert D.

    1978-01-01

    Nuclear reactor apparatus for containing, cooling, and dispersing reactor debris assumed to flow from the core area in the unlikely event of an accident causing core meltdown. The apparatus includes a plurality of horizontally disposed vertically spaced plates, having depressions to contain debris in controlled amounts, and a plurality of holes therein which provide natural circulation cooling and a path for debris to continue flowing downward to the plate beneath. The uppermost plates may also include generally vertical sections which form annular-like flow areas which assist the natural circulation cooling.

  19. Modeling and simulation of enzymatic gluconic acid production using immobilized enzyme and CSTR-PFTR circulation reaction system.

    PubMed

    Li, Can; Lin, Jianqun; Gao, Ling; Lin, Huibin; Lin, Jianqiang

    2018-04-01

    Production of gluconic acid by using immobilized enzyme and continuous stirred tank reactor-plug flow tubular reactor (CSTR-PFTR) circulation reaction system. A production system is constructed for gluconic acid production, which consists of a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) for pH control and liquid storage and a plug flow tubular reactor (PFTR) filled with immobilized glucose oxidase (GOD) for gluconic acid production. Mathematical model is developed for this production system and simulation is made for the enzymatic reaction process. The pH inhibition effect on GOD is modeled by using a bell-type curve. Gluconic acid can be efficiently produced by using the reaction system and the mathematical model developed for this system can simulate and predict the process well.

  20. Large-eddy simulation, fuel rod vibration and grid-to-rod fretting in pressurized water reactors

    DOE PAGES

    Christon, Mark A.; Lu, Roger; Bakosi, Jozsef; ...

    2016-10-01

    Grid-to-rod fretting (GTRF) in pressurized water reactors is a flow-induced vibration phenomenon that results in wear and fretting of the cladding material on fuel rods. GTRF is responsible for over 70% of the fuel failures in pressurized water reactors in the United States. Predicting the GTRF wear and concomitant interval between failures is important because of the large costs associated with reactor shutdown and replacement of fuel rod assemblies. The GTRF-induced wear process involves turbulent flow, mechanical vibration, tribology, and time-varying irradiated material properties in complex fuel assembly geometries. This paper presents a new approach for predicting GTRF induced fuelmore » rod wear that uses high-resolution implicit large-eddy simulation to drive nonlinear transient dynamics computations. The GTRF fluid–structure problem is separated into the simulation of the turbulent flow field in the complex-geometry fuel-rod bundles using implicit large-eddy simulation, the calculation of statistics of the resulting fluctuating structural forces, and the nonlinear transient dynamics analysis of the fuel rod. Ultimately, the methods developed here, can be used, in conjunction with operational management, to improve reactor core designs in which fuel rod failures are minimized or potentially eliminated. Furthermore, robustness of the behavior of both the structural forces computed from the turbulent flow simulations and the results from the transient dynamics analyses highlight the progress made towards achieving a predictive simulation capability for the GTRF problem.« less

  1. Large-eddy simulation, fuel rod vibration and grid-to-rod fretting in pressurized water reactors

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

    Christon, Mark A.; Lu, Roger; Bakosi, Jozsef

    Grid-to-rod fretting (GTRF) in pressurized water reactors is a flow-induced vibration phenomenon that results in wear and fretting of the cladding material on fuel rods. GTRF is responsible for over 70% of the fuel failures in pressurized water reactors in the United States. Predicting the GTRF wear and concomitant interval between failures is important because of the large costs associated with reactor shutdown and replacement of fuel rod assemblies. The GTRF-induced wear process involves turbulent flow, mechanical vibration, tribology, and time-varying irradiated material properties in complex fuel assembly geometries. This paper presents a new approach for predicting GTRF induced fuelmore » rod wear that uses high-resolution implicit large-eddy simulation to drive nonlinear transient dynamics computations. The GTRF fluid–structure problem is separated into the simulation of the turbulent flow field in the complex-geometry fuel-rod bundles using implicit large-eddy simulation, the calculation of statistics of the resulting fluctuating structural forces, and the nonlinear transient dynamics analysis of the fuel rod. Ultimately, the methods developed here, can be used, in conjunction with operational management, to improve reactor core designs in which fuel rod failures are minimized or potentially eliminated. Furthermore, robustness of the behavior of both the structural forces computed from the turbulent flow simulations and the results from the transient dynamics analyses highlight the progress made towards achieving a predictive simulation capability for the GTRF problem.« less

  2. Access to small size distributions of nanoparticles by microwave-assisted synthesis. Formation of Ag nanoparticles in aqueous carboxymethylcellulose solutions in batch and continuous-flow reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horikoshi, Satoshi; Abe, Hideki; Torigoe, Kanjiro; Abe, Masahiko; Serpone, Nick

    2010-08-01

    This article examines the effect(s) of the 2.45-GHz microwave (MW) radiation in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in aqueous media by reduction of the diaminesilver(i) complex, [Ag(NH3)2]+, with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in both batch-type and continuous-flow reactor systems with a particular emphasis on the characteristics of the microwaves in this process and the size distributions. This microwave thermally-assisted synthesis is compared to a conventional heating (CH) method, both requiring a reaction temperature of 100 °C to produce the nanoparticles, in both cases leading to the formation of silver colloids with different size distributions. Reduction of the diaminesilver(i) precursor complex, [Ag(NH3)2]+, by CMC depended on the solution temperature. Cooling the reactor during the heating process driven with 390-Watt microwaves (MW-390W/Cool protocol) yielded silver nanoparticles with sizes spanning the range 1-2 nm. By contrast, the size distribution of Ag nanoparticles with 170-Watt microwaves (no cooling; MW-170W protocol) was in the range 1.4-3.6 nm (average size ~3 nm). The overall results suggest the potential for a scale-up process in the microwave-assisted synthesis of nanoparticles. Based on the present data, a flow-through microwave reactor system is herein proposed for the continuous production of silver nanoparticles. The novel flow reactor system (flow rate, 600 mL min-1) coupled to 1200-Watt microwave radiation generated silver nanoparticles with a size distribution 0.7-2.8 nm (average size ca. 1.5 nm).

  3. Magnetically stimulated fluid flow patterns

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

    Martin, Jim; Solis, Kyle

    2014-03-06

    Sandia National Laboratories' Jim Martin and Kyle Solis explain research on the effects of magnetic fields on fluid flows and how they stimulate vigorous flows. Fluid flow is a necessary phenomenon in everything from reactors to cooling engines in cars.

  4. Magnetically stimulated fluid flow patterns

    ScienceCinema

    Martin, Jim; Solis, Kyle

    2018-05-23

    Sandia National Laboratories' Jim Martin and Kyle Solis explain research on the effects of magnetic fields on fluid flows and how they stimulate vigorous flows. Fluid flow is a necessary phenomenon in everything from reactors to cooling engines in cars.

  5. A plug flow reactor model of a vanadium redox flow battery considering the conductive current collectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    König, S.; Suriyah, M. R.; Leibfried, T.

    2017-08-01

    A lumped-parameter model for vanadium redox flow batteries, which use metallic current collectors, is extended into a one-dimensional model using the plug flow reactor principle. Thus, the commonly used simplification of a perfectly mixed cell is no longer required. The resistances of the cell components are derived in the in-plane and through-plane directions. The copper current collector is the only component with a significant in-plane conductance, which allows for a simplified electrical network. The division of a full-scale flow cell into 10 layers in the direction of fluid flow represents a reasonable compromise between computational effort and accuracy. Due to the variations in the state of charge and thus the open circuit voltage of the electrolyte, the currents in the individual layers vary considerably. Hence, there are situations, in which the first layer, directly at the electrolyte input, carries a multiple of the last layer's current. The conventional model overestimates the cell performance. In the worst-case scenario, the more accurate 20-layer model yields a discharge capacity 9.4% smaller than that computed with the conventional model. The conductive current collector effectively eliminates the high over-potentials in the last layers of the plug flow reactor models that have been reported previously.

