Prediction of Low Heating Value of Sugar Cane Bagasse as a Fuel for Industrial Boilers in the High Relative Humidity Region: Case of Cameroon

Many attempts have been made to estimate calorific value of bagasse using mathematical equations, which were created based on data from proximate, ultimate, physical and chemical analysis. Questions have been raised on the applicability of these equations in different parts of the globe. This study was initiated to tackle these problems and also check the most suited mathematical models for the Law Heating Value of Cameroonian bagasse. Data and bagasse samples were collected at the Cameroonian sugarcane factory. The effects of cane variety, age of harvesting, source, moisture content, and sucrose on the LHV of Cameroon bagasse have been tested. It was shown that humidity does not change within a variety, but changes from the dry season to the rainy season;the sugar in the rainy season is significantly different from that collected in the dry season. Samples of the same variety have identical LHV. LHV in the dry season is significantly different from LHV in the rainy season. According to the fact that this study was done for cane with different ages of harvesting, the maturity of Cameroonian sugarcane does not affect LHV of bagasse. Tree selected models are much superior tool for the prediction of the LHV for bagasse in Cameroon compared to others. The standard deviation of these validated models is around 200 kJ/kg compared to the experimental. Thus, the models determined in foreign countries, are not necessarily applicable in predicting the LHV of bagasse in other countries with the same accuracy as that in their native country. There was linear relationship between humidity, ash and sugar content in the bagasse. It is possible to build models based on data from physical composition of bagasse using regression analysis.

Increasing the Efficiency and Level of Environmental Safety of Pro-Environmental City Heat Supply Technologies by Low Power Nuclear Plants

In connection with the current prospect of decarbonization of coal energy through the use of small nuclear power plants (SNPPs) at existing TPPs as heat sources for heat supply to municipal heating networks, there is a technological need to improve heat supply schemes to increase their environmental friendliness and efficiency. The paper proves the feasibility of using the heat-feeding mode of ASHPs for urban heat supply by heating the network water with steam taken from the turbine. The ratio of electric and thermal power of a “nuclear” combined heat and power plant is given. The advantage of using a heat pump, which provides twice as much electrical power with the same heat output, is established. Taking into account that heat in these modes is supplied with different potential, the energy efficiency was used to compare these options. To increase the heat supply capacity, a scheme with the use of a high-pressure heater in the backpressure mode and with the heating of network water with hot steam was proposed. Heat supply from ASHPs is efficient and environmentally friendly even in the case of significant remoteness of heat consumers.

Thermal Experience in an Era of Low Exergy Domestic Heating Systems

Existing theories of thermal comfort are largely blind to the way heat is delivered to spaces.Field studies,however,show that people create and enjoy thermal conditions that lie outside conventional definitions of comfort-the thermal experience itself is valued-some of which are tied to particular ways of delivering heat.The concept“exergy”can be used to describe the quality of heat energy and its ability to provide warmth.A shift from fossil fuels towards renewable sources heralds a new era of space heating consisting mainly of low exergy sources,such as heat pumps.This marks a major turning point in the history of domestic heating.This paper begins by discussing variations in domestic thermal environments before considering new forms of low carbon heating.Later sections analyse the way in which these systems deliver heat within people’s homes and consider the implications for thermal experience,comfort and energy consumption.

Alternating current heating techniques for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles:Recent advances and perspectives

The significant decrease in battery performance at low temperatures is one of the critical challenges that electric vehicles(EVs)face,thereby affecting the penetration rate in cold regions.Alternating current(AC)heating has attracted widespread attention due to its low energy consumption and uniform heating advantages.This paper introduces the recent advances in AC heating from the perspective of practical EV applications.First,the performance degradation of EVs in low-temperature environments is introduced briefly.The concept of AC heating and its research methods are provided.Then,the effects of various AC heating methods on battery heating performance are reviewed.Based on existing studies,the main factors that affect AC heating performance are analyzed.Moreover,various heating circuits based on EVs are categorized,and their cost,size,complexity,efficiency,reliability,and heating rate are elaborated and compared.The evolution of AC heaters is presented,and the heaters used in brand vehicles are sorted out.Finally,the perspectives and challenges of AC heating are discussed.This paper can guide the selection of heater implementation methods and the optimization of heating effects for future EV applications.

