Modeling Study of Hydrogen/Oxygen and n-alkane/Oxygen Counterflow Diffusion Flames

A comprehensive analysis of hydrogen/oxygen and hydrocarbon/oxygen counterflow diffusion flames has been conducted using corresponding detailed reaction mechanisms. The hydrocarbon fuels contain n-alkanes from CH4 to C16H34. The basic diffusion flame structures are demonstrated, analyzed, and compared. The effects of pressure, and strain rate on the flame behavior and energy-release rate for each fuel are examined systematically. The detailed chemical kinetic reaction mechanisms from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory （LLNL） are employed, and the largest one of them contains 2115 species and 8157 reversible reactions. The results indicate for all of the fuels the flame thickness and heat release rate correlate well with the square root of the pressure multiplied by the strain rate. Under the condition of any strain rate and pressure, H2 has thicker flame than hydrocarbons, while the hydrocarbons have the similar temperature and main products distributions and almost have the same flame thickness and heat release rate. The result indicates that the fuels composed with these hydrocarbons will still have the same flame properties as any pure n-alkane fuel.

ZnCl2 salt facilitated preparation of FeNC: Enhancing the content of active species and their exposure for highly-efficient oxygen reduction reaction

Introducing catalytically-active Fe and N into carbon materials results in promising FeNC catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction. However, the doped Fe and N species are frequently subject to heavy loss in a traditional carbonization process owing to Fe agglomeration and evaporation of N-contained small molecules. Besides, pyrolysis may make materials sintering which embeds a large number of active sites in the bulk phase and impedes direct exposure of reactive centers to the reactants. We here report that when calcinations, the addition of ZnCl2, an ordinary salt with very wide melting temperature range well covering the carbonization process of the precursor iron porphyrin, can significantly enhance the doping level of the active species and simultaneously create highly porous structures for FeNC catalysts. The obtained FeNC demonstrates ultrahigh catalytic activities even significantly better than Pt/C in oxygen reduction reaction.

Main influencing factors and coal fly ash characteristics of gasoues fuel reburning process

The unburned carbon concentration in fly ash and the influence of main factors on the reduction of nitrogen oxides during gaseous fuel reburning process were experimentally studied in a 36 kW down-fired furnace when five typical coals with different qualities were served as the primary fuel. It is found that the higher nitrogen oxide reduction efficiency can be obtained by reburning process when the coal used as the primary fuel contains more volatile matter. But under the optimizational operating conditions, both above 50% nitrogen oxide reduction and low carbon loss can be achieved by reburning process even though the primary fuel is the low-volatile coal. The experimental results show that the reasonable residence time in reburn zone is 0.6-0.9 s, the appropriate gaseous reburn fuel percentage is 10%-15% and the optimal average excess air coefficient in reburn zone is 0.8-0.9. These results extend the ranges of the key parameter values for reburning process with respect to that the low-volatile coals are used as the primary fuel.

Numerical Simulation of Dynamic Performance of the Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell

A three dimension of dynamic mathematical model of the molten carbonate fuel cell is established,in which the heat generation, mass transfer and electrochemical characteristics are described. The performance of the fuel cell including the distributions of the temperature and the velocity is predicted numerically. Then the experimental data including the output performance of the fuel cell generation system and the temperature distributions are compared. The numerical results are in agreement with the experiment results.

Effects of operating pressure on the key parameters of coal direct chemical looping combustion

Techno-economic development of chemical looping combustion （CLC） process has been one of the most pursued research areas of the present decade due to its ability to reduce carbon foot print during utilization of coal to generate energy. Based on a 2D computational fluid dynamics model, the present work provides a computational approach to study the effect of operating pressure--a key parameter in designing of CLC reactors, on optimum operating conditions. The effects of operating pressure have been examined in terms of reactors temperature, percentage of fuel conversion and purity of carbon dioxide in fuel reactor exhaust. The simulated results show qualitative agreement with the trends obtained by other investigators during experimental studies.

A Fe-N-C catalyst with highly dispersed iron in carbon for oxygen reduction reaction and its application in direct methanol fuel cells

Exploring non‐precious metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） is essential for fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Herein, we report a Fe‐N‐C catalyst possessing a high specific surface area （1501 m2/g） and uniformly dispersed iron within a carbon matrix prepared via a two‐step pyrolysis process. The Fe‐N‐C catalyst exhibits excellent ORR activity in 0.1 mol/L NaOH electrolyte （onset potential, Eo=1.08 V and half wave potential, E1/2=0.88 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode） and 0.1 mol/L HClO4 electrolyte （Eo=0.85 V and E1/2=0.75 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode）. The direct methanol fuel cells employing Fe‐N‐C as the cathodic catalyst displayed promising per‐formance with a maximum power density of 33 mW/cm2 in alkaline media and 47 mW/cm2 in acidic media. The detailed investigation on the composition–structure–performance relationship by X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mo-ssbauer spectroscopy suggests that Fe‐N4, together with graphitic‐N and pyridinic‐N are the active ORR components. The promising direct methanol fuel cell performance displayed by the Fe‐N‐C catalyst is related to the intrinsic high catalytic activity, and critically for this application, to the high methanol tolerance.

Ordered mesoporous carbon supported bifunctional PtM(M=Ru,Fe,Mo)electrocatalysts for a fuel cell anode

The deposition onto an ordered mesoporous carbon（OMC）support of well dispersed PtM（M = Ru,Fe,Mo）alloy nanoparticles（NPs）were synthesized by a direct replication method using SBA-15 as the hard template,furfuryl alcohol and trimethylbeneze as the primary carbon sources,and metal acetylacetonate as the alloying metal precursor and secondary carbon source.The physicochemical properties of the PtM-OMC catalysts were characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption,X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy,X-ray absorption near edge structure,and extended X-ray absorption fine structure.The alloy PtM NPs have an average size of 2-3 nm and were well dispersed in the pore channels of the OMC support.The second metal（M）in the PtM NPs was mostly in the reduced state,and formed a typical core（Pt）-shell（M）structure.Cyclic voltammetry measurements showed that these PtM-OMC electrodes had excellent electrocatalytic activities and tolerance to CO poisoning during the methanol oxidation reaction,which surpassed those of typical activated carbon-supported PtRu catalysts.In particular,the PtFe-OMC catalyst,which exhibited the best performance,can be a practical anodic electrocatalyst in direct methanol fuel cells due to its superior stability,excellent CO tolerance,and low production cost.

La_(0.75)Sr_(0.25)Cr_(0.5)Mn_(0.5)O_(3)-δ−Ce_(0.8)Gd_(0.2)O_(1.9) composite electrodes as anodes in LaGaO_(3)-based direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells

Direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells(DC-SOFCs)are promising,green,and efficient power-generating devices that are fueled by solid carbons and comprise all-solid-state structures.Developing suitable anode materials for DC-SOFCs is a substantial scientific challenge.Herein we investigated the use of La_(0.75)Sr_(0.25)Cr_(0.5)Mn_(0.5)O_(3)-δ−Ce_(0.8)Gd_(0.2)O_(1.9)(LSCM−GDC)composite electrodes as anodes for La_(0.9)Sr_(0.1)Ga_(0.8)Mg_(0.2)O_(3)-δelectrolyte-based DC-SOFCs,with Camellia oleifera shell char as the carbon fuel.The LSCM−GDC-anode DC-SOFC delivered a maximum power density of 221 mW/cm^(2) at 800℃ and it significantly improved to 425 mW/cm^(2) after Ni nanoparticles were introduced into the LSCM−GDC anode through wet impregnation.The microstructures of the prepared anodes were characterized,and the stability of the anode in a DC-SOFC and the influence of catalytic activity on open circuit voltage were studied.The above results indicate that LSCM–GDC anode is promising to be applied in DC-SOFCs.