  6. Establishment of trees and shrubs on lands disturbed by mining in the West

    Treesearch

    Ardell J. Bjugstad

    1984-01-01

    Increased research and development of cultural practices and species has assured success of establishment of trees and shrubs on lands disturbed by surface mining. Trickle irrigation and water harvesting techniques have increased survival of planted stock by 250 percent for some species.

  7. Irrigation Without Waste

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shea, Kevin P.

    1975-01-01

    A new means of irrigation, called the drip or trickle system, has been proven more efficient and less wasteful than the current system of flood irrigation. As a result of this drip system, fertilizer-use efficiency is improved and crop yield, though never decreased, is sometimes increased in some crops. (MA)

  8. Two-phase reduced gravity experiments for a space reactor design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Antoniak, Zenen I.

    1987-01-01

    Future space missions researchers envision using large nuclear reactors with either a single or a two-phase alkali-metal working fluid. The design and analysis of such reactors require state-of-the-art computer codes that can properly treat alkali-metal flow and heat transfer in a reduced-gravity environment. New flow regime maps, models, and correlations are required if the codes are to be successfully applied to reduced-gravity flow and heat transfer. General plans are put forth for the reduced-gravity experiments which will have to be performed, at NASA facilities, with benign fluids. Data from the reduced-gravity experiments with innocuous fluids are to be combined with normal gravity data from two-phase alkali-metal experiments. Because these reduced-gravity experiments will be very basic, and will employ small test loops of simple geometry, a large measure of commonality exists between them and experiments planned by other organizations. It is recommended that a committee be formed to coordinate all ongoing and planned reduced gravity flow experiments.

  9. [Quick Start-up and Sustaining of Shortcut Nitrification in Continuous Flow Reactor].

    PubMed

    Wu, Peng; Zhang Shi-ying; Song, Yin-ling; Xu, Yue-zhong; Shen, Yao-liang

    2016-04-15

    How to achieve fast and stable startup of shortcut nitrification has a very important practical value for treatment of low C/N ratio wastewater. Thus, the quick start-up and sustaining of shortcut nitrification were investigated in continuous flow reactor targeting at the current situation of urban wastewater treatment plant using a continuous flow process. The results showed that quick start-up of shortcut nitrification could be successfully achieved in a continuous flow reactor after 60 days' operation with intermittent aeration and controlling of three stages of stop/aeration time (15 min/45 min, 45 min/45 min and 30 min/30 min). The nitrification rates could reach 90% or 95% respectively, while influent ammonia concentrations were 50 or 100 mg · L⁻¹ with stop/aeration time of 30 min/30 min. In addition, intermittent aeration could inhibit the activity of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), while short hydraulic retention time (HRT) may wash out NOB. And a combined use of both measures was beneficial to sustain shortcut nitrification.

  10. Drag coefficients for loose reactor parts

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

    Shi, L.; Doster, J.M.; Mayo, C.W.

    1997-12-01

    Loose-part monitoring systems are capable of providing estimates of loose-part mass and energy as well as impact location. Additional information regarding potentially damaging loose parts can be obtained by estimating loose-part velocity on the basis of free motion dynamics within the flow. To estimate the loose-part velocity, the drag coefficient of the part must be known. Traditionally, drag coefficients of three-dimensional bodies are measured in wind tunnels, by towing in free air or liquids, and with drop tests. These methods have disadvantages with respect to measuring drag coefficients for loose parts in that they require a fixed orientation, or themore » flow field is inconsistent with the turbulent flow conditions found in reactor systems. Though drag coefficients for some regularly shaped objects can be found in the literature, many shapes representative of typical loose parts have not been investigated. In this work, drag coefficients are measured for typical loose-part shapes, including bolts, nuts, pins, and hand tools within the flow conditions expected in reactor coolant systems.« less

  11. Growth and characterization of III-V epitaxial films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tripathi, A.; Adamski, J.

    1991-11-01

    Investigations were conducted on the growth of epitaxial layers using an Organo Metallic Chemical Vapor Deposition technique of selected III-V materials which are potentially useful for photonics and microwave devices. RL/ERX's MOCVD machine was leak checked for safety. The whole gas handling plumbing system has been leak checked and the problems were reported to the manufacturer, CVD Equipment Corporation of Dear Park, NY. CVD Equipment Corporation is making an effort to correct these problems and also supply the part according to our redesign specifications. One of the main emphasis during this contract period was understanding the operating procedure and writing an operating manual for this MOCVD machine. To study the dynamic fluid flow in the vertical reactor of this MOCVD machine, an experimental apparatus was designed, tested, and put together. This study gave very important information on the turbulent gas flow patterns in this vertical reactor. The turbulent flow affects the epitaxial growth adversely. This study will also help in redesigning a vertical reactor so that the turbulent gas flow can be eliminated.

  12. UV reactor flow visualization and mixing quantification using three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence.

    PubMed

    Gandhi, Varun; Roberts, Philip J W; Stoesser, Thorsten; Wright, Harold; Kim, Jae-Hong

    2011-07-01

    Three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence (3DLIF) was applied to visualize and quantitatively analyze mixing in a lab-scale UV reactor consisting of one lamp sleeve placed perpendicular to flow. The recirculation zone and the von Karman vortex shedding that commonly occur in flows around bluff bodies were successfully visualized. Multiple flow paths were analyzed by injecting the dye at various heights with respect to the lamp sleeve. A major difference in these pathways was the amount of dye that traveled close to the sleeve, i.e., a zone of higher residence time and higher UV exposure. Paths away from the center height had higher velocities and hence minimal influence by the presence of sleeve. Approach length was also characterized in order to increase the probability of microbes entering the region around the UV lamp. The 3DLIF technique developed in this study is expected to provide new insight on UV dose delivery useful for the design and optimization of UV reactors. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Complex Wall Boundary Conditions for Modeling Combustion in Catalytic Channels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Huayang; Jackson, Gregory

    2000-11-01

    Monolith catalytic reactors for exothermic oxidation are being used in automobile exhaust clean-up and ultra-low emissions combustion systems. The reactors present a unique coupling between mass, heat, and momentum transport in a channel flow configuration. The use of porous catalytic coatings along the channel wall presents a complex boundary condition when modeled with the two-dimensional channel flow. This current work presents a 2-D transient model for predicting the performance of catalytic combustion systems for methane oxidation on Pd catalysts. The model solves the 2-D compressible transport equations for momentum, species, and energy, which are solved with a porous washcoat model for the wall boundary conditions. A time-splitting algorithm is used to separate the stiff chemical reactions from the convective/diffusive equations for the channel flow. A detailed surface chemistry mechanism is incorporated for the catalytic wall model and is used to predict transient ignition and steady-state conversion of CH4-air flows in the catalytic reactor.

  14. NUCLEAR REACTOR

    DOEpatents

    Sherman, J.; Sharbaugh, J.E.; Fauth, W.L. Jr.; Palladino, N.J.; DeHuff, P.G.

