Development of nickel based cermet anode materials in solid oxide fuel cells–Now and future

High temperature solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC)is the most efficient and clean energy conversion technology to electrochemically convert the chemical energy of fuels such as hydrogen,natural gas and hydrocarbons to electricity,and also the most viable alternative to the traditional thermal power plants.However,the power output of a SOFC critically depends on the characteristics and performance of its key components:anode,electrolyte and cathode.Due to the highly reducing environment and strict requirements in electrical conductivity and catalytic activity,there are limited choices in the anode materials of SOFCs,particularly for operation in the intermediate temperature range of 500–800C.Among them,Ni-based cermets are the most common and popular anode materials of SOFCs.The objective of this paper is to review the development of Ni-based anode materials in SOFC from the viewpoints of materials microstructure,performance and industrial scalability associated with the fabrication and optimization processes.The latest advancement in nano-structure architecture,contaminant tolerance and interface optimization of Ni-based cermet anodes is presented.And at the end of this paper,we propose and appeal for the collaborative work of scientists from different disciplines that enable the inter-fusion research of fabrication,microanalysis and modelling,aiming at the challenges in the development of Ni-based cermet anodes for commercially viable intermediate temperature SOFC or IT-SOFC technologies.

Smart construction site in mega construction projects: A case study on island tunneling project of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

The construction sites of mega construction projects(MCP) often have numerous participants with interfacing work within a highly complex system. It is critical how to realize collaborative work and information sharing among such participants. The information and communication technologies(ICTs) provides a technical guarantee for solving this problem. Existing research has been achieved the partial processes digitization of construction site, but certain problems still exist: 1)information perception of the construction site is passive.2) common collaboration and coordination problems in the construction industry have not been addressed. The emerging trends of ICTs have resulted in the integration of various computer technologies such as CPS, BIM, big data, and cloud computing into construction process,which would changes behavioral and management mode of construction sites. These new ICTs have been applied successfully in MCP, in particular, Hong Kong-ZhuhaiMacao Bridge project. A new management mode of construction sites is inspired by these case. In this paper, a new management mode of construction site for MCP has been proposed, namely, smart construction site. The ultimate goal of smart construction site is to accomplish safe, efficient and high-quality construction. This study put forward the conceptual framework for smart construction site, and have identified three key elements of smart construction site, including information support platform,collaboration work, and intelligent construction management. A case study on Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project work as an evidence to support the practicability of the proposed mode. Significant contributions of this study is to propose a new management mode for MCP in construction industry, which would enrich the body of knowledge or the construction management community.Future research should be dedicated to further explore the potential of smart construction site in MCP management.

Understanding and Exploiting Information Spreading and Integrating Technologies

Our daily life leaves an increasing amount of digital traces,footprints that are improving our lives.Data-mining tools,like recommender systems,convert these traces to information for aiding decisions in an ever-increasing number of areas in our lives.The feedback loop from what we do,to the information this produces,to decisions what to do next,will likely be an increasingly important factor in human behavior on all levels from individuals to societies.In this essay,we review some effects of this feedback and discuss how to understand and exploit them beyond mapping them on more well-understood phenomena.We take examples from models of spreading phenomena in social media to argue that analogies can be deceptive,instead we need to fresh approaches to the new types of data,something we exemplify with promising applications in medicine.