An analytical model to estimate the time delay to reach spontaneous ignition considering heat loss in oil reservoirs

During air injection into an oil reservoir,an oxidation reaction generates some heat to raise the reservoir temperature.When the reservoir temperature reaches an ignition temperature,spontaneous ignition occurs.There is a time delay from the injection to ignition.There are mixed results regarding the feasibility of spontaneous ignition in real-field projects and in laboratory experiments.No analytical model is available in the literature to estimate the oxidation time required to reach spontaneous ignition with heat loss.This paper discusses the feasibility of spontaneous ignition from theoretical points and experimental and field project observations.An analytical model considering heat loss is proposed.Analytical models with and without heat loss investigate the factors that affect spontaneous ignition.Based on the discussion and investigations,we find that it is more difficult for spontaneous ignition to occur in laboratory experiments than in oil reservoirs;spontaneous ignition is strongly affected by the initial reservoir temperature,oil activity,and heat loss;spontaneous ignition is only possible when the initial reservoir temperature is high,the oil oxidation rate is high,and the heat loss is low.

建筑节能设计Low-E玻璃窗的遮阳参数取值分析

节能外窗属于精密工业制品,也是建筑工程外围护结构的重要组成部分。为能降低房间内的夏季太阳得热,工程中通常采用低辐射Low-E玻璃外窗,但由于国家及各地区的技术规范对Low-E玻璃窗的参数取值不尽相同、审图机构的把握尺度不一、门窗厂家的加工技术水平参差不齐,为能解决Low-E玻璃外窗的遮阳参数取值和选型困难的问题,达到概念清晰、数据可靠、便于实施的目的,文中采用公式计算和查表对比的方法,对规范的遮阳参数概念作补充说明,同时结合江苏某住宅项目的工程实践,给出Low-E玻璃窗遮阳参数的取值原则和建议,并认为一般Low-E玻璃的自遮阳系数取值最高不应超过0.60。

Effect of temperature on dielectric property and microwave heating behavior of low grade Panzhihua ilmenite ore

The permittivity of low grade Panzhuhua ilmenite ore at 2.45 GHz in the temperatures from 20 ℃ up to 100 ℃ was measured using the technology of open-ended coaxial sensor combined with theoretical computation. The results show that both the real （ε′） and imaginary （ε′） part of complex permittivity （ε′-jε′） of the ilmenite significantly increase with temperature. The loss tangent （tanδ） is a quadratic function of temperature, and the penetration depth of ilmenite decreases with temperature increase from 20 ℃to 100 ℃ The increase of the sample temperature under microwave radiation displays a nonlinear relationship between the temperature （T） and microwave heating time （t）. The positive feedback interaction between complex permittivity and sample temperature amplifies the interaction between ilmenite and the microwave radiation. The optimum dimensions for uniform heat deposition vary from 10 cm to 5 cm （about two power penetration depths） in a sample being irradiated from both sides in a 2.45 GHz microwave field when temperature increases from room temperature to 100 ℃

Cleanliness of Ti-bearing Al-killed ultra-low-carbon steel during different heating processes

During the production of Ti-bearing Al-killed ultra-low-carbon(ULC) steel, two different heating processes were used when the converter tapping temperature or the molten steel temperature in the Ruhrstahl–Heraeus(RH) process was low: heating by Al addition during the RH decarburization process and final deoxidation at the end of the RH decarburization process(process-Ⅰ), and increasing the oxygen content at the end of RH decarburization, heating and final deoxidation by one-time Al addition(process-Ⅱ). Temperature increases of 10°C by different processes were studied; the results showed that the two heating processes could achieve the same heating effect. The T.[O] content in the slab and the refining process was better controlled by process-Ⅰ than by process-Ⅱ. Statistical analysis of inclusions showed that the numbers of inclusions in the slab obtained by process-Ⅰ were substantially less than those in the slab obtained by process-Ⅱ. For process-Ⅰ, the Al_2O_3 inclusions produced by Al added to induce heating were substantially removed at the end of decarburization. The amounts of inclusions were substantially greater for process-Ⅱ than for process-Ⅰ at different refining stages because of the higher dissolved oxygen concentration in process-Ⅱ. Industrial test results showed that process-Ⅰ was more beneficial for improving the cleanliness of molten steel.