    1962-10-23

    A nuclear reactor incorporating seed and blanket assemblies is designed. Means are provided for obtaining samples of the coolant from the blanket assemblies and for varying the flow of coolant through the blanket assemblies. (AEC)

  15. System and method for determining coolant level and flow velocity in a nuclear reactor

    DOEpatents

    Brisson, Bruce William; Morris, William Guy; Zheng, Danian; Monk, David James; Fang, Biao; Surman, Cheryl Margaret; Anderson, David Deloyd

    2013-09-10

    A boiling water reactor includes a reactor pressure vessel having a feedwater inlet for the introduction of recycled steam condensate and/or makeup coolant into the vessel, and a steam outlet for the discharge of produced steam for appropriate work. A fuel core is located within a lower area of the pressure vessel. The fuel core is surrounded by a core shroud spaced inward from the wall of the pressure vessel to provide an annular downcomer forming a coolant flow path between the vessel wall and the core shroud. A probe system that includes a combination of conductivity/resistivity probes and/or one or more time-domain reflectometer (TDR) probes is at least partially located within the downcomer. The probe system measures the coolant level and flow velocity within the downcomer.

  16. Characterizing fluid dynamics in a bubble column aimed for the determination of reactive mass transfer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kováts, Péter; Thévenin, Dominique; Zähringer, Katharina

    2018-02-01

    Bubble column reactors are multiphase reactors that are used in many process engineering applications. In these reactors a gas phase comes into contact with a fluid phase to initiate or support reactions. The transport process from the gas to the liquid phase is often the limiting factor. Characterizing this process is therefore essential for the optimization of multiphase reactors. For a better understanding of the transfer mechanisms and subsequent chemical reactions, a laboratory-scale bubble column reactor was investigated. First, to characterize the flow field in the reactor, two different methods have been applied. The shadowgraphy technique is used for the characterisation of the bubbles (bubble diameter, velocity, shape or position) for various process conditions. This technique is based on particle recognition with backlight illumination, combined with particle tracking velocimetry (PTV). The bubble trajectories in the column can also be obtained in this manner. Secondly, the liquid phase flow has been analysed by particle image velocimetry (PIV). The combination of both methods, delivering relevant information concerning disperse (bubbles) and continuous (liquid) phases, leads to a complete fluid dynamical characterization of the reactor, which is the pre-condition for the analysis of mass transfer between both phases.

  17. NUCLEAR REACTOR

    DOEpatents

    Grebe, J.J.

    1959-07-14

    High temperature reactors which are uniquely adapted to serve as the heat source for nuclear pcwered rockets are described. The reactor is comprised essentially of an outer tubular heat resistant casing which provides the main coolant passageway to and away from the reactor core within the casing and in which the working fluid is preferably hydrogen or helium gas which is permitted to vaporize from a liquid storage tank. The reactor core has a generally spherical shape formed entirely of an active material comprised of fissile material and a moderator material which serves as a diluent. The active material is fabricated as a gas permeable porous material and is interlaced in a random manner with very small inter-connecting bores or capillary tubes through which the coolant gas may flow. The entire reactor is divided into successive sections along the direction of the temperature gradient or coolant flow, each section utilizing materials of construction which are most advantageous from a nuclear standpoint and which at the same time can withstand the operating temperature of that particular zone. This design results in a nuclear reactor characterized simultaneously by a minimum critiral size and mass and by the ability to heat a working fluid to an extremely high temperature.

  18. Flow Components in a NaK Test Loop Designed to Simulate Conditions in a Nuclear Surface Power Reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polzin, Kurt A.; Godfroy, Thomas J.

    2008-01-01

    A test loop using NaK as the working fluid is presently in use to study material compatibility effects on various components that comprise a possible nuclear reactor design for use on the lunar surface. A DC electromagnetic (EM) pump has been designed and implemented as a means of actively controlling the NaK flow rate through the system and an EM flow sensor is employed to monitor the developed flow rate. These components allow for the matching of the flow rate conditions in test loops with those that would be found in a full-scale surface-power reactor. The design and operating characteristics of the EM pump and flow sensor are presented. In the EM pump, current is applied to a set of electrodes to produce a Lorentz body force in the fluid. A measurement of the induced voltage (back-EMF) in the flow sensor provides the means of monitoring flow rate. Both components are compact, employing high magnetic field strength neodymium magnets thermally coupled to a water-cooled housing. A vacuum gap limits the heat transferred from the high temperature NaK tube to the magnets and a magnetically-permeable material completes the magnetic circuit. The pump is designed to produce a pressure rise of 34.5 kPa, and the flow sensor's predicted output is roughly 20 mV at the loop's nominal flow rate of 0.114 m3/hr.

  19. Flow Components in a NaK Test Loop Designed to Simulate Conditions in a Nuclear Surface Power Reactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Polzin, Kurt A.; Godfroy, Thomas J.

    2008-01-01

    A test loop using NaK as the working fluid is presently in use to study material compatibility effects on various components that comprise a possible nuclear reactor design for use on the lunar surface. A DC electromagnetic (EM) pump has been designed and implemented as a means of actively controlling the NaK flow rate through the system and an EM flow sensor is employed to monitor the developed flow rate. These components allow for the matching of the flow rate conditions in test loops with those that would be found in a full-scale surface-power reactor. The design and operating characteristics of the EM pump and flow sensor are presented. In the EM pump, current is applied to a set of electrodes to produce a Lorentz body force in the fluid. A measurement of the induced voltage (back-EMF) in the flow sensor provides the means of monitoring flow rate. Both components are compact, employing high magnetic field strength neodymium magnets thermally coupled to a water-cooled housing. A vacuum gap limits the heat transferred from the high temperature NaK tube to the magnets and a magnetically-permeable material completes the magnetic circuit. The pump is designed to produce a pressure rise of 5 psi, and the flow sensor's predicted output is roughly 20 mV at the loop's nominal flow rate of 0.5 GPM.

  20. Passive cooling system for liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors with backup coolant flow path

    DOEpatents

    Hunsbedt, Anstein; Boardman, Charles E.

    1993-01-01

    A liquid metal cooled nuclear fission reactor plant having a passive auxiliary safety cooling system for removing residual heat resulting from fuel decay during reactor shutdown, or heat produced during a mishap. This reactor plant is enhanced by a backup or secondary passive safety cooling system which augments the primary passive auxiliary cooling system when in operation, and replaces the primary system when rendered inoperable.

  1. The effect of transient loading on the performance of a mesophilic anaerobic contact reactor at constant feed strength.

    PubMed

    Sentürk, Elif; Ince, Mahir; Engin, Guleda Onkal

    2012-12-15

    Anaerobic contact reactor is a high rate anaerobic process consisting of an agitated reactor and a solids settling tank for recycling. It was proved earlier that this type of reactor design offers highly efficient performance in the conversion of organic matter to biogas. In this study, the effect of transient loading on reactor performance in terms of a number of key intermediates and parameters such as, COD removal, pH and alkalinity change, VFAs, effluent MLSS concentration and biogas efficiency over time was examined. For this purpose, a step increase of organic loading rate from 3.35kg COD/m(3)day to 15.61kg COD/m(3)day was employed. The hydraulic retention time decreased to a value of 8.42h by an increase in the influent flow-rate during the transient loading. It was observed that the mesophilic anaerobic contact reactor (MACR) was quite resistant to large transient shocks. The reactor recovered back to its baseline performance only in 15h after the shock loading was stopped. Hence, it can be concluded that this type of reactor design has a high potential in treating food processing wastewaters with varying flow characteristics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Defining microbial community composition and seasonal variation in a sewage treatment plant in India using a down-flow hanging sponge reactor.

