Nutrient contributions and biogas potential of co-digestion of feedstocks and dairy manure.

PubMed

Ma, Guiling; Neibergs, J Shannon; Harrison, Joseph H; Whitefield, Elizabeth M

2017-06-01

This study focused on collection of data on nutrient flow and biogas yield at a commercial anaerobic digester managed with dairy manure from a 1000 cow dairy and co-digestion of additional feedstocks. Feedstocks included: blood, fish, paper pulp, out of date beverages and grease trap waste. Mass flow of inputs and outputs, nutrient concentration of inputs and outputs, and biogas yield were obtained. It was determined that manure was the primary source of nutrients to the anaerobic digester when co-digested with feedstocks. The percentage of contribution from manure to the total nutrient inputs for total nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, phosphorus and total solids was 46.3%, 67.7%, 32.8% and 23.4%, respectively. On average, manure contributed the greatest amount of total nitrogen and ammonia-nitrogen. Grease trap waste contributed the greatest amount of phosphorus and total solids at approximately 50%. Results demonstrated that a reliable estimate of nutrient inflow could be obtained from the product of the nutrient analyses of a single daily composite of influent subsamples times the total daily flow estimated with an in-line flow meter. This approach to estimate total daily nutrient inflow would be more cost effective than testing and summing the contribution of individual feedstocks. Data collected after liquid-solid separation confirmed that the majority (>75%) of nutrients remain with the liquid effluent portion of the manure stream. It was demonstrated that the ash concentration in solids before and after composting could be used to estimate the mass balance of total solids during the compost process. This data confirms that biogas or methane yield could be accurately measured from the ratio of % volatile solids to % total solids. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Novel Melt Spinning-Based Processing Route for Oxide Dispersion-Strengthened Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Zuliang; Morrison, Alasdair P. C.; Zhang, Hongtao; Roberts, Steve G.; Grant, Patrick S.

2018-02-01

Melt spinning of an Fe-5Y and Fe-1Y-1Ti (wt pct) alloy produced a relatively uniform spatial distribution of Y and Ti in solid solution and ribbons with consistent yield (> 60 pct by weight), fast processing time (< 10 seconds), good scalability (up to > 100 g feedstock material), and repeatability. Heat treatment in the presence of Fe2O3 as an oxygen source (Rhines pack method) at 973 K validated the potential of forming < 20 nm Y-rich oxides in the Fe-5Y ribbons. Pulverized Fe-1Y-1Y ribbons were consolidated to bulk using the field-assisted sintering technique (FAST) incorporating nano-sized Fe3O4 powder as the oxygen source. After FAST at 1273 K, 50 MPa, and 30 minutes, a comparatively high number density of sub-micron Y and/or Ti-rich oxides were developed. Further formation of fine-scale oxides took place during post-FAST annealing, resulting in an approximate 20 pct increase in hardness at temperatures below 573 K, but with a reduced hardening effect above 673 K due to a small fraction of persistent porosity and mechanically weak prior ribbon boundaries that were decorated with Ti-rich oxides.

Investigation of sample preparation on the moldability of ceramic injection molding feedstocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ide, Jared

Ceramic injection molding is a desirable option for those who are looking to make ceramic parts with complex geometries. Formulating the feedstock needed to produce ideal parts is a difficult process. In this research a series of feedstock blends will be evaluated for moldability. This was done by investigating their viscosity, and how certain components affect the overall ability to flow. These feedstocks varied waxes, surfactants, and solids loading. A capillary rheometer was used to characterize some of the materials, which led to one batch being selected for molding trials. The parts were sintered and further refinements were made to the feedstock. Solids loading was increased from 77.5% to 82%, which required different ratios of organics to flow. Finally, the ceramic powders were treated to lower their specific surface area before being compounded, which resulted in materials that would process easily through an extruder and exhibit properties suitable for CIM.

Two-phase simulation-based location-allocation optimization of biomass storage distribution

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study presents a two-phase simulation-based framework for finding the optimal locations of biomass storage facilities that is a very critical link on the biomass supply chain, which can help to solve biorefinery concerns (e.g. steady supply, uniform feedstock properties, stable feedstock costs,...

Oxidation resistance of biochars as a function of feedstock and pyrolysis condition

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study investigated the chemical stability of a wide range of biochar samples (pyrochars from ash-poor (pine wood) and ash-rich feedstocks (rice straw, swine solids and poultry litter) at 250, 450 and 600 Celsius, and 250 °C hydrochars from swine solids and poultry litter) to short- and long-ter...

A Quick-Test for Biochar Effects on Seed Germination ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Biochar is being globally evaluated as a soil amendment to improve soil characteristics (e.g. soil water holding, nutrient exchange, microbiology, pesticides and chemical availability) to increase crop yields. Unfortunately, there are no quick tests to determine what biochar types are most effective at improving soil characteristics amenable for higher crop yields. Seed germination is a critical parameter for plant establishment and may be a quick indicator of biochar quality. We adapted Oregon State University Seed Laboratory procedures to develop a “quick-test” for screening the effects of biochar on seed germination. We used 11.0 cm rectangular x 3.5 cm deep containers fitted with blotter paper. The paper was premoistened with reverse-osmosis water, followed by placement of seeds (25 in a uniform 5 x 5 vacuum-assisted pattern, and biochar mixtures). A Norfolk and Coxville soil series from South Carolina were used. A total of 18 biochars were evaluated that were produced from 6 feedstocks (pine chips, poultry litter, swine solids, switchgrass, and two blends of pine chips and poultry litter); with biochar from each feedstock made by pyrolysis at 350, 500 and 700 ̊ C. Crops were cabbage, cucumber, onion, ryegrass and tomato. Preliminary results from the test indicated differences in seed germination due to soil type and possibly soil x biochar feedstock interactions. Other measurements including shoot dry weight per plate and pH of the soil+ biochar mixtur

Investigation on by-products of bioenergy systems (anaerobic digestion and gasification) as potential crop nutrient using FTIR, XRD, SEM analysis and phyto-toxicity test.

PubMed

Kataki, Sampriti; Hazarika, Samarendra; Baruah, D C

2017-07-01

Success and acceptability of the bio energy conversion technology to a large extent depend upon management of the inevitable by-products generated during the conversion process. By-products can be considered favourable as organic fertilizer as they retain nutrients with varying composition depending upon input biomass. However, characteristics of these heterogeneous resources with respect to feedstock and processing conditions have to be assessed to state on their agricultural and environmental benefits. Therefore, 3 types of anaerobic digestion by-products (digestate) from surplus biomass viz. cow dung, Ipomoea carnea:cow dung (60:40 dry weight basis) and rice straw:green gram stover:cow dung (30:30:40 dry weight basis) and one gasification by-product (biochar) from rice husk are considered to understand the fertilizer prospects. Considering 3 potential application options, digestate from each feedstock option was further processed as separated solid, separated liquid and ash from solid digestates. Thus, a total of 10 by-products were investigated for understanding their prospects as fertilizer using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and phyto-toxicity test to have a broad insight in terms of their organic, mineral, elemental composition, morphological feature and potential phyto-toxicity. In general, irrespective of origin of feedstock, solid digestate, ash digestate and char showed similarity in terms of composition of functional groups with some degree of variation in relative content as reflected by FTIR analysis. Dominance of organic functional groups in separated solid digestates compared to liquid fraction indicated the former as favourable organic amendments. Quartz was the prevalent mineral phase in all separated solid, ash digestate and rice husk char. Digestates in ash phase represent more concentrated plant nutrient source with higher content of K, Ca, P, Na and Mg than their respective solid phase. Application of ash digestates and char is likely to improve adsorptive capacity of soil for water and nutrient due to presence of relatively uniformly distributed porous particles. Liquid fraction of Ipomoea digestates exhibited inhibitory effect on seed germination of greengram (Vigna radiate) with significant reduction of germination index. Inhibitory effects of by-products were found to correlate negatively with their electrical conductivity and ammonia-nitrogen content. Understanding on spectroscopic, morphological and phytotoxic properties of different application options of bioenergy by-products would be useful for assessment of their appropriate use in agriculture. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of feedstock quality and variation on biochemical and thermochemical conversion

DOE PAGES

Li, Chenlin; Aston, John E.; Lacey, Jeffrey A.; ...

2016-07-21

The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic feedstock is attracting considerable attention in the United States and globally as a strategy to diversify energy resources, spur regional economic development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the wide variation in feedstock types, compositions and content of convertible organics, there is a growing need to better understand correlations among feedstock quality attributes and conversion performance. Knowledge of the feedstock impact on conversion is essential to supply quality controlled, uniform and on-spec feedstocks to biorefineries. This review paper informs the development of meaningful feedstock quality specifications for different conversion processes. Discussions are focusedmore » on how compositional properties of feedstocks affect various unit operations in biochemical conversion processes, fast pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction. In addition, future perspectives are discussed that focus on the challenges and prospects of addressing compositionally intrinsic inhibitors through feedstock preprocessing at regionally distributed depots. As a result, such preprocessing depots may allow for the commoditization of lignocellulosic feedstock and realization of stable, cost-effective and quality controlled biomass supply systems.« less

Impact of feedstock quality and variation on biochemical and thermochemical conversion

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

Li, Chenlin; Aston, John E.; Lacey, Jeffrey A.

The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic feedstock is attracting considerable attention in the United States and globally as a strategy to diversify energy resources, spur regional economic development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the wide variation in feedstock types, compositions and content of convertible organics, there is a growing need to better understand correlations among feedstock quality attributes and conversion performance. Knowledge of the feedstock impact on conversion is essential to supply quality controlled, uniform and on-spec feedstocks to biorefineries. This review paper informs the development of meaningful feedstock quality specifications for different conversion processes. Discussions are focusedmore » on how compositional properties of feedstocks affect various unit operations in biochemical conversion processes, fast pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction. In addition, future perspectives are discussed that focus on the challenges and prospects of addressing compositionally intrinsic inhibitors through feedstock preprocessing at regionally distributed depots. As a result, such preprocessing depots may allow for the commoditization of lignocellulosic feedstock and realization of stable, cost-effective and quality controlled biomass supply systems.« less

Analysis of by-product formation and sugar monomerization in sugarcane bagasse pretreated at pilot plant scale: differences between autohydrolysis, alkaline and acid pretreatment.

PubMed

van der Pol, Edwin; Bakker, Rob; van Zeeland, Alniek; Sanchez Garcia, David; Punt, Arjen; Eggink, Gerrit

2015-04-01

Sugarcane bagasse is an interesting feedstock for the biobased economy since a large fraction is polymerized sugars. Autohydrolysis, alkaline and acid pretreatment conditions combined with enzyme hydrolysis were used on lignocellulose rich bagasse to acquire monomeric. By-products found after pretreatment included acetic, glycolic and coumaric acid in concentrations up to 40, 21 and 2.5 g/kg dry weight bagasse respectively. Alkaline pretreated material contained up to 45 g/kg bagasse DW of sodium. Acid and autohydrolysis pretreatment results in a furan formation of 14 g/kg and 25 g/kg DW bagasse respectively. Enzyme monomerization efficiencies of pretreated solid material after 72 h were 81% for acid pretreatment, 77% for autohydrolysis and 57% for alkaline pretreatment. Solid material was washed with superheated water to decrease the amount of by-products. Washing decreased organic acid, phenol and furan concentrations in solid material by at least 60%, without a major sugar loss. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Latest Researches Advances of Plasma Spraying: From Splat to Coating Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauchais, P.; Vardelle, M.; Goutier, S.

2016-12-01

The plasma spray process with solid feedstock, mainly ceramics powders, studied since the sixties is now a mature technology. The plasma jet and particle in-flight characterizations are now well established. The use of computer-aided robot trajectory allows spraying on industrial parts with complex geometries. Works about splat formation have shown the importance of: the substrate preheating over the transition temperature to get rid of adsorbates and condensates, substrate chemistry, crystal structure and substrate temperature during the whole coating process. These studies showed that coating properties strongly depend on the splat formation and layering. The first part of this work deals with a summary of conventional plasma spraying key points. The second part presents the current knowledge in plasma spraying with liquid feedstock, technology developed for about two decades with suspensions of particles below micrometers or solutions of precursors that form particles a few micrometers sized through precipitation. Coatings are finely structured and even nanostructured with properties arousing the interest of researchers. However, the technology is by far more complex than the conventional ones. The main conclusions are that models should be developed further, plasma torches and injection setups adapted, and new measuring techniques to reliably characterize these small particles must be designed.

Utilization of solid catfish manure waste as carbon and nutrient source for lactic acid production.

PubMed

Shi, Suan; Li, Jing; Blersch, David M

2018-06-01

The aim of this work was to study the solid waste (manure) produced by catfish as a potential feedstock for the production of lactic acid (LA) via fermentation. The solid waste contains high levels of both carbohydrates and nutrients that are sufficient for LA bacteria. Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) was applied using enzyme and Lactobacillus pentosus, and different loadings of enzyme and solid waste were tested. Results showed LA concentrations of 35.7 g/L were obtained at 15% solids content of catfish waste. Because of the high nutrient content in the fish waste, it could also be used as supplementary substrate for nitrogen and carbon sources with other lignocellulosic materials. A combined feedstock of catfish waste and paper mill sludge was tested, increasing the final LA concentration to 43.1 g/L at 12% solids loading. The catfish waste was shown to be a potential feedstock to provide both carbon and nutrients for LA production, suggesting its use as a sole substrate or in combination with other lignocellulosic materials.

Characterization of ultrafiltration of undiluted and diluted stored urine.

PubMed

Ouma, J; Septien, S; Velkushanova, K; Pocock, J; Buckley, C

2016-11-01

Urine ultrafiltration (UF) was studied in terms of flux, permeability, resistance and fouling. Two types of samples were used: stored urine representing the feedstock obtained from urine diversion dry toilets; and diluted stored urine representing the feedstock obtained from urinals. Three different filtration experiment sets were adopted in this study. For the first case, pressure was set in an ascending order, i.e. from 10 to 60 kPa during filtration of stored urine. For the second case, pressure was set in a descending order, i.e. from 60 to 10 kPa for the same feed stream. The third case involved filtration of diluted urine with pressure in ascending order, i.e. from 10 to 60 kPa. The results indicated that diluted urine had higher flux than undiluted urine with maximum values of 43 and 26 L·m -2 ·h -1 respectively. Cake formation was the dominating fouling mechanism during urine filtration with a contribution of about 90% to the total hydraulic resistance. The contribution of chemically irreversible fouling was low (-2%), unless operating from high to low pressures. Indeed, irreversible fouling appeared to be greater during the experiments starting at higher pressure. Although undiluted urine had a higher fouling potential compared to diluted urine, the specific cake resistance was higher for diluted urine, probably due to a denser cake caused by lower particle sizes in that sample. The permeate obtained after urine filtration had much lower suspended solids content compared to the feedstock, with rejections up to 99%. The concentration of the ionic species remained unchanged, and 75% of the organic compounds and dissolved solids remained in the permeate. Urine UF could then be used as pre-treatment to remove suspended solids.

Engineered plant biomass feedstock particles

DOEpatents

Dooley, James H [Federal Way, WA; Lanning, David N [Federal Way, WA; Broderick, Thomas F [Lake Forest Park, WA

2011-10-11

A novel class of flowable biomass feedstock particles with unusually large surface areas that can be manufactured in remarkably uniform sizes using low-energy comminution techniques. The feedstock particles are roughly parallelepiped in shape and characterized by a length dimension (L) aligned substantially with the grain direction and defining a substantially uniform distance along the grain, a width dimension (W) normal to L and aligned cross grain, and a height dimension (H) normal to W and L. The particles exhibit a disrupted grain structure with prominent end and surface checks that greatly enhances their skeletal surface area as compared to their envelope surface area. The L.times.H dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel side surfaces characterized by substantially intact longitudinally arrayed fibers. The W.times.H dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel end surfaces characterized by crosscut fibers and end checking between fibers. The L.times.W dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel top surfaces characterized by some surface checking between longitudinally arrayed fibers. The feedstock particles are manufactured from a variety of plant biomass materials including wood, crop residues, plantation grasses, hemp, bagasse, and bamboo.

Conversion of cellulose rich municipal solid waste blends using ionic liquids: feedstock convertibility and process scale-up

DOE PAGES

Liang, Ling; Li, Chenlin; Xu, Feng; ...

2017-07-24

For this study, sixteen cellulose rich municipal solid waste (MSW) blends were developed and screened using an acid-assisted ionic liquid (IL) deconstruction process. Corn stover and switchgrass were chosen to represent herbaceous feedstocks; non-recyclable paper (NRP) and grass clippings (GC) collected from households were chosen as MSW candidates given their abundance in municipal waste streams. The most promising MSW blend: corn stover/non-recyclable paper (CS/NRP) at 80/20 ratio was identified in milliliter-scale screening based on the sugar yield, feedstock cost, and availability. A successful scale-up (600-fold) of the IL-acidolysis process on the identified CS/NRP blend has been achieved. The sugar andmore » lignin streams were recovered and characterized. Mass and material energy flows of the optimized process were presented. Feedstock cost for MSW blends was also discussed. Results suggest the promising potential of using MSW as a feedstock blending agent for biorefineries while maintaining sufficient performance and low feedstock cost. The bench scale (6 L) study is an essential step in demonstrating the scalability of this IL technology.« less

Conversion of cellulose rich municipal solid waste blends using ionic liquids: feedstock convertibility and process scale-up

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

Liang, Ling; Li, Chenlin; Xu, Feng

For this study, sixteen cellulose rich municipal solid waste (MSW) blends were developed and screened using an acid-assisted ionic liquid (IL) deconstruction process. Corn stover and switchgrass were chosen to represent herbaceous feedstocks; non-recyclable paper (NRP) and grass clippings (GC) collected from households were chosen as MSW candidates given their abundance in municipal waste streams. The most promising MSW blend: corn stover/non-recyclable paper (CS/NRP) at 80/20 ratio was identified in milliliter-scale screening based on the sugar yield, feedstock cost, and availability. A successful scale-up (600-fold) of the IL-acidolysis process on the identified CS/NRP blend has been achieved. The sugar andmore » lignin streams were recovered and characterized. Mass and material energy flows of the optimized process were presented. Feedstock cost for MSW blends was also discussed. Results suggest the promising potential of using MSW as a feedstock blending agent for biorefineries while maintaining sufficient performance and low feedstock cost. The bench scale (6 L) study is an essential step in demonstrating the scalability of this IL technology.« less

Semisolid Metal Processing Techniques for Nondendritic Feedstock Production

PubMed Central

Mohammed, M. N.; Omar, M. Z.; Salleh, M. S.; Alhawari, K. S.; Kapranos, P.

2013-01-01

Semisolid metal (SSM) processing or thixoforming is widely known as a technology that involves the formation of metal alloys between solidus and liquidus temperatures. For the procedure to operate successfully, the microstructure of the starting material must consist of solid near-globular grains surrounded by a liquid matrix and a wide solidus-to-liquidus transition area. Currently, this process is industrially successful, generating a variety of products with high quality parts in various industrial sectors. Throughout the years since its inception, a number of technologies to produce the appropriate globular microstructure have been developed and applied worldwide. The main aim of this paper is to classify the presently available SSM technologies and present a comprehensive review of the potential mechanisms that lead to microstructural alterations during the preparation of feedstock materials for SSM processing. PMID:24194689

Biogas Upgrading and Waste-to-Energy | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov Websites

dots. Waste Feedstocks We inventory WTE feedstocks-waste fat, oil, and greases; municipal solid wastes " and points right to an icon of an Excel spreadsheet labeled "Equipment and Raw Material

Effect of biochars produced from solid organic municipal waste on soil quality parameters.

PubMed

Randolph, P; Bansode, R R; Hassan, O A; Rehrah, Dj; Ravella, R; Reddy, M R; Watts, D W; Novak, J M; Ahmedna, M

2017-05-01

New value-added uses for solid municipal waste are needed for environmental and economic sustainability. Fortunately, value-added biochars can be produced from mixed solid waste, thereby addressing solid waste management issues, and enabling long-term carbon sequestration. We hypothesize that soil deficiencies can be remedied by the application of municipal waste-based biochars. Select municipal organic wastes (newspaper, cardboard, woodchips and landscaping residues) individually or in a 25% blend of all four waste streams were used as feedstocks of biochars. Three sets of pyrolysis temperatures (350, 500, and 750 °C) and 3 sets of pyrolysis residence time (2, 4 and 6 h) were used for biochar preparation. The biochar yield was in the range of 21-62% across all feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions. We observed variations in key biochar properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density and surface area depending on the feedstocks and production conditions. Biochar increased soil pH and improved its electrical conductivity, aggregate stability, water retention and micronutrient contents. Similarly, leachate from the soil amended with biochar showed increased pH and electrical conductivity. Some elements such as Ca and Mg decreased while NO 3 -N increased in the leachates of soils incubated with biochars. Overall, solid waste-based biochar produced significant improvements to soil fertility parameters indicating that solid municipal wastes hold promising potential as feedstocks for manufacturing value-added biochars with varied physicochemical characteristics, allowing them to not only serve the needs for solid waste management and greenhouse gas mitigation, but also as a resource for improving the quality of depleted soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The characteristics of palm oil plantation solid biomass wastes as raw material for bio oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanti, RN; Hambali, E.; Pari, G.; Suryani, A.

2018-03-01

Indonesia is the largest palm oil plantations estate in the world. It reached 11,30 million hectares in 2015 and increased up to 11,67 million hectares in 2016. The advancement of technology recent, the solid waste of palm oil plantation can be re-produced become bio oil through pyrolysis hydrothermal process and utilized for biofuel. The purpose of this research was to analyze the characteristics of feedstock of bio oil of solid waste of palm oil plantations estate. The feedstock used was derived from solid waste of palm oil plantations in Riau Province. Characteristic analysis of waste oil included chemical compound content (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin), ultimate analysis (C, H, N, O, S) to know height heating value (HHV). The result of analysis of chemical content showed that solid waste of palm cellulose 31,33 – 66,36 %, hemicellulose 7,54 – 17,94 %, lignin 21,43 - 43,1. The HHV of hydrothermal pyrolysis feedstock was 15,18 kJ/gram - 19,57 kJ/gram. Generally, the solid waste of palm oil plantations estate containing lignocellulose can be utilized as bio oil through hydrothermal pyrolysis. The CG-MS analysis of bio oil indicated hydrocarbon contents such as pentadecane, octadecane, hexadecane and benzene.

The Biofuel Feedstock Genomics Resource: a web-based portal and database to enable functional genomics of plant biofuel feedstock species.

PubMed

Childs, Kevin L; Konganti, Kranti; Buell, C Robin

2012-01-01

Major feedstock sources for future biofuel production are likely to be high biomass producing plant species such as poplar, pine, switchgrass, sorghum and maize. One active area of research in these species is genome-enabled improvement of lignocellulosic biofuel feedstock quality and yield. To facilitate genomic-based investigations in these species, we developed the Biofuel Feedstock Genomic Resource (BFGR), a database and web-portal that provides high-quality, uniform and integrated functional annotation of gene and transcript assembly sequences from species of interest to lignocellulosic biofuel feedstock researchers. The BFGR includes sequence data from 54 species and permits researchers to view, analyze and obtain annotation at the gene, transcript, protein and genome level. Annotation of biochemical pathways permits the identification of key genes and transcripts central to the improvement of lignocellulosic properties in these species. The integrated nature of the BFGR in terms of annotation methods, orthologous/paralogous relationships and linkage to seven species with complete genome sequences allows comparative analyses for biofuel feedstock species with limited sequence resources. Database URL: http://bfgr.plantbiology.msu.edu.

Characterization of Products from Fast Micropyrolysis of Municipal Solid Waste Biomass

DOE PAGES

Klemetsrud, Bethany; Ukaew, Suchada; Thompson, Vicki S.; ...

2016-09-05

Biomass feedstock costs remain one of the largest impediments to biofuel production economics. Municipal solid waste (MSW) represents an attractive feedstock with year-round availability, an established collection infrastructure paid for by waste generators, low cost and the potential to be blended with higher cost feedstocks to reduce overall feedstock costs. Paper waste, yard waste and construction and demolition waste (C&D) were examined for their applicability in the pyrolysis conversion pathway. Paper waste consisted of non-recyclable paper such as mixed low grade paper, food and beverage packaging, kitchen paper wastes and coated paper; yard waste consisted of grass clippings and C&Dmore » wastes consisted of engineered wood products obtained from a construction waste landfill. We tested the waste materials for thermochemical conversion potential using a bench scale fast micro-pyrolysis process. Bio-oil yields were the highest for the C&D materials and lowest for the paper waste. The C&D wastes had the highest level of lignin derived compounds (phenolic and cyclics) while the paper waste had higher levels of carbohydrate derived compounds (aldehydes, organic acids, ketones, alcohols and sugar derived). But, the paper material had higher amounts of lignin derived compounds than expected based upon lignin content that is likely due to the presence of polyphenolic resins used in paper processing. The paper and yard wastes had significantly higher levels of ash content than the C&D wastes (14-15% versus 0.5-1.3%), which further correlated to higher levels of alkali and alkaline earth metals, which are known to reduce pyrolysis bio-oil yields. There appeared to be an inverse correlation of both calcium and potassium content with the amount of chromatographic product peaks, indicative of cracking reactions occurring during product formation. Furthermore the effect of acid washing was evaluated for grass clipping and waste paper and the bio-oil yield was increased from 58% to 73% and 67% to 73%, respectively.« less

Characterization of Products from Fast Micropyrolysis of Municipal Solid Waste Biomass

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

Klemetsrud, Bethany; Ukaew, Suchada; Thompson, Vicki S.

Biomass feedstock costs remain one of the largest impediments to biofuel production economics. Municipal solid waste (MSW) represents an attractive feedstock with year-round availability, an established collection infrastructure paid for by waste generators, low cost and the potential to be blended with higher cost feedstocks to reduce overall feedstock costs. Paper waste, yard waste and construction and demolition waste (C&D) were examined for their applicability in the pyrolysis conversion pathway. Paper waste consisted of non-recyclable paper such as mixed low grade paper, food and beverage packaging, kitchen paper wastes and coated paper; yard waste consisted of grass clippings and C&Dmore » wastes consisted of engineered wood products obtained from a construction waste landfill. We tested the waste materials for thermochemical conversion potential using a bench scale fast micro-pyrolysis process. Bio-oil yields were the highest for the C&D materials and lowest for the paper waste. The C&D wastes had the highest level of lignin derived compounds (phenolic and cyclics) while the paper waste had higher levels of carbohydrate derived compounds (aldehydes, organic acids, ketones, alcohols and sugar derived). But, the paper material had higher amounts of lignin derived compounds than expected based upon lignin content that is likely due to the presence of polyphenolic resins used in paper processing. The paper and yard wastes had significantly higher levels of ash content than the C&D wastes (14-15% versus 0.5-1.3%), which further correlated to higher levels of alkali and alkaline earth metals, which are known to reduce pyrolysis bio-oil yields. There appeared to be an inverse correlation of both calcium and potassium content with the amount of chromatographic product peaks, indicative of cracking reactions occurring during product formation. Furthermore the effect of acid washing was evaluated for grass clipping and waste paper and the bio-oil yield was increased from 58% to 73% and 67% to 73%, respectively.« less

System and process for efficient separation of biocrudes and water in a hydrothermal liquefaction system

DOEpatents

Elliott, Douglas C.; Hart, Todd R.; Neuenschwander, Gary G.; Oyler, James R.; Rotness, Jr, Leslie J.; Schmidt, Andrew J.; Zacher, Alan H.

2016-08-02

A system and process are described for clean separation of biocrudes and water by-products from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) product mixtures of organic and biomass-containing feedstocks at elevated temperatures and pressures. Inorganic compound solids are removed prior to separation of biocrude and water by-product fractions to minimize formation of emulsions that impede separation. Separation may be performed at higher temperatures that reduce heat loss and need to cool product mixtures to ambient. The present invention thus achieves separation efficiencies not achieved in conventional HTL processing.

Biogasification of community-derived biomass and solid wastes in a pilot-scale SOLCON reactor

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

Srivastava, V.J.; Biljetina, R.; Isaacson, H.R.

1988-01-01

The Institute of Gas Technology has developed a novel, solids- concentrating (SOLCON) bioreactor to convert a variety of individual or mixed feedstocks (biomass and wastes) to methane at higher rates and efficiencies than those obtained from conventional high-rate anaerobic digesters. The biogasification studies are being conducted in a pilot-scale experimental test unit (ETU) located in the Walt Disney World Resort Complex, Orlando, Florida. This paper describes the ETU facility, the logistics of feedstock integration, the SOLCON reactor design and operating techniques, and the results obtained during 4 years of stable, uninterrupted operation with different feedstocks. The SOLCON reactor consistently outperformedmore » the conventional stirred-tank reactor by 20% to 50%.« less

Woody biomass size reduction with selective material orientation

DOE PAGES

Dooley, James H.; Lanning, David N.; Lanning, Christopher J.

2013-01-01

Roundwood logs from forests and energy plantations must be chipped, ground, or otherwise comminuted into small particles prior to conversion to solid or liquid biofuels. Rotary veneer followed by cross-grain shearing is demonstrated to be a novel and low energy consuming method for primary breakdown of logs into a raw material having high transport and storage density. Processing of high moisture raw logs into 2.5 – 4.2 mm particles prior to drying or conversion consumes less than 20% of the energy required for achieving similar particle size with hammer mills while producing a more uniform particle shape and size. Asmore » a result, energy savings from the proposed method may reduce the comminution cost of woody feedstocks by more than half.« less

Engineered plant biomass feedstock particles

DOEpatents

Dooley, James H [Federal Way, WA; Lanning, David N [Federal Way, WA; Broderick, Thomas F [Lake Forest Park, WA

2011-10-18

A novel class of flowable biomass feedstock particles with unusually large surface areas that can be manufactured in remarkably uniform sizes using low-energy comminution techniques. The feedstock particles are roughly parallelepiped in shape and characterized by a length dimension (L) aligned substantially with the grain direction and defining a substantially uniform distance along the grain, a width dimension (W) normal to L and aligned cross grain, and a height dimension (H) normal to W and L. The particles exhibit a disrupted grain structure with prominent end and surface checks that greatly enhances their skeletal surface area as compared to their envelope surface area. The L.times.H dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel side surfaces characterized by substantially intact longitudinally arrayed fibers. The W.times.H dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel end surfaces characterized by crosscut fibers and end checking between fibers. The L.times.W dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel top surfaces characterized by some surface checking between longitudinally arrayed fibers. At least 80% of the particles pass through a 1/4 inch screen having a 6.3 mm nominal sieve opening but are retained by a No. 10 screen having a 2 mm nominal sieve opening. The feedstock particles are manufactured from a variety of plant biomass materials including wood, crop residues, plantation grasses, hemp, bagasse, and bamboo.

Laser Additive Manufacturing of Magnetic Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikler, C. V.; Chaudhary, V.; Borkar, T.; Soni, V.; Jaeger, D.; Chen, X.; Contieri, R.; Ramanujan, R. V.; Banerjee, R.

2017-03-01

While laser additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly important in the context of next-generation manufacturing technologies, most current research efforts focus on optimizing process parameters for the processing of mature alloys for structural applications (primarily stainless steels, titanium base, and nickel base alloys) from pre-alloyed powder feedstocks to achieve properties superior to conventionally processed counterparts. However, laser additive manufacturing or processing can also be applied to functional materials. This article focuses on the use of directed energy deposition-based additive manufacturing technologies, such as the laser engineered net shaping (LENS™) process, to deposit magnetic alloys. Three case studies are presented: Fe-30 at.%Ni, permalloys of the type Ni-Fe-V and Ni-Fe-Mo, and Fe-Si-B-Cu-Nb (derived from Finemet) alloys. All these alloys have been processed from a blend of elemental powders used as the feedstock, and their resultant microstructures, phase formation, and magnetic properties are discussed in this paper. Although these alloys were produced from a blend of elemental powders, they exhibited relatively uniform microstructures and comparable magnetic properties to those of their conventionally processed counterparts.

Rheological behavior of magnetic powder mixtures for magnetic PIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sung Hun; Kim, See Jo; Park, Seong Jin; Mun, Jun Ho; Kang, Tae Gon; Park, Jang Min

2012-06-01

Powder injection molding (PIM) is a promising manufacturing technology for the net-shape production of small, complex, and precise metal or ceramic components. In order to manufacture high quality magnets using PIM, the magneto-rheological (MR) properties of the PIM feedstock, i.e. magnetic powder-binder mixture, should be investigated experimentally and theoretically. The current research aims at comprehensive understanding of the rheological characteristics of the PIM feedstock. The feedstock used in the experiment consists of strontium ferrite powder and paraffin wax. Steady and oscillatory shear tests have been carried out using a plate-and-plate rheometer, under the influence of a uniform magnetic field applied externally. Rheological properties of the PIM feedstock have been measured and characterized for various conditions by changing the temperature, the powder fraction and the magnetic flux density.

Synthesis of biodiesel from a model waste oil feedstock using a carbon-based solid acid catalyst: reaction and separation.

PubMed

Shu, Qing; Nawaz, Zeeshan; Gao, Jixian; Liao, Yuhui; Zhang, Qiang; Wang, Dezheng; Wang, Jinfu

2010-07-01

A solid acid catalyst that can keep high activity and stability is necessary when low cost feedstocks are utilized for biodiesel synthesis because the reaction medium contains a large amount of water. Three solid acid catalysts were prepared by the sulfonation of carbonized vegetable oil asphalt and petroleum asphalt. The structure of these catalysts was characterized by a variety of techniques. A new process that used the coupling of the reaction and separation was employed, which greatly improved the conversion of cottonseed oil (triglyceride) and free fatty acids (FFA) when a model waste oil feedstock was used. The vegetable oil asphalt-based catalyst showed the highest catalytic activity. This was due to the high density and stability of its acid sites, its loose irregular network, its hydrophobicity that prevented the hydration of -OH species, and large pores that provided more acid sites for the reactants. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

COMPUTATIONAL RESOURCES FOR BIOFUEL FEEDSTOCK SPECIES

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

Buell, Carol Robin; Childs, Kevin L

2013-05-07

While current production of ethanol as a biofuel relies on starch and sugar inputs, it is anticipated that sustainable production of ethanol for biofuel use will utilize lignocellulosic feedstocks. Candidate plant species to be used for lignocellulosic ethanol production include a large number of species within the Grass, Pine and Birch plant families. For these biofuel feedstock species, there are variable amounts of genome sequence resources available, ranging from complete genome sequences (e.g. sorghum, poplar) to transcriptome data sets (e.g. switchgrass, pine). These data sets are not only dispersed in location but also disparate in content. It will be essentialmore » to leverage and improve these genomic data sets for the improvement of biofuel feedstock production. The objectives of this project were to provide computational tools and resources for data-mining genome sequence/annotation and large-scale functional genomic datasets available for biofuel feedstock species. We have created a Bioenergy Feedstock Genomics Resource that provides a web-based portal or clearing house for genomic data for plant species relevant to biofuel feedstock production. Sequence data from a total of 54 plant species are included in the Bioenergy Feedstock Genomics Resource including model plant species that permit leveraging of knowledge across taxa to biofuel feedstock species.We have generated additional computational analyses of these data, including uniform annotation, to facilitate genomic approaches to improved biofuel feedstock production. These data have been centralized in the publicly available Bioenergy Feedstock Genomics Resource (http://bfgr.plantbiology.msu.edu/).« less

Cryogenic homogenization and sampling of heterogeneous multi-phase feedstock

DOEpatents

Doyle, Glenn Michael; Ideker, Virgene Linda; Siegwarth, James David

2002-01-01

An apparatus and process for producing a homogeneous analytical sample from a heterogenous feedstock by: providing the mixed feedstock, reducing the temperature of the feedstock to a temperature below a critical temperature, reducing the size of the feedstock components, blending the reduced size feedstock to form a homogeneous mixture; and obtaining a representative sample of the homogeneous mixture. The size reduction and blending steps are performed at temperatures below the critical temperature in order to retain organic compounds in the form of solvents, oils, or liquids that may be adsorbed onto or absorbed into the solid components of the mixture, while also improving the efficiency of the size reduction. Preferably, the critical temperature is less than 77 K (-196.degree. C.). Further, with the process of this invention the representative sample may be maintained below the critical temperature until being analyzed.

Methods and apparatus for catalytic hydrothermal gasification of biomass

DOEpatents

Elliott, Douglas C.; Butner, Robert Scott; Neuenschwander, Gary G.; Zacher, Alan H.; Hart, Todd R.

2012-08-14

Continuous processing of wet biomass feedstock by catalytic hydrothermal gasification must address catalyst fouling and poisoning. One solution can involve heating the wet biomass with a heating unit to a temperature sufficient for organic constituents in the feedstock to decompose, for precipitates of inorganic wastes to form, for preheating the wet feedstock in preparation for subsequent separation of sulfur contaminants, or combinations thereof. Treatment further includes separating the precipitates out of the wet feedstock, removing sulfur contaminants, or both using a solids separation unit and a sulfur separation unit, respectively. Having removed much of the inorganic wastes and the sulfur that can cause poisoning and fouling, the wet biomass feedstock can be exposed to the heterogeneous catalyst for gasification.

Pretreating lignocellulosic biomass by the concentrated phosphoric acid plus hydrogen peroxide (PHP) for enzymatic hydrolysis: evaluating the pretreatment flexibility on feedstocks and particle sizes.

PubMed

Wang, Qing; Wang, Zhanghong; Shen, Fei; Hu, Jinguang; Sun, Fubao; Lin, Lili; Yang, Gang; Zhang, Yanzong; Deng, Shihuai

2014-08-01

In order to seek a high-efficient pretreatment path for converting lignocellulosic feedstocks to fermentable sugars by enzymatic hydrolysis, the concentrated H₃PO₄ plus H₂O₂ (PHP) was attempted to pretreat different lignocellulosic biomass for evaluating the pretreatment flexibility on feedstocks. Meanwhile, the responses of pretreatment to particle sizes were also evaluated. When the PHP-pretreatment was employed (final H₂O₂ and H₃PO₄ concentration of 1.77% and 80.0%), 71-96% lignin and more than 95% hemicellulose in various feedstocks (agricultural residues, hardwood, softwood, bamboo, and their mixture, and garden wastes mixture) can be removed. Consequently, more than 90% glucose conversion was uniformly achieved indicating PHP greatly improved the pretreatment flexibility to different feedstocks. Moreover, when wheat straw and oak chips were PHP-pretreated with different sizes, the average glucose conversion reached 94.9% and 100% with lower coefficient of variation (7.9% and 0.0%), which implied PHP-pretreatment can significantly weaken the negative effects of feedstock sizes on subsequent conversion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fixed bed pyrolysis of biomass solid waste for bio-oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Mohammad Nurul; Ali, Mohamed Hairol Md; Haziq, Miftah

2017-08-01

Biomass solid waste in the form of rice husk particle is pyrolyzed in a fixed bed stainless steel pyrolysis reactor of 50 mm diameter and 50 cm length. The biomass solid feedstock is prepared prior to pyrolysis. The reactor bed is heated by means of a cylindrical heater of biomass source. A temperature of 500°C is maintained with an apperent vapor residence time of 3-5 sec. The products obtained are liquid bio-oil, solid char and gases. The liquid product yield is found to be 30% by weight of solid biomass feedstock while the solid product yield is found to be 35% by weight of solid biomass feedtock, the rest is gas. The bio-oil is a single-phase brownish color liquid of acrid smell. The heating value of the oil is determined to be 25 MJ/kg. The density and pH value are found to be 1.125 kg/m3 and 3.78 respectively.

Approximate analysis of the formation of a buoyant solid sphere in a supercooled melt

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

Solomon, A.D.; Wilson, D.G.; Alexiades, V.

1986-03-01

A mathematical model is presented for the idealized formation and development of a buoyant sphere solidifying in an infinite pool of supercooled liquid. The solid and liquid are of the same pure material and the solid is less dense than the liquid. Initially the liquid is at a uniform temperature that is below its equilibrium freezing temperature, T/sub cr/, but above the so called hypercooled temperature, T/sub cr/ - H/c/sub L/. Here H and c/sub L/ are the latent heat of solidification and the specific heat of the liquid, respectively. An approximate solution is derived based on the Megerlin approximationmore » method. 11 refs.« less

Controlled multistep synthesis in a three-phase droplet reactor

PubMed Central

Nightingale, Adrian M.; Phillips, Thomas W.; Bannock, James H.; de Mello, John C.

2014-01-01

Channel-fouling is a pervasive problem in continuous flow chemistry, causing poor product control and reactor failure. Droplet chemistry, in which the reaction mixture flows as discrete droplets inside an immiscible carrier liquid, prevents fouling by isolating the reaction from the channel walls. Unfortunately, the difficulty of controllably adding new reagents to an existing droplet stream has largely restricted droplet chemistry to simple reactions in which all reagents are supplied at the time of droplet formation. Here we describe an effective method for repeatedly adding controlled quantities of reagents to droplets. The reagents are injected into a multiphase fluid stream, comprising the carrier liquid, droplets of the reaction mixture and an inert gas that maintains a uniform droplet spacing and suppresses new droplet formation. The method, which is suited to many multistep reactions, is applied to a five-stage quantum dot synthesis wherein particle growth is sustained by repeatedly adding fresh feedstock. PMID:24797034

Scale-up and process integration of sugar production by acidolysis of municipal solid waste/corn stover blends in ionic liquids.

PubMed

Li, Chenlin; Liang, Ling; Sun, Ning; Thompson, Vicki S; Xu, Feng; Narani, Akash; He, Qian; Tanjore, Deepti; Pray, Todd R; Simmons, Blake A; Singh, Seema

2017-01-01

Lignocellulosic biorefineries have tonnage and throughput requirements that must be met year round and there is no single feedstock available in any given region that is capable of meeting the price and availability demands of the biorefineries scheduled for deployment. Significant attention has been historically given to agriculturally derived feedstocks; however, a diverse range of wastes, including municipal solid wastes (MSW), also have the potential to serve as feedstocks for the production of advanced biofuels and have not been extensively studied. In addition, ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment with certain ILs is receiving great interest as a potential process that enables fractionation of a wide range of feedstocks. Acid catalysts have been used previously to hydrolyze polysaccharides into fermentable sugars following IL pretreatment, which could potentially provide a means of liberating fermentable sugars from lignocellulose without the use of costly enzymes. However, successful optimization and scale-up of the one-pot acid-assisted IL deconstruction for further commercialization involve challenges such as reactor compatibility, mixing at high solid loading, sugar recovery, and IL recycling, which have not been effectively resolved during the development stages at bench scale. Here, we present the successful scale-up demonstration of the acid-assisted IL deconstruction on feedstock blends of municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues (corn stover) by 30-fold, relative to the bench scale (6 vs 0.2 L), at 10% solid loading. By integrating IL pretreatment and acid hydrolysis with subsequent centrifugation and extraction, the sugar and lignin products can be further recovered efficiently. This scale-up development at Advanced Biofuels/Bioproducts Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU) will leverage the opportunity and synergistic efforts toward developing a cost-effective IL-based deconstruction technology by drastically eliminating enzyme, reducing water usage, and simplifying the downstream sugar/lignin recovery and IL recycling. Results indicate that MSW blends are viable and valuable resource to consider when assessing biomass availability and affordability for lignocellulosic biorefineries. This scale-up evaluation demonstrates that the acid-assisted IL deconstruction technology can be effectively scaled up to larger operations and the current study established the baseline of scaling parameters for this process.

Biochemical Conversion Techno-Economic Analysis | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov Websites

dotted line separates the two sides) separates out the conversion technologies with Balance of Plant in , Distillation and Solids Recovery = $0.14, and Balance of Plant = $0.77; 2008: Feedstock = $1.04, Prehydrolysis Recovery = $0.14, and Balance of Plant = $0.76; 2009: Feedstock = $0.95, Prehydrolysis/Treatment = $0.78

Conversion of solid organic wastes into oil via Boettcherisca peregrine (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) larvae and optimization of parameters for biodiesel production.

PubMed

Yang, Sen; Li, Qing; Zeng, Qinglan; Zhang, Jibin; Yu, Ziniu; Liu, Ziduo

2012-01-01

The feedstocks for biodiesel production are predominantly from edible oils and the high cost of the feedstocks prevents its large scale application. In this study, we evaluated the oil extracted from Boettcherisca peregrine larvae (BPL) grown on solid organic wastes for biodiesel production. The oil contents detected in the BPL converted from swine manure, fermentation residue and the degreased food waste, were 21.7%, 19.5% and 31.1%, respectively. The acid value of the oil is 19.02 mg KOH/g requiring a two-step transesterification process. The optimized process of 12∶1 methanol/oil (mol/mol) with 1.5% H(2)SO(4) reacted at 70°C for 120 min resulted in a 90.8% conversion rate of free fatty acid (FFA) by esterification, and a 92.3% conversion rate of triglycerides into esters by alkaline transesterification. Properties of the BPL oil-based biodiesel are within the specifications of ASTM D6751, suggesting that the solid organic waste-grown BPL could be a feasible non-food feedstock for biodiesel production.

Conversion of Solid Organic Wastes into Oil via Boettcherisca peregrine (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) Larvae and Optimization of Parameters for Biodiesel Production

PubMed Central

Yang, Sen; Li, Qing; Zeng, Qinglan; Zhang, Jibin; Yu, Ziniu; Liu, Ziduo

2012-01-01

The feedstocks for biodiesel production are predominantly from edible oils and the high cost of the feedstocks prevents its large scale application. In this study, we evaluated the oil extracted from Boettcherisca peregrine larvae (BPL) grown on solid organic wastes for biodiesel production. The oil contents detected in the BPL converted from swine manure, fermentation residue and the degreased food waste, were 21.7%, 19.5% and 31.1%, respectively. The acid value of the oil is 19.02 mg KOH/g requiring a two-step transesterification process. The optimized process of 12∶1 methanol/oil (mol/mol) with 1.5% H2SO4 reacted at 70°C for 120 min resulted in a 90.8% conversion rate of free fatty acid (FFA) by esterification, and a 92.3% conversion rate of triglycerides into esters by alkaline transesterification. Properties of the BPL oil-based biodiesel are within the specifications of ASTM D6751, suggesting that the solid organic waste-grown BPL could be a feasible non-food feedstock for biodiesel production. PMID:23029331

Apparatus and method for converting biomass to feedstock for biofuel and biochemical manufacturing processes

DOEpatents

Kania, John; Qiao, Ming; Woods, Elizabeth M.; Cortright, Randy D.; Myren, Paul

2015-12-15

The present invention includes improved systems and methods for producing biomass-derived feedstocks for biofuel and biochemical manufacturing processes. The systems and methods use components that are capable of transferring relatively high concentrations of solid biomass utilizing pressure variations between vessels, and allows for the recovery and recycling of heterogeneous catalyst materials.

The effect of switchgrass loadings on feedstock solubilization and biofuel production by Clostridium thermocellum

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

Verbeke, Tobin J.; Garcia, Gabriela M.; Elkins, James G.

High solids loading fermentations are necessary for the industrialization of lignocellulosic ethanol. To date, only a few studies have investigated the effect of solids loadings on microorganisms of interest for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). Here, the effect that various switchgrass loadings have on Clostridium thermocellum solubilization and bioconversion are investigated. C. thermocellum was grown for ten days on 10, 25 or 50 g/L switchgrass or Avicel at equivalent glucan loadings. Avicel was completely consumed at all loadings, but total cellulose solubilization decreased from 63% to 37% as switchgrass loadings increased from 10 g/L to 50 g/L. Washed, spent switchgrass could bemore » additionally hydrolyzed and fermented in second-round fermentations suggesting access to fermentable substrates was not the limiting factor at higher feedstock loadings. Fermentations of Avicel or cellobiose using culture medium supplemented with 50% spent fermentation broth identified that compounds present in the samples collected from the 25 or 50 g/L switchgrass loadings were the most inhibitory to continued fermentation. Finally, recalcitrance alone cannot fully account for differences in solubilization and end-production formation between switchgrass and Avicel at increased substrate loadings. Effort to decouple metabolic inhibition from inhibition of hydrolysis suggest that C. thermocellum’s hydrolytic machinery is more vulnerable to inhibition from switchgrass-derived inhibitors than is the bacterium’s metabolism.« less

The effect of switchgrass loadings on feedstock solubilization and biofuel production by Clostridium thermocellum

DOE PAGES

Verbeke, Tobin J.; Garcia, Gabriela M.; Elkins, James G.

2017-11-30

High solids loading fermentations are necessary for the industrialization of lignocellulosic ethanol. To date, only a few studies have investigated the effect of solids loadings on microorganisms of interest for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). Here, the effect that various switchgrass loadings have on Clostridium thermocellum solubilization and bioconversion are investigated. C. thermocellum was grown for ten days on 10, 25 or 50 g/L switchgrass or Avicel at equivalent glucan loadings. Avicel was completely consumed at all loadings, but total cellulose solubilization decreased from 63% to 37% as switchgrass loadings increased from 10 g/L to 50 g/L. Washed, spent switchgrass could bemore » additionally hydrolyzed and fermented in second-round fermentations suggesting access to fermentable substrates was not the limiting factor at higher feedstock loadings. Fermentations of Avicel or cellobiose using culture medium supplemented with 50% spent fermentation broth identified that compounds present in the samples collected from the 25 or 50 g/L switchgrass loadings were the most inhibitory to continued fermentation. Finally, recalcitrance alone cannot fully account for differences in solubilization and end-production formation between switchgrass and Avicel at increased substrate loadings. Effort to decouple metabolic inhibition from inhibition of hydrolysis suggest that C. thermocellum’s hydrolytic machinery is more vulnerable to inhibition from switchgrass-derived inhibitors than is the bacterium’s metabolism.« less

Microstructure investigation on micropore formation in microporous silica materials prepared via a catalytic sol-gel process by small angle X-ray scattering.

PubMed

Shimizu, Wataru; Hokka, Junsuke; Sato, Takaaki; Usami, Hisanao; Murakami, Yasushi

2011-08-04

The so-called sol-gel technique has been shown to be a template-free, efficient way to create functional porous silica materials having uniform micropores. This appears to be closely linked with a postulation that the formation of weakly branched polymer-like aggregates in a precursor solution is a key to the uniform micropore generation. However, how such a polymer-like structure can precisely be controlled, and further, how the generated low-fractal dimension solution structure is imprinted on the solid silica materials still remain elusive. Here we present fabrication of microporous silica from tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) using a recently developed catalytic sol-gel process based on a nonionic hydroxyacetone (HA) catalyst. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), nitrogen adsorption porosimetry, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) allowed us to observe the whole structural evolution, ranging from polymer-like aggregates in the precursor solution to agglomeration with heat treatment and microporous morphology of silica powders after drying and hydrolysis. Using the HA catalyst with short chain monohydric alcohols (methanol or ethanol) in the precursor solution, polymer-like aggregates having microscopic correlation length (or mesh-size) < 2 nm and low fractal dimensions ∼2, which is identical to that of an ideal coil polymer, can selectively be synthesized, yielding the uniform micropores with diameters <2 nm in the solid materials. In contrast, the absence of HA or substitution of 1-propanol led to considerably different scattering behavior reflecting the particle-like aggregate formation in the precursor solution, which resulted in the formation of mesopores (diameter >2 nm) in the solid product due to apertures between the particle-like aggregates. The data demonstrate that the extremely fine porous silica architecture comes essentially from a gaussian polymer-like nature of the silica aggregates in the precursor having the microscopic mesh-size and their successful imprint on the solid product. The result offers a general but significantly efficient route to creating precisely designed fine porous silica materials under mild condition that serve as low refractive index and efficient thermal insulation materials in their practical applications.

Production of a generic microbial feedstock for lignocellulose biorefineries through sequential bioprocessing.

PubMed

Chang, Chen-Wei; Webb, Colin

2017-03-01

Lignocellulosic materials, mostly from agricultural and forestry residues, provide a potential renewable resource for sustainable biorefineries. Reducing sugars can be produced only after a pre-treatment stage, which normally involves chemicals but can be biological. In this case, two steps are usually necessary: solid-state cultivation of fungi for deconstruction, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis using cellulolytic enzymes. In this research, the utilisation of solid-state bioprocessing using the fungus Trichoderma longibrachiatum was implemented as a simultaneous microbial pretreatment and in-situ enzyme production method for fungal autolysis and further enzyme hydrolysis of fermented solids. Suspending the fermented solids in water at 50°C led to the highest hydrolysis yields of 226mg/g reducing sugar and 7.7mg/g free amino nitrogen (FAN). The resultant feedstock was shown to be suitable for the production of various products including ethanol. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formation from the pyrolysis of different municipal solid waste fractions.

PubMed

Zhou, Hui; Wu, Chunfei; Onwudili, Jude A; Meng, Aihong; Zhang, Yanguo; Williams, Paul T

2015-02-01

The formation of 2-4 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from the pyrolysis of nine different municipal solid waste fractions (xylan, cellulose, lignin, pectin, starch, polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) were investigated in a fixed bed furnace at 800 °C. The mass distribution of pyrolysis was also reported. The results showed that PS generated the most total PAH, followed by PVC, PET, and lignin. More PAH were detected from the pyrolysis of plastics than the pyrolysis of biomass. In the biomass group, lignin generated more PAH than others. Naphthalene was the most abundant PAH, and the amount of 1-methynaphthalene and 2-methynaphthalene was also notable. Phenanthrene and fluorene were the most abundant 3-ring PAH, while benzo[a]anthracene and chrysene were notable in the tar of PS, PVC, and PET. 2-ring PAH dominated all tar samples, and varied from 40 wt.% to 70 wt.%. For PS, PET and lignin, PAH may be generated directly from the aromatic structure of the feedstock. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocombs

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

Altintas Yildirim, Ozlem; Liu, Yuzi; Petford-Long, Amanda K.

Uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomb structures have been prepared by a vapor-liquid-solid technique from a mixture of ZnO nanoparticles and graphene nanoplatelets. The ZnO seed nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple precipitation method. The structure of the ZnO nanocombs could easily be controlled by tuning the carrier-gas flow rate during growth. Higher flow rate resulted in the formation of uniformly-distributed single-sided comb structures with nanonail-shaped teeth, as a result of the self-catalysis effect of the catalytically active Zn-terminated polar (0001) surface. Lower gas flow rate was favorable for production of double-sided comb structures with the twomore » sets of teeth at an angle of similar to 110 degrees to each other along the comb ribbon, which was attributed to the formation of a bicrystal nanocomb ribbon. Lastly, the formation of such a double-sided structure with nanonail-shaped teeth has not previously been reported.« less

Synthesis of uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocombs

DOE PAGES

Altintas Yildirim, Ozlem; Liu, Yuzi; Petford-Long, Amanda K.

2015-08-21

Uniformly distributed single- and double-sided zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomb structures have been prepared by a vapor-liquid-solid technique from a mixture of ZnO nanoparticles and graphene nanoplatelets. The ZnO seed nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple precipitation method. The structure of the ZnO nanocombs could easily be controlled by tuning the carrier-gas flow rate during growth. Higher flow rate resulted in the formation of uniformly-distributed single-sided comb structures with nanonail-shaped teeth, as a result of the self-catalysis effect of the catalytically active Zn-terminated polar (0001) surface. Lower gas flow rate was favorable for production of double-sided comb structures with the twomore » sets of teeth at an angle of similar to 110 degrees to each other along the comb ribbon, which was attributed to the formation of a bicrystal nanocomb ribbon. Lastly, the formation of such a double-sided structure with nanonail-shaped teeth has not previously been reported.« less

Dislocation formation in seed crystals induced by feedstock indentation during growth of quasimono crystalline silicon ingots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trempa, M.; Beier, M.; Reimann, C.; Roßhirth, K.; Friedrich, J.; Löbel, C.; Sylla, L.; Richter, T.

2016-11-01

In this work the dislocation formation in the seed crystal induced by feedstock indentation during the growth of quasimono (QM) silicon ingots for photovoltaic application was investigated. It could be shown by special laboratory indentation experiments that the formed dislocations propagate up to several millimeters deep into the volume of the seed crystal in dependence on the applied pressure of the feedstock particles on the surface of the seed crystal. Further, it was demonstrated that these dislocations if they were not back-melted during the seeding process grow further into the silicon ingot and drastically reduce its material quality. An estimation of the apparent pressure values in a G5 industrial crucible/feedstock setup reveals that the indentation phenomenon is a critical issue for the industrial production of QM silicon ingots. Therefore, some approaches to avoid/reduce the indentation events were tested with the result, that the most promising solution should be the usage of suitable feedstock particles as coverage of the seed.

Notice of Approval of the Renewable Fuel Standard Program Municipal Solid Waste Separation Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA's response documents and federal register notices on Fiberight's plan to separate recyclables from municipal solid waste intended for use as feedstock for renewable fuel production at its biorefinery in Blairstown, Iowa.

Templated assembly of Co-Pt nanoparticles via thermal and laser-induced dewetting of bilayer metal films.

PubMed

Oh, Yong-Jun; Kim, Jung-Hwan; Thompson, Carl V; Ross, Caroline A

2013-01-07

Templated dewetting of a Co/Pt metal bilayer film on a topographic substrate was used to assemble arrays of Co-Pt alloy nanoparticles, with highly uniform particle size, shape and notably composition compared to nanoparticles formed on an untemplated substrate. Solid-state and liquid-state dewetting processes, using furnace annealing and laser irradiation respectively, were compared. Liquid state dewetting produced more uniform, conformal nanoparticles but they had a polycrystalline disordered fcc structure and relatively low magnetic coercivity. In contrast, solid state dewetting enabled formation of magnetically hard, ordered L1(0) Co-Pt single-crystal particles with coercivity >12 kOe. Furnace annealing converted the nanoparticles formed by liquid state dewetting into the L1(0) phase.

Characteristics of biochar: Microchemical properties

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

Amonette, James E.; Joseph, Stephen

2009-03-13

Biochars, being derived from a variety of biological feedstocks that have been thermally degraded under a range of conditions, exhibit a correspondingly large range in composition and chemistry. Due in part to the somewhat chaotic nature of the thermal process itself, this chemical heterogeneity extends to the microscopic scale even within a single biochar. Thus, in the strictest sense, each biochar made under a particular feedstock/process combination presents a unique mixture of phases and microenvironments that gives rise to a unique set of chemical properties. In some respects, the chemical complexity of biochars rivals that of incipient soils. In thismore » chapter we focus on the chemical complexity of biochar as manifested primarily at a microscopic and molecular scale. We start by describing the biochar-formation process and how this influences the composition and nature of the solid phases, entrained oils, and their organization at the microscopic level. We then proceed to discuss the range of surface chemistries exhibited by biochars in terms of functional groups and electrochemical properties. We conclude with a discussion of the influence of these properties on the sorption of aqueous species at biochar surfaces.« less

Diesel production from lignocellulosic feed: the bioCRACK process

PubMed Central

Ritzberger, J.; Schwaiger, N.; Pucher, P.; Siebenhofer, M.

2017-01-01

The bioCRACK process is a promising technology for the production of second generation biofuels. During this process, biomass is pyrolized in vacuum gas oil and converted into gaseous, liquid and solid products. In cooperation with the Graz University of Technology, the liquid phase pyrolysis process was investigated by BDI – BioEnergy International AG at an industrial pilot plant, fully integrated in the OMV refinery in Vienna/Schwechat. The influence of various biogenous feedstocks and the influence of the temperature on the product distribution in the temperature range of 350°C to 390°C was studied. It was shown that the temperature has a major impact on the product formation. With rising temperature, the fraction of liquid products, namely liquid CHO-products, reaction water and hydrocarbons, increases and the fraction of biochar decreases. At 390°C, 39.8 wt% of biogenous carbon was transferred into a crude hydrocarbon fractions. The type of lignocellulosic feedstock has a minor impact on the process. The biomass liquefaction concept of the bioCRACK process was in pilot scale compatible with oil refinery processes. PMID:29291098

Feedstock Supply and Logistics: Biomass as a Commodity

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

None

2013-05-06

The Bioenergy Technologies Office and its partners are developing the technologies and systems needed to sustainably and economically deliver a broad range of biomass in formats that enable their efficient use as feedstocks for biorefineries.

Ethanol production in small- to medium-size facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiler, E. A.; Coble, C. G.; Oneal, H. P.; Sweeten, J. M.; Reidenbach, V. G.; Schelling, G. T.; Lawhon, J. T.; Kay, R. D.; Lepori, W. A.; Aldred, W. H.

1982-04-01

In early 1980 system design criteria were developed for a small-scale ethanol production plant. The plant was eventually installed on November 1, 1980. It has a production capacity of 30 liters per hour; this can be increased easily (if desired) to 60 liters per hour with additional fermentation tanks. Sixty-six test runs were conducted to date in the alcohol production facility. Feedstocks evaluated in these tests include: corn (28 runs); grain sorghum (33 runs); grain sorghum grits (1 run); half corn/half sorghum (1 run); and sugarcane juice (3 runs). In addition, a small bench-scale fermentation and distillation system was used to evaluate sugarcane and sweet sorghum feedstocks prior to their evaluation in the larger unit. In each of these tests, evaluation of the following items was conducted: preprocessing requirements; operational problems; conversion efficiency (for example, liters of alcohol produced per kilogram of feedstock); energy balance and efficiency; nutritional recovery from stillage; solids separation by screw press; chemical characterization of stillage including liquid and solids fractions; wastewater requirements; and air pollution potential.