Analysis of the formation conditions and characteristics of interphase and random vanadium precipitation in a low-carbon steel during isothermal heat treatment

The characteristics of nanosized precipitates in steels depend on the heat-treatment parameters. The effects of characteristics of vanadium precipitates formed during isothermal heat treatment on the hardness of the ferrite matrix in low-carbon vanadium-alloyed steel were investigated through analysis of transmission electron microscopy images and microhardness measurements. The results show that, during isothermal holding in the temperature range from 675 to 750℃, only interphase precipitation occurs, whereas only random precipitation occurs in the ferrite matrix during holding at 600℃. Furthermore, during isothermal heat treatment between 600 and 675℃, both random and interphase precipitates occurred in the ferrite. Nanoscale vanadium carbides with different atomic ratios of vanadium(V) and carbon(C) were the dominant precipitates in the random and interphase precipitates. The sizes of random precipitation carbides were smaller than those of interphase ones. Also, the sample isothermally heat treated at 650℃ for 900s exhibited a higher hardness with a narrower hardness distribution.

Influence of heating rate on reactivity and surface chemistry of chars derived from pyrolysis of two Chinese low rank coals

A series of char samples were derived from pyrolysis of two typical low-rank coals in China （Shengli lig- nite and Shenmu bituminous coal） at low, medium and fast heating rates, respectively, to the same pyrol- ysis temperature 750℃. Then these chars were characterized by means of thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer with the aim to investigate the influence of heating rate in pyrolysis process on gasification reactivity and surface chemistry of them. Besides, a homogeneous model was used to quantitatively analyze the activation energy of gasification reaction. The results reveal that Shengli lignite and its derived chars behave higher gasification reactivity and have less content of oxygen functional groups than Shenmu coal and chars. Meanwhile, chars derived from Shengli lignite at 50℃/min and Shenmu coal at 200℃/min have the greatest gasification reactivity, respectively. The oxygen functional groups in Shengli lignite are easily thermo-decomposed, and they are less affected by the heating rate, while that in Shenmu coal have a significant change with the variation of heating rate. In addition, there is no good correlation between the change of oxygen functional groups and that of the gasification reactivity of the derived chars from pyrolysis at different heating rates.

Optimizing Low-Temperature Heat Recovery in a Refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit Based on Pinch Analysis

In this paper, the research was focused on optimizing low-temperature heat recovery to adopt multi-effect distil- lation （MED） in desalination by pinch technology. And further analysis indicated that phase changes occurred during the heat recovery process. In such case, the feed stream was divided into two streams： the liquid feed stream and the gaseous feed stream. Through calculation, the optimal ATmin was established at 26℃, and the total cost of heat exchange process was only $1.098× 106. By using the Problem Table Algorithm for pinch analysis, the temperature of the hot and the cold steams was 119℃ and 93 ℃, respectively. At a temperature higher than 119 ℃, all heat of the hot stream could not be cooled by the condenser, and the minimum heat load of utility （QH.min） was 440457.64 kW; and at a temperature below 93 ℃, all heat of the cold stream could not be provided by the heater, and the minimum cold load of utility （QC.min） was 1965993.85 kW. Finally, the synthesis of heat exchanger network was established through integrating two heat exchanger networks.

Experiments on Ni/γ-Al_2O_3 catalyst for improving lower heating value of biomass gasification fuel gas via methanation

Ni-based catalysts supported by γ-Al_2O_3 were prepared for improving the lower heating value( LHV) of biomass gasification fuel gas through methanation. Prior to the performance tests, the physico-chemical properties of the catalyst samples were characterized by N_2 isothermal adsorption/desorption, X-ray diffraction( XRD) and a scanning electron microscope( SEM). Afterwards, a series of experiments were carried out to investigate the catalytic performance and the results showthat catalysts with 15% and20% Ni loadings have better methanation catalytic effect than those with 5% and 10% Ni loadings in terms of elevating the LHV of biomass gasification fuel gas. M oreover, controllable influential factors such as the reaction temperature, the H_2/CO ratio and the water content occupy an important position in the methanation of biomass gasification fuel gas. 15 Ni/γ-Al_2O_3 and 20 Ni/γ-Al_2O_3 catalysts have a higher CO conversion and CH_4 selectivity at 350 ℃ and the LHV of biomass gasification fuel gas can be largely increased by 34. 3 % at 350 ℃. Higher H_2/CO ratio and a lower water content are more beneficial for improving the LHV of biomass gasification fuel gas when considering the combination of both CO conversion and CH_4 selectivity. This is due to the fact that a higher H_2/CO ratio and lower water content can increase the extent of the methanation reaction.

Performances of the High Strength Low Heat Pump Concrete (HLPC)

The effects of mineral admixtures on fluidity,mechanical and hydrational exothermic behavior were studied.The results show that,double adding ways,i e,fly ash and slag were added at the same time,not only improves the fluidity of fresh concrete with low W/B and compensates the lower early compressive strength of harden concrete caused by high adding amount of fly ash, but also greatly reduces the highest temperature rise, exothermic rate and total heat liberation of 3 day of binder pastes in HLPC, and postponed the arrival time of the highest temperature rise. HLPC was prepared and applied to project practice successfully.

Influence of T6 heat treatment on A356 and A380 aluminium alloys manufactured by thixoforging combined with low superheat casting

The effects of T6 heat treatment on thixoforged A356 and A380 aluminium alloys were studied.Low superheat casting(LSC)technique was carried out to prepare proper specimens for thixoforging process.The samples were poured at 20°C above their liquidus temperatures which provided the formation of equiaxed grains instead of dendritic growth.Produced billets were reheated for varied time from 20 to 80 min and thixoforged with 50%deformation rate.After thixoforging process,the samples were T6 heat treated for both A356 and A380 alloys.The microstructural evaluation and hardness alteration of thixoforged,solution treated and aged specimens were examined comparatively by using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Brinell hardness equipment.T6 heat treatment provided relatively uniform microstructure with newly formed precipitates that are Mg2Si and Al2Cu for A356 and A380 billets,respectively.Accordingly,hardness after artificial aging was increased considerably and reached HB 93 for A356 and HB 120 for A380 alloys.

A review of low-temperature heat recovery technologies for industry processes

The amount of low-temperature heat generated in industrial processes is high,but recycling is limited due to low grade and low recycling efficiency,which is one of the reasons for low energy efficiency.It implies that there is a great potential for low-temperature heat recovery and utilization.This article provided a detailed review of recent advances in the development of low-temperature thermal upgrades,power generation,refrigeration,and thermal energy storage.The detailed description will be given from the aspects of system structure improvement,work medium improvement,and thermodynamic and economic performance evaluation.It also pointed out the development bottlenecks and future development trends of various technologies.The low-temperature heat combined utilization technology can recover waste heat in an all-round and effective manner,and has great development prospects.

Heat Transfer Characteristics of Work Fluid Including Phase Change Material That Flow into Heating Surface from Narrow Path

Use of the low temperature (less than 100°C) energy contributes to effective use of heat resources. The cost recovery by power generation is difficult by using an existing system (the binary cycle or the thermoelectric conversion element), because the initial investment is large. The final purpose of this research is development of the low temperature difference drive engine supposing use in a hot-springs resort as a power source for electric power generation. In order that a traveler may look at and delight a motion of an engine, it is made to drive at low-speed number of rotations. An engine cycle of this study is aimed at the development of Stirling cycle engine which can maintain high efficiency in small size. This kind of engine has simple structure;it brings low cost, and it is easy to perform maintenance. However, it is difficult to obtain enough output by this type of engine, because of its low temperature difference. This paper deals with the heat transfer characteristic that the working fluid including a phase change material flows into the heating surface from the narrow path. In order to increase the amount of the heat transmission, Diethylether is added to the working fluid. Diethylether is selected as a phase change material (PCM) that has the boiling point which exists between the heat source of high temperature and low temperature. The parameters of the experiment are additive amount of PCM, rotational speed of the displacer piston and temperature of heat transfer surface. It is shown that it is possible to make exchange of heat amount increase by adding phase change material. The result of this research shows the optimal condition of the difference in temperature in heat processing, number of revolutions, and addition concentration of PCM.

CoNi nanoparticles anchored inside carbon nanotube networks by transient heating:Low loading and high activity for oxygen reduction and evolution

Transitional metal alloy and compounds have been developed as the low cost and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).However,a high mass loading of these catalysts is commonly needed to achieve acceptable catalytic performance,which could cause such problems as battery weight gain,mass transport blocking,and catalyst loss.We report herein the preparation of fine CoNi nanoparticles(5-6 nm)anchored inside a nitrogendoped defective carbon nanotube network(CoNi@N-DCNT)by a transient Joule heating method.When utilized as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and evolution in alkaline media,the CoNi@N-DCNT film catalyst with a very low mass loading of 0.06 mg cm^(-2) showed excellent bifunctional catalytic performance.For ORR,the onset potential(Eonset)and the half-wave potential(E_(1/2))were 0.92 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode(vs.RHE)and 0.83 V(vs.RHE),respectively.For OER,the potential at the current density(J)of 10 mA cm^(-2)(E_(10))was 1.53 V,resulting in an overpotential of 300 mV much lower than that of the commercial RuO_(2) catalyst(320 mV).The potential gap between E_(1/2) and E_(10) was as small as 0.7 V.Considering the low mass loading,the mass activity at E_(10) reached at 123.2 A g^(-1),much larger than that of the RuO_(2) catalyst and literature results of transitional metal-based bifunctional catalysts.Moreover,the CoNi@N-DCNT film catalyst showed very good long-term stability during the ORR and OER test.The excellent bifunctional catalytic performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect of the bimetal alloy.

Feasibility Demonstrations of Liquid Turbine Power Generator Driven by Low Temperature Heats

Lower temperature waste heats less than 373 K have strong potentials to supply additional energies because of their enormous quantities and ubiquity. Accordingly, reinforcement of power generations harvesting low temperature heats is one of the urgent tasks for the current generation in order to accomplish energy sustainability in the coming decades. In this study, a liquid turbine power generator driven by lower temperature heats below 373 K was proposed in the aim of expanding selectable options for harvesting low temperature waste heats less than 373 K. The proposing system was so simply that it was mainly composed of a liquid turbine, a liquid container with a biphasic medium of water and an underlying water-insoluble low-boiling-point medium in a liquid phase, a heating section for vaporization of the liquid and a cooling section for entropy discharge outside the system. Assumed power generating steps via the proposing liquid turbine power generator were as follows: step 1: the underlying low-boiling-point medium in a liquid phase was vaporized, step 2: the surfacing vapor bubbles of low-boiling-point medium accompanied the biphasic medium in their wakes, step 3: such high momentum flux by step 2 rotated the liquid turbine (i.e. power generation), step 4: the surfacing low-boiling-point medium vapor was gradually condensed into droplets, step 5: the low-boiling-point medium droplets were submerged to the underlying medium in a liquid phase. Experiments with a prototype liquid turbine power generator proved power generations in accordance with the assumed steps at a little higher than ordinary temperature. Increasing output voltage could be obtained with an increase in the cooling temperature among tested ranging from 294 to 296 K in contrast to normal thermal engines. Further improvements of the direct current voltage from the proposing liquid turbine power generator can be expected by means of far more vigorous multiphase flow induced by adding solid powders and theoretical optimizations of heat and mass transfers.

Effect of High Pressure Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Compressive Properties of Low Carbon Steel

The effect of high pressure heat treatment on microstructure and compressive properties of low carbon steel were investigated by optical microscope,transmission electron microscope,hardness tester and compression test methods.The results show that martensite appears in low carbon steel at 1-5GPa GPa and 950°C for 15 minutes treatment,high pressure heat treatment can improve the hardness and compressive properties of the steel,the yield strength of the steel increases with increasing pressure,and its compressive properties are better than that treated under normal pressure quenching.

Dual Phase Heat Treatment of Low-Alloy Steel

Dual phase heat treatment is an economical and effective way for improving the properties of low carbon steels and low-alloy steel materials. In this paper, the microstructures and mechanical properties of 20MnSi steel treated by different dual phase heat treatment have been studied. The results show that dual phase heat treatment with pre-quenching technique and then heating from room temperature to the critical zone can achieve finer and more homogeneous microstructure than that with pre-normalizing technique and then cooling from austenite zone to the critical zone. Among all factors affecting dual phase heat treatment, quenching temperature at the critical zone and tempering temperature play an important part in mechanical properties. Using proper dual phase heat treatment technique with computer optimized parameters, the yield strength, the elongation and impact toughness of 20MnSi can reach 860 MPa, 16% and 207 MPa respectively.