    PubMed

    Nomoto, Naoki; Hatamoto, Masashi; Hirakata, Yuga; Ali, Muntjeer; Jayaswal, Komal; Iguchi, Akinori; Okubo, Tsutomu; Takahashi, Masanobu; Kubota, Kengo; Tagawa, Tadashi; Uemura, Shigeki; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Harada, Hideki

    2018-05-01

    The characteristics of the microbial community in a practical-scale down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor, high in organic matter and sulfate ion concentration, and the seasonal variation of the microbial community composition were investigated. Microorganisms related to sulfur oxidation and reduction (2-27%), as well as Leucobacter (7.50%), were abundant in the reactor. Anaerobic bacteria (27-38% in the first layer) were also in abundance and were found to contribute to the removal of organic matter from the sewage in the reactor. By comparing the Simpson index, the abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE) index, and the species composition of the microbial community across seasons (summer/dry, summer/rainy, autumn/dry, and winter/dry), the microbial community was found to change in composition only during the winter season. In addition to the estimation of seasonal variation, the difference in the microbial community composition along the axes of the DHS reactor was investigated for the first time. Although the abundance of each bacterial species differed along both axes of the reactor, the change of the community composition in the reactor was found to be greater along the vertical axis than the horizontal axis of the DHS reactor.

  3. Early Program Development

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1963-01-01

    This artist's concept from 1963 shows a proposed NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) incorporating the NRX-A1, the first NERVA-type cold flow reactor. The NERVA engine, based on Kiwi nuclear reactor technology, was intended to power a RIFT (Reactor-In-Flight-Test) nuclear stage, for which Marshall Space Flight Center had development responsibility.

  4. Characterization of Sodium Thermal Hydraulics with Optical Fiber Temperature Sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weathered, Matthew Thomas

    The thermal hydraulic properties of liquid sodium make it an attractive coolant for use in Generation IV reactors. The liquid metal's high thermal conductivity and low Prandtl number increases efficiency in heat transfer at fuel rods and heat exchangers, but can also cause features such as high magnitude temperature oscillations and gradients in the coolant. Currently, there exists a knowledge gap in the mechanisms which may create these features and their effect on mechanical structures in a sodium fast reactor. Two of these mechanisms include thermal striping and thermal stratification. Thermal striping is the oscillating temperature field created by the turbulent mixing of non-isothermal flows. Usually this occurs at the reactor core outlet or in piping junctions and can cause thermal fatigue in mechanical structures. Meanwhile, thermal stratification results from large volumes of non-isothermal sodium in a pool type reactor, usually caused by a loss of coolant flow accident. This stratification creates buoyancy driven flow transients and high temperature gradients which can also lead to thermal fatigue in reactor structures. In order to study these phenomena in sodium, a novel method for the deployment of optical fiber temperature sensors was developed. This method promotes rapid thermal response time and high spatial temperature resolution in the fluid. The thermal striping and stratification behavior in sodium may be experimentally analyzed with these sensors with greater fidelity than ever before. Thermal striping behavior at a junction of non-isothermal sodium was fully characterized with optical fibers. An experimental vessel was hydrodynamically scaled to model thermal stratification in a prototypical sodium reactor pool. Novel auxiliary applications of the optical fiber temperature sensors were developed throughout the course of this work. One such application includes local convection coefficient determination in a vessel with the corollary application of level sensing. Other applications were cross correlation velocimetry to determine bulk sodium flow rate and the characterization of coherent vortical structures in sodium with temperature frequency data. The data harvested, instrumentation developed and techniques refined in this work will help in the design of more robust reactors as well as validate computational models for licensing sodium fast reactors.

  5. High Purity and Yield of Boron Nitride Nanotubes Using Amorphous Boron and a Nozzle-Type Reactor

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jaewoo; Seo, Duckbong; Yoo, Jeseung; Jeong, Wanseop; Seo, Young-Soo; Kim, Jaeyong

    2014-01-01

    Enhancement of the production yield of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with high purity was achieved using an amorphous boron-based precursor and a nozzle-type reactor. Use of a mixture of amorphous boron and Fe decreases the milling time for the preparation of the precursor for BNNTs synthesis, as well as the Fe impurity contained in the B/Fe interdiffused precursor nanoparticles by using a simple purification process. We also explored a nozzle-type reactor that increased the production yield of BNNTs compared to a conventional flow-through reactor. By using a nozzle-type reactor with amorphous boron-based precursor, the weight of the BNNTs sample after annealing was increased as much as 2.5-times with much less impurities compared to the case for the flow-through reactor with the crystalline boron-based precursor. Under the same experimental conditions, the yield and quantity of BNNTs were estimated as much as ~70% and ~1.15 g/batch for the former, while they are ~54% and 0.78 g/batch for the latter. PMID:28788161

  6. Oxidation of aluminum alloy cladding for research and test reactor fuel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Yeon Soo; Hofman, G. L.; Robinson, A. B.; Snelgrove, J. L.; Hanan, N.

    2008-08-01

    The oxide thicknesses on aluminum alloy cladding were measured for the test plates from irradiation tests RERTR-6 and 7A in the ATR (advanced test reactor). The measured thicknesses were substantially lower than those of test plates with similar power from other reactors available in the literature. The main reason is believed to be due to the lower pH (pH 5.1-5.3) of the primary coolant water in the ATR than in the other reactors (pH 5.9-6.5) for which we have data. An empirical model for oxide film thickness predictions on aluminum alloy used as fuel cladding in the test reactors was developed as a function of irradiation time, temperature, surface heat flux, pH, and coolant flow rate. The applicable ranges of pH and coolant flow rates cover most research and test reactors. The predictions by the new model are in good agreement with the in-pile test data available in the literature as well as with the RERTR test data measured in the ATR.

  7. Reducing numerical costs for core wide nuclear reactor CFD simulations by the Coarse-Grid-CFD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viellieber, Mathias; Class, Andreas G.

    2013-11-01

    Traditionally complete nuclear reactor core simulations are performed with subchannel analysis codes, that rely on experimental and empirical input. The Coarse-Grid-CFD (CGCFD) intends to replace the experimental or empirical input with CFD data. The reactor core consists of repetitive flow patterns, allowing the general approach of creating a parametrized model for one segment and composing many of those to obtain the entire reactor simulation. The method is based on a detailed and well-resolved CFD simulation of one representative segment. From this simulation we extract so-called parametrized volumetric forces which close, an otherwise strongly under resolved, coarsely-meshed model of a complete reactor setup. While the formulation so far accounts for forces created internally in the fluid others e.g. obstruction and flow deviation through spacers and wire wraps, still need to be accounted for if the geometric details are not represented in the coarse mesh. These are modelled with an Anisotropic Porosity Formulation (APF). This work focuses on the application of the CGCFD to a complete reactor core setup and the accomplishment of the parametrization of the volumetric forces.

  8. 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.

  9. High Purity and Yield of Boron Nitride Nanotubes Using Amorphous Boron and a Nozzle-Type Reactor.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jaewoo; Seo, Duckbong; Yoo, Jeseung; Jeong, Wanseop; Seo, Young-Soo; Kim, Jaeyong

    2014-08-11

    Enhancement of the production yield of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with high purity was achieved using an amorphous boron-based precursor and a nozzle-type reactor. Use of a mixture of amorphous boron and Fe decreases the milling time for the preparation of the precursor for BNNTs synthesis, as well as the Fe impurity contained in the B/Fe interdiffused precursor nanoparticles by using a simple purification process. We also explored a nozzle-type reactor that increased the production yield of BNNTs compared to a conventional flow-through reactor. By using a nozzle-type reactor with amorphous boron-based precursor, the weight of the BNNTs sample after annealing was increased as much as 2.5-times with much less impurities compared to the case for the flow-through reactor with the crystalline boron-based precursor. Under the same experimental conditions, the yield and quantity of BNNTs were estimated as much as ~70% and ~1.15 g/batch for the former, while they are ~54% and 0.78 g/batch for the latter.

