Effect of Allelochemicals of Chinese-fir root extracted by supercritical CO2 extraction on Chinese fir

Allelochemicals of Chinese-fir root was extracted by technology of supercritical CO2 extraction under orthogonal experiment design, and it was used to analyze allelopathic activity of Chinese-fir through bioassay of seed germination. The results showed that as to the available rate of allelochemicals, the pressure and temperature of extraction were the most important factors. The allelochemicals of Chinese-fir root extracted by pure CO2 and ethanol mixed with CO2 have different allelopathic activities to seed germination, and the allelochemicals extracted by ethanol mixed with CO2 had stronger inhibitory effects on seed germination than that extracted by pure CO2.

Micro segment analysis of supercritical methane thermal-hydraulic performance and pseudo-boiling in a PCHE straight channel

The printed circuit heat exchanger(PCHE) is receiving wide attention as a new kind of compact heat exchanger and is considered as a promising vaporizer in the LNG process. In this paper, a PCHE straight channel in the length of 500 mm is established, with a semicircular cross section in a diameter of 1.2 mm.Numerical simulation is employed to investigate the flow and heat transfer performance of supercritical methane in the channel. The pseudo-boiling theory is adopted and the liquid-like, two-phase-like, and vapor-like regimes are divided for supercritical methane to analyze the heat transfer and flow features.The results are presented in micro segment to show the local convective heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. It shows that the convective heat transfer coefficient in segments along the channel has a significant peak feature near the pseudo-critical point and a heat transfer deterioration when the average fluid temperature in the segment is higher than the pseudo-critical point. The reason is explained with the generation of vapor-like film near the channel wall that the peak feature related to a nucleateboiling-like state and heat transfer deterioration related to a film-boiling-like state. The effects of parameters, including mass flow rate, pressure, and wall heat flux on flow and heat transfer were analyzed.In calculating of the averaged heat transfer coefficient of the whole channel, the traditional method shows significant deviation and the micro segment weighted average method is adopted. The pressure drop can mainly be affected by the mass flux and pressure and little affected by the wall heat flux. The peak of the convective heat transfer coefficient can only form at high mass flux, low wall heat flux, and near critical pressure, in which condition the nucleate-boiling-like state is easier to appear. Moreover,heat transfer deterioration will always appear, since the supercritical flow will finally develop into a filmboiling-like state. So heat transfer deterioration should be taken seriously in the design and safe operation of vaporizer PCHE. The study of this work clarified the local heat transfer and flow feature of supercritical methane in microchannel and contributed to the deep understanding of supercritical methane flow of the vaporization process in PCHE.

Demonstration of a small‐scale power generator using supercritical CO_(2)

The supercritical CO_(2)(sCO_(2))power cycle could improve efficiencies for a wide range of thermal power plants.The sCO_(2)turbine generator plays an important role in the sCO_(2)power cycle by directly converting thermal energy into mechanical work and electric power.The operation of the generator encounters challenges,including high temperature,high pressure,high rotational speed,and other engineering problems,such as leakage.Experimental studies of sCO_(2)turbines are insufficient because of the significant difficulties in turbine manufacturing and system construction.Unlike most experimental investigations that primarily focus on 100 kW‐or MW‐scale power generation systems,we consider,for the first time,a small‐scale power generator using sCO_(2).A partial admission axial turbine was designed and manufactured with a rated rotational speed of 40,000 rpm,and a CO_(2)transcritical power cycle test loop was constructed to validate the performance of our manufactured generator.A resistant gas was proposed in the constructed turbine expander to solve the leakage issue.Both dynamic and steady performances were investigated.The results indicated that a peak electric power of 11.55 kW was achieved at 29,369 rpm.The maximum total efficiency of the turbo‐generator was 58.98%,which was affected by both the turbine rotational speed and pressure ratio,according to the proposed performance map.