High solid loading aqueous base metal/ceramic feedstock for injection molding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behi, Mohammad

2001-07-01

Increasing volume fraction of metal powder in feedstock provided lower shrinkage. Reduction of the shrinkage results in better dimensional precision. The rheology of the feedstock material plays an important role to allowing larger volume fractions of the metal powder to be incorporated in the feedstock formulations. The viscosity of the feedstock mainly depends on the binder viscosity, powder volume fraction and characteristics of metal powder. Aqueous polysaccharide agar was used as a baseline binder system for this study. The effect of several gel-strengthening additives on 1.5wt% and 2wt% agar gel was evaluated. A new gel-strengthening additive was found to be the most effective among the others. The effect of other additives such as glucose, sucrose and fructose on viscosity of baseline binder and feedstock was investigated. Two new agar based binder compositions were developed. The use of these new binder formulations significantly improved the volume fraction of the metal powder, the stability of the feedstock, and reduced the final shrinkage of the molded articles. Two types of 17-4PH stainless steel metal powders, one gas atomized and, the other water atomized, were used for this research.

Life cycle assessment integrated with thermodynamic analysis of bio-fuel options for solid oxide fuel cells.

PubMed

Lin, Jiefeng; Babbitt, Callie W; Trabold, Thomas A

2013-01-01

A methodology that integrates life cycle assessment (LCA) with thermodynamic analysis is developed and applied to evaluate the environmental impacts of producing biofuels from waste biomass, including biodiesel from waste cooking oil, ethanol from corn stover, and compressed natural gas from municipal solid wastes. Solid oxide fuel cell-based auxiliary power units using bio-fuel as the hydrogen precursor enable generation of auxiliary electricity for idling heavy-duty trucks. Thermodynamic analysis is applied to evaluate the fuel conversion efficiency and determine the amount of fuel feedstock needed to generate a unit of electrical power. These inputs feed into an LCA that compares energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of different fuel pathways. Results show that compressed natural gas from municipal solid wastes is an optimal bio-fuel option for SOFC-APU applications in New York State. However, this methodology can be regionalized within the U.S. or internationally to account for different fuel feedstock options. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An industrial ecology approach to municipal solid waste management: I. Methodology

EPA Science Inventory

Municipal solid waste (MSW) can be viewed as a feedstock for industrial ecology inspired conversions of wastes to valuable products and energy. The industrial ecology principle of symbiotic processes using waste streams for creating value-added products is applied to MSW, with e...

Solid state anaerobic co-digestion of tomato residues with dairy manure and corn stover for biogas production.

PubMed

Li, Yangyang; Li, Yu; Zhang, Difang; Li, Guoxue; Lu, Jiaxin; Li, Shuyan

2016-10-01

Solid-state anaerobic co-digestion of tomato residues with dairy manure and corn stover was conducted at 20% total solids under 35°C for 45days. Results showed digestion of mixed tomato residues with dairy manure and corn stover improved methane yields. The highest VS reduction (46.2%) and methane yield (415.4L/kg VSfeed) were achieved with the ternary mixtures of 33% corn stover, 54% dairy manure, and 13% tomato residues, lead to a 0.5-10.2-fold higher than that of individual feedstocks. Inhibition of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) to biogas production occurred when more than 40% tomato residues were added. The results indicated that ternary mixtures diluted the inhibitors that would otherwise cause inhibition in the digestion of tomato residues as a mono-feedstock. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Rotary Kiln Gasification of Solid Waste for Base Camps

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-02

cup after full day run 3.3 Feedstock Handling System Garbage bags containing waste feedstock are placed into feed bin FB-101. Ram feeder RF-102...Environmental Science and Technology using the Factory Talk SCADA software running on a laptop computer. A wireless Ethernet router that is located within the...pyrolysis oil produced required consistent draining from the system during operation and became a liquid waste disposal problem. A 5-hour test run could

Energy balance, greenhouse gas emissions, and profitability of thermobarical pretreatment of cattle waste in anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Budde, Jörn; Prochnow, Annette; Plöchl, Matthias; Suárez Quiñones, Teresa; Heiermann, Monika

2016-03-01

In this study modeled full scale application of thermobarical hydrolysis of less degradable feedstock for biomethanation was assessed in terms of energy balance, greenhouse gas emissions, and economy. Data were provided whether the substitution of maize silage as feedstock for biogas production by pretreated cattle wastes is beneficial in full-scale application or not. A model device for thermobarical treatment has been suggested for and theoretically integrated in a biogas plant. The assessment considered the replacement of maize silage as feedstock with liquid and/or solid cattle waste (feces, litter, and feed residues from animal husbandry of high-performance dairy cattle, dry cows, and heifers). The integration of thermobarical pretreatment is beneficial for raw material with high contents of organic dry matter and ligno-cellulose: Solid cattle waste revealed very short payback times, e.g. 9 months for energy, 3 months for greenhouse gases, and 3 years 3 months for economic amortization, whereas, in contrast, liquid cattle waste did not perform positive replacement effects in this analysis. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Integration of alternative feedstreams for biomass treatment and utilization

DOEpatents

Hennessey, Susan Marie [Avondale, PA; Friend, Julie [Claymont, DE; Dunson, Jr., James B.; Tucker, III, Melvin P.; Elander, Richard T [Evergreen, CO; Hames, Bonnie [Westminster, CO

2011-03-22

The present invention provides a method for treating biomass composed of integrated feedstocks to produce fermentable sugars. One aspect of the methods described herein includes a pretreatment step wherein biomass is integrated with an alternative feedstream and the resulting integrated feedstock, at relatively high concentrations, is treated with a low concentration of ammonia relative to the dry weight of biomass. In another aspect, a high solids concentration of pretreated biomass is integrated with an alternative feedstream for saccharifiaction.

Supportability of a High-Yield-Stress Slurry in a New Stereolithography-Based Ceramic Fabrication Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Li; Song, Xuan

2018-03-01

In recent years, ceramic fabrication using stereolithography (SLA) has gained in popularity because of its high accuracy and density that can be achieved in the final part of production. One of the key challenges in ceramic SLA is that support structures are required for building overhanging features, whereas removing these support structures without damaging the components is difficult. In this research, a suspension-enclosing projection-stereolithography process is developed to overcome this challenge. This process uses a high-yield-stress ceramic slurry as the feedstock material and exploits the elastic force of the material to support overhanging features without the need for building additional support structures. Ceramic slurries with different solid loadings are studied to identify the rheological properties most suitable for supporting overhanging features. An analytical model of a double doctor-blade module is established to obtain uniform and thin recoating layers from a high-yield-stress slurry. Several test cases highlight the feasibility of using a high-yield-stress slurry to support overhanging features in SLA.

Biomass Deconstruction and Pretreatment | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov Websites

lignocellulose into intermediate streams with low toxicity, high sugar concentrations, and utilizable lignin for illustration of a car driving down a country road into the sunset that leads to Renewable Energy Storage. High refined. The feedstock then goes into a High Solids Enzymatic Digester and then into High Solids

Testing of an advanced thermochemical conversion reactor system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1990-01-01

This report presents the results of work conducted by MTCI to verify and confirm experimentally the ability of the MTCI gasification process to effectively generate a high-quality, medium-Btu gas from a wider variety of feedstock and waste than that attainable in air-blown, direct gasification systems. The system's overall simplicity, due to the compact nature of the pulse combustor, and the high heat transfer rates attainable within the pulsating flow resonance tubes, provide a decided and near-term potential economic advantage for the MTCI indirect gasification system. The primary objective was the design, construction, and testing of a Process Design Verification System for an indirectly heated, thermochemical fluid-bed reactor and a pulse combustor an an integrated system that can process alternative renewable sources of energy such as biomass, black liquor, municipal solid waste and waste hydrocarbons, including heavy oils into a useful product gas. The test objectives for the biomass portion of this program were to establish definitive performance data on biomass feedstocks covering a wide range of feedstock qualities and characteristics. The test objectives for the black liquor portion of this program were to verify the operation of the indirect gasifier on commercial black liquor containing 65 percent solids at several temperature levels and to characterize the bed carbon content, bed solids particle size and sulfur distribution as a function of gasification conditions.

Beneficiation of lunar rocks and regolith - Concepts and difficulties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Lawrence A.; Mckay, David S.

1992-01-01

Some of the inherent differences between lunar rocks and the finer portion of the regolith, the soil, are discussed. A brief outline of the formation of lunar soil is presented. Beneficiation of rocks vs regolith for the production of an ilmenite feedstock is addressed in particular, but the concepts and principles considered are applicable to other situations as well. The overall systems design must take the range of available feedstocks into account. Decisions on design that will influence feedstock requirements must be made.

Acceleration of the Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Cotton Waste Celluloses by Low Intensity Uniform Ultrasound Field

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The cost-competitive production of bio-ethanol and other biofuels is currently impeded, mostly by high cost and low efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of feedstock biomass and especially plant celluloses. Despite substantial reduction in the cost of production of cellulolytic enzymes in recent times...

Method for recovery of hydrocarbons form contaminated soil or refuse materials

DOEpatents

Ignasiak, Teresa; Turak, Ali A.; Pawlak, Wanda; Ignasiak, Boleslaw L.; Guerra, Carlos R.; Zwillenberg, Melvin L.

1991-01-01

A method is provided for separating an inert solid substantially inorganic fraction comprising sand or soil from a tarry or oily organic matter in a feedstock. The feedstock may be contaminated soil or tarry waste. The feedstock is combined with pulverized coal and water. The ratio (oil or tar to dry weight of coal) of about 1.0:10 to about 4.0:10 at a temperature in the range of 60.degree.-95.degree. C. The mixture is agitated, the coarse particles are removed, and up to about 0.10% by weight (based on weight of coal) of a frothing agent is added. The mixture is then subjected to flotation, and the froth is removed from the mixture.

The effect of mixing ratio variation of sludge and organic solid waste on biodrying process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasution, A. C.; Kristanto, G. A.

2018-01-01

In this study, organic waste was co-biodried with sludge cake to determine which mixing ratio gave the best result. The organic waste was consisted of dried leaves and green leaves, while the sludge cake was obtained from a waste water treatment plant in Bekasi. The experiment was performed on 3 lab-scale reactors with same specifications. After 21 days of experiment, it was found that the reactor with the lowest mixing fraction of sludge (5:1) has the best temperature profile and highest moisture content depletion compared with others. Initial moisture content and initial volatile solid content of this reactor’s feedstock was 52.25% and 82.4% respectively. The airflow rate was 10 lpm. After biodrying was done, the final moisture content of the feedstock from Reactor C was 22.0% and the final volatile solid content was 75.9%.The final calorific value after biodrying process was 3179,28kcal/kg.

Recent progress in the development of solid catalysts for biomass conversion into high value-added chemicals

PubMed Central

Hara, Michikazu; Nakajima, Kiyotaka; Kamata, Keigo

2015-01-01

In recent decades, the substitution of non-renewable fossil resources by renewable biomass as a sustainable feedstock has been extensively investigated for the manufacture of high value-added products such as biofuels, commodity chemicals, and new bio-based materials such as bioplastics. Numerous solid catalyst systems for the effective conversion of biomass feedstocks into value-added chemicals and fuels have been developed. Solid catalysts are classified into four main groups with respect to their structures and substrate activation properties: (a) micro- and mesoporous materials, (b) metal oxides, (c) supported metal catalysts, and (d) sulfonated polymers. This review article focuses on the activation of substrates and/or reagents on the basis of groups (a)–(d), and the corresponding reaction mechanisms. In addition, recent progress in chemocatalytic processes for the production of five industrially important products (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, glyceraldehyde, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) as bio-based plastic monomers and their intermediates is comprehensively summarized. PMID:27877800

Effects of Extrusion Pretreatment Parameters on Sweet Sorghum Bagasse Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Its Subsequent Conversion into Bioethanol

PubMed Central

Heredia-Olea, Erick; Pérez-Carrillo, Esther; Serna-Saldívar, Sergio O.

2015-01-01

Second-generation bioethanol production from sweet sorghum bagasse first extruded at different conditions and then treated with cell wall degrading enzymes and fermented with I. orientalis was determined. The twin extruder parameters tested were barrel temperature, screws speed, and feedstock moisture content using surface response methodology. The best extrusion conditions were 100°C, 200 rpm, and 30% conditioning moisture content. This nonchemical and continuous pretreatment did not generate inhibitory compounds. The extruded feedstocks were saccharified varying the biocatalysis time and solids loading. The best conditions were 20% solids loading and 72 h of enzymatic treatment. These particular conditions converted 70% of the total fibrous carbohydrates into total fermentable C5 and C6 sugars. The extruded enzymatically hydrolyzed sweet sorghum bagasse was fermented with the strain I. orientalis at 12% solids obtaining a yield of 198.1 mL of ethanol per kilogram of bagasse (dw). PMID:25866776

Recent progress in the development of solid catalysts for biomass conversion into high value-added chemicals.

PubMed

Hara, Michikazu; Nakajima, Kiyotaka; Kamata, Keigo

2015-06-01

In recent decades, the substitution of non-renewable fossil resources by renewable biomass as a sustainable feedstock has been extensively investigated for the manufacture of high value-added products such as biofuels, commodity chemicals, and new bio-based materials such as bioplastics. Numerous solid catalyst systems for the effective conversion of biomass feedstocks into value-added chemicals and fuels have been developed. Solid catalysts are classified into four main groups with respect to their structures and substrate activation properties: (a) micro- and mesoporous materials, (b) metal oxides, (c) supported metal catalysts, and (d) sulfonated polymers. This review article focuses on the activation of substrates and/or reagents on the basis of groups (a)-(d), and the corresponding reaction mechanisms. In addition, recent progress in chemocatalytic processes for the production of five industrially important products (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, glyceraldehyde, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) as bio-based plastic monomers and their intermediates is comprehensively summarized.

Recent progress in the development of solid catalysts for biomass conversion into high value-added chemicals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hara, Michikazu; Nakajima, Kiyotaka; Kamata, Keigo

2015-06-01

In recent decades, the substitution of non-renewable fossil resources by renewable biomass as a sustainable feedstock has been extensively investigated for the manufacture of high value-added products such as biofuels, commodity chemicals, and new bio-based materials such as bioplastics. Numerous solid catalyst systems for the effective conversion of biomass feedstocks into value-added chemicals and fuels have been developed. Solid catalysts are classified into four main groups with respect to their structures and substrate activation properties: (a) micro- and mesoporous materials, (b) metal oxides, (c) supported metal catalysts, and (d) sulfonated polymers. This review article focuses on the activation of substrates and/or reagents on the basis of groups (a)-(d), and the corresponding reaction mechanisms. In addition, recent progress in chemocatalytic processes for the production of five industrially important products (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, glyceraldehyde, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) as bio-based plastic monomers and their intermediates is comprehensively summarized.

Highlights from Faraday Discussion 182: Solid Oxide Electrolysis: Fuels and Feedstocks from Water and Air, York, UK, July 2015.

PubMed

Stefan, Elena; Norby, Truls

2016-01-31

The rising importance of converting high peak electricity from renewables to fuels has urged field specialists to organize this Faraday Discussion on Solid Oxide Electrolysis. The topic is of essential interest in order to achieve a greater utilization of renewable energy and storage at higher densities.

Alternative E ammonia feedstock

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

Lentz, M.J.; Wright, R.A.

1999-07-01

Power plants are using more Ammonia for increasing precipitator and baghouse efficiency, for SCR and SNCR processes, and for controlling acid stack plumes and dewpoint corrosion. These simple systems inject ammonia and air into the furnace or the precipitator or baghouse inlet ductwork. The common feedstocks in use today are Anhydrous ammonia [NH{sub 3}] and Aqueous ammonia [NH{sub 4}OH], both defined as poison gases by US authorities and most Western nations. Storage and handling procedures for these products are strictly regulated. Wilhelm Environmental Technologies Inc. is developing use of solid, formed or prilled Urea [CO(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}] as the feedstock.more » When heated in moist air, Urea sublimes to ammonia [NH{sub 3}] and carbon dioxide [CO{sub 2}]. Urea is stored and handled without restrictions or environmental concerns. Urea is a more expensive feedstock than NH{sub 3}, but much less expensive than [NH{sub 4}OH]. The design, and operating results, of a pilot system at Jacksonville Electric St. John's River Plant [Unit 2] are described. The pilot plant successfully sublimed Urea up to 100 pounds/hour. Further testing is planned. Very large ammonia use may favor NH{sub 3}, but smaller quantities can be produced at attractive prices with Urea based ammonia systems. Storage costs are far less. Many fluidized-bed boilers can use pastille or solid urea metered directly into the existing cyclones for NO{sub x} control. This is more economical than aqueous ammonia or aqueous urea based technology.« less

Viscosity Determination of Molten Ash from Low-Grade US Coals

DOE PAGES

Zhu, Jingxi; Nakano, Jinichiro; Kaneko, Tetsuya Kenneth; ...

2012-10-01

In entrained slagging gasifiers, the fluidity of the molten ash is a critical factor for process control since it affects slag formation, the capture of inorganic constituents, refractory wear, and slag drainage along the gasification chamber walls. The use of western coal, or mixtures of eastern and western coals as gasifier feedstock, is likely to occur as western coals become available and technological issues that hinder their use are being resolved. In the present work, the viscosity of synthetic slags with ash chemistries simulating the western U.S. coals, was experimentally measured at a Po 2 = 10 - 8 atmmore » in the temperature range of 1773–1573 K (1500–1300 °C) using a rotating-bob viscometer. Alumina spindles and containment crucibles of both alumina and zirconia were used. Crystallization studies of this slag using a confocal scanning laser microscope found that a (Mg,Fe)Al 2O 4-based spinel precipitated at temperatures below 1723 K (1450 °C), and this agreed with FactSage equilibrium phase prediction. The same spinels were observed in the post-viscometry experiment slags when ZrO 2 crucibles were used and assumed to be in equilibrium with the slag at the higher temperatures. Zirconia dissolution resulted in a slight increase in the solid fraction present in slags at lower temperatures, compared to spinel fraction. Crystal precipitation changed the apparent activation energy and required a longer stabilization times for viscosity measurements. The viscosity results were used in predictive equations based on Veytsman and Einstein's models, with critical nucleation temperatures and the solid fraction calculated with FactSage. In the simulated eastern/western coal feedstock blends based on ash compositions, the fractions of the solid precipitates were also calculated using the thermodynamic program FactSage for each blend composition, and the plastic viscosity of each eastern/western coal slag blend was predicted using Veytsman's model and compared to available experimental data.« less

Employing CO2 as reaction medium for in-situ suppression of the formation of benzene derivatives and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during pyrolysis of simulated municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Lee, Jechan; Choi, Dongho; Tsang, Yiu Fai; Oh, Jeong-Ik; Kwon, Eilhann E

2017-05-01

This study proposes a strategic principle to enhance the thermal efficiency of pyrolysis of municipal solid waste (MSW). An environmentally sound energy recovery platform was established by suppressing the formation of harmful organic compounds evolved from pyrolysis of MSW. Using CO 2 as reaction medium/feedstock, CO generation was enhanced through the following: 1) expediting the thermal cracking of volatile organic carbons (VOCs) evolved from the thermal degradation of the MSWs and 2) directly reacting VOCs with CO 2 . This particular influence of CO 2 on pyrolysis of the MSWs also led to the in-situ mitigation of harmful organic compounds (e.g., benzene derivatives and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) considering that CO 2 acted as a carbon scavenger to block reaction pathways toward benzenes and PAHs in pyrolysis. To understand the fundamental influence of CO 2 , simulated MSWs (i.e., various ratios of biomass to polymer) were used to avoid any complexities arising from the heterogeneous matrix of MSW. All experimental findings in this study suggested the foreseeable environmental application of CO 2 to energy recovery from MSW together with disposal of MSW. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Benefits to decomposition rates when using digestate as compost co-feedstock: Part I - Focus on physicochemical parameters.

PubMed

Arab, Golnaz; McCartney, Daryl

2017-10-01

Anaerobic digestion (AD) has gained a significant role in municipal solid waste management, but managing a high volume of digestate is one of the challenges with AD technology. One option is to mix digestate with fresh and/or stabilized organic waste and then feed to the composting process. In this study, the effect of co-composting anaerobic digestate (in different quantities) on a composting process was investigated. The digestate was prepared in a pilot-scale 500L high solids dry anaerobic digester and composting was completed in eight 25L reactors with different ratios of digestate to fresh feedstock from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). The digestate constituted 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75, or 100% (wet mass) of the feedstock. The co-composting experiment was conducted in two phases: active aeration and curing. Monitored parameters included: process temperature, aeration rate, oxygen concentration of the outlet gas, mass changes, total solids, organic matter, pH, and electrical conductivity. In addition, respirometry, C:N ratio, ammonium to nitrate ratio, and Solvita® tests were used to quantify stability and maturity end points. The results showed that the addition of digestate to the OFMSW increased composting reaction rates in all cases, with peak performance occurring within the ratio of 20-40% of digestate addition on a wet weight basis. Reactor performance may have been influenced by the high total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) levels in the digestate. Composting rates increased as TAN levels increased up to 5000 TAN mgkg -1 DM; however, TAN may have become inhibitory at higher levels. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acceleration of the Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Corn Stover and Sugar Cane Bagasse Celluloses by Low Intensity Uniform Ultrasound

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The cost-competitive production of bio-ethanol and other biofuels is currently impeded, mostly by high cost and low efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of feedstock biomass and especially plant celluloses. Despite substantial reduction in the cost of production of cellulolytic enzymes in recent times...

Micro-scale anaerobic digestion of point source components of organic fraction of municipal solid waste

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

Chanakya, H.N.; Sharma, Isha; Ramachandra, T.V.

The fermentation characteristics of six specific types of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) were examined, with an emphasis on properties that are needed when designing plug-flow type anaerobic bioreactors. More specifically, the decomposition patterns of a vegetable (cabbage), fruits (banana and citrus peels), fresh leaf litter of bamboo and teak leaves, and paper (newsprint) waste streams as feedstocks were studied. Individual OFMSW components were placed into nylon mesh bags and subjected to various fermentation periods (solids retention time, SRT) within the inlet of a functioning plug-flow biogas fermentor. These were removed at periodic intervals, and their compositionmore » was analyzed to monitor decomposition rates and changes in chemical composition. Components like cabbage waste, banana peels, and orange peels fermented rapidly both in a plug-flow biogas reactor (PFBR) as well as under a biological methane potential (BMP) assay, while other OFMSW components (leaf litter from bamboo and teak leaves and newsprint) fermented slowly with poor process stability and moderate biodegradation. For fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW), a rapid and efficient removal of pectins is the main cause of rapid disintegration of these feedstocks, which left behind very little compost forming residues (2-5%). Teak and bamboo leaves and newsprint decomposed only to 25-50% in 30 d. These results confirm the potential for volatile fatty acids accumulation in a PFBR's inlet and suggest a modification of the inlet zone or operation of a PFBR with the above feedstocks.« less

Micro-scale anaerobic digestion of point source components of organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Chanakya, H N; Sharma, Isha; Ramachandra, T V

2009-04-01

The fermentation characteristics of six specific types of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) were examined, with an emphasis on properties that are needed when designing plug-flow type anaerobic bioreactors. More specifically, the decomposition patterns of a vegetable (cabbage), fruits (banana and citrus peels), fresh leaf litter of bamboo and teak leaves, and paper (newsprint) waste streams as feedstocks were studied. Individual OFMSW components were placed into nylon mesh bags and subjected to various fermentation periods (solids retention time, SRT) within the inlet of a functioning plug-flow biogas fermentor. These were removed at periodic intervals, and their composition was analyzed to monitor decomposition rates and changes in chemical composition. Components like cabbage waste, banana peels, and orange peels fermented rapidly both in a plug-flow biogas reactor (PFBR) as well as under a biological methane potential (BMP) assay, while other OFMSW components (leaf litter from bamboo and teak leaves and newsprint) fermented slowly with poor process stability and moderate biodegradation. For fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW), a rapid and efficient removal of pectins is the main cause of rapid disintegration of these feedstocks, which left behind very little compost forming residues (2-5%). Teak and bamboo leaves and newsprint decomposed only to 25-50% in 30d. These results confirm the potential for volatile fatty acids accumulation in a PFBR's inlet and suggest a modification of the inlet zone or operation of a PFBR with the above feedstocks.

Demonstration-scale evaluation of a novel high-solids anaerobic digestion process for converting organic wastes to fuel gas and compost.

PubMed

Rivard, C J; Duff, B W; Dickow, J H; Wiles, C C; Nagle, N J; Gaddy, J L; Clausen, E C

1998-01-01

Early evaluations of the bioconversion potential for combined wastes such as tuna sludge and sorted municipal solid waste (MSW) were conducted at laboratory scale and compared conventional low-solids, stirred-tank anaerobic systems with the novel, high-solids anaerobic digester (HSAD) design. Enhanced feedstock conversion rates and yields were determined for the HSAD system. In addition, the HSAD system demonstrated superior resiliency to process failure. Utilizing relatively dry feedstocks, the HSAD system is approximately one-tenth the size of conventional low-solids systems. In addition, the HSAD system is capable of organic loading rates (OLRs) on the order of 20-25 g volatile solids per liter digester volume per d (gVS/L/d), roughly 4-5 times those of conventional systems. Current efforts involve developing a demonstration-scale (pilot-scale) HSAD system. A two-ton/d plant has been constructed in Stanton, CA and is currently in the commissioning/startup phase. The purposes of the project are to verify laboratory- and intermediate-scale process performance; test the performance of large-scale prototype mechanical systems; demonstrate the long-term reliability of the process; and generate the process and economic data required for the design, financing, and construction of full-scale commercial systems. This study presents conformational fermentation data obtained at intermediate-scale and a snapshot of the pilot-scale project.

Influence of feedstock-to-inoculum ratio on performance and microbial community succession during solid-state thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of pig urine and rice straw.

PubMed

Meng, Lingyu; Xie, Li; Kinh, Co Thi; Suenaga, Toshikazu; Hori, Tomoyuki; Riya, Shohei; Terada, Akihiko; Hosomi, Masaaki

2018-03-01

This study investigated the effect of the feedstock-to-inoculum (F/I) ratio on performance of the solid-state anaerobic co-digestion of pig urine and rice straw inoculated with a solid digestate, and clarified the microbial community succession. A 44-day biochemical methane potential test at F/I ratios of 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 at 55 °C and a 35-day large-scale batch test at F/I ratios of 0.5 and 3 at 55 °C were conducted to investigate the effects of F/I ratio on anaerobic digestibility and analyze microbial community succession, respectively. The highest cumulative methane yield was 353.7 m 3 /t VS in the large-scale batch test. Volatile fatty acids did not accumulate at any F/I ratios. The volatile solids reduction rate was highest at a F/I ratio of 0.5. Microbial community structures were similar between F/I ratios of 3 and 0.5, despite differences in digestion performance, suggesting that stable operation can be achieved at these ratios. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 50214 - Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation's Refinery, Notice of Availability of the Record of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-12

..., gasoline and propane. The NPDES permit will be for surface water discharges associated with the operation.... Since the FEIS was issued, the MHA Nation decided to change the refinery feedstock from synthetic crude oil to the Bakken formation crude. As a result of the feedstock change, EPA evaluated the potential...

Water Atomization of Barium Fluoride: Calcium Fluoride for Enhanced Flow Characteristics of PS304 Feedstock Powder Blend

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanford, Malcolm K.; DellaCorte, Christopher

2003-01-01

PS304 is a plasma spray deposited solid lubricant coating with feedstock composed of NiCr, Cr2O3, Ag, and BaF2-CaF2 powders. The effects of rounded BaF2-CaF2 particles on the gravity-fed flow characteristics of PS304 feedstock have been investigated. The BaF2-CaF2 powder was fabricated by water atomization using four sets of process parameters. Each of these powders was then characterized by microscopy and classified by screening to obtain 45 to 106 micron particles and added incrementally from 0 to 10 wt% to the other constituents of the PS304 feedstock, namely nichrome, chromia, and silver powders. The relationship between feedstock flow rate, measured with the Hall flowmeter, and concentration of fluorides was found to be linear in each case. The slopes of the lines were between those of the linear relationships previously reported using angular and spherical fluorides and were closer to the relationship predicted using the rule of mixtures. The results offer a fluoride fabrication technique potentially more cost-effective than gas atomization processes or traditional comminution processes.

Biodetoxification of toxins generated from lignocellulose pretreatment using a newly isolated fungus, Amorphotheca resinae ZN1, and the consequent ethanol fermentation.

PubMed

Zhang, Jian; Zhu, Zhinan; Wang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Nan; Wang, Wei; Bao, Jie

2010-11-22

Degradation of the toxic compounds generated in the harsh pretreatment of lignocellulose is an inevitable step in reducing the toxin level for conducting practical enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation processes. Various detoxification methods have been tried and many negative outcomes were found using these methods, such as the massive freshwater usage and wastewater generation, loss of the fine lignocellulose particles and fermentative sugars and incomplete removal of inhibitors. An alternate method, biodetoxification, which degrades the toxins as part of their normal metabolism, was considered a promising option for the removal of toxins without causing the above problems. A kerosene fungus strain, Amorphotheca resinae ZN1, was isolated from the microbial community growing on the pretreated corn stover material. The degradation of the toxins as well as the lignocelluloses-derived sugars was characterized in different ways, and the results show that A. resinae ZN1 utilized each of these toxins and sugars as the sole carbon sources efficiently and grew quickly on the toxins. It was found that the solid-state culture of A. resinae ZN1 on various pretreated lignocellulose feedstocks such as corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, cotton stalk and rape straw degraded all kinds of toxins quickly and efficiently. The consequent simultaneous saccharification and ethanol fermentation was performed at the 30% (wt/wt) solid loading of the detoxified lignocellulosic feedstocks without a sterilization step, and the ethanol titer in the fermentation broth reached above 40 g/L using food crop residues as feedstocks. The advantages of the present biodetoxification by A. resinae ZN1 over the known detoxification methods include zero energy input, zero wastewater generation, complete toxin degradation, processing on solid pretreated material, no need for sterilization and a wide lignocellulose feedstock spectrum. These advantages make it possible for industrial applications with fast and efficient biodetoxification to remove toxins generated during intensive lignocellulose pretreatment.

Rheological study of copper and copper grapheme feedstock for powder injection molding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azaman, N. Emira Binti; Rafi Raza, M.; Muhamad, N.; Niaz Akhtar, M.; Bakar Sulong, A.

2017-01-01

Heatsink is one of the solution to optimize the performance of smart electronic devices. Copper and its composites are helping the electronic industry to solve the heating problem. Copper-graphene heat sink material with enhanced thermal conductivity is the ultimate goal.Powder injection molding (PIM) has advantages of high precision and production rate, complex shape, low cost and suitabality for metal and cremics.PIM consists of four sub sequential steps; feedstock preparation, molding, debinding and sintering. Feedstock preparation is a critical step in PIM process. Any deficiency at this stage cannot be recovered at latter stages. Therefore, this research was carried out to investigate the injectability of copper and copper graphene composite using PIM. PEG based multicomponent binder system was used and the powder loading was upto 7vol.% less than the critical powder loading was used to provide the wettability of the copper powder and graphene nanoplatelets (GNps). Corpper-graphene feedstock contained 0.5vol.% of GNps . To ensure the homogeneity of GNps within feedstock a unique technique was addopted. The microscopic results showed that the feedstock is homogeneous and ready for injection. The viscosity-shear rate relationship was determined and results showed that the addition of 0.5vol.% of GNps in copper has increased the viscosity upto 64.9% at 140˚C than that of pure copper feedstock. This attribute may be due to the large surface area of GNps. On the other hand, by increasing the temperature, viscosity of the feedstock was decreased, which was recommended for PIM. The overall viscosity and share rate lies within the range recommended for PIM process. It is clear that both feedstocks showed pseudo plastic behaviour which is suitable for PIM process. In the pseudo plastic behaviour, the viscosity decreases with the shear rate. It may be due to change in the structure of the solid particles or the binder. The molding results showed that both copper feedstocks were successfully molded and free from the physical defects.

The effect of biomass densification on structural sugar release and yield in biofuel feedstock and feedstock blends

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

Wolfrum, Edward J.; Nagle, Nicholas J.; Ness, Ryan M.

In this work, we examined the behavior of feedstock blends and the effect of a specific feedstock densification strategy (pelleting) on the release and yield of structural carbohydrates in a laboratory-scale dilute acid pretreatment (PT) and enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) assay. We report overall carbohydrate release and yield from the two-stage PT-EH assay for five single feedstocks (two corn stovers, miscanthus, switchgrass, and hybrid poplar) and three feedstock blends (corn stover-switchgrass, corn stover-switchgrass-miscanthus, and corn stover-switchgrass-hybrid poplar). We first examined the experimental results over time to establish the robustness of the PT-EH assay, which limits the precision of the experimental results.more » The use of two different control samples in the assay enabled us to identify (and correct for) a small bias in the EH portion of the combined assay for some runs. We then examined the effect of variable pretreatment reaction conditions (residence time, acid loading, and reactor temperature) on the conversion of a single feedstock (single-pass corn stover, CS-SP) in order to establish the range of pretreatment reaction conditions likely to provide optimal conversion data. Finally, we applied the assay to the 16 materials (8 feedstocks in 2 formats, loose and pelleted) over a more limited range of pretreatment experimental conditions. The four herbaceous feedstocks behaved similarly, while the hybrid poplar feedstock required higher pretreatment temperatures for optimal results. As expected, the yield data for three blended feedstocks were the average of the yield data for the individual feedstocks. As a result, the pelleting process appears to provide a slightly positive effect on overall total sugar yield.« less

The effect of biomass densification on structural sugar release and yield in biofuel feedstock and feedstock blends

DOE PAGES

Wolfrum, Edward J.; Nagle, Nicholas J.; Ness, Ryan M.; ...

2017-01-13

In this work, we examined the behavior of feedstock blends and the effect of a specific feedstock densification strategy (pelleting) on the release and yield of structural carbohydrates in a laboratory-scale dilute acid pretreatment (PT) and enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) assay. We report overall carbohydrate release and yield from the two-stage PT-EH assay for five single feedstocks (two corn stovers, miscanthus, switchgrass, and hybrid poplar) and three feedstock blends (corn stover-switchgrass, corn stover-switchgrass-miscanthus, and corn stover-switchgrass-hybrid poplar). We first examined the experimental results over time to establish the robustness of the PT-EH assay, which limits the precision of the experimental results.more » The use of two different control samples in the assay enabled us to identify (and correct for) a small bias in the EH portion of the combined assay for some runs. We then examined the effect of variable pretreatment reaction conditions (residence time, acid loading, and reactor temperature) on the conversion of a single feedstock (single-pass corn stover, CS-SP) in order to establish the range of pretreatment reaction conditions likely to provide optimal conversion data. Finally, we applied the assay to the 16 materials (8 feedstocks in 2 formats, loose and pelleted) over a more limited range of pretreatment experimental conditions. The four herbaceous feedstocks behaved similarly, while the hybrid poplar feedstock required higher pretreatment temperatures for optimal results. As expected, the yield data for three blended feedstocks were the average of the yield data for the individual feedstocks. As a result, the pelleting process appears to provide a slightly positive effect on overall total sugar yield.« less

Products derived from waste plastics (PC, HIPS, ABS, PP and PA6) via hydrothermal treatment: Characterization and potential applications.

PubMed

Zhao, Xuyuan; Zhan, Lu; Xie, Bing; Gao, Bin

2018-09-01

In this study, hydrothermal method was applied for the treatment of five typical waste plastics (PC, HIPS, ABS, PP and PA6). The hydrothermal products of oils and solid residues were analyzed for the product slate and combustion behaviors. Some predominant chemical feedstock were detected in the oils, such as phenolic compounds and bisphenol A (BPA) in PC oils, single-ringed aromatic compounds and diphenyl-sketetons compounds in HIPS and ABS oils, alkanes in PP oils, and caprolactam (CPL) in PA6 oils. The hydrothermal solid residues were subjected to DSC analysis. Except the solid residues of PA6, all the solid residues had enormous improvement on the enthalpy of combustion. The solid residues of PC had the maximum promotion up to 576.03% compared to the raw material. The hydrothermal treatment significantly improved the energy density and facilitated effective combustion. Meanwhile, the glass fiber was recovered from the PA6 plastics. In addition, the combustion behaviors of the uplifting residues were investigated to provide the theoretical foundation for further study of combustion optimization. All the results indicated that the oils of waste plastics after hydrothermal treatment could be used as chemical feedstock; the solid residues of waste plastics after hydrothermal treatment could be used as potentially clean and efficient solid fuels. The hydrothermal treatment for various waste plastics was verified as a novel waste-to-energy technique. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Feedstock and Catalyst Impurities on the Methanol‐to‐Olefin Reaction over H‐SAPO‐34

PubMed Central

Vogt, Charlotte; Ruiz‐Martínez, Javier

2016-01-01

Abstract Operando UV/Vis spectroscopy with on‐line mass spectrometry was used to study the effect of different types of impurities on the hydrocarbon pool species and the activity of H‐SAPO‐34 as a methanol‐to‐olefins (MTO) catalyst. Successive reaction cycles with different purity feedstocks were studied, with an intermittent regeneration step. The combined study of two distinct impurity types (i.e., feed and internal impurities) leads to new insights into MTO catalyst activation and deactivation mechanisms. In the presence of low amounts of feed impurities, the induction and active periods of the process are prolonged. Feed impurities are thus beneficial in the formation of the initial hydrocarbon pool, but also aid in the unwanted formation of deactivating coke species by a separate, competing mechanism favoring coke species over olefins. Further, feedstock impurities strongly influence the location of coke deposits, and thus influence the deactivation mechanism, whereas a study of the organic impurities retained after calcination reveals that these species are less relevant for catalyst activity and function as “seeds” for coke formation only. PMID:28163792

Molten-salt synthesis and composition-dependent luminescent properties of barium tungsto-molybdate-based solid solution phosphors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang-Hong, He; Zhao-Lian, Ye; Ming-Yun, Guan; Ning, Lian; Jian-Hua, Sun

2016-02-01

Pr3+-activated barium tungsto-molybdate solid solution phosphor Ba(Mo1-zWz)O4:Pr3+ is successfully fabricated via a facile molten-salt approach. The as-synthesized microcrystal is of truncated octahedron and exhibits deep-red-emitting upon blue light excitation. Powder x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy techniques are utilized to investigate the formation of solid solution phosphor. The luminescence behaviors depend on the resulting composition of the microcrystals with fixed Pr3+-doping concentration, while the host lattices remain in a scheelite structure. The forming solid solution via the substitution of [WO4] for [MoO4] can significantly enhance its luminescence, which may be due to the fact that Ba(Mo1-zWz)O4:Pr3+ owns well-defined facets and uniform morphologies. Owing to its properties of high phase purity, well-defined facets, highly uniform morphologies, exceptional chemical and thermal stabilities, and stronger emission intensity, the resulting solid solution phosphor is expected to find potential applications in phosphor-converted white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Project supported by the Construction Fund for Science and Technology Innovation Group from Jiangsu University of Technology, China, the Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, China (Grant No. KHK1409), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, China, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21373103).

Saccharification of recalcitrant biomass and integration options for lignocellulosic sugars from Catchlight Energy's sugar process (CLE Sugar).

PubMed

Gao, Johnway; Anderson, Dwight; Levie, Benjamin

2013-01-28

Woody biomass is one of the most abundant biomass feedstocks, besides agriculture residuals in the United States. The sustainable harvest residuals and thinnings alone are estimated at about 75 million tons/year. These forest residuals and thinnings could produce the equivalent of 5 billion gallons of lignocellulosic ethanol annually. Softwood biomass is the most recalcitrant biomass in pretreatment before an enzymatic hydrolysis. To utilize the most recalcitrant lignocellulosic materials, an efficient, industrially scalable and cost effective pretreatment method is needed. Obtaining a high yield of sugar from recalcitrant biomass generally requires a high severity of pretreatment with aggressive chemistry, followed by extensive conditioning, and large doses of enzymes. Catchlight Energy's Sugar process, CLE Sugar, uses a low intensity, high throughput variation of bisulfite pulping to pretreat recalcitrant biomass, such as softwood forest residuals. By leveraging well-proven bisulfite technology and the rapid progress of enzyme suppliers, CLE Sugar can achieve a high yield of total biomass carbohydrate conversion to monomeric lignocellulosic sugars. For example, 85.8% of biomass carbohydrates are saccharified for un-debarked Loblolly pine chips (softwood), and 94.0% for debarked maple chips (hardwood). Furan compound formation was 1.29% of biomass feedstock for Loblolly pine and 1.10% for maple. At 17% solids hydrolysis of pretreated softwood, an enzyme dose of 0.075 g Sigma enzyme mixture/g dry pretreated (unwashed) biomass was needed to achieve 8.1% total sugar titer in the hydrolysate and an overall prehydrolysate liquor plus enzymatic hydrolysis conversion yield of 76.6%. At a much lower enzyme dosage of 0.044 g CTec2 enzyme product/g dry (unwashed) pretreated softwood, hydrolysis at 17% solids achieved 9.2% total sugar titer in the hydrolysate with an overall sugar yield of 85.0% in the combined prehydrolysate liquor and enzymatic hydrolysate. CLE Sugar has been demonstrated to be effective on hardwood and herbaceous biomass, making it truly feedstock flexible. Different options exist for integrating lignocellulosic sugar into sugar-using operations. A sugar conversion plant may be adjacent to a CLE Sugar plant, and the CLE Sugar can be concentrated from the initial 10% sugar as needed. Concentrated sugars, however, can be shipped to remote sites such as ethanol plants or other sugar users. In such cases, options for shipping a dense form of sugars include (1) pretreated biomass with enzyme addition, (2) lignocellulosic sugar syrup, and (3) lignocellulosic sugar solid. These could provide the advantage of maximizing the use of existing assets.

One-pot template-free synthesis of uniform-sized fullerene-like magnetite hollow spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Qing; Zhang, Yue; Liu, Zheng; Zhou, Xinrui; Zhang, Xinmei; Zeng, Lintao

2015-11-01

Uniform-sized Fe3O4 hollow spheres with average diameter of 250 nm and shell thickness of ∼50 nm have been successfully synthesized through a simple hydrothermal route with the presence of di-n-propylamine (DPA) as a weak-base. The reaction time and DPA amount play important roles in the formation of the magnetite hollow spheres. The structures of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectra, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the single-crystalline Fe3O4 hollow spheres are composed of well-aligned magnetite nanoparticles (NPs). The magnetic property investigation shows that these hollow spheres have a higher saturation magnetization (Ms) than the solid spheres. Furthermore, a possible mechanism for the formation of magnetite hollow spheres is proposed based on the experimental observations.

Process for improving the energy density of feedstocks using formate salts

DOEpatents

Wheeler, Marshall Clayton; van Heiningen, Adriaan R.P.; Case, Paige A.

2015-09-01

Methods of forming liquid hydrocarbons through thermal deoxygenation of cellulosic compounds are disclosed. Aspects cover methods including the steps of mixing a levulinic acid salt-containing feedstock with a formic acid salt, exposing the mixture to a high temperature condition to form hydrocarbon vapor, and condensing the hydrocarbon vapor to form liquid hydrocarbons, where both the formic acid salt and the levulinic acid salt-containing feedstock decompose at the high temperature condition and wherein one or more of the mixing, exposing, and condensing steps is carried out a pressure between about vacuum and about 10 bar.

Influence of Feedstock Powder Modification by Heat Treatments on the Properties of APS-Sprayed Al2O3-40% TiO2 Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, Lutz-Michael; Sempf, Kerstin; Sohn, Yoo Jung; Vaßen, Robert

2018-04-01

The formation and decomposition of aluminum titanate (Al2TiO5, tialite) in feedstock powders and coatings of the binary Al2O3-TiO2 system are so far poorly understood. A commercial fused and crushed Al2O3-40%TiO2 powder was selected as the feedstock for the experimental series presented in this paper, as the composition is close to that of Al2TiO5. Part of that powder was heat-treated in air at 1150 and 1500 °C in order to modify the phase composition, while not influencing the particle size distribution and processability. The powders were analyzed by thermal analysis, XRD and FESEM including EDS of metallographically prepared cross sections. Only a maximum content of about 45 wt.% Al2TiO5 was possible to obtain with the heat treatment at 1500 °C due to inhomogeneous distribution of Al and Ti in the original powder. Coatings were prepared by plasma spraying using a TriplexPro-210 (Oerlikon Metco) with Ar-H2 and Ar-He plasma gas mixtures at plasma power levels of 41 and 48 kW. Coatings were studied by XRD, SEM including EDS linescans of metallographically prepared cross sections, and microhardness HV1. With the exception of the powder heat-treated at 1500 °C an Al2TiO5-Ti3O5 (tialite-anosovite) solid solution Al2- x Ti1+ x O5 instead of Al2TiO5 existed in the initial powder and the coatings.

Comparison of high-solids to liquid anaerobic co-digestion of food waste and green waste.

PubMed

Chen, Xiang; Yan, Wei; Sheng, Kuichuan; Sanati, Mehri

2014-02-01

Co-digestion of food waste and green waste was conducted with six feedstock mixing ratios to evaluate biogas production. Increasing the food waste percentage in the feedstock resulted in an increased methane yield, while shorter retention time was achieved by increasing the green waste percentage. Food waste/green waste ratio of 40:60 was determined as preferred ratio for optimal biogas production. About 90% of methane yield was obtained after 24.5 days of digestion, with total methane yield of 272.1 mL/g VS. Based the preferred ratio, effect of total solids (TS) content on co-digestion of food waste and green waste was evaluated over a TS range of 5-25%. Results showed that methane yields from high-solids anaerobic digestion (15-20% TS) were higher than the output of liquid anaerobic digestion (5-10% TS), while methanogenesis was inhibited by further increasing the TS content to 25%. The inhibition may be caused by organic overloading and excess ammonia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Catalytic hydroprocessing of heavy oil feedstocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okunev, A. G.; Parkhomchuk, E. V.; Lysikov, A. I.; Parunin, P. D.; Semeikina, V. S.; Parmon, V. N.

2015-09-01

A grave problem of modern oil refining industry is continuous deterioration of the produced oil quality, on the one hand, and increase in the demand for motor fuels, on the other hand. This necessitates processing of heavy oil feedstock with high contents of sulfur, nitrogen and metals and the atmospheric residue. This feedstock is converted to light oil products via hydrogenation processes catalyzed by transition metal compounds, first of all, cobalt- or nickel-promoted molybdenum and tungsten compounds. The processing involves desulfurization, denitrogenation and demetallization reactions as well as reactions converting heavy hydrocarbons to lighter fuel components. The review discusses the mechanisms of reactions involved in the heavy feedstock hydroprocessing, the presumed structure and state of the catalytically active components and methods for the formation of supports with the desired texture. Practically used and prospective approaches to catalytic upgrading of heavy oil feedstock as well as examples of industrial processing of bitumen and vacuum residues in the presence of catalysts are briefly discussed. The bibliography includes 140 references.

Study of the time-resolved, 3-dimensional current density distribution in solid metallic liners at 1 MA

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

Bott-Suzuki, S. C.; Cordaro, S. W.; Caballero Bendixsen, L. S.

We present a study of the time varying current density distribution in solid metallic liner experiments at the 1MA level. Measurements are taken using an array of magnetic field probes which provide 2D triangulation of the average centroid of the drive current in the load at 3 discrete axial positions. These data are correlated with gated optical self-emission imaging which directly images the breakdown and plasma formation region. Results show that the current density is azimuthally non-uniform, and changes significantly throughout the 100ns experimental timescale. Magnetic field probes show clearly motion of the current density around the liner azimuth overmore » 10ns timescales. If breakdown is initiated at one azimuthal location, the current density remains non-uniform even over large spatial extents throughout the current drive. The evolution timescales are suggestive of a resistive diffusion process or uneven current distributions among simultaneously formed but discrete plasma conduction paths.« less

Study of the time-resolved, 3-dimensional current density distribution in solid metallic liners at 1 MA

DOE PAGES

Bott-Suzuki, S. C.; Cordaro, S. W.; Caballero Bendixsen, L. S.; ...

2016-09-01

We present a study of the time varying current density distribution in solid metallic liner experiments at the 1MA level. Measurements are taken using an array of magnetic field probes which provide 2D triangulation of the average centroid of the drive current in the load at 3 discrete axial positions. These data are correlated with gated optical self-emission imaging which directly images the breakdown and plasma formation region. Results show that the current density is azimuthally non-uniform, and changes significantly throughout the 100ns experimental timescale. Magnetic field probes show clearly motion of the current density around the liner azimuth overmore » 10ns timescales. If breakdown is initiated at one azimuthal location, the current density remains non-uniform even over large spatial extents throughout the current drive. The evolution timescales are suggestive of a resistive diffusion process or uneven current distributions among simultaneously formed but discrete plasma conduction paths.« less

Production of bacterial cellulose from alternate feedstocks

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

D. N. Thompson; M. A. Hamilton

2000-05-07

Production of bacterial cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum ATCC 10821 and 23770 in static cultures was tested from unamended food process effluents. Effluents included low- and high-solids potato effluents (LS and HS), cheese whey permeate (CW), and sugar beet raffinate (CSB). Strain 23770 produced 10% less cellulose from glucose than did 10821, and diverted more glucose to gluconate. Unamended HS, CW, and CSB were unsuitable for cellulose production by either strain, while LS was unsuitable for production by 10821. However, 23770 produced 17% more cellulose from LS than from glucose, indicating unamended LS could serve as a feedstock for bacterial cellulose.

Production of Bacterial Cellulose from Alternate Feedstocks

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

Thompson, David Neil; Hamilton, Melinda Ann

2000-05-01

Production of bacterial cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum ATCC 10821 and 23770 in static cultures was tested from unamended food process effluents. Effluents included low- and high-solids potato effluents (LS & HS), cheese whey permeate (CW), and sugar beet raffinate (CSB). Strain 23770 produced 10% less cellulose from glucose than did 10821, and diverted more glucose to gluconate. Unamended HS, CW, and CSB were unsuitable for cellulose production by either strain, while LS was unsuitable for production by 10821. However, 23770 produced 17% more cellulose from LS than from glucose, indicating unamended LS could serve as a feedstock for bacterial cellulose.

CO Self-Shielding as a Mechanism to Make O-16 Enriched Solids in the Solar Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nuth, Joseph A. III; Johnson, Natasha M.; Hill, Hugh G. M.

2014-01-01

Photochemical self-shielding of CO has been proposed as a mechanism to produce solids observed in the modern, O-16 depleted solar system. This is distinct from the relatively O-16 enriched composition of the solar nebula, as demonstrated by the oxygen isotopic composition of the contemporary sun. While supporting the idea that self-shielding can produce local enhancements in O-16 depleted solids, we argue that complementary enhancements of O-16 enriched solids can also be produced via CO-16 based, Fischer-Tropsch type (FTT) catalytic processes that could produce much of the carbonaceous feedstock incorporated into accreting planetesimals. Local enhancements could explain observed O-16 enrichment in calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), such as those from the meteorite, Isheyevo (CH/CHb), as well as in chondrules from the meteorite, Acfer 214 (CH3). CO selfshielding results in an overall increase in the O-17 and O-18 content of nebular solids only to the extent that there is a net loss of CO-16 from the solar nebula. In contrast, if CO-16 reacts in the nebula to produce organics and water then the net effect of the self-shielding process will be negligible for the average oxygen isotopic content of nebular solids and other mechanisms must be sought to produce the observed dichotomy between oxygen in the Sun and that in meteorites and the terrestrial planets. This illustrates that the formation and metamorphism of rocks and organics need to be considered in tandem rather than as isolated reaction networks.

Engineered plant biomass feedstock particles

DOEpatents

Dooley, James H [Federal Way, WA; Lanning, David N [Federal Way, WA; Broderick, Thomas F [Lake Forest Park, WA

2012-04-17

A new class of plant biomass feedstock particles characterized by consistent piece size and shape uniformity, high skeletal surface area, and good flow properties. The particles of plant biomass material having fibers aligned in a grain are characterized by a length dimension (L) aligned substantially parallel to the grain and defining a substantially uniform distance along the grain, a width dimension (W) normal to L and aligned cross grain, and a height dimension (H) normal to W and L. In particular, the L.times.H dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel side surfaces characterized by substantially intact longitudinally arrayed fibers, the W.times.H dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel end surfaces characterized by crosscut fibers and end checking between fibers, and the L.times.W dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces. The L.times.W surfaces of particles with L/H dimension ratios of 4:1 or less are further elaborated by surface checking between longitudinally arrayed fibers. The length dimension L is preferably aligned within 30.degree. parallel to the grain, and more preferably within 10.degree. parallel to the grain. The plant biomass material is preferably selected from among wood, agricultural crop residues, plantation grasses, hemp, bagasse, and bamboo.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) formation from the pyrolysis of different municipal solid waste fractions

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

Zhou, Hui; Energy Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT; Wu, Chunfei, E-mail: c.wu@leeds.ac.uk

2015-02-15

Highlights: • PAH from pyrolysis of 9 MSW fractions was investigated. • Pyrolysis of plastics released more PAH than that of biomass. • Naphthalene was the most abundant PAH in the tar. • The mechanism of PAH release from biomass and plastics was proposed. - Abstract: The formation of 2–4 ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from the pyrolysis of nine different municipal solid waste fractions (xylan, cellulose, lignin, pectin, starch, polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) were investigated in a fixed bed furnace at 800 °C. The mass distribution of pyrolysis was also reported. Themore » results showed that PS generated the most total PAH, followed by PVC, PET, and lignin. More PAH were detected from the pyrolysis of plastics than the pyrolysis of biomass. In the biomass group, lignin generated more PAH than others. Naphthalene was the most abundant PAH, and the amount of 1-methynaphthalene and 2-methynaphthalene was also notable. Phenanthrene and fluorene were the most abundant 3-ring PAH, while benzo[a]anthracene and chrysene were notable in the tar of PS, PVC, and PET. 2-ring PAH dominated all tar samples, and varied from 40 wt.% to 70 wt.%. For PS, PET and lignin, PAH may be generated directly from the aromatic structure of the feedstock.« less

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Mmm of... - Standards for New and Existing PAI Sources

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... feedstock that is a solid and a HAP Particulate matter concentration not to exceed 0.01 gr/dscf. Heat exchange systems Each heat exchange system used to cool process equipment in PAI manufacturing operations...

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Mmm of... - Standards for New and Existing PAI Sources

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... feedstock that is a solid and a HAP Particulate matter concentration not to exceed 0.01 gr/dscf. Heat exchange systems Each heat exchange system used to cool process equipment in PAI manufacturing operations...

X-ray tomography studies on porosity and particle size distribution in cast in-situ Al-Cu-TiB{sub 2} semi-solid forged composites

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

Mathew, James; Mandal, Animesh

X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was used to characterise the internal microstructure and clustering behaviour of TiB{sub 2} particles in in-situ processed Al-Cu metal matrix composites prepared by casting method. Forging was used in semi-solid state to reduce the porosity and to uniformly disperse TiB{sub 2} particles in the composite. Quantification of porosity and clustering of TiB{sub 2} particles was evaluated for different forging reductions (30% and 50% reductions) and compared with an as-cast sample using XCT. Results show that the porosity content was decreased by about 40% due to semi-solid forging as compared to the as-cast condition. Further, XCT resultsmore » show that the 30% forging reduction resulted in greater uniformity in distribution of TiB{sub 2} particles within the composite compared to as-cast and the 50% forge reduction in semi-solid state. These results show that the application of forging in semi-solid state enhances particle distribution and reduces porosity formation in cast in-situ Al-Cu-TiB{sub 2} metal matrix composites. - Highlights: •XCT was used to visualise 3D internal structure of Al-Cu-TiB{sub 2} MMCs. •Al-Cu-TiB{sub 2} MMC was prepared by casting using flux assisted synthesis method. •TiB{sub 2} particles and porosity size distribution were evaluated. •Results show that forging in semi-solid condition decreases the porosity content and improve the particle dispersion in MMCs.« less

Controlling Growth High Uniformity Indium Selenide (In2Se3) Nanowires via the Rapid Thermal Annealing Process at Low Temperature.

PubMed

Hsu, Ya-Chu; Hung, Yu-Chen; Wang, Chiu-Yen

2017-09-15

High uniformity Au-catalyzed indium selenide (In 2 Se 3) nanowires are grown with the rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment via the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. The diameters of Au-catalyzed In 2 Se 3 nanowires could be controlled with varied thicknesses of Au films, and the uniformity of nanowires is improved via a fast pre-annealing rate, 100 °C/s. Comparing with the slower heating rate, 0.1 °C/s, the average diameters and distributions (standard deviation, SD) of In 2 Se 3 nanowires with and without the RTA process are 97.14 ± 22.95 nm (23.63%) and 119.06 ± 48.75 nm (40.95%), respectively. The in situ annealing TEM is used to study the effect of heating rate on the formation of Au nanoparticles from the as-deposited Au film. The results demonstrate that the average diameters and distributions of Au nanoparticles with and without the RTA process are 19.84 ± 5.96 nm (30.00%) and about 22.06 ± 9.00 nm (40.80%), respectively. It proves that the diameter size, distribution, and uniformity of Au-catalyzed In 2 Se 3 nanowires are reduced and improved via the RTA pre-treated. The systemic study could help to control the size distribution of other nanomaterials through tuning the annealing rate, temperatures of precursor, and growth substrate to control the size distribution of other nanomaterials. Graphical Abstract Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process proved that it can uniform the size distribution of Au nanoparticles, and then it can be used to grow the high uniformity Au-catalyzed In 2 Se 3 nanowires via the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. Comparing with the general growth condition, the heating rate is slow, 0.1 °C/s, and the growth temperature is a relatively high growth temperature, > 650 °C. RTA pre-treated growth substrate can form smaller and uniform Au nanoparticles to react with the In 2 Se 3 vapor and produce the high uniformity In 2 Se 3 nanowires. The in situ annealing TEM is used to realize the effect of heating rate on Au nanoparticle formation from the as-deposited Au film. The byproduct of self-catalyzed In 2 Se 3 nanoplates can be inhibited by lowering the precursors and growth temperatures.

Fabrication of copper-based anodes via atmosphoric plasma spraying techniques

DOEpatents

Lu, Chun [Monroeville, PA

2012-04-24

A fuel electrode anode (18) for a solid oxide fuel cell is made by presenting a solid oxide fuel cell having an electrolyte surface (15), mixing copper powder with solid oxide electrolyte in a mixing step (24, 44) to provide a spray feedstock (30,50) which is fed into a plasma jet (32, 52) of a plasma torch to melt the spray feed stock and propel it onto an electrolyte surface (34, 54) where the spray feed stock flattens into lamellae layer upon solidification, where the layer (38, 59) is an anode coating with greater than 35 vol. % based on solids volume.

Biogas crops grown in energy crop rotations: Linking chemical composition and methane production characteristics.

PubMed

Herrmann, Christiane; Idler, Christine; Heiermann, Monika

2016-04-01

Methane production characteristics and chemical composition of 405 silages from 43 different crop species were examined using uniform laboratory methods, with the aim to characterise a wide range of crop feedstocks from energy crop rotations and to identify main parameters that influence biomass quality for biogas production. Methane formation was analysed from chopped and over 90 days ensiled crop biomass in batch anaerobic digestion tests without further pre-treatment. Lignin content of crop biomass was found to be the most significant explanatory variable for specific methane yields while the methane content and methane production rates were mainly affected by the content of nitrogen-free extracts and neutral detergent fibre, respectively. The accumulation of butyric acid and alcohols during the ensiling process had significant impact on specific methane yields and methane contents of crop silages. It is proposed that products of silage fermentation should be considered when evaluating crop silages for biogas production. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Biofuel from jute stick by pyrolysis technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferdous, J.; Parveen, M.; Islam, M. R.; Haniu, H.; Takai, K.

2017-06-01

In this study the conversion of jute stick into biofuels and chemicals by externally heated fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor have been taken into consideration. The solid jute stick was characterized through proximate and ultimate analysis, gross calorific values and thermo-gravimetric analysis to investigate their suitability as feedstock for this consideration. The solid biomass particles were fed into the reactor by gravity feed type reactor feeder. The products were oil, char and gases. The liquid and char products were collected separately while the gas was flared into the atmosphere. The process conditions were varied by fixed-bed temperature; feed stock particle size, N2 gas flow rate and running time. All parameters were found to influence the product yields significantly. The maximum liquid yields were 50 wt% of solid jute stick at reactor temperature 425°C for N2 gas flow rate 6 l/min, feed particle size 1180-1700 µm and running time 30 min. Liquid products obtained at these conditions were characterized by physical properties, chemical analysis and GC-MS techniques. The results show that it is possible to obtained liquid products that are comparable to petroleum fuels and valuable chemical feedstock from the selected biomass if the pyrolysis conditions are chosen accordingly.

Spectroscopic investigation into the design of solid-acid catalysts for the low temperature dehydration of ethanol.

PubMed

Potter, Matthew E; Aswegen, Sivan V; Gibson, Emma K; Silverwood, Ian P; Raja, Robert

2016-07-14

The increased demand for bulk hydrocarbons necessitates research into increasingly sustainable, energy-efficient catalytic processes. Owing to intricately designed structure-property correlations, SAPO-34 has become established as a promising material for the low temperature ethanol dehydration to produce ethylene. However, further optimization of this process requires a precise knowledge of the reaction mechanism at a molecular level. In order to achieve this a range of spectroscopic characterization techniques are required to probe both the interaction with the active site, and also the wider role of the framework. To this end we employ a combination of in situ infra-red and neutron scattering techniques to elucidate the influence of the surface ethoxy species in the activation of both diethyl ether and ethanol, towards the improved formation of ethylene at low temperatures. The combined conclusions of these studies is that the formation of ethylene is the rate determining step, which is of fundamental importance towards the development of this process and the introduction of bio-ethanol as a viable feedstock for ethylene production.

Heterogeneous catalysis and the challenges of powering the planet, securing chemicals for civilised life, and clean efficient utilization of renewable feedstocks.