  10. Fuels Combustion Research.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-12-09

    benzene and toluene have been greatly improved and show even better corre- spondence with flow reactor results. The studies of alkylated aromatics have...of the flow reactor ; the use of a unique high temperature sampling system; and an automated gas chromatographic apparatus , and the presence of the gas...In these studies a clear analogy between the reactions of the alkylated aromatics and those of the, corresponding alkanes wqs observed [7,8,93. This

  11. Continuous formation of N-chloro-N,N-dialkylamine solutions in well-mixed meso-scale flow reactors

    PubMed Central

    Jolley, Katherine E

    2015-01-01

    Summary The continuous flow synthesis of a range of organic solutions of N,N-dialkyl-N-chloramines is described using either a bespoke meso-scale tubular reactor with static mixers or a continuous stirred tank reactor. Both reactors promote the efficient mixing of a biphasic solution of N,N-dialkylamine in organic solvent, and aqueous sodium hypochlorite to achieve near quantitative conversions, in 72–100% in situ yields, and useful productivities of around 0.05 mol/h with residence times from 3 to 20 minutes. Initial calorimetric studies have been carried out to inform on reaction exotherms, rates and safe operation. Amines which partition mainly in the organic phase require longer reaction times, provided by the CSTR, to compensate for low mass transfer rates in the biphasic system. The green metrics of the reaction have been assessed and compared to existing procedures and have shown the continuous process is improved over previous procedures. The organic solutions of N,N-dialkyl-N-chloramines produced continuously will enable their use in tandem flow reactions with a range of nucleophilic substrates. PMID:26734089

  12. A bioreactor system for the nitrogen loop in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saulmon, M. M.; Reardon, K. F.; Sadeh, W. Z.

    1996-01-01

    As space missions become longer in duration, the need to recycle waste into useful compounds rises dramatically. This problem can be addressed by the development of Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) (i.e., Engineered Closed/Controlled Eco-Systems (ECCES)), consisting of human and plant modules. One of the waste streams leaving the human module is urine. In addition to the reclamation of water from urine, recovery of the nitrogen is important because it is an essential nutrient for the plant module. A 3-step biological process for the recycling of nitrogenous waste (urea) is proposed. A packed-bed bioreactor system for this purpose was modeled, and the issues of reaction step segregation, reactor type and volume, support particle size, and pressure drop were addressed. Based on minimization of volume, a bioreactor system consisting of a plug flow immobilized urease reactor, a completely mixed flow immobilized cell reactor to convert ammonia to nitrite, and a plug flow immobilized cell reactor to produce nitrate from nitrite is recommended. It is apparent that this 3-step bioprocess meets the requirements for space applications.

  13. Synthesis of Geraniol Esters in a Continuous-Flow Packed-Bed Reactor of Immobilized Lipase: Optimization of Process Parameters and Kinetic Modeling.

    PubMed

    Salvi, Harshada M; Kamble, Manoj P; Yadav, Ganapati D

    2018-02-01

    With increasing demand for perfumes, flavors, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, the various associated industries are resorting to different approaches to enhance yields of desired compounds. The use of fixed-bed biocatalytic reactors in some of the processes for making fine chemicals will be of great value because the reaction times could be reduced substantially as well as high conversion and yields obtained. In the current study, a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor of immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozym 435) was employed for synthesis of various geraniol esters. Optimization of process parameters such as biocatalyst screening, effect of solvent, mole ratio, temperature and acyl donors was studied in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor. Maximum conversion of ~ 87% of geranyl propionate was achieved in 15 min residence time at 70 °C using geraniol and propionic acid with a 1:1 mol ratio. Novozym 435 was found to be the most active and stable biocatalyst among all tested. Ternary complex mechanism with propionic acid inhibition was found to fit the data.

  14. Plasma flow reactor for steady state monitoring of physical and chemical processes at high temperatures

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

    Koroglu, Batikan; Mehl, Marco; Armstrong, Michael R.

    Here, we present the development of a steady state plasma flow reactor to investigate gas phase physical and chemical processes that occur at high temperature (1000 < T < 5000 K) and atmospheric pressure. The reactor consists of a glass tube that is attached to an inductively coupled argon plasma generator via an adaptor (ring flow injector). We have modeled the system using computational fluid dynamics simulations that are bounded by measured temperatures. In situ line-of-sight optical emission and absorption spectroscopy have been used to determine the structures and concentrations of molecules formed during rapid cooling of reactants after theymore » pass through the plasma. Emission spectroscopy also enables us to determine the temperatures at which these dynamic processes occur. A sample collection probe inserted from the open end of the reactor is used to collect condensed materials and analyze them ex situ using electron microscopy. The preliminary results of two separate investigations involving the condensation of metal oxides and chemical kinetics of high-temperature gas reactions are discussed.« less

  15. Plasma flow reactor for steady state monitoring of physical and chemical processes at high temperatures

    DOE PAGES

    Koroglu, Batikan; Mehl, Marco; Armstrong, Michael R.; ...

    2017-09-11

    Here, we present the development of a steady state plasma flow reactor to investigate gas phase physical and chemical processes that occur at high temperature (1000 < T < 5000 K) and atmospheric pressure. The reactor consists of a glass tube that is attached to an inductively coupled argon plasma generator via an adaptor (ring flow injector). We have modeled the system using computational fluid dynamics simulations that are bounded by measured temperatures. In situ line-of-sight optical emission and absorption spectroscopy have been used to determine the structures and concentrations of molecules formed during rapid cooling of reactants after theymore » pass through the plasma. Emission spectroscopy also enables us to determine the temperatures at which these dynamic processes occur. A sample collection probe inserted from the open end of the reactor is used to collect condensed materials and analyze them ex situ using electron microscopy. The preliminary results of two separate investigations involving the condensation of metal oxides and chemical kinetics of high-temperature gas reactions are discussed.« less

  16. Gas-core reactor power transient analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kascak, A. F.

    1972-01-01

    The gas core reactor is a proposed device which features high temperatures. It has applications in high specific impulse space missions, and possibly in low thermal pollution MHD power plants. The nuclear fuel is a ball of uranium plasma radiating thermal photons as opposed to gamma rays. This thermal energy is picked up before it reaches the solid cavity liner by an inflowing seeded propellant stream and convected out through a rocket nozzle. A wall-burnout condition will exist if there is not enough flow of propellant to convect the energy back into the cavity. A reactor must therefore operate with a certain amount of excess propellant flow. Due to the thermal inertia of the flowing propellant, the reactor can undergo power transients in excess of the steady-state wall burnout power for short periods of time. The objective of this study was to determine how long the wall burnout power could be exceeded without burning out the cavity liner. The model used in the heat-transfer calculation was one-dimensional, and thermal radiation was assumed to be a diffusion process.