Multi-objective optimization and evaluation of supercritical CO_(2) Brayton cycle for nuclear power generation

The supercritical CO_(2) Brayton cycle is considered a promising energy conversion system for Generation IV reactors for its simple layout,compact structure,and high cycle efficiency.Mathematical models of four Brayton cycle layouts are developed in this study for different reactors to reduce the cost and increase the thermohydraulic performance of nuclear power generation to promote the commercialization of nuclear energy.Parametric analysis,multi-objective optimizations,and four decision-making methods are applied to obtain each Brayton scheme’s optimal thermohydraulic and economic indexes.Results show that for the same design thermal power scale of reactors,the higher the core’s exit temperature,the better the Brayton cycle’s thermo-economic performance.Among the four-cycle layouts,the recompression cycle(RC)has the best overall performance,followed by the simple recuperation cycle(SR)and the intercooling cycle(IC),and the worst is the reheating cycle(RH).However,RH has the lowest total cost of investment(C_(tot))of$1619.85 million,and IC has the lowest levelized cost of energy(LCOE)of 0.012$/(kWh).The nuclear Brayton cycle system’s overall performance has been improved due to optimization.The performance of the molten salt reactor combined with the intercooling cycle(MSR-IC)scheme has the greatest improvement,with the net output power(W_(net)),thermal efficiencyη_(t),and exergy efficiency(η_(e))improved by 8.58%,8.58%,and 11.21%,respectively.The performance of the lead-cooled fast reactor combined with the simple recuperation cycle scheme was optimized to increase C_(tot) by 27.78%.In comparison,the internal rate of return(IRR)increased by only 7.8%,which is not friendly to investors with limited funds.For the nuclear Brayton cycle,the molten salt reactor combined with the recompression cycle scheme should receive priority,and the gas-cooled fast reactor combined with the reheating cycle scheme should be considered carefully.

Hydrothermal decomposition of pentachlorophenol in subcritical and supercritical water with sodium hydroxide addition

Hydrothermal decomposition of pentachlorophenol （PCP, C6HC150）, as the probable human carcinogen, was investigated in a tubular reactor under subcritical and supercritical water with sodium hydroxide （NaOH） addition. The experiments were conducted at a temperature range of 30（0-420℃ and a fixed pressure of 25 MPa, with a residence time that ranged from 10 s to 70 s. Under the reaction conditions, the initial PCP concentrations were varied from 0.25 to 1.39 mmol/L, and the NaOH concentrations were varied from 2.5 to 25 times of the concentrations of PCP. The result of this study showed that PCP conversion in supercritical water was highly dependent on the reaction temperature, residence time, and NaOH concentration. PCP conversion in subcritical water is, however, only dependent on reaction temperature. NaOH concentration and residence times were found to have little effect on PCP conversion in subcritical condition. It was found that NaOH concentration affected the dechlorinations of PCP in the supercritical water. The intermediates detected were proposed to be tetrachlorophenol and trichlorophenol, respectively.

Depolymerization of Poly(bisphenol A carbonate) in Subcritical and Supercritical Toluene

The depolymerization of poly（bisphenol A carbonate）（PC） in subcritical and supercritical toluene was studied. The experimental parameters, which influence the depolymerization reaction such as temperature （570-633 K）, pressure （4.0-7.0 MPa）, reaction time （5-60 min）, and toluene to PC weight ratio （3.0-11.0）, were investigated, and the reaction products were determined by CrC, GC/MS and FT-IR spectrometer. It was found that the main product of the depolymerization reaction was bisphenol A（BPA）. BPA accounted for over 55.7% of the depolymerization products at reaction temperature 613 K, pressure 5.0-6.0 MPa, reaction time 15 min and toluene/PC weight ratio of around 7.0.

Extraction of cellulose with subcritical and Supercritical ethanol

Cotton cellulose was extracted with ethanol in sub-and supercritical states dynamically. The degree of conversion was 95.4% and the extract yield was 55.2% when cotton cellulose was non-isothermally extracted with ethanol from 20°C to 400°C. From an engineering standpoint, in the temperature range from 200°C to 320°C, the rate of extract formation could adequately be described by a second-order reaction kinetics equation with the activation energy of 105.3 kJ/mol and the pre-exponential factor of 3.53×107 s?1. With the non-isothermal experimental technique, it was possible to determine the kinetic parameters; conversion degree and extract yield by one experiment.