PubMed

Thomas, John Meurig

2014-07-01

This article reviews, first, the prospects, practices and principles of generating solar fuels. It does so with an analysis of recent progress in the light-driven emission of H2 (and other fuels) as well as O2 from water. To place this challenge in perspective, some current practices entailing the use of well-proven solid catalysts developed for fossil-based feedstocks, are described. The massive differences between proven methods of generating fuel and chemicals from non-renewable and from solar radiation are emphasized with the aid of numerous quantitative examples. Whilst it is acknowledged that a key action in reducing the liberation of greenhouse gases (GHG) is to tackle the challenge of decreasing their evolution in power generation and in the production of steel, aluminium and other bulk commodities (metals, alloys, concrete and ceramics), nevertheless much can be done to diminish the emission of CO2 (and to use it as feedstock) through the agency of new, designed solid catalysts and microalgae. Solar-thermal converters are also attractive alternatives, even though they are more likely to be used centrally rather than in small modular units like 'artificial leaves,' some of which are promising for the purposes of generating energy (and perhaps fuel) in a delocalized, modular manner. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An Investigation into Conversion from Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline Boundary Representation Geometry to Constructive Solid Geometry

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

ARL-SR-0347 ● DEC 2015 US Army Research Laboratory An Investigation into Conversion from Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline Boundary...US Army Research Laboratory An Investigation into Conversion from Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline Boundary Representation Geometry to...from Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline Boundary Representation Geometry to Constructive Solid Geometry 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c

Batch-to-batch uniformity of bacterial community succession and flavor formation in the fermentation of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar.

PubMed

Wang, Zong-Min; Lu, Zhen-Ming; Yu, Yong-Jian; Li, Guo-Quan; Shi, Jin-Song; Xu, Zheng-Hong

2015-09-01

Solid-state fermentation of traditional Chinese vinegar is a mixed-culture refreshment process that proceeds for many centuries without spoilage. Here, we investigated bacterial community succession and flavor formation in three batches of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar using pyrosequencing and metabolomics approaches. Temporal patterns of bacterial succession in the Pei (solid-state vinegar culture) showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) among three batches of fermentation. In all the batches investigated, the average number of community operational taxonomic units (OTUs) decreased dramatically from 119 ± 11 on day 1 to 48 ± 16 on day 3, and then maintained in the range of 61 ± 9 from day 5 to the end of fermentation. We confirmed that, within a batch of fermentation process, the patterns of bacterial diversity between the starter (took from the last batch of vinegar culture on day 7) and the Pei on day 7 were similar (90%). The relative abundance dynamics of two dominant members, Lactobacillus and Acetobacter, showed high correlation (coefficient as 0.90 and 0.98 respectively) among different batches. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed dynamics of 16 main flavor metabolites were stable among different batches. The findings validate the batch-to-batch uniformity of bacterial community succession and flavor formation accounts for the quality of Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar. Based on our understanding, this is the first study helps to explain the rationality of age-old artistry from a scientific perspective. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-step microwave-assisted hot water extraction of hemicelluloses from selected lignocellulosic materials - A biorefinery approach.

PubMed

Mihiretu, Gezahegn T; Brodin, Malin; Chimphango, Annie F; Øyaas, Karin; Hoff, Bård H; Görgens, Johann F

2017-10-01

The viability of single-step microwave-induced pressurized hot water conditions for co-production of xylan-based biopolymers and bioethanol from aspenwood sawdust and sugarcane trash was investigated. Extraction of hemicelluloses was conducted using microwave-assisted pressurized hot water system. The effects of temperature and time on extraction yield and enzymatic digestibility of resulting solids were determined. Temperatures between 170-200°C for aspenwood and 165-195°C for sugarcane trash; retention times between 8-22min for both feedstocks, were selected for optimization purpose. Maximum xylan extraction yields of 66 and 50%, and highest cellulose digestibilities of 78 and 74%, were attained for aspenwood and sugarcane trash respectively. Monomeric xylose yields for both feedstocks were below 7%, showing that the xylan extracts were predominantly in non-monomeric form. Thus, single-step microwave-assisted hot water method is viable biorefinery approach to extract xylan from lignocelluloses while rendering the solid residues sufficiently digestible for ethanol production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biogas production from undiluted chicken manure and maize silage: A study of ammonia inhibition in high solids anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Sun, Chen; Cao, Weixing; Banks, Charles J; Heaven, Sonia; Liu, Ronghou

2016-10-01

The feasibility of co-digestion of chicken manure (CM) and maize silage (MS) without water dilution was investigated in 5-L digesters. Specific methane production (SMP) of 0.309LCH4g(-1) volatile solids (VS) was achieved but only at lower %CM. Above a critical threshold for total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), estimated at 7gNL(-1), VFA accumulated with a characteristic increase in acetic acid followed by its reduction and an increase in propionic acid. During this transition the predominant methanogenic pathway was hydrogenotrophic. Methanogenesis was completely inhibited at TAN of 9gNL(-1). The low digestibility of the mixed feedstock led to a rise in digestate TS and a reduction in SMP over the 297-day experimental period. Methanogenesis appeared to be failing in one digester but was recovered by reducing the %CM. Co-digestion was feasible with CM ⩽20% of feedstock VS, and the main limiting factor was ammonia inhibition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recovery of failed solid-state anaerobic digesters.

PubMed

Yang, Liangcheng; Ge, Xumeng; Li, Yebo

2016-08-01

This study examined the performance of three methods for recovering failed solid-state anaerobic digesters. The 9-L digesters, which were fed with corn stover, failed at a feedstock/inoculum (F/I) ratio of 10 with negligible methane yields. To recover the systems, inoculum was added to bring the F/I ratio to 4. Inoculum was either added to the top of a failed digester, injected into it, or well-mixed with the existing feedstock. Digesters using top-addition and injection methods quickly resumed and achieved peak yields in 10days, while digesters using well-mixed method recovered slowly but showed 50% higher peak yields. Overall, these methods recovered 30-40% methane from failed digesters. The well-mixed method showed the highest methane yield, followed by the injection and top-addition methods. Recovered digesters outperformed digesters had a constant F/I ratio of 4. Slow mass transfer and slow growth of microbes were believed to be the major limiting factors for recovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of gasification and novel thermal processes for the treatment of municipal solid waste

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

Niessen, W.R.; Marks, C.H.; Sommerlad, R.E.

1996-08-01

This report identifies seven developers whose gasification technologies can be used to treat the organic constituents of municipal solid waste: Energy Products of Idaho; TPS Termiska Processor AB; Proler International Corporation; Thermoselect Inc.; Battelle; Pedco Incorporated; and ThermoChem, Incorporated. Their processes recover heat directly, produce a fuel product, or produce a feedstock for chemical processes. The technologies are on the brink of commercial availability. This report evaluates, for each technology, several kinds of issues. Technical considerations were material balance, energy balance, plant thermal efficiency, and effect of feedstock contaminants. Environmental considerations were the regulatory context, and such things as composition,more » mass rate, and treatability of pollutants. Business issues were related to likelihood of commercialization. Finally, cost and economic issues such as capital and operating costs, and the refuse-derived fuel preparation and energy c onversion costs, were considered. The final section of the report reviews and summarizes the information gathered during the study.« less

Global and local investigations of the electrochemical behavior the T6 heat treated Mg-Zn-RE magnesium alloy thixo-cast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szklarz, Zbigniew; Bisztyga, Magdalena; Krawiec, Halina; Lityńska-Dobrzyńska, Lidia; Rogal, Łukasz

2017-05-01

The influence of semi-solid metal processing (SSM called also as thixoforming) of ZE41A magnesium alloy on the electrochemical behavior in 0.1 M NaCl solution was investigated. To describe the corrosion behavior of ZE41A alloy, the electrochemical measurements were conducted in global and local scale for two types of specimens: (1) ingot-feedstock, (2) specimen after thixoforming and T6 treatment. The heat treatment and thixoforming significantly improved mechanical properties of ZE41A alloy. The global corrosion potential is slightly higher for treated sample what is related to the presence of Zr-Zn nanoparticles distributed in solid solution. The corrosion behavior differences between feedstock and thixo-cast after T6 samples are also visible in local scale, what has been revealed by using microcapillary technique. However there is no improvement in corrosion behavior after treatment. Corrosion morphology of the treated sample indicate higher susceptibility to pitting and filiform corrosion. Corrosion rate is also slightly higher.

Production of ethanol 3G from Kappaphycus alvarezii: evaluation of different process strategies.

PubMed

Hargreaves, Paulo Iiboshi; Barcelos, Carolina Araújo; da Costa, Antonio Carlos Augusto; Pereira, Nei

2013-04-01

This study evaluated the potential of Kappaphycus alvarezii as feedstock for ethanol production, i.e. ethanol 3G. First, aquatic biomass was subjected to a diluted acid pretreatment. This acid pretreatment generated two streams--a galactose-containing liquid fraction and a cellulose-containing solid fraction, which were investigated to determine their fermentability with the following strategies: a single-stream process (simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) of both fractions altogether), which achieved 64.3 g L(-1) of ethanol, and a two-stream process (fractions were fermented separately), which resulted in 38 g L(-1) of ethanol from the liquid fraction and 53.0 g L(-1) from the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of the solid fraction. Based on the average fermentable carbohydrate concentration, it was possible to obtain 105 L of ethanol per ton of dry seaweed. These preliminaries results indicate that the use of the macro-algae K. alvarezii has a good potential feedstock for bioethanol production. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Grain Refinement and Improvement of Solidification Defects in Direct-Chill Cast Billets of A4032 Alloy by Melt Conditioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hu-Tian; Zhao, Pizhi; Yang, Rongdong; Patel, Jayesh B.; Chen, Xiangfu; Fan, Zhongyun

2017-10-01

Melt-conditioned, direct-chill (MC-DC) casting is an emerging technology to manipulate the solidification process by melt conditioning via intensive shearing in the sump during DC casting to tailor the solidification microstructure and defect formation. When using MC-DC casting technology in an industrial scale DC cast billet of an A4032 aluminum alloy, significant grain refinement and uniform microstructure can be achieved in the primary α-Al phase with fine secondary dendritic arm spacing (SDAS). Improved macrosegregation is quantitatively characterized and correlated with the suppression of channel segregation. The mechanisms for the prevention of channel segregation are attributed to the increased local cooling rate in the liquid-solid phase region in the sump and the formation of fine equiaxed dendritic grains under intensive melt shearing during MC-DC casting. A critical cooling rate has been identified to be around 0.5 to 1 K/s (°C/s) for the channel segregation to happen in the investigated alloy based on quantitative metallographic results of SDAS. Reduction and refinement of microporosity is attributed to the improved permeability in the liquid-solid phase region estimated by the Kozeny-Carman relationship. The potential improvement in the mechanical properties achievable in MC-DC cast billets is indicated by the finer and more uniform forging streamline in the forgings of MC-DC cast billet.

Regeneration of carboxylic acid-laden basic sorbents by leaching with a volatile base in an organic solvent

DOEpatents

King, C. Judson; Husson, Scott M.

1999-01-01

Carboxylic acids are sorbed from aqueous feedstocks onto a solid adsorbent. The acids are freed from the sorbent phase by treating it with an organic solution of alkylamine thus forming an alkylamine/carboxylic acid complex which is decomposed with improved efficiency to the desired carboxylic acid and the alkylamine. Carbon dioxide addition can be used to improve the adsorption or the carboxylic acids by the solid phase sorbent.

Small Scale Gasification Application and Perspectives in Circular Economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klavins, Maris; Bisters, Valdis; Burlakovs, Juris

2018-06-01

Gasification is the process converting solid fuels as coal and organic plant matter, or biomass into combustible gas, called syngas. Gasification is a thermal conversion process using carbonaceous fuel, and it differs substantially from other thermal processes such as incineration or pyrolysis. The process can be used with virtually any carbonaceous fuel. It is an endothermic thermal conversion process, with partial oxidation being the dominant feature. Gasification converts various feedstock including waste to a syngas. Instead of producing only heat and electricity, synthesis gas produced by gasification may be transformed into commercial products with higher value as transport fuels, fertilizers, chemicals and even to substitute natural gas. Thermo-chemical conversion of biomass and solid municipal waste is developing as a tool to promote the idea of energy system without fossil fuels to a reality. In municipal solid waste management, gasification does not compete with recycling, moreover it enhances recycling programs. Pre-processing and after-processing must increase the amount of recyclables in the circular economy. Additionally, end of life plastics can serve as an energy feedstock for gasification as otherwise it cannot be sorted out and recycled. There is great potential for application of gasification technology within the biomass waste and solid waste management sector. Industrial self-consumption in the mode of combined heat and power can contribute to sustainable economic development within a circular economy.

Carboxylic acid sorption regeneration process

DOEpatents

King, C. Judson; Poole, Loree J.

1995-01-01

Carboxylic acids are sorbed from aqueous feedstocks into an organic liquid phase or onto a solid adsorbent. The acids are freed from the sorbent phase by treating it with aqueous alkylamine thus forming an alkylammonium carboxylate which is dewatered and decomposed to the desired carboxylic acid and the alkylamine.

Bio-Product Recovery from Lignocellulosic Materials Derived from Poultry Manure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Champagne, Pascale; Li, Caijian

2008-01-01

This study examines the hydrolysis of lignocellulose extracted from poultry manure for the purpose of investigating low-cost feedstocks for ethanol production while providing an alternative solid waste management strategy for agricultural livestock manures. Poultry manure underwent various pretreatments to enhance subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis…

Adipic acid production catalyzed by a combination of a solid acid and an iodide salt from biomass-derived tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylic acid

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

Gilkey, Matthew J.; Balakumar, Rachana; Vlachos, Dionisios G.

We recently reported biomass-derived tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (THFDCA) as a potential renewable feedstock for adipic acid (AA) production by combining HI and molecular H 2 in organic acid solvents.

Adipic acid production catalyzed by a combination of a solid acid and an iodide salt from biomass-derived tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylic acid

DOE PAGES

Gilkey, Matthew J.; Balakumar, Rachana; Vlachos, Dionisios G.; ...

2018-01-01

We recently reported biomass-derived tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (THFDCA) as a potential renewable feedstock for adipic acid (AA) production by combining HI and molecular H 2 in organic acid solvents.

Lithium storage in structurally tunable carbon anode derived from sustainable source

DOE PAGES

Lim, Daw Gen; Kim, Kyungho; Razdan, Mayuri; ...

2017-09-01

Here, a meticulous solid state chemistry approach has been developed for the synthesis of carbon anode from a sustainable source. The reaction mechanism of carbon formation during pyrolysis of sustainable feed-stock was studied in situ by employing Raman microspectroscopy. No Raman spectral changes observed below 160°C (thermally stable precursor) followed by color change, however above 280°C characteristic D and G bands of graphitic carbon are recorded. Derived carbon particles exhibited high specific surface area with low structural ordering (active carbons) to low specific surface area with high graphitic ordering as a function of increasing reaction temperature. Carbons synthesized at 600°Cmore » demonstrated enhanced reversible lithiation capacity (390 mAh g -1), high charge-discharge rate capability, and stable cycle life. On the contrary, carbons synthesized at higher temperatures (>1200°C) produced more graphite-like structure yielding longer specific capacity retention with lower reversible capacity.« less

Laser-zone growth in a Ribbon-To-Ribbon (RTR) process. Silicon sheet growth development for the large area sheet task of the low-cost solar array project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baghdadi, A.; Gurtler, R. W.; Legge, R.; Sopori, B.; Ellis, R. J.

1978-01-01

A new calculation of the effects of thermal stresses during growth on silicon ribbon quality is reported. Thermal stress distributions are computed for ribbon growth under a variety of temperature profiles. A growth rate of 55 cu cm/min with a single ribbon was achieved. The growth of RTR ribbon with a fairly uniform parallel dendritic structure was demonstrated. Results with two approaches were obtained for reducing the Mo impurity level in polycrystalline feedstock. Coating the Mo substrate with Si3N4 does not effect thermal shear separation of the polyribbon; this process shows promise of improving cell efficiency and also increasing the useful life of the molybdenum substrate. A number of solar cells were fabricated on RTR silicon grown from CVD feedstock.

Control of both particle and pore size in nanoporous palladium alloy powders

DOE PAGES

Jones, Christopher G.; Cappillino, Patrick J.; Stavila, Vitalie; ...

2014-07-15

Energy storage materials often involve chemical reactions with bulk solids. Porosity within the solids can enhance reaction rates. The porosity can be either within or between individual particles of the material. Greater control of the size and uniformity of both types of pore should lead to enhancements of charging and discharging rates in energy storage systems. Furthermore, to control both particle and pore size in nanoporous palladium (Pd)-based hydrogen storage materials, first we created uniformly sized copper particles of about 1 μm diameter by the reduction of copper sulfate with ascorbic acid. In turn, these were used as reducing agentsmore » for tetrachloropalladate in the presence of a block copolymer surfactant. The copper reductant particles are geometrically self-limiting, so the resulting Pd particles are of similar size. The surfactant induces formation of 10 nm-scale pores within the particles. Some residual copper is alloyed with the Pd, reducing hydrogen storage capacity; use of a more reactive Pd salt can mitigate this. The reaction is conveniently performed in gram-scale batches.« less

Formulation, Pretreatment, and Densification Options to Improve Biomass Specifications for Co-Firing High Percentages with Coal

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

Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; J Richard Hess; Richard D. Boardman

2012-06-01

There is a growing interest internationally to use more biomass for power generation, given the potential for significant environmental benefits and long-term fuel sustainability. However, the use of biomass alone for power generation is subject to serious challenges, such as feedstock supply reliability, quality, and stability, as well as comparative cost, except in situations in which biomass is locally sourced. In most countries, only a limited biomass supply infrastructure exists. Alternatively, co-firing biomass alongwith coal offers several advantages; these include reducing challenges related to biomass quality, buffering the system against insufficient feedstock quantity, and mitigating the costs of adapting existingmore » coal power plants to feed biomass exclusively. There are some technical constraints, such as low heating values, low bulk density, and grindability or size-reduction challenges, as well as higher moisture, volatiles, and ash content, which limit the co-firing ratios in direct and indirect co-firing. To achieve successful co-firing of biomass with coal, biomass feedstock specifications must be established to direct pretreatment options in order to modify biomass materials into a format that is more compatible with coal co-firing. The impacts on particle transport systems, flame stability, pollutant formation, and boiler-tube fouling/corrosion must also be minimized by setting feedstock specifications, which may include developing new feedstock composition by formulation or blending. Some of the issues, like feeding, co-milling, and fouling, can be overcome by pretreatment methods including washing/leaching, steam explosion, hydrothermal carbonization, and torrefaction, and densification methods such as pelletizing and briquetting. Integrating formulation, pretreatment, and densification will help to overcome issues related to physical and chemical composition, storage, and logistics to successfully co-fire higher percentages of biomass ( > 40%) with coal.« less

Gasification of hybrid feedstock using animal manures and hays

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of a proprietary integrated gasification-internal combustion system in producing electricity from mixtures of animal manures such as swine solids, chicken litter, and hays. Five to 10 gallons of mixtures of swine manure, chicken litter, and h...

Carboxylic acid sorption regeneration process

DOEpatents

King, C.J.; Poole, L.J.

1995-05-02

Carboxylic acids are sorbed from aqueous feedstocks into an organic liquid phase or onto a solid adsorbent. The acids are freed from the sorbent phase by treating it with aqueous alkylamine thus forming an alkylammonium carboxylate which is dewatered and decomposed to the desired carboxylic acid and the alkylamine. 10 figs.

Milled industrial beet color kinetics and total soluble solid contents by image analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Industrial beets are an emerging feedstock for biofuel and bioproducts industry in the US. Milling of industrial beets is the primary step in front end processing (FEP) for ethanol production. Milled beets undergo multiple pressings with water addition during raw beet juice extraction, and extracted...

Biochar soil additions impacts herbicide fate: Importance of application timing and feedstock species

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

BACKGROUND: Biochar (BC), solid biomass subjected to pyrolysis, can alter the fate of pesticides in soil. We investigated the effect of soil amendment with several biochars on the sorption, persistence, leaching and bioefficacy of the herbicides clomazone (CMZ) and bispyribac sodium (BYP). RESULTS:...

40 CFR 98.166 - Data reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... transferred off site in either gas, liquid, or solid forms, following the requirements of subpart PP of this... (CONTINUED) MANDATORY GREENHOUSE GAS REPORTING Hydrogen Production § 98.166 Data reporting requirements. In... production and its type (scf or kg of gaseous fuels and feedstocks, gallons or kg of liquid fuels and...

Changes in physicochemical characteristics of biochars by hydrothermal and dry carbonization of swine solids and poultry litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biomass conversion from agricultural residues is an important resource for renewable energy production. Biochar, the carbonaceous materials derived from biomass conversion, has received a great attention due to its useful applications. Combination of feedstock and thermal processing conditions produ...

Camellia oleifera shell as an alternative feedstock for furfural production using a high surface acidity solid acid catalyst.

PubMed

Zhang, Luxin; He, Yunfei; Zhu, Yujie; Liu, Yuting; Wang, Xiaochang

2018-02-01

This paper focuses on the high-value transformation of camellia oleifera shell, which is an agricultural waste enriched in hemicellulose. An efficient catalytic route employing sulfonated swelling mesoporous polydivinylbenzene (PDVB-SO 3 H) as catalyst in monophasic or biphasic solvents was developed for the conversion of raw camellia oleifera shell into furfural. The reaction parameters were evaluated and optimized for improving the furfural yield. It was found that the solvent greatly influenced the hydrolysis of camellia oleifera shells, and the highest furfural yield of 61.3% was obtained in "γ-butyrolactone + water" system when the feedstock-to-catalyst ratio was 2 for 30 min at 443 K. Camellia oleifera shell exhibited a high potential as feedstock to produce furfural in high yields. The outcome of this study provides an attractive utilization option to camellia oleifera shell, which is currently burned or discarded for producing a bio-based chemical. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrolysis of Hemicellulose and Derivatives-A Review of Recent Advances in the Production of Furfural.

PubMed

Delbecq, Frederic; Wang, Yantao; Muralidhara, Anitha; El Ouardi, Karim; Marlair, Guy; Len, Christophe

2018-01-01

Biobased production of furfural has been known for decades. Nevertheless, bioeconomy and circular economy concepts is much more recent and has motivated a regain of interest of dedicated research to improve production modes and expand potential uses. Accordingly, this review paper aims essentially at outlining recent breakthroughs obtained in the field of furfural production from sugars and polysaccharides feedstocks. The review discusses advances obtained in major production pathways recently explored splitting in the following categories: (i) non-catalytic routes like use of critical solvents or hot water pretreatment, (ii) use of various homogeneous catalysts like mineral or organic acids, metal salts or ionic liquids, (iii) feedstock dehydration making use of various solid acid catalysts; (iv) feedstock dehydration making use of supported catalysts, (v) other heterogeneous catalytic routes. The paper also briefly overviews current understanding of furfural chemical synthesis and its underpinning mechanism as well as safety issues pertaining to the substance. Eventually, some remaining research topics are put in perspective for further optimization of biobased furfural production.

Hydrolysis of hemicellulose and derivatives – A review of recent advances in the production of furfural

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delbecq, Frederic; Wang, Yantao; Muralidhara, Anitha; El Ouardi, Karim; Marlair, Guy; Len, Christophe

2018-05-01

Biobased production of furfural has been known for decades. Nevertheless, bioeconomy and circular economy concepts is much more recent and has motivated a regain of interest of dedicated research to improve production modes and expand potential uses. Accordingly, this review paper aims essentially at outlining recent breakthroughs obtained in the field of furfural production from sugars and polysaccharides feedstocks. The review discusses advances obtained in major production pathways recently explored splitting in the following categories: i) non-catalytic routes like use of critical solvents or hot water pretreatment, ii) use of various homogeneous catalysts like mineral or organic acids, metal salts or ionic liquids, iii) feedstock dehydration making use of various solid acid catalysts; iv) feedstock dehydration making use of supported catalysts, v) other heterogeneous catalytic routes. The paper also briefly overviews current understanding of furfural chemical synthesis and its underpinning mechanism as well as safety issues pertaining to the substance. Eventually, some remaining research topics are put in perspective for further optimization of biobased furfural production.

Constructing xylose-assimilating pathways in Pediococcus acidilactici for high titer d-lactic acid fermentation from corn stover feedstock.

PubMed

Qiu, Zhongyang; Gao, Qiuqiang; Bao, Jie

2017-12-01

Xylose-assimilating pathway was constructed in a d-lactic acid producing Pediococcus acidilactici strain and evolutionary adapted to yield a co-fermentation strain P. acidilactici ZY15 with 97.3g/L of d-lactic acid and xylose conversion of 92.6% obtained in the high solids content simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) of dry dilute acid pretreated and biodetoxified corn stover feedstock. The heterologous genes encoding xylose isomerase (xylA) and xylulokinase (xylB) were screened and integrated into the P. acidilactici chromosome. The metabolic flux to acetic acid in phosphoketolase pathway was re-directed to pentose phosphate pathway by substituting the endogenous phosphoketolase gene (pkt) with the heterologous transketolase (tkt) and transaldolase (tal) genes. The xylose-assimilating ability of the newly constructed P. acidilactici strain was significantly improved by adaptive evolution. This study provided an important strain and process prototype for high titer d-lactic acid production from lignocellulose feedstock with efficient xylose assimilation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Prototype Low-Voltage Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, J. K.; Taminger, K. M.; Hafley, R. A.; Petersen, D. D.

2002-01-01

NASA's Langley Research Center and Johnson Space Center are developing a solid freeform fabrication system utilizing an electron beam energy source and wire feedstock. This system will serve as a testbed for exploring the influence of gravitational acceleration on the deposition process and will be a simplified prototype for future systems that may be deployed during long-duration space missions for assembly, fabrication, and production of structural and mechanical replacement components. Critical attributes for this system are compactness, minimal mass, efficiency in use of feedstock material, energy use efficiency, and safety. The use of a low-voltage (less than 15kV) electron beam energy source will reduce radiation so that massive shielding is not required to protect adjacent personnel. Feedstock efficiency will be optimized by use of wire, and energy use efficiency will be achieved by use of the electron beam energy source. This system will be evaluated in a microgravity environment using the NASA KC-135A aircraft.

Reactor performance and energy analysis of solid state anaerobic co-digestion of dairy manure with corn stover and tomato residues.

PubMed

Li, Yangyang; Xu, Fuqing; Li, Yu; Lu, Jiaxin; Li, Shuyan; Shah, Ajay; Zhang, Xuehua; Zhang, Hongyu; Gong, Xiaoyan; Li, Guoxue

2018-03-01

Anaerobic co-digestion is commonly believed to be benefical for biogas production. However, additional of co-substrates may require additional energy inputs and thus affect the overall energy efficiency of the system. In this study, reactor performance and energy analysis of solid state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) of tomato residues with dairy manure and corn stover were investigated. Different fractions of tomato residues (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%, based on volatile solid weight (VS)) were co-digested with dairy manure and corn stover at 15% total solids. Energy analysis based on experimental data was conducted for three scenarios: SS-AD of 100% dairy manure, SS-AD of binary mixture (60% dairy manure and 40% corn stover, VS based), and SS-AD of ternary mixture (36% dairy manure, 24% corn stover, and 40% tomato residues, VS based). For each scenario, the energy requirements for individual process components, including feedstock collection and transportation, feedstock pretreatment, biogas plant operation, digestate processing and handling, and the energy production were examined. Results showed that the addition of 20 and 40% tomato residues increased methane yield compared to that of the dairy manure and corn stover mixture, indicating that the co-digestion could balance nutrients and improve the performance of solid-state anaerobic digestion. The energy required for heating substrates had the dominant effect on the total energy consumption. The highest volatile solids (VS) reduction (57.0%), methane yield (379.1 L/kg VS feed ), and net energy production were achieved with the mixture of 24% corn stover, 36% dairy manure, and 40% tomato residues. Thus, the extra energy input for adding tomato residues for co-digestion could be compensated by the increase of methane yield. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method of producing gaseous products using a downflow reactor

DOEpatents

Cortright, Randy D; Rozmiarek, Robert T; Hornemann, Charles C

2014-09-16

Reactor systems and methods are provided for the catalytic conversion of liquid feedstocks to synthesis gases and other noncondensable gaseous products. The reactor systems include a heat exchange reactor configured to allow the liquid feedstock and gas product to flow concurrently in a downflow direction. The reactor systems and methods are particularly useful for producing hydrogen and light hydrocarbons from biomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons using aqueous phase reforming. The generated gases may find used as a fuel source for energy generation via PEM fuel cells, solid-oxide fuel cells, internal combustion engines, or gas turbine gensets, or used in other chemical processes to produce additional products. The gaseous products may also be collected for later use or distribution.

Carrot, Corn, Lettuce and Soybean Nutrient Contents are ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Biochar, the carbon-rich material remaining after pyrolysis of cellulosic and manure feedstocks, has the potential as a soil amendment to sequester carbon and to improve soil water-holding and nutrient properties- thereby enhancing plant growth. However, biochar produced from some feedstocks also could adversely affect crop quality by changing soil pH and reducing nutrients (e.g., Ca, K, Mg, N, Na, and P) in plant tissues. To evaluate effects of biochar on the nutrient quality of four crops, we conducted a greenhouse study using pots with: carrot (Daucus carota cv. Tendersweet), corn (Zea mays, cv. Golden Bantam), lettuce (Lactuca sativa, cv. Black-Seeded Simpson) and soybean (Glycine max cv. Viking 2265). Plants were grown in one of two South Carolina sandy Coastal Plain soils (Norfolk and Coxville Soil Series), along with biochar (1% by weight) produced from pine chips (PC), poultry litter (PL), swine solids (SS), switchgrass (SG), and two blends of pine chips plus poultry litter (PC/PL, 50/50% and 80/20%). Each of the feedstocks and feedstock blends was pyrolyzed at 350, 500, and 700 ̊ C to produce the biochar used to amend the Norfolk and Coxville soils. Effects of biochar on leaf nutrients (% dry weight) statistically varied with species, soil, feedstock and temperature and nutrient. For carrot and lettuce, the PL, PL/PC, and SS biochars generally decreased leaf N, Ca, Mg, and P; while PL and PL/PC increased K and Na. Biochars had little effect on lea

One-step electrolytic preparation of Si-Fe alloys as anodes for lithium ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hailong; Sun, Diankun; Song, Qiqi; Xie, Wenqi; Jiang, Xu; Zhang, Bo

2016-06-01

One-step electrolytic formation of uniform crystalline Si-Fe alloy particles was successfully demonstrated in direct electro-reduction of solid mixed oxides of SiO2 and Fe2O3 in molten CaCl2 at 900∘C. Upon constant voltage electrolysis of solid mixed oxides at 2.8V between solid oxide cathode and graphite anode for 5h, electrolytic Si-Fe with the same Si/Fe stoichimetry of the precursory oxides was generated. The firstly generated Fe could function as depolarizers to enhance reduction rate of SiO2, resulting in the enhanced reduction kinetics to the electrolysis of individual SiO2. When evaluated as anode for lithium ion batteries, the prepared SiFe electrode showed a reversible lithium storage capacity as high as 470mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 200mA g-1, promising application in high-performance lithium ion batteries.

The direct liquefaction proof of concept program

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

Comolli, A.G.; Lee, L.K.; Pradhan, V.R.

1995-12-31

The goal of the Proof of Concept (POC) Program is to develop Direct Coal Liquefaction and associated transitional technologies towards commercial readiness for economically producing premium liquid fuels from coal in an environmentally acceptable manner. The program focuses on developing the two-stage liquefaction (TSL) process by utilizing geographically strategic feedstocks, commercially feasible catalysts, new prototype equipment, and testing co-processing or alternate feedstocks and improved process configurations. Other high priority objectives include dispersed catalyst studies, demonstrating low rank coal liquefaction without solids deposition, improving distillate yields on a unit reactor volume basis, demonstrating ebullated bed operations while obtaining scale-up data, demonstratingmore » optimum catalyst consumption using new concepts (e.g. regeneration, cascading), producing premium products through on-line hydrotreating, demonstrating improved hydrogen utilization for low rank coals using novel heteroatom removal methods, defining and demonstrating two-stage product properties for upgrading; demonstrating efficient and economic solid separation methods, examining the merits of integrated coal cleaning, demonstrating co-processing, studying interactions between the preheater and first and second-stage reactors, improving process operability by testing and incorporating advanced equipment and instrumentation, and demonstrating operation with alternate coal feedstocks. During the past two years major PDU Proof of Concept runs were completed. POC-1 with Illinois No. 6 coal and POC-2 with Black Thunder sub-bituminous coal. Results from these operations are continuing under review and the products are being further refined and upgraded. This paper will update the results from these operations and discuss future plans for the POC program.« less

Compositional effects on the chemorheological properties and forming behavior of aqueous alumina-poly(vinyl alcohol) gelcasting suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morissette, Sherry L.

A new gelcasting system based on aqueous, alumina-poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) suspensions cross-linked by an organotitanate coupling agent has been developed. Both the chemorheological properties and forming behavior of this system exhibited a strong compositional dependence. A sol- gel phase diagram was established, which yielded the critical titanium concentration [Ti] c required for gelation at a given PVA volume fraction, as well as the minimum PVA volume fraction ( fminPVA = 0.0245) and titanium PVA concentration ([Ti]min = 9.984 x 10--4 g Ti/ml) below which gelation was not observed irrespective of solution composition. The gelation time of suspensions of constant PVA volume fraction ( fsolnPVA ) decreased with increasing cross-linking agent concentration, PVA temperature, and solids volume fraction. The steady-state viscosity and elastic modulus of polymer solutions ( fsolnPVA = 0.05) of varying [Ti] were well described by the PVA percolation model, giving scaling exponents of 0.84 and 1.79, respectively. The steady-state elastic modulus of gel casting suspensions, which provides a measure of their handling strength in the as-gelled state, increased with increasing solids volume fraction. Gelcasting suspensions were used as feedstock for solid free-form fabrication (SFF) of ceramic components. The influence of processing conditions (e.g., tip diameter, mixing rate, table speed, etc.) and suspension rheology on deposition behavior was investigated. Continuous printablity was achieved for tip diameters ranging from dt = 0.254 -- 1.370 mm for all mixing rates (Rmix 5 -- 300 rpm) and suspension compositions (i.e., fAl2O3 = 0.45, φPVA = 0.275, [Ti] 0 -- 6.30 x 10--3 g Ti/ml) probed, where the minimum tip diameter for continuous printing was 0.203 mm. Printed lines were uniform with good edge definition. Line dimensions were independent of mixing rate for the given process conditions. The as-cast alumina volume fraction ( fAl2O3 ) depended on casting conditions and cross-linking agent concentration, where fAl2O3 decreased with increasing tip diameter and increased with increasing cross-linking agent concentration. Free-fomied Al2O3 components exhibited uniform particle packing and had minimal macro-defects (e.g., slumping or stair casing) and no detectable micro-defects (e.g., bubbles or cracking).

Product formulation for ohmic heating: blanching as a pretreatment method to improve uniformity in heating of solid-liquid food mixtures.

PubMed

Sarang, S; Sastry, S K; Gaines, J; Yang, T C S; Dunne, P

2007-06-01

The electrical conductivity of food components is critical to ohmic heating. Food components of different electrical conductivities heat at different rates. While equal electrical conductivities of all phases are desirable, real food products may behave differently. In the present study involving chicken chow mein consisting of a sauce and different solid components, celery, water chestnuts, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and chicken, it was observed that the sauce was more conductive than all solid components over the measured temperature range. To improve heating uniformity, a blanching method was developed to increase the ionic content of the solid components. By blanching different solid components in a highly conductive sauce at 100 degrees C for different lengths of time, it was possible to adjust their conductivity to that of the sauce. Chicken chow mein samples containing blanched particulates were compared with untreated samples with respect to ohmic heating uniformity at 60 Hz up to 140 degrees C. All components of the treated product containing blanched solids heated more uniformly than untreated product. In sensory tests, 3 different formulations of the blanched product showed good quality attributes and overall acceptability, demonstrating the practical feasibility of the blanching protocol.

Strategic supply system design - a holistic evaluation of operational and production cost for a biorefinery supply chain

DOE PAGES

Lamers, Patrick; Tan, Eric C. D.; Searcy, Erin M.; ...

2015-08-20

Here, pioneer cellulosic biorefineries across the United States rely on a conventional feedstock supply system based on one-year contracts with local growers, who harvest, locally store, and deliver feed-stock in low-density format to the conversion facility. While the conventional system is designed for high biomass yield areas, pilot scale operations have experienced feedstock supply shortages and price volatilities due to reduced harvests and competition from other industries. Regional supply dependency and the inability to actively manage feedstock stability and quality, provide operational risks to the biorefinery, which translate into higher investment risk. The advanced feedstock supply system based on amore » network of depots can mitigate many of these risks and enable wider supply system benefits. This paper compares the two concepts from a system-level perspective beyond mere logistic costs. It shows that while processing operations at the depot increase feedstock supply costs initially, they enable wider system benefits including supply risk reduction (leading to lower interest rates on loans), industry scale-up, conversion yield improvements, and reduced handling equipment and storage costs at the biorefinery. When translating these benefits into cost reductions per liter of gasoline equivalent (LGE), we find that total cost reductions between -0.46 to -0.21 per LGE for biochemical and -0.32 to -0.12 per LGE for thermochemical conversion pathways are possible. Naturally, these system level benefits will differ between individual actors along the feedstock supply chain. Further research is required with respect to depot sizing, location, and ownership structures.« less

Strategic supply system design - a holistic evaluation of operational and production cost for a biorefinery supply chain

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

Lamers, Patrick; Tan, Eric C. D.; Searcy, Erin M.

Here, pioneer cellulosic biorefineries across the United States rely on a conventional feedstock supply system based on one-year contracts with local growers, who harvest, locally store, and deliver feed-stock in low-density format to the conversion facility. While the conventional system is designed for high biomass yield areas, pilot scale operations have experienced feedstock supply shortages and price volatilities due to reduced harvests and competition from other industries. Regional supply dependency and the inability to actively manage feedstock stability and quality, provide operational risks to the biorefinery, which translate into higher investment risk. The advanced feedstock supply system based on amore » network of depots can mitigate many of these risks and enable wider supply system benefits. This paper compares the two concepts from a system-level perspective beyond mere logistic costs. It shows that while processing operations at the depot increase feedstock supply costs initially, they enable wider system benefits including supply risk reduction (leading to lower interest rates on loans), industry scale-up, conversion yield improvements, and reduced handling equipment and storage costs at the biorefinery. When translating these benefits into cost reductions per liter of gasoline equivalent (LGE), we find that total cost reductions between -0.46 to -0.21 per LGE for biochemical and -0.32 to -0.12 per LGE for thermochemical conversion pathways are possible. Naturally, these system level benefits will differ between individual actors along the feedstock supply chain. Further research is required with respect to depot sizing, location, and ownership structures.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-04-01

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

Economic evaluation of United States ethanol production from ligno-cellulosic feedstocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Youn-Sang

This paper evaluates the economic feasibility and economy-wide impacts of the U. S. ethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks (LCF) using Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA's) dilute acid hydrolysis process. A nonlinear mathematical programming model of a single ethanol producer, whose objective is profit maximization, is developed. Because of differences in their chemical composition and production process, lignocellulosic feedstocks are divided into two groups: Biomass feedstocks, which refer to crop residues, energy crops and woody biomass, and municipal solid waste (MSW). Biomass feedstocks are more productive and less costly in producing ethanol and co-products, while MSW generates an additional income to the producer from a tipping fee and recycling. The analysis suggests that, regardless of types of feedstocks used, TVA's conversion process can enhance the economic viability of ethanol production as long as furfural is produced from the hemicellulose fraction of feedstocks as a co-product. The high price of furfural makes it a major factor in determining the economic feasibility of ethanol production. Along with evaluating economic feasibility of LCF-to-ethanol production, the optimal size of a plant producing ethanol using TVA's conversion process is estimated. The larger plant would have the advantage of economies of scale, but also have a disadvantage of increased collection and transportation costs for bulky biomass from more distant locations. We assume that the plant is located in the state of Missouri and utilizes only feedstocks produced in the state. The results indicate that the size of a plant using Biomass feedstocks is much bigger than one using MSW. The difference of plant sizes results from plant location and feedstock availability. One interesting finding is that energy crops are not feasible feedstocks for LCF-to-ethanol production due to their high price. Next, a static CGE model is developed to estimate the U.S. economy-wide impacts of the current ethanol production with a government subsidy and the LCF-to-ethanol production using TVA's dilute acid hydrolysis process. The model is innovative in three ways. First, a production subsidy is explicitly included in the model. Second, co-products are explicitly accounted for in ethanol production. Third, ethanol and gasoline are treated as perfect demand substitutes, as are the co-products and the manufacturing sector's output. The CGE model shows that current ethanol production expands grain crop production by creating an additional demand. In contrast, LCF-to-ethanol production has adverse impacts on grain crop production because Biomass feedstocks substitute for grain in the production of ethanol. The LCF-to-ethanol production also discourages the manufacturing industry because co-products displace a part of intermediate input demand for manufacturing outputs. It is also found that, even though ethanol production using TVA's conversion technology with MSW is economically viable, it is not favorable to the economy. Finally, the results suggest that ethanol production from Biomass feedstocks using TVA's dilute acid hydrolysis process is beneficial to the U.S. economy.

Lignocellulose fermentation and residual solids characterization for senescent switchgrass fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum in the presence and absence of continuous in situ ball-milling

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

Balch, Michael L.; Holwerda, Evert K.; Davis, Mark F.

Milling during lignocellulosic fermentation, henceforth referred to as cotreatment, is investigated as an alternative to thermochemical pretreatment as a means of enhancing biological solubilization of lignocellulose. We investigate the impact of milling on soluble substrate fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum with comparison to yeast, document solubilization for fermentation of senescent switchgrass with and without ball milling, and characterize residual solids. Soluble substrate fermentation by C. thermocellum proceeded readily in the presence of continuous ball milling but was completely arrested for yeast. Total fractional carbohydrate solubilization achieved after fermentation of senescent switchgrass by C. thermocellum for 5 days was 0.45 without cotreatmentmore » or pretreatment, 0.81 with hydrothermal pretreatment (200 degrees C, 15 minutes, severity 4.2), and 0.88 with cotreatment. Acetate and ethanol were the main fermentation products, and were produced at similar ratios with and without cotreatment. Analysis of solid residues was undertaken using molecular beam mass spectrometry (PyMBMS) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in order to provide insight into changes in plant cell walls during processing via various modes. The structure of lignin present in residual solids remaining after fermentation with cotreatment appeared to change little, with substantially greater changes observed for hydrothermal pretreatment - particularly with respect to formation of C-C bonds. The observation of high solubilization with little apparent modification of the residue is consistent with cotreatment enhancing solubilization primarily by increasing the access of saccharolytic enzymes to the feedstock, and C. thermocellum being able to attack all the major linkages in cellulosic biomass provided that these linkages are accessible.« less

A new approach for high performance fiber manufacturing via simultaneous fiber spinning and UV initiated polymerization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellison, Chris

Synthetic fibers have been manufactured for decades using solvents or heat to reduce the viscosity of pre-formed polymers and promote drawing. However, nature has engineered spiders and silkworms with benign ways of making silk fibers with high strength and toughness. Conceptually, their approach of chemically linking small functional units (i.e., proteins) into long chain molecules and solid fibrillar structures ``on-demand'' is fundamentally different from current synthetic fiber manufacturing methods. Drawing inspiration from nature, a method will be described that uses light to trigger a thiol-ene photopolymerization to rapidly transform reactive liquid mixtures into solid thread-like structures as they are forced out of a capillary at high speeds. Besides being manufactured without using solvents/volatile components or heat, these fibers are mechanically robust and have excellent chemical and thermal stability due to their crosslinked nature. During processing, the balance between curing kinetics, fiber flight time, and monomer mixture viscoelasticity is essential for the formation of defect free fibers. This work focuses on developing a universal operating diagram to show how the intricate interplay of gel time, flight time, and fluid relaxation time leads to the formation of uniform fibers and other undesirable fiber morphologies such as beads-on-string, fused fibers, non-uniform fibers, and droplets. This predictive capability enables adaptation of this spinning concept to all existing fiber spinning platforms, and customization of monomer formulations to target desired properties.

Irrigating poplar energy crops with landfill leachate negatively affects soil micro- and meso-fauna

Treesearch

David R. Coyle; Jill A. Zalesny; Ronald S. Zalesny Jr.; Adam H. Wiese

2011-01-01

Increased municipal solid waste generated worldwide combined with substantial demand for renewable energy has prompted testing and deployment of woody feedstock production systems that reuse and recycle wastewaters as irrigation and fertilization. Populus selections are ideal for such systems given their fast growth, extensive root systems, and high...

Comparison of solid-state to liquid anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic feedstocks for biogas production.

PubMed

Brown, Dan; Shi, Jian; Li, Yebo

2012-11-01

Lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks (switchgrass, corn stover, wheat straw, yard waste, leaves, waste paper, maple, and pine) were evaluated for methane production under liquid anaerobic digestion (L-AD) and solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD). No significant difference in methane yield between L-AD and SS-AD, except for waste paper and pine, were found. However, the volumetric productivity was 2- to 7-fold greater in the SS-AD system compared with the L-AD system, except for paper. Methane yields from corn stover, wheat straw, and switchgrass were 2-5 times higher than those from yard waste, maple, and pine biomass. Waste paper had a methane yield of only 15 L/kg VS caused by souring during SS-AD due to organic overloading. Pine also had very low biogas yield of 17 L/kg VS, indicating the need for pretreatment prior to SS-AD. The findings of this study can guide future studies to improve the efficiency and stability of SS-AD of lignocellulosic biomass. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acetone-butanol-ethanol production from Kraft paper mill sludge by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation.

PubMed

Guan, Wenjian; Shi, Suan; Tu, Maobing; Lee, Yoon Y

2016-01-01

Paper mill sludge (PS), a solid waste from pulp and paper industry, was investigated as a feedstock for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). ABE fermentation of paper sludge by Clostridium acetobutylicum required partial removal of ash in PS to enhance its enzymatic digestibility. Enzymatic hydrolysis was found to be a rate-limiting step in the SSF. A total of 16.4-18.0g/L of ABE solvents were produced in the SSF of de-ashed PS with solid loading of 6.3-7.4% and enzyme loading of 10-15FPU/g-glucan, and the final solvent yield reached 0.27g/g sugars. No pretreatment and pH control were needed in ABE fermentation of paper sludge, which makes it an attractive feedstock for butanol production. The results suggested utilization of paper sludge should not only consider the benefits of buffering effect of CaCO3 in fermentation, but also take into account its inhibitory effect on enzymatic hydrolysis. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Optimization of High Solids Dilute Acid Hydrolysis of Spent Coffee Ground at Mild Temperature for Enzymatic Saccharification and Microbial Oil Fermentation.

PubMed

Wang, Hui-Min David; Cheng, Yu-Shen; Huang, Chi-Hao; Huang, Chia-Wei

2016-10-01

Soluble coffee, being one of the world's most popular consuming drinks, produces a considerable amount of spent coffee ground (SCG) along with its production. The SCG could function as a potential lignocellulosic feedstock for production of bioproducts. The objective of this study is to investigate the possible optimal condition of dilute acid hydrolysis (DAH) at high solids and mild temperature condition to release the reducing sugars from SCG. The optimal condition was found to be 5.3 % (w/w) sulfuric acid concentration and 118 min reaction time. Under the optimal condition, the mean yield of reducing sugars from enzymatic saccharification of defatted SCG acid hydrolysate was 563 mg/g. The SCG hydrolysate was then successfully applied to culture Lipomyces starkeyi for microbial oil fermentation without showing any inhibition. The results suggested that dilute acid hydrolysis followed by enzymatic saccharification has the great potential to convert SCG carbohydrates to reducing sugars. This study is useful for the further developing of biorefinery using SCG as feedstock at a large scale.

Optimization of pineapple pulp residue hydrolysis for lipid production by Rhodotorula glutinis TISTR5159 using as biodiesel feedstock.

PubMed

Tinoi, Jidapha; Rakariyatham, Nuansri

2016-08-01

The higher lipid productivity of Rhodotorula glutinis TISTR5159 was achieved by optimizing the pineapple pulp hydrolysis for releasing the high sugars content. The sequential simplex method operated by varied; solid-to-liquid ratio, sulfuric acid concentration, temperature, and hydrolysis time were successfully applied and the highest sugar content (83.2 g/L) evaluated at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:10.8, 3.2% sulfuric acid, 105 °C for 13.9 min. Moreover, the (NH4)2SO4 supplement enhanced the lipid productivity and gave the maximum yields of biomass and lipid of 15.2 g/L and 9.15 g/L (60.2%), respectively. The C16 and C18 fatty acids were found as main components included oleic acid (55.8%), palmitic acid (16.6%), linoleic acid (11.9%), and stearic acid (7.8%). These results present the possibility to convert the sugars in pineapple pulp hydrolysate to lipids. The fatty acid profile was also similar to vegetable oils. Thus, it could be used as potential feedstock for biodiesel production.

Three-phase boundary length in solid-oxide fuel cells: A mathematical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janardhanan, Vinod M.; Heuveline, Vincent; Deutschmann, Olaf

A mathematical model to calculate the volume specific three-phase boundary length in the porous composite electrodes of solid-oxide fuel cell is presented. The model is exclusively based on geometrical considerations accounting for porosity, particle diameter, particle size distribution, and solids phase distribution. Results are presented for uniform particle size distribution as well as for non-uniform particle size distribution.

Self-templated formation of uniform NiCo2O4 hollow spheres with complex interior structures for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors.

PubMed

Shen, Laifa; Yu, Le; Yu, Xin-Yao; Zhang, Xiaogang; Lou, Xiong Wen David

2015-02-02

Despite the significant advancement in preparing metal oxide hollow structures, most approaches rely on template-based multistep procedures for tailoring the interior structure. In this work, we develop a new generally applicable strategy toward the synthesis of mixed-metal-oxide complex hollow spheres. Starting with metal glycerate solid spheres, we show that subsequent thermal annealing in air leads to the formation of complex hollow spheres of the resulting metal oxide. We demonstrate the concept by synthesizing highly uniform NiCo2O4 hollow spheres with a complex interior structure. With the small primary building nanoparticles, high structural integrity, complex interior architectures, and enlarged surface area, these unique NiCo2O4 hollow spheres exhibit superior electrochemical performances as advanced electrode materials for both lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. This approach can be an efficient self-templated strategy for the preparation of mixed-metal-oxide hollow spheres with complex interior structures and functionalities. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Performance assessment of dilute-acid leaching to improve corn stover quality for thermochemical conversion

DOE PAGES

Aston, John E.; Thompson, David N.; Westover, Tyler L.

2016-08-30

Lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable energy source that can help meet the increasing demand for biofuels in the United States. However, the quality and availability of such feedstocks greatly affects their suitability for downstream conversion. This work reports the effects of dilute-acid leaching at various solid loadings, temperatures and acid loadings on the quality of a traditional biochemical feedstock, corn stover, as a potential feedstock for thermochemical conversions. At 5 wt% solids, dilute-acid leaching was observed to effectively remove 97.3% of the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals that can negatively affect degradation pathways during pyrolysis and result in greatermore » yield of non-condensable gases. In addition, up to 98.4% of the chlorine and 88.8% of the phosphorus, which can cause equipment corrosion and foul upgrading catalysts, respectively, were removed. At 25°C in the absence of acid, only 6.8% of the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals were removed; however 88.0% of chloride was still removed. The ratio of alkaline/acidic ash species has been suggested to proportionately relate to slagging in biopower applications. The initial alkali/acid ratio of the ash species present in the untreated corn stover was 0.38 (significant slagging risk). At 5 wt% solids, this ratio was decreased to 0.18 (moderate slagging risk) at 0 wt% acid and 90°C, and was decreased to 0.07, 0.08 and 0.06 at 0.5 wt% acid at 25°C, 50°C and 90°C, respectively (little or no slagging risk). Increasing the acid loading to 1.0% only slightly decreased the measured alkali/acid ratio of remaining ash species. Lastly, the results presented here show that a water wash or dilute-acid preprocessing step can improve corn stover quality for pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction and biopower.« less

Performance assessment of dilute-acid leaching to improve corn stover quality for thermochemical conversion

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

Aston, John E.; Thompson, David N.; Westover, Tyler L.

Lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable energy source that can help meet the increasing demand for biofuels in the United States. However, the quality and availability of such feedstocks greatly affects their suitability for downstream conversion. This work reports the effects of dilute-acid leaching at various solid loadings, temperatures and acid loadings on the quality of a traditional biochemical feedstock, corn stover, as a potential feedstock for thermochemical conversions. At 5 wt% solids, dilute-acid leaching was observed to effectively remove 97.3% of the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals that can negatively affect degradation pathways during pyrolysis and result in greatermore » yield of non-condensable gases. In addition, up to 98.4% of the chlorine and 88.8% of the phosphorus, which can cause equipment corrosion and foul upgrading catalysts, respectively, were removed. At 25°C in the absence of acid, only 6.8% of the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals were removed; however 88.0% of chloride was still removed. The ratio of alkaline/acidic ash species has been suggested to proportionately relate to slagging in biopower applications. The initial alkali/acid ratio of the ash species present in the untreated corn stover was 0.38 (significant slagging risk). At 5 wt% solids, this ratio was decreased to 0.18 (moderate slagging risk) at 0 wt% acid and 90°C, and was decreased to 0.07, 0.08 and 0.06 at 0.5 wt% acid at 25°C, 50°C and 90°C, respectively (little or no slagging risk). Increasing the acid loading to 1.0% only slightly decreased the measured alkali/acid ratio of remaining ash species. Lastly, the results presented here show that a water wash or dilute-acid preprocessing step can improve corn stover quality for pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction and biopower.« less

A study of processing parameters in thermal-sprayed alumina and zircon mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Khor, K. A.

2002-06-01

A method of plasma spraying of alumina and zircon mixtures to form ZrO2-mullite composites has been proposed and developed. The feedstock is prepared by a combination of mechanical alloying, which allows formation of fine-grained, homogeneous solid-solution mixtures, followed by plasma spheroidization that yields rapid solidified microstructures and enhanced compositional homogeneity. The effects of ball-milling duration and milling media were studied. It was found that zirconia is a more efficient milling media and that increasing milling duration enhanced the dissociation of zircon. Flame spray and plasma spray processes were used to spheroidize the spray-dried powders. The temperature of the flame spray was found to be insufficient to melt the powders completely. The processing parameters of the plasma spray played an important role in zircon decomposition and mullite formation. Increasing the arc current or reducing secondary gas pressure caused more zircon to decompose and more mullite to form after heat treatment at 1200 °C for 3 h. Dissociation of zircon and the amount of mullite for med can be enhanced significantly when using the more efficient, computerized plasma-spraying system and increasing the ball-milling duration from 4 to 8 h.

Anaerobic digestion of pre-fermented potato peel wastes for methane production.

PubMed

Liang, Shaobo; McDonald, Armando G

2015-12-01

This study investigated the feasibility of anaerobic digestion (AD) of potato peel waste (PPW) and its lactic acid fermentation residue (PPW-FR) for methane (CH4) production. The experimental results showed that about 60-70% CH4 content was obtained. The digester using PPW-FR as feedstock exhibited better performance and produced a highest cumulative CH4 production of 273 L/kg VS fed, followed by 239 L/kg VS fed using PPW under the same conditions. However, with increasing solid loadings of PPW-FR feedstock from 6.4% to 9.1%, the CH4 production was inhibited. The generation, accumulation, and degradation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in digesters were also investigated in this research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrodeoxygenation of the angelica lactone dimer, a cellulose-based feedstock: simple, high-yield synthesis of branched C7 -C10 gasoline-like hydrocarbons.

PubMed

Mascal, Mark; Dutta, Saikat; Gandarias, Inaki

2014-02-10

Dehydration of biomass-derived levulinic acid under solid acid catalysis and treatment of the resulting angelica lactone with catalytic K2 CO3 produces the angelica lactone dimer in excellent yield. This dimer serves as a novel feedstock for hydrodeoxygenation, which proceeds under relatively mild conditions with a combination of oxophilic metal and noble metal catalysts to yield branched C7 -C10 hydrocarbons in the gasoline volatility range. Considering that levulinic acid is available in >80 % conversion from raw biomass, a field-to-tank yield of drop-in, cellulosic gasoline of >60 % is possible. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Note: design and development of improved indirectly heated cathode based strip electron gun.

PubMed

Maiti, Namita; Bade, Abhijeet; Tembhare, G U; Patil, D S; Dasgupta, K

2015-02-01

An improved design of indirectly heated solid cathode based electron gun (200 kW, 45 kV, 270° bent strip type electron gun) has been presented. The solid cathode is made of thoriated tungsten, which acts as an improved source of electron at lower temperature. So, high power operation is possible without affecting structural integrity of the electron gun. The design issues are addressed based on the uniformity of temperature on the solid cathode and the single long filament based design. The design approach consists of simulation followed by extensive experimentation. In the design, the effort has been put to tailor the non-uniformity of the heat flux from the filament to the solid cathode to obtain better uniformity of temperature on the solid cathode. Trial beam experiments have been carried out and it is seen that the modified design achieves one to one correspondence of the solid cathode length and the electron beam length.

Note: Design and development of improved indirectly heated cathode based strip electron gun

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

Maiti, Namita; Patil, D. S.; Dasgupta, K.

An improved design of indirectly heated solid cathode based electron gun (200 kW, 45 kV, 270° bent strip type electron gun) has been presented. The solid cathode is made of thoriated tungsten, which acts as an improved source of electron at lower temperature. So, high power operation is possible without affecting structural integrity of the electron gun. The design issues are addressed based on the uniformity of temperature on the solid cathode and the single long filament based design. The design approach consists of simulation followed by extensive experimentation. In the design, the effort has been put to tailor themore » non-uniformity of the heat flux from the filament to the solid cathode to obtain better uniformity of temperature on the solid cathode. Trial beam experiments have been carried out and it is seen that the modified design achieves one to one correspondence of the solid cathode length and the electron beam length.« less

A new design of indirectly heated cathode based strip type electron gun.

PubMed

Maiti, Namita; Lijeesh, K; Barve, U D; Quadri, Nishad; Tembhare, G U; Mukherjee, S; Thakur, K B; Das, A K

2013-08-01

A new design of indirectly heated solid cathode based electron gun (200 kW, 45 kV, 270° bent strip type electron gun) has been presented. The design issue addressed is the uniformity of temperature on the solid cathode using (a) a multi-segmented filament with variable height as the primary heat source and (b) trapezoidal shaped single long filament as the primary heat source. The proposed design in this paper is based on computer simulation and validated by extensive experimentations. The design emphasis is on maintaining uniform temperature on the solid cathode. The designed multi-segment filament and the single long filament provide a temperature uniformity on the solid cathode of about 250 K and 110 K, respectively. The better temperature uniformity inspite of the thermal expansion, in case of a single long filament tightly clamped at two ends, has been possible due to shaping of the single filament with a number of constituent sections such that the thermal expansion of different sections forming the actual filament takes care of not only the mechanical stability but also does not affect the emitting surface of the filament. Experiments show that the modified design achieves a one to one correspondence of the solid cathode length and the electron beam length emitted from the solid cathode.

Highlighting non-uniform temperatures close to liquid/solid surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noirez, L.; Baroni, P.; Bardeau, J. F.

2017-05-01

The present experimental measurements reveal that similar to external fields such as electric, magnetic, or flow fields, the vicinity of a solid surface can preclude the liquid molecules from relaxing to equilibrium, generating located non-uniform temperatures. The non-uniform temperature zone extends up to several millimeters within the liquid with a lower temperature near the solid wall (reaching ΔT = -0.15 °C ± 0.02 °C in the case of liquid water) counterbalanced at larger distances by a temperature rise. These effects highlighted by two independent methods (thermistor measurement and infra-red emissivity) are particularly pronounced for highly wetting surfaces. The scale over which non-uniform temperatures are extended indicates that the effect is assisted by intermolecular interactions, in agreement with recent developments showing that liquids possess finite shear elasticity and theoretical approaches integrating long range correlations.