  17. Pressure-accelerated azide-alkyne cycloaddition: micro capillary versus autoclave reactor performance.

    PubMed

    Borukhova, Svetlana; Seeger, Andreas D; Noël, Timothy; Wang, Qi; Busch, Markus; Hessel, Volker

    2015-02-01

    Pressure effects on regioselectivity and yield of cycloaddition reactions have been shown to exist. Nevertheless, high pressure synthetic applications with subsequent benefits in the production of natural products are limited by the general availability of the equipment. In addition, the virtues and limitations of microflow equipment under standard conditions are well established. Herein, we apply novel-process-window (NPWs) principles, such as intensification of intrinsic kinetics of a reaction using high temperature, pressure, and concentration, on azide-alkyne cycloaddition towards synthesis of Rufinamide precursor. We applied three main activation methods (i.e., uncatalyzed batch, uncatalyzed flow, and catalyzed flow) on uncatalyzed and catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. We compare the performance of two reactors, a specialized autoclave batch reactor for high-pressure operation up to 1800 bar and a capillary flow reactor (up to 400 bar). A differentiated and comprehensive picture is given for the two reactors and the three methods of activation. Reaction speedup and consequent increases in space-time yields is achieved, while the process window for favorable operation to selectively produce Rufinamide precursor in good yields is widened. The best conditions thus determined are applied to several azide-alkyne cycloadditions to widen the scope of the presented methodology. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Solution of heat removal from nuclear reactors by natural convection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zitek, Pavel; Valenta, Vaclav

    2014-03-01

    This paper summarizes the basis for the solution of heat removal by natural convection from both conventional nuclear reactors and reactors with fuel flowing coolant (such as reactors with molten fluoride salts MSR).The possibility of intensification of heat removal through gas lift is focused on. It might be used in an MSR (Molten Salt Reactor) for cleaning the salt mixture of degassed fission products and therefore eliminating problems with iodine pitting. Heat removal by natural convection and its intensification increases significantly the safety of nuclear reactors. Simultaneously the heat removal also solves problems with lifetime of pumps in the primary circuit of high-temperature reactors.

  19. Digital computer study of nuclear reactor thermal transients during startup of 60-kWe Brayton power conversion system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jefferies, K. S.; Tew, R. C.

    1974-01-01

    A digital computer study was made of reactor thermal transients during startup of the Brayton power conversion loop of a 60-kWe reactor Brayton power system. A startup procedure requiring the least Brayton system complication was tried first; this procedure caused violations of design limits on key reactor variables. Several modifications of this procedure were then found which caused no design limit violations. These modifications involved: (1) using a slower rate of increase in gas flow; (2) increasing the initial reactor power level to make the reactor respond faster; and (3) appropriate reactor control drum manipulation during the startup transient.

  20. Titer-plate formatted continuous flow thermal reactors: Design and performance of a nanoliter reactor

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Pin-Chuan; Park, Daniel S.; You, Byoung-Hee; Kim, Namwon; Park, Taehyun; Soper, Steven A.; Nikitopoulos, Dimitris E.; Murphy, Michael C.

    2010-01-01

    Arrays of continuous flow thermal reactors were designed, configured, and fabricated in a 96-device (12 × 8) titer-plate format with overall dimensions of 120 mm × 96 mm, with each reactor confined to a 8 mm × 8 mm footprint. To demonstrate the potential, individual 20-cycle (740 nL) and 25-cycle (990 nL) reactors were used to perform the continuous flow polymerase chain reaction (CFPCR) for amplification of DNA fragments of different lengths. Since thermal isolation of the required temperature zones was essential for optimal biochemical reactions, three finite element models, executed with ANSYS (v. 11.0, Canonsburg, PA), were used to characterize the thermal performance and guide system design: (1) a single device to determine the dimensions of the thermal management structures; (2) a single CFPCR device within an 8 mm × 8 mm area to evaluate the integrity of the thermostatic zones; and (3) a single, straight microchannel representing a single loop of the spiral CFPCR device, accounting for all of the heat transfer modes, to determine whether the PCR cocktail was exposed to the proper temperature cycling. In prior work on larger footprint devices, simple grooves between temperature zones provided sufficient thermal resistance between zones. For the small footprint reactor array, 0.4 mm wide and 1.2 mm high fins were necessary within the groove to cool the PCR cocktail efficiently, with a temperature gradient of 15.8°C/mm, as it flowed from the denaturation zone to the renaturation zone. With temperature tolerance bands of ±2°C defined about the nominal temperatures, more than 72.5% of the microchannel length was located within the desired temperature bands. The residence time of the PCR cocktail in each temperature zone decreased and the transition times between zones increased at higher PCR cocktail flow velocities, leading to less time for the amplification reactions. Experiments demonstrated the performance of the CFPCR devices as a function of flow velocity, fragment length, and copy number. A 99 bp DNA fragment was successfully amplified at flow velocities from 1 mm/s to 3 mm/s, requiring from 8.16 minutes for 20 cycles (24.48 s/cycle) to 2.72 minutes for 20 cycles (8.16 s/cycle), respectively. Yield compared to the same amplification sequence performed using a bench top thermal cycler decreased nonlinearly from 73% (at 1 mm/s) to 13% (at 3 mm/s) with shorter residence time at the optimal temperatures for the reactions due to increased flow rate primarily responsible. Six different DNA fragments with lengths between 99 bp and 997 bp were successfully amplified at 1 mm/s. Repeatable, successful amplification of a 99 bp fragment was achieved with a minimum of 8000 copies of the DNA template. This is the first demonstration and characterization of continuous flow thermal reactors within the 8 mm × 8 mm footprint of a 96-well micro-titer plate and is the smallest continuous flow PCR to date. PMID:20871807

  1. Challenging a trickle-down view of climate change on agriculture and groundwater

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Global climate change is largely viewed as affecting ecohydrology of the Earth’s surface, but various studies are showing deeper effects on groundwater. Agricultural systems may be studied at the land surface and into the root zone with deeper effects of water and chemical movement to groundwater. ...

  2. Create Great School Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vail, Kathleen

    2005-01-01

    A teacher's attitude--whether good or bad--trickles down to the students. According to Tom Carroll, who serves in the capacity of president of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, there is no teacher shortage but a horrendous turnover and attrition problem. Teachers who are leaving are constantly being replaced. The conditions…

  3. Mathematics Problems from Ancient Egyptian Papyri

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howard, Christopher A.

    2009-01-01

    Most high school mathematics teachers completed a mathematics history course in college, and many of them likely found it intriguing. Unfortunately, very few of them find the time to allow much, if any, mathematics history to trickle into their instruction. However, if mathematics history is taught effectively, students can see the connections…

  4. 40 CFR 35.2036 - Design/build project grants.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2036 Design/build...) project grant provided that: (1) The proposed treatment works has an estimated total cost of $8 million or less; (2) The proposed treatment works is an aerated lagoon, trickling filter, waste stabilization pond...

  5. Comparison of heavy metal toxicity in continuous flow and batch reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sengor, S. S.; Gikas, P.; Moberly, J. G.; Peyton, B. M.; Ginn, T. R.

    2009-12-01

    The presence of heavy metals may significantly affect microbial growth. In many cases, small amounts of particular heavy metals may stimulate microbial growth; however, larger quantities may result in microbial growth reduction. Environmental parameters, such as growth pattern may alter the critical heavy metal concentration, above which microbial growth stimulation turns to growth inhibition. Thus, it is important to quantify the effects of heavy metals on microbial activity for understanding natural or manmade biological reactors, either in situ or ex situ. Here we compare the toxicity of Zn and Cu on Arthrobacter sp., a heavy metal tolerant microorganism, under continuous flow versus batch reactor operations. Batch and continuous growth tests of Arthrobacter sp. were carried out at various individual and combined concentrations of Zn and Cu. Biomass concentration (OD) was measured for both the batch and continuous reactors, whereas ATP, oxygen uptake rates and substrate concentrations were additionally measured for the continuous system. Results indicated that Cu was more toxic than Zn under all conditions for both systems. In batch reactors, all tested Zn concentrations up to 150 uM showed a stimulatory effect on microbial growth. However, in the case of mixed Zn and Cu exposures, the presence of Zn either eliminated (at the 50 uM level both Zn and Cu) or reduced by ~25% (at the 100 and 150 uM levels both Zn and Cu) the Cu-induced inhibition. In the continuous system, only one test involved combined Cu (40uM) and Zn (125uM) and this test showed similar results to the 40uM Cu continuous test, i.e., no reduction in inhibition. The specific ATP concentration, i.e., ATP/OD, results for the continuous reactor showed an apparent recovery for both Cu-treated populations, although neither the OD nor glucose data showed any recovery. This may reflect that the individual microorganisms that survived after the addition of heavy metals, kept maintaining the usual ATP levels, as before metal addition. The last may imply a short of adaptation by some microorganisms to the presence of heavy metals. Overall, the batch reactor tests underestimated significantly the heavy metal inhibition, as compared to the continuous flow reactors. Therefore, the results of batch reactor tests should be used with some caution when heavy metal inhibition is to be interpreted for continuous flow natural environmental systems, such as rivers or wetlands.