Comparative evaluation for catalytic gasification of petroleum coke and asphaltene in subcritical and supercritical water

Subcritical and supercritical water gasification of petroleum coke and asphaltene was performed at variable temperatures(350–650°C),feed concentrations(15–30 wt%)and reaction times(15–60 min).Nickel-impregnated activated carbon(Ni/AC)was synthesized as a catalyst for enhancing syngas yields at optimal gasification conditions(650°C,15 wt%and 60 min).Structural chemistry of precursors and chars developed at different gasification temperatures was studied using physicochemical and synchrotronbased approaches such as carbon–hydrogen–nitrogen–sulfur(CHNS)analysis,thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analysis(TGA/DTA),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),Raman spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction(XRD)and X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS).Asphaltene testified to be a better precursor for catalytic hydrothermal gasification leading to 11.97 mmol/g of total gas yield compared to petroleum coke(8.04 mmol/g).In particular,supercritical water gasification using 5 wt%Ni/AC at 650°C with 15 wt%feed concentration for 60 min resulted in 4.17 and 2.98 mmol/g of H_2from asphaltene and petroleum coke,respectively.Under the same conditions,the respective CH_4yields from catalytic gasification of asphaltene and petroleum coke were 2.54and 1.07 mmol/g.Nonetheless,asphaltene also seemed to an attractive feedstock for the production of highly aromatic chars through hydrothermal gasification.

Supercritical as well as subcritical Hopf bifurcation in nonlinear flutter systems

The Hopf bifurcations of an airfoil flutter system with a cubic nonlinearity are investigated, with the flow speed as the bifurcation parameter. The center manifold theory and complex normal form method are Used to obtain the bifurcation equation. Interestingly, for a certain linear pitching stiffness the Hopf bifurcation is both supercritical and subcritical. It is found, mathematically, this is caused by the fact that one coefficient in the bifurcation equation does not contain the first power of the bifurcation parameter. The solutions of the bifurcation equation are validated by the equivalent linearization method and incremental harmonic balance method.

Degumming of Silk Fibers by CO₂Supercritical Fluid

This paper is to study a new method to remove sericin from raw silk fiber. This new process is done using an organic acid as a pretreatment and then using CO2 supercritical fluid to remove sericin from silk fiber. This method would be a huge break from the traditional environmentally unsustainable methods used today. This new processing method keeps the removed sericin in a clean state that can be used as a highly marketable silk protein in the medical and cosmetic industries.

Proppant transport in rough fracture networks using supercritical CO_(2)

Proppant transport within fractures is one of the most critical tasks in oil,gas and geothermal reservoir stimulation,as it largely determines the ultimate performance of the operating well.Proppant transport in rough fracture networks is still a relatively new area of research and the associated transport mechanisms are still unclear.In this study,representative parameters of rough fracture surfaces formed by supercritical CO_(2) fracturing were used to generate a rough fracture network model based on a spectral synthesis method.Computational fluid dynamics(CFD)coupled with the discrete element method(DEM)was used to study proppant transport in this rough fracture network.To reveal the turning transport mechanism of proppants into branching fractures at the intersections of rough fracture networks,a comparison was made with the behavior within smooth fracture networks,and the effect of key pumping parameters on the proppant placement in a secondary fracture was analyzed.The results show that the transport behavior of proppant in rough fracture networks is very different from that of the one in the smooth fracture networks.The turning transport mechanisms of proppant into secondary fractures in rough fracture networks are gravity-driven sliding,high velocity fluid suspension,and fracture structure induction.Under the same injection conditions,supercritical CO_(2)with high flow Reynolds number still has a weaker ability to transport proppant into secondary fractures than water.Thickening of the supercritical CO_(2)needs to be increased beyond a certain value to have a significant effect on proppant carrying,and under the temperature and pressure conditions of this paper,it needs to be increased more than 20 times(about 0.94 m Pa s).Increasing the injection velocity and decreasing the proppant concentration facilitates the entry of proppant into the branching fractures,which in turn results in a larger stimulated reservoir volume.The results help to understand the proppant transport and placement process in rough fracture networks formed by reservoir stimulation,and provide a theoretical reference for the optimization of proppant pumping parameters in hydraulic fracturing.

Study on the Phase Behavior of Coating Matrix in Supercritical or Sub-critical Carbon Dioxide

The high-pressure phase behavior of coating-solvent-supercritical or sub-critical carbon dioxide system was investigated experimentally. The coating matrix used was 108-acrylic resin at concentration ranging from 10% to 50% (by mass) in mixtures with n-butyl acetate. The experiments were conducted in a high-pressure view cell for temperatures from 35℃ to 65℃ and for pressures from 3.0MPa to 8.0MPa. The effect of temperature, pressure and content of every component on the phase behavior of the systems was observed. Finally, the ternary phase diagram for resin-solvent-CO2 was plotted.

