Performance evaluation of a solarized gas turbine system integrated to a high temperature electrolyzer for hydrogen production

In this paper, the performance of a solar gas turbine (SGT) system integrated to a high temperature electrolyzer (HTE) to generate hybrid electrical power and hydrogen fuel is analyzed. The idea behind this design is to mitigate the losses in the electrical power transmission and use the enthalpy of exhaust gases released from the gas turbine (GT) to make steam for the HTE. In this context, a GT system is coupled with a solar tower including heliostat solar field and central receiver to generate electrical power. To make steam for the HTE, a flameless boiler is integrated to the SGT system applying the SGT extremely high temperature exhaust gases as the oxidizer. The results indicate that by increasing the solar receiver outlet temperature from 800 K to 1300 K, the solar share increases from 22.1% to 42.38% and the overall fuel consumption of the plant reduces from 7 kg/s to 2.7 kg/s. Furthermore, flameless mode is achievable in the boiler while the turbine inlet temperature (TIT) is maintained at the temperatures higher than 1314 K. Using constant amounts of the SGT electrical power, the HTE voltage decreases by enhancing the HTE steam temperature which result in the augmentation of the overall hydrogen production. To increase the HTE steam temperature from 950 K to 1350 K, the rate of fuel consumption in the flameless boiler increases from 0.1 m/s to 0.8 m/s; however, since the HTE hydrogen production increases from 4.24 mol/s to 16 mol/s it can be interpreted that the higher steam temperatures would be affordable. The presented hybrid system in this paper can be employed to perform more thermochemical analyses to achieve insightful understanding of the hybrid electrical power-hydrogen production systems.     

Polyaniline sensitized Pt@TiO2 for visible-light-driven H2 generation

Polyaniline is a typical conducting polymer with high migration electron rate, good stability, eco-friendly properