Melamine modified carbon felts anode with enhanced electrogenesis capacity toward microbial fuel cells

Surface electropositivity and low internal resistance are important factors to improve the anode performance in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Nitrogen doping is an effective way for the modification of traditional carbon materials. In this work, heat treatment and melamine were used to modify carbon felts to enhance electrogenesis capacity of MFCs. The modified carbon felts were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and malvern zeta potentiometer. Results show that the maximum power densities under heat treatment increase from 276.1 to 423.4 mW/m(2) (700 degrees C) and 461.5 mW/m(2) (1200 degrees C) and further increase to 472.5 mW/m(2) (700 degrees C) and 515.4 mW/m(2) (1200 degrees C) with the co-carbonization modification of melamine. The heat treatment reduces the material resistivity, improves the zeta potential which is beneficial to microbial adsorption and electron transfer. The addition of melamine leads to the higher content of surface pyridinic and quaternary nitrogen and higher zeta potential. It is related to higher MFCs performance. Generally, the melamine modification at high temperature increases the feasibility of carbon felt as MFCs's anode materials. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Impacts of the meteorological condition versus emissions reduction on the PM_(2.5) concentration over Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei during the COVID-19 lockdown

本研究从气象条件和减排两方面探讨了COVID-19封锁期间严重雾霾发生的原因[研究目的],并定量的分析了气象条件和减排对PM_(2.5)浓度的相对影响[创新点].使用WRF-Chem在2019年2月3日–16日和2020年2月3日–16日进行了三个数值模拟试验,分别为2019年气象场与MEIC-2019(2019年中国多分辨率月度排放清单),2020年气象场与MEIC-2019,2020年气象场与MEIC-2020[研究方法].结果表明COVID-19封锁期间严重雾霾的原因是不利气象条件增加的PM_(2.5)浓度大于减排减少的PM_(2.5)浓度[重要结论].

Characterization of Fe/N-doped graphene as air-cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells

This work proposed a simple and efficient approach for synthesis of durable and efficient non-precious metal oxygen reduction reaction（ORR） electro-catalysts in MFCs. The rod-like carbon nanotubes（CNTs）were formed on the Fe–N/SLG sheets after a carbonization process. The maximum power density of1210 ± 23 m W·mobtained with Fe–N/SLG catalyst in an MFC was 10.7% higher than that of Pt/C catalyst(1080 ± 20 mW ·m) under the same condition. The results of RDE test show that the ORR electron transfer number of Fe–N/SLG was 3.91 ± 0.02, which suggested that ORR catalysis proceeds through a four-electron pathway. The whole time of the synthesis of electro-catalysts is about 10 h, making the research take a solid step in the MFC expansion due to its low-cost, high efficiency and favorable electrochemical performance. Besides, we compared the electrochemical properties of catalysts using SLG, high conductivity graphene（HCG, a kind of multilayer graphene） and high activity graphene（HAG, a kind of GO） under the same conditions, providing a solution for optimal selection of cathode catalyst in MFCs.The morphology, crystalline structure, elemental composition and ORR activity of these three kinds of Fe–N/C catalysts were characterized. Their ORR activities were compared with commercial Pt/C catalyst.It demonstrates that this kind of Fe–N/SLG can be a type of promising highly efficient catalyst and could enhance ORR performance of MFCs.

Flow field and convective heat transfer of smallscale Taylor-Couette flow induced by end leakage

More and more researchers have paid attention to Taylor-Couette flow whose axial dimension is much larger than other dimensions.However,featured by the limited axial length of the bearing,its flow field and convective heat transfer between the rotator and the stator are highly conglutinated with the leakage at the end of the clearance.An investigation was conducted on the flow field and convective heat transfer of small-scale Taylor-Couette flow induced by end leakage through means of numerical simulation and experimental measurement.The static pressure and temperature of the stator were captured by a micromanometer and a time-resolved infrared camera,respectively.Large Eddy Simulation(LES)was performed to reveal the instantaneous and mean flow field of the shearing flow.Results show that the flow field and convective heat transfer are tightly associated with the presence of end leakage.As approaching the end of the clearance,the flow is dominated by the axial flow induced by the end leakage,and then a series of Taylor vortices gradually distorts and tilts as moving downstream.Along the angular direction,the maximum and minimum static pressures take place near minimum clearance height,respectively.The static pressure along the angular direction and the axial velocity near the minimum clearance height as well as the Nusselt number increase with increases of the rotational Reynolds number and the eccentricity ratio while decreasing with an increase of the dimensionless clearance height.Both natural convection by buoyancy and forced convection by the shearing flow play a significant role in convective heat transfer.Compared with classic Taylor-Couette flow,the occurrence of leakage decreases the maximum static pressure while increasing the minimum static pressure.The formation and evolution of the Taylor vortex are dominated by the axial flow.

Effect of aluminum on microstructure and magnetic properties of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets processed by grain boundary diffusion of Tb-Al

The grain boundary diffusion process(GBDP)of Tb can improve the coercivity of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets.In this study,the effect of AI on the diffusion of Tb in the GBDP was investigated.The content of diffused Tb-Al was precisely controlled by adjusting the magnetron sputtering process.The Tb equivalent of Al was also studied.Results show that AI promotes the diffusion of Tb deeper into the magnet,reducing the thickness of the shell in the core-shell structure.This study is helpful for further developing the process,reducing the consumption of heavy rare earth elements(Tb),and improving the coercivity of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets.