Analysis of nitrogen oxide emissions from modern vehicles using hydrogen or other natural and synthetic fuels in combustion chamber

The paper presents a calculated analysis of the equilibrium emission of nitrogen oxides on the exhaust of carburetor and diesel internal combustion engines. The temperature of fuel oxidation is assumed to be 1,400 °C while the pressure for carburetor and diesel engines is assumed to be 60 atm and 80 atm respectively. The studies have been carried out for natural and synthetic fuels such as hydrogen, ethanol, methanol, petroleum, diesel fuel and methane at the excess air coefficient corresponding to the fuel oxidation temperature of 1,400 °C. In the paper, the method for calculating the equilibrium composition based on the equilibrium constant and mass conservation equations has been applied. It is shown that with an increase in pressure from 1 atm to 60 atm for carburetor engines and up to 80 atm for diesel engines, the reaction of nitrogen dioxide formation may shift towards an increase in NO₂. The formation of NO may be not affected by the increase in pressure by virtue of the fact that the reaction proceeds without changes in the amount. It has been determined that NO is the major atmospheric pollutant. However, it would be advisable to use more extensively the fuels characterized by the lowest output of nitrogen dioxide (methane and methanol), since nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) related to the 2nd hazard class is appeared to be the most dangerous to humans. It has been revealed that the reduction in oxidation temperature using hydrogen as a fuel for electrochemical current generators may allow reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by more than an order of magnitude as compared to the best results for ICE.     

Nanocrystalline transition metal oxides and their composites with reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes for photocatalytic applications

Transition metal oxide nanoparticles (CuO, ZnO & Fe₂O₃) and mixed metal oxides CuO. ZnO.Fe₂O₃ were fabricated by facile co-precipitation approach for photocatalytic treatment of organic dyes. The structural features, phase purity, crystallite size and morphology of individual and mixed metal oxides were analysed by X-rays diffraction patterns (XRD) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. Electrical behaviour of CuO, ZnO, Fe₂O₃ and mixed metal oxides CuO. ZnO.Fe₂O₃ was explored by current-voltage (I-V) measurements. Functional groups present in the synthesized metal oxides were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) which ensures the existence of M-O functional groups in the samples. The optical bandgap analysis was carried out by UV–visible spectroscopic technique which revealed that the blend of three different transition metal oxides reduced the bandgap energy of mixed metal oxides. The reason behind this reduced bandgap energy is formation of new electronic state which arises due to the metal-oxygen interactions. Moreover, the nanocomposites of CuO.ZnO.Fe₂O₃ with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared to study the effect of the carbonaceous materials on the rate of photodegradation. These carbonaceous nanomaterials have plethora properties which can bring advancement in sector of photocatalytic treatment of wastewater. The photocatalytic experiments were performed using methylene blue (MB) as standard dye for comparative study of metal oxides and their composites with rGO and CNTs. The percentage degradation of methylene blue (MB) by nanocomposite CuO.ZnO.Fe₂O₃/rGO is 87% which is prominent among all samples. This result ascribed the photocatalytic aspects of reduced graphene oxide along with mixed metal oxides.     

Pt/TiO2纳米管的制备及其电化学性能研究

采用微波加热多元醇还原的方法制备了贵金属Pt负载的TiO2纳米管复合材料,并对其形貌和结构进行了表征。结果表明,试验中所制备的TiO2纳米管直径约10nm左右,长度达到几百纳米甚至微米级。微波法负载的Pt粒子粒径分布均匀,尺寸约在4.5nm左右。电化学结果表明该复合纳米材料对甲醇具有一定的催化氧化作用。     

Plasma Enhanced Lithium Coupled with Cobalt Fibers Arrays for Advanced Energy Storage

Construction of high efficiency and stable Li metal anodes is extremely vital to the breakthrough of Li metal batteries. In this study, for the first time, groundbreaking in situ plasma interphase engineering is reported to construct high-quality lithium halides-dominated solid electrolyte interphase layer on Li metal to stabilize & protect the anode. Typically, SF₆ plasma-induced sulfured and fluorinated interphase (SFI) is composed of LiF and Li₂S, interwoven with each other to form a consecutive solid electrolyte interphase. Simultaneously, brand-new vertical Co fibers (diameter: ≈5 µm) scaffold is designed via a facile magnetic-field-assisted hydrothermal method to collaborate with plasma-enhanced Li metal anodes (SFI@Li/Co). The Co fibers scaffold accommodates active Li with mechanical integrity and decreases local current density with good lithiophilicity and low geometric tortuosity, supported by DFT calculations and COMSOL Multiphysics simulation. Consequently, the assembled symmetric cells with SFI@Li/Co anodes exhibit superior stability over 525 h with a small voltage hysteresis (125 mV at 5 mA cm⁻²) and improved Coulombic efficiency (99.7%), much better than the counterparts. Enhanced electrochemical performance is also demonstrated in full cells with commercial cathodes and SFI@Li/Co anode. The research offers a new route to develop advanced alkali metal anodes for energy storage.     

Multiobjective hierarchical control architecture for greenhouse crop growth

The problem of determining the trajectories to control greenhouse crop growth has traditionally been solved by using constrained optimization or applying artificial intelligence techniques. The economic profit has been used as the main criterion in most research on optimization to obtain adequate climatic control setpoints for the crop growth. This paper addresses the problem of greenhouse crop growth through a hierarchical control architecture governed by a high-level multiobjective optimization approach, where the solution to this problem is to find reference trajectories for diurnal and nocturnal temperatures (climate-related setpoints) and electrical conductivity (fertirrigation-related setpoints). The objectives are to maximize profit, fruit quality, and water-use efficiency, these being currently fostered by international rules. Illustrative results selected from those obtained in an industrial greenhouse during the last eight years are shown and described.     

Nanocrystalline pirochromite spinel through solution combustion synthesis

The production of magnesium–chromium oxides by solution combustion synthesis was investigated using glycine and urea for the first time. Ammonium dichromate, urea/glycine and ammonium nitrate aqueous solutions were used as the precursors of the oxides. The effect of different reaction parameters, such as fuel richness, stoichiometry and fuel leanness was evaluated; such parameters were modified by changing the reagents and the fuel/oxidant ratio. The results suggest that glycine is an interesting complexing/combustible agent for ammonium dichromate to produce chromite spinel. Addition of extra ammonium nitrate to stoichiometric compositions improved the specific surface area and reduced the crystallite size. The highest specific surface area (153.40 m²/g) was obtained for the stoichiometric fuel/oxidant mixtures containing glycine as combustible in combination with ammonium nitrate; however, the smallest crystallite size (approximately 9 nm) of Pirochromite (MgCr₂O₄) was synthesized using urea as combustible.     

Nanostructure SnO2 and supported Au catalysts: Synthesis,characterization, and catalytic oxidation of CO

Nanostructure tin dioxide (SnO₂) powders prepared by sol-gel dialytic processes using tin (IV) chloride and anhydrous alcohol as start materials, ammonia gas as catalyst of the formation of colloid solution and agent of removing Cl⁻, and by introducing dialytic processes to improve and accelerate the formation of gels. From the result of TG–DTA analyses, the dried samples were calcined at 673 K in air for 3 h. Tin dioxide nanoparticles were characterized by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analyses (TG–DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The average particle size of the as-prepared tin dioxide was about 5 nm. The as-prepared SnO₂ possessed mesoporous structure and large surface area. The Au/SnO₂ catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation were prepared by the deposition–precipitation method using as-prepared SnO₂ powders as the support. The Au/SnO₂ catalysts exhibited high catalytic activity for low-temperature CO oxidation. The nanostructure SnO₂ has promising applications in sensor, catalyst, catalytic support, mesoporous membranes, etc.     

Density functional theory calculations for estimation of gettering sites of C,H, intrinsic point defects and related complexes in Si wafers

Very recently, a C₃H₅ cluster ion implantation technique for proximity gettering has been reported with the low energy of around 10¹⁵/cm² dose without recovery heat treatments. The main feature of this technique is that the gettering efficiency is higher than that by C monomer implantation, even though irradiation defects are too small to clarify by TEM observation. In the present work, we evaluate the binding energies of metal atoms with candidate gettering sites of C, H, intrinsic point defects and related complexes in Si wafers induced by C₃H₅ cluster ion implantation or different methods, for example, H implantation etc. by using density functional theory calculations. In addition to C and H atoms, we consider donor P and O atoms contained in an n- CZ-Si wafer for use in a CMOS image sensor. The simplest complexes of substitutional/interstitial C (C_s/C_i), H_i, P_s, O_i, and incorporated intrinsic point defects (vacancy (V) and self-interstitial Si (I)) by C₃H₅ implantation were also considered. We found that C_s–I (= C_i), C_i–C_i, H_i–I, VH_n (n=1–3), and VO complexes are the best candidates for gettering sites. Gettering by C₃H₅ cluster ion implantation is more effective than that by C monomer implantation due to the formation of VH_n (n=1–3) and H_i–I complexes, which provides more effective gettering sites.     

Amide–induced monodispersed Pt(100) nanoparticles loaded on graphene surface for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Using free and sustainable solar energy to produce hydrogen is the most promising strategy to resolve the environmental pollution and global energy crisis. The properties of sensitized matrix and co–catalyst, including the dispersibility, lattice structure and electrical performance, are usually two the decisive factors for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. This paper reports a facile synthetic process of surface–clean monodisperse Pt(100) nanocubes supported on graphene surface using amide functional groups as induction sites. The prepared catalyst (AG/Pt(100)) not only incorporate plentiful amide functional groups that act as the dispersant and stabilizer into surface and edge of graphene, but also significantly dislodge the oxygen–containing functional groups, which hold strong promise for improving conductivity, carrier concentration and mobility of sensitized matrix. Simultaneously, the monodisperse Pt(100) nanocubes supported on graphene surface exposure more active sites. These results provide the necessary conditions for efficient catalysts. Without any pre–treatment, it exhibits high H₂ generation activity (553.7 μmol for 2 h) and apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) (33.9% at 430 nm) under visible light irradiation when Eosin Y is used as photosensitizer. These superior production H₂ activities can attribute to enhance the dispersion and conductivity of sensitized matrix, construct special geometry of Pt(100) nanocubes and prolong the lifetime of photogenerated electron.