  6. Modified kinetic-hydraulic UASB reactor model for treatment of wastewater containing biodegradable organic substrates.

    PubMed

    El-Seddik, Mostafa M; Galal, Mona M; Radwan, A G; Abdel-Halim, Hisham S

    2016-01-01

    This paper addresses a modified kinetic-hydraulic model for up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor aimed to treat wastewater of biodegradable organic substrates as acetic acid based on Van der Meer model incorporated with biological granules inclusion. This dynamic model illustrates the biomass kinetic reaction rate for both direct and indirect growth of microorganisms coupled with the amount of biogas produced by methanogenic bacteria in bed and blanket zones of reactor. Moreover, the pH value required for substrate degradation at the peak specific growth rate of bacteria is discussed for Andrews' kinetics. The sensitivity analyses of biomass concentration with respect to fraction of volume of reactor occupied by granules and up-flow velocity are also demonstrated. Furthermore, the modified mass balance equations of reactor are applied during steady state using Newton Raphson technique to obtain a suitable degree of freedom for the modified model matching with the measured results of UASB Sanhour wastewater treatment plant in Fayoum, Egypt.

  7. Nuclear reactor building

    DOEpatents

    Gou, P.F.; Townsend, H.E.; Barbanti, G.

    1994-04-05

    A reactor building for enclosing a nuclear reactor includes a containment vessel having a wetwell disposed therein. The wetwell includes inner and outer walls, a floor, and a roof defining a wetwell pool and a suppression chamber disposed there above. The wetwell and containment vessel define a drywell surrounding the reactor. A plurality of vents are disposed in the wetwell pool in flow communication with the drywell for channeling into the wetwell pool steam released in the drywell from the reactor during a LOCA for example, for condensing the steam. A shell is disposed inside the wetwell and extends into the wetwell pool to define a dry gap devoid of wetwell water and disposed in flow communication with the suppression chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the wetwell roof is in the form of a slab disposed on spaced apart support beams which define there between an auxiliary chamber. The dry gap, and additionally the auxiliary chamber, provide increased volume to the suppression chamber for improving pressure margin. 4 figures.

  8. Nuclear reactor building

    DOEpatents

    Gou, Perng-Fei; Townsend, Harold E.; Barbanti, Giancarlo

    1994-01-01

    A reactor building for enclosing a nuclear reactor includes a containment vessel having a wetwell disposed therein. The wetwell includes inner and outer walls, a floor, and a roof defining a wetwell pool and a suppression chamber disposed thereabove. The wetwell and containment vessel define a drywell surrounding the reactor. A plurality of vents are disposed in the wetwell pool in flow communication with the drywell for channeling into the wetwell pool steam released in the drywell from the reactor during a LOCA for example, for condensing the steam. A shell is disposed inside the wetwell and extends into the wetwell pool to define a dry gap devoid of wetwell water and disposed in flow communication with the suppression chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the wetwell roof is in the form of a slab disposed on spaced apart support beams which define therebetween an auxiliary chamber. The dry gap, and additionally the auxiliary chamber, provide increased volume to the suppression chamber for improving pressure margin.

  9. Apparatus for afterburning the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine to remove pollutants therefrom

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

    Laurent, P.A.

    1976-09-28

    An apparatus is described for afterburning the combustible pollutants from the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine in a reactor, in which secondary air is introduced. Upstream of the reactor, a chamber in the form of a torus is provided, through which the exhaust gases from a maximum number of cylinders flow before entering the reactor. A first obstacle, acting as a flame holder is disposed inside the torus. The reactor comprises a chamber whose inner surface is approximately a surface of revolution, and mounted inside of which is a second obstacle, acting as flame holder, substantially along themore » axis of revolution. The second flame holder has a diameter large enough to provide a contact time of 1 to 3 x 10/sup -3/ seconds of the gas flow in a recirculation zone surrounding the second flame holder, the diameter of the second flame holder being 15 to 40 percent of the reactor diameter.« less

  10. Flowing gas, non-nuclear experiments on the gas core reactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kunze, J. F.; Suckling, D. H.; Copper, C. G.

    1972-01-01

    Flow tests were conducted on models of the gas core (cavity) reactor. Variations in cavity wall and injection configurations were aimed at establishing flow patterns that give a maximum of the nuclear criticality eigenvalue. Correlation with the nuclear effect was made using multigroup diffusion theory normalized by previous benchmark critical experiments. Air was used to simulate the hydrogen propellant in the flow tests, and smoked air, argon, or freon to simulate the central nuclear fuel gas. All tests were run in the down-firing direction so that gravitational effects simulated the acceleration effect of a rocket. Results show that acceptable flow patterns with high volume fraction for the simulated nuclear fuel gas and high flow rate ratios of propellant to fuel can be obtained. Using a point injector for the fuel, good flow patterns are obtained by directing the outer gas at high velocity along the cavity wall, using louvered or oblique-angle-honeycomb injection schemes.

  11. Multiscale Simulations of ALD in Cross Flow Reactors

    DOE PAGES

    Yanguas-Gil, Angel; Libera, Joseph A.; Elam, Jeffrey W.

    2014-08-13

    In this study, we have developed a multiscale simulation code that allows us to study the impact of surface chemistry on the coating of large area substrates with high surface area/high aspect-ratio features. Our code, based on open-source libraries, takes advantage of the ALD surface chemistry to achieve an extremely efficient two-way coupling between reactor and feature length scales, and it can provide simulated quartz crystal microbalance and mass spectrometry data at any point of the reactor. By combining experimental surface characterization with simple analysis of growth profiles in a tubular cross flow reactor, we are able to extract amore » minimal set of reactions to effectively model the surface chemistry, including the presence of spurious CVD, to evaluate the impact of surface chemistry on the coating of large, high surface area substrates.« less

  12. VENTED FUEL ELEMENT FOR GAS-COOLED NEUTRONIC REACTORS

    DOEpatents

    Furgerson, W.T.