Experimental investigation on pyrolysis products and pore structure characteristics of organic-rich shale heated by supercritical carbon dioxide

The efficient pyrolysis and conversion of organic matter in organic-rich shale,as well as the effective recovery of pyrolysis shale oil and gas,play a vital role in alleviating energy pressure.The state of carbon dioxide(CO_(2))in the pyrolysis environment of shale reservoirs is the supercritical state.Its unique supercritical fluid properties not only effectively heat organic matter,displace pyrolysis products and change shale pore structure,but also achieve carbon storage to a certain extent.Shale samples were made into powder and three sizes of cores,and nitrogen(N_(2))and supercritical carbon dioxide(ScCO_(2))pyrolysis experiments were performed at different final pyrolysis temperatures.The properties and mineral characteristics of the pyrolysis products were studied based on gas chromatography analysis,Xray diffraction tests,and mass spectrometry analysis.Besides,the pore structure characteristics at different regions of cores before and after pyrolysis were analyzed using N_(2) adsorption tests to clarify the impact of fracturing degree on the pyrolysis effect.The results indicate that the optimal pyrolysis temperature of Longkou shale is about 430℃.Compared with N_(2),the oil yield of ScCO_(2) pyrolysis is higher.The pyrolysis oil obtained by ScCO_(2) extraction has more intermediate fractions and higher relative molecular weight.The ScCO_(2) can effectively improve the pore diameter of shale and its effect is better than that of N_(2).The micropores are produced in shale after pyrolysis,and the macropores only are generated in ScCO_(2) pyrolysis environments with temperatures greater than 430℃.The pore structure has different development characteristics at different pyrolysis temperatures,which are mainly affected by the pressure holding of volatile matter and products blocking.Compared to the surface of the core,the pore development effect inside the core is better.With the decrease in core size,the pore diameter,specific surface area,and pore volume of cores all increase after pyrolysis.

Research of Supercritical CO2 Fluid Refined Natural Borneol

In this study, with borneol fragments in the crystallized mother liquor of natural borneol used as the raw materials, supercritical carbon dioxide method is adopted for refining to get high purity borneol. The result of the experiment shows that the yield and purity are excellent with an extraction pressure of 11 MPa, an extracting temperature of 40°C, a carbon dioxide flow rate of 25 L·h-1 and an extraction time of 20 minutes. After detected by gas chromatography, the purity of the crystallization products could reach 96%.

Control system design for a pressure-tube-type supercritical water-cooled nuclear reactor via a higher order sliding mode method

Nuclear power plants exhibit non-linear and time-variable dynamics.Therefore,designing a control system that sets the reactor power and forces it to follow the desired load is complicated.A supercritical water reactor(SCWR)is a fourth-generation conceptual reactor.In an SCWR,the non-linear dynamics of the reactor require a controller capable of control-ling the nonlinearities.In this study,a pressure-tube-type SCWR was controlled during reactor power maneuvering with a higher order sliding mode,and the reactor outgoing steam temperature and pressure were controlled simultaneously.In an SCWR,the temperature,pressure,and power must be maintained at a setpoint(desired value)during power maneuvering.Reactor point kinetics equations with three groups of delayed neutrons were used in the simulation.Higher-order and classic sliding mode controllers were separately manufactured to control the plant and were compared with the PI controllers speci-fied in previous studies.The controlled parameters were reactor power,steam temperature,and pressure.Notably,for these parameters,the PI controller had certain instabilities in the presence of disturbances.The classic sliding mode controller had a higher accuracy and stability;however its main drawback was the chattering phenomenon.HOSMC was highly accurate and stable and had a small computational cost.In reality,it followed the desired values without oscillations and chattering.

Bioactivity and Kinetic Study of <i>Jatropha curcas</i>Essential Oil Extraction Using Supercritical CO₂

This study reports the extraction of Jatropha curcas leaves using supercritical CO2. Experiments were performed varying the pressure (13 and 20 MPa) and the temperature (50°C and 60°C). The model of Sovová for supercritical fluid extraction was fitted to the experimental kinetic extraction curves. Two cell sizes were used and scale up equations compared. GC analysis showed phytol, carvacrol, and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone as major compounds in all the experiments. A maximum yield of 0.95% dry-weight basis was obtained. It was observed a maximum yield (0.95% dry-weight basis) extract obtained at 20 MPa and 50°C. The results indicated that the mass yield increased with the increase of pressure. The bioassays showed that the extract of J. curcas possessed toxicity against Hyalomma lusitanicum.

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium of Toluene-Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon System in Sub- and Supercritical State

The phase behaviors of toluene/polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon mixture systems were investigated with a continuous-flow type apparatus at 573.2, 598.2, 623.2 and 648.2 K, while the pressure changed from 1 to 5MPa. The pseudo-binary phase behaviors were predicted with the Peng-Robinson equation of state with interaction parameters between toluene and pseudo-components considered. The phase diagrams of the system have been classified following the category of phase boundary diagram models. The extraction selectivity and efficiency of tolu-ene as a solvent was discussed by comparing with that of hexane. The prediction model for selectivity was also suggested.

Simulation Modelling and Techno-Economics of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Recompression Closed Brayton Cycle

In recent years, there has been global interest in meeting targets relating to energy affordability and security while taking into account greenhouse gas emissions. This has heightened major interest in potential investigations into the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power cycles. Climate change mitigation is the ultimate driver for this increased interest;other relevant issues include the potential for high cycle efficiency and a circular economy. In this study, a 25 MWe recompression closed Brayton cycle (RCBC) has been assessed, and sCO2 has been proposed as the working fluid for the power plant. The methodology used in this research work comprises thermodynamic and techno-economic analysis for the prospective commercialization of this sCO2 power cycle. An evaluated estimation of capital expenditure, operational expenditure, and cost of electricity has been considered in this study. The ASPEN Plus simulation results have been compared with theoretical and mathematical calculations to assess the performance of the compressors, turbine, and heat exchangers. The results thus reveal that the cycle efficiency for this prospective sCO2 recompression closed Brayton cycle increases (39% - 53.6%) as the temperature progressively increases from 550˚C to 900˚C. Data from the Aspen simulation model was used to aid the cost function calculations to estimate the total capital investment cost of the plant. Also, the techno-economic results have shown less cost for purchasing equipment due to fewer components being required for the cycle configuration as compared to the conventional steam power plant.

Solubility of iron(Ⅲ) and nickel(Ⅱ) acetylacetonates in supercritical carbon dioxide

As a common precursor for supercritical CO_(2)(scCO_(2))deposition techniques,solubility data of organometallic complexes in scCO_(2)is crucial for the preparation of nanocomposites.Recently,metal acetylacetonates have shown great potential for the preparation of single-atom catalytic materials.In this study,the solubilities of iron(Ⅲ)acetylacetonate(Fe(acac)3)and nickel(Ⅱ)acetylacetonate(Ni(acac)2)were measured at the temperature from 313.15 to 333.15 K and in the pressure range of 9.5–25.2 MPa to accumulate new solubility data.Solubility was measured using a static weight loss method.The semi-empirical models proposed by Chrastil and Sung et al.were used to correlate the solubility data of Fe(acac)3 and Ni(acac)2.The equations obtained can be used to predict the solubility of the same system in the experimental range.

Numerical Predictions of Laminar Forced Convection Heat Transfer with and without Buoyancy Effects from an Isothermal Horizontal Flat Plate to Supercritical Nitrogen

Numerical predictions are made for Laminar Forced convection heat transfer with and without buoyancy effects for Supercritical Nitrogen flowing over an isothermal horizontal flat plate with a heated surface facing downwards.Computations are performed by varying the value ofΔT from5 to 30 K and P_(∞)/P_(cr)ratio from1.1 to 1.5.Variation of all the thermophysical properties of supercritical Nitrogen is considered.The wall temperatures are chosen in such a way that two values of Tw are less than T∗(T*is the temperature at which the fluid has a maximum value of Cp for the given pressure),one value equal to T∗and two values greater than T∗.Three different values of U∞are used to obtain Re∞range of 3.6×10_(4)to 4.74×10^(5)for forced convection without buoyancy effects and Gr_(∞)/Re^(2)_(∞)range of 0.011 to 3.107 for the case where buoyancy effects are predominant.Six different forms of correlations are proposed based on numerical predictions and are compared with actual numerical predictions.It has been found that in all six forms of correlations,the maximum deviations are found to occur in those cases where the pseudocritical temperature TT∗lies between the wall temperature and bulk fluid temperature.