Fair Oaks Dairy Farms Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Review Summary

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

Andrew Wold; Robert Divers

2011-06-23

At Fair Oaks Dairy, dried manure solids (''DMS'') are currently used as a low value compost. United Power was engaged to evaluate the feasibility of processing these DMS into ethanol utilizing commercially available cellulosic biofuels conversion platforms. The Fair Oaks Dairy group is transitioning their traditional ''manure to methane'' mesophilic anaerobic digester platform to an integrated bio-refinery centered upon thermophilic digestion. Presently, the Digested Manure Solids (DMS) are used as a low value soil amendment (compost). United Power evaluated the feasibility of processing DMS into higher value ethanol utilizing commercially available cellulosic biofuels conversion platforms. DMS was analyzed and overmore » 100 potential technology providers were reviewed and evaluated. DMS contains enough carbon to be suitable as a biomass feedstock for conversion into ethanol by gasification technology, or as part of a conversion process that would include combined heat and power. In the first process, 100% of the feedstock is converted into ethanol. In the second process, the feedstock is combusted to provide heat to generate electrical power supporting other processes. Of the 100 technology vendors evaluated, a short list of nine technology providers was developed. From this, two vendors were selected as finalists (one was an enzymatic platform and one was a gasification platform). Their selection was based upon the technical feasibility of their systems, engineering expertise, experience in commercial or pilot scale operations, the ability or willingness to integrate the system into the Fair Oaks Biorefinery, the know-how or experience in producing bio-ethanol, and a clear path to commercial development.« less

Hydrolysis of Hemicellulose and Derivatives—A Review of Recent Advances in the Production of Furfural

PubMed Central

Delbecq, Frederic; Wang, Yantao; Muralidhara, Anitha; El Ouardi, Karim; Marlair, Guy; Len, Christophe

2018-01-01

Biobased production of furfural has been known for decades. Nevertheless, bioeconomy and circular economy concepts is much more recent and has motivated a regain of interest of dedicated research to improve production modes and expand potential uses. Accordingly, this review paper aims essentially at outlining recent breakthroughs obtained in the field of furfural production from sugars and polysaccharides feedstocks. The review discusses advances obtained in major production pathways recently explored splitting in the following categories: (i) non-catalytic routes like use of critical solvents or hot water pretreatment, (ii) use of various homogeneous catalysts like mineral or organic acids, metal salts or ionic liquids, (iii) feedstock dehydration making use of various solid acid catalysts; (iv) feedstock dehydration making use of supported catalysts, (v) other heterogeneous catalytic routes. The paper also briefly overviews current understanding of furfural chemical synthesis and its underpinning mechanism as well as safety issues pertaining to the substance. Eventually, some remaining research topics are put in perspective for further optimization of biobased furfural production. PMID:29868554

Predicting properties of gas and solid streams by intrinsic kinetics of fast pyrolysis of wood

DOE PAGES

Klinger, Jordan; Bar-Ziv, Ezra; Shonnard, David; ...

2015-12-12

Pyrolysis has the potential to create a biocrude oil from biomass sources that can be used as fuel or as feedstock for subsequent upgrading to hydrocarbon fuels or other chemicals. The product distribution/composition, however, is linked to the biomass source. This work investigates the products formed from pyrolysis of woody biomass with a previously developed chemical kinetics model. Different woody feedstocks reported in prior literature are placed on a common basis (moisture, ash, fixed carbon free) and normalized by initial elemental composition through ultimate analysis. Observed product distributions over the full devolatilization range are explored, reconstructed by the model, andmore » verified with independent experimental data collected with a microwave-assisted pyrolysis system. These trends include production of permanent gas (CO, CO 2), char, and condensable (oil, water) species. Elementary compositions of these streams are also investigated. As a result, close agreement between literature data, model predictions, and independent experimental data indicate that the proposed model/method is able to predict the ideal distribution from fast pyrolysis given reaction temperature, residence time, and feedstock composition.« less

Engineering wild-type robust Pediococcus acidilactici strain for high titer L- and D-lactic acid production from corn stover feedstock.

PubMed

Yi, Xia; Zhang, Peng; Sun, Jiaoe; Tu, Yi; Gao, Qiuqiang; Zhang, Jian; Bao, Jie

2016-01-10

Pediococcus acidilactici TY112 producing L-lactic acid and P. acidilactici ZP26 producing D-lactic acid, were engineered from the wild-type P. acidilactici DQ2 by ldhD or ldh gene disruption, and the robustness of the wild-type strain to the inhibitors derived from lignocellulose pretreatment was maintained well. In simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), 77.66 g L(-1) of L-lactic acid and 76.76 g L(-1) of D-lactic acid were obtained at 25% (w/w) solids content of dry dilute acid pretreated and biodetoxified corn stover feedstock. L- and D-Lactic acid yield and productivity were highly dependent on the inhibitor removal extent due to the significant down-regulation on the expressions of ldh and ldhD encoding lactate dehydrogenase by inhibitor, especially syringaldehyde and vanillin at the low concentrations. This study provided a prototype of industrial process for high titer L- and D-lactic acid production from lignocellulose feedstock. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL SOLID ACID CATALYST FOR IMPROVED USE OF WASTE OIL FEEDSTOCK FOR BIODIESEL PRODUCTION

EPA Science Inventory

Carbon Catalyst Synthesis - Sucrose was treated directly with excess sulfuric acid sulfuric acid (9:1 mol/mol, 25°C). A carbon foam (nearly 20 fold increase in bulk volume) was immediately formed. The foam was then washed until no sulfate was dete...

Comparative sorption and leaching study of the herbicides fluometuron and MCPA in a soil amended with biochar and other sorbents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biochar is the solid residual remaining after the thermo-chemical transformation of biomass and, because of its numerous properties; it has been proposed to be used as soil amendment. In this work, the effect of soil amendment with six biochars from different feedstocks, production, and post-product...

Effects of irrigating poplar energy crops with landfill leachate on soil micro- and meso-fauna

Treesearch

Jill A. Zalesny; David R. Coyle; Ronald S. Jr. Zalesny; Adam H. Wiese

2009-01-01

Increased municipal solid waste generated worldwide combined with substantial demand for renewable energy has prompted testing and deployment of woody feedstock production systems that reuse and recycle wastewaters as irrigation and fertilization for the trees. Populus species and hybrids (i.e., poplars) are ideal for such systems given their fast...

Multistep process to produce fermentable sugars and lignosulfonates from softwood enzymolysis residues

Treesearch

Yalan Liu; Jinwu Wang; Michael P. Wolcott

2016-01-01

The residual solids from enzymatic hydrolysis are usually burned to produce energy and have been explored as a feedstock for various products including activated carbon and lignin based polymers. These products require additional procedures unrelated to the existing biorefinery equipment. In the current study, we proposed successive sulfite treatments to utilize the...

Waste wood as bioenergy feedstock. Climate change impacts and related emission uncertainties from waste wood based energy systems in the UK.

PubMed

Röder, Mirjam; Thornley, Patricia

2018-04-01

Considering the urgent need to shift to low carbon energy carriers, waste wood resources could provide an alternative energy feedstock and at the same time reduce emissions from landfill. This research examines the climate change impacts and related emission uncertainties of waste wood based energy. For this, different grades of waste wood and energy application have been investigated using lifecycle assessment. Sensitivity analysis has then been applied for supply chain processes and feedstock properties for the main emission contributing categories: transport, processing, pelletizing, urea resin fraction and related N 2 O formation. The results show, depending on the waste wood grade, the conversion option, scale and the related reference case, that emission reductions of up to 91% are possible for non-treated wood waste. Compared to this, energy from treated wood waste with low contamination can achieve up to 83% emission savings, similar to untreated waste wood pellets, but in some cases emissions from waste wood based energy can exceed the ones of the fossil fuel reference - in the worst case by 126%. Emission reductions from highly contaminated feedstocks are largest when replacing electricity from large-scale coal and landfill. The highest emission uncertainties are related to the wood's resin fraction and N 2 O formation during combustion and, pelletizing. Comparing wood processing with diesel and electricity powered equipment also generated high variations in the results, while emission variations related to transport are relatively small. Using treated waste wood as a bioenergy feedstock can be a valid option to reduce emissions from energy production but this is only realisable if coal and landfill gas are replaced. To achieve meaningful emission reduction in line with national and international climate change targets, pre-treatment of waste wood would be required to reduce components that form N 2 O during the energy conversion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilization of acetone-butanol-ethanol-water mixture obtained from biomass fermentation as renewable feedstock for hydrogen production via steam reforming: Thermodynamic and energy analyses.

PubMed

Kumar, Brajesh; Kumar, Shashi; Sinha, Shishir; Kumar, Surendra

2018-08-01

A thermodynamic equilibrium analysis on steam reforming process to utilize acetone-butanol-ethanol-water mixture obtained from biomass fermentation as biorenewable fuel has been performed to produce clean energy carrier H 2 via non-stoichiometric approach namely Gibbs free energy minimization method. The effect of process variables such as temperature (573-1473 K), pressure (1-10 atm), and steam/fuel molar feed ratio (F ABE  = 5.5-12) have been investigated on equilibrium compositions of products, H 2 , CO, CO 2 , CH 4 and solid carbon. The best suitable conditions for maximization of desired product H 2 , suppression of CH 4 , and inhibition of solid carbon are 973 K, 1 atm, steam/fuel molar feed ratio = 12. Under these conditions, the maximum molar production of hydrogen is 8.35 with negligible formation of carbon and methane. Furthermore, the energy requirement per mol of H 2 (48.96 kJ), thermal efficiency (69.13%), exergy efficiency (55.09%), exergy destruction (85.36 kJ/mol), and generated entropy (0.29 kJ/mol.K) have been achieved at same operating conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pyrolysis as a way to close a CFRC life cycle: Carbon fibers recovery and their use as feedstock for a new composite production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giorgini, Loris; Benelli, Tiziana; Mazzocchetti, Laura; Leonardi, Chiara; Zattini, Giorgio; Minak, Giangiacomo; Dolcini, Enrico; Tosi, Cristian; Montanari, Ivan

2014-05-01

Pyrolysis is shown to be an efficient method for recycling carbon fiber composites in the form of both uncured prepregs scraps or as cured end-of-life objects. The pyrolytic process leads to different products in three physical states of matter. The gaseous fraction, called syngas, can be used as energy feedstock in the process itself. The oil fraction can be used as fuel or chemical feedstock. The solid residue contains substantially unharmed carbon fibers that can be isolated and recovered for the production of new composite materials, thus closing the life cycle of the composite in a "cradle to cradle" approach. All the pyrolysis outputs were thoroughly analyzed and characterized in terms of composition for oil and gas fraction and surface characteristics of the fibers. In particular, it is of paramount importance to correlate the aspect and properties of the fibers obtained with different composite feedstock and operational conditions, that can be significantly different, with the reinforcing performance in the newly produced Recycled Carbon Fibers Reinforced Polymers. Present results have been obtained on a pyrolysis pilot plant that offers the possibility of treating up to 70kg of materials, thus leading to a significant amount of products to be tested in the further composites production, focused mainly on chopped carbon fiber reinforcement.

A Solid Case for Microgravity Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grugel, Richard N.

2000-01-01

Solidification of metals, particularly alloys, is a complicated process. At some sufficiently high temperature, the components comprising an alloy fully mix, producing a single homogeneous liquid. Unfortunately, after this liquid is cast into a mold and allowed to freeze, the resulting solid is usually very inhomogeneous. In most cases the first solid to "freeze out" of the liquid has a composition very close to one of the pure metals. This initially solidifying metal usually comprises microscopic, pine-tree shaped components, collectively referred to as a dendritic array, whose distribution, alignment, and scale directly influence a materials strength and docility. During dendrite growth the adjacent liquid becomes enriched, and consequently, solidifies a much lower temperature and considerably later time. Thus, in the course of solidification, both the solid and the enriched liquid can have compositions (and local temperatures) significantly different from those of the bulk liquid. Different compositions and temperatures imply different densities that, in Earth's gravity, induce motion in the liquid. Such motion promotes formation of a casting that is denser at the bottom and lighter at the top. This condition known as macrosegregation, precludes optimized, uniform material properties.

Reaction mechanism studies towards effective fabrication of lithium-rich anti-perovskites Li 3OX (X=Cl, Br)

DOE PAGES

Li, Shuai; Zhu, Jinlong; Wang, Yonggang; ...

2015-12-10

Lithium-rich Anti-perovskite (LiRAP), with general formula Li 3OX (X = Cl, Br, I), and recently reported as superionic conductors with 3-dimensional Li + migrating channels, is emerging as a promising candidate for solid electrolyte of all-solid-state LIBs. But, it is still difficult to fabricate pure LiRAP due to the difficulty of the phase formation and moisture-sensitive nature of the products. In this work, we thoroughly studied the formation mechanism of Li 3OCl and Li 3OBr in various solid state reaction routes. We developed different experimental strategies in order to improve the syntheses, in purposes of improved phase stability and large-scalemore » production of LiRAP. One feasible method is to use strongly reductive agents Li metal or LiH to eliminate OH species. The results show that LiH is more effective than Li metal because of negatively charged H - and uniform reaction. The other well-established method is using Li 2O and LiX mixture as reagents to preventing OH phase at the beginning, and using protected ball milling to make fine powders and hence active the reaction. Finally, IR spectroscopy, thermal analyses and first-principle calculation were performed to give indications on the reaction pathway.« less

Impact of Technology and Feedstock Choice on the Environmental Footprint of Biofuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, P. B.; Dodder, R. S.

2012-12-01

The implementation of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2) has led to a dramatic shift in the use of biofuel in the U.S. transportation system over the last decade. To satisfy this demand, the production of U.S. corn-based ethanol has grown rapidly, with an average increase of over 25% annually from 2002 to 2010. RFS2 requires a similarly steep increase in the production of advanced biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol. Unlike corn-based ethanol, which is derived from the biochemical fermentation of sugars in wet and dry mills, it is likely that a more diverse suite of technologies will need to be developed to be able to meet the advanced biofuel RFS2 targets, including biochemical as well as thermochemical (e.g., gasification and pyrolysis) approaches. Rather than relying on energy crops, a potential advantage of thermochemical approaches is the ability to use a wider variety of feedstocks, including municipal solid waste and wood waste. In this work, we conduct a system-level analysis to understand how technology and feedstock choice can impact the environmental footprint of biofuels in the U.S. We use a least-cost optimization model of the U.S. energy system to account for interactions between various components of the energy system: industrial, transportation, electric, and residential/commercial sectors. The model was used to understand the scale of feedstock demand required from dedicated energy crops, as well as other biomass feedstocks, in order to meet the RFS2 mandate. On a regional basis, we compare the overall water-consumption and land requirements for biofuels production given a suite of liquid-fuel production technologies. By considering a range of scenarios, we examine how the use of various feedstocks (e.g., agricultural residues, wood wastes, mill residues and municipal wastes) can be used to off-set environmental impacts as compared to relying solely on energy crops.

Surface-modified multifunctional MIP nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moczko, Ewa; Poma, Alessandro; Guerreiro, Antonio; Perez de Vargas Sansalvador, Isabel; Caygill, Sarah; Canfarotta, Francesco; Whitcombe, Michael J.; Piletsky, Sergey

2013-04-01

The synthesis of core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP NPs) has been performed using a novel solid-phase approach on immobilised templates. The same solid phase also acts as a protective functionality for high affinity binding sites during subsequent derivatisation/shell formation. This procedure allows for the rapid synthesis, controlled separation and purification of high-affinity materials, with each production cycle taking just 2 hours. The aim of this approach is to synthesise uniformly sized imprinted materials at the nanoscale which can be readily grafted with various polymers without affecting their affinity and specificity. For demonstration purposes we grafted anti-melamine MIP NPs with coatings which introduce the following surface characteristics: high polarity (PEG methacrylate); electro-activity (vinylferrocene); fluorescence (eosin acrylate); thiol groups (pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate)). The method has broad applicability and can be used to produce multifunctional imprinted nanoparticles with potential for further application in the biosensors, diagnostics and biomedical fields and as an alternative to natural receptors.The synthesis of core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP NPs) has been performed using a novel solid-phase approach on immobilised templates. The same solid phase also acts as a protective functionality for high affinity binding sites during subsequent derivatisation/shell formation. This procedure allows for the rapid synthesis, controlled separation and purification of high-affinity materials, with each production cycle taking just 2 hours. The aim of this approach is to synthesise uniformly sized imprinted materials at the nanoscale which can be readily grafted with various polymers without affecting their affinity and specificity. For demonstration purposes we grafted anti-melamine MIP NPs with coatings which introduce the following surface characteristics: high polarity (PEG methacrylate); electro-activity (vinylferrocene); fluorescence (eosin acrylate); thiol groups (pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate)). The method has broad applicability and can be used to produce multifunctional imprinted nanoparticles with potential for further application in the biosensors, diagnostics and biomedical fields and as an alternative to natural receptors. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details of the synthesis of eosin O-acrylate monomer and 1H-NMR spectrum of MIP NPs post-derivatised with PEG shell. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00354j

An X-band high-impedance relativistic klystron amplifier with an annular explosive cathode

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

Zhu, Danni; Zhang, Jun, E-mail: zhangjun@nudt.edu.cn; Zhong, Huihuang

2015-11-15

The feasibility of employing an annular beam instead of a solid one in the X-band high-impedance relativistic klystron amplifier (RKA) is investigated in theory and simulation. Small-signal theory analysis indicates that the optimum bunching distance, fundamental current modulation depth, beam-coupling coefficient, and beam-loaded quality factor of annular beams are all larger than the corresponding parameters of solid beams at the same beam voltage and current. An annular beam RKA and a solid beam RKA with almost the same geometric parameters are compared in particle-in-cell simulation. Output microwave power of 100 MW, gain of 50 dB, and power conversion efficiency of 42% aremore » obtained in an annular beam RKA. The annular beam needs a 15% lower uniform guiding magnetic field than the solid beam. Our investigations demonstrate that we are able to use a simple annular explosive cathode immersed in a lower uniform magnetic field instead of a solid thermionic cathode in a complicated partially shielding magnetic field for designing high-impedance RKA, which avoids high temperature requirement, complicated electron-optical system, large area convergence, high current density, and emission uniformity for the solid beam. An equivalent method for the annular beam and the solid beam on bunching features is proposed and agrees with the simulation. The annular beam has the primary advantages over the solid beam that it can employ the immersing uniform magnetic field avoiding the complicated shielding magnetic field system and needs a lower optimum guiding field due to the smaller space charge effect.« less

Organic waste as a sustainable feedstock for platform chemicals.

PubMed

Coma, M; Martinez-Hernandez, E; Abeln, F; Raikova, S; Donnelly, J; Arnot, T C; Allen, M J; Hong, D D; Chuck, C J

2017-09-21

Biorefineries have been established since the 1980s for biofuel production, and there has been a switch lately from first to second generation feedstocks in order to avoid the food versus fuel dilemma. To a lesser extent, many opportunities have been investigated for producing chemicals from biomass using by-products of the present biorefineries, simple waste streams. Current facilities apply intensive pre-treatments to deal with single substrate types such as carbohydrates. However, most organic streams such as municipal solid waste or algal blooms present a high complexity and variable mixture of molecules, which makes specific compound production and separation difficult. Here we focus on flexible anaerobic fermentation and hydrothermal processes that can treat complex biomass as a whole to obtain a range of products within an integrated biorefinery concept.

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Anaerobic Dry Digestion Facility

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

Koker, John; Lizotte, Michael

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Anaerobic Dry Digestion Facility is a demonstration project that supported the first commercial-scale use in the United States of high solids, static pile technology for anaerobic digestion of organic waste to generate biogas for use in generating electricity and heat. The research adds to the understanding of startup, operation and supply chain issues for anaerobic digester technology. Issues and performance were documented for equipment installation and modifications, feedstock availability and quality, weekly loading and unloading of digestion chambers, chemical composition of biogas produced, and energy production. This facility also demonstrated an urban industrial ecology approachmore » to siting such facilities near sewage treatment plants (to capture and use excess biogas generated by the plants) and organic yard waste collection sites (a source of feedstock).« less

Organic waste as a sustainable feedstock for platform chemicals

PubMed Central

Martinez-Hernandez, E.; Abeln, F.; Raikova, S.; Donnelly, J.; Arnot, T. C.; Allen, M. J.; Hong, D. D.; Chuck, C. J.

2017-01-01

Biorefineries have been established since the 1980s for biofuel production, and there has been a switch lately from first to second generation feedstocks in order to avoid the food versus fuel dilemma. To a lesser extent, many opportunities have been investigated for producing chemicals from biomass using by-products of the present biorefineries, simple waste streams. Current facilities apply intensive pre-treatments to deal with single substrate types such as carbohydrates. However, most organic streams such as municipal solid waste or algal blooms present a high complexity and variable mixture of molecules, which makes specific compound production and separation difficult. Here we focus on flexible anaerobic fermentation and hydrothermal processes that can treat complex biomass as a whole to obtain a range of products within an integrated biorefinery concept. PMID:28654113

A Highly Reversible Room-Temperature Sodium Metal Anode

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Owing to its low cost and high natural abundance, sodium metal is among the most promising anode materials for energy storage technologies beyond lithium ion batteries. However, room-temperature sodium metal anodes suffer from poor reversibility during long-term plating and stripping, mainly due to formation of nonuniform solid electrolyte interphase as well as dendritic growth of sodium metal. Herein we report for the first time that a simple liquid electrolyte, sodium hexafluorophosphate in glymes (mono-, di-, and tetraglyme), can enable highly reversible and nondendritic plating–stripping of sodium metal anodes at room temperature. High average Coulombic efficiencies of 99.9% were achieved over 300 plating–stripping cycles at 0.5 mA cm–2. The long-term reversibility was found to arise from the formation of a uniform, inorganic solid electrolyte interphase made of sodium oxide and sodium fluoride, which is highly impermeable to electrolyte solvent and conducive to nondendritic growth. As a proof of concept, we also demonstrate a room-temperature sodium–sulfur battery using this class of electrolytes, paving the way for the development of next-generation, sodium-based energy storage technologies. PMID:27163006

A Highly Reversible Room-Temperature Sodium Metal Anode.

PubMed

Seh, Zhi Wei; Sun, Jie; Sun, Yongming; Cui, Yi

2015-11-25

Owing to its low cost and high natural abundance, sodium metal is among the most promising anode materials for energy storage technologies beyond lithium ion batteries. However, room-temperature sodium metal anodes suffer from poor reversibility during long-term plating and stripping, mainly due to formation of nonuniform solid electrolyte interphase as well as dendritic growth of sodium metal. Herein we report for the first time that a simple liquid electrolyte, sodium hexafluorophosphate in glymes (mono-, di-, and tetraglyme), can enable highly reversible and nondendritic plating-stripping of sodium metal anodes at room temperature. High average Coulombic efficiencies of 99.9% were achieved over 300 plating-stripping cycles at 0.5 mA cm(-2). The long-term reversibility was found to arise from the formation of a uniform, inorganic solid electrolyte interphase made of sodium oxide and sodium fluoride, which is highly impermeable to electrolyte solvent and conducive to nondendritic growth. As a proof of concept, we also demonstrate a room-temperature sodium-sulfur battery using this class of electrolytes, paving the way for the development of next-generation, sodium-based energy storage technologies.

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

Seh, Zhi Wei; Sun, Jie; Sun, Yongming

Owing to its low cost and high natural abundance, sodium metal is among the most promising anode materials for energy storage technologies beyond lithium ion batteries. However, room-temperature sodium metal anodes suffer from poor reversibility during long-term plating and stripping, mainly due to formation of nonuniform solid electrolyte interphase as well as dendritic growth of sodium metal. Herein we report for the first time that a simple liquid electrolyte, sodium hexafluorophosphate in glymes (mono-, di-, and tetraglyme), can enable highly reversible and nondendritic plating–stripping of sodium metal anodes at room temperature. High average Coulombic efficiencies of 99.9% were achieved overmore » 300 plating–stripping cycles at 0.5 mA cm –2. In this study, the long-term reversibility was found to arise from the formation of a uniform, inorganic solid electrolyte interphase made of sodium oxide and sodium fluoride, which is highly impermeable to electrolyte solvent and conducive to nondendritic growth. As a proof of concept, we also demonstrate a room-temperature sodium–sulfur battery using this class of electrolytes, paving the way for the development of next-generation, sodium-based energy storage technologies.« less

Torrefaction reduction of coke formation on catalysts used in esterification and cracking of biofuels from pyrolysed lignocellulosic feedstocks

DOEpatents

Kastner, James R; Mani, Sudhagar; Hilten, Roger; Das, Keshav C

2015-11-04

A bio-oil production process involving torrefaction pretreatment, catalytic esterification, pyrolysis, and secondary catalytic processing significantly reduces yields of reactor char, catalyst coke, and catalyst tar relative to the best-case conditions using non-torrefied feedstock. The reduction in coke as a result of torrefaction was 28.5% relative to the respective control for slow pyrolysis bio-oil upgrading. In fast pyrolysis bio-oil processing, the greatest reduction in coke was 34.9%. Torrefaction at 275.degree. C. reduced levels of acid products including acetic acid and formic acid in the bio-oil, which reduced catalyst coking and increased catalyst effectiveness and aromatic hydrocarbon yields in the upgraded oils. The process of bio-oil generation further comprises a catalytic esterification of acids and aldehydes to generate such as ethyl levulinate from lignified biomass feedstock.

Effect of counterpart metals in carbon-supported Pt-based catalysts prepared using radiation chemical method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okazaki, Tomohisa; Seino, Satoshi; Matsuura, Yoshiyuki; Otake, Hiroaki; Kugai, Junichiro; Ohkubo, Yuji; Nitani, Hiroaki; Nakagawa, Takashi; Yamamoto, Takao A.

2017-04-01

The process of nanoparticle formation by radiation chemical synthesis in a heterogeneous system has been investigated. Carbon-supported Pt-based bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized using a high-energy electron beam. Rh, Cu, Ru, and Sn were used as counterpart metals. The nanoparticles were characterized by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. PtRh formed a uniform random alloy nanoparticle, while Cu partially formed an alloy with Pt and the remaining Cu existed as CuO. PtRu formed an alloy structure with a composition distribution of a Pt-rich core and Ru-rich shell. No alloying was observed in PtSn, which had a Pt-SnO2 structure. The alloy and oxide formation mechanisms are discussed considering the redox potentials, the standard enthalpy of oxide formation, and the solid solubilities of Pt and the counterpart metals.

Design of indirectly heated thoriated tungsten cathode based strip electron gun

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

Maiti, Namita; Thakur, K.B.; Patil, D.S.

Design of indirectly heated solid cathode based electron gun (200 kW, 45 kV, 270 degree bent strip type electron gun) has been presented. The solid cathode is made of thoriated tungsten. The solid cathode design has been suitably done to achieve required electron beam cross section. The design approach consists of simulation followed by extensive experimentation. In the design, the effort has been put to reduce the non-uniformity of the heat flux from the filament to the solid cathode to obtain better uniformity of temperature on the solid cathode. Trial beam experiments shows that the modified design achieves one tomore » one correspondence of the solid cathode length and the electron beam length. (author)« less

Acid sorption regeneration process using carbon dioxide

DOEpatents

King, C. Judson; Husson, Scott M.

2001-01-01

Carboxylic acids are sorbed from aqueous feedstocks onto a solid adsorbent in the presence of carbon dioxide under pressure. The acids are freed from the sorbent phase by a suitable regeneration method, one of which is treating them with an organic alkylamine solution thus forming an alkylamine-carboxylic acid complex which thermally decomposes to the desired carboxylic acid and the alkylamine.

Dynamic covalent chemistry enables formation of antimicrobial peptide quaternary assemblies in a completely abiotic manner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reuther, James F.; Dees, Justine L.; Kolesnichenko, Igor V.; Hernandez, Erik T.; Ukraintsev, Dmitri V.; Guduru, Rusheel; Whiteley, Marvin; Anslyn, Eric V.

2018-01-01

Naturally occurring peptides and proteins often use dynamic disulfide bonds to impart defined tertiary/quaternary structures for the formation of binding pockets with uniform size and function. Although peptide synthesis and modification are well established, controlling quaternary structure formation remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the facile incorporation of aryl aldehyde and acyl hydrazide functionalities into peptide oligomers via solid-phase copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SP-CuAAC) click reactions. When mixed, these complementary functional groups rapidly react in aqueous media at neutral pH to form peptide-peptide intermolecular macrocycles with highly tunable ring sizes. Moreover, sequence-specific figure-of-eight, dumbbell-shaped, zipper-like and multi-loop quaternary structures were formed selectively. Controlling the proportions of reacting peptides with mismatched numbers of complementary reactive groups results in the formation of higher-molecular-weight sequence-defined ladder polymers. This also amplified antimicrobial effectiveness in select cases. This strategy represents a general approach to the creation of complex abiotic peptide quaternary structures.

Kinetic features of xylan de-polymerization in production of xylose monomer and furfural during acid pretreatment for kenaf, forage sorghums and sunn hemp feedstocks

DOE PAGES

Kamireddy, Srinivas Reddy; Kozliak, Evguenii I.; Tucker, Melvin; ...

2014-08-01

A kinetic study of acid pretreatment was conducted for sorghum non-brown mid rib (SNBMR) ( Sorghum bicolor L Moench), sorghum-brown mid rib (SBMR), sunn hemp ( Crotalaria juncea L) and kenaf ( Gossypiumhirsutum L), focusing on rates of xylose monomer and furfural formation. The kinetics was investigated using two independent variables, reaction temperature (150 and 160°C) and acid concentration (1 and 2 wt%), with a constant dry biomass loading of 10 wt% and a treatment time up to 20 min while sampling the mixture every 2 min. The experimental data were fitted using a two-step kinetic model based on irreversiblemore » pseudo first order kinetics at each step. Varied kinetic orders on the acid concentration, ranging from 0.2 to >3, were observed for both xylose and furfural formation, the values depending on the feedstock. The crystallinity index of raw biomass was shown to be a major factor influencing the rate of both xylose and furfural formation. As a result, a positive correlation was observed between the activation energy and biomass crystallinity index for xylose formation.« less

In vivo assimilation of one-carbon via a synthetic reductive glycine pathway in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Yishai, Oren; Bouzon, Madeleine; Döring, Volker; Bar-Even, Arren

2018-05-15

Assimilation of one-carbon compounds presents a key biochemical challenge, which limits their use as sustainable feedstocks for microbial growth and production. The reductive glycine pathway is a synthetic metabolic route that could provide an optimal way for the aerobic assimilation of reduced C1 compounds. Here, we show that a rational integration of native and foreign enzymes enables the tetrahydrofolate and glycine cleavage/synthase systems to operate in the reductive direction, such that Escherichia coli satisfies all of its glycine and serine requirements from the assimilation of formate and CO2. Importantly, the biosynthesis of serine from formate and CO2 does not lower the growth rate, indicating high flux that is able to provide 10% of cellular carbon. Our findings assert that the reductive glycine pathway could support highly efficient aerobic assimilation of C1-feedstocks.

Bed Agglomeration During the Steam Gasification of a High Lignin Corn Stover Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) Digester Residue

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

Howe, Daniel T.; Taasevigen, Danny J.; Gerber, Mark A.

This research investigates the bed agglomeration phenomena during the steam gasification of a high lignin residue produced from the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of corn stover in a bubbling fluidized bed. The studies were conducted at 895°C using alumina as bed material. Biomass was fed at 1.5 kg/hr, while steam was fed to give a velocity equal to 2.5 times the minimum fluidization velocity, with a steam/carbon ratio of 0.9. The pelletized feedstock was co-fed with a cooling nitrogen stream to mitigate feed line plugging issues. Tar production was high at 50.3 g/Nm3, and the fraction of C10+ compoundsmore » was greater than that seen in the gasification of traditional lignocellulosic feedstocks. Carbon closures over 94 % were achieved for all experiments. Bed agglomeration was found to be problematic, indicated by pressure drop increases observed below the bed and upstream of the feed line. Two size categories of solids were recovered from the reactor, +60 mesh and -60 mesh. After a 2.75-hour experiment, 61.7 wt % was recovered as -60 mesh particles and 38.2 wt% of the recovered reactor solids were +60 mesh. A sizeable percentage, 31.8 wt%, was +20 mesh. The -60 mesh particles were mainly formed by the initial bed material (Al2O3). Almost 50 wt. % of the + 20 mesh particles was found to be formed by organics. The unreacted carbon remaining in the reactor resulted in a low conversion rate to product gas. ICP-AES, SEM, SEM-EDS, and XRD confirmed that the large agglomerates (+ 20 mesh) were not encapsulated bed material but rather un-gasified feedstock pellets with sand particles attached to it.« less

Results of the International Energy Agency Round Robin on Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oil Production

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

Elliott, Douglas C.; Meier, Dietrich; Oasmaa, Anja

An international round robin study of the production of fast pyrolysis bio-oil was undertaken. Fifteen institutions in six countries contributed. Three biomass samples were distributed to the laboratories for processing in fast pyrolysis reactors. Samples of the bio-oil produced were transported to a central analytical laboratory for analysis. The round robin was focused on validating the pyrolysis community understanding of production of fast pyrolysis bio-oil by providing a common feedstock for bio-oil preparation. The round robin included: •distribution of 3 feedstock samples from a common source to each participating laboratory; •preparation of fast pyrolysis bio-oil in each laboratory with themore » 3 feedstocks provided; •return of the 3 bio-oil products (minimum 500 ml) with operational description to a central analytical laboratory for bio-oil property determination. The analyses of interest were: density, viscosity, dissolved water, filterable solids, CHN, S, trace element analysis, ash, total acid number, pyrolytic lignin, and accelerated aging of bio-oil. In addition, an effort was made to compare the bio-oil components to the products of analytical pyrolysis through GC/MS analysis. The results showed that clear differences can occur in fast pyrolysis bio-oil properties by applying different reactor technologies or configurations. The comparison to analytical pyrolysis method suggested that Py-GC/MS could serve as a rapid screening method for bio-oil composition when produced in fluid-bed reactors. Furthermore, hot vapor filtration generally resulted in the most favorable bio-oil product, with respect to water, solids, viscosity, and total acid number. These results can be helpful in understanding the variation in bio-oil production methods and their effects on bio-oil product composition.« less

Revamping Spacecraft Operational Intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hwang, Victor

2012-01-01

The EPOXI flight mission has been testing a new commercial system, Splunk, which employs data mining techniques to organize and present spacecraft telemetry data in a high-level manner. By abstracting away data-source specific details, Splunk unifies arbitrary data formats into one uniform system. This not only reduces the time and effort for retrieving relevant data, but it also increases operational visibility by allowing a spacecraft team to correlate data across many different sources. Splunk's scalable architecture coupled with its graphing modules also provide a solid toolset for generating data visualizations and building real-time applications such as browser-based telemetry displays.

Porous silicon film formation from silicon-nanoparticle inks: The possibility of effects of van der Waals interactions on uniform film formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Kazuki; Nagoya, Wataru; Moriki, Kazuya; Sato, Seiichi

2018-02-01

Porous Si films were formed on electrically insulative, semiconductive, and conductive substrates by depositing aqueous and nonaqueous Si nanoparticle inks. In this study, we focused on whether the Si ink deposition resulted in the formation of uniform porous Si films on various substrates. As a result of the experiments, we found that the inks showing better substrate wettabilities did not necessarily result in more uniform film formation on the substrates. This implies that the ink-solvent wettability and the nanoparticle-substrate interactions play important roles in the uniform film formation. As one of the interactions, we discussed the influence of van der Waals interactions by calculating the Hamaker constants. The calculation results indicated that the uniform film formation was hampered when the nanoparticle surface had a repulsive van der Waals interaction with the substrate.

Optimizing the performance of microbial fuel cells fed a combination of different synthetic organic fractions in municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Pendyala, Brahmaiah; Chaganti, Subba Rao; Lalman, Jerald A; Heath, Daniel D

2016-03-01

The objective of this study was to establish the impact of different steam exploded organic fractions in municipal solid waste (MSW) on electricity production using microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In particular, the influence of individual steam exploded liquefied waste components (food waste (FW), paper-cardboard waste (PCW) and garden waste (GW)) and their blends on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, columbic efficiency (CE) and microbial diversity was examined using a mixture design. Maximum power densities from 0.56 to 0.83 W m(-2) were observed for MFCs fed with different feedstocks. The maximum COD removed and minimum CE were observed for a GW feed. However, a reverse trend (minimum COD removed and maximum CE) was observed for the FW feed. A maximum COD removal (78%) accompanied with a maximum CE (24%) was observed for a combined feed of FW, PCW plus GW in a 1:1:1 ratio. Lactate, the major byproduct detected, was unutilized by the anodic biofilm community. The organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) could serve as a potential feedstock for electricity generation in MFCs; however, elevated protein levels will lead to reduced COD removal. The microbial communities in cultures fed FW and PCW was highly diversified; however, the communities in cultures fed FW or a feed mixture containing high FW levels were similar and dominated by Bacteroidetes and β-proteobacteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel and organic solvent-free preparation of solid lipid nanoparticles using natural biopolymers as emulsifier and stabilizer.

PubMed

Xue, Jingyi; Wang, Taoran; Hu, Qiaobin; Zhou, Mingyong; Luo, Yangchao

2017-10-05

In this work, a new and novel organic solvent-free and synthetic surfactant-free method was reported to fabricate stable solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) from stearic acid, sodium caseinate (NaCas) and pectin, as well as water. Melted stearic acid was directly emulsified into an aqueous phase containing NaCas and pectin, followed by pH adjustment and thermal treatment to induce the formation of a compact and dense polymeric coating which stabilized SLNs. The preparation procedures and formulations were comprehensively optimized. The inter- and intra-molecular interactions among three ingredients were characterized by fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The stability of as-prepared SLNs was evaluated under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, and compared with traditional SLNs prepared with organic solvents. Our results revealed that the SLNs prepared from this organic solvent-free method had superior physicochemical properties over the traditional SLNs, including smaller size and better stability. Furthermore, redispersible SLNs powders were obtained by nano spray drying, but only the SLNs prepared by organic solvent-free method had sub-micron scale, uniform and spherical morphology. The organic solvent-free preparation method was proved to be a promising approach to prepare stable and uniform SLNs for potential oral delivery applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of metal-supported axial injection plasma sprayed solid oxide fuel cells with aqueous suspension plasma sprayed electrolyte layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldbillig, D.; Kesler, O.

A method for manufacturing metal-supported SOFCs with atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) is presented, making use of aqueous suspension feedstock for the electrolyte layer and dry powder feedstock for the anode and cathode layers. The cathode layer was deposited first directly onto a metal support, in order to minimize contact resistance, and to allow the introduction of added porosity. The electrolyte layers produced by suspension plasma spraying (SPS) were characterized in terms of thickness, permeability, and microstructure, and the impact of substrate morphology on electrolyte properties was investigated. Fuel cells produced by APS were electrochemically tested at temperatures ranging from 650 to 750 °C. The substrate morphology had little effect on open circuit voltage, but substrates with finer porosity resulted in lower kinetic losses in the fuel cell polarization.

Replication of microchannel structures in WC-Co feedstock using elastomeric replica moulds by hot embossing process.

PubMed

Sahli, M; Gelin, J-C; Barrière, T

2015-10-01

Hot embossing is a net shaping process that is able to produce the micro-components of polymers with intrinsic and complex shapes at lower cost compared with machining and injection moulding. However, the emboss of hard metals, such as WC-Co, is more challenging due to their high thermal conductivity and ease of agglomeration. Thus, a WC-Co alloy mixed with a wax-based binder feedstock was selected. The formed feedstock exhibited pseudo-plastic flow and was successfully embossed (green part). Here, we developed a novel process that is used to replicate polymer microfluidic chips while simultaneously reducing the channel surface roughness of the mould insert, yielding optical-grade (less than 100 nm surface roughness) channels and reservoirs. This paper concerns the replication of metallic microfluidic mould inserts in WC-Co and the parameters associated with feedstock formation via a hot embossing process. A suitable formulation for micro-powder hot embossing has been established and characterised by thermogravimetric analyses and measurements of mixing torques to verify and quantify the homogeneity of the proposed feedstocks. The relative density of the samples increased with processing temperature, and almost fully dense materials were obtained. In this work, the effects of the sintering temperature on the physical properties were systematically analysed. The evolution of the metal surface morphology during the hot embossing process was also investigated. The results indicate that the feedstock can be used to manufacture micro-fluidic die mould cavities with a low roughness, proper dimensions and good shape retention. The shrinkage of the sintered part was approximately 19-24% compared with that of the brown part. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A review on biomass classification and composition, cofiring issues and pretreatment methods

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

Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Shahab Sokhansanj; Christopher T. Wright

Presently around the globe there is a significant interest in using biomass for power generation as power generation from coal continues to raise environmental concerns. Biomass alone can be used for generation of power which can bring lot of environmental benefits. However the constraints of using biomass alone can include high investments costs for biomass feed systems and also uncertainty in the security of the feedstock supply due to seasonal variations and in most of the countries biomass is dispersed and the infrastructure for biomass supply is not well established. Alternatively cofiring biomass along with coal offer advantages like (a)more » reducing the issues related to biomass quality and buffers the system when there is insufficient feedstock quantity and (b) costs of adapting the existing coal power plants will be lower than building new systems dedicated only to biomass. However with the above said advantages there exists some technical constrains including low heating and energy density values, low bulk density, lower grindability index, higher moisture and ash content to successfully cofire biomass with coal. In order to successfully cofire biomass with coal, biomass feedstock specifications need to be established to direct pretreatment options that may include increasing the energy density, bulk density, stability during storage and grindability. Impacts on particle transport systems, flame stability, pollutant formation and boiler tube fouling/corrosion must also be minimized by setting feedstock specifications including composition and blend ratios if necessary. Some of these limitations can be overcome by using pretreatment methods. This paper discusses the impact of feedstock pretreatment methods like sizing, baling, pelletizing, briquetting, washing/leaching, torrefaction, torrefaction and pelletization and steam explosion in attainment of optimum feedstock characteristics to successfully cofire biomass with coal.« less

A Review on Biomass Torrefaction Process and Product Properties for Energy Applications

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

Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Shahab Sokhansanj; J. Richard Hess

2011-10-01

Torrefaction of biomass can be described as a mild form of pyrolysis at temperatures typically ranging between 200 and 300 C in an inert and reduced environment. Common biomass reactions during torrefaction include devolatilization, depolymerization, and carbonization of hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose. Torrefaction process produces a brown to black solid uniform product and also condensable (water, organics, and lipids) and non condensable gases (CO2, CO, and CH4). Typically during torrefaction, 70% of the mass is retained as a solid product, containing 90% of the initial energy content, and 30% of the lost mass is converted into condensable and non-condensable products.more » The system's energy efficiency can be improved by reintroducing the material lost during torrefaction as a source of heat. Torrefaction of biomass improves its physical properties like grindability; particle shape, size, and distribution; pelletability; and proximate and ultimate composition like moisture, carbon and hydrogen content, and calorific value. Carbon and calorific value of torrefied biomass increases by 15-25%, and moisture content reduces to <3% (w.b.). Torrefaction reduces grinding energy by about 70%, and the ground torrefied biomass has improved sphericity, particle surface area, and particle size distribution. Pelletization of torrefied biomass at temperatures of 225 C reduces specific energy consumption by two times and increases the capacity of the mill by two times. The loss of the OH group during torrefaction makes the material hydrophobic (loses the ability to attract water molecules) and more stable against chemical oxidation and microbial degradation. These improved properties make torrefied biomass particularly suitable for cofiring in power plants and as an upgraded feedstock for gasification.« less

Size effects on acid bisulfite pretreatment efficiency: multiple product yields in spent liquor and enzymatic digestibility of pretreated solids

Treesearch

Yalan Liu; Jinwu Wang; Michael P. Wolcott

2017-01-01

Currently, feedstock size effects on chemical pretreatment performance were not clear due to the complexity of the pretreatment process and multiple evaluation standards such as the sugar recovery in spent liquor or enzymatic digestibility. In this study, we evaluated the size effects by various ways: the sugar recovery and coproduct yields in spent liquor, the...

Efficient chemical potential evaluation with kinetic Monte Carlo method and non-uniform external potential: Lennard-Jones fluid, liquid, and solid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustinov, E. A.

2017-07-01

The aim of this paper is to present a method of a direct evaluation of the chemical potential of fluid, liquid, and solid with kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. The method is illustrated with the 12-6 Lennard-Jones (LJ) system over a wide range of density and temperature. A distinctive feature of the methodology used in the present study is imposing an external potential on the elongated simulation box to split the system into two equilibrium phases, one of which is substantially diluted. This technique provides a reliable direct evaluation of the chemical potential of the whole non-uniform system (including that of the uniformly distributed dense phase in the central zone of the box), which, for example, is impossible in simulation of the uniform crystalline phase. The parameters of the vapor-liquid, liquid-solid, and fluid-solid transitions have been reliably determined. The chemical potential and the pressure are defined as thermodynamically consistent functions of density and temperature separately for the liquid and the solid (FCC) phases. It has been shown that in two-phase systems separated by a flat interface, the crystal melting always occurs at equilibrium conditions. It is also proved that in the limit of zero temperature, the specific heat capacity of an LJ crystal at constant volume is exactly 3Rg (where Rg is the gas constant) without resorting to harmonic oscillators.

Fıxed bed slow pyrolysıs of bıomass solıd waste for bıo-char

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, M. N.; Ali, M. H.; Ahmad, I.

2017-06-01

Biomass solid waste in the form of rice husk particle is pyrolyzed in a fixed bed pyrolysis reactor. The reactor is made of stainless steel with dimensions of 76 mm in diameter and 90 cm in length. Rice husk is collected locally from Brunei-Muara district of Brunei Darussalam which is processed for pyrolysis. The particles are selected in the millimeter range. It is oven-dried at 105°C for 6 hours after being air-dried prior to pyrolysis. The reactor bed is heated by means of saw-dust in a biomass source heater. A temperature range of 390-410°C is maintained with an apperent vapor residence time of 30 min. Nitrogen gas is passed through the reactor system to make the atmosphere inert. A water-cooled condenser is used to derive bio-oil from the condensable vapors. The system is subjected to pyrolysis for a running time of 60 min. The products obtained are solid bio-char, liquid bio-oil and pyrolytic bio-gases. The solid char yield is found to be 45 by weight of solid biomass feedstock and the liquid product yield is found to be 29 by weight of solid biomass feedstock. The rest is gas flared into the atmosphere. The bio-char is retained in the reactor and collected at the end of the experimental run. The bio-char is found to be black in color retaining its original shape. The bio-char product is subjected to energy analysis for its higher heating value (HHV) by means of an oxygen bomb calorimeter. It is found to be 20.3 MJ/kg. The density of the bio-char is found to be 238.5 kg/m3 with an energy density of 4.85 GJ/m3.

The potential of biogas production from municipal solid waste in a tropical climate.

PubMed

Getahun, Tadesse; Gebrehiwot, Mulat; Ambelu, Argaw; Van Gerven, Tom; Van der Bruggen, Bart

2014-07-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the potential of organic municipal solid waste generated in an urban setting in a tropical climate to produce biogas. Five different categories of wastes were considered: fruit waste, food waste, yard waste, paper waste, and mixed waste. These fractions were assessed for their efficiency for biogas production in a laboratory-scale batch digester for a total period of 8 weeks at a temperature of 15-30 °C. During this period, fruit waste, food waste, yard waste, paper waste, and mixed waste were observed to produce 0.15, 0.17, 0.10, 0.08, and 0.15 m(3) of biogas per kilogram of volatile solids, respectively. The biogas produced and caloric value of each feedstock was in the range of 1.25 × 10(-3) m(3) (17 kWh)/cap/day (paper waste) to 15 × 10(-3) m(3) (170 kWh)/cap/day (mixed waste). Paper waste produced the least (<1×10(-3)(<17.8 kWh)/cap/day), and mixed waste produced the highest methane yield (10 × 10(-3) m(3) (178 kWh)/cap/day). Thus, mixed waste was found to be more efficient than other feedstocks for biogas and methane production; this was mainly related to the better C/N ratio in mixed waste. Taking the total waste production in Jimma into account, the total mixed organic solid waste could produce 865 × 10(3) m(3) (5.4 m(3)/capita) of biogas or 537 × 10(3) m(3) (3.4 m(3)/capita) of methane per year. The total caloric value of methane production potential from mixed organic municipal solid waste was many times higher than the total energy requirement of the area.

Synergistic combination of biomass torrefaction and co-gasification: Reactivity studies.

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Geng, Ping; Liu, Rui

2017-12-01

Two typical biomass feedstocks obtained from woody wastes and agricultural residues were torrefied or mildly pyrolized in a fixed-bed reactor. Effects of the torrefaction conditions on product distributions, compositional and energetic properties of the solid products, char gasification reactivity, and co-gasification behavior between coal and torrefied solids were systematically investigated. Torrefaction pretreatment produced high quality bio-solids with not only increased energy density, but also concentrated alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEM). As a consequence of greater retention of catalytic elements in the solid products, the chars derived from torrefied biomass exhibited a faster conversion than those derived from raw biomass during CO 2 gasification. Furthermore, co-gasification of coal/torrefied biomass blends exhibited stronger synergy compared to the coal/raw biomass blends. The results and insights provided by this study filled a gap in understanding synergy during co-gasification of coal and torrefied biomass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From Mixed-Metal MOFs to Carbon-Coated Core-Shell Metal Alloy@Metal Oxide Solid Solutions: Transformation of Co/Ni-MOF-74 to CoxNi1-x@CoyNi1-yO@C for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

PubMed

Sun, Dengrong; Ye, Lin; Sun, Fangxiang; García, Hermenegildo; Li, Zhaohui

2017-05-01

Calcination of the mixed-metal species Co/Ni-MOF-74 leads to the formation of carbon-coated Co x Ni 1-x @Co y Ni 1-y O with a metal core diameter of ∼3.2 nm and a metal oxide shell thickness of ∼2.4 nm embedded uniformly in the ligand-derived carbon matrix. The close proximity of Co and Ni in the mixed-metal Co/Ni-MOF-74 promotes the metal alloying and the formation of a solid solution of metal oxide during the calcination process. The presence of the tightly coated carbon shell prohibits particle agglomeration and stabilizes the Co x Ni 1-x @Co y Ni 1-y O nanoparticles in small size. The Co x Ni 1-x @Co y Ni 1-y O@C derived from Co/Ni-MOF-74 nanocomposites show superior performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The use of mixed-metal MOFs as precursors represents a powerful strategy for the fabrication of metal alloy@metal oxide solid solution nanoparticles in small size. This method also holds great promise in the development of multifunctional carbon-coated complex core-shell metal/metal oxides owing to the diversified MOF structures and their flexible chemistry.

Geochemical and strontium isotope characterization of produced waters from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction.

PubMed

Chapman, Elizabeth C; Capo, Rosemary C; Stewart, Brian W; Kirby, Carl S; Hammack, Richard W; Schroeder, Karl T; Edenborn, Harry M

2012-03-20

Extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing of the Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale, a major gas-bearing unit in the Appalachian Basin, results in significant quantities of produced water containing high total dissolved solids (TDS). We carried out a strontium (Sr) isotope investigation to determine the utility of Sr isotopes in identifying and quantifying the interaction of Marcellus Formation produced waters with other waters in the Appalachian Basin in the event of an accidental release, and to provide information about the source of the dissolved solids. Strontium isotopic ratios of Marcellus produced waters collected over a geographic range of ~375 km from southwestern to northeastern Pennsylvania define a relatively narrow set of values (ε(Sr)(SW) = +13.8 to +41.6, where ε(Sr) (SW) is the deviation of the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio from that of seawater in parts per 10(4)); this isotopic range falls above that of Middle Devonian seawater, and is distinct from most western Pennsylvania acid mine drainage and Upper Devonian Venango Group oil and gas brines. The uniformity of the isotope ratios suggests a basin-wide source of dissolved solids with a component that is more radiogenic than seawater. Mixing models indicate that Sr isotope ratios can be used to sensitively differentiate between Marcellus Formation produced water and other potential sources of TDS into ground or surface waters.

A unified momentum equation approach for computing thermal residual stresses during melting and solidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeo, Haram; Ki, Hyungson

2018-03-01

In this article, we present a novel numerical method for computing thermal residual stresses from a viewpoint of fluid-structure interaction (FSI). In a thermal processing of a material, residual stresses are developed as the material undergoes melting and solidification, and liquid, solid, and a mixture of liquid and solid (or mushy state) coexist and interact with each other during the process. In order to accurately account for the stress development during phase changes, we derived a unified momentum equation from the momentum equations of incompressible fluids and elastoplastic solids. In this approach, the whole fluid-structure system is treated as a single continuum, and the interaction between fluid and solid phases across the mushy zone is naturally taken into account in a monolithic way. For thermal analysis, an enthalpy-based method was employed. As a numerical example, a two-dimensional laser heating problem was considered, where a carbon steel sheet was heated by a Gaussian laser beam. Momentum and energy equations were discretized on a uniform Cartesian grid in a finite volume framework, and temperature-dependent material properties were used. The austenite-martensite phase transformation of carbon steel was also considered. In this study, the effects of solid strains, fluid flow, mushy zone size, and laser heating time on residual stress formation were investigated.

Liquid-Solid Interaction in Al-Si/Al-Mn-Cu-Mg Brazing Sheets and Its Effects on Mechanical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, H.; Kozdras, M. S.; Amirkhiz, B. Shalchi; Winkler, S. L.

2018-05-01

The liquid-solid interaction during brazing at 592 °C to 605 °C and its effects on mechanical properties were investigated in a series of Al-Si/Al-Mn-Cu-Mg brazing sheets with different Mg contents. Depending on the Mg level in core alloy and the brazing temperature, critical changes of local chemistry and microstructure related to the liquid-solid interaction occur, including solid-state diffusion, uniform clad-core interface migration, and grain boundary penetration (GBP). When the Mg in core alloy is below 1 wt pct, the interaction is limited and the formation of a dense precipitation band due to solid-state diffusion of Si from the clad to the core is dominant. As the Mg exceeds 1 wt pct, very extensive interaction occurs resulting in clad-core interface migration and GBP of Si into the core, both involving local melting and re-solidification of the core alloy. Whenever Si from the clad encounters Mg in the core due to the interaction, Mg2Si precipitates are formed leading to significant improvement of strength. However, the interface migration and GBP drastically reduce the ductility, due to the segregation of coarse secondary phase particles along the newly formed grain boundaries.

Liquid-Solid Interaction in Al-Si/Al-Mn-Cu-Mg Brazing Sheets and Its Effects on Mechanical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, H.; Kozdras, M. S.; Amirkhiz, B. Shalchi; Winkler, S. L.

2018-07-01

The liquid-solid interaction during brazing at 592 °C to 605 °C and its effects on mechanical properties were investigated in a series of Al-Si/Al-Mn-Cu-Mg brazing sheets with different Mg contents. Depending on the Mg level in core alloy and the brazing temperature, critical changes of local chemistry and microstructure related to the liquid-solid interaction occur, including solid-state diffusion, uniform clad-core interface migration, and grain boundary penetration (GBP). When the Mg in core alloy is below 1 wt pct, the interaction is limited and the formation of a dense precipitation band due to solid-state diffusion of Si from the clad to the core is dominant. As the Mg exceeds 1 wt pct, very extensive interaction occurs resulting in clad-core interface migration and GBP of Si into the core, both involving local melting and re-solidification of the core alloy. Whenever Si from the clad encounters Mg in the core due to the interaction, Mg2Si precipitates are formed leading to significant improvement of strength. However, the interface migration and GBP drastically reduce the ductility, due to the segregation of coarse secondary phase particles along the newly formed grain boundaries.

Advances in solid-state NMR of cellulose.

PubMed

Foston, Marcus

2014-06-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a well-established analytical and enabling technology in biofuel research. Over the past few decades, lignocellulosic biomass and its conversion to supplement or displace non-renewable feedstocks has attracted increasing interest. The application of solid-state NMR spectroscopy has long been seen as an important tool in the study of cellulose and lignocellulose structure, biosynthesis, and deconstruction, especially considering the limited number of effective solvent systems and the significance of plant cell wall three-dimensional microstructure and component interaction to conversion yield and rate profiles. This article reviews common and recent applications of solid-state NMR spectroscopy methods that provide insight into the structural and dynamic processes of cellulose that control bulk properties and biofuel conversion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Impact Conditions on Feedstock Deposition Behavior of Cold-Sprayed Fe-Based Metallic Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziemian, Constance W.; Wright, Wendelin J.; Cipoletti, David E.

2018-05-01

Cold spray is a promising method by which to deposit dense Fe-based metallic glass coatings on conventional metal substrates. Relatively low process temperatures offer the potential to prevent the crystallization of amorphous feedstock powders while still providing adequate particle softening for bonding and coating formation. In this study, Fe48Mo14Cr15Y2C15B6 powder was sprayed onto a mild steel substrate, using a variety of process conditions, to investigate the feasibility of forming well-bonded amorphous Fe-based coatings. Particle splat adhesion was examined relative to impact conditions, and the limiting values of temperature and velocity associated with successful softening and adhesion were empirically established. Variability of particle sizes, impact temperatures, and impact velocities resulted in splat morphologies ranging from well-adhered deformed particles to substrate craters formed by rebounded particles and a variety of particle/substrate interface conditions. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed the presence of a thin oxide layer between well-adhered particles and the substrate, suggesting that bonding is feasible even with an increased oxygen content at the interface. Results indicate that the proper optimization of cold spray process parameters supports the formation of Fe-based metallic glass coatings that successfully retain their amorphous structure, as well as the superior corrosion and wear-resistant properties of the feedstock powder.

Apparatus, components and operating methods for circulating fluidized bed transport gasifiers and reactors

DOEpatents

Vimalchand, Pannalal; Liu, Guohai; Peng, Wan Wang

2015-02-24

The improvements proposed in this invention provide a reliable apparatus and method to gasify low rank coals in a class of pressurized circulating fluidized bed reactors termed "transport gasifier." The embodiments overcome a number of operability and reliability problems with existing gasifiers. The systems and methods address issues related to distribution of gasification agent without the use of internals, management of heat release to avoid any agglomeration and clinker formation, specific design of bends to withstand the highly erosive environment due to high solid particles circulation rates, design of a standpipe cyclone to withstand high temperature gasification environment, compact design of seal-leg that can handle high mass solids flux, design of nozzles that eliminate plugging, uniform aeration of large diameter Standpipe, oxidant injection at the cyclone exits to effectively modulate gasifier exit temperature and reduction in overall height of the gasifier with a modified non-mechanical valve.

Zr doping effect with low-cost solid-state reaction method to synthesize submicron Li4Ti5O12 anode material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Inseok; Lee, Cheul-Ro; Kim, Jae-Kwang

2017-09-01

To improve the electrochemical properties, fine Zr-doping Li4Ti5O12 anode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries with a uniform particle size distribution were synthesized by a modified solid-state reaction using fine Li2CO3 and TiO2 (anatase) powders as precursors with a Li:Ti molar ratio of 4:5. The use of fine Li2CO3 and TiO2 (anatase) powders as precursors prevented the formation of ZrO2 at 0.1 mol Zr-doping. XRD analysis revealed that the substitution of Zr for Ti leads to the increase of lattice parameters, allowing improved Li diffusion. The discharge capacity retention increased slightly with Zr-doping and the 0.1 mol Zr-doped Li4Ti5O12 electrode achieved 99% retention of discharge capacity.

Surface-modified multifunctional MIP nanoparticles.

PubMed

Moczko, Ewa; Poma, Alessandro; Guerreiro, Antonio; Perez de Vargas Sansalvador, Isabel; Caygill, Sarah; Canfarotta, Francesco; Whitcombe, Michael J; Piletsky, Sergey

2013-05-07

The synthesis of core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP NPs) has been performed using a novel solid-phase approach on immobilised templates. The same solid phase also acts as a protective functionality for high affinity binding sites during subsequent derivatisation/shell formation. This procedure allows for the rapid synthesis, controlled separation and purification of high-affinity materials, with each production cycle taking just 2 hours. The aim of this approach is to synthesise uniformly sized imprinted materials at the nanoscale which can be readily grafted with various polymers without affecting their affinity and specificity. For demonstration purposes we grafted anti-melamine MIP NPs with coatings which introduce the following surface characteristics: high polarity (PEG methacrylate); electro-activity (vinylferrocene); fluorescence (eosin acrylate); thiol groups (pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate)). The method has broad applicability and can be used to produce multifunctional imprinted nanoparticles with potential for further application in the biosensors, diagnostics and biomedical fields and as an alternative to natural receptors.

Fermentative production of high titer citric acid from corn stover feedstock after dry dilute acid pretreatment and biodetoxification.

PubMed

Zhou, Ping-Ping; Meng, Jiao; Bao, Jie

2017-01-01

The aim of this work is to study the citric acid fermentation by a robust strain Aspergillus niger SIIM M288 using corn stover feedstock after dry dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment and biodetoxification. Citric acid at 100.04g/L with the yield of 94.11% was obtained, which are comparable to the starch or sucrose based citric acid fermentation. No free wastewater was generated in the overall process from the pretreatment to citric acid fermentation. Abundant divalent metal ions as well as high titer of potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen were found in corn stover hydrolysate. Further addition of extra nutrients showed no impact on increasing citric acid formation except minimum nitrogen source was required. Various fermentation parameters were tested and only minimum regulation was required during the fermentation. This study provided a biorefining process for citric acid fermentation from lignocellulose feedstock with the maximum citric acid titer and yield. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sunlight assisted direct amide formation via a charge-transfer complex.

PubMed

Cohen, Irit; Mishra, Abhaya K; Parvari, Galit; Edrei, Rachel; Dantus, Mauricio; Eichen, Yoav; Szpilman, Alex M

2017-09-12

We report on the use of charge-transfer complexes between amines and carbon tetrachloride, as a novel way to activate the amine for photochemical reactions. This principle is demonstrated in a mild, transition metal free, visible light assisted, dealkylative amide formation from feedstock carboxylic acids and amines. The low absorption coefficient of the complex allows deep light penetration and thus scale up to a gram scale.

Partial dissolution of ACQ-treated wood in lithium chloride/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone: Separation of copper from potential lignocellulosic feedstocks

Treesearch

Thomas L. Eberhardt; Stan Lebow; Karen G. Reed

2012-01-01

A cellulose solvent system based on lithium chloride (LiCl) in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) was used to assess the merits of partial dissolutions of coarsely ground wood samples. Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ)-treated pine wood was of particular interest for treatment given the potential to generate a copper- rich stream apart from solid and/or liquid...

Waste to Energy Potential - A High Concentration Anaerobic Bioreactor

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-23

process • bacteria consume approximately 50-70% of the solids placed in the bioreactor and, generate a biogas • What do you get? • Biogas that can be...Symposium & Exhibition Objectives of the Demo • Establish the inoculation/startup procedures • Optimize presorting requirements • Evaluate biogas ...quality • Establish biogas pre-conditioning requirements • Understand the cause of upset conditions • Determine – optimal mixture of feedstock

High solids Quasi-Simultaneous Enzymatic Saccharification and Fermentation of Un-Detoxified Whole Slurry of SPORL Pretreated Douglas-fir Forest Residue

Treesearch

Jinlan Cheng; S.-Y. Leu; Roland Gleisner; X.J. Pan; J.Y. Zhu

2014-01-01

Forest residue is the most affordable feedstock for biofuel production as stated in a recent US National Research Council Report. Softwood forest residue represents a significant amount of woody biomass that can be sustainably used to produce biofuel. It also has very low contents of acetyl groups and 5-carbon polysaccharides, favorable for biofuel production through...

Energy recovery from wastewater treatment plants through sludge anaerobic digestion: effect of low-organic-content sludge.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuyao; Li, Huan

2017-09-18

During anaerobic digestion, low-organic-content sludge sometimes is used as feedstock, resulting in deteriorated digestion performance. The operational experience of conventional anaerobic digestion cannot be applied to this situation. To investigate the feature of low-organic-content sludge digestion and explain its intrinsic mechanism, batch experiments were conducted using designed feedstock having volatile solids (VS) contents that were 30-64% of total solids (TS). The results showed that the accumulative biogas yield declined proportionally from 173.7 to 64.8 ml/g VS added and organic removal rate decreased from 34.8 to 11.8% with decreasing VS/TS in the substrate. The oligotrophic environment resulting from low-organic-content substrates led to decreased microbial activity and a switch from butyric fermentation to propionic fermentation. A first-order model described the biogas production from the batch experiments very well, and the degradation coefficient decreased from 0.159 to 0.069 day -1 , exhibiting a positive relation with organic content in substrate. The results observed here corroborated with data from published literature on anaerobic digestion of low-organic-content sludge and showed that it may not be feasible to recover energy from sludge with an organic content lower than 50% through mono digestion.

Fermentative Polyhydroxybutyrate Production from a Novel Feedstock Derived from Bakery Waste

PubMed Central

Lam, Wan Chi; Han, Wei; Lau, Kin Yan; Lei, Ho Man; Lo, Kin Yu; Ng, Wai Yee; Melikoglu, Mehmet

2014-01-01

In this study, Halomonas boliviensis was cultivated on bakery waste hydrolysate and seawater in batch and fed-batch cultures for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production. Results demonstrated that bakery waste hydrolysate and seawater could be efficiently utilized by Halomonas boliviensis while PHB contents between 10 and 30% (w/w) were obtained. Furthermore, three methods for bakery waste hydrolysis were investigated for feedstock preparation. These include: (1) use of crude enzyme extracts from Aspergillus awamori, (2) Aspergillus awamori solid mashes, and (3) commercial glucoamylase. In the first method, the resultant free amino nitrogen (FAN) concentration in hydrolysates was 150 and 250 mg L−1 after 20 hours at enzyme-to-solid ratios of 6.9 and 13.1 U g−1, respectively. In both cases, the final glucose concentration was around 130–150 g L−1. In the second method, the resultant FAN and glucose concentrations were 250 mg L−1 and 150 g L−1, respectively. In the third method, highest glucose and lowest FAN concentrations of 170–200 g L−1 and 100 mg L−1, respectively, were obtained in hydrolysates after only 5 hours. The present work has generated promising information contributing to the sustainable production of bioplastic using bakery waste hydrolysate. PMID:25136626

Sensor array for the detection of organic and inorganic contaminants in post-consumer recycled plastics for food contact.

PubMed

Davis, Nathan; Danes, Jeffrey E; Vorst, Keith

2017-10-01

Post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic material is made by collecting used plastic products (e.g., bottles and other plastic packaging materials) and reprocessing them into solid-state pellets or flakes. Plastic recycling has positive environmental benefits, but may also carry potential drawbacks due to unwanted organic and inorganic contaminants. These contaminants can migrate into food packaging made from these recycled plastic materials. The purpose of this research was to identify economically viable real-time monitoring technologies that can be used during the conversion of virgin and recycled resin feedstocks (i.e., various blends of virgin pellets and recycled solid-state pellet or mechanically ground flake) to final articles to ensure the safety, quality and sustainability of packaging feedstocks. Baseline analysis (validation) of real-time technologies was conducted using industry-standard practices for polymer analysis. The data yielded supervised predictive models developed by training sessions completed in a controlled laboratory setting. This technology can be employed to evaluate compliance and aid converters in commodity sourcing of resin without exceeding regulatory thresholds. Furthermore, this technology allowed for real-time decision and diversion strategies during the conversion of resin and flake to final articles or products to minimise the negative impact on human health and environmental exposure.

A highly reversible room-temperature sodium metal anode

DOE PAGES

Seh, Zhi Wei; Sun, Jie; Sun, Yongming; ...

2015-11-02

Owing to its low cost and high natural abundance, sodium metal is among the most promising anode materials for energy storage technologies beyond lithium ion batteries. However, room-temperature sodium metal anodes suffer from poor reversibility during long-term plating and stripping, mainly due to formation of nonuniform solid electrolyte interphase as well as dendritic growth of sodium metal. Herein we report for the first time that a simple liquid electrolyte, sodium hexafluorophosphate in glymes (mono-, di-, and tetraglyme), can enable highly reversible and nondendritic plating–stripping of sodium metal anodes at room temperature. High average Coulombic efficiencies of 99.9% were achieved overmore » 300 plating–stripping cycles at 0.5 mA cm –2. In this study, the long-term reversibility was found to arise from the formation of a uniform, inorganic solid electrolyte interphase made of sodium oxide and sodium fluoride, which is highly impermeable to electrolyte solvent and conducive to nondendritic growth. As a proof of concept, we also demonstrate a room-temperature sodium–sulfur battery using this class of electrolytes, paving the way for the development of next-generation, sodium-based energy storage technologies.« less

Snakes on a plane: modeling flexible active nematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selinger, Robin

Active soft matter systems of self-propelled rod-shaped particles exhibit ordered phases and collective behavior that are remarkably different from their passive analogs. In nature, many self-propelled rod-shaped particles, such as gliding bacteria and kinesin-driven microtubules, are flexible and can bend. We model these ``living liquid crystals'' to explore their phase behavior, dynamics, and pattern formation. We model particles as short polymers via molecular dynamics with a Langevin thermostat and various types of activity, substrate, and environments. For self-propelled polar particles gliding on a solid substrate, we map out the phase diagram as a function of particle density and flexibility. We compare simulated defect structures to those observed in colonies of gliding myxobacteria; compare spooling behavior to that observed in microtubule gliding assays; and analyze emergence of nematic and polar order. Next we explore pattern formation of self-propelled polar particles under flexible encapsulation, and on substrates with non-uniform Gaussian curvature. Lastly, we impose an activity mechanism that mimics extensile shear, study flexible particles both on solid substrates and coupled to a lipid membrane, and discuss comparisons to relevant experiments. Work performed in collaboration with Michael Varga (Kent State) and Luca Giomi (Universiteit Leiden.) Work supported by NSF DMR-1409658.

Particle circulation and solids transport in large bubbling fluidized beds. Progress report

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

Homsy, G.M.

1982-04-01

We have undertaken a theoretical study of the possibility of the formation of plumes or channeling when coal particles volatilize upon introduction to a fluidized bed, Fitzgerald (1980). We have completed the analysis of the basic state of uniform flow and are currently completing a stability analysis. We have modified the continuum equations of fluidization, Homsy et al. (1980), to include the source of gas due to volatilization, which we assume to be uniformly distributed spatially. Simplifying these equations and solving leads to the prediction of a basic state analogous to the state of uniform fluidization found when no sourcemore » is present within the medium. We are currently completing a stability analysis of this basic state which will give the critical volatilization rate above which the above simple basic state is unstable. Because of the experimental evidence of Jewett and Lawless (1981), who observed regularly spaced plume-like instabilities upon drying a bed of saturated silica gel, we are considering two-dimensional periodic disturbances. The analysis is similar to that given by Homsy, et al. (1980) and Medlin et al. (1974). We hope to determine the stability limits for this system shortly.« less

Insulin Particle Formation in Supersaturated Aqueous Solutions of Poly(Ethylene Glycol)

PubMed Central

Bromberg, Lev; Rashba-Step, Julia; Scott, Terrence

2005-01-01

Protein microspheres are of particular utility in the field of drug delivery. A novel, completely aqueous, process of microsphere fabrication has been devised based on controlled phase separation of protein from water-soluble polymers such as polyethylene glycols. The fabrication process results in the formation of spherical microparticles with narrow particle size distributions. Cooling of preheated human insulin-poly(ethylene glycol)-water solutions results in the facile formation of insulin particles. To map out the supersaturation conditions conducive to particle nucleation and growth, we determined the temperature- and concentration-dependent boundaries of an equilibrium liquid-solid phase separation. The kinetics of formation of microspheres were followed by dynamic and continuous-angle static light scattering techniques. The presence of PEG at a pH that was close to the protein's isoelectric point resulted in rapid nucleation and growth. The time elapsed from the moment of creation of a supersaturated solution and the detection of a solid phase in the system (the induction period, tind) ranged from tens to several hundreds of seconds. The dependence of tind on supersaturation could be described within the framework of classical nucleation theory, with the time needed for the formation of a critical nucleus (size <10 nm) being much longer than the time of the onset of particle growth. The growth was limited by cluster diffusion kinetics. The interfacial energies of the insulin particles were determined to be 3.2–3.4 and 2.2 mJ/m2 at equilibrium temperatures of 25 and 37°C, respectively. The insulin particles formed as a result of the process were monodisperse and uniformly spherical, in clear distinction to previously reported processes of microcrystalline insulin particle formation. PMID:16254391

Thermochemical conversion of microalgal biomass into biofuels: a review.

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Hsin; Lin, Bo-Jhih; Huang, Ming-Yueh; Chang, Jo-Shu

2015-05-01

Following first-generation and second-generation biofuels produced from food and non-food crops, respectively, algal biomass has become an important feedstock for the production of third-generation biofuels. Microalgal biomass is characterized by rapid growth and high carbon fixing efficiency when they grow. On account of potential of mass production and greenhouse gas uptake, microalgae are promising feedstocks for biofuels development. Thermochemical conversion is an effective process for biofuel production from biomass. The technology mainly includes torrefaction, liquefaction, pyrolysis, and gasification. Through these conversion technologies, solid, liquid, and gaseous biofuels are produced from microalgae for heat and power generation. The liquid bio-oils can further be upgraded for chemicals, while the synthesis gas can be synthesized into liquid fuels. This paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art review of the thermochemical conversion technologies of microalgal biomass into fuels. Detailed conversion processes and their outcome are also addressed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilization of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation residues as feedstock for lipid accumulation in Rhodococcus opacus.

PubMed

Le, Rosemary K; Das, Parthapratim; Mahan, Kristina M; Anderson, Seth A; Wells, Tyrone; Yuan, Joshua S; Ragauskas, Arthur J

2017-09-29

Use of oleaginous microorganisms as "micro-factories" for accumulation of single cell oils for biofuel production has increased significantly to mitigate growing energy demands, resulting in efforts to upgrade industrial waste, such as second-generation lignocellulosic residues, into potential feedstocks. Dilute-acid pretreatment (DAP) is commonly used to alter the physicochemical properties of lignocellulosic materials and is typically coupled with simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) for conversion of sugars into ethanol. The resulting DAP residues are usually processed as a waste stream, e.g. burned for power, but this provides minimal value. Alternatively, these wastes can be utilized as feedstock to generate lipids, which can be converted to biofuel. DAP-SSF residues were generated from pine, poplar, and switchgrass. High performance liquid chromatography revealed less than 0.13% monomeric sugars in the dry residue. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was indicative of the presence of lignin and polysaccharides. Gel permeation chromatography suggested the bacterial strains preferred molecules with molecular weight ~ 400-500 g/mol. DAP-SSF residues were used as the sole carbon source for lipid production by Rhodococcus opacus DSM 1069 and PD630 in batch fermentations. Depending on the strain of Rhodococcus employed, 9-11 lipids for PD630 and DSM 1069 were observed, at a final concentration of ~ 15 mg/L fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) detected. Though the DAP-SSF substrate resulted in low FAME titers, novel analysis of solid-state fermentations was investigated, which determined that DAP-SSF residues could be a viable feedstock for lipid generation.

Molecular Dissection of Xylan Biosynthesis During Wood Formation in Poplar

EPA Science Inventory

Xylan, being the second most abundant polysaccharide in dicot wood, is considered to be one of the factors contributing to wood biomass recalcitrance for biofuel production. To better utilize wood as biofuel feedstock, it is crucial to functionally characterize all the genes invo...

Nicholas J. Nagle | NREL

Science.gov Websites

presentation. Featured Publications "Impact of biomass processing, blending and densification, on J. Nagle Photo of Nicholas J. Nagle Nicholas Nagle Researcher IV-Chemical Engineering Nick.Nagle impact on lignin upgrading post conversion. As feedstocks rapidly evolve into new formats, such as

Powder Injection Molding of Ceramic Engine Components for Transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenz, Juergen; Enneti, Ravi K.; Onbattuvelli, Valmikanathan; Kate, Kunal; Martin, Renee; Atre, Sundar

2012-03-01

Silicon nitride has been the favored material for manufacturing high-efficiency engine components for transportation due to its high temperature stability, good wear resistance, excellent corrosion resistance, thermal shock resistance, and low density. The use of silicon nitride in engine components greatly depends on the ability to fabricate near net-shape components economically. The absence of a material database for design and simulation has further restricted the engineering community in developing parts from silicon nitride. In this paper, the design and manufacturability of silicon nitride engine rotors for unmanned aerial vehicles by the injection molding process are discussed. The feedstock material property data obtained from experiments were used to simulate the flow of the material during injection molding. The areas susceptible to the formation of defects during the injection molding process of the engine component were identified from the simulations. A test sample was successfully injection molded using the feedstock and sintered to 99% density without formation of significant observable defects.

Gasification Slag and the Mechanisms by Which Phosphorous Additions Reduce Slag Wear and Corrosion in High Cr2O3 Refractories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, James; Nakano, Anna; Nakano, Jinichiro; Thomas, Hugh

Gasification is a high-temperature/high-pressure process that converts carbonaceous materials such as coal and/or petcoke into CO and H2, feedstock materials used in power generation and chemical production. Gasification is considered an important technology because of its high process efficiency and the ability to capture environmental pollutants such as CO2, SO3 and Hg. Ash impurities in the carbon feedstock materials melt and coalesce during gasification (1325-1575 °C), becoming slag that attaches to and flows down the gasifier sidewall, corroding and eroding the high Cr2O3 refractory liner used to protect the gasification chamber. Phosphate additions to high Cr2O3 refractory have been found to alter slag/refractory interactions and dramatically reduce refractory wear by the following mechanisms: a) spinel formation, b) slag chemistry changes, c) two phase liquid formation, and d) oxidation state changes. The mechanisms and how they work together to impact material wear/corrosion will be discussed.

Humidity influence on atomic force microscopy electrostatic nanolithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyuksyutov, Sergei; Juhl, Shane; Vaia, Richard

2006-03-01

The formation and sustainability of water menisci and bridges between solid dielectric surface and nano-asperity under external electrostatic potential is a mystery, which must be adequately explained. The goal of our study is twofold: (i) To address the influence of an ambient humidity through the water meniscus formation on the nanostructure formation in soften polymeric surfaces; (ii) Estimate an electric charge generation and transport inside the water meniscus in vicinity of nanoscale asperity taking into consideration an induced water ionization in strong non-uniform electric field of magnitude up to 10^10 Vm-1. It is suspected that strong electric field inside a polymer matrix activates the hoping mechanism of conductivity. The electrons are supplied by tunneling of conductive tip, and also through water ionization. Electric current associated with these free carriers produces Jule heating of a small volume of polymer film heating it above the glass transition temperature. Nanostructures are created by mass transport of visco-elastic polymer melt enabling high structure densities on polymer film.

Ambient nitrogen reduction cycle using a hybrid inorganic–biological system

PubMed Central

Liu, Chong; Sakimoto, Kelsey K.; Colón, Brendan C.; Silver, Pamela A.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate the synthesis of NH3 from N2 and H2O at ambient conditions in a single reactor by coupling hydrogen generation from catalytic water splitting to a H2-oxidizing bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus, which performs N2 and CO2 reduction to solid biomass. Living cells of X. autotrophicus may be directly applied as a biofertilizer to improve growth of radishes, a model crop plant, by up to ∼1,440% in terms of storage root mass. The NH3 generated from nitrogenase (N2ase) in X. autotrophicus can be diverted from biomass formation to an extracellular ammonia production with the addition of a glutamate synthetase inhibitor. The N2 reduction reaction proceeds at a low driving force with a turnover number of 9 × 109 cell–1 and turnover frequency of 1.9 × 104 s–1⋅cell–1 without the use of sacrificial chemical reagents or carbon feedstocks other than CO2. This approach can be powered by renewable electricity, enabling the sustainable and selective production of ammonia and biofertilizers in a distributed manner. PMID:28588143

Liquid hydrogen production via hydrogen sulfide methane reformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Cunping; T-Raissi, Ali

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) methane (CH 4) reformation (H 2SMR) (2H 2S + CH 4 = CS 2 + 4H 2) is a potentially viable process for the removal of H 2S from sour natural gas resources or other methane containing gases. Unlike steam methane reformation that generates carbon dioxide as a by-product, H 2SMR produces carbon disulfide (CS 2), a liquid under ambient temperature and pressure-a commodity chemical that is also a feedstock for the synthesis of sulfuric acid. Pinch point analyses for H 2SMR were conducted to determine the reaction conditions necessary for no carbon lay down to occur. Calculations showed that to prevent solid carbon formation, low inlet CH 4 to H 2S ratios are needed. In this paper, we analyze H 2SMR with either a cryogenic process or a membrane separation operation for production of either liquid or gaseous hydrogen. Of the three H 2SMR hydrogen production flowsheets analyzed, direct liquid hydrogen generation has higher first and second law efficiencies of exceeding 80% and 50%, respectively.

Xylose production from corn stover biomass by steam explosion combined with enzymatic digestibility.

PubMed

Liu, Zhi-Hua; Chen, Hong-Zhang

2015-10-01

A novel conversion process using steam explosion combined with enzymatic digestibility was exploited to increase sugar yield. Results showed that glucan and xylan recovery decreased with the increase of holding temperature and residence time in SE, respectively, while glucan and xylan conversion exhibited an opposite trend. The optimal conditions of steam explosion were 160 °C and 48 min, under which glucan and xylan recovery was 93.4% and 71.6%, respectively. Glucan and xylan conversion at 18% solid loading by periodic peristalsis increased by 3.4-5.8% and 4.5-6.2%, respectively, compared with that by water baths shaker. In the whole process, glucose, xylose and total sugar yield reached to 77.3%, 62.8% and 72.3%, respectively. The yield of hydroxymethyl furfural, furfural and lignin-derived products was 6.3 × 10(-2), 7.5 × 10(-2) and less than 3.7 × 10(-2) g/100 g feedstock, respectively. This novel conversion process increased sugar recovery, reduced degradation products formation, improved digestibility efficiency, and hence increased sugar yield. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formation of coffee-stain patterns at the nanoscale: The role of nanoparticle solubility and solvent evaporation rate.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianguo; Milzetti, Jasmin; Leroy, Frédéric; Müller-Plathe, Florian

2017-03-21

When droplets of nanoparticle suspension evaporate from surfaces, they leave behind a deposit of nanoparticles. The mechanism of evaporation-induced pattern formation in the deposit is studied by molecular dynamics simulations for sessile nanodroplets. The influence of the interaction between nanoparticles and liquid molecules and the influence of the evaporation rate on the final deposition pattern are addressed. When the nanoparticle-liquid interaction is weaker than the liquid-liquid interaction, an interaction-driven or evaporation-induced layer of nanoparticles appears at the liquid-vapor interface and eventually collapses onto the solid surface to form a uniform deposit independently of the evaporation rate. When the nanoparticle-liquid and liquid-liquid interactions are comparable, the nanoparticles are dispersed inside the droplet and evaporation takes place with the contact line pinned at a surface defect. In such a case, a pattern with an approximate ring-like shape is found with fast evaporation, while a more uniform distribution is observed with slower evaporation. When the liquid-nanoparticle interaction is stronger than the liquid-liquid interaction, evaporation always occurs with receding contact line. The final deposition pattern changes from volcano-like to pancake-like with decreasing evaporation rate. These findings might help to design nanoscale structures like nanopatterns or nanowires on surface through controlled solvent evaporation.

Formation of coffee-stain patterns at the nanoscale: The role of nanoparticle solubility and solvent evaporation rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jianguo; Milzetti, Jasmin; Leroy, Frédéric; Müller-Plathe, Florian

2017-03-01

When droplets of nanoparticle suspension evaporate from surfaces, they leave behind a deposit of nanoparticles. The mechanism of evaporation-induced pattern formation in the deposit is studied by molecular dynamics simulations for sessile nanodroplets. The influence of the interaction between nanoparticles and liquid molecules and the influence of the evaporation rate on the final deposition pattern are addressed. When the nanoparticle-liquid interaction is weaker than the liquid-liquid interaction, an interaction-driven or evaporation-induced layer of nanoparticles appears at the liquid-vapor interface and eventually collapses onto the solid surface to form a uniform deposit independently of the evaporation rate. When the nanoparticle-liquid and liquid-liquid interactions are comparable, the nanoparticles are dispersed inside the droplet and evaporation takes place with the contact line pinned at a surface defect. In such a case, a pattern with an approximate ring-like shape is found with fast evaporation, while a more uniform distribution is observed with slower evaporation. When the liquid-nanoparticle interaction is stronger than the liquid-liquid interaction, evaporation always occurs with receding contact line. The final deposition pattern changes from volcano-like to pancake-like with decreasing evaporation rate. These findings might help to design nanoscale structures like nanopatterns or nanowires on surface through controlled solvent evaporation.

Bubbling bed catalytic hydropyrolysis process utilizing larger catalyst particles and smaller biomass particles featuring an anti-slugging reactor

DOEpatents

Marker, Terry L; Felix, Larry G; Linck, Martin B; Roberts, Michael J

2014-09-23

This invention relates to a process for thermochemically transforming biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks into high quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels. In particular, a catalytic hydropyrolysis reactor, containing a deep bed of fluidized catalyst particles is utilized to accept particles of biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks that are significantly smaller than the particles of catalyst in the fluidized bed. The reactor features an insert or other structure disposed within the reactor vessel that inhibits slugging of the bed and thereby minimizes attrition of the catalyst. Within the bed, the biomass feedstock is converted into a vapor-phase product, containing hydrocarbon molecules and other process vapors, and an entrained solid char product, which is separated from the vapor stream after the vapor stream has been exhausted from the top of the reactor. When the product vapor stream is cooled to ambient temperatures, a significant proportion of the hydrocarbons in the product vapor stream can be recovered as a liquid stream of hydrophobic hydrocarbons, with properties consistent with those of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel. Separate streams of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel may also be obtained, either via selective condensation of each type of fuel, or via later distillation of the combined hydrocarbon liquid.

Bubbling bed catalytic hydropyrolysis process utilizinig larger catalyst particles and small biomass particles featuring an anti-slugging reactor

DOEpatents

Marker, Terry L.; Felix, Larry G.; Linck, Martin B.; Roberts, Michael J.

2016-12-06

This invention relates to a process for thermochemically transforming biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks into high quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels. In particular, a catalytic hydropyrolysis reactor, containing a deep bed of fluidized catalyst particles is utilized to accept particles of biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks that are significantly smaller than the particles of catalyst in the fluidized bed. The reactor features an insert or other structure disposed within the reactor vessel that inhibits slugging of the bed and thereby minimizes attrition of the catalyst. Within the bed, the biomass feedstock is converted into a vapor-phase product, containing hydrocarbon molecules and other process vapors, and an entrained solid char product, which is separated from the vapor stream after the vapor stream has been exhausted from the top of the reactor. When the product vapor stream is cooled to ambient temperatures, a significant proportion of the hydrocarbons in the product vapor stream can be recovered as a liquid stream of hydrophobic hydrocarbons, with properties consistent with those of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel. Separate streams of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel may also be obtained, either via selective condensation of each type of fuel, or via later distillation of the combined hydrocarbon liquid.

Effects of production and market factors on ethanol profitability for an integrated first and second generation ethanol plant using the whole sugarcane as feedstock

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Sugarcane is an attractive feedstock for ethanol production, especially if the lignocellulosic fraction can also be treated in second generation (2G) ethanol plants. However, the profitability of 2G ethanol is affected by the processing conditions, operating costs and market prices. This study focuses on the minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) and maximum profitability of ethanol production in an integrated first and second generation (1G + 2G) sugarcane-to-ethanol plant. The feedstock used was sugarcane juice, bagasse and leaves. The lignocellulosic fraction was hydrolysed with enzymes. Yields were assumed to be 95% of the theoretical for each of the critical steps in the process (steam pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis (EH), fermentation, solid/liquid separation, anaerobic digestion) in order to obtain the best conditions possible for ethanol production, to assess the lowest production costs. Techno-economic analysis was performed for various combinations of process options (for example use of pentoses, addition of leaves), EH conditions (water-insoluble solids (WIS) and residence time), operating cost (enzymes) and market factors (wholesale prices of electricity and ethanol, cost of the feedstock). Results The greatest reduction in 2G MESP was achieved when using the pentoses for the production of ethanol rather than biogas. This was followed, in decreasing order, by higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency (EHE), by increasing the WIS to 30% and by a short residence time (48 hours) in the EH. The addition of leaves was found to have a slightly negative impact on 1G + 2G MESP, but the effect on 2G MESP was negligible. Sugarcane price significantly affected 1G + 2G MESP, while the price of leaves had a much lower impact. Net present value (NPV) analysis of the most interesting case showed that integrated 1G + 2G ethanol production including leaves could be more profitable than 1G ethanol, despite the fact that the MESP was higher than in 1G ethanol production. Conclusions A combined 1G + 2G ethanol plant could potentially outperform a 1G plant in terms of NPV, depending on market wholesale prices of ethanol and electricity. Therefore, although it is more expensive than 1G ethanol production, 2G ethanol production can make the integrated 1G + 2G process more profitable. PMID:24559312

Effects of production and market factors on ethanol profitability for an integrated first and second generation ethanol plant using the whole sugarcane as feedstock.

PubMed

Macrelli, Stefano; Galbe, Mats; Wallberg, Ola

2014-02-21

Sugarcane is an attractive feedstock for ethanol production, especially if the lignocellulosic fraction can also be treated in second generation (2G) ethanol plants. However, the profitability of 2G ethanol is affected by the processing conditions, operating costs and market prices. This study focuses on the minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) and maximum profitability of ethanol production in an integrated first and second generation (1G + 2G) sugarcane-to-ethanol plant. The feedstock used was sugarcane juice, bagasse and leaves. The lignocellulosic fraction was hydrolysed with enzymes. Yields were assumed to be 95% of the theoretical for each of the critical steps in the process (steam pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis (EH), fermentation, solid/liquid separation, anaerobic digestion) in order to obtain the best conditions possible for ethanol production, to assess the lowest production costs. Techno-economic analysis was performed for various combinations of process options (for example use of pentoses, addition of leaves), EH conditions (water-insoluble solids (WIS) and residence time), operating cost (enzymes) and market factors (wholesale prices of electricity and ethanol, cost of the feedstock). The greatest reduction in 2G MESP was achieved when using the pentoses for the production of ethanol rather than biogas. This was followed, in decreasing order, by higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency (EHE), by increasing the WIS to 30% and by a short residence time (48 hours) in the EH. The addition of leaves was found to have a slightly negative impact on 1G + 2G MESP, but the effect on 2G MESP was negligible. Sugarcane price significantly affected 1G + 2G MESP, while the price of leaves had a much lower impact. Net present value (NPV) analysis of the most interesting case showed that integrated 1G + 2G ethanol production including leaves could be more profitable than 1G ethanol, despite the fact that the MESP was higher than in 1G ethanol production. A combined 1G + 2G ethanol plant could potentially outperform a 1G plant in terms of NPV, depending on market wholesale prices of ethanol and electricity. Therefore, although it is more expensive than 1G ethanol production, 2G ethanol production can make the integrated 1G + 2G process more profitable.

Mechanically driven centrifugal pyrolyzer

DOEpatents

Linck, Martin Brendan [Mount Prospect, IL; Bush, Phillip Vann [Bartlett, IL

2012-03-06

An apparatus for fast pyrolysis of biomass and other solid organic materials including a vertically oriented cylindrical vessel having a solids outlet proximate the bottom thereof, a vapor outlet, a top wall forming at least one opening, and an adjacent heated side wall. Disposed within the cylindrical vessel and extending through the at least one opening in the top wall is a rotor having a rotatable shaft coincident with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical vessel to which is attached at least one substantially vertically oriented blade having one edge connected directly or indirectly with the rotatable shaft and having an opposite edge spaced apart from the heated side wall, whereby a non-radial, preferably tangential, force is imparted on the feedstock in the cylindrical vessel. Also disclosed is a method for fast pyrolysis of biomass and other solid organic materials.

Solid-shape energy fuels from recyclable municipal solid waste and plastics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gug, Jeongin

Diversion of waste streams, such as plastics, wood and paper, from municipal landfills and extraction of useful materials from landfills is an area of increasing interest across the country, especially in densely populated areas. One promising technology for recycling MSW (municipal solid waste) is to burn the high energy content components in standard coal boilers. This research seeks to reform wastes into briquette that are compatible with typical coal combustion processes. In order to comply with the standards of coal-fired power plants, the feedstock must be mechanically robust, moisture resistance, and retain high fuel value. Household waste with high paper and fibers content was used as the base material for this study. It was combined with recyclable plastics such as PE, PP, PET and PS for enhanced binding and energy efficiency. Fuel pellets were processed using a compression molding technique. The resulting moisture absorption, proximate analysis from burning, and mechanical properties were investigated after sample production and then compared with reference data for commercial coals and biomass briquettes. The effects of moisture content, compression pressure and processing temperature were studied to identify the optimal processing conditions with water uptake tests for the durability of samples under humid conditions and burning tests to examine the composition of samples. Lastly, mechanical testing revealed the structural stability of solid fuels. The properties of fuel briquettes produced from waste and recycled plastics improved with higher processing temperature but without charring the material. Optimization of moisture content and removal of air bubbles increased the density, stability and mechanical strength. The sample composition was found to be more similar to biomass fuels than coals because the majority of the starting material was paper-based solid waste. According to the proximate analysis results, the waste fuels can be expected to have low temperature ignition, less char formation and reduced CO2 emission with the high heating energy value similar to coal. It is concluded that solid fuels from paper based waste and plastics can be a good energy resource as an alternative and sustainable fuel, which may help to alleviate the environmental problems related to landfill space at the same time.

Biodiesel production from municipal secondary sludge.

PubMed

Kumar, Manish; Ghosh, Pooja; Khosla, Khushboo; Thakur, Indu Shekhar

2016-09-01

In the present study, feasibility of biodiesel production from freeze dried sewage sludge was studied and its yield was enhanced by optimization of the in situ transesterification conditions (temperature, catalyst and concentration of sludge solids). Optimized conditions (45°C, 5% catalyst and 0.16g/mL sludge solids) resulted in a 20.76±0.04% biodiesel yield. The purity of biodiesel was ascertained by GC-MS, FT-IR and NMR ((1)H and (13)C) spectroscopy. The biodiesel profile obtained revealed the predominance of methyl esters of fatty acids such as oleic, palmitic, myristic, stearic, lauric, palmitoleic and linoleic acids indicating potential use of sludge as a biodiesel feedstock. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reaction pathways for the deoxygenation of vegetable oils and related model compounds.

PubMed

Gosselink, Robert W; Hollak, Stefan A W; Chang, Shu-Wei; van Haveren, Jacco; de Jong, Krijn P; Bitter, Johannes H; van Es, Daan S

2013-09-01

Vegetable oil-based feeds are regarded as an alternative source for the production of fuels and chemicals. Paraffins and olefins can be produced from these feeds through catalytic deoxygenation. The fundamentals of this process are mostly studied by using model compounds such as fatty acids, fatty acid esters, and specific triglycerides because of their structural similarity to vegetable oils. In this Review we discuss the impact of feedstock, reaction conditions, and nature of the catalyst on the reaction pathways of the deoxygenation of vegetable oils and its derivatives. As such, we conclude on the suitability of model compounds for this reaction. It is shown that the type of catalyst has a significant effect on the deoxygenation pathway, that is, group 10 metal catalysts are active in decarbonylation/decarboxylation whereas metal sulfide catalysts are more selective to hydrodeoxygenation. Deoxygenation studies performed under H2 showed similar pathways for fatty acids, fatty acid esters, triglycerides, and vegetable oils, as mostly deoxygenation occurs indirectly via the formation of fatty acids. Deoxygenation in the absence of H2 results in significant differences in reaction pathways and selectivities depending on the feedstock. Additionally, using unsaturated feedstocks under inert gas results in a high selectivity to undesired reactions such as cracking and the formation of heavies. Therefore, addition of H2 is proposed to be essential for the catalytic deoxygenation of vegetable oil feeds. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Comparison of biochar formation from various agricultural by-products using FTIR spectroscopy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biochar is charred material produced by the pyrolysis of organic biomass. In this work, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of different agricultural by-products feedstock and their derived biochars were collected to explore the potential of FTIR technique as a simple and rapid method for char...

Pyrolysis temperature affects phosphorus transformation in biochar: Chemical fractionation and (31)P NMR analysis.

PubMed

Xu, Gang; Zhang, You; Shao, Hongbo; Sun, Junna

2016-11-01

Phosphorus (P) recycling or reuse by pyrolyzing crop residue has recently elicited increased research interest. However, the effects of feedstock and pyrolysis conditions on P species have not been fully understood. Such knowledge is important in identifying the agronomic and environmental uses of biochar. Residues of three main Chinese agricultural crops and the biochars (produced at 300°C-600°C) derived from these crops were used to determine P transformations during pyrolysis. Hedley sequential fractionation and (31)P NMR analyses were used in the investigation. Our results showed that P transformation in biochar was significantly affected by pyrolysis temperature regardless of feedstock (Wheat straw, maize straw and peanut husk). Pyrolysis treatment transformed water soluble P into a labile (NaHCO3-Pi) or semi-labile pool (NaOH-Pi) and into a stable pool (Dil. HCl P and residual-P). At the same time, organic P was transformed into inorganic P fractions which was identified by the rapid decomposition of organic P detected with solution (31)P NMR. The P transformation during pyrolysis process suggested more stable P was formed at a higher pyrolysis temperature. This result was also evidenced by the presence of less soluble or stable P species, such as such as poly-P, crandallite (CaAl3(OH)5(PO4)2) and Wavellite (Al3(OH)3(PO4)2·5H2O), as detected by solid-state (31)P NMR in biochars formed at a higher pyrolysis temperature. Furthermore, a significant proportion of less soluble pyrophosphate was identified by solution (2%-35%) and solid-state (8%-53%) (31)P NMR, which was also responsible for the stable P forms at higher pyrolysis temperature although their solubility or stability requires further investigation. Results suggested that a relatively lower pyrolysis temperature retains P availability regardless of feedstock during pyrolysis process. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Method for producing synthetic fuels from solid waste

DOEpatents

Antal, Jr., Michael J.

1976-11-23

Organic solid wastes represented by the general chemical formula C.sub.X H.sub.Y O.sub.Z are reacted with steam at elevated temperatures to produce H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2. The overall process is represented by the reaction C.sub.X H.sub.Y O.sub.Z + 2(X-Z/2)H.sub.2 O.fwdarw..sup..delta.XCO.sub.2 + [(Y/2) + 2(X-Z/2)] H.sub.2 . (1) reaction (1) is endothermic and requires heat. This heat is supplied by a tower top solar furnace; alternatively, some of the solid wastes can be burned to supply heat for the reaction. The hydrogen produced by reaction (1) can be used as a fuel or a chemical feedstock. Alternatively, methanol can be produced by the commercial process CO.sub.2 + 3H.sub.2 .fwdarw. CH.sub.3 OH + H.sub.2 O . (2) since reaction (1) is endothermic, the system represents a method for storing heat energy from an external source in a chemical fuel produced from solid wastes.

Optimization and microbial community analysis for production of biogas from solid waste residues of palm oil mill industry by solid-state anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Suksong, Wantanasak; Kongjan, Prawit; Prasertsan, Poonsuk; Imai, Tsuyoshi; O-Thong, Sompong

2016-08-01

This study investigated the improvement of biogas production from solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) of oil palm biomass by optimizing of total solids (TS) contents, feedstock to inoculum (F:I) ratios and carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratios. Highest methane yield from EFB, OPF and OPT of 358, 280 and 324m(3)CH4ton(-1)VS, respectively, was achieved at TS content of 16%, C:N ratio of 30:1 and F:I ratio of 2:1. The main contribution to methane from biomass was the degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose. The highest methane production of 72m(3)CH4ton(-1) biomass was achieved from EFB. Bacteria community structure in SS-AD process of oil palm biomass was dominated by Ruminococcus sp. and Clostridium sp., while archaea community was dominated by Methanoculleus sp. Oil palm biomass has great potential for methane production via SS-AD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass Supply Logistics and Infrastructure

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

Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine

2009-04-01

Feedstock supply system encompasses numerous unit operations necessary to move lignocellulosic feedstock from the place where it is produced (in the field or on the stump) to the start of the conversion process (reactor throat) of the Biorefinery. These unit operations, which include collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation, represent one of the largest technical and logistics challenges to the emerging lignocellulosic biorefining industry. This chapter briefly reviews methods of estimating the quantities of biomass followed by harvesting and collection processes based on current practices on handling wet and dry forage materials. Storage and queuing are used to deal withmore » seasonal harvest times, variable yields, and delivery schedules. Preprocessing can be as simple as grinding and formatting the biomass for increased bulk density or improved conversion efficiency, or it can be as complex as improving feedstock quality through fractionation, tissue separation, drying, blending, and densification. Handling and Transportation consists of using a variety of transport equipment (truck, train, ship) for moving the biomass from one point to another. The chapter also provides typical cost figures for harvest and processing of biomass.« less

Biomass supply logistics and infrastructure.

PubMed

Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Hess, J Richard

2009-01-01

Feedstock supply system encompasses numerous unit operations necessary to move lignocellulosic feedstock from the place where it is produced (in the field or on the stump) to the start of the conversion process (reactor throat) of the biorefinery. These unit operations, which include collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation, represent one of the largest technical and logistics challenges to the emerging lignocellulosic biorefining industry. This chapter briefly reviews the methods of estimating the quantities of biomass, followed by harvesting and collection processes based on current practices on handling wet and dry forage materials. Storage and queuing are used to deal with seasonal harvest times, variable yields, and delivery schedules. Preprocessing can be as simple as grinding and formatting the biomass for increased bulk density or improved conversion efficiency, or it can be as complex as improving feedstock quality through fractionation, tissue separation, drying, blending, and densification. Handling and transportation consists of using a variety of transport equipment (truck, train, ship) for moving the biomass from one point to another. The chapter also provides typical cost figures for harvest and processing of biomass.

Effect of Increasing Total Solids Contents on Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste under Mesophilic Conditions: Performance and Microbial Characteristics Analysis

PubMed Central

Jin, Jingwei; Dai, Xiaohu

2014-01-01

The total solids content of feedstocks affects the performances of anaerobic digestion and the change of total solids content will lead the change of microbial morphology in systems. In order to increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, it is necessary to understand the role of the total solids content on the behavior of the microbial communities involved in anaerobic digestion of organic matter from wet to dry technology. The performances of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste with different total solids contents from 5% to 20% were compared and the microbial communities in reactors were investigated using 454 pyrosequencing technology. Three stable anaerobic digestion processes were achieved for food waste biodegradation and methane generation. Better performances mainly including volatile solids reduction and methane yield were obtained in the reactors with higher total solids content. Pyrosequencing results revealed significant shifts in bacterial community with increasing total solids contents. The proportion of phylum Chloroflexi decreased obviously with increasing total solids contents while other functional bacteria showed increasing trend. Methanosarcina absolutely dominated in archaeal communities in three reactors and the relative abundance of this group showed increasing trend with increasing total solids contents. These results revealed the effects of the total solids content on the performance parameters and the behavior of the microbial communities involved in the anaerobic digestion of food waste from wet to dry technologies. PMID:25051352

Effect of increasing total solids contents on anaerobic digestion of food waste under mesophilic conditions: performance and microbial characteristics analysis.

PubMed

Yi, Jing; Dong, Bin; Jin, Jingwei; Dai, Xiaohu

2014-01-01

The total solids content of feedstocks affects the performances of anaerobic digestion and the change of total solids content will lead the change of microbial morphology in systems. In order to increase the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, it is necessary to understand the role of the total solids content on the behavior of the microbial communities involved in anaerobic digestion of organic matter from wet to dry technology. The performances of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste with different total solids contents from 5% to 20% were compared and the microbial communities in reactors were investigated using 454 pyrosequencing technology. Three stable anaerobic digestion processes were achieved for food waste biodegradation and methane generation. Better performances mainly including volatile solids reduction and methane yield were obtained in the reactors with higher total solids content. Pyrosequencing results revealed significant shifts in bacterial community with increasing total solids contents. The proportion of phylum Chloroflexi decreased obviously with increasing total solids contents while other functional bacteria showed increasing trend. Methanosarcina absolutely dominated in archaeal communities in three reactors and the relative abundance of this group showed increasing trend with increasing total solids contents. These results revealed the effects of the total solids content on the performance parameters and the behavior of the microbial communities involved in the anaerobic digestion of food waste from wet to dry technologies.

Green plants as solar energy converters

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

Not Available

1976-06-01

A survey covers the potential of energy production from biomass and solid wastes; various processes for the combustion of wastes, such as the co-combustion of solid waste and sewage sludge at the St. Paul/Seneca Treatment Plant Sludge Incinerator; various biological processes for the conversion of solid wastes to fuel such as the Institute of Gas Technology 400 l. digestor for the biogasification of municipal solid waste and sewage solids to a methane-rich product gas; the use of industrial wastes for fuel, such as slash and mill residues used as fuel in lumber mills; the biogasification of animal wastes by usingmore » small-scale on-site digesters to produce methane gas for cooking and lighting; energy farming methods, such as growing giant California kelp, sargassum, and plankton as suitable feedstock for the production of methane, fertilizers, and food; problems, such as the possible alteration of the reflectivity of large areas of the earth's surface by rapidly growing plants raised for biomass; and benefits such as the reduction in air, water, and land pollution associated with the use of wastes and biomass grown especially for energy.« less

A Science and Risk-Based Pragmatic Methodology for Blend and Content Uniformity Assessment.

PubMed

Sayeed-Desta, Naheed; Pazhayattil, Ajay Babu; Collins, Jordan; Doshi, Chetan

2018-04-01

This paper describes a pragmatic approach that can be applied in assessing powder blend and unit dosage uniformity of solid dose products at Process Design, Process Performance Qualification, and Continued/Ongoing Process Verification stages of the Process Validation lifecycle. The statistically based sampling, testing, and assessment plan was developed due to the withdrawal of the FDA draft guidance for industry "Powder Blends and Finished Dosage Units-Stratified In-Process Dosage Unit Sampling and Assessment." This paper compares the proposed Grouped Area Variance Estimate (GAVE) method with an alternate approach outlining the practicality and statistical rationalization using traditional sampling and analytical methods. The approach is designed to fit solid dose processes assuring high statistical confidence in both powder blend uniformity and dosage unit uniformity during all three stages of the lifecycle complying with ASTM standards as recommended by the US FDA.

Cellulose accessibility and microbial community in solid state anaerobic digestion of rape straw.

PubMed

Tian, Jiang-Hao; Pourcher, Anne-Marie; Bureau, Chrystelle; Peu, Pascal

2017-01-01

Solid state anaerobic digestion (SSAD) with leachate recirculation is an appropriate method for the valorization of agriculture residues. Rape straw is a massively produced residue with considerable biochemical methane potential, but its degradation in SSAD remains poorly understood. A thorough study was conducted to understand the performance of rape straw as feedstock for laboratory solid state anaerobic digesters. We investigated the methane production kinetics of rape straw in relation to cellulose accessibility to cellulase and the microbial community. Improving cellulose accessibility through milling had a positive influence on both the methane production rate and methane yield. The SSAD of rape straw reached 60% of its BMP in a 40-day pilot-scale test. Distinct bacterial communities were observed in digested rape straw and leachate, with Bacteroidales and Sphingobacteriales as the most abundant orders, respectively. Archaeal populations showed no phase preference and increased chronologically. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Processing of solid fossil-fuel deposits by electrical induction heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, S. T.

1980-02-01

A study has been made to determine the feasibility of extracting the energy commodities electricity, gas, petroleum, chemical feedstocks, and coke from the solid fossil fuels coal, oil shale, oil sand, and heavy oil by the electrical induction heating of the deposits. Available electrical, physical, and chemical data indicate that this process may be technically and economically feasible. Some basic data are missing, and it has been necessary to indicate possible ranges of values for some parameters. The tentative conclusions drawn are the following. All four solid fossil fuels can be processed successfully underground. All five energy commodities can be produced economically in adequate quantities for a period of a century or more in North America, without recourse to any other major energy source. The development and construction time required is short enough to permit an uninterrupted supply of all energy commodities as present sources decline

Pyrolysis of wastewater sludge and composted organic fines from municipal solid waste: laboratory reactor characterisation and product distribution.

PubMed

Agar, David A; Kwapinska, Marzena; Leahy, James J

2018-02-26

Sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants and organic fines from mechanical sorting of municipal solid waste (MSW) are two common widespread waste streams that are becoming increasingly difficult to utilise. Changing perceptions of risk in food production has limited the appeal of sludge use on agricultural land, and outlets via landfilling are diminishing rapidly. These factors have led to interest in thermal conversion technologies whose aim is to recover energy and nutrients from waste while reducing health and environmental risks associated with material re-use. Pyrolysis yields three output products: solid char, liquid oils and gas. Their relative distribution depends on process parameters which can be somewhat optimised depending on the end use of product. The potential of pyrolysis for the conversion of wastewater sludge (SS) and organic fines of MSW (OF) to a combustion gas and a carbon-rich char has been investigated. Pyrolysis of SS and OF was done using a laboratory fixed-bed reactor. Herein, the physical characterisation of the reactor is described, and results on pyrolysis yields are presented. Feedstock and chars have been characterised using standard laboratory methods, and the composition of pyrolysis gases was analysed using micro gas chromatography. Product distribution (char/liquid/gas) from the pyrolysis of sewage sludge and composted MSW fines at 700°C for 10 min were 45/26/29 and 53/14/33%, respectively. The combustible fractions of pyrolysis gases range from 36 to 54% for SS feedstock and 62 to 72% from OF. The corresponding lower heating value range of sampled gases were 11.8-19.1 and 18.2-21.0 MJ m -3 , respectively.

Models of the Earth's Core.

PubMed

Stevenson, D J

1981-11-06

Combined inferences from seismology, high-pressure experiment and theory, geomagnetism, fluid dynamics, and current views of terrestrial planetary evolution lead to models of the earth's core with the following properties. Core formation was contemporaneous with earth accretion; the core is not in chemical equilibrium with the mantle; the outer core is a fluid iron alloy containing significant quantities of lighter elements and is probably almost adiabatic and compositionally uniform; the more iron-rich inner solid core is a consequence of partial freezing of the outer core, and the energy release from this process sustains the earth's magnetic field; and the thermodynamic properties of the core are well constrained by the application of liquid-state theory to seismic and laboratory data.

Nurses' uniform color and feelings/emotions in school-aged children receiving health care.

PubMed

Albert, Nancy M; Burke, Jane; Bena, James F; Morrison, Shannon M; Forney, Jennifer; Krajewski, Susan

2013-04-01

Children may fear nurses wearing white uniforms. When emotions and uniform color were studied in 233 children, many positive emotions were most often associated with blue, bold pink-patterned, or yellow-patterned tops (all p ≤ .002). Negative emotions were not associated with uniform top colors (all p < .001). However, after excluding "uniform color does not matter," 8 negative emotions were most often associated with white uniform color (p < .001-.04), and 2 others were most often associated with the yellow-patterned top. Bold pink-patterned and solid blue uniform tops were preferred. In conclusion, children's emotions were associated with nurse uniform color. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Removal of batteries from solid waste using trommel separation.

PubMed

Lau, S T; Cheung, W H; Kwong, C K; Wan, C P; Choy, K K H; Leung, C C; Porter, J F; Hui, C W; Mc Kay, G

2005-01-01

This paper describes the design and testing of a trommel for separation of batteries from solid waste. A trommel is a cylindrical separation device that rotates and performs size separation. It has also been used in areas such as municipal solid waste (MSW) processing, classifying construction and demolition debris, screening mass-burn incinerator ash and compost processing. A trommel has been designed based on size separation to separate household batteries from solid waste, which can then be used as feedstock for alternative applications of solid waste combustion, particularly where the metal content of the product is also a critical parameter, such as the Co-Co process for integrated cement and power production. This trommel has been tested with batches of university office and restaurant wastes against various factors. The recovery efficiency of batteries increases with decreasing inclination angle of the trommel and decreasing rotational speed. A physical characterization of the university solid waste has been performed with a 20-kg sample of the tested waste. It was found that there is a trend of decreasing recovery of batteries with increasing paper composition, and a trend of increasing recovery of batteries with increasing organic materials composition.

Behavior of dusty real gas on adiabatic propagation of cylindrical imploding strong shock waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangwar, P. K.

2018-05-01

In this paper, CCW method has been used to study the behavior of dusty real gas on adiabatic propagation of cylindrical imploding strong shock waves. The strength of overtaking waves is estimated under the assumption that both C+ and C- disturbances propagate in non-uniform region of same density distribution. It is assumed that the dusty gas is the mixture of a real gas and a large number of small spherical solid particles of uniform size. The solid particles are uniformly distributed in the medium. Maintaining equilibrium flow conditions, the expressions for shock strength has been derived both for freely propagation as well as under the effect of overtaking disturbances. The variation of all flow variables with propagation distance, mass concentration of solid particles in the mixture and the ratio of solid particles to the initial density of gas have been computed and discussed through graphs. It is found that the presence of dust particles in the gases medium has significant effects on the variation of flow variables and the shock is strengthened under the influence of overtaking disturbances. The results accomplished here been compared with those for ideal gas.

Surface-modified multifunctional MIP nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Moczko, Ewa; Poma, Alessandro; Guerreiro, Antonio; de Vargas Sansalvador, Isabel Perez; Caygill, Sarah; Canfarotta, Francesco; Whitcombe, Michael J.; Piletsky, Sergey

2015-01-01

The synthesis of core-shell molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (MIP NPs) has been performed using a novel solid-phase approach on immobilised templates. The same solid phase also acts as protective functionality for high affinity binding sites during subsequent derivatisation/shell formation. This procedure allows for the rapid synthesis, controlled separation and purification of high-affinity materials, with each production cycle taking just 2 hours. The aim of this approach is to synthesise uniformly-sized imprinted materials at the nanoscale which can be readily grafted with various polymers without affecting their affinity and specificity. For demonstration purposes we grafted anti-melamine MIP NPs with coatings which introduce the following surface characteristics: high polarity (PEG methacrylate); electro-activity (vinyl ferrocene); fluorescence (eosin acrylate); thiol groups (pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate)). The method has broad applicability and can be used to produce multifunctional imprinted nanoparticles with potential for further application in the biosensors, diagnostics and biomedical fields and as an alternative to natural receptors. PMID:23503559

An Efficient, Solvent-Free Process for Synthesizing Anhydrous MgCl 2

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

Motkuri, Radha K.; Vemuri, Venkata Rama S.; Barpaga, Dushyant

A new efficient and solvent-free method for the synthesis of anhydrous MgCl2 from its hexahydrate is proposed. Fluidized dehydration of MgCl 2·6H 2O feedstock at 200 °C in a porous bed reactor yields MgCl2·nH2O (0 < n < 1), which has a similar diffraction pattern as activated MgCl2. The MgCl 2·nH 2O is then ammoniated directly using liquefied NH 3 in the absence of solvent to form MgCl 2·6NH 3. Calcination of the hexammoniate complex at 300 °C then yields anhydrous MgCl 2. Both dehydration and deammoniation were thoroughly studied using in situ as well as ex situ characterization techniques.more » Specifically, a detailed understanding of the dehydration process was monitored by in situ PXRD and in situ FTIR techniques where formation of salt with nH 2O (n = 4, 2, 1, <1) was characterized. Given the reduction in thermal energy required to produce dehydrated feedstock with this method compared with current strategies, significant cost benefits are expected. Overall, the combined effect of activation, macroporosity, and coordinated water depletion allows the formation of hexammoniate without using solvent, thus minimizing waste formation.« less

A New Formulation of Time Domain Boundary Integral Equation for Acoustic Wave Scattering in the Presence of a Uniform Mean Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hu, Fang; Pizzo, Michelle E.; Nark, Douglas M.

2017-01-01

It has been well-known that under the assumption of a constant uniform mean flow, the acoustic wave propagation equation can be formulated as a boundary integral equation, in both the time domain and the frequency domain. Compared with solving partial differential equations, numerical methods based on the boundary integral equation have the advantage of a reduced spatial dimension and, hence, requiring only a surface mesh. However, the constant uniform mean flow assumption, while convenient for formulating the integral equation, does not satisfy the solid wall boundary condition wherever the body surface is not aligned with the uniform mean flow. In this paper, we argue that the proper boundary condition for the acoustic wave should not have its normal velocity be zero everywhere on the solid surfaces, as has been applied in the literature. A careful study of the acoustic energy conservation equation is presented that shows such a boundary condition in fact leads to erroneous source or sink points on solid surfaces not aligned with the mean flow. A new solid wall boundary condition is proposed that conserves the acoustic energy and a new time domain boundary integral equation is derived. In addition to conserving the acoustic energy, another significant advantage of the new equation is that it is considerably simpler than previous formulations. In particular, tangential derivatives of the solution on the solid surfaces are no longer needed in the new formulation, which greatly simplifies numerical implementation. Furthermore, stabilization of the new integral equation by Burton-Miller type reformulation is presented. The stability of the new formulation is studied theoretically as well as numerically by an eigenvalue analysis. Numerical solutions are also presented that demonstrate the stability of the new formulation.

Feedstock Supply and Logistics

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

None

Providing biomass for conversion into high-quality biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts represents an economic opportunity for communities across the nation. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and its partners are developing the technologies and systems needed to sustainably and economically deliver a diverse range of biomass in formats that enable efficient use in biorefineries.

Cannon shredding of municipal solid waste for the preparation of biological feedstock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, J.

1981-04-01

Explosive decompression as a method of size reduction of materials found in municipal solid waste (MSW) was studied and preliminary data related to the handling and wet separation of exploded material was gathered. Steam was emphasized as the source of pressure. Municipal refuse was placed in an 8-ft long, 10.75-in. ID steel cannon which was sealed and pressurized. After an appropriate time, the cannon muzzle closure was opened and the test material expelled from the cannon through a constrictive orifice, resulting in explosive decompression. Flash evaporation of pressurized saturated water, expansion of steam, and the strong turbulence at the cannon muzzle accomplished size reduction. Hydraulic processing is shown to be an effective technique for separating heavy and light fractions.

Vinasses: characterization and treatments.

PubMed

España-Gamboa, Elda; Mijangos-Cortes, Javier; Barahona-Perez, Luis; Dominguez-Maldonado, Jorge; Hernández-Zarate, G; Alzate-Gaviria, Liliana

2011-12-01

The final products of the ethanol industry are alcoholic beverages, industrial ethanol and biofuels. They are produced by the same production process, which includes fermentation and distillation of raw materials which come from plant biomass. At the end of the distillation process a waste effluent is obtained called vinasse or stillage. The direct disposal of stillages on land or in groundwater (rivers, streams or lakes), or even for the direct irrigation of crops, pollutes the environment due to their high organic contents, dissolved solids and many other compounds which are toxic or could be contaminants under certain environmental conditions. This work reviews the characterization of vinasses from different feedstock sources and the main treatments for conditioning the soluble solids of vinasses before their disposal.

Conversion of a wet waste feedstock to biocrude by hydrothermal processing in a continuous-flow reactor: grape pomace

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

Elliott, Douglas C.; Schmidt, Andrew J.; Hart, Todd R.

Wet waste feedstocks present an apt opportunity for biomass conversion to fuels by hydrothermal processing. In this study, grape pomace slurries from two varieties, Montepulciano and cabernet sauvignon, have been converted into a biocrude by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) in a bench-scale, continuous-flow reactor system. Carbon conversion to gravity-separable biocrude product up to 56 % was accomplished at relatively low temperature (350 C) in a pressurized (sub-critical liquid water) environment (20 MPa) when using grape pomace feedstock slurry with a 16.8 wt% concentration of dry solids processed at a liquid hourly space velocity of 2.1 h-1. Direct oil recovery was achievedmore » without the use of a solvent and biomass trace mineral components were removed by processing steps so that they did not cause processing difficulties. In addition, catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) was effectively applied for HTL byproduct water cleanup using a Ru on C catalyst in a fixed bed producing a gas composed of methane and carbon dioxide from water soluble organics. Conversion of 99.8% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) left in the aqueous phase was demonstrated. As a result, high conversion of grape pomace to liquid and gas fuel products was found with residual organic contamination in byproduct water reduced to <150 mg/kg COD.« less

Biochar amendment before or after composting affects compost quality and N losses, but not P plant uptake.

PubMed

Vandecasteele, Bart; Sinicco, Tania; D'Hose, Tommy; Vanden Nest, Thijs; Mondini, Claudio

2016-03-01

We investigated the use of biochar (10% on a dry weight basis) to improve the composting process and/or the compost quality by adding it to either the feedstock mixture or the mature compost. The addition of biochar to the feedstocks was essayed in a full scale trial using a mixture of green waste and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. Addition of biochar to mature compost was performed in a medium scale experiment. The use of biochar, even in small amounts, changed the composting process and the properties of the end products. However these effects depended on the time of application. We observed a faster decomposition in the bio-oxidative phase and lower greenhouse gas emissions when biochar was added at the beginning of the composting process, and a reduction in readily available P when biochar was applied during compost storage. Biochar as a means to increase the C content of the compost was only effective during compost storage. The P fertilizer replacement value of the compost with and without biochar was tested in a plant trial with annual ryegrass. While there was a clear effect on readily available P concentrations in the compost, adding biochar to the feedstock or the compost did not affect the P fertilizer replacement value. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Benefits to decomposition rates when using digestate as compost co-feedstock: Part II - Focus on microbial community dynamics.

PubMed

Arab, Golnaz; Razaviarani, Vahid; Sheng, Zhiya; Liu, Yang; McCartney, Daryl

2017-10-01

Linkage between composting reactor performance and microbial community dynamics was investigated during co-composting of digestate and fresh feedstock (organic fraction of municipal solid waste) using 25L reactors. Previously, the relationship between composting performance and various physicochemical parameters were reported in Part I of the study (Arab and McCartney, 2017). Three digestate to fresh feedstock ratios (0, 40, and 100%; wet weight basis) were selected for analysis of microbial community dynamics. The 40% ratio was selected because it was found to perform the best (Arab and McCartney, 2017). Illumina sequencing results revealed that the reactor with a greater composting performance (higher organic matter degradation and higher heat generation; 40% ratio) was associated with higher microbial diversity. Two specific bacterial orders that might result in higher performance were Thermoactinomycetaceae and Actinomycetales with a higher sequence abundance during thermophilic composting phase and during the maturing composting phase, respectively. Galactomyces, Pichia, Chaetomium, and Acremonium were the four fungal genera that are probably also involved in higher organic matter degradation in the reactor with better performance. The redundancy analysis (RDA) biplot indicated that among the studied environmental variables, temperature, total ammonia nitrogen and nitrate concentration accounted for much of the major shifts in microbial sequence abundance during the co-composting process. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overview of IEA biomass combustion activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hustad, J. E.

1994-07-01

The objectives of the International Energy Agency (IEA) bioenergy program are: (1) to encourage cooperative research, development and use of energy and the increased utilization of alternatives to oil; and (2) to establish increased program and project cooperation between participants in the whole field of bioenergy. There are four Task Annexes to the Implementing Agreement during the period 1992-1994: Efficient and Environmentally Sound Biomass Production Systems; Harvesting and Supply of Woody Biomass for Energy; Biomass Utilization; and Conversion of Municipal Solid Waste Feedstock to Energy. The report describes the following biomass combustion activities during the period 1992-1994: Round robin test of a wood stove; Emissions from biomass combustion; A pilot project cofiring biomass with oil to reduce SO2 emissions; Small scale biomass chip handling; Energy from contaminated wood waste combustion; Modeling of biomass combustion; Wood chip cogeneration; Combustion of wet biomass feedstocks, ash reinjection and carbon burnout; Oxidation of wet biomass; Catalytic combustion in small wood burning appliances; Characterization of biomass fuels and ashes; Measurement techniques (FTIR).

Impact of an acid fungal protease in high gravity fermentation for ethanol production using Indian sorghum as a feedstock.

PubMed

Gohel, V; Duan, G; Maisuria, V B

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the conventional jet cooking liquefaction process followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) at 30% and 35% dry solids (DS) concentration of Indian sorghum feedstock for ethanol production, with addition of acid fungal protease or urea. To evaluate the efficacy of thermostable α-amylase in liquefaction at 30% and 35% DS concentration of Indian sorghum, liquefact solubility, higher dextrins, and fermentable sugars were analyzed at the end of the process. The liquefact was further subjected to SSF using yeast. In comparison with urea, addition of an acid fungal protease during SSF process was observed to accelerate yeast growth (μ), substrate consumption (Q(s)), ultimately ethanol yield based on substrate (Y(p/s)) and ethanol productivity based on fermentation time (Q(p)). The fermentation efficiency and ethanol recovery were determined for both concentrations of Indian sorghum and found to be increased with use of acid fungal protease in SSF process. Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Carob pod water extracts as feedstock for succinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z.