Verifying Fossil-Fuel Carbon Dioxide Emissions Forecasted by an Artificial Neural Network with the GEOS-Chem Model

In this study, the authors developed an en- semble of Elman neural networks to forecast the spatial and temporal distribution of fossil-fuel emissions （ff） in 2009. The authors built and trained 29 Elman neural net- works based on the monthly average grid emission data （1979-2008） from different geographical regions. A three-dimensional global chemical transport model, God- dard Earth Observing System （GEOS）-Chem, was applied to verify the effectiveness of the networks. The results showed that the networks captured the annual increasing trend and interannual variation of ff well. The difference between the simulations with the original and predicted ff ranged from -1 ppmv to 1 ppmv globally. Meanwhile, the authors evaluated the observed and simulated north-south gradient of the atmospheric CO2 concentrations near the surface. The two simulated gradients appeared to have a similar changing pattern to the observations, with a slightly higher background CO2 concentration, - 1 ppmv. The results indicate that the Elman neural network is a useful tool for better understanding the spatial and tem- poral distribution of the atmospheric C02 concentration and ft.

Layered double hydroxide photocatalysts for solar fuel production

Splitting water or reducing CO_(2) via semiconductor photocatalysis to produce H2 or hydrocarbon fuels through the direct utilization of solar energy is a promising approach to mitigating the current fossil fuel energy crisis and environmental challenges.It enables not only the realization of clean,renewable,and high-heating-value solar fuels,but also the reduction of CO_(2) emissions.Layered double hydroxides(LDHs)are a type of two-dimensional anionic clay with a brucite-like structure,and are characterized by a unique,delaminable,multidimensional,layered structure;tunable intralayer metal cations;and exchangeable interlayer guest anions.Therefore,it has been widely investigated in the fields of CO_(2) reduction,photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation,and water photolysis to produce H2.However,the low carrier mobility and poor quantum efficiency of pure LDH limit its application.An increasing number of scholars are exploring methods to obtain LDH-based photocatalysts with high energy conversion efficiency,such as assembling photoactive components into LDH laminates,designing multidimensional structures,or coupling different types of semiconductors to construct heterojunctions.This review first summarizes the main characteristics of LDH,i.e.,metal-cation tunability,intercalated guest-anion substitutability,thermal decomposability,memory effect,multidimensionality,and delaminability.Second,LDHs,LDH-based composites(metal sulfide-LDH composites,metal oxide-LDH composites,graphite phase carbon nitride-LDH composites),ternary LDH-based composites,and mixed-metal oxides for splitting water to produce H_(2) are reviewed.Third,graphite phase carbon nitride-LDH composites,MgAl-LDH composites,CuZn-LDH composites,and other semiconductor-LDH composites for CO_(2) reduction are introduced.Although the field of LDH-based photocatalysts has advanced considerably,the photocatalytic mechanism of LDHs has not been thoroughly elucidated;moreover,the photocatalytic active sites,the synergy between different components,and the interfacial reaction mechanism of LDH-based photocatalysts require further investigation.Therefore,LDH composite materials for photocatalysis could be developed through structural regulation and function-oriented design to investigate the effects of different components and interface reactions,the influence of photogenerated carriers,and the impact of material composition on the physical and chemical properties of the LDH-based photocatalyst.

TiO_(2)-based photocatalysts for CO_(2) reduction and solar fuel generation

Solar-driven CO_(2) reduction is an efficient way to convert sustainable solar energy and massive CO_(2) to renewable solar fuels,such as CH_(4),HCOOH,HCHO,and CH_(3)OH,etc.Up to now,significant research efforts have been devoted to exploring the reaction path and developing the photocatalysts.In heterogeneous photocatalysis,among the semiconductor-based photocatalysts,titania(TiO_(2)),as an inexpensive and practically sustainable metal oxides,remains the most extensively studied photocatalyst over the past decades.In this review,we summarize the most recent advances in the solar-driven CO_(2) reduction using TiO_(2)-based photocatalysts,which include the fabrication of heterojunction,surface functional modification,band structure engineering,and morphology design,aiming to improve the CO_(2) conversion efficiency and selectivity to the desired product.Additionally,photoelectrochemical and photothermal approaches are introduced and the fundamental principles to activate and enhance the performance of TiO_(2) for the specific reaction are discussed.The exploration of the solar-driven approaches and discussion on the underlying mechanism allow the comprehensive understanding of CO_(2) photoreduction,that can lead to a rational design and synthesis of TiO_(2)-based photocatalysts.