    1963-12-17

    A hollow, porous-walled fuel element filled with fissionable fuel and provided with an outlet port through its wall is described. In operation in a gas-cooled reactor, the element is connected, through its outlet port, to the vacuum side of a pump that causes a portion of the coolant gas flowing over the exterior surface of the element to be drawn through the porous walls thereof and out through the outlet port. This continuous purging gas flow sweeps away gaseous fission products as they are released by the fissioning fuel. (AEC) A fuel element for a nuclear reactor incorporating a body of metal of melting point lower than the temperature of operation of the reactor and a nuclear fuel in finely divided form dispersed in the body of metal as a settled slurry is presented. (AEC)

  13. Styrene recovery from polystyrene by flash pyrolysis in a conical spouted bed reactor.

    PubMed

    Artetxe, Maite; Lopez, Gartzen; Amutio, Maider; Barbarias, Itsaso; Arregi, Aitor; Aguado, Roberto; Bilbao, Javier; Olazar, Martin

    2015-11-01

    Continuous pyrolysis of polystyrene has been studied in a conical spouted bed reactor with the main aim of enhancing styrene monomer recovery. Thermal degradation in a thermogravimetric analyser was conducted as a preliminary study in order to apply this information in the pyrolysis in the conical spouted bed reactor. The effects of temperature and gas flow rate in the conical spouted bed reactor on product yield and composition have been determined in the 450-600°C range by using a spouting velocity from 1.25 to 3.5 times the minimum one. Styrene yield is strongly influenced by both temperature and gas flow rate, with the maximum yield being 70.6 wt% at 500°C and a gas velocity twice the minimum one. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Evaluation of the resilience of a full-scale down-flow hanging sponge reactor to long-term outages at a sewage treatment plant in India.

    PubMed

    Onodera, Takashi; Takayama, Daisuke; Ohashi, Akiyoshi; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Uemura, Shigeki; Harada, Hideki

    2016-10-01

    Resilience to process outages is an essential requirement for sustainable wastewater treatment systems in developing countries. In this study, we evaluated the ability of a full-scale down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor to recover after a 10-day outage. The DHS tested in this study uses polyurethane sponge as packing material. This full-scale DHS reactor has been tested over a period of about 4 years in India with a flow rate of 500 m(3)/day. Water was not supplied to the DHS reactor that was subjected to the 10-day outage; however, the biomass did not dry out because the sponge was able to retain enough water. Soon after the reactor was restarted, a small quantity of biomass, amounting to only 0.1% of the total retained biomass, was eluted. The DHS effluent achieved satisfactory removal of suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, and ammonium nitrogen within 90, 45, and 90 min, respectively. Conversely, fecal coliforms in the DHS effluent did not reach satisfactory levels within 540 min; instead, the normal levels of fecal coliforms were achieved within 3 days. Overall, the tests demonstrated that the DHS reactor was sufficiently robust to withstand long-term outages and achieved steady state soon after restart. This reinforces the suitability of this technology for developing countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Synthesis of Struvite using a Vertical Canted Reactor with Continuous Laminar Flow Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutiyono, S.; Edahwati, L.; Muryanto, S.; Jamari, J.; Bayuseno, A. P.

    2018-01-01

    Struvite is a white crystalline that is chemically known as magnesium ammonium phosphorus hexahydrate (MgNH4PO4·6H2O). It can easily dissolve in acidic conditions and slightly soluble in neutral and alkaline conditions. In industry, struvite forms as a scale deposit on a pipe with hot flow fluid. However, struvite can be used as fertilizer because of its phosphate content. A vertical canted reactor is a promising technology for recovering phosphate levels in wastewater through struvite crystallization. The study was carried out with the vertical canted reactor by mixing an equimolar stock solution of MgCl2, NH4OH, and H3PO4 in 1: 1: 1 ratio. The crystallization process worked with the flow rate of three stock solution entering the reactor in the range of 16-38 ml/min, the temperature in the reactor is worked on 20°, 30°, and 40°C, while the incoming air rate is kept constant at 0.25 liters/min. Moreover, pH was maintained at a constant value of 9. The struvite crystallization process run until the steady state was reached. Then, the result of crystal precipitates was filtered and dried at standard temperature room for 48 hours. After that, struvite crystals were stored for the subsequent analysis by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) method. The use of canted reactor provided the high pure struvite with a prismatic crystal morphology.

  16. Development of a three-dimensional core dynamics analysis program for commercial boiling water reactors

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

    Bessho, Yasunori; Yokomizo, Osamu; Yoshimoto, Yuichiro

    1997-03-01

    Development and qualification results are described for a three-dimensional, time-domain core dynamics analysis program for commercial boiling water reactors (BWRs). The program allows analysis of the reactor core with a detailed mesh division, which eliminates calculational ambiguity in the nuclear-thermal-hydraulic stability analysis caused by reactor core regional division. During development, emphasis was placed on high calculational speed and large memory size as attained by the latest supercomputer technology. The program consists of six major modules, namely a core neutronics module, a fuel heat conduction/transfer module, a fuel channel thermal-hydraulic module, an upper plenum/separator module, a feedwater/recirculation flow module, and amore » control system module. Its core neutronics module is based on the modified one-group neutron kinetics equation with the prompt jump approximation and with six delayed neutron precursor groups. The module is used to analyze one fuel bundle of the reactor core with one mesh (region). The fuel heat conduction/transfer module solves the one-dimensional heat conduction equation in the radial direction with ten nodes in the fuel pin. The fuel channel thermal-hydraulic module is based on separated three-equation, two-phase flow equations with the drift flux correlation, and it analyzes one fuel bundle of the reactor core with one channel to evaluate flow redistribution between channels precisely. Thermal margin is evaluated by using the GEXL correlation, for example, in the module.« less

  17. One-step synthesis of pyridines and dihydropyridines in a continuous flow microwave reactor

    PubMed Central

    Fusillo, Vincenzo; Jenkins, Robert L; Lubinu, M Caterina; Mason, Christopher

    2013-01-01

    Summary The Bohlmann–Rahtz pyridine synthesis and the Hantzsch dihydropyridine synthesis can be carried out in a microwave flow reactor or using a conductive heating flow platform for the continuous processing of material. In the Bohlmann–Rahtz reaction, the use of a Brønsted acid catalyst allows Michael addition and cyclodehydration to be carried out in a single step without isolation of intermediates to give the corresponding trisubstituted pyridine as a single regioisomer in good yield. Furthermore, 3-substituted propargyl aldehydes undergo Hantzsch dihydropyridine synthesis in preference to Bohlmann–Rahtz reaction in a very high yielding process that is readily transferred to continuous flow processing. PMID:24204407

  18. Supported Ruthenium Catalysts for Sustainable Flow Chemistry

    EPA Science Inventory

    Continuous flow processes play a significant role in the process intensification of organic transformations, as is evident from the multitude of flow reactors that have been developed for various specific needs. These flow processes are deemed more sustainable due to the advantag...

  19. Atmospheric pressure flow reactor: Gas phase chemical kinetics under tropospheric conditions without wall effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koontz, Steven L. (Inventor); Davis, Dennis D. (Inventor)

    1991-01-01

    A flow reactor for simulating the interaction in the troposphere is set forth. A first reactant mixed with a carrier gas is delivered from a pump and flows through a duct having louvers therein. The louvers straighten out the flow, reduce turbulence and provide laminar flow discharge from the duct. A second reactant delivered from a source through a pump is input into the flowing stream, the second reactant being diffused through a plurality of small diffusion tubes to avoid disturbing the laminar flow. The commingled first and second reactants in the carrier gas are then directed along an elongated duct where the walls are spaced away from the flow of reactants to avoid wall interference, disturbance or turbulence arising from the walls. A probe connected with a measuring device can be inserted through various sampling ports in the second duct to complete measurements of the first and second reactants and the product of their reaction at selected XYZ locations relative to the flowing system.

  20. Apparatus for entrained coal pyrolysis

    DOEpatents

    Durai-Swamy, Kandaswamy

    1982-11-16

    This invention discloses a process and apparatus for pyrolyzing particulate coal by heating with a particulate solid heating media in a transport reactor. The invention tends to dampen fluctuations in the flow of heating media upstream of the pyrolysis zone, and by so doing forms a substantially continuous and substantially uniform annular column of heating media flowing downwardly along the inside diameter of the reactor. The invention is particularly useful for bituminous or agglomerative type coals.

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