PubMed

Carvalho, Margarida; Roca, Christophe; Reis, Maria A M

2014-10-01

Carob pods are a by-product of locust bean gum industry containing more than 50% (w/w) sucrose, glucose and fructose. In this work, carob pod water extracts were used, for the first time, for succinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z. Kinetic studies of glucose, fructose and sucrose consumption as individual carbon sources till 30g/L showed no inhibition on cell growth, sugar consumption and SA production rates. Sugar extraction from carob pods was optimized varying solid/liquid ratio and extraction time, maximizing sugar recovery while minimizing the extraction of polyphenols. Batch fermentations containing 10-15g/L total sugars resulted in a maximum specific SA production rate of 0.61Cmol/Cmol X.h, with a yield of 0.55Cmol SA/Cmol sugar and a volumetric productivity of 1.61g SA/L.h. Results demonstrate that carob pods can be a promising low cost feedstock for bio-based SA production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An economically viable synthesis of biodiesel from a crude Millettia pinnata oil of Jharkhand, India as feedstock and crab shell derived catalyst.

PubMed

Madhu, Devarapaga; Chavan, Supriya B; Singh, Veena; Singh, Bhaskar; Sharma, Yogesh C

2016-08-01

Biodiesel has emerged as a prominent source to replace petroleum diesel. The cost incurred in the production of biodiesel is higher than that for refining of crude oil to obtain mineral diesel. The heterogeneous catalyst was prepared from crab shells by calcining the crushed mass at 800°C. The solid waste catalyst was characterized with XRD, XPS, BET, SEM-EDS, and FT-IR. Millettia pinnata (karanja) oil extracted from its seeds was used as a feedstock for the synthesis of biodiesel. Biodiesel was synthesized through esterification followed by transesterification in a two-step process. Characterization of biodiesel was done using proton NMR spectroscopy. Reaction parameters such as reaction time, reaction temperature, concentration of catalyst and stirrer speed were optimized. Reusability of catalyst was checked and found that there was no loss of catalytic activity up to five times. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Hydrothermal Gasification for Waste to Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epps, Brenden; Laser, Mark; Choo, Yeunun

2014-11-01

Hydrothermal gasification is a promising technology for harvesting energy from waste streams. Applications range from straightforward waste-to-energy conversion (e.g. municipal waste processing, industrial waste processing), to water purification (e.g. oil spill cleanup, wastewater treatment), to biofuel energy systems (e.g. using algae as feedstock). Products of the gasification process are electricity, bottled syngas (H2 + CO), sequestered CO2, clean water, and inorganic solids; further chemical reactions can be used to create biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. We present a comparison of gasification system architectures, focusing on efficiency and economic performance metrics. Various system architectures are modeled computationally, using a model developed by the coauthors. The physical model tracks the mass of each chemical species, as well as energy conversions and transfers throughout the gasification process. The generic system model includes the feedstock, gasification reactor, heat recovery system, pressure reducing mechanical expanders, and electricity generation system. Sensitivity analysis of system performance to various process parameters is presented. A discussion of the key technological barriers and necessary innovations is also presented.

Kinetics of methane production from the codigestion of switchgrass and Spirulina platensis algae.

PubMed

El-Mashad, Hamed M

2013-03-01

Anaerobic batch digestion of four feedstocks was conducted at 35 and 50 °C: switchgrass; Spirulina platensis algae; and two mixtures of both switchgrass and S. platensis. Mixture 1 was composed of 87% switchgrass (based on volatile solids) and 13% S. platensis. Mixture 2 was composed of 67% switchgrass and 33% S. platensis. The kinetics of methane production from these feedstocks was studied using four first order models: exponential, Gompertz, Fitzhugh, and Cone. The methane yields after 40days of digestion at 35 °C were 355, 127, 143 and 198 ml/g VS, respectively for S. platensis, switchgrass, and Mixtures 1 and 2, while the yields at 50 °C were 358, 167, 198, and 236 ml/g VS, respectively. Based on Akaike's information criterion, the Cone model best described the experimental data. The Cone model was validated with experimental data collected from the digestion of a third mixture that was composed of 83% switchgrass and 17% S. platensis. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Transesterification of Waste Activated Sludge for Biosolids Reduction and Biodiesel Production.

PubMed

Maeng, Min Ho; Cha, Daniel K

2018-02-01

  Transesterification of waste activated sludge (WAS) was evaluated as a cost-effective technique to reduce excess biosolids and recover biodiesel feedstock from activated sludge treatment processes. A laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated with recycling transesterification-treated WAS back to the aeration basin. Seventy percent recycling of WAS resulted in a 48% reduction of excess biosolids in comparison with a conventional SBR, which was operated in parallel as the control SBR. Biodiesel recovery of 8.0% (dried weight basis) was achieved at an optimum transesterification condition using acidic methanol and xylene as cosolvent. Average effluent soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations from the test SBR and control SBR were comparable, indicating that the recycling of transesterification-treated WAS did not have detrimental effect on the effluent quality. This study demonstrated that transesterification and recycling of WAS may be a feasible technique for reducing excess biosolids, while producing valuable biodiesel feedstock from the activated sludge process.

Hydrothermal liquefaction of high- and low-lipid algae: Mass and energy balances.

PubMed

Cheng, Feng; Cui, Zheng; Mallick, Kwonit; Nirmalakhandan, Nagamany; Brewer, Catherine E

2018-06-01

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of high-lipid microalgae Nannochloropsis salina (N. salina) and low-lipid microalgae Galdieria sulphuraria (G. sulphuraria) were run under subcritical conditions (310-350 °C and 10-17 MPa) in a 1.8 L batch autoclave system. HTL mass and energy balances for both species were compared under different operating conditions to predict the optimum reaction conditions for new algae strains based on their feedstock composition. Bio-crude oils and chars were characterized by bomb calorimetry, elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Under the optimized conditions, 59 wt% and 31 wt% bio-crude oil yields were obtained from HTL of N. salina and G. sulphuraria, while 85% and 59% of the feedstock energy were partitioned into N. salina-derived and G. sulphuraria-derived bio-crude oils, respectively. More favorable energy balances were related to shorter reaction times and higher algal solid contents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biogas energy production from tropical biomass wastes by anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Ge, Xumeng; Matsumoto, Tracie; Keith, Lisa; Li, Yebo

2014-10-01

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an attractive technology in tropical regions for converting locally abundant biomass wastes into biogas which can be used to produce heat, electricity, and transportation fuels. However, investigations on AD of tropical forestry wastes, such as albizia biomass and food wastes, such as taro, papaya, and sweet potato, are limited. In this study, these tropical biomass wastes were evaluated for biogas production by liquid AD (L-AD) and/or solid-state AD (SS-AD), depending on feedstock characteristics. When albizia leaves and chips were used as feedstocks, L-AD had greater methane yields (161 and 113 L kg(-1)VS, respectively) than SS-AD (156.8 and 59.6 L kg(-1)VS, respectively), while SS-AD achieved 5-fold higher volumetric methane productivity than L-AD. Mono-digestion and co-digestion of taro skin, taro flesh, papaya, and sweet potato achieved methane yields from 345 to 411 L kg(-1)VS, indicating the robustness of AD technology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of different ratios of feedstock to liquid anaerobic digestion effluent on the performance and microbiome of solid-state anaerobic digesters digesting corn stover.

PubMed

Li, Yueh-Fen; Shi, Jian; Nelson, Michael C; Chen, Po-Hsu; Graf, Joerg; Li, Yebo; Yu, Zhongtang

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to understand how the non-microbial factors of L-AD effluent affected the microbiome composition and successions in the SS-AD digesters using both Illumina sequencing and qPCR quantification of major genera of methanogens. The SS-AD digesters started with a feedstock/total effluent (F/Et) ratio 2.2 (half of the effluent was autoclaved) performed stably, while the SS-AD digesters started with a 4.4 F/Et ratio (no autoclaved effluent) suffered from digester acidification, accumulation of volatile fatty acids, and ceased biogas production two weeks after startup. Some bacteria and methanogens were affected by non-microbial factors of the L-AD fluent. Alkalinity, the main difference between the two F/Et ratios, may be the crucial factor when SS-AD digesters were started using L-AD effluent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implications of biomass pretreatment to cost and carbon emissions: case study of rice straw and Pennisetum in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chiueh, Pei-Te; Lee, Kun-Chou; Syu, Fu-Sians; Lo, Shang-Lien

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of feedstock collection and torrefaction pretreatment on the efficiency of a biomass co-firing system. Considering the transformation of existing municipal solid waste incinerators, several scenarios in which biomass supply chains depend on centralised pretreatment and transportation alternatives are presented. The cost, net energy output, and greenhouse gas effects of these scenarios were analysed using a spreadsheet model. Based on the Taoyuan County case in Taiwan, the mitigation costs of carbon emissions for rice straw and Pennisetum are 77.0 $/Mg CO(2) and 63.8 $/Mg CO(2), respectively. Results indicate that transporting feedstock from its source to the pretreatment and co-firing stations contributes the most to logistical costs for both straw and Pennisetum, regardless of whether torrefaction was adopted. Nonetheless, torrefaction requires more demonstrated cases at various scales to obtain the technical and economic data required for further analysis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mitigation of Corrosion in 5 Series Al-Mg Alloys in Marine Environments: Grain Boundary Engineering and Cold Spray Coating Approaches

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-26

powders for cold spray are nominally ductile materials such as Cu and Al or Al alloys with particles in the 5-45|am size range. It is for...wavelength) as the x-ray source. Since cold spray is a solid state deposition process , the composition and microstructure of the feedstock powder ...surface of the recently deposited coating build up and a thick coating with theoretical bulk properties can be achieved [27]. The cold

Bioconversion of lignocellulosic pretreatment effluent via oleaginous Rhodococcus opacus DSM 1069

DOE PAGES

Wells, Jr., Tyrone; Wei, Zhen; Ragauskas, Arthur J.

2014-11-26

Rhodococcus opacus DSM 1069 utilized pine organosolv pretreatment effluent as a sole carbon and energy source for 120 h at 1.5 w/v% solids concentration and accumulated a maximum of 26.99 ± 2.88% of its cellular dry weight in oils composed of oleic, palmitic, and stearic fatty acids. Here, these results establish the potential for lignocellulosic pretreatment effluent as a feedstock for microbial biodiesel production via oleaginous R. opacus and an interesting route for biorefinery waste stream optimization.

Human life support during interplanetary travel and domicile. VI - Generic modular flow schematic for hybrid physical/chemical-biological life support systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganapathi, Gani B.; Seshan, P. K.; Ferrall, Joseph; Rohatgi, Naresh

1992-01-01

An extension is proposed for the NASA Space Exploration Initiative's Generic Modular Flow Schematics for physical/chemical life support systems which involves the addition of biological processes. The new system architecture includes plant, microbial, and animal habitat, as well as the human habitat subsystem. Major Feedstock Production and Food Preparation and Packaging components have also been incorporated. Inedible plant, aquaculture, microbial, and animal solids are processed for recycling.

Active Mechanism of the Interphase Film-Forming Process for an Electrolyte Based on a Sulfolane Solvent and a Chelato-Borate Complexe.

PubMed

Li, Chunlei; Wang, Peng; Li, Shiyou; Zhao, Dongni; Zhao, Qiuping; Liu, Haining; Cui, Xiao-Ling

2018-06-14

Electrolytes based on sulfolane (SL) solvents and lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) chelato-borate complexes have been reported many times for use in advanced lithium-ion batteries due to their many advantages. This study aims to clarify the active mechanism of the interphase film-forming process to optimize the properties of these batteries by experimental analysis and theoretical calculations. The results indicate that the self-repairing film-forming process during the first cycle is divided into three stages: the initial film formation with an electric field force of ~1.80 V, the further growth of the preformation solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film at ~1.73 V, and the final formation of a complete SEI film at a potential below 0.7 V. Additionally, we can deduce that the decomposition of LiBOB and SL occurs throughout nearly the entire process of the formation of the SEI film. The decomposition product of BOB- anions tends to form films with an irregular structure, while the decomposition product of SL is in favor of the formation of a uniform SEI film.

Shock-tube measurements of carbon to oxygen atom ratios for incipient soot formation with C2H2, C2H4 and C2H6 fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Radcliffe, S. W.; Appleton, J. P.

1971-01-01

The critical atomic carbon to oxygen ratios, Phi sub C, for incipient soot formation in shock heated acetylene, ethylene, ethane/oxygen/ argon mixtures was measured over the temperature range 2000 K to 2500 K for reactant partial pressures between 0.1 and 0.4 atoms. Absorption of light from a He-Ne laser at 6328A was was used to detect soot. It was observed that the values of Phi sub C for all three fuels increased uniformly with temperature such that at the highest temperatures Phi sub C was considerably greater than unity, i.e. greater than the value of about unity at which solid carbon should have been precipitated on a thermochemical equilibrium basis. Observations were made over periods extending up to about one millisecond, which was well in excess of the time required for the major heat release of the combustion reactions. The relevance of these experimental findings to the problem of soot formation in gas turbine combustion chambers is discussed.

Spin-locking and cross-polarization under magic-angle spinning of uniformly labeled solids.

PubMed

Hung, Ivan; Gan, Zhehong

2015-07-01

Spin-locking and cross-polarization under magic-angle spinning are investigated for uniformly (13)C and (15)N labeled solids. In particular, the interferences from chemical shift anisotropy, and (1)H heteronuclear and (13)C homonuclear dipolar couplings are identified. The physical origin of these interferences provides guidelines for selecting the best (13)C and (15)N polarization transfer rf fields. Optimal settings for both the zero- and double-quantum cross-polarization transfer mechanisms are recommended. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metal organic chemical vapor deposition of environmental barrier coatings for the inhibition of solid deposit formation from heated jet fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohan, Arun Ram

Solid deposit formation from jet fuel compromises the fuel handling system of an aviation turbine engine and increases the maintenance downtime of an aircraft. The deposit formation process depends upon the composition of the fuel, the nature of metal surfaces that come in contact with the heated fuel and the operating conditions of the engine. The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of substrate surfaces on the amount and nature of solid deposits in the intermediate regime where both autoxidation and pyrolysis play an important role in deposit formation. A particular focus has been directed to examining the effectiveness of barrier coatings produced by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on metal surfaces for inhibiting the solid deposit formation from jet fuel degradation. In the first part of the experimental study, a commercial Jet-A sample was stressed in a flow reactor on seven different metal surfaces: AISI316, AISI 321, AISI 304, AISI 347, Inconel 600, Inconel 718, Inconel 750X and FecrAlloy. Examination of deposits by thermal and microscopic analysis shows that the solid deposit formation is influenced by the interaction of organosulfur compounds and autoxidation products with the metal surfaces. The nature of metal sulfides was predicted by Fe-Ni-S ternary phase diagram. Thermal stressing on uncoated surfaces produced coke deposits with varying degree of structural order. They are hydrogen-rich and structurally disordered deposits, spherulitic deposits, small carbon particles with relatively ordered structures and large platelets of ordered carbon structures formed by metal catalysis. In the second part of the study, environmental barrier coatings were deposited on tube surfaces to inhibit solid deposit formation from the heated fuel. A new CVD system was configured by the proper choice of components for mass flow, pressure and temperature control in the reactor. A bubbler was designed to deliver the precursor into the reactor for the deposition of metal and metal oxide functional coatings by MOCVD. Alumina was chosen as a candidate for metal oxide coating because of its thermal and phase stability. Platinum was chosen as a candidate to utilize the oxygen spillover process to maintain a self-cleaning surface by oxidizing the deposits formed during thermal stressing. Two metal organic precursors, aluminum trisecondary butoxide and aluminum acetylacetonate, were used as precursors to coat tubes of varying diameters. The morphology and uniformity of the coatings were characterized by electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The coating was characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to obtain the surface chemical composition. This is the first study conducted to examine the application of MOCVD to coat internal surfaces of tubes with varying diameters. In the third part of the study, the metal oxide coatings, alumina from aluminum acetylacetonate, alumina from aluminum trisecondary butoxide, zirconia from zirconium acetylacetonate, tantalum oxide from tantalum pentaethoxide and the metal coating, platinum from platinum acetylacetonate were deposited by MOCVD on AISI304. The chemical composition and the surface acidity of the coatings were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The morphology of the coatings was characterized by electron microscopy. The coated substrates were tested in the presence of heated Jet-A in a flow reactor to evaluate their effectiveness in inhibiting the solid deposit formation. All coatings inhibited the formation of metal sulfides and the carbonaceous solid deposits formed by metal catalysis. The coatings also delayed the accumulation of solid carbonaceous deposits. In particular, it has been confirmed that the surface acidity of the metal oxide coatings affects the formation of carbonaceous deposits. Bimolecular addition reactions promoted by the Bronsted acid sites appear to lead to the formation of carbonaceous solid deposits depending on the surface acidity of the coatings. In the last part of the study, the residual carbon was incorporated in the zirconia coating by deposition with and without oxygen. As carbon surface is less active towards coke deposition, presence of residual carbon in the coating was expected to reduce its activity towards carbon deposition. The residual carbon in the coating was characterized by Raman spectroscopy and thermal analysis. However, it has been observed that residual carbon in the coating beyond a certain concentration compromises the integrity of the coating during the process of cooling the substrate from deposition temperature to room temperature. It has been found that residual carbon in the zirconia coating does not appear to affect the activity of the surface towards carbon deposition.

Possible global environmental impacts of solid waste practices

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

Davis, M.M.; Holter, G.M.; DeForest, T.J.

1994-09-01

Pollutants resulting from the management of solid waste have been shown to affect the air, land, oceans, and waterways. In addition, solid wastes have other, more indirect impacts such as reduction in feedstocks of natural resources, because useful materials are disposed of rather than recycled. The objective of this study is to evaluate solid waste management practices that have negative implications on the global environment and develop recommendations for reducing such impacts. Recommendations identifying needed changes are identified that will reduce global impacts of solid waste practices in the future. The scope of this study includes the range of non-hazardousmore » solid wastes produced within our society, including municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial solid waste (ISW), as well as industry-specific wastes from activities such as construction, demolition, and landclearing. Most solid waste management decisions continue to be made and implemented at very local levels, predominantly with a short-term focus to respond to relatively immediate pressures of landfill shortages, funding problems, political considerations, and the like. In this rush to address immediate local problems, little consideration is being given to potential impacts, either short- or long-term, at the national or global level resulting from solid waste management practices. More and more, the cumulative impacts from local decisions concerning solid waste management are beginning to manifest themselves in broader, longer-term impacts than are being addressed by the decision-makers or, at the very least, are presenting a greater and greater potential for such impacts.« less

Extending a CAD-Based Cartesian Mesh Generator for the Lattice Boltzmann Method

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

Cantrell, J Nathan; Inclan, Eric J; Joshi, Abhijit S

2012-01-01

This paper describes the development of a custom preprocessor for the PaRAllel Thermal Hydraulics simulations using Advanced Mesoscopic methods (PRATHAM) code based on an open-source mesh generator, CartGen [1]. PRATHAM is a three-dimensional (3D) lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based parallel flow simulation software currently under development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The LBM algorithm in PRATHAM requires a uniform, coordinate system-aligned, non-body-fitted structured mesh for its computational domain. CartGen [1], which is a GNU-licensed open source code, already comes with some of the above needed functionalities. However, it needs to be further extended to fully support the LBM specificmore » preprocessing requirements. Therefore, CartGen is being modified to (i) be compiler independent while converting a neutral-format STL (Stereolithography) CAD geometry to a uniform structured Cartesian mesh, (ii) provide a mechanism for PRATHAM to import the mesh and identify the fluid/solid domains, and (iii) provide a mechanism to visually identify and tag the domain boundaries on which to apply different boundary conditions.« less

Methods for treating a metathesis feedstock with metal alkoxides

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

Cohen, Steven A.; Anderson, Donde R.; Wang, Zhe

Various methods are provided for treating and reacting a metathesis feedstock. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a feedstock comprising a natural oil, chemically treating the feedstock with a metal alkoxide under conditions sufficient to diminish catalyst poisons in the feedstock, and, following the treating, combining a metathesis catalyst with the feedstock under conditions sufficient to metathesize the feedstock.

Assessment of by-products of bioenergy systems (anaerobic digestion and gasification) as potential crop nutrient.

PubMed

Kataki, Sampriti; Hazarika, Samarendra; Baruah, D C

2017-01-01

Alternative fertilizer resources have drawn attention in recent times in order to cope up with ever increasing demand for fertilizer. By-products of bioenergy system are considered favourable as organic fertilizer due to their ability to recycle plant nutrients. Present study evaluates fertilizer suitability of by-products of two bioenergy systems viz. 3 types of anaerobic digestion by-products (digestate) from local surplus biomass such as cowdung, Ipomoea carnea:cowdung (60:40) and ricestraw:green gram stover:cowdung (30:30:40) and one gasification by-product (biochar) from rice husk. Digestates were assessed considering 4 different application options of each viz. whole, solid, liquid and ash from solid digestates. Digestate characteristics (organic matter, macronutrients, micronutrients and heavy metal content) were found to be a function of feedstock and processing (solid liquid separation and ashing). Ipomoea carnea based digestates in all application options showed comparatively higher N, P, K, NH 4 + -N, Ca, Mg, S and micro nutrient content than other digestates. Separation concentrated plant nutrients and organic matter in solid digestates, making these suitable both as organic amendments and fertilizer. Separated liquid digestate shared larger fraction of ammonium nitrogen (61-91% of total content), indicating their suitability as readily available N source. However, fertilizer application of liquid digestate may not match crop requirements due to lower total nutrient concentration. Higher electrical conductivity of the liquid digestates (3.4-9.3mScm -1 ) than solid digestates (1.5-2mScm -1 ) may impart phyto-toxic effect upon fertilization due to salinity. In case of by-products with unstable organic fraction i.e. whole and solid digestates of rice straw:green gram stover:cowdung digestates (Humification index 0.7), further processing (stabilization, composting) may be required to maximize their fertilizer benefit. Heavy metal contents of the by-products were found to be within the permitted range specified for organic fertilizer (vermicompost) in India. However, higher Al content of the digestates in whole, solid and ash phase (0.06-16.97gkg -1 fresh matter) can be a concern in acid soil which may cause Al toxicity. Understanding on agrochemical characteristics of bioenergy by-products with varying feedstock and application option is expected to promote their valorization opportunities considering user specific requirements. In the context of agriculturally dominant but energy deficient rural Indian scenario, integrated production of bioenergy and by-product based fertilizer could be very significant to meet the critical additional requirement of both energy and fertilizer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space-weathering processes and products on volatile-rich asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britt, D.; Schelling, P.; Consolmagno, G.; Bradley, T.

2014-07-01

Space weathering is a generic term for the effects on atmosphereless solid bodies in the solar system from a range of processes associated with direct exposure to the space environment. These include impact processes (shock, vaporization, fragmentation, heating, melting, and ejecta formation), radiation damage (from galactic and solar cosmic rays), solar-wind effects (irradiation, ion implantation, and sputtering), and the chemical reactions driven by these processes. The classic example of space weathering is the formation of the lunar spectral red slope associated with the production of nanophase Fe (npFe0) in the dusty lunar regolith (C.R. Chapman, 2004, Annual Review of Earth & Planet. Sci. 32, C.M. Pieters, 2000, MAPS 35). Similar npFe0 has been recovered from asteroid (25143) Itokawa and some asteroid classes do exhibit modest spectral red slopes (T. Noguchi, 2011, Science 333). Space weathering can be thought of as driven by a combination of the chemical environment of space (hard vacuum, low oxygen fugacity, solar-wind implantation of hydrogen) along with thermal energy supplied by micrometeorite impacts. The forward modeling of space weathering as thermodynamically-driven decomposition of common rock-forming minerals suggests the production of a range of daughter products: (1) The silicate products typically lose oxygen, other volatile elements (i.e., sulfur and sodium), and metallic cations, producing minerals that are typically more disordered and less optically active than the original parent materials. (2) The decomposed metallic cations form in nano-sized blebs including npFe0, on the surfaces or in condensing rims of mineral grains. This creates a powerful optical component as seen in the lunar red slope. Surfaces with exposed npFe0 are an ideal environment for catalyzing further reactions. (3) The liberated volatile elements and gases (O, S, Na) may form an observable exosphere (e.g., Moon and Mercury) and can either escape from the body or recombine with available solar-wind-implanted hydrogen to form trace amounts of water and OH. Mineral decomposition can be thought of as the first stage of space weathering. It produces weathered surfaces somewhat depleted in volatile elements, creates a predictable set of minor or trace minerals, and leaves the surfaces with catalytic species, primarily npFe0. However, a second stage of further reactions and weathering depends upon the presence of ''feed-stock'' components that can participate in catalyzed chemical reactions on exposed surfaces. For volatile-rich small bodies, the available materials are not only silicates, but a volatile feedstock that can include water, carbon monoxide, ammonia, to name a few. Thermodynamically-driven decomposition of silicates will produce trace amounts of npFe0 which are ideal sites for Fischer-Tropsch type (FTT) catalytic reactions that can produce organics in situ on the asteroids including alkanes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and amino acids (J.E. Elsila, 2012, MAPS 47). The mix and range of products depends on the composition and morphology of the mineral surface, energy inputs produced by the micrometeorite impacts or other processes, and the composition of the input volatile feedstock. FFT reactions generate long-chain carbon compounds and amino acids. Secondary reactions that generate more complex carbon compounds and amino acids are likely to occur as the organic material matures. Weathering maturity can be thought of as a function of the abundance and diversity of the weathering products. Since the npFe0 is not destroyed in the reaction, continued micrometeorite bombardment would result in continuing processing and recombination of the existing organic feedstock. More weathering would result in progressively longer-chain carbon compounds as well as more complex and diverse amino acids, and eventually the kerogen-like insoluble-organic matter that forms a large fraction of carbonaceous meteorites. This insight has several major implications for our planetary science and, potentially, the formation of the precursors of life. First, the range of weathering products seen in remotely-sensed data, meteorites, and returned samples are not random, but the predictable outcome of the source region's mineral kinetics and chemical feedstock. Weathering products do not have to be optically active like the npFe0 that produces the lunar red slope; on the contrary, probably most weathering products are spectrally neutral or even suppress an object's near-IR reflectance spectrum. In the case of volatile-rich parent bodies, a major weathering product is a range of carbon-rich compounds. But an additional result of considerable interest is the generation of pre-biotic compounds as a routine and predictable byproduct of common space-weathering processes. Any atmosphereless body around any star with mafic silicate mineral compositions and volatile feedstocks should create amino acids as a standard byproduct of space weathering. The precursors of life are probably abundant in any space-weathered asteroid belt, in any solar system, and only wait being accreted to a hospitable environment.

Liquid-Solid Self-Lubricated Coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armada, S.; Schmid, R.; Equey, S.; Fagoaga, I.; Espallargas, N.

2013-02-01

Self-lubricated coatings have been a major topic of interest in thermal spray in the last decades. Self-lubricated coatings obtained by thermal spray are exclusively based on solid lubricants (PTFE, h-BN, graphite, MoS2, etc.) embedded in the matrix. Production of thermal spray coatings containing liquid lubricants has not yet been achieved because of the complexity of keeping a liquid in a solid matrix during the spraying process. In the present article, the first liquid-solid self-lubricating thermal spray coatings are presented. The coatings are produced by inserting lubricant-filled capsules inside a polymeric matrix. The goal of the coating is to release lubricant to the system when needed. The first produced coatings consisted solely of capsules for confirming the feasibility of the process. For obtaining such a coating, the liquid-filled capsules were injected in the thermal spray flame without any other feedstock material. Once the concept and the idea were proven, a polymer was co-sprayed together with the capsules to obtain a coating containing the lubricant-filled capsules distributed in the solid polymeric matrix. The coatings and the self-lubricated properties have been investigated by means of optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and tribological tests.

Optimization of methane production in anaerobic co-digestion of poultry litter and wheat straw at different percentages of total solid and volatile solid using a developed response surface model.

PubMed

Shen, Jiacheng; Zhu, Jun

2016-01-01

Poultry litter (PL) can be good feedstock for biogas production using anaerobic digestion. In this study, methane production from batch co-digestion of PL and wheat straw (WS) was investigated for two factors, i.e., total solid (2%, 5%, and 10%) and volatile solid (0, 25, and 50% of WS), constituting a 3 × 3 experimental design. The results showed that the maximum specific methane volume [197 mL (g VS)(‑1)] was achieved at 50% VS from WS at 5% TS level. It was estimated that the inhibitory threshold of free ammonia was about 289 mg L(--1), beyond which reduction of methanogenic activity by at least 54% was observed. The specific methane volume and COD removal can be expressed using two response surface models (R(2) = 0.9570 and 0.9704, respectively). Analysis of variance of the experimental results indicated that the C/N ratio was the most significant factor influencing the specific methane volume and COD removal in the co-digestion of these two materials.

Biorefining strategy for maximal monosaccharide recovery from three different feedstocks: eucalyptus residues, wheat straw and olive tree pruning.

PubMed

Silva-Fernandes, Talita; Duarte, Luís Chorão; Carvalheiro, Florbela; Marques, Susana; Loureiro-Dias, Maria Conceição; Fonseca, César; Gírio, Francisco

2015-05-01

This work proposes the biorefining of eucalyptus residues (ER), wheat straw (WS) and olive tree pruning (OP) combining hydrothermal pretreatment (autohydrolysis) with acid post-hydrolysis of the liquid fraction and enzymatic hydrolysis of the solid fraction towards maximal recovery of monosaccharides from those lignocellulose materials. Autohydrolysis of ER, WS and OP was performed under non-isothermal conditions (195-230°C) and the non-cellulosic saccharides were recovered in the liquid fraction while cellulose and lignin remained in the solid fraction. The acid post-hydrolysis of the soluble oligosaccharides was studied by optimizing sulfuric acid concentration (1-4%w/w) and reaction time (10-60 min), employing a factorial (2(2)) experimental design. The solids resulting from pretreatment were submitted to enzymatic hydrolysis by applying commercial cellulolytic enzymes Celluclast® 1.5L and Novozyme® 188 (0.225 and 0.025 g/g solid, respectively). This strategy provides high total monosaccharide recovery or high glucose recovery from lignocellulosic materials, depending on the autohydrolysis conditions applied. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural-Phase States of Fe-Cu and Fe-Ag Bimetallic Particles Produced by Electric Explosion of Two Wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerner, M. I.; Bakina, O. V.; Pervikov, A. V.; Glazkova, E. A.; Lozhkomoev, A. S.; Vorozhtsov, A. B.

2018-05-01

X-ray phase analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis were used to examine the structural-phase states of Fe-Cu and Fe-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were obtained by the electric explosion of two twisted metal wires in argon atmosphere. It was demonstrated that the nanoparticles have the structure of Janus particles. Presence of the Janus particle structure in the samples indicates formation of binary melt under conditions of combined electric explosion of two wires. Phases based on supersaturated solid solutions were not found in the examined samples. The data obtained allow arguing that it is possible to achieve uniform mixing of the two-wire explosion products under the described experiment conditions.

Models of the earth's core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, D. J.

1981-01-01

Combined inferences from seismology, high-pressure experiment and theory, geomagnetism, fluid dynamics, and current views of terrestrial planetary evolution lead to models of the earth's core with five basic properties. These are that core formation was contemporaneous with earth accretion; the core is not in chemical equilibrium with the mantle; the outer core is a fluid iron alloy containing significant quantities of lighter elements and is probably almost adiabatic and compositionally uniform; the more iron-rich inner solid core is a consequence of partial freezing of the outer core, and the energy release from this process sustains the earth's magnetic field; and the thermodynamic properties of the core are well constrained by the application of liquid-state theory to seismic and labroatory data.

Structural-Phase States of Fe–Cu and Fe–Ag Bimetallic Particles Produced by Electric Explosion of Two Wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerner, M. I.; Bakina, O. V.; Pervikov, A. V.; Glazkova, E. A.; Lozhkomoev, A. S.; Vorozhtsov, A. B.

2018-05-01

X-ray phase analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis were used to examine the structural-phase states of Fe-Cu and Fe-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were obtained by the electric explosion of two twisted metal wires in argon atmosphere. It was demonstrated that the nanoparticles have the structure of Janus particles. Presence of the Janus particle structure in the samples indicates formation of binary melt under conditions of combined electric explosion of two wires. Phases based on supersaturated solid solutions were not found in the examined samples. The data obtained allow arguing that it is possible to achieve uniform mixing of the two-wire explosion products under the described experiment conditions.

Generating a geospatial database of U.S. regional feedstock production for use in evaluating the environmental footprint of biofuels.

PubMed

Holder, Christopher T; Cleland, Joshua C; LeDuc, Stephen D; Andereck, Zac; Hogan, Chris; Martin, Kristen M

2016-04-01

The potential environmental effects of increased U.S. biofuel production often vary depending upon the location and type of land used to produce biofuel feedstocks. However, complete, annual data are generally lacking regarding feedstock production by specific location. Corn is the dominant biofuel feedstock in the U.S., so here we present methods for estimating where bioethanol corn feedstock is grown annually and how much is used by U.S. ethanol biorefineries. We use geospatial software and publicly available data to map locations of biorefineries, estimate their corn feedstock requirements, and estimate the feedstock production locations and quantities. We combined these data and estimates into a Bioethanol Feedstock Geospatial Database (BFGD) for years 2005-2010. We evaluated the performance of the methods by assessing how well the feedstock geospatial model matched our estimates of locally-sourced feedstock demand. On average, the model met approximately 89 percent of the total estimated local feedstock demand across the studied years-within approximately 25-to-40 kilometers of the biorefinery in the majority of cases. We anticipate that these methods could be used for other years and feedstocks, and can be subsequently applied to estimate the environmental footprint of feedstock production. Methods used to develop the Bioethanol Feedstock Geospatial Database (BFGD) provide a means of estimating the amount and location of U.S. corn harvested for use as U.S. bioethanol feedstock. Such estimates of geospatial feedstock production may be used to evaluate environmental impacts of bioethanol production and to identify conservation priorities. The BFGD is available for 2005-2010, and the methods may be applied to additional years, locations, and potentially other biofuels and feedstocks.

Formation and evolution of bubbly screens in confined oscillating bubbly liquids.

PubMed

Shklyaev, Sergey; Straube, Arthur V

2010-01-01

We consider the dynamics of dilute monodisperse bubbly liquid confined by two plane solid walls and subject to small-amplitude high-frequency oscillations normal to the walls. The initial state corresponds to the uniform distribution of bubbles and motionless liquid. The period of external driving is assumed much smaller than typical relaxation times for a single bubble but larger than the period of volume eigenoscillations. The time-averaged description accounting for the two-way coupling between the liquid and the bubbles is applied. We show that the model predicts accumulation of bubbles in thin sheets parallel to the walls. These singular structures, which are formally characterized by infinitely thin width and infinitely high concentration, are referred to as bubbly screens. The formation of a bubbly screen is described analytically in terms of a self-similar solution, which is in agreement with numerical simulations. We study the evolution of bubbly screens and detect a one-dimensional stationary state, which is shown to be unconditionally unstable.

Formation and evolution of bubbly screens in confined oscillating bubbly liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shklyaev, Sergey; Straube, Arthur V.

2010-01-01

We consider the dynamics of dilute monodisperse bubbly liquid confined by two plane solid walls and subject to small-amplitude high-frequency oscillations normal to the walls. The initial state corresponds to the uniform distribution of bubbles and motionless liquid. The period of external driving is assumed much smaller than typical relaxation times for a single bubble but larger than the period of volume eigenoscillations. The time-averaged description accounting for the two-way coupling between the liquid and the bubbles is applied. We show that the model predicts accumulation of bubbles in thin sheets parallel to the walls. These singular structures, which are formally characterized by infinitely thin width and infinitely high concentration, are referred to as bubbly screens. The formation of a bubbly screen is described analytically in terms of a self-similar solution, which is in agreement with numerical simulations. We study the evolution of bubbly screens and detect a one-dimensional stationary state, which is shown to be unconditionally unstable.

Qualitative numerical study of simultaneous high-G-intensified gas–solids contact, separation and segregation in a bi-disperse rotating fluidized bed in a vortex chamber

DOE PAGES

De Wilde, Juray; Richards, George; Benyahia, Sofiane

2016-05-13

Coupled discrete particle method – computational fluid dynamics simulations are carried out to demonstrate the potential of combined high-G-intensified gas-solids contact, gas-solids separation and segregation in a rotating fluidized bed in a static vortex chamber. A case study with two distinct types of particles is focused on. When feeding solids using a standard solids inlet design, a dense and uniform rotating fluidized bed is formed, guaranteeing intense gas-solids contact. The presence of both types of particles near the chimney region reduces, however, the strength of the central vortex and is detrimental for separation and segregation. Optimization of the solids inletmore » design is required, as illustrated by stopping the solids feeding. High-G separation and segregation of the batch of particles is demonstrated, as the strength of the central vortex is restored. The flexibility with respect to the gas flow rate of the bed density and uniformity and of the gas-solids separation and segregation is demonstrated, a unique feature of vortex chamber generated rotating fluidized beds. With the particles considered in this case study, turbulent dispersion by large eddies in the gas phase is shown to have only a minor impact on the height of the inner bed of small/light particles.« less

Pretreatment of aqueous ammonia on oil palm empty fruit fiber (OPEFB) in production of sugar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zulkiple, Nursyafiqah; Maskat, Mohamad Yusof; Hassan, Osman

2015-09-01

Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) is an agricultural residue that has the potential to become a good source for renewable feedstock for production of sugar. This work evaluated the effectiveness of aqueous ammonia as pretreatment at low (soaking, SAA) and elevated temperature (pressurized chamber) to deconstruct the lignocellulosic feedstock, prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. The ammonia pretreatments were compared against the standard NaOH method. The best tested pressurized chamber method conditions were at 100°C with 3 hour retention time, 12.5% ammonium hydroxide and 1:30 solid loading. The digestibility of the feedstock is determined with enzymatic hydrolysis using Cellic Ctech2 and Cellic Htech2. The sugars produced by pressurized chamber method within 24 hour of enzyme hydrolysis are similar to that produced by NaOH method which is 439.90 mg/ml and 351.61 mg/ml, respectively. Compared with optimum SAA method (24 hour, 6.25% of ammonium hydroxide at room temperature), pressurized chamber method was capable of producing enhanced delignification and higher production of sugar upon hydrolysis. These findings were supported by the disappearance peak at 1732, 1512 and 1243 on Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR spectrum) of treated OPEFB by pressurized chamber method. XRD determination showed reduced crystallinity of OPEFB (37.23%) after treatment by pressurized chamber, suggesting higher accessibility toward enzyme hydrolysis. The data obtained suggest that the pressurized chamber pre-treatment method are suitable for OPEFB deconstruction to produce high yield of sugar.

Esterification of oil adsorbed on palm decanter cake into methyl ester using sulfonated rice husk ash as heterogeneous acid catalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hindryawati, Noor; Erwin, Maniam, Gaanty Pragas

2017-02-01

Palm Decanter cake (PDC) which is categorized as the waste from palm oil mill has been found to contain residual crude palm oil. The oil adsorbed on the PDC (PDC-oil) can be extracted and potentially used as feedstock for biodiesel production. Feedstock from waste like PDC-oil is burdened with high free fatty acids (FFAs) which make the feedstock difficult to be converted into biodiesel using basic catalyst. Therefore, in this study, a solid acid, RHA-SO3H catalyst was synthesized by sulfonating rice husk ash (RHA) with concentrated sulfuric acid. The RHA-SO3H prepared was characterized with TGA, FTIR, BET, XRD, FE-SEM, and Hammett indicators (methyl red, bromophenol blue, and crystal violet). PDC was found to have about 11.3 wt. % oil recovered after 1 hour extraction using ultrasound method. The presence of sulfonate group was observed in IR spectrum, and the surface area of RHA-SO3H was reduced to 37 m2.g-1 after impregnation of sulfonate group. The RHA-SO3H catalyst showed that it can work for both esterification of free fatty acid which is present in PDC-oil, and transesterification of triglycerides into methyl ester. The results showed highest methyl ester content of 70.2 wt.% at optimal conditions, which was 6 wt.% catalyst amount, methanol to oil molar ratio of 17:1 for 5 hours at 120 °C.

Solid Freeform Fabrication: An Enabling Technology for Future Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taminger, Karen M. B.; Hafley, Robert A.; Dicus, Dennis L.

2002-01-01

The emerging class of direct manufacturing processes known as Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) employs a focused energy beam and metal feedstock to build structural parts directly from computer aided design (CAD) data. Some variations on existing SFF techniques have potential for application in space for a variety of different missions. This paper will focus on three different applications ranging from near to far term to demonstrate the widespread potential of this technology for space-based applications. One application is the on-orbit construction of large space structures, on the order of tens of meters to a kilometer in size. Such structures are too large to launch intact even in a deployable design; their extreme size necessitates assembly or erection of such structures in space. A low-earth orbiting satellite with a SFF system employing a high-energy beam for high deposition rates could be employed to construct large space structures using feedstock launched from Earth. A second potential application is a small, multifunctional system that could be used by astronauts on long-duration human exploration missions to manufacture spare parts. Supportability of human exploration missions is essential, and a SFF system would provide flexibility in the ability to repair or fabricate any part that may be damaged or broken during the mission. The system envisioned would also have machining and welding capabilities to increase its utility on a mission where mass and volume are extremely limited. A third example of an SFF application in space is a miniaturized automated system for structural health monitoring and repair. If damage is detected using a low power beam scan, the beam power can be increased to perform repairs within the spacecraft or satellite structure without the requirement of human interaction or commands. Due to low gravity environment for all of these applications, wire feedstock is preferred to powder from a containment, handling, and safety standpoint. The energy beams may be either electron beam or laser, and the developments required for either energy source to achieve success in these applications will be discussed.

Evaluation of dry solid waste recycling from municipal solid waste: case of Mashhad city, Iran.

PubMed

Farzadkia, Mahdi; Jorfi, Sahand; Akbari, Hamideh; Ghasemi, Mehdi

2012-01-01

The recycling for recovery and reuse of material and energy resources undoubtedly provides a substantial alternative supply of raw materials and reduces the dependence on virgin feedstock. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential of dry municipal solid waste recycling in Mashhad city, Iran. Several questionnaires were prepared and distributed among various branches of the municipality, related organizations and people. The total amount of solid waste generated in Mashhad in 2008 was 594, 800  tons with per capita solid waste generation rate of 0.609  kg  person(-1) day(-1). Environmental educational programmes via mass media and direct education of civilians were implemented to publicize the advantages and necessity of recycling. The amount of recycled dry solid waste was increased from 2.42% of total dry solid waste (2588.36  ton  year(-1)) in 1999 to 7.22% (10, 165  ton  year(-1)) in 2008. The most important fractions of recycled dry solid waste in Mashhad included paper and board (51.33%), stale bread (14.59%), glass (9.73%), ferrous metals (9.73%), plastic (9.73%), polyethylene terephthalate (2.62%) and non-ferrous metals (0.97%). It can be concluded that unfortunately the potential of dry solid waste recycling in Mashhad has not been considered properly and there is a great effort to be made in order to achieve the desired conditions of recycling.

Molecular ways to nanoscale particles and films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, H.; Mathur, S.

2002-06-01

Chemical routes for the synthesis of nanoparticles and films are proving to be highly efficient and versatile in tailoring the elemental combination and intrinsic properties of the target materials. The use of molecular compounds allows a controlled interaction of atoms or molecules, when compared to the solid-state methods, resulting in the formation of compositionally homogeneous deposits or uniform solid particles. Assembling all the elements forming the material in a single molecular compound, the so-called single-source approach augments the formation of nanocrystalline phases at low temperatures with atomically precise structures. To this end, we have shown that predefined reaction (decomposition) chemistry of precursors enforces a molecular level homogeneity in the obtained materials. Following the single-step conversions of appropriate molecular sources, we have obtained films and nanoparticles of oxides (Fe3O4, BaTiO3, ZnAl2O4, CoAl2O4), metal/oxide composites (Ge/GeO2) and ceramic-ceramic composites (LnAIO3/AI2O3; Ln = Pr, Nd). For a comparative evaluation, CoAl2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by both single- and multi-component routes; whereas the single-source approach yielded monophasic high purity spinels, phase contamination, due to monometal phases, was observed in the ceramic obtained from multicomponent mixture. An account of the size-controlled synthesis and characterisation of the new ceramics and composites is presented.

Combined action of transverse oscillations and uniform cross-flow on vortex formation and pattern of a circular cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, K. M.; Liu, P.; Hu, J. C.

2010-07-01

This paper attempts to study the roles of lateral cylinder oscillations and a uniform cross-flow in the vortex formation and wake modes of an oscillating circular cylinder. A circular cylinder is given lateral oscillations of varying amplitudes (between 0.28 and 1.42 cylinder-diameters) in a slow uniform flow stream (Reynolds number=284) to produce the 2S, 2P and P+S wake modes. Detailed flow information is obtained with time-resolved particle-image velocimetry and the phase-locked averaging techniques. In the 2S and 2P mode, the flow speeds relative to the cylinder movement are less than the uniform flow velocity and it is found that initial formation of a vortex is caused by shear-layer separation of the uniform flow on the cylinder. Subsequent development of the shear-layer vortices is affected by the lateral cylinder movement. At small cylinder oscillation amplitudes, vortices are shed in synchronization with the cylinder movement, resulting in the 2S mode. The 2P mode occurs at larger cylinder oscillation amplitudes at which each shear-layer vortex is found to undergo intense stretching and eventual bifurcation into two separate vortices. The P+S mode occurs when the cylinder moving speeds are, for most of the time, higher than the speed of the uniform flow. These situations are found at fast and large-amplitude cylinder oscillations in which the flow relative to the cylinder movement takes over the uniform flow in governing the initial vortex formation. The formation stages of vortices from the cylinder are found to bear close resemblance to those of a vortex street pattern of a cylinder oscillating in an otherwise quiescent fluid at Keulegan-Carpenter numbers around 16. Vortices in the inclined vortex street pattern so formed are then convected downstream by the uniform flow as the vortex pairs in the 2P mode.

Thixoforming of Stellite Powder Compacts

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

Hogg, S. C.; Atkinson, H. V.; Kapranos, P.

2007-04-07

Thixoforming involves processing metallic alloys in the semi-solid state. The process requires the microstructure to be spheroidal when part-solid and part-liquid i.e. to consist of solid spheroids surrounded by liquid. The aim of this work was to investigate whether powder compacts can be used as feedstock for thixoforming and whether the consolidating pressure in the thixoformer can be used to remove porosity from the compact. The powder compacts were made from stellite 6 and stellite 21 alloys, cobalt-based alloys widely used for e.g. manufacturing prostheses. Isothermal heat treatments of small samples in the consolidated state showed the optimum thixoforming temperaturemore » to be in the range 1340 deg. C-1350 deg. C for both materials. The alloys were thixoformed into graphite dies and flowed easily to fill the die. Porosity in the thixoformed components was lower than in the starting material. Hardness values at various positions along the radius of the thixoformed demonstrator component were above the specification for both alloys.« less

Transesterification reaction of the fat originated from solid waste of the leather industry.

PubMed

Işler, Asli; Sundu, Serap; Tüter, Melek; Karaosmanoğlu, Filiz

2010-12-01

The leather industry is an industry which generates a large amount of solid and liquid wastes. Most of the solid wastes originate from the pre-tanning processes while half of it comes from the fleshing step. Raw fleshing wastes which mainly consist of protein and fat have almost no recovery option and the disposal is costly. This study outlines the possibility of using the fleshing waste as an oil source for transesterification reaction. The effect of oil/alcohol molar ratio, the amount of catalyst and temperature on ester production was individually investigated and optimum reaction conditions were determined. The fuel properties of the ester product were also studied according to the EN 14214 standard. Cold filter plugging point and oxidation stability have to be improved in order to use the ester product as an alternative fuel candidate. Besides, this product can be used as a feedstock in lubricant production or cosmetic industry. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An industrial ecology approach to municipal solid waste ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Municipal solid waste (MSW) can be viewed as a feedstock for industrial ecology inspired conversions of wastes to valuable products and energy. The industrial ecology principle of symbiotic processes using waste streams for creating value-added products is applied to MSW, with examples suggested for various residual streams. A methodology is presented to consider individual waste-to-energy or waste-to-product system synergies, evaluating the economic and environmental issues associated with each system. Steps included in the methodology include identifying waste streams, specific waste components of interest, and conversion technologies, plus steps for determining the economic and environmental effects of using wastes and changes due to transport, administrative handling, and processing. In addition to presenting the methodology, technologies for various MSW input streams are categorized as commercialized or demonstrated to provide organizations that are considering processes for MSW with summarized information. The organization can also follow the methodology to analyze interesting processes. Presents information useful for analyzing the sustainability of alternatives for the management of municipal solid waste.

Analysis of the effect of waste's particle size variations on biodrying method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristanto, Gabriel Andari; Zikrina, Masayu Nadiya

2017-11-01

The use of municipal solid waste as energy source can be a solution for Indonesia's increasing energy demand. However, its high moisture content limits the use of solid waste as energy. Biodrying is a method of lowering wastes' moisture content using biological process. This study investigated the effect of wastes' particle size variations on biodrying method. The experiment was performed on 3 lab-scale reactors with the same specifications. Organic wastes with the composition of 50% vegetable wastes and 50% garden wastes were used as substrates. The feedstock was manually shredded into 3 size variations, which were 10 - 40 mm, 50 - 80 mm, and 100 - 300 mm. The experiment lasted for 21 days. After 21 days, it was shown that the waste with the size of 100 - 300 mm has the lowest moisture content, which is 50.99%, and the volatile solids content is still 74.3% TS. This may be caused by the higher free air space of the reactor with the bigger sized substrate.

Press fluid pre-treatment optimisation of the integrated generation of solid fuel and biogas from biomass (IFBB) process approach.

PubMed

Corton, John; Toop, Trisha; Walker, Jonathan; Donnison, Iain S; Fraser, Mariecia D

2014-10-01

The integrated generation of solid fuel and biogas from biomass (IFBB) system is an innovative approach to maximising energy conversion from low input high diversity (LIHD) biomass. In this system water pre-treated and ensiled LIHD biomass is pressed. The press fluid is anaerobically digested to produce methane that is used to power the process. The fibrous fraction is densified and then sold as a combustion fuel. Two process options designed to concentrate the press fluid were assessed to ascertain their influence on productivity in an IFBB like system: sedimentation and the omission of pre-treatment water. By concentrating press fluid and not adding water during processing, energy production from methane was increased by 75% per unit time and solid fuel productivity increased by 80% per unit of fluid produced. The additional energy requirements for pressing more biomass in order to generate equal volumes of feedstock were accounted for in these calculations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrated oil production and upgrading using molten alkali metal

DOEpatents

Gordon, John Howard

2016-10-04

A method that combines the oil retorting process (or other process needed to obtain/extract heavy oil or bitumen) with the process for upgrading these materials using sodium or other alkali metals. Specifically, the shale gas or other gases that are obtained from the retorting/extraction process may be introduced into the upgrading reactor and used to upgrade the oil feedstock. Also, the solid materials obtained from the reactor may be used as a fuel source, thereby providing the heat necessary for the retorting/extraction process. Other forms of integration are also disclosed.

Big bluestem and switchgrass feedstock harvest timing: Nitrous oxide response to feedstock harvest timing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerdardii Vitman) are potential bioenergy feedstocks. Feedstock storage limitations, labor constraints for harvest, and environmental benefits provided by perennials are rationales for developing localized perennial feedstock as an alter...

Device and method for upgrading petroleum feedstocks and petroleum refinery streams using an alkali metal conductive membrane

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

Gordon, John Howard; Alvare, Javier

A reactor has two chambers, namely an oil feedstock chamber and a source chamber. An ion separator separates the oil feedstock chamber from the source chamber, wherein the ion separator allows alkali metal ions to pass from the source chamber, through the ion separator, and into the oil feedstock chamber. A cathode is at least partially housed within the oil feedstock chamber and an anode is at least partially housed within the source chamber. A quantity of an oil feedstock is within the oil feedstock chamber, the oil feedstock comprising at least one carbon atom and a heteroatom and/or onemore » or more heavy metals, the oil feedstock further comprising naphthenic acid. When the alkali metal ion enters the oil feedstock chamber, the alkali metal reacts with the heteroatom, the heavy metals and/or the naphthenic acid, wherein the reaction with the alkali metal forms inorganic products.« less

Synthesis of Large and Few Atomic Layers of Hexagonal Boron Nitride on Melted Copper

PubMed Central

Khan, Majharul Haque; Huang, Zhenguo; Xiao, Feng; Casillas, Gilberto; Chen, Zhixin; Molino, Paul J.; Liu, Hua Kun

2015-01-01

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS) have been proposed as an ideal substrate for graphene-based electronic devices, but the synthesis of large and homogeneous h-BNNS is still challenging. In this contribution, we report a facile synthesis of few-layer h-BNNS on melted copper via an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition process. Comparative studies confirm the advantage of using melted copper over solid copper as a catalyst substrate. The former leads to the formation of single crystalline h-BNNS that is several microns in size and mostly in mono- and bi-layer forms, in contrast to the polycrystalline and mixed multiple layers (1–10) yielded by the latter. This difference is likely to be due to the significantly reduced and uniformly distributed nucleation sites on the smooth melted surface, in contrast to the large amounts of unevenly distributed nucleation sites that are associated with grain boundaries and other defects on the solid surface. This synthesis is expected to contribute to the development of large-scale manufacturing of h-BNNS/graphene-based electronics. PMID:25582557

Synthesis of large and few atomic layers of hexagonal boron nitride on melted copper.

PubMed

Khan, Majharul Haque; Huang, Zhenguo; Xiao, Feng; Casillas, Gilberto; Chen, Zhixin; Molino, Paul J; Liu, Hua Kun

2015-01-13

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS) have been proposed as an ideal substrate for graphene-based electronic devices, but the synthesis of large and homogeneous h-BNNS is still challenging. In this contribution, we report a facile synthesis of few-layer h-BNNS on melted copper via an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition process. Comparative studies confirm the advantage of using melted copper over solid copper as a catalyst substrate. The former leads to the formation of single crystalline h-BNNS that is several microns in size and mostly in mono- and bi-layer forms, in contrast to the polycrystalline and mixed multiple layers (1-10) yielded by the latter. This difference is likely to be due to the significantly reduced and uniformly distributed nucleation sites on the smooth melted surface, in contrast to the large amounts of unevenly distributed nucleation sites that are associated with grain boundaries and other defects on the solid surface. This synthesis is expected to contribute to the development of large-scale manufacturing of h-BNNS/graphene-based electronics.

Air-stable nZVI formation mediated by glutamic acid: solid-state storable material exhibiting 2D chain morphology and high reactivity in aqueous environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siskova, Karolina; Tucek, Jiri; Machala, Libor; Otyepkova, Eva; Filip, Jan; Safarova, Klara; Pechousek, Jiri; Zboril, Radek

2012-03-01

We report a new chemical approach toward air-stable nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI). The uniformly sized (approx. 80 nm) particles, formed by the reduction of Fe(II) salt by borohydride in the presence of glutamic acid, are coated by a thin inner shell of amorphous ferric oxide/hydroxide and a secondary shell consisting of glutamic acid. The as-prepared nanoparticles stabilized by the inorganic-organic double shell create 2D chain morphologies. They are storable for several months under ambient atmosphere without the loss of Fe(0) relative content. They show one order of magnitude higher rate constant for trichlorethene decomposition compared with the pristine particles possessing only the inorganic shell as a protective layer. This is the first example of the inorganic-organic (consisting of low-molecular weight species) double-shell stabilized nanoscale zero-valent iron material being safely transportable in solid-state, storable on long-term basis under ambient conditions, environmentally acceptable for in situ applications, and extraordinarily reactive if contacted with reducible pollutants, all in one.

Recycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goto, Junya; Santorelli, Michael

Recycling systems are classified into those employing typically three methods, and the progress of each method is described. In mechanical recycling, powders of phenolic materials are recovered via a mechanical process and reused as fillers or additives in virgin materials. The effects to flowability, curability, and mechanical properties of the materials are explained. In feedstock recycling, monomers, oligomers, or oils are recovered via chemical processes and reused as feedstock. Pyrolysis, solvolysis or hydrolysis, and supercritical or subcritical fluid technology will also be introduced. When using a subcritical fluid of phenol, the recycled material maintains excellent properties similar to the virgin material, and a demonstration plant has been constructed to carry out mass production development. In energy recovery, wastes of phenolic materials are used as an alternative solid fuel to coal because they are combustible and have good calorific value. Industrial wastes of these have been in practical use in a cement plant. Finally, it is suggested that the best recycling method should be selected according to the purpose or situation, because every recycling method has both strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, quantitative and objective evaluation methods in recycling are desirable and should be established.

Proctor and gamble technology process assessment for bioenergy production

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

Hu, Hongqiang; Boardman, Richard Doin; Wright, Christopher Todd

P&G intends to replace as much as their current heat and power by renewable energy sources. For 2014, P&G’s total energy including electricity, natural gas and steam is approximately 1,540,000 MMBTU annually (Table 2). The biomass and wastes around P&G facility can be grouped into six categories (Figure 6): (1) Agriculture residue and grass, (2) Refuse (inorganic) solid material, (3) Food waste, (4) Organic waste stream, (5) livestock manure, (6) wastewater and sludge. The six feedstock sources can provide a total energy of 3,520,000 MMBTU per year (Table 10), among which the agriculture residue is the biggest fraction, about 67%,more » followed by livestock manures 27%. Therefore, the available energy sources around P&G facility are enough to meet their energy needs. These energy feedstocks would be treated by two processes: anaerobic digestion for biogas subsequently for heat and power and thermochemical process (combustion, pyrolysis and gasification) for heat and power (Figure 8 and 9). For AD, a one-stage complete mixing digester is preferable; and fluidized bed reactors are favorable for thermochemical process.« less

Perennial grass (Arundo donax L.) as a feedstock for thermo-chemical conversion to energy and materials.

PubMed

Saikia, Ruprekha; Chutia, Rahul Singh; Kataki, Rupam; Pant, Kamal K

2015-01-01

In the present study, perennial grass species Arundo donax L. was pyrolysed in a fixed-bed reactor and characterization was performed for the liquid and the solid products. The effect of process parameters such as temperature (350-650 °C), heating rate (10 °C and 40 °C min(-1)) and sweeping gas flow rate (50-250 ml min(-1)) was also investigated. Maximum bio-oil yield of ∼ 26% was observed at 500 °C for the heating rate of 40 °C min(-1). Chemical composition of the bio-oil was analysed through NMR, FTIR and GC-MS. The biochar was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy along with elemental analysis (CHN). The biochar produced as a co-product of A. donax pyrolysis can be a potential soil amendment with multiple benefits including increased soil fertility and C-sequestration. Current investigation suggests suitability of A. donax as a potential feedstock for exploitation of energy and biomaterials through pyrolytic route. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formate Assimilation: The Metabolic Architecture of Natural and Synthetic Pathways.

PubMed

Bar-Even, Arren

2016-07-19

Formate may become an ideal mediator between the physicochemical and biological realms, as it can be produced efficiently from multiple available sources, such as electricity and biomass, and serve as one of the simplest organic compounds for providing both carbon and energy to living cells. However, limiting the realization of formate as a microbial feedstock is the low diversity of formate-fixing enzymes and thereby the small number of naturally occurring formate-assimilation pathways. Here, the natural enzymes and pathways supporting formate assimilation are presented and discussed together with proposed synthetic routes that could permit growth on formate via existing as well as novel formate-fixing reactions. By considering such synthetic routes, the diversity of metabolic solutions for formate assimilation can be expanded dramatically, such that different host organisms, cultivation conditions, and desired products could be matched with the most suitable pathway. Astute application of old and new formate-assimilation pathways may thus become a cornerstone in the development of sustainable strategies for microbial production of value-added chemicals.

Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of gold nanoparticles via plasma-liquid interaction technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khatoon, N.; Yasin, H. M.; Younus, M.; Ahmed, W.; Rehman, N. U.; Zakaullah, M.; Iqbal, M. Zafar

2018-01-01

Fabrication of non-functionalized gold nanoparticles is interesting owing to their potential applications in sensing and biomedicine. We report on the synthesis of surfactant-free gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by Plasma-Liquid Interaction (PLI) technique, using micro-atmospheric pressure D.C. plasma. The effects of discharge parameters, such as discharge current, precursor concentration and gas flow rates on the structure and morphology of AuNPs have been investigated. Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) was employed to estimate the UV radiation intensity and OH radical density. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) optical spectroscopy were employed to study the morphology and structure of AuNPs. The normalized intensities of UV radiation and OH radical density found to increase with increase in discharge current. We observed that the particle size can be tuned by controlling any of the following parameters: intensity of the UV radiation, OH radical density, and concentration of the Au precursor. Interestingly, we found that addition of 1% Ar in the feedstock gas results in formation of relatively uniform size distribution of nanoparticles. The surfactant-free AuNPs, due to their bare-surface, exhibit excellent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties. The SERS study of Rhodamine 6G using AuNPs as substrates, shows significant Raman enhancement and fluorescence quenching, which makes our technique a potentially powerful route to detection of trace amounts of dangerous explosives and other materials.

Continuous-wave lasing in colloidal quantum dot solids enabled by facet-selective epitaxy.

PubMed

Fan, Fengjia; Voznyy, Oleksandr; Sabatini, Randy P; Bicanic, Kristopher T; Adachi, Michael M; McBride, James R; Reid, Kemar R; Park, Young-Shin; Li, Xiyan; Jain, Ankit; Quintero-Bermudez, Rafael; Saravanapavanantham, Mayuran; Liu, Min; Korkusinski, Marek; Hawrylak, Pawel; Klimov, Victor I; Rosenthal, Sandra J; Hoogland, Sjoerd; Sargent, Edward H

2017-04-06

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) feature a low degeneracy of electronic states at the band edges compared with the corresponding bulk material, as well as a narrow emission linewidth. Unfortunately for potential laser applications, this degeneracy is incompletely lifted in the valence band, spreading the hole population among several states at room temperature. This leads to increased optical gain thresholds, demanding high photoexcitation levels to achieve population inversion (more electrons in excited states than in ground states-the condition for optical gain). This, in turn, increases Auger recombination losses, limiting the gain lifetime to sub-nanoseconds and preventing steady laser action. State degeneracy also broadens the photoluminescence linewidth at the single-particle level. Here we demonstrate a way to decrease the band-edge degeneracy and single-dot photoluminescence linewidth in CQDs by means of uniform biaxial strain. We have developed a synthetic strategy that we term facet-selective epitaxy: we first switch off, and then switch on, shell growth on the (0001) facet of wurtzite CdSe cores, producing asymmetric compressive shells that create built-in biaxial strain, while still maintaining excellent surface passivation (preventing defect formation, which otherwise would cause non-radiative recombination losses). Our synthesis spreads the excitonic fine structure uniformly and sufficiently broadly that it prevents valence-band-edge states from being thermally depopulated. We thereby reduce the optical gain threshold and demonstrate continuous-wave lasing from CQD solids, expanding the library of solution-processed materials that may be capable of continuous-wave lasing. The individual CQDs exhibit an ultra-narrow single-dot linewidth, and we successfully propagate this into the ensemble of CQDs.

Thermo-Catalytic Reforming of municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Ouadi, Miloud; Jaeger, Nils; Greenhalf, Charles; Santos, Joao; Conti, Roberto; Hornung, Andreas

2017-10-01

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) refers to a heterogeneous mixture composed of plastics, paper, metal, food and other miscellaneous items. Local authorities commonly dispose of this waste by either landfill or incineration which are both unsustainable practices. Disposing of organic wastes via these routes is also becoming increasingly expensive due to rising landfill taxes and transport costs. The Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR®) process, is a proposed valorisation route to transform organic wastes and residues, such as MSW, into sustainable energy vectors including (H 2 rich synthesis gas, liquid bio-oil and solid char). The aim herein, was to investigate the conversion of the organic fraction of MSW into fuels and chemicals utilising the TCR technology in a 2kg/h continuous pilot scale reactor. Findings show that MSW was successfully processed with the TCR after carrying out a feedstock pre-treatment step. Approximately, 25wt.% of the feedstock was converted into phase separated liquids, composed of 19wt.% aqueous phase and 6wt.% organic phase bio-oil. The analysis of the bio-oil fraction revealed physical and chemical fuel properties, higher heating value (HHV) of 38MJ/kg, oxygen content <7wt.% and water content <4wt.%. Due to the bio-oil's chemical and physical properties, the bio-oil was found to be directly miscible with fossil diesel when blended at a volume ratio of 50:50. The mass balance closure was 44wt.% synthesis gas, with a H 2 content of 36vol% and HHV of 17.23MJ/Nm 3 , and 31 wt.% char with a HHV of 17MJ/kg. The production of high quantities of H 2 gas and highly de-oxygenated organic liquids makes downstream hydrogen separation and subsequent hydro-deoxygenation of the produced bio-oil a promising upgrading step to achieve drop-in transportation fuels from MSW. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research on acting mechanism and behavior of a gas bubble in the air dense medium fluidized bed

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

Tao, X.; Chen, Q.; Yang, Y.

1996-12-31

Coal dry beneficiation with air-dense medium fluidized bed has now been established as a high efficiency dry separation technology, it is the application of fluidization technology to the coal preparation field. The tiny particle media forms an uniform and stable fluidized bed with a density acted by airflow, which is used to separate 80{micro}m to {approximately}6mm size coal. This technology has achieved satisfied industrialization results, and attracted the expert`s attention in the field. In fluidized bed, the interaction between gas and solid was mainly decided by the existence state of heavy media particles mass (position and distance) relative velocity ofmore » gas-solid two phase, as well turbulent action. A change of vertical gas-solid fluidizing state essentially is the one of a energy transforming process. For a coal separating process with air-dense medium fluidized bed, the gas bubble, producing a turbulent and stirring action in the bed, leads to two effects. It can promote a uniform distribution of heavy media particles, and a uniform and stability of a bed density. Otherwise it will decrease effective contacts between gas-solids two phases, producing a bigger gas bubble. Therefore controlling a gas bubble size in bed should be optimized. This paper analyzes mutual movement between gas-solid, and studies the gas bubble behavior in the bed. A mechanic mode and a separating process of coal in the bed is discussed. It aims to research the coal separating mechanism with air-dense fluidized bed.« less

Porous stabilized beds, methods of manufacture thereof and articles comprising the same

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

Klausner, James F.; Mei, Renwei; Momen, Ayyoub Mehdizadeh

Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a first particle in a reactor; the first particle being a magnetic particle or a particle that can be influenced by a magnetic field, an electric field or a combination of an electrical field and a magnetic field; fluidizing the first particle in the reactor; applying a uniform magnetic field, a uniform electrical field or a combination of a uniform magnetic field and a uniform electrical field to the reactor; elevating the temperature of the reactor; and fusing the first particles to form a monolithic solid.

Biochar, Tool for Climate Change Mitigation and Soil Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shackley, Simon; Sohi, Saran; Ibarrola, Rodrigo; Hammond, Jim; Mašek, Ondřej; Brownsort, Peter; Cross, Andrew; Prendergast-Miller, Miranda; Haszeldine, Stuart

Biochar is the solid remains of any organic material that has been heated to at least 350oC in a zero-oxygen or oxygen-limited environment, which is intended to be mixed with soils. If the solid remains are not suitable for addition to soils, or will be burned as a fuel or used as an aggregate in construction, it is defined as char not biochar. There is a very wide range of potential biochar feedstocks, e.g., wood waste, timber, agricultural residues and wastes (straws, bagasse, manure, husks, shells, fibers, etc.), leaves, food wastes, paper and sewage sludge, green waste, distiller's grain, and many others. Pyrolysis is usually the technology of choice for producing biochar, though biomass gasification also produces smaller char yields. Syngas and pyrolytic bio-liquids, which have a potential use as energy carriers, are produced alongside biochar.

Atomic-level structure characterization of biomass pre- and post-lignin treatment by dynamic nuclear polarization-enhanced solid-state NMR

DOE PAGES

Perras, Frederic A.; Luo, Hao; Zhang, Ximing; ...

2016-12-27

Here, lignocellulosic biomass is a promising sustainable feedstock for the production of biofuels, biomaterials, and biospecialty chemicals. However, efficient utilization of biomass has been limited by our poor understanding of its molecular structure. Here, we report a dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced solid-state (SS)NMR study of the molecular structure of biomass, both pre- and postcatalytic treatment. This technique enables the measurement of 2D homonuclear 13C– 13C correlation SSNMR spectra under natural abundance, yielding, for the first time, an atomic-level picture of the structure of raw and catalytically treated biomass samples. We foresee that further such experiments could be used to determinemore » structure–function relationships and facilitate the development of more efficient, and chemically targeted, biomass-conversion technologies.« less

Atomic-level structure characterization of biomass pre- and post-lignin treatment by dynamic nuclear polarization-enhanced solid-state NMR

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

Perras, Frederic A.; Luo, Hao; Zhang, Ximing

Here, lignocellulosic biomass is a promising sustainable feedstock for the production of biofuels, biomaterials, and biospecialty chemicals. However, efficient utilization of biomass has been limited by our poor understanding of its molecular structure. Here, we report a dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced solid-state (SS)NMR study of the molecular structure of biomass, both pre- and postcatalytic treatment. This technique enables the measurement of 2D homonuclear 13C– 13C correlation SSNMR spectra under natural abundance, yielding, for the first time, an atomic-level picture of the structure of raw and catalytically treated biomass samples. We foresee that further such experiments could be used to determinemore » structure–function relationships and facilitate the development of more efficient, and chemically targeted, biomass-conversion technologies.« less

Gasification reactor engineering approach to understanding the formation of biochar properties

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The correlation between thermochemical provenance and biochar functionality is poorly understood. To this end, operational reactor temperatures (spanning the reduction zone), pressure and product gas composition measurements were obtained from a downdraft gasifier and compared against elemental composition, surface morphology and polyaromatic hydrocarbon content (PAH) of the char produced. Pine feedstock moisture with values of 7% and 17% was the experimental variable. Moderately high steady-state temperatures were observed inside the reactor, with a ca 50°C difference in how the gasifier operated between the two feedstock types. Both chars exhibited surface properties comparable to activated carbon, but the relatively small differences in temperature caused significant variations in biochar surface area and morphology: micropore area 584 against 360 m2 g−1, and micropore volume 0.287 against 0.172 cm3 g−1. Differences in char extractable PAH content were also observed, with higher concentrations (187 µg g−1 ± 18 compared with 89 ± 19 µg g−1 Σ16EPA PAH) when the gasifier was operated with higher moisture content feedstock. It is recommended that greater detail on operational conditions during biochar production should be incorporated to future biochar characterization research as a consequence of these results. PMID:27616911

Microstructural Evolution in Solution Heat Treatment of Gas-Atomized Al Alloy (7075) Powder for Cold Spray

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabard, A.; de Villiers Lovelock, H. L.; Hussain, T.

2018-01-01

Cold gas dynamic spray is being explored as a repair technique for high-value metallic components, given its potential to produce pore and oxide-free deposits of between several micrometers and several millimeters thick with good levels of adhesion and mechanical strength. However, feedstock powders for cold spray experience rapid solidification if manufactured by gas atomization and hence can exhibit non-equilibrium microstructures and localized segregation of alloying elements. Here, we used sealed quartz tube solution heat treatment of a precipitation hardenable 7075 aluminum alloy feedstock to yield a consistent and homogeneous powder phase composition and microstructure prior to cold spraying, aiming for a more controllable heat treatment response of the cold spray deposits. It was shown that the dendritic microstructure and solute segregation in the gas-atomized powders were altered, such that the heat-treated powder exhibits a homogeneous distribution of solute atoms. Micro-indentation testing revealed that the heat-treated powder exhibited a mean hardness decrease of nearly 25% compared to the as-received powder. Deformation of the powder particles was enhanced by heat treatment, resulting in an improved coating with higher thickness ( 300 μm compared to 40 μm for untreated feedstock). Improved particle-substrate bonding was evidenced by formation of jets at the particle boundaries.

7 CFR 1126.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price; (c) The nonfat...; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the...

7 CFR 1032.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1126.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price; (c) The nonfat...; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the...

7 CFR 1030.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, nonfat solids, protein and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1033.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1032.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1033.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1126.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price; (c) The nonfat...; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the...

7 CFR 1032.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1126.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price; (c) The nonfat...; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the...

7 CFR 1030.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, nonfat solids, protein and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1033.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1033.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1126.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price; (c) The nonfat...; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the...

7 CFR 1032.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1032.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1030.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, nonfat solids, protein and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1030.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, nonfat solids, protein and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1030.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, nonfat solids, protein and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

7 CFR 1033.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... cell adjustment rate; (g) The average butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (h) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by...

Ionic Liquids as templating agents in formation of uranium-containing nanomaterials

DOEpatents

Visser, Ann E; Bridges, Nicholas J

2014-06-10

A method for forming nanoparticles containing uranium oxide is described. The method includes combining a uranium-containing feedstock with an ionic liquid to form a mixture and holding the mixture at an elevated temperature for a period of time to form the product nanoparticles. The method can be carried out at low temperatures, for instance less than about 300.degree. C.

Corn fiber, cobs and stover: enzyme-aided saccharification and co-fermentation after dilute acid pretreatment.

PubMed

Van Eylen, David; van Dongen, Femke; Kabel, Mirjam; de Bont, Jan

2011-05-01

Three corn feedstocks (fibers, cobs and stover) available for sustainable second generation bioethanol production were subjected to pretreatments with the aim of preventing formation of yeast-inhibiting sugar-degradation products. After pretreatment, monosaccharides, soluble oligosaccharides and residual sugars were quantified. The size of the soluble xylans was estimated by size exclusion chromatography. The pretreatments resulted in relatively low monosaccharide release, but conditions were reached to obtain most of the xylan-structures in the soluble part. A state of the art commercial enzyme preparation, Cellic CTec2, was tested in hydrolyzing these dilute acid-pretreated feedstocks. The xylose and glucose liberated were fermented by a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. In the simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and fermentation system employed, a concentration of more than 5% (v/v) (0.2g per g of dry matter) of ethanol was reached. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of particle size distribution on nanopowder cold compaction processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boltachev, G.; Volkov, N.; Lukyashin, K.; Markov, V.; Chingina, E.

2017-06-01

Nanopowder uniform and uniaxial cold compaction processes are simulated by 2D granular dynamics method. The interaction of particles in addition to wide-known contact laws involves the dispersion forces of attraction and possibility of interparticle solid bridges formation, which have a large importance for nanopowders. Different model systems are investigated: monosized systems with particle diameter of 10, 20 and 30 nm; bidisperse systems with different content of small (diameter is 10 nm) and large (30 nm) particles; polydisperse systems corresponding to the log-normal size distribution law with different width. Non-monotone dependence of compact density on powder content is revealed in bidisperse systems. The deviations of compact density in polydisperse systems from the density of corresponding monosized system are found to be minor, less than 1 per cent.

One-step solution fabrication of magnetic chains consisting of jingle-bell-shaped cobalt mesospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Fang; Guo, Lin; Zhong, QunPeng; Wen, Xiaogang; Yang, Shihe; Zheng, Wangzhi; Chen, Chinping; Zhang, Nina; Chu, Weiguo

2006-09-01

Using a one-step solution phase approach, the authors have synthesized uniform jingle bell-shaped cobalt mesopheres (550-750nm) and assembled the mesospheres into long magnetic chains (20-30μm). All of the cobalt spheres are hollow with ˜40nm thick shells but each contains an ˜200nm diameter solid ball. The nano- to mesoscale structures were realized via reaction of CoCl2•6H2O and N2H4•H2O in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in an ethylene glycol solution. Magnetic measurements show a coercivity of about 75Oe with a remnance of 9.6emu /g at 300K. We propose a possible mechanism for the formation of the nanoto mesoscale structures.

40 CFR 98.163 - Calculating GHG emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... atmospheric pressure) of fuel and feedstock). CCn = Average carbon content of the gaseous fuel and feedstock, from the results of one or more analyses for month n (kg carbon per kg of fuel and feedstock). MW... fuel and feedstock). CCn = Average carbon content of the liquid fuel and feedstock, from the results of...

Modeling and comparative assessment of municipal solid waste gasification for energy production

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

Arafat, Hassan A., E-mail: harafat@masdar.ac.ae; Jijakli, Kenan

Highlights: • Study developed a methodology for the evaluation of gasification for MSW treatment. • Study was conducted comparatively for USA, UAE, and Thailand. • Study applies a thermodynamic model (Gibbs free energy minimization) using the Gasify software. • The energy efficiency of the process and the compatibility with different waste streams was studied. - Abstract: Gasification is the thermochemical conversion of organic feedstocks mainly into combustible syngas (CO and H{sub 2}) along with other constituents. It has been widely used to convert coal into gaseous energy carriers but only has been recently looked at as a process for producingmore » energy from biomass. This study explores the potential of gasification for energy production and treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW). It relies on adapting the theory governing the chemistry and kinetics of the gasification process to the use of MSW as a feedstock to the process. It also relies on an equilibrium kinetics and thermodynamics solver tool (Gasify®) in the process of modeling gasification of MSW. The effect of process temperature variation on gasifying MSW was explored and the results were compared to incineration as an alternative to gasification of MSW. Also, the assessment was performed comparatively for gasification of MSW in the United Arab Emirates, USA, and Thailand, presenting a spectrum of socioeconomic settings with varying MSW compositions in order to explore the effect of MSW composition variance on the products of gasification. All in all, this study provides an insight into the potential of gasification for the treatment of MSW and as a waste to energy alternative to incineration.« less

Utilizing protein-lean coproducts from corn containing recombinant pharmaceutical proteins for ethanol production.

PubMed

Paraman, Ilankovan; Moeller, Lorena; Scott, M Paul; Wang, Kan; Glatz, Charles E; Johnson, Lawrence A

2010-10-13

Protein-lean fractions of corn (maize) containing recombinant (r) pharmaceutical proteins were evaluated as a potential feedstock to produce fuel ethanol. The levels of residual r-proteins in the coproduct, distillers dry grains with solubles (DDGS), were determined. Transgenic corn lines containing recombinant green fluorescence protein (r-GFP) and a recombinant subunit vaccine of Escherichia coli enterotoxin (r-LTB), primarily expressed in endosperm, and another two corn lines containing recombinant human collagen (r-CIα1) and r-GFP, primarily expressed in germ, were used as model systems. The kernels were either ground and used for fermentation or dry fractionated to recover germ-rich fractions prior to grinding for fermentation. The finished beers of whole ground kernels and r-protein-spent endosperm solids contained 127-139 and 138-155 g/L ethanol concentrations, respectively. The ethanol levels did not differ among transgenic and normal corn feedstocks, indicating the residual r-proteins did not negatively affect ethanol production. r-Protein extraction and germ removal also did not negatively affect fermentation of the remaining mass. Most r-proteins were inactivated during the mashing process used to prepare corn for fermentation. No functionally active r-GFP or r-LTB proteins were found after fermentation of the r-protein-spent solids; however, a small quantity of residual r-CIα1 was detected in DDGS, indicating that the safety of DDGS produced from transgenic grain for r-protein production needs to be evaluated for each event. Protease treatment during fermentation completely hydrolyzed the residual r-CIα1, and no residual r-proteins were detectable in DDGS.

Upgrading of petroleum oil feedstocks using alkali metals and hydrocarbons

DOEpatents

Gordon, John Howard

2014-09-09

A method of upgrading an oil feedstock by removing heteroatoms and/or one or more heavy metals from the oil feedstock composition. This method reacts the oil feedstock with an alkali metal and an upgradant hydrocarbon. The alkali metal reacts with a portion of the heteroatoms and/or one or more heavy metals to form an inorganic phase separable from the organic oil feedstock material. The upgradant hydrocarbon bonds to the oil feedstock material and increases the number of carbon atoms in the product. This increase in the number of carbon atoms of the product increases the energy value of the resulting oil feedstock.

7 CFR 1124.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (g) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the Class III price and the...

7 CFR 1124.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (g) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the Class III price and the...

7 CFR 1124.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (g) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the Class III price and the...

7 CFR 1124.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (g) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the Class III price and the...

7 CFR 1124.62 - Announcement of producer prices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... publicly the following prices and information: (a) The producer price differential; (b) The protein price... butterfat, protein, nonfat solids, and other solids content of producer milk; and (g) The statistical uniform price for milk containing 3.5 percent butterfat, computed by combining the Class III price and the...

Renewable energy from corn residues by thermochemical conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Fei

Declining fossil oil reserve, skyrocket price, unsecured supplies, and environment pollution are among the many energy problems we are facing today. It is our conviction that renewable energy is a solution to these problems. The long term goal of the proposed research is to develop commercially practical technologies to produce energy from renewable resources. The overall objective of my research is to study and develop thermochemical processes for converting bulky and low-energy-density biomass materials into bio-fuels and value-added bio-products. The rationale for the proposed research is that, once such processes are developed, processing facility can be set up on or near biomass product sites, reducing the costs associated with transport of bulky biomass which is a key technical barrier to biomass conversion. In my preliminary research, several conversion technologies including atmospheric pressure liquefaction, high pressure liquefaction, and microwave pyrolysis have been evaluated. Our data indicated that microwave pyrolysis had the potential to become a simple and economically viable biomass conversion technology. Microwave pyrolysis is an innovative process that provides efficient and uniform heating, and are robust to type, size and uniformity of feedstock and therefore suitable for almost any waste materials without needing to reduce the particle size. The proposed thesis focused on in-depth investigations of microwave pyrolysis of corn residues. My first specific aim was to examine the effects of processing parameters on product yields. The second specific research aim was to characterize the products (gases, bio-oils, and solid residues), which was critical to process optimization and product developments. Other research tasks included conducting kinetic modeling and preliminary mass and energy balance. This study demonstrated that microwave pyrolysis could be optimized to produce high value syngas, liquid fuels and pyrolytic carbons, and had a great potential to become a commercial process according to the mass and energy balance. One-step global model and two-step consecutive-reaction kinetic model offered a clue to the key mechanistic steps in the overall pyrolysis of corn residues. These results should have a positive impact on advancing renewable energy technologies and establishing the University's leadership status in the area of renewable energy development.

The PLX- α project: demonstrating the viability of spherically imploding plasma liners as an MIF driver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, S. C.; Witherspoon, F. D.; Cassibry, J. T.; Gilmore, M.; Samulyak, R.; Stoltz, P.; the PLX-α Team

2015-11-01

Under ARPA-E's ALPHA program, the Plasma Liner Experiment-ALPHA (PLX- α) project aims to demonstrate the viability and scalability of spherically imploding plasma liners as a standoff, high-implosion-velocity magneto-inertial-fusion (MIF) driver that is potentially compatible with both low- and high- β targets. The project has three major objectives: (a) advancing existing contoured-gap coaxial-gun technology to achieve higher operational reliability/precision and better control/reproducibility of plasma-jet properties and profiles; (2) conducting ~ π / 2 -solid-angle plasma-liner experiments with 9 guns to demonstrate (along with extrapolations from modeling) that the jet-merging process leads to Mach-number degradation and liner uniformity that are acceptable for MIF; and (3) conducting 4 π experiments with up to 60 guns to demonstrate the formation of an imploding spherical plasma liner for the first time, and to provide empirical ram-pressure and uniformity scaling data for benchmarking our codes and informing us whether the scalings justify further development beyond ALPHA. This talk will provide an overview of the PLX- α project as well as key research results to date. Supported by ARPA-E's ALPHA program; original PLX construction supported by DOE Fusion Energy Sciences.

Effect of thermal treatment on the bio-corrosion and mechanical properties of ultrafine-grained ZK60 magnesium alloy.

PubMed

Choi, H Y; Kim, W J

2015-11-01

The combination of solid solution heat treatments and severe plastic deformation by high-ratio differential speed rolling (HRDSR) resulted in the formation of an ultrafine-grained microstructure with high thermal stability in a Mg-5Zn-0.5Zr (ZK60) alloy. When the precipitate particle distribution was uniform in the matrix, the internal stresses and dislocation density could be effectively removed without significant grain growth during the annealing treatment (after HRDSR), leading to enhancement of corrosion resistance. When the particle distribution was non-uniform, rapid grain growth occurred in local areas where the particle density was low during annealing, leading to development of a bimodal grain size distribution. The bimodal grain size distribution accelerated corrosion by forming a galvanic corrosion couple between the fine-grained and coarse-grained regions. The HRDSR-processed ZK60 alloy with high thermal stability exhibited high corrosion resistance, high strength and high ductility, and excellent superplasticity, which allow the fabrication of biodegradable magnesium devices with complicated designs that have a high mechanical integrity throughout the service life in the human body. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of Hydrogen in High-Yield Growth of Boron Nitride Nanotubes at Atmospheric Pressure by Induction Thermal Plasma.

PubMed

Kim, Keun Su; Couillard, Martin; Shin, Homin; Plunkett, Mark; Ruth, Dean; Kingston, Christopher T; Simard, Benoit

2018-01-23

We recently demonstrated scalable manufacturing of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) directly from hexagonal BN (hBN) powder by using induction thermal plasma, with a high-yield rate approaching 20 g/h. The main finding was that the presence of hydrogen is crucial for the high-yield growth of BNNTs. Here we investigate the detailed role of hydrogen by numerical modeling and in situ optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and reveal that both the thermofluidic fields and chemical pathways are significantly altered by hydrogen in favor of rapid growth of BNNTs. The numerical simulation indicated improved particle heating and quenching rates (∼10 5 K/s) due to the high thermal conductivity of hydrogen over the temperature range of 3500-4000 K. These are crucial for the complete vaporization of the hBN feedstock and rapid formation of nanosized B droplets for the subsequent BNNT growth. Hydrogen is also found to extend the active BNNT growth zone toward the reactor downstream, maintaining the gas temperature above the B solidification limit (∼2300 K) by releasing the recombination heat of H atoms, which starts at 3800 K. The OES study revealed that H radicals also stabilize B or N radicals from dissociation of the feedstock as BH and NH radicals while suppressing the formation of N 2 or N 2 + species. Our density functional theory calculations showed that such radicals can provide faster chemical pathways for the formation of BN compared with relatively inert N 2 .

Materials characterization of propellants using ultrasonics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Workman, Gary L.; Jones, David

1993-01-01

Propellant characteristics for solid rocket motors were not completely determined for its use as a processing variable in today's production facilities. A major effort to determine propellant characteristics obtainable through ultrasonic measurement techniques was performed in this task. The information obtained was then used to determine the uniformity of manufacturing methods and/or the ability to determine non-uniformity in processes.

Nutrient characterisation and bioenergy potential of common Nigerian food wastes.

PubMed

Longjan, Gurumwal George; Dehouche, Zahir

2018-05-01

Nigeria is the world's largest producer of yam, cassava, cocoyam/taro, beans/cowpea, egusi/melon seeds and among the largest producers of groundnut/peanut, plantain, corn/maize and ugwu/pumpkin leaves. These food crops generate unavoidable food wastes that can contribute to environmental degradation through unsanctioned waste disposal methods. Such food wastes can be utilised as feedstock for the anaerobic digestion (AD) process to produce renewable energy. In order to determine the suitability of the food wastes as biofuel feedstock, they were experimentally analysed. Their waste content was determined, characterised and used to evaluate their bio-methane potential. The tests were performed using standard proximate analytical methods while the bioenergy potential of the samples was determined using the Baserga model. Results indicated a specific waste index range of 0.2-1.5, with corn having the highest waste proportion. The proximate analysis results of the wastes were within the range of common AD feedstocks such as energy crops and plant by-products. The bio-methane potentials of the samples varied widely with results ranging from 35-460 m 3 tonne -1 on fresh weight and (5.4-6.2) × 10 5 m 3 kg -1 on volatile solid basis. The methane potential varied between 51% and 58% of produced biogas. The energy potential of the food wastes was 31 TWh yr -1 which can make a substantial contribution to the bioenergy production of the country and meet up to the energy demand of 4.7 × 10 7 Nigerian households. Further studies would be required to determine the actual biogas yields of the food wastes.

Apparatus and process to enhance the uniform formation of hollow glass microspheres

DOEpatents

Schumacher, Ray F

2013-10-01

A process and apparatus is provided for enhancing the formation of a uniform population of hollow glass microspheres. A burner head is used which directs incoming glass particles away from the cooler perimeter of the flame cone of the gas burner and distributes the glass particles in a uniform manner throughout the more evenly heated portions of the flame zone. As a result, as the glass particles are softened and expand by a released nucleating gas so as to form a hollow glass microsphere, the resulting hollow glass microspheres have a more uniform size and property distribution as a result of experiencing a more homogenous heat treatment process.

Loss of pace capture after radiofrequency application predicts the formation of uniform transmural lesions.

PubMed

Kosmidou, Ioanna; Houde-Walter, Haley; Foley, Lori; Michaud, Gregory

2013-04-01

Lesion transmurality is critical to procedural success in radiofrequency catheter ablation. We sought to determine whether loss of pace capture (PC) with high-output unipolar and/or bipolar pacing predicts the formation of uniform transmural lesions. Ten juvenile swine were anaesthetized and prepped under sterile conditions. Seventy-seven isolated radiofrequency applications (RFAs) using a 3.5 mm tip-irrigated catheter were available for analysis. Pace capture was assessed before and after RFA at 10 mA/2 ms and catheter stability verified with a three-dimensional mapping system. Pace capture was defined as 1 : 1 or intermittent local capture per paced beat. Myocardial contact and catheter orientation were assessed using intracardiac echo. Endocardial and epicardial lesion areas were measured after sacrifice using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. A uniform transmural lesion was defined as an epicardial-to-endocardial surface ratio (epi/endo) ≥ 76%. Seventy-four per cent of lesions were transmural and 55.8% of lesions had an epi/endo ratio ≥ 76%. In all, 79.2% of lesions associated with loss of bipolar PC were uniform whereas 20.8% of lesions with loss of bipolar PC were non-uniform (P = 0.006). Loss of bipolar PC was associated with higher mean epicardial/endocardial ratio compared with lesions with persistent PC (P = 0.019). Echocardiographic evidence of optimal catheter contact during RFA improved the predictive accuracy of uniform lesion formation when loss of bipolar PC was noted after RFA. Loss of bipolar PC after RFA is associated with the formation of uniform lesions in atrial tissue. Optimal catheter contact further improves the predictive accuracy associated with loss of PC.

Precipitation in Al–Mg solid solution prepared by solidification under high pressure

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

Jie, J.C., E-mail: jiejc@dlut.edu.cn; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001; Wang, H.W.

2014-01-15

The precipitation in Al–Mg solid solution containing 21.6 at.% Mg prepared by solidification under 2 GPa was investigated. The results show that the γ-Al{sub 12}Mg{sub 17} phase is formed and the β′ phase cannot be observed in the solid solution during ageing process. The precipitation of γ and β phases takes place in a non-uniform manner during heating process, i.e. the γ and β phases are first formed in the interdendritic region, which is caused by the inhomogeneous distribution of Mg atoms in the solid solution solidified under high pressure. Peak splitting of X-ray diffraction patterns of Al(Mg) solid solutionmore » appears, and then disappears when the samples are aged at 423 K for different times, due to the non-uniform precipitation in Al–Mg solid solution. The direct transformation from the γ to β phase is observed after ageing at 423 K for 24 h. It is considered that the β phase is formed through a peritectoid reaction of α + γ → β which needs the diffusion of Mg atoms across the interface of α/γ phases. - Highlights: • The γ phase is formed and the β′ phase is be observed in Al(Mg) solid solution. • Peak splitting of XRD pattern of Al(Mg) solid solution appears during aged at 150 °C. • The β phase is formed through a peritectoid reaction of α + γ → β.« less

Hydrothermal carbonization of food waste for nutrient recovery and reuse.

PubMed

Idowu, Ifeolu; Li, Liang; Flora, Joseph R V; Pellechia, Perry J; Darko, Samuel A; Ro, Kyoung S; Berge, Nicole D

2017-11-01

Food waste represents a rather large and currently underutilized source of potentially available and reusable nutrients. Laboratory-scale experiments evaluating the hydrothermal carbonization of food wastes collected from restaurants were conducted to understand how changes in feedstock composition and carbonization process conditions influence primary and secondary nutrient fate. Results from this work indicate that at all evaluated reaction times and temperatures, the majority of nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium remain integrated within the solid-phase, while the majority of potassium and sodium reside in the liquid-phase. The fate of phosphorus is dependent on reaction times and temperatures, with solid-phase integration increasing with higher reaction temperature and longer time. A series of leaching experiments to determine potential solid-phase nutrient availability were also conducted and indicate that, at least in the short term, nitrogen release from the solids is small, while almost all of the phosphorus present in the solids produced from carbonizing at 225 and 250°C is released. At a reaction temperature of 275°C, smaller fractions of the solid-phase total phosphorus are released as reaction times increase, likely due to increased solids incorporation. Using these data, it is estimated that up to 0.96% and 2.30% of nitrogen and phosphorus-based fertilizers, respectively, in the US can be replaced by the nutrients integrated within hydrochar and liquid-phases generated from the carbonization of currently landfilled food wastes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Feeding a sustainable chemical industry: do we have the bioproducts cart before the feedstocks horse?

PubMed

Dale, Bruce E

2017-09-21

A sustainable chemical industry cannot exist at scale without both sustainable feedstocks and feedstock supply chains to provide the raw materials. However, most current research focus is on producing the sustainable chemicals and materials. Little attention is given to how and by whom sustainable feedstocks will be supplied. In effect, we have put the bioproducts cart before the sustainable feedstocks horse. For example, bulky, unstable, non-commodity feedstocks such as crop residues probably cannot supply a large-scale sustainable industry. Likewise, those who manage land to produce feedstocks must benefit significantly from feedstock production, otherwise they will not participate in this industry and it will never grow. However, given real markets that properly reward farmers, demand for sustainable bioproducts and bioenergy can drive the adoption of more sustainable agricultural and forestry practices, providing many societal "win-win" opportunities. Three case studies are presented to show how this "win-win" process might unfold.

Method for producing solid or hollow spherical particles of chosen chemical composition and of uniform size

DOEpatents

Hendricks, Charles D.

1988-01-01

A method is provided for producing commercially large quantities of high melting temperature solid or hollow spherical particles of a predetermined chemical composition and having a uniform and controlled size distribution. An end (18, 50, 90) of a solid or hollow rod (20, 48, 88) of the material is rendered molten by a laser beam (14, 44, 82). Because of this, there is no possibility of the molten rod material becoming contaminated with extraneous material. In various aspects of the invention, an electric field is applied to the molten rod end (18, 90), and/or the molten rod end (50, 90) is vibrated. In a further aspect of the invention, a high-frequency component is added to the electric field applied to the molten end of the rod (90). By controlling the internal pressure of the rod, the rate at which the rod is introduced into the laser beam, the environment of the process, the vibration amplitude and frequency of the molten rod end, the electric field intensity applied to the molten rod end, and the frequency and intensity of the component added to the electric field, the uniformity and size distribution of the solid or hollow spherical particles (122) produced by the inventive method is controlled. The polarity of the electric field applied to the molten rod end can be chosen to eliminate backstreaming electrons, which tend to produce run-away heating in the rod, from the process.

Lignocellulosic feedstock resource assessment

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

Rooney, T.

This report provides overall state and national information on the quantity, availability, and costs of current and potential feedstocks for ethanol production in the United States. It characterizes end uses and physical characteristics of feedstocks, and presents relevant information that affects the economic and technical feasibility of ethanol production from these feedstocks. The data can help researchers focus ethanol conversion research efforts on feedstocks that are compatible with the resource base.

Production of synthetic fuels using syngas from a steam hydrogasification and reforming process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, Arun Satheesh Kumar

This thesis is aimed at the research, optimization and development of a thermo-chemical process aimed at the production of synthesis gas (mixture of H2 and CO) with a flexible H2 to CO ratio using coupled steam hydrogasification and steam reforming processes. The steam hydrogasification step generates a product gas containing significant amounts of methane by gasifying a carbonaceous feed material with steam and internally generated H2. This product gas is converted to synthesis gas with an excess H2 to CO using the steam reformer. Research involving experimental and simulation work has been conducted on steam hydrogasification, steam reforming and the Fischer-Tropsch reaction. The Aspen Plus simulation tool has been used to develop a process model that can perform heat and mass balance calculations of the whole process using built-in reactor modules and an empirical FT model available in the literature. This model has been used to estimate optimum feed ratios and process conditions for specific feedstocks and products. Steam hydrogasification of coal and wood mixtures of varying coal to wood ratios has been performed in a stirred batch reactor. The carbon conversion of the feedstocks to gaseous products is around 60% at 700°C and 80% at 800°C. The coal to wood ratio of the feedstock does not exert a significant influence on the carbon conversion. The rates of formation of CO, CO 2 and CH4 during gasification have been calculated based on the experimental results using a simple kinetic model. Experimental research on steam reforming has been performed. It has been shown that temperature and the feed CO2/CH4 ratio play a dominant role in determining the product gas H2/CO ratio. Reforming of typical steam hydrogasification product-gas stream has been investigated over a commercial steam reforming catalyst. The results demonstrate that the combined use of steam hydrogasification process with a reformer can generate a synthesis gas with a predetermined H2/CO ratio from carbonaceous feedstocks. Experimental work on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has also been performed. A life cycle analysis has been performed with the objective of comparing the life cycle energy consumption and emissions of synthetic diesel fuel produced through the CE-CERT process with other fuel/vehicle combinations. The experimental and simulation results presented here demonstrate that the CE-CERT process is versatile and can potentially handle a number of different feedstocks. CE-CERT process appears to be suitable for commercialization in very large scales with a coal feedstock and also in a distributed network of smaller scale reactors utilizing localized renewable feedstocks.

Particle Formation and Product Formulation Using Supercritical Fluids.

PubMed

Knez, Željko; Knez Hrnčič, Maša; Škerget, Mojca

2015-01-01

Traditional methods for solids processing involve either high temperatures, necessary for melting or viscosity reduction, or hazardous organic solvents. Owing to the negative impact of the solvents on the environment, especially on living organisms, intensive research has focused on new, sustainable methods for the processing of these substances. Applying supercritical fluids for particle formation may produce powders and composites with special characteristics. Several processes for formation and design of solid particles using dense gases have been studied intensively. The unique thermodynamic and fluid-dynamic properties of supercritical fluids can be used also for impregnation of solid particles or for the formation of solid powderous emulsions and particle coating, e.g., for formation of solids with unique properties for use in different applications. We give an overview of the application of sub- and supercritical fluids as green processing media for particle formation processes and present recent advances and trends in development.

Method of preparing an electrode material of lithium-aluminum alloy

DOEpatents

Settle, Jack L.; Myles, Kevin M.; Battles, James E.

1976-01-01

A solid compact having a uniform alloy composition of lithium and aluminum is prepared as a negative electrode for an electrochemical cell. Lithium losses during preparation are minimized by dissolving aluminum within a lithium-rich melt at temperatures near the liquidus temperatures. The desired alloy composition is then solidified and fragmented. The fragments are homogenized to a uniform composition by annealing at a temperature near the solidus temperature. After comminuting to fine particles, the alloy material can be blended with powdered electrolyte and pressed into a solid compact having the desired electrode shape. In the preparation of some electrodes, an electrically conductive metal mesh is embedded into the compact as a current collector.

Rotary powder feed through apparatus

DOEpatents

Lewis, Gary K.; Less, Richard M.

2001-01-01

A device for increasing the uniformity of solids within a solids fabrication system, such as a direct light fabrication (DLF) system in which gas entrained powders are passed through the focal point of a moving high-power light which fuses the particles in the powder to a surface being built up in layers. The invention provides a feed through interface wherein gas entrained powders input from stationary input lines are coupled to a rotating head of the fabrication system. The invention eliminates the need to provide additional slack in the feed lines to accommodate head rotation, and therefore reduces feed line bending movements which induce non-uniform feeding of gas entrained powder to a rotating head.

Sorption of carboxylic acid from carboxylic salt solutions at PHS close to or above the pK.sub.a of the acid, with regeneration with an aqueous solution of ammonia or low-molecular-weight alkylamine

DOEpatents

King, C. Judson; Tung, Lisa A.

1992-01-01

Carboxylic acids are sorbed from aqueous feedstocks at pHs close to or above the acids' pH.sub.a into a strongly basic organic liquid phase or onto a basic solid adsorbent or moderately basic ion exchange resin. the acids are freed from the sorbent phase by treating it with aqueous alkylamine or ammonia thus forming an alkylammonium or ammonium carobxylate which dewatered and decomposed to the desired carboxylic acid and the alkylamine or ammonia.

Fermentation process for the production of organic acids

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

Hermann, Theron; Reinhardt, James; Yu, Xiaohui

This invention relates to improvements in the fermentation process used in the production of organic acids from biological feedstock using bacterial catalysts. The improvements in the fermentation process involve providing a fermentation medium comprising an appropriate form of inorganic carbon, an appropriate amount of aeration and a biocatalyst with an enhanced ability to uptake and assimilate the inorganic carbon into the organic acids. This invention also provides, as a part of an integrated fermentation facility, a novel process for producing a solid source of inorganic carbon by sequestering carbon released from the fermentation in an alkali solution.

The Spiral Wave Instability Induced by a Giant Planet. I. Particle Stirring in the Inner Regions of Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Jaehan; Nelson, Richard P.; Hartmann, Lee

2016-12-01

We have recently shown that spiral density waves propagating in accretion disks can undergo a parametric instability by resonantly coupling with and transferring energy into pairs of inertial waves (or inertial-gravity waves when buoyancy is important). In this paper, we perform inviscid three-dimensional global hydrodynamic simulations to examine the growth and consequence of this instability operating on the spiral waves driven by a Jupiter-mass planet in a protoplanetary disk. We find that the spiral waves are destabilized via the spiral wave instability (SWI), generating hydrodynamic turbulence and sustained radially alternating vertical flows that appear to be associated with long wavelength inertial modes. In the interval 0.3 {R}{{p}}≤slant R≤slant 0.7{R}{{p}}, where R p denotes the semimajor axis of the planetary orbit (assumed to be 5 au), the estimated vertical diffusion rate associated with the turbulence is characterized by {α }{diff}∼ (0.2{--}1.2)× {10}-2. For the disk model considered here, the diffusion rate is such that particles with sizes up to several centimeters are vertically mixed within the first pressure scale height. This suggests that the instability of spiral waves launched by a giant planet can significantly disperse solid particles and trace chemical species from the midplane. In planet formation models where the continuous local production of chondrules/pebbles occurs over Myr timescales to provide a feedstock for pebble accretion onto these bodies, this stirring of solid particles may add a time constraint: planetary embryos and large asteroids have to form before a gas giant forms in the outer disk, otherwise the SWI will significantly decrease the chondrule/pebble accretion efficiency.

Do yield and quality of big bluestem and switchgrass feedstock decline over winter?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerdardii Vitman) are potential bioenergy feedstocks for thermochemical platforms. Feedstock storage, fall harvest constraints, and environmental benefits provided by perennials are rationales for developing localized perennial feedstock...

Effect of composting on the thermal decomposition behavior and kinetic parameters of pig manure-derived solid waste.

PubMed

Dhyani, Vaibhav; Kumar Awasthi, Mukesh; Wang, Quan; Kumar, Jitendra; Ren, Xiuna; Zhao, Junchao; Chen, Hongyu; Wang, Meijing; Bhaskar, Thallada; Zhang, Zengqiang

2018-03-01

In this work, the influence of composting on the thermal decomposition behavior and decomposition kinetics of pig manure-derived solid wastes was analyzed using thermogravimetry. Wheat straw, biochar, zeolite, and wood vinegar were added to pig manure during composting. The composting was done in the 130 L PVC reactors with 100 L effective volume for 50 days. The activation energy of pyrolysis of samples before and after composting was calculated using Friedman's method, while the pre-exponential factor was calculated using Kissinger's equation. It was observed that composting decreased the volatile content of all the samples. The additives when added together in pig manure lead to a reduction in the activation energy of decomposition, advocating the presence of simpler compounds in the compost material in comparison with the complex feedstock. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Density of biogas digestate depending on temperature and composition.

PubMed

Gerber, Mandy; Schneider, Nico

2015-09-01

Density is one of the most important physical properties of biogas digestate to ensure an optimal dimensioning and a precise design of biogas plant components like stirring devices, pumps and heat exchangers. In this study the density of biogas digestates with different compositions was measured using pycnometers at ambient pressure in a temperature range from 293.15 to 313.15K. The biogas digestates were taken from semi-continuous experiments, in which the marine microalga Nannochloropsis salina, corn silage and a mixture of both were used as feedstocks. The results show an increase of density with increasing total solid content and a decrease with increasing temperature. Three equations to calculate the density of biogas digestate were set up depending on temperature as well as on the total solid content, organic composition and elemental composition, respectively. All correlations show a relative deviation below 1% compared to experimental data. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ceramic distribution members for solid state electrolyte cells and method of producing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Douglas J. (Inventor); Galica, Leo M. (Inventor); Losey, Robert W. (Inventor); Suitor, Jerry W. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A solid state electrolyte cells apparatus and method of producing is disclosed. The apparatus can be used for separating oxygen from an oxygen-containing feedstock or as a fuel cell for reacting fluids. Cells can be stacked so that fluids can be introduced and removed from the apparatus through ceramic distribution members having ports designed for distributing the fluids in parallel flow to and from each cell. The distribution members can also serve as electrodes to membranes or as membrane members between electrodes. The distribution member design does not contain any horizontal internal ports which allows the member to be thin. A method of tape casting in combination with an embossing method allows intricate radial ribs and bosses to be formed on each distribution member. The bosses serve as seals for the ports and allow the distribution members to be made without any horizontal internal ports.

Method of producing ceramic distribution members for solid state electrolyte cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Douglas J. (Inventor); Galica, Leo M. (Inventor); Losey, Robert W. (Inventor); Suitor, Jerry W. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A solid state electrolyte cells apparatus and method of producing is disclosed. The apparatus can be used for separating oxygen from an oxygen-containing feedstock or as a fuel cell for reacting fluids. Cells can be stacked so that fluids can be introduced and removed from the apparatus through ceramic distribution members having ports designed for distributing the fluids in parallel flow to and from each cell. The distribution members can also serve as electrodes to membranes or as membrane members between electrodes, The distribution member design does not contain any horizontal internal ports which allows the member to be thin. A method of tape casting in combination with an embossing method allows intricate radial ribs and bosses to be formed on each distribution member. The bosses serve as seals for the ports and allow the distribution members to be made without any horizontal internal ports.

Catalytic conversion of Chlorella pyrenoidosa to biofuels in supercritical alcohols over zeolites.

PubMed

Yang, Le; Ma, Rui; Ma, Zewei; Li, Yongdan

2016-06-01

Microalgae have been considered as the feedstock for the third generation biofuels production, given its high lipid content and fast productivity. Herein, a catalytic approach for microalgae liquefaction to biocrude is examined in a temperature range of 250-300°C in methanol and ethanol over zeolites. Higher biocrude yield was achieved in ethanol and at lower temperatures, while better quality biocrude with higher light biocrude ratio and lower average molecular weight (Mw) was favored in methanol and at higher temperatures. Application of zeolites improves the biocrude quality significantly. Among the catalysts, HY shows the strongest acidity and performs the best to produce high quality biocrude. Solid residues have been extensively explored with thermal gravity analysis and elemental analysis. It is reported for the first time that up to 99wt.% of sulfur is deposited in the solid residue at 250°C for both solvents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

Seiple, Timothy E.; Coleman, André M.; Skaggs, Richard L.

Within the United States and Puerto Rico, publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) process 130.5 Gl/d (34.5 Bgal/d) of wastewater, producing sludge as a waste product. Emerging technologies offer novel waste-to-energy pathways through whole sludge conversion into biofuels. Assessing the feasibility, scalability and tradeoffs of various energy conversion pathways is difficult in the absence of highly spatially resolved estimates of sludge production. In this study, average wastewater solids concentrations and removal rates, and site specific daily average influent flow are used to estimate site specific annual sludge production on a dry weight basis for >15,000 POTWs. Current beneficial uses, regional productionmore » hotspots and feedstock aggregation potential are also assessed. Analyses indicate 1) POTWs capture 12.56 Tg/y (13.84 MT/y) of dry solids; 2) 50% are not beneficially utilized, and 3) POTWs can support seven regions that aggregate >910 Mg/d (1000 T/d) of sludge within a travel distance of 100 km.« less

Quantitative evaluation of haze formation of koji and progression of internal haze by drying of koji during koji making.

PubMed

Ito, Kazunari; Gomi, Katsuya; Kariyama, Masahiro; Miyake, Tsuyoshi

2017-07-01

The construction of an experimental system that can mimic koji making in the manufacturing setting of a sake brewery is initially required for the quantitative evaluation of mycelia grown on/in koji pellets (haze formation). Koji making with rice was investigated with a solid-state fermentation (SSF) system using a non-airflow box (NAB), which produced uniform conditions in the culture substrate with high reproducibility and allowed for the control of favorable conditions in the substrate during culture. The SSF system using NAB accurately reproduced koji making in a manufacturing setting. To evaluate haze formation during koji making, surfaces and cross sections of koji pellets obtained from koji making tests were observed using a digital microscope. Image analysis was used to distinguish between haze and non-haze sections of koji pellets, enabling the evaluation of haze formation in a batch by measuring the haze rate of a specific number of koji pellets. This method allowed us to obtain continuous and quantitative data on the time course of haze formation. Moreover, drying koji during the late stage of koji making was revealed to cause further penetration of mycelia into koji pellets (internal haze). The koji making test with the SSF system using NAB and quantitative evaluation of haze formation in a batch by image analysis is a useful method for understanding the relations between haze formation and koji making conditions. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On Heat Transfer through a Solid Slab Heated Uniformly and Periodically: Determination of Thermal Properties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rojas-Trigos, J. B.; Bermejo-Arenas, J. A.; Marin, E.

2012-01-01

In this paper, some heat transfer characteristics through a sample that is uniformly heated on one of its surfaces by a power density modulated by a periodical square wave are discussed. The solution of this problem has two contributions, comprising a transient term and an oscillatory term, superposed to it. The analytical solution is compared to…

Solution equilibrium behind the room-temperature synthesis of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seisenbaeva, Gulaim A.; Daniel, Geoffrey; Nedelec, Jean-Marie; Kessler, Vadim G.

2013-03-01

Formation of nanocrystalline and monodisperse TiO2 from a water soluble and stable precursor, ammonium oxo-lactato-titanate, (NH4)8Ti4O4(Lactate)8.4H2O, often referred to as TiBALDH or TALH, is demonstrated to be due to a coordination equilibrium. This compound, individual in the solid state, exists in solution in equilibrium with ammonium tris-lactato-titanate, (NH4)2Ti(Lactate)3 and uniform crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles (anatase) stabilized by surface-capping with lactate ligands. This equilibrium can be shifted towards nano-TiO2via application of a less polar solvent like methanol or ethanol, dilution of the solution, introduction of salts or raising the temperature, and reverted on addition of polar and strongly solvating media such as dimethyl sulfoxide, according to NMR. Aggregation and precipitation of the particles were followed by DLS and could be achieved by a decrease in their surface charge by adsorption of strongly hydrogen-bonding cations, e.g. in solutions of ammonia, ethanolamine or amino acid arginine or by addition of ethanol. The observed equilibrium may be involved in formation of nano-titania on the surface of plant roots exerting chelating organic carboxylate ligands and thus potentially influencing plant interactions.Formation of nanocrystalline and monodisperse TiO2 from a water soluble and stable precursor, ammonium oxo-lactato-titanate, (NH4)8Ti4O4(Lactate)8.4H2O, often referred to as TiBALDH or TALH, is demonstrated to be due to a coordination equilibrium. This compound, individual in the solid state, exists in solution in equilibrium with ammonium tris-lactato-titanate, (NH4)2Ti(Lactate)3 and uniform crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles (anatase) stabilized by surface-capping with lactate ligands. This equilibrium can be shifted towards nano-TiO2via application of a less polar solvent like methanol or ethanol, dilution of the solution, introduction of salts or raising the temperature, and reverted on addition of polar and strongly solvating media such as dimethyl sulfoxide, according to NMR. Aggregation and precipitation of the particles were followed by DLS and could be achieved by a decrease in their surface charge by adsorption of strongly hydrogen-bonding cations, e.g. in solutions of ammonia, ethanolamine or amino acid arginine or by addition of ethanol. The observed equilibrium may be involved in formation of nano-titania on the surface of plant roots exerting chelating organic carboxylate ligands and thus potentially influencing plant interactions. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Crystallographic data in cif and table format, detailed description of hydrogen bonding in (NH4)2[Ti(l-Lactate)3].3H2O, additional TEM images, DLS data on particle size in solutions and NanoSight data on particle size distribution, photos of produced TiO2 colloids, details of NMR experiments and a real-time movie demonstrating the equilibrium leading to TiO2 formation and re-dissolution in pH-neutral ammonium lactate solutions. CCDC 915222. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format. see DOI: 10.1039/c3nr34068f

[Process strategy for ethanol production from lignocellulose feedstock under extremely low water usage and high solids loading conditions].

PubMed

Zhang, Jian; Chu, Deqiang; Yu, Zhanchun; Zhang, Xiaoxi; Deng, Hongbo; Wang, Xiusheng; Zhu, Zhinan; Zhang, Huaiqing; Dai, Gance; Bao, Jie

2010-07-01

The massive water and steam are consumed in the production of cellulose ethanol, which correspondingly results in the significant increase of energy cost, waster water discharge and production cost as well. In this study, the process strategy under extremely low water usage and high solids loading of corn stover was investigated experimentally and computationally. The novel pretreatment technology with zero waste water discharge was developed; in which a unique biodetoxification method using a kerosene fungus strain Amorphotheca resinae ZN1 to degrade the lignocellulose derived inhibitors was applied. With high solids loading of pretreated corn stover, high ethanol titer was achieved in the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process, and the scale-up principles were studied. Furthermore, the flowsheet simulation of the whole process was carried out with the Aspen plus based physical database, and the integrated process developed was tested in the biorefinery mini-plant. Finally, the core technologies were applied in the cellulose ethanol demonstration plant, which paved a way for the establishment of an energy saving and environment friendly technology of lignocellulose biotransformation with industry application potential.

Optimization of uncatalyzed steam explosion pretreatment of rapeseed straw for biofuel production.

PubMed

López-Linares, Juan C; Ballesteros, Ignacio; Tourán, Josefina; Cara, Cristóbal; Castro, Eulogio; Ballesteros, Mercedes; Romero, Inmaculada

2015-08-01

Rapeseed straw constitutes an agricultural residue with great potential as feedstock for ethanol production. In this work, uncatalyzed steam explosion was carried out as a pretreatment to increase the enzymatic digestibility of rapeseed straw. Experimental statistical design and response surface methodology were used to evaluate the influence of the temperature (185-215°C) and the process time (2.5-7.5min). According to the rotatable central composite design applied, 215°C and 7.5min were confirmed to be the optimal conditions, considering the maximization of enzymatic hydrolysis yield as optimization criterion. These conditions led to a maximum yield of 72.3%, equivalent to 81% of potential glucose in pretreated solid. Different configurations for bioethanol production from steam exploded rapeseed straw were investigated using the pretreated solid obtained under optimal conditions as a substrate. As a relevant result, concentrations of ethanol as high as 43.6g/L (5.5% by volume) were obtained as a consequence of using 20% (w/v) solid loading, equivalent to 12.4g ethanol/100g biomass. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scale-up and process integration of sugar production by acidolysis of municipal solid waste/corn stover blends in ionic liquids

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

Li, Chenlin; Liang, Ling; Sun, Ning

The study presents the successful scale-up demonstration of the acid-assisted IL deconstruction on feedstock blends of municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues (corn stover) by 30-fold, relative to the bench scale (6L vs 0.2L), at 10% solid loading. By integrating IL pretreatment and acid hydrolysis with subsequent centrifugation and extraction, the sugar and lignin products can be further recovered efficiently. This scale-up development at Advanced Biofuels/Bioproducts Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU) will leverage the opportunity and synergistic efforts towards developing a cost-effective IL based deconstruction technology by drastically eliminating enzyme, reducing water usage, and simplifying the downstream sugar/lignin recovery and ILmore » recycling. Results indicate that MSW blends are viable and valuable resource to consider when assessing biomass availability and affordability for lignocellulosic biorefineries. This scale-up evaluation demonstrates that the acid-assisted IL deconstruction technology can be effectively scaled up to larger operations and the current study established the baseline of scaling parameters for this process.« less

Comparison of various pretreatments for ethanol production enhancement from solid residue after rumen fluid digestion of rice straw.

PubMed

Zhang, Haibo; Zhang, Panyue; Ye, Jie; Wu, Yan; Liu, Jianbo; Fang, Wei; Xu, Dong; Wang, Bei; Yan, Li; Zeng, Guangming

2018-01-01

The rumen digested residue of rice straw contains high residual carbohydrates, which makes it a potential cellulosic ethanol feedstock. This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of applying microwave assisted alkali (MAP), ultrasound assisted alkali (UAP), and ball milling pretreatment (BMP) to enhance ethanol production from two digested residues (2.5%-DR and 10%-DR) after rumen fluid digestion of rice straw at 2.5% and 10.0% solid content. Results revealed that 2.5%-DR and 10%-DR had a cellulose content of 36.4% and 41.7%, respectively. MAP and UAP improved enzymatic hydrolysis of digested residue by removing the lignin and hemicellulose, while BMP by decreasing the particle size and crystallinity. BMP was concluded as the suitable pretreatment, resulting in an ethanol yield of 116.65 and 147.42mgg -1 for 2.5%-DR and 10%-DR, respectively. The integrated system including BMP for digested residue at 2.5% solid content achieved a maximum energy output of 7010kJkg -1 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

DOE PAGES

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

2016-05-20

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

Scale-up and process integration of sugar production by acidolysis of municipal solid waste/corn stover blends in ionic liquids

DOE PAGES

Li, Chenlin; Liang, Ling; Sun, Ning; ...

2017-01-05

The study presents the successful scale-up demonstration of the acid-assisted IL deconstruction on feedstock blends of municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues (corn stover) by 30-fold, relative to the bench scale (6L vs 0.2L), at 10% solid loading. By integrating IL pretreatment and acid hydrolysis with subsequent centrifugation and extraction, the sugar and lignin products can be further recovered efficiently. This scale-up development at Advanced Biofuels/Bioproducts Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU) will leverage the opportunity and synergistic efforts towards developing a cost-effective IL based deconstruction technology by drastically eliminating enzyme, reducing water usage, and simplifying the downstream sugar/lignin recovery and ILmore » recycling. Results indicate that MSW blends are viable and valuable resource to consider when assessing biomass availability and affordability for lignocellulosic biorefineries. This scale-up evaluation demonstrates that the acid-assisted IL deconstruction technology can be effectively scaled up to larger operations and the current study established the baseline of scaling parameters for this process.« less

Influence of Ti content on synthesis and characteristics of W-Ti ODS alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chun-Liang; Zeng, Yong

2016-02-01

Tungsten-titanium alloys are considered as promising materials for the future fusion devices, in particular for the divertor and other first wall components. The microstructure and the mechanical properties of the material are dependent on the amount of Ti present in the alloy. In this study, W-Ti-Y2O3 alloys with varied Ti contents between 1 wt.% and 10 wt.% fabricated by mechanical alloying were investigated. The effect of Ti on the phase formation and mechanical properties of W-Ti-Y2O3 alloys has been examined. The results suggest that the alloys containing low Ti content exhibit homogeneous microstructure with a uniform distribution of fine titanium oxide particles and tungsten carbides, leading to a significant increase in hardness and elastic modulus of alloys. In addition, high-energy ball milling can facilitate a solid-state reaction between Y2O3 particles and the tungsten-titanium matrix and the subsequent sintering processing promotes the formation of stable nano Ti2Y2O7 oxide particles, which greatly increase the mechanical properties at elevated temperature and enhance irradiation resistance.

Scalable and uniform 1D nanoparticles by synchronous polymerization, crystallization and self-assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boott, Charlotte E.; Gwyther, Jessica; Harniman, Robert L.; Hayward, Dominic W.; Manners, Ian

2017-08-01

The preparation of well-defined nanoparticles based on soft matter, using solution-processing techniques on a commercially viable scale, is a major challenge of widespread importance. Self-assembly of block copolymers in solvents that selectively solvate one of the segments provides a promising route to core-corona nanoparticles (micelles) with a wide range of potential uses. Nevertheless, significant limitations to this approach also exist. For example, the solution processing of block copolymers generally follows a separate synthesis step and is normally performed at high dilution. Moreover, non-spherical micelles—which are promising for many applications—are generally difficult to access, samples are polydisperse and precise dimensional control is not possible. Here we demonstrate the formation of platelet and cylindrical micelles at concentrations up to 25% solids via a one-pot approach—starting from monomers—that combines polymerization-induced and crystallization-driven self-assembly. We also show that performing the procedure in the presence of small seed micelles allows the scalable formation of low dispersity samples of cylindrical micelles of controlled length up to three micrometres.

Preparation of SS316L MIM feedstock with biopolymer as a binder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullah, A. A.; Norita, H.; Azlina, H. N.; Sulong, A. B.; Mas'ood, N. N.

2018-01-01

This paper focus on feedstock preparation for SS316L metal injection molding (MIM) part. The primary step of feedstock preparation, critical powder loading determined by two method; maximum filled volume calculation model and torque analysis. The critical powder loading determined by calculation was 70 vol% to 77 vol% while for experimental approaches shows the value of 75 vol%. The feedstock was prepared by mixing SS316L powder and polymer binder with ratio 70:30 at 175 °C with speed of 50 rpm. The feedstock was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The composition for the feedstock after preparation step was confirmed by TGA. It was found that the prepared feedstock component was compatible to each other and composition is maintain along the mixing step.

Renewable feedstocks for biobutanol production by fermentation.

PubMed

Procentese, Alessandra; Raganati, Francesca; Olivieri, Giuseppe; Russo, Maria Elena; de la Feld, Marco; Marzocchella, Antonio

2017-10-25

This paper reports a study of potential feedstock for butanol production via the biotechnological route. Several waste(water) streams rich in sugars and lignocellulosic biomass were studied: cheese-whey, leftovers of high sugar-content beverages, food lost or wasted, agriculture residues. The maximum butanol production rate from each type of feedstock was assessed according to the parameters indicated in the literature: feedstock availability rate, feedstock average composition and butanol yield. In Europe the potential biotechnological production of butanol from the feedstock studied was assessed to be about 39 Mt yr-1, which would be enough to meet the current European demand of biofuels. The potential butanol production at local level was also assessed taking into account the concentration of feedstock suppliers in the Campania region. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supply Chain Sustainability Analysis of Indirect Liquefaction of Blended Biomass to Produce High Octane Gasoline

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

Cai, Hao; Canter, Christina E.; Dunn, Jennifer B.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) aims at developing and deploying technologies to transform renewable biomass resources into commercially viable, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts and biopower through public and private partnerships (DOE, 2015). BETO also performs a supply chain sustainability analysis (SCSA). This report describes the SCSA of the production of renewable high octane gasoline (HOG) via indirect liquefaction (IDL) of lignocellulosic biomass. This SCSA was developed for the 2017 design case for feedstock logistics (INL, 2014) and for the 2022 target case for HOG production via IDL (Tan et al., 2015). The design includes advancements that aremore » likely and targeted to be achieved by 2017 for the feedstock logistics and 2022 for the IDL conversion process. The 2017 design case for feedstock logistics demonstrated a delivered feedstock cost of $80 per dry U.S. short ton by the year 2017 (INL, 2014). The 2022 design case for the conversion process, as modeled in Tan et al. (2015), uses the feedstock 2017 design case blend of biomass feedstocks consisting of pulpwood, wood residue, switchgrass, and construction and demolition waste (C&D) with performance properties consistent with a sole woody feedstock type (e.g., pine or poplar). The HOG SCSA case considers the 2017 feedstock design case (the blend) as well as individual feedstock cases separately as alternative scenarios when the feedstock blend ratio varies as a result of a change in feedstock availability. These scenarios could be viewed as bounding SCSA results because of distinctive requirements for energy and chemical inputs for the production and logistics of different components of the blend feedstocks.« less

Engineering bone grafts with enhanced bone marrow and native scaffolds.

PubMed

Hung, Ben P; Salter, Erin K; Temple, Josh; Mundinger, Gerhard S; Brown, Emile N; Brazio, Philip; Rodriguez, Eduardo D; Grayson, Warren L

2013-01-01

The translation of tissue engineering approaches to the clinic has been hampered by the inability to find suitable multipotent cell sources requiring minimal in vitro expansion. Enhanced bone marrow (eBM), which is obtained by reaming long bone medullary canals and isolating the solid marrow putty, has large quantities of stem cells and demonstrates significant potential to regenerate bone tissues. eBM, however, cannot impart immediate load-bearing mechanical integrity or maintain the gross anatomical structure to guide bone healing. Yet, its putty-like consistency creates a challenge for obtaining the uniform seeding necessary to effectively combine it with porous scaffolds. In this study, we examined the potential for combining eBM with mechanically strong, osteoinductive trabecular bone scaffolds for bone regeneration by creating channels into scaffolds for seeding the eBM. eBM was extracted from the femurs of adult Yorkshire pigs using a Synthes reamer-irrigator-aspirator device, analyzed histologically, and digested to extract cells and characterize their differentiation potential. To evaluate bone tissue formation, eBM was seeded into the channels in collagen-coated or noncoated scaffolds, cultured in osteogenic conditions for 4 weeks, harvested and assessed for tissue distribution and bone formation. Our data demonstrates that eBM is a heterogenous tissue containing multipotent cell populations. Furthermore, coating scaffolds with a collagen hydrogel significantly enhanced cellular migration, promoted uniform tissue development and increased bone mineral deposition. These findings suggest the potential for generating customized autologous bone grafts for treating critical-sized bone defects by combining a readily available eBM cell source with decellularized trabecular bone scaffolds. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel

Method and apparatus for treating a cellulosic feedstock

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

Nguyen, Quang A.; Burke, Murray J.; Hillier, Sunalie N.

Methods and apparatus for treating, pre-treating, preparing and conveying a cellulosic feedstock, such as for ethanol production, are disclosed. More specifically, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for treating a cellulosic feedstock by mixing and heating the cellulosic feedstock and/or by moistening and heating the cellulosic feedstock. The invention also relates to a holding tank, and a method of utilizing the holding tank whereby bridging may be reduced or eliminated and may result in a product stream from autohydrolysis or hydrolysis having an improved yield. The invention further relates to methods and apparatus for obtaining and conveying a cellulosicmore » feedstock, which may be used for the subsequent production of a fermentable sugar stream from the cellulose and hemicellulose in the cellulosic feedstock wherein the fermentable sugar stream may be used for subsequent ethanol production. The invention also relates to a method and apparatus for withdrawing one or more feedstock stream from a holding tank.« less

Method for preparing spherical thermoplastic particles of uniform size

DOEpatents

Day, J.R.

1975-11-17

Spherical particles of thermoplastic material of virtually uniform roundness and diameter are prepared by cutting monofilaments of a selected diameter into rod-like segments of a selected uniform length which are then heated in a viscous liquid to effect the formation of the spherical particles.

Biomass Energy Data Book: Edition 2

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

Wright, Lynn L; Boundy, Robert Gary; Badger, Philip C

The Biomass Energy Data Book is a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under contract with the Biomass Program in the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program of the Department of Energy (DOE). Designed for use as a convenient reference, the book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize the biomass industry, from the production of biomass feedstocks to their end use, including discussions on sustainability. This is the second edition of the Biomass Energy Data Book which is only available online in electronic format. There are five main sectionsmore » to this book. The first section is an introduction which provides an overview of biomass resources and consumption. Following the introduction to biomass, is a section on biofuels which covers ethanol, biodiesel and bio-oil. The biopower section focuses on the use of biomass for electrical power generation and heating. The fourth section is on the developing area of biorefineries, and the fifth section covers feedstocks that are produced and used in the biomass industry. The sources used represent the latest available data. There are also four appendices which include frequently needed conversion factors, a table of selected biomass feedstock characteristics, assumptions for selected tables and figures, and discussions on sustainability. A glossary of terms and a list of acronyms are also included for the reader's convenience.« less

Biomass Energy Data Book: Edition 3

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

Boundy, Robert Gary; Davis, Stacy Cagle

The Biomass Energy Data Book is a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under contract with the Biomass Program in the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program of the Department of Energy (DOE). Designed for use as a convenient reference, the book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize the biomass industry, from the production of biomass feedstocks to their end use, including discussions on sustainability. This is the third edition of the Biomass Energy Data Book which is only available online in electronic format. There are five main sectionsmore » to this book. The first section is an introduction which provides an overview of biomass resources and consumption. Following the introduction to biomass, is a section on biofuels which covers ethanol, biodiesel and bio-oil. The biopower section focuses on the use of biomass for electrical power generation and heating. The fourth section is on the developing area of biorefineries, and the fifth section covers feedstocks that are produced and used in the biomass industry. The sources used represent the latest available data. There are also four appendices which include frequently needed conversion factors, a table of selected biomass feedstock characteristics, and discussions on sustainability. A glossary of terms and a list of acronyms are also included for the reader's convenience.« less

Biomass Energy Data Book: Edition 4

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

Boundy, Robert Gary; Diegel, Susan W; Wright, Lynn L

The Biomass Energy Data Book is a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under contract with the Biomass Program in the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program of the Department of Energy (DOE). Designed for use as a convenient reference, the book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize the biomass industry, from the production of biomass feedstocks to their end use, including discussions on sustainability. This is the fourth edition of the Biomass Energy Data Book which is only available online in electronic format. There are five main sectionsmore » to this book. The first section is an introduction which provides an overview of biomass resources and consumption. Following the introduction to biomass, is a section on biofuels which covers ethanol, biodiesel and bio-oil. The biopower section focuses on the use of biomass for electrical power generation and heating. The fourth section is on the developing area of biorefineries, and the fifth section covers feedstocks that are produced and used in the biomass industry. The sources used represent the latest available data. There are also two appendices which include frequently needed conversion factors, a table of selected biomass feedstock characteristics, and discussions on sustainability. A glossary of terms and a list of acronyms are also included for the reader's convenience.« less

Quantitative 3D evolution of colloidal nanoparticle oxidation in solution

DOE PAGES

Sun, Yugang; Zuo, Xiaobing; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K. R. S.; ...

2017-04-21

Real-time tracking three-dimensional (3D) evolution of colloidal nanoparticles in solution is essential for understanding complex mechanisms involved in nanoparticle growth and transformation. We simultaneously use time-resolved small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering to monitor oxidation of highly uniform colloidal iron nanoparticles, enabling the reconstruction of intermediate 3D morphologies of the nanoparticles with a spatial resolution of ~5 Å. The in-situ probing combined with large-scale reactive molecular dynamics simulations reveals the transformational details from the solid metal nanoparticles to hollow metal oxide nanoshells via nanoscale Kirkendall process, for example, coalescence of voids upon their growth, reversing of mass diffusion direction depending onmore » crystallinity, and so forth. In conclusion, our results highlight the complex interplay between defect chemistry and defect dynamics in determining nanoparticle transformation and formation.« less

Ion-induced temperature rise in various types of insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szenes, G.

2015-03-01

Swift heavy ions induce a Gaussian temperature distribution Θ(r) in insulators which depend neither on the physical properties of the solid nor on the kind of the projectiles. In this paper, we show that all experimental data suitable for analysis confirm the validity of Θ(r). The same result is obtained for ZrSiO4, MgAl2O4, KTiOPO4, Al2O3 and Y2O3, where systematic experiments have not been performed yet. The analysis demonstrates that Θ(r) may be valid in biomolecular targets and in high-Tc superconductors as well. The Fourier equation cannot reproduce the relation Θ(r); thus, it is not suitable for the estimation of the ion-induced temperatures. The consequences of the uniformity in track formation must also affect other radiation-induced effects.

Quantitative 3D evolution of colloidal nanoparticle oxidation in solution

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

Sun, Yugang; Zuo, Xiaobing; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K. R. S.

Real-time tracking three-dimensional (3D) evolution of colloidal nanoparticles in solution is essential for understanding complex mechanisms involved in nanoparticle growth and transformation. We simultaneously use time-resolved small-angle and wide-angle x-ray scattering to monitor oxidation of highly uniform colloidal iron nanoparticles, enabling the reconstruction of intermediate 3D morphologies of the nanoparticles with a spatial resolution of ~5 Å. The in-situ probing combined with large-scale reactive molecular dynamics simulations reveals the transformational details from the solid metal nanoparticles to hollow metal oxide nanoshells via nanoscale Kirkendall process, for example, coalescence of voids upon their growth, reversing of mass diffusion direction depending onmore » crystallinity, and so forth. In conclusion, our results highlight the complex interplay between defect chemistry and defect dynamics in determining nanoparticle transformation and formation.« less

Glass Forming Ability in the Equilibrium Immiscible Ag-Ta System Studied by Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Ion Beam Mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Man; Dai, Xiaodong; Shen, Yixiong; Liu, Baixin

2008-07-01

For the equilibrium immiscible Ag-Ta system characterized by a positive heat of formation of +23 kJ/mol, a proved realistic extended Finnis-Sinclair potential is applied to study the crystal-to-amorphous transition through molecular dynamics simulations and a glass-forming range (GFR) of the Ag-Ta system is determined to be from 10 to 80 at. % of Ta, within which a disordered state is energetically favored than its crystalline counterpart of solid solution. In experiment, the uniform amorphous phases are indeed obtained, by ion beam mixing of far-from-equilibrium, in the Ag38Ta62, Ag30Ta70 and Ag20Ta80 Ag-Ta multilayered films, which fall within the GFR and thus confirm the relevance of the calculated GFR of the system.

Design of Aerosol Coating Reactors: Precursor Injection

PubMed Central

Buesser, Beat; Pratsinis, Sotiris E.

2013-01-01

Particles are coated with thin shells to facilitate their processing and incorporation into liquid or solid matrixes without altering core particle properties (coloristic, magnetic, etc.). Here, computational fluid and particle dynamics are combined to investigate the geometry of an aerosol reactor for continuous coating of freshly-made titanium dioxide core nanoparticles with nanothin silica shells by injection of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) vapor downstream of TiO2 particle formation. The focus is on the influence of HMDSO vapor jet number and direction in terms of azimuth and inclination jet angles on process temperature and coated particle characteristics (shell thickness and fraction of uncoated particles). Rapid and homogeneous mixing of core particle aerosol and coating precursor vapor facilitates synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles with uniform shell thickness and high coating efficiency (minimal uncoated core and free coating particles). PMID:23658471

Hydrodeoxygenation of fast-pyrolysis bio-oils from various feedstocks using carbon-supported catalysts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

While much work has been accomplished in developing hydrodeoxygenation technologies for bio-oil upgrading, very little translation has occurred to other biomass feedstocks and feedstock processing technologies. In this paper, we sought to elucidate the relationships between the feedstock type and th...

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

Bamberger, Judith A.; Enderlin, Carl W.

Million-gallon double-shell tanks at Hanford are used to store transuranic, high-level, and low-level radioactive wastes. These wastes consist of a large volume of salt-laden solution covering a smaller volume of settled sludge primarily containing metal hydroxides. These wastes will be retrieved and processed into immobile waste forms suitable for permanent disposal. Retrieval is an important step in implementing these disposal scenarios. The retrieval concept evaluated is to use submerged dual-nozzle jet mixer pumps with horizontally oriented nozzles located near the tank floor that produce horizontal jets of fluid to mobilize the settled solids. The mixer pumps are oscillated through 180more » about a vertical axis so the high velocity fluid jets sweep across the floor of the tank. After the solids are mobilized, the pumps will continue to operate at a reduced flow rate producing lower velocity jets sufficient to maintain the particles in a uniform suspension (concentration uniformity). Several types of waste and tank configurations exist at Hanford. The jet mixer pump systems and operating conditions required to mobilize sludge and maintain slurry uniformity will be a function of the waste type and tank configuration. The focus of this work was to conduct a 1/12-scale experiment to develop an analytical model to relate slurry uniformity to tank and mixer pump configurations, operating conditions, and sludge properties. This experimental study evaluated concentration uniformity in a 1/12-scale experiment varying the Reynolds number (Re), Froude number (Fr), and gravitational settling parameter (Gs) space. Simulant physical properties were chosen to obtain the required Re and Gs where Re and Gs were varied by adjusting the kinematic viscosity and mean particle diameter, respectively. Test conditions were achieved by scaling the jet nozzle exit velocity in a 75-in. diameter tank using a mock-up of a centrally located dual-opposed jet mixer pump located just above the tank floor. Concentration measurements at sampling locations throughout the tank were used to assess the degree of uniformity achieved during each test. Concentration data was obtained using a real time in-situ ultrasonic attenuation probe and post-test analysis of discrete batch samples. The undissolved solids concentration at these locations was analyzed to determine whether the tank contents were uniform (≤ ±10% variation about mean) or nonuniform (> ±10% variation about mean) in concentration. Concentration inhomogeneity was modeled as a function of dimensionless parameters. The parameters that best describe the maximum solids volume fraction that can be suspended were found to be 1) the Fr based on nozzle average discharge velocity and tank contents level and 2) the dimensionless particle size based on nozzle diameter. The dependence on the jet Re does not appear to be statistically significant.« less

Valorization of Palm Oil Industrial Waste as Feedstock for Lipase Production.

PubMed

Silveira, Erick A; Tardioli, Paulo W; Farinas, Cristiane S

2016-06-01

The use of residues from the industrial processing of palm oil as carbon source and inducer for microbial lipase production can be a way to add value to such residues and to contribute to reduced enzyme costs. The aim of this work was to investigate the feasibility of using palm oil industrial waste as feedstock for lipase production in different cultivation systems. Evaluation was made of lipase production by a selected strain of Aspergillus niger cultivated under solid-state (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SmF). Lipase activity levels up to 15.41 IU/mL were achieved under SSF. The effects of pH and temperature on the lipase activity of the SSF extract were evaluated using statistical design methodology, and maximum activities were obtained between pH 4.0 and 6.5 and at temperatures between 37 and 55 °C. This lipase presented good thermal stability up to 60 °C and higher specificity towards long carbon chain substrates. The results demonstrate the potential application of palm oil industrial residues for lipase production and contribute to the technological advances needed to develop processes for industrial enzymes production.

Progress in Metal-Supported Axial-Injection Plasma Sprayed Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Nanostructured NiO-Y0.15Zr0.85O1.925 Dry Powder Anode Feedstock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metcalfe, C.; Harris, J.; Kuhn, J.; Marr, M.; Kesler, O.

2013-06-01

A composite NiO-Y0.15Zr0.85O1.925 (YSZ) agglomerated feedstock having nanoscale NiO and YSZ primary particles was used to fabricate anodes having sub-micrometer structure. These anodes were incorporated into two different metal-supported SOFC architectures, which differ in the order of electrode deposition. The composition of the composite Ni-YSZ anodes is controllable by selection of the agglomerate size fraction and standoff distance, while the porosity is controllable by selection of agglomerate size fraction and addition of a sacrificial pore-forming material. A bi-layer anode was fabricated having a total porosity of 33% for the diffusion layer and 23% porosity for the functional layer. A power density of 630 mW/cm2 was obtained at 750 °C in humidified H2 with cells having the bi-layer anode deposited on the metal support. Cells having the cathode deposited on the metal support showed poor performance due to a significant number of vertical cracks through the electrolyte, allowing excessive gas cross-over between the anode and the cathode compartments.

Effects of feedstock ratio and organic loading rate on the anaerobic mesophilic co-digestion of rice straw and pig manure.

PubMed

Li, Dong; Liu, Shengchu; Mi, Li; Li, Zhidong; Yuan, Yuexiang; Yan, Zhiying; Liu, Xiaofeng

2015-01-01

In order to investigate the effects of feedstock ratio and organic loading rate (OLR) on the anaerobic mesophilic co-digestion of rice straw (RS) and pig manure (PM), batch bottle tests (2.5L) were carried out at volatile solid (VS) ratios of 0:1, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 1:0 (RS/PM), and continuous bench experiments (40L) were carried out at OLRs of 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.8, 6.0, 8.0, and 12.0kg VS/(m(3)d) with optimal VS ratio. The results showed that the optimal ratio was 1:1 in terms of biogas yield. Stable biogas production with an average specific biogas production of 413L/kg VS was obtained at an OLR of 3-8kg VS/(m(3)d). Anaerobic co-digestion was severely inhibited by the accumulation of volatile fatty acids when the OLR was 12kg VS/(m(3)d). Further, light and serious foaming were observed at OLR of 8 and 12kg VS/(m(3)d), respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Syngas obtained by microwave pyrolysis of household wastes as feedstock for polyhydroxyalkanoate production in Rhodospirillum rubrum.

PubMed

Revelles, Olga; Beneroso, Daniel; Menéndez, J Angel; Arenillas, Ana; García, J Luis; Prieto, M Auxiliadora

2017-11-01

The massive production of urban and agricultural wastes has promoted a clear need for alternative processes of disposal and waste management. The potential use of municipal solid wastes (MSW) as feedstock for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) by a process known as syngas fermentation is considered herein as an attractive bio-economic strategy to reduce these wastes. In this work, we have evaluated the potential of Rhodospirillum rubrum as microbial cell factory for the synthesis of PHA from syngas produced by microwave pyrolysis of the MSW organic fraction from a European city (Seville). Growth rate, uptake rate, biomass yield and PHA production from syngas in R. rubrum have been analysed. The results revealed the strong robustness of this syngas fermentation where the purity of the syngas is not a critical constraint for PHA production. Microwave-induced pyrolysis is a tangible alternative to standard pyrolysis, because it can reduce cost in terms of energy and time as well as increase syngas production, providing a satisfactory PHA yield. © 2016 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Chemical and ecotoxicological evaluation of biochar produced from residues of biogas production.

PubMed

Stefaniuk, Magdalena; Oleszczuk, Patryk; Bartmiński, Piotr

2016-11-15

Analyses were carried out for biochars produced at three temperatures of pyrolysis (400, 600 and 800°C) from solid residue from biogas production (RBP). Separated and non-separated RBP from biogas plants employing different biogas production conditions were pyrolyzed. The contents of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (16 PAH US EPA) were analyzed in biochars. The analyses showed that with an increased pyrolysis temperature, there was an increase in the contents of PAHs and of certain heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb and Mn). In the ecotoxicological tests, it was noted that the effect depended on the temperature of pyrolysis and on the feedstock from which the biochar was produced. The least harmful effect on the test organisms was from biochar produced by separated RBP in a biogas plant operating in mesophilic conditions. The most negative effect on the test organisms was characteristic of biochar produced from non-separated mesophilic RBP. This study shows that the main factors determining the level of toxicity of biochars produced from RBP towards various living organisms are both the method of feedstock production and the temperature at which the process of pyrolysis is conducted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of feedstock ratio and organic loading rate on the anaerobic mesophilic co-digestion of rice straw and cow manure.

PubMed

Li, Dong; Liu, Shengchu; Mi, Li; Li, Zhidong; Yuan, Yuexiang; Yan, Zhiying; Liu, Xiaofeng

2015-01-01

In order to investigate the effects of feedstock ratio and organic loading rate (OLR) on the anaerobic mesophilic co-digestion of rice straw (RS) and cow manure (CM), batch tests (2.5L) were carried out at volatile solid (VS) ratios of 0:1, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 1:0 (RS/CM), and continuous bench experiments (40 L) were carried out at OLRs of 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.8, 6.0, 8.0, and 12.0 kg VS/(m(3) d) with optimal VS ratio. The optimal VS ratio was found to be 1:1. Stable and efficient co-digestion with average specific biogas production of 383.5L/kg VS and volumetric biogas production rate of 2.30 m(3)/(m(3) d) was obtained at an OLR of 6 kg VS/(m(3) d). Anaerobic co-digestion was severely inhibited by the accumulation of volatile fatty acids instead of ammonia when the OLR was 12 kg VS/(m(3) d). Further, significant foaming was observed at OLR ⩾ 8 kg VS/(m(3) d). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Particle Morphology on Cold Spray Deposition of Chromium Carbide-Nickel Chromium Cermet Powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez, Ruben; Jodoin, Bertrand

2017-08-01

Nickel chromium-chromium carbide coatings provide good corrosion and wear resistance at high temperatures, making them ideal for applications where a harsh environment and high temperatures are expected. Thermal spray processes are preferred as deposition technique of cermets, but the high process temperatures can lead to decarburization and reduction of the coatings properties. Cold spray uses lower temperatures preventing decarburization. Since the metallic phase remains solid, the feedstock powder morphology becomes crucial on the deposition behavior. Six commercially available powders were studied, varying in morphology and metal/ceramic ratios. The powders were categorized into 4 groups depending on their morphology. Spherical powders lead to substrate erosion due to their limited overall ductility. Porous agglomerated and sintered powders lead to severely cracked coatings. For dense agglomerated and sintered powders, the outcome depended on the initial metal/ceramic ratio: powders with 25 wt.% NiCr led to substrate erosion while 35 wt.% NiCr powders led to dense coatings. Finally, blended ceramic-metal mixtures also lead to dense coatings. All coatings obtained had lower ceramic content than the initial feedstock powders. Interrupted spray tests, combined with FEA, helped drawing conclusions on the deposition behavior to explain the obtained results.

Atomic layer deposition of lithium phosphates as solid-state electrolytes for all-solid-state microbatteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Biqiong; Liu, Jian; Sun, Qian; Li, Ruying; Sham, Tsun-Kong; Sun, Xueliang

2014-12-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been shown as a powerful technique to build three-dimensional (3D) all-solid-state microbattery, because of its unique advantages in fabricating uniform and pinhole-free thin films in 3D structures. The development of solid-state electrolyte by ALD is a crucial step to achieve the fabrication of 3D all-solid-state microbattery by ALD. In this work, lithium phosphate solid-state electrolytes were grown by ALD at four different temperatures (250, 275, 300, and 325 °C) using two precursors (lithium tert-butoxide and trimethylphosphate). A linear dependence of film thickness on ALD cycle number was observed and uniform growth was achieved at all four temperatures. The growth rate was 0.57, 0.66, 0.69, and 0.72 Å/cycle at deposition temperatures of 250, 275, 300, and 325 °C, respectively. Furthermore, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the compositions and chemical structures of lithium phosphates deposited by ALD. Moreover, the lithium phosphate thin films deposited at 300 °C presented the highest ionic conductivity of 1.73 × 10-8 S cm-1 at 323 K with ˜0.51 eV activation energy based on the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The ionic conductivity was calculated to be 3.3 × 10-8 S cm-1 at 26 °C (299 K).

Calibration-free quantification of interior properties of porous media with x-ray computed tomography.

PubMed

Hussein, Esam M A; Agbogun, H M D; Al, Tom A

2015-03-01

A method is presented for interpreting the values of x-ray attenuation coefficients reconstructed in computed tomography of porous media, while overcoming the ambiguity caused by the multichromatic nature of x-rays, dilution by void, and material heterogeneity. The method enables determination of porosity without relying on calibration or image segmentation or thresholding to discriminate pores from solid material. It distinguishes between solution-accessible and inaccessible pores, and provides the spatial and frequency distributions of solid-matrix material in a heterogeneous medium. This is accomplished by matching an image of a sample saturated with a contrast solution with that saturated with a transparent solution. Voxels occupied with solid-material and inaccessible pores are identified by the fact that they maintain the same location and image attributes in both images, with voxels containing inaccessible pores appearing empty in both images. Fully porous and accessible voxels exhibit the maximum contrast, while the rest are porous voxels containing mixtures of pore solutions and solid. This matching process is performed with an image registration computer code, and image processing software that requires only simple subtraction and multiplication (scaling) processes. The process is demonstrated in dolomite (non-uniform void distribution, homogeneous solid matrix) and sandstone (nearly uniform void distribution, heterogeneous solid matrix) samples, and its overall performance is shown to compare favorably with a method based on calibration and thresholding. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass Feedstock and Conversion Supply System Design and Analysis

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

Jacobson, Jacob J.; Roni, Mohammad S.; Lamers, Patrick

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s bioenergy research program. As part of the research program INL investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. A series of reports were published between 2000 and 2013 to demonstrate the feedstock logistics cost. Those reports were tailored to specific feedstock and conversion process. Although those reports are different in terms of conversion, some of the process in the feedstock logistic are same for each conversion process. As a result, each report has similar information. A single report can be designed that could bring all commonality occurred inmore » the feedstock logistics process while discussing the feedstock logistics cost for different conversion process. Therefore, this report is designed in such a way that it can capture different feedstock logistics cost while eliminating the need of writing a conversion specific design report. Previous work established the current costs based on conventional equipment and processes. The 2012 programmatic target was to demonstrate a delivered biomass logistics cost of $55/dry ton for woody biomass delivered to fast pyrolysis conversion facility. The goal was achieved by applying field and process demonstration unit-scale data from harvest, collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation operations into INL’s biomass logistics model. The goal of the 2017 Design Case is to enable expansion of biofuels production beyond highly productive resource areas by breaking the reliance of cost-competitive biofuel production on a single, low-cost feedstock. The 2017 programmatic target is to supply feedstock to the conversion facility that meets the in-feed conversion process quality specifications at a total logistics cost of $80/dry T. The $80/dry T. target encompasses total delivered feedstock cost, including both grower payment and logistics costs, while meeting all conversion in-feed quality targets. The 2012 $55/dry T. programmatic target included only logistics costs with a limited focus on biomass quantity, quality and did not include a grower payment. The 2017 Design Case explores two approaches to addressing the logistics challenge: one is an agronomic solution based on blending and integrated landscape management and the second is a logistics solution based on distributed biomass preprocessing depots. The concept behind blended feedstocks and integrated landscape management is to gain access to more regional feedstock at lower access fees (i.e., grower payment) and to reduce preprocessing costs by blending high quality feedstocks with marginal quality feedstocks. Blending has been used in the grain industry for a long time; however, the concept of blended feedstocks in the biofuel industry is a relatively new concept. The blended feedstock strategy relies on the availability of multiple feedstock sources that are blended using a least-cost formulation within an economical supply radius, which, in turn, decreases the grower payment by reducing the amount of any single biomass. This report will introduce the concepts of blending and integrated landscape management and justify their importance in meeting the 2017 programmatic goals.« less

Co-ordinated spatial propagation of blood plasma clotting and fibrinolytic fronts

PubMed Central

Zhalyalov, Ansar S.; Panteleev, Mikhail A.; Gracheva, Marina A.; Ataullakhanov, Fazoil I.

2017-01-01

Fibrinolysis is a cascade of proteolytic reactions occurring in blood and soft tissues, which functions to disintegrate fibrin clots when they are no more needed. In order to elucidate its regulation in space and time, fibrinolysis was investigated using an in vitro reaction-diffusion experimental model of blood clot formation and dissolution. Clotting was activated by a surface with immobilized tissue factor in a thin layer of recalcified blood plasma supplemented with tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), urokinase plasminogen activator or streptokinase. Formation and dissolution of fibrin clot was monitored by videomicroscopy. Computer systems biology model of clot formation and lysis was developed for data analysis and experimental planning. Fibrin clot front propagated in space from tissue factor, followed by a front of clot dissolution propagating from the same source. Velocity of lysis front propagation linearly depended on the velocity clotting front propagation (correlation r2 = 0.91). Computer model revealed that fibrin formation was indeed the rate-limiting step in the fibrinolysis front propagation. The phenomenon of two fronts which switched the state of blood plasma from liquid to solid and then back to liquid did not depend on the fibrinolysis activator. Interestingly, TPA at high concentrations began to increase lysis onset time and to decrease lysis propagation velocity, presumably due to plasminogen depletion. Spatially non-uniform lysis occurred simultaneously with clot formation and detached the clot from the procoagulant surface. These patterns of spatial fibrinolysis provide insights into its regulation and might explain clinical phenomena associated with thrombolytic therapy. PMID:28686711

Predicting the field establishment of perennial grass feedstocks: progress made and challenges ahead

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The goal of perennial grass feedstock planting is to establish the feedstock as rapidly, completely, and inexpensively as possible. The economic viability of growing perennial grass feedstocks for bioenergy is impacted significantly by the success of stand establishment in the seeding year. Establis...

Microstructurally tailored ceramics for advanced energy applications by thermoreversible gelcasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanti, Noah Omar

Thermoreversible gelcasting (TRG) is an advantageous technique for rapidly producing bulk, net-shape ceramics and laminates. In this method, ceramic powder is suspended in warm acrylate triblock copolymer/alcohol solutions that reversibly gel upon cooling by the formation of endblock aggregates, to produce slurries which are cast into molds. Gel properties can be tailored by controlling the endblock and midblock lengths of the copolymer network-former and selecting an appropriate alcohol solvent. This research focuses on expanding and improving TRG techniques, focusing specifically on advanced energy applications including the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Rapid drying of filled gels can lead to warping and cracking caused by high differential capillary stresses. A new drying technique using concentrated, alcohol-based solutions as liquid desiccants (LDs) to greatly reduce warping is introduced. The optimal LD is a poly(tert-butyl acrylate)/isopropyl alcohol solution with 5 mol% tert-butyl acrylate units. Alcohol emissions during drying are completely eliminated by combining initial drying in an LD with final stage drying in a vacuum oven having an in-line solvent trap. Porous ceramics are important structures for many applications, including SOFCs. Pore network geometries are tailored by the addition of fugitive fillers to TRG slurries. Uniform spherical, bimodal spherical and uniform fibrous fillers are used. Three-dimensional pore structures are visualized by X-ray computed tomography, allowing for direct measurements of physical parameters such as concentration and morphology as well as transport properties such as tortuosity. Tortuosity values as low as 1.52 are achieved when 60 vol% of solids are uniform spherical filler. Functionally graded laminates with layers ranging from 10 mum to > 1 mm thick are produced with a new technique that combines TRG with tape casting. Gels used for bulk casting are not suitable for use with tape casting, and appropriate base gels are selected for this technique. Each layer is cast in a single pass, and the layers are directly laminated. The anode support, anode functional layer, and electrolyte of anode-supported SOFCs are produced using this technique. The performance of SOFCs produced this way is not yet equal to that of traditionally processed cells, but shows the promise of this technique.

33 CFR 66.10-35 - Navigation lights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Navigation lights. 66.10-35... NAVIGATION PRIVATE AIDS TO NAVIGATION Uniform State Waterway Marking System § 66.10-35 Navigation lights. A red light shall only be used on a solid colored red buoy. A green light shall only be used on a solid...

33 CFR 66.10-35 - Navigation lights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Navigation lights. 66.10-35... NAVIGATION PRIVATE AIDS TO NAVIGATION Uniform State Waterway Marking System § 66.10-35 Navigation lights. A red light shall only be used on a solid colored red buoy. A green light shall only be used on a solid...

33 CFR 66.10-35 - Navigation lights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Navigation lights. 66.10-35... NAVIGATION PRIVATE AIDS TO NAVIGATION Uniform State Waterway Marking System § 66.10-35 Navigation lights. A red light shall only be used on a solid colored red buoy. A green light shall only be used on a solid...

33 CFR 66.10-35 - Navigation lights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Navigation lights. 66.10-35... NAVIGATION PRIVATE AIDS TO NAVIGATION Uniform State Waterway Marking System § 66.10-35 Navigation lights. A red light shall only be used on a solid colored red buoy. A green light shall only be used on a solid...

33 CFR 66.10-35 - Navigation lights.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Navigation lights. 66.10-35... NAVIGATION PRIVATE AIDS TO NAVIGATION Uniform State Waterway Marking System § 66.10-35 Navigation lights. A red light shall only be used on a solid colored red buoy. A green light shall only be used on a solid...

A methodology and decision support tool for informing state-level bioenergy policymaking: New Jersey biofuels as a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brennan-Tonetta, Margaret

This dissertation seeks to provide key information and a decision support tool that states can use to support long-term goals of fossil fuel displacement and greenhouse gas reductions. The research yields three outcomes: (1) A methodology that allows for a comprehensive and consistent inventory and assessment of bioenergy feedstocks in terms of type, quantity, and energy potential. Development of a standardized methodology for consistent inventorying of biomass resources fosters research and business development of promising technologies that are compatible with the state's biomass resource base. (2) A unique interactive decision support tool that allows for systematic bioenergy analysis and evaluation of policy alternatives through the generation of biomass inventory and energy potential data for a wide variety of feedstocks and applicable technologies, using New Jersey as a case study. Development of a database that can assess the major components of a bioenergy system in one tool allows for easy evaluation of technology, feedstock and policy options. The methodology and decision support tool is applicable to other states and regions (with location specific modifications), thus contributing to the achievement of state and federal goals of renewable energy utilization. (3) Development of policy recommendations based on the results of the decision support tool that will help to guide New Jersey into a sustainable renewable energy future. The database developed in this research represents the first ever assessment of bioenergy potential for New Jersey. It can serve as a foundation for future research and modifications that could increase its power as a more robust policy analysis tool. As such, the current database is not able to perform analysis of tradeoffs across broad policy objectives such as economic development vs. CO2 emissions, or energy independence vs. source reduction of solid waste. Instead, it operates one level below that with comparisons of kWh or GGE generated by different feedstock/technology combinations at the state and county level. Modification of the model to incorporate factors that will enable the analysis of broader energy policy issues as those mentioned above, are recommended for future research efforts.

Linking Microbial Community Structure and Function During the Acidified Anaerobic Digestion of Grass

PubMed Central

Joyce, Aoife; Ijaz, Umer Z.; Nzeteu, Corine; Vaughan, Aoife; Shirran, Sally L.; Botting, Catherine H.; Quince, Christopher; O’Flaherty, Vincent; Abram, Florence

2018-01-01

Harvesting valuable bioproducts from various renewable feedstocks is necessary for the critical development of a sustainable bioeconomy. Anaerobic digestion is a well-established technology for the conversion of wastewater and solid feedstocks to energy with the additional potential for production of process intermediates of high market values (e.g., carboxylates). In recent years, first-generation biofuels typically derived from food crops have been widely utilized as a renewable source of energy. The environmental and socioeconomic limitations of such strategy, however, have led to the development of second-generation biofuels utilizing, amongst other feedstocks, lignocellulosic biomass. In this context, the anaerobic digestion of perennial grass holds great promise for the conversion of sustainable renewable feedstock to energy and other process intermediates. The advancement of this technology however, and its implementation for industrial applications, relies on a greater understanding of the microbiome underpinning the process. To this end, microbial communities recovered from replicated anaerobic bioreactors digesting grass were analyzed. The bioreactors leachates were not buffered and acidic pH (between 5.5 and 6.3) prevailed at the time of sampling as a result of microbial activities. Community composition and transcriptionally active taxa were examined using 16S rRNA sequencing and microbial functions were investigated using metaproteomics. Bioreactor fraction, i.e., grass or leachate, was found to be the main discriminator of community analysis across the three molecular level of investigation (DNA, RNA, and proteins). Six taxa, namely Bacteroidia, Betaproteobacteria, Clostridia, Gammaproteobacteria, Methanomicrobia, and Negativicutes accounted for the large majority of the three datasets. The initial stages of grass hydrolysis were carried out by Bacteroidia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Negativicutes in the grass biofilms, in addition to Clostridia in the bioreactor leachates. Numerous glycolytic enzymes and carbohydrate transporters were detected throughout the bioreactors in addition to proteins involved in butanol and lactate production. Finally, evidence of the prevalence of stressful conditions within the bioreactors and particularly impacting Clostridia was observed in the metaproteomes. Taken together, this study highlights the functional importance of Clostridia during the anaerobic digestion of grass and thus research avenues allowing members of this taxon to thrive should be explored. PMID:29619022

Effect of initial moisture content and chip size on the bioconversion efficiency of softwood lignocellulosics.

PubMed

Cullis, Ian F; Saddler, John N; Mansfield, Shawn D

2004-02-20

Previous optimization strategies for the bioconversion of lignocellulosics by steam explosion technologies have focused on the effects of temperature, pH, and treatment time, but have not accounted for changes in severity brought about by properties inherent in the starting feedstock. Consequently, this study evaluated the effects of chip properties, feedstock size (40-mesh, 1.5 x 1.5 cm, 5 x 5 cm), and moisture content (12% and 30%) on the overall bioconversion process, and more specifically on the efficacy of removal of recalcitrant lignin from the lignocellulosic substrates following steam explosion. Increasing chip size resulted in an improvement in the solids recovery, with concurrent increases in the water soluble, hemicellulose-derived sugar recovery (7.5%). This increased recovery is a result of a decrease in the "relative severity" of the pretreatment as chip size increases. Additionally, the decreased relative severity minimized the condensation of the recalcitrant residual lignin and therefore increased the efficacy of peroxide fractionation, where a 60% improvement in lignin removal was possible with chips of larger initial size. Similarly, increased initial moisture content reduced the relative severity of the pretreatment, generating improved solids and hemicellulose-derived carbohydrate recovery. Both increased chip size and higher initial moisture content results in a substrate that performs better during peroxide delignification, and consequently enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore, a post steam-explosion refining step increased hemicellulose-derived sugar recovery and was most effectively delignified (to as low as 6.5%). The refined substrate could be enzymatically hydrolyzed to very high levels (98%) and relatively fast rates (1.23 g/L/h). Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Linking pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion (Py-AD) for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass.

PubMed

Fabbri, Daniele; Torri, Cristian

2016-04-01

Biogas is a mixture of CO2 and CH4 produced by a consortia of Bacteria and Archeae operating in anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. Biogas can be burnt as such in engines to produce electricity and heat or upgraded into biomethane. Biomethane is a drop-in fuel that can be injected in the natural gas grid or utilised as a transport fuel. While a wide array of biomass feedstock can be degraded into biogas, unconverted lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose end up in the co-product digestate leaving a large portion of chemical energy unutilised. Pyrolysis (Py) transforms in a single step and without chemical reagents the lignocellulose matrix into gaseous (syngas), liquid (bio-oil, pyrolysis oil) and solid (biochar) fractions for the development of renewable fuels and materials. The Py route applied downstream to AD is actively investigated in order to valorise the solid digestate presently destined only for soil applications. Coupling Py upstream to AD is an emerging field of research aimed at expanding the feedstock towards biologically recalcitrant substrates (wood, paper, sludge). The biomethanation potential was demonstrated for gaseous (H2/CO) and water soluble pyrolysis products, while the influence of insoluble pyrolytic lignin remains fairly unexplored. Biochar can promote the production of biomethane by acting as a support for microorganism colonisation, conductor for direct interspecies electron transfer, sorbent for hydrophobic inhibitors, and reactant for in situ biogas upgrading. Enhancing the advantages (carbon source) over the side effects (toxicity) of Py fractions represents the main challenge of Py-AD. This can be addressed by increasing the selectivity of the thermochemical process or improving the ecological flexibility of mixed bacterial consortia towards chemically complex environments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pseudo-lignin Formation during Dilute Acid Pretreatment for Cellulosic Ethanol

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

Meng, Xianzhi; Ragauskas, Arthur J.

Dilute acid-based pretreatment represents one of the most important pretreatment technologies to reduce biomass recalcitrance and it has been successfully applied to a wide range of feedstocks. During this type of pretreatment, the relative lignin content usually increases partially due to the loss of carbohydrates. More importantly, it has been reported that the increase of lignin content after dilute acid pretreatment is mainly due to the formation of pseudo-lignin. Furthermore, the exact reaction mechanisms leading to the formation of pseudo-lignin is still under investigation. However, it has been proposed that rearrangement of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) or furfural can produce aromatic typemore » of compounds which can further undergo polymerization reactions to from a lignin-like polyphenolic structures termed as pseudo-lignin. Likewise, this mini-review mainly covers recent advances in understanding the fundamentals of pseudo-lignin formation during dilute acid pretreatment, the impact of its formation on enzymatic hydrolysis, and how to suppress its formation during dilute acid pretreatment.« less

Pseudo-lignin Formation during Dilute Acid Pretreatment for Cellulosic Ethanol

DOE PAGES

Meng, Xianzhi; Ragauskas, Arthur J.

2017-04-17

Dilute acid-based pretreatment represents one of the most important pretreatment technologies to reduce biomass recalcitrance and it has been successfully applied to a wide range of feedstocks. During this type of pretreatment, the relative lignin content usually increases partially due to the loss of carbohydrates. More importantly, it has been reported that the increase of lignin content after dilute acid pretreatment is mainly due to the formation of pseudo-lignin. Furthermore, the exact reaction mechanisms leading to the formation of pseudo-lignin is still under investigation. However, it has been proposed that rearrangement of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) or furfural can produce aromatic typemore » of compounds which can further undergo polymerization reactions to from a lignin-like polyphenolic structures termed as pseudo-lignin. Likewise, this mini-review mainly covers recent advances in understanding the fundamentals of pseudo-lignin formation during dilute acid pretreatment, the impact of its formation on enzymatic hydrolysis, and how to suppress its formation during dilute acid pretreatment.« less

Solid State Digital Propulsion "Cluster Thrusters" For Small Satellites Using High Performance Electrically Controlled Extinguishable Solid Propellants (ECESP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sawka, Wayne N.; Katzakian, Arthur; Grix, Charles

2005-01-01

Electrically controlled extinguishable solid propellants (ESCSP) are capable of multiple ignitions, extinguishments and throttle control by the application of electrical power. Both core and end burning no moving parts ECESP grains/motors to three inches in diameter have now been tested. Ongoing research has led to a newer family of even higher performance ECESP providing up to 10% higher performance, manufacturing ease, and significantly higher electrical conduction. The high conductivity was not found to be desirable for larger motors; however it is ideal for downward scaling to micro and pico- propulsion applications with a web thickness of less than 0.125 inch/ diameter. As a solid solution propellant, this ECESP is molecularly uniform, having no granular structure. Because of this homogeneity and workable viscosity it can be directly cast into thin layers or vacuum cast into complex geometries. Both coaxial and grain stacks have been demonstrated. Combining individual propellant coaxial grains and/or grain stacks together form three-dimensional arrays yield modular cluster thrusters. Adoption of fabless manufacturing methods and standards from the electronics industry will provide custom, highly reproducible micro-propulsion arrays and clusters at low costs. These stack and cluster thruster designs provide a small footprint saving spacecraft surface area for solar panels and/or experiments. The simplicity of these thrusters will enable their broad use on micro-pico satellites for primary propulsion, ACS and formation flying applications. Larger spacecraft may find uses for ECESP thrusters on extended booms, on-orbit refueling, pneumatic actuators, and gas generators.

Platinum Assisted Vapor–Liquid–Solid Growth of Er–Si Nanowires and Their Optical Properties

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

We report the optical activation of erbium coated silicon nanowires (Er–SiNWs) grown with the assist of platinum (Pt) and gold (Au), respectively. The NWs were grown on Si substrates by using a chemical vapor transport process using SiCl4 and ErCl4 as precursors. Pt as well as Au worked successfully as vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) catalysts for growing SiNWs with diameters of ~100 nm and length of several micrometers, respectively. The SiNWs have core–shell structures where the Er-crystalline layer is sandwiched between silica layers. Photoluminescence spectra analyses showed the optical activity of SiNWs from both Pt and Au. A stronger Er3+ luminescence of 1,534 nm was observed from the SiNWs with Pt at room- and low-temperature (25 K) using the 488- and/or 477-nm line of an Ar laser that may be due to the uniform incorporation of more Er ions into NWs with the exclusion of the formation of catalyst-induced deep levels in the band-gap. Pt would be used as a VLS catalyst for high performance optically active Er–SiNWs. PMID:20672113

Platinum assisted vapor-liquid-solid growth of er-si nanowires and their optical properties.

PubMed

Kim, Myoung-Ha; Kim, Il-Soo; Park, Yong-Hee; Park, Tae-Eon; Shin, Jung H; Choi, Heon-Jin

2009-11-14

We report the optical activation of erbium coated silicon nanowires (Er-SiNWs) grown with the assist of platinum (Pt) and gold (Au), respectively. The NWs were grown on Si substrates by using a chemical vapor transport process using SiCl4 and ErCl4 as precursors. Pt as well as Au worked successfully as vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) catalysts for growing SiNWs with diameters of ~100 nm and length of several micrometers, respectively. The SiNWs have core-shell structures where the Er-crystalline layer is sandwiched between silica layers. Photoluminescence spectra analyses showed the optical activity of SiNWs from both Pt and Au. A stronger Er3+ luminescence of 1,534 nm was observed from the SiNWs with Pt at room- and low-temperature (25 K) using the 488- and/or 477-nm line of an Ar laser that may be due to the uniform incorporation of more Er ions into NWs with the exclusion of the formation of catalyst-induced deep levels in the band-gap. Pt would be used as a VLS catalyst for high performance optically active Er-SiNWs.

Platinum Assisted Vapor-Liquid-Solid Growth of Er-Si Nanowires and Their Optical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Myoung-Ha; Kim, Il-Soo; Park, Yong-Hee; Park, Tae-Eon; Shin, Jung H.; Choi, Heon-Jin

2010-02-01

We report the optical activation of erbium coated silicon nanowires (Er-SiNWs) grown with the assist of platinum (Pt) and gold (Au), respectively. The NWs were grown on Si substrates by using a chemical vapor transport process using SiCl4 and ErCl4 as precursors. Pt as well as Au worked successfully as vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) catalysts for growing SiNWs with diameters of ~100 nm and length of several micrometers, respectively. The SiNWs have core-shell structures where the Er-crystalline layer is sandwiched between silica layers. Photoluminescence spectra analyses showed the optical activity of SiNWs from both Pt and Au. A stronger Er3+ luminescence of 1,534 nm was observed from the SiNWs with Pt at room- and low-temperature (25 K) using the 488- and/or 477-nm line of an Ar laser that may be due to the uniform incorporation of more Er ions into NWs with the exclusion of the formation of catalyst-induced deep levels in the band-gap. Pt would be used as a VLS catalyst for high performance optically active Er-SiNWs.

Binary phase solid-state photopolymerization of acrylates: design, characterization and biomineralization of 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maitlo, Inamullah; Ali, Safdar; Akram, Muhammad Yasir; Shehzad, Farooq Khurum; Nie, Jun

2017-12-01

Porous polymer scaffolds designed by the cryogel method are attractive materials for a range of tissue engineering applications. However, the use of toxic crosslinker for retaining the pore structure limits their clinical applications. In this research, acrylates (HEA/PEGDA, HEMA/PEGDA and PEGDA) were used in the low-temperature solid-state photopolymerization to produce porous scaffolds with good structural retention. The morphology, pore diameter, mineral deposition and water absorption of the scaffold were characterized by SEM and water absorption test respectively. Elemental analysis and cytotoxicity of the biomineralized scaffold were revealed by using XRD and MTT assay test. The PEGDA-derived scaffold showed good water absorption ability and a higher degree of porosity with larger pore size compared to others. XRD patterns and IR results confirmed the formation of hydroxyapatite crystals from an alternative socking process. The overall cell proliferation was excellent, where PEGDA-derived scaffold had the highest and the most uniform cell growth, while HEMA/PEGDA scaffold showed the least. These results suggest that the cell proliferation and adhesion are directly proportional to the pore size, the shape and the porosity of scaffolds.

An external template-free route to uniform semiconducting hollow mesospheres and their use in photocatalysis.

PubMed

Yang, Di; Wang, Mengye; Zou, Bin; Zhang, Gu Ling; Lin, Zhiqun

2015-08-14

Solid amorphous TiO2 mesospheres were synthesized by controlled hydrolysis of Ti-containing precursors. Subsequently, solid TiO2 mesospheres were exploited as scaffolds and subjected to a one-step external template-free hydrothermal treatment, yielding intriguing hollow anatase TiO2 mesospheres. The synthetic protocol was optimized by investigating the effect of buffer reagents and fluoride ions on the formation of hollow TiO2 spheres. The diameter of hollow mesospheres, ranging from 308 to 760 nm, can be readily tailored by varying the precursor concentration. The average thickness of a shell composed of TiO2 nanocrystals was approximately 40 nm with a mean crystal size of 12.4-20.0 nm. Such hollow TiO2 mesospheres possessed a large surface area and were employed in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. Interestingly, the synthetic conditions were found to exert a significant influence on the photocatalytic ability of hollow TiO2 mesospheres. The correlation between the degradation ability of hollow TiO2 mesospheres and the precursor concentration as well as the hydrothermal time was scrutinized. The optimal photocatalytic performance of hollow TiO2 mesospheres was identified.

Feasibility of Applying Ohmic Heating and Split-Phase Aseptic Processing for Ration Entree Preservation

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-08-01

study demonstrated that either of these reduced- temperature sterilization processes will produce an acceptable product that is an alternative to thermal...and uniform heating of liquids and solids simultaneously, even of large particles, up to sterilization temperatures . Uniform heating means shorter...potential cost reduction by substitution of continuous processing of a high- temperature /short-time ( HTST ) nature for traditional batch retort

On the Heat Transfer through a Solid Slab Heated Uniformly and Continuously on One of Its Surfaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marin, E.; Lara-Bernal, A.; Calderon, A.; Delgado-Vasallo, O.

2011-01-01

Some peculiarities of the heat transfer through a sample that is heated by the superficial absorption of light energy under continuous uniform illumination are discussed. We explain, using a different approach to that presented in a recent article published in this journal (Salazar "et al" 2010 "Eur. J. Phys." 31 1053-9), that the front surface of…

Conformal Electroplating of Azobenzene-Based Solar Thermal Fuels onto Large-Area and Fiber Geometries.

PubMed

Zhitomirsky, David; Grossman, Jeffrey C

2016-10-05

There is tremendous growth in fields where small functional molecules and colloidal nanomaterials are integrated into thin films for solid-state device applications. Many of these materials are synthesized in solution and there often exists a significant barrier to transition them into the solid state in an efficient manner. Here, we develop a methodology employing an electrodepositable copolymer consisting of small functional molecules for applications in solar energy harvesting and storage. We employ azobenzene solar thermal fuel polymers and functionalize them to enable deposition from low concentration solutions in methanol, resulting in uniform and large-area thin films. This approach enables conformal deposition on a variety of conducting substrates that can be either flat or structured depending on the application. Our approach further enables control over film growth via electrodepsition conditions and results in highly uniform films of hundreds of nanometers to microns in thickness. We demonstrate that this method enables superior retention of solar thermal fuel properties, with energy densities of ∼90 J/g, chargeability in the solid state, and exceptional materials utilization compared to other solid-state processing approaches. This novel approach is applicable to systems such as photon upconversion, photovoltaics, photosensing, light emission, and beyond, where small functional molecules enable solid-state applications.

Consequential environmental life cycle assessment of a farm-scale biogas plant.

PubMed

Van Stappen, Florence; Mathot, Michaël; Decruyenaere, Virginie; Loriers, Astrid; Delcour, Alice; Planchon, Viviane; Goffart, Jean-Pierre; Stilmant, Didier

2016-06-15

Producing biogas via anaerobic digestion is a promising technology for meeting European and regional goals on energy production from renewable sources. It offers interesting opportunities for the agricultural sector, allowing waste and by-products to be converted into bioenergy and bio-based materials. A consequential life cycle assessment (cLCA) was conducted to examine the consequences of the installation of a farm-scale biogas plant, taking account of assumptions about processes displaced by biogas plant co-products (power, heat and digestate) and the uses of the biogas plant feedstock prior to plant installation. Inventory data were collected on an existing farm-scale biogas plant. The plant inputs are maize cultivated for energy, solid cattle manure and various by-products from surrounding agro-food industries. Based on hypotheses about displaced electricity production (oil or gas) and the initial uses of the plant feedstock (animal feed, compost or incineration), six scenarios were analyzed and compared. Digested feedstock previously used in animal feed was replaced with other feed ingredients in equivalent feed diets, designed to take account of various nutritional parameters for bovine feeding. The displaced production of mineral fertilizers and field emissions due to the use of digestate as organic fertilizer was balanced against the avoided use of manure and compost. For all of the envisaged scenarios, the installation of the biogas plant led to reduced impacts on water depletion and aquatic ecotoxicity (thanks mainly to the displaced mineral fertilizer production). However, with the additional animal feed ingredients required to replace digested feedstock in the bovine diets, extra agricultural land was needed in all scenarios. Field emissions from the digestate used as organic fertilizer also had a significant impact on acidification and eutrophication. The choice of displaced marginal technologies has a huge influence on the results, as have the assumptions about the previous uses of the biogas plant inputs. The main finding emerging from this study was that the biogas plant should not use feedstock that is intended for animal feed because their replacement in animal diets involves additional impacts mostly in terms of extra agricultural land. cLCA appears to be a useful instrument for giving decision-makers information on the consequences of introducing new multifunctional systems such as farm-scale biogas plants, provided that the study uses specific local data and identifies displaced reference systems on a case-by-case basis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peeling the astronomical onion.

PubMed

Rosu-Finsen, Alexander; Marchione, Demian; Salter, Tara L; Stubbing, James W; Brown, Wendy A; McCoustra, Martin R S

2016-11-23

Water ice is the most abundant solid in the Universe. Understanding the formation, structure and multiplicity of physicochemical roles for water ice in the cold, dense interstellar environments in which it is predominantly observed is a crucial quest for astrochemistry as these are regions active in star and planet formation. Intuitively, we would expect the mobility of water molecules deposited or synthesised on dust grain surfaces at temperatures below 50 K to be very limited. This work delves into the thermally-activated mobility of H 2 O molecules on model interstellar grain surfaces. The energy required to initiate this process is studied by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy of small quantities of water on amorphous silica and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surfaces as the surface is annealed. Strongly non-Arrhenius behaviour is observed with an activation energy of 2 kJ mol -1 on the silica surface below 25 K and 0 kJ mol -1 on both surfaces between 25 and 100 K. The astrophysical implication of these results is that on timescales shorter than that estimated for the formation of a complete monolayer of water ice on a grain, aggregation of water ice will result in a non-uniform coating of water, hence leaving bare grain surface exposed. Other molecules can thus be formed or adsorbed on this bare surface.

Plasma-assisted combustion in lean, high-pressure, preheated air-methane mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommerer, Timothy; Herbon, John; Saddoughi, Seyed; Deminsky, Maxim; Potapkin, Boris

2013-09-01

We combine a simplified physical model with a detailed plasma-chemical reaction mechanism to analyze the use of plasmas to improve flame stability in a gas turbine used for electric power generation. For this application the combustion occurs in a lean mixture of air and methane at high pressure (18.6 atm) and at ``preheat'' temperature 700 K, and the flame zone is both recirculating and turbulent. The system is modeled as a sequence of reactors: a pulsed uniform plasma (Boltzmann), an afterglow region (plug-flow), a flame region (perfectly-stirred), and a downstream region (plug-flow). The plasma-chemical reaction mechanism includes electron-impact on the feedstock species, relaxation in the afterglow to neutral molecules and radicals, and methane combustion chemistry (GRI-Mech 3.0), with extensions to properly describe low-temperature combustion 700-1000 K [M Deminsky et al., Chem Phys 32, 1 (2013)]. We find that plasma treatment of the incoming air-fuel mixture can improve the stability of lean flames, expressed as a reduction in the adiabatic flame temperature at lean blow-out, but that the plasma also generates oxides of nitrogen at the preheat temperature through the reactions e + N2 --> N + N and N + O2 --> NO + O. We find that flame stability is improved with less undesirable NOx formation when the plasma reduced-electric-field E/ N is smaller. A portion of this work was supported by the US Dept of Energy under Award Number DE-FC26-08NT05868.

Potential phosphorus eutrophication mitigation strategy: Biochar carbon composition, thermal stability and pH influence phosphorus sorption.

PubMed

Ngatia, L W; Hsieh, Y P; Nemours, D; Fu, R; Taylor, R W

2017-08-01

Phosphorus (P) eutrophication is a major pollution problem globally, with unprecedented amount of P emanating from agricultural sources. But little is known about the optimization of soil-biochar P sorption capacity. The study objective was to determine how biochar feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions influences carbon (C) thermal stability, C composition and pH and in turn influence the phosphorus sorption optimization. Biochar was produced from switchgrass, kudzu and Chinese tallow at 200, 300, 400, 500, 550, 650,750 °C. Carbon thermal stability was determined by multi-element scanning thermal analysis (MESTA), C composition was determined using solid state 13 C NMR. Phosphorus sorption was determined using a mixture of 10% biochar and 90% sandy soil after incubation. Results indicate increased P sorption (P < 0.0001) and decreased P availability (P < 0.0001) with increasing biochar pyrolysis temperature. However, optimum P sorption was feedstock specific with switchgrass indicating P desorption between 200 and 550 °C. Phosphorus sorption was in the order of kudzu > switchgrass > Chinese tallow. Total C, C thermal stability, aromatic C and alkalinity increased with elevated pyrolysis temperature. Biochar alkalinity favored P sorption. There was a positive relationship between high thermal stable C and P sorption for Kudzu (r = 0.62; P = 0.0346) and Chinese tallow (r = 0.73; P = 0.0138). In conclusion, biochar has potential for P eutrophication mitigation, however, optimum biochar pyrolysis temperature for P sorption is feedstock specific and in some cases might be out of 300-500 °C temperature range commonly used for agronomic application. High thermal stable C dominated by aromatic C and alkaline pH seem to favor P sorption. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of pyrochar and hydrochar amendments on the mineralization of the herbicide isoproturon in an agricultural soil.

PubMed

Eibisch, Nina; Schroll, Reiner; Fuß, Roland

2015-09-01

Carbon (C)-rich, solid products from pyrolysis (pyrochars) and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC, hydrochars) are expected to reduce the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of pesticides as side effect of soil addition. To compare effects of different feedstocks (digestate, miscanthus, woodchips) and production processes (pyrolysis at 750°C, HTC at 200°C and 250°C), (14)C-labeled isoproturon (IPU) was applied at 0.75 kg ha(-)(1) to loamy sand amended either with 0.5% or 5% pyrochars or hydrochars, which was then incubated for 50d. Mineralization of IPU was measured as (14)C-CO2 released from soil-char composites. Pore-water and methanol extractable (14)C-IPU was quantified as well as non-extractable (14)C-residues (NER). Furthermore, C mineralization of pyrochars, hydrochars and feedstocks was studied to assess the relationship between IPU bioaccessibility and char decomposability. In pure soil, 8.1% of applied IPU was mineralized after 50d. This was reduced more strongly in pyrochar treatments (81 ± 6% reduction) than in hydrochar treatments (56 ± 25% reduction). Different feedstocks had no significantly different effect when 5% char was added, but their effect was significant and dependent on the production process in 0.5% amendments. Pesticide binding can occur by surface sorption as well as by diffusion and subsequent occlusion in micropores. The latter can be expected to result in high amounts of NER, as it was observed in the pyrochar treatments. Hydrochars were less stable than pyrochars and contained lower amounts of NER. Thus, in hydrochar amended soils, better accessibility of IPU to microbial degradation may be a result of full char decomposition within decades ensuring controlled pesticide degradation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

26 CFR 48.4082-7 - Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 16 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes. 48..., Tread Rubber, and Taxable Fuel Taxable Fuel § 48.4082-7 Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes. (a... kerosene for use for a feedstock purpose. (b) Definitions. The following definitions apply to this section...

26 CFR 48.4082-7 - Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 16 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes. 48..., Tread Rubber, and Taxable Fuel Taxable Fuel § 48.4082-7 Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes. (a... kerosene for use for a feedstock purpose. (b) Definitions. The following definitions apply to this section...

26 CFR 48.4082-7 - Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 16 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes. 48..., Tread Rubber, and Taxable Fuel Taxable Fuel § 48.4082-7 Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes. (a... kerosene for use for a feedstock purpose. (b) Definitions. The following definitions apply to this section...

26 CFR 48.4082-7 - Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 16 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes. 48..., Tread Rubber, and Taxable Fuel Taxable Fuel § 48.4082-7 Kerosene; exemption for feedstock purposes. (a... kerosene for use for a feedstock purpose. (b) Definitions. The following definitions apply to this section...

40 CFR 80.1416 - Petition process for evaluation of new renewable fuels pathways.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... definition of renewable biomass. (ii) Market value of the feedstock. (iii) List of other uses for the feedstock. (iv) List of chemical inputs needed to produce the renewable biomass source of the feedstock and prepare the renewable biomass for processing into feedstock. (v) Identify energy needed to obtain the...