Influences of Metals and Acids on the Photo Reduction of CO2 under Catalysis of TiO2

Conversion of green house CO2 into fuel gas in the presence of reducing agent sources that are Fe and Zn powder, as well as hydrogen ions supplier such as nitric and acetic acids by photo catalytic reduction with water vapor on TiO2 has been studied. The photo reduction was carried out by batch technique, using a UV lamp with a wave length of 290-400 nm, as a photon source. The gasses produced from the photo reduction were determined by gas chromatography. The research results indicate that the photo reduction of CO2 has successfully produced methane as a dominant product. The presence of the metals in addition to be able to improve the methane yield, it is also able to induce ethylene formation. Meanwhile the acids can considerably enhance the methane yield without formation of ethylene. Furthermore, the enhancement is observed to be controlled by mass of the metals, and the acid concentrations. It is also found that Zn and HNO3 show stronger effect in the increasing CO2 photo reduction.

Thermo economic evaluation of oxy fuel combustion cycle in Kazeroon power plant considering enhanced oil recovery revenues

Oxy fuel combustion and conventional cycle(currently working cycle) in Kazeroon plant are modeled using commercial thermodynamic modeling software. Economic evaluation of the two models regarding the resources of transport and injection of carbon dioxide into oil fields at Gachsaran for enhanced oil recovery in the various oil price indices is conducted and indices net present value(NPV) and internal rate of return on investment(IRR) are calculated. The results of the two models reveal that gross efficiency of the oxy fuel cycle is more than reference cycle(62% compared to 49.03%), but the net efficiency is less(41.85% compared to 47.92%) because of the high-energy consumption of the components, particularly air separation unit(ASU) in the oxy fuel cycle. In this model, pure carbon dioxide with pressure of 20×105 Pa and purity of 96.84% was captured. NOX emissions also decrease by 4289.7 tons per year due to separation of nitrogen in ASU. In this model, none of the components of oxy fuel cycle is a major engineering challenge. With increasing oil price, economic justification of oxy fuel combustion model increases. With the price of oil at $ 80 per barrel in mind and $ 31 per ton fines for emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, IRR is the same for both models.

Microalgae for Renewable Energy： Is it a Solution for Global Warming？

Microalgae could be a new sustainable energy source substituted for petroleum. They can produce high value biodiesel, bioethanol, bio-hydrogen, biogas, and that they are able to use waste water and nutrients, allowing for integration of such processes with waste treatment. Open ponds in hectares of area, could remove excess CO2 in atmosphere with photosynthesis. Large scale microalgal production in fields which are not suitable for agriculture could be a solution for CO： capturing from the atmosphere. Sea water could be used for the culture medium not to consume the fresh water. However microalgae reduce the atmospheric CO： while producing the organic material, using the biomass for either fuel production or food, feed, fertilizer, come out with CO2 release to the atmosphere, when burned by the engine, body and/or bacterial activities. So, microalgal growth can＇t reduce the CO2 however makes an important contribution to keep the atmospheric CO2 level stable. Long term solution for removing the CO2, could be possible with making durable biomaterials with microalgal biomass and capture the atmospheric CO2 by fixing into the materials and interrupt the carbon cycle for a long while.

Multi-Physics Modeling of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Fueled by Methane and Analysis of Carbon Deposition

Internal reformation of low steam methane fuel is important for the high efficiency and low cost operation of solid oxide fuel cell. Understanding and overcoming carbon deposition is crucial for the technology development. Here a multi-physics model is established for the relevant experimental cells. Balance of electrochemical potentials for the electrochemical reactions, generic rate expression for the methane steam reforming, dusty gas model in a form of Fick＇s model for anode gas transport are used in the model. Excellent agreement between the theoretical and experimental current-voltage relations is obtained, demonstrating the validity of the proposed theoretical model. The steam reaction order in low steam methane reforming reaction is found to be 1. Detailed information about the distributions of physical quantities is obtained by the numerical simulation. Carbon deposition is analyzed in detail and the mechanism for the coking inhibition by operating current is illustrated clearly. Two expressions of carbon activity are analyzed and found to be correct qualitatively, but not quantitatively. The role of anode diffusion layer on reducing the current threshold for carbon removal is also explained. It is noted that the current threshold reduction may be explained quantitatively with the carbon activity models that are only qualitatively correct.

Assessment of Sustainable Energy Strategy with Long-Term Global Energy Model Incorporating Nuclear Fuel Cycle

This paper investigates long-term energy strategy compatible with significant reduction of world carbon dioxide （CO2） emissions, employing a long-term global energy model, Dynamic New Earth 21 （called DNE21）. The model seeks the optimal energy mix from 2000 to 2100 that minimizes the world total energy system cost under various kinds of energy and technological constraints, such as energy resource constraints, energy supply and demand balance constraints, and CO2 emissions constraints. This paper discusses the results of primary energy supply, power generation mix, CO2 emission, CCS （carbon capture and storage） and total system costs for six regions including world as a whole. To evaluate viable pathways forward for implementation of sustainable energy strategies, nuclear power generation is a viable source of clean and green energy to mitigate the CO2 emissions. Present research shows simulation results in two cases consisting of no CO2 regulation case （base case） and CO2 REG case （regulation case） which halves the world CO2 emissions by the year 2050. Main findings of this research describe that renewable and nuclear power generation will contribute significantly to mitigate the CO2 emission worldwide.

Carbon Dioxide Control-Technology for the Future

The world is experiencing global climate change, and most scientists attribute it to the accumulation in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. Because of its enormous emission rate, carbon dioxide （CO2） is the main culprit. Almost all the anthropogenic CO2 emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation. Emissions of COg can be reduced by conservation, increased use of renewable energy sources, and increased efficiencies in both the production of electrical power and the transportation sector. Capture of CO2 can be accomplished with wet scrubbing, dry sorption, or biogenic fixation. After CO2 is captured, it must be transported either as a liquid or a supercritical fluid, which realistically can only be accomplished by pipeline or ship. Final disposal of CO2 will either be to underground reservoirs or to the ocean; at present, the underground option seems to be the only viable one. Various strategies and technologies involved with reduction of CO2 emissions and carbon capture and sequestration （CCS） are briefly reviewed in this paper.

The Fossil-Fuels and the Global Warming

The purpose of this paper is to present a simple way to approximate the dependence of the global mean air temperature at Earth＇s surface on atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. Current discussions include energy aspects of the greenhouse effect and the global warming. The starting point for the research are laws of thermodynamics, energy equilibrium and absorption and emission property of the atmosphere. According to the calculations, the natural and the anthropogenic changes effect the atmosphere. By the year 2100 the CO2 concentration will be doubled in comparison with the value of the pre-industrial ages. The doubled CO2 concentration will mean a temperature change about 1 ℃-1.5 ℃.

Development of Adsorption Steam Generator without the Fossil Fuels Consumption

Reducing CO2 emissions and restraining dependence on nuclear power generation are serious concerns in the prevention of global warming since the Great East Japan Earthquake. To do so, it is necessary to use and expand natural renewable energy source such as solar energy and to promote energy conservation. However, in high-latitude regions, it is difficult to directly and effectively use solar power due to on insufficient amount of solar radiation. If steam can be generated from warm water at less than 373 K, it is possible to obtain steam by solar water heaters from weak solar radiation and industrial waste warm water without the consumption of any fossil fuels. In this study, the authors have been developing a system which generates steam over 423 K from warm water at less than 373 K using an adsorption heat pump with zeolite. Therefore, bench-scale equipment which generates steam continuously and the experimental results are mentioned.

Energy Technologies as Power Storage and Generation towards the Business Model in Sustainable Society

Energy security and CO2 reduction are one of the most important issues as well as food matter in the 21st century. Power storage and power generation will contribute to solution of these issues. Electrochemical storage of Li-ion batteries is widely applied in mobile applications, and the new application for automobile using has been actively developed and partially realized. And the Li-ion battery storage in smart grid systems is also expected. Automobile use and storage use have large market size same as the size of memory semiconductor. For these diverse applications, material research and development are key technologies. From power generation, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Dye Sensitized Solar Cell are much expected as new technology devices. The business model is important to realize these new devices considering the value compared with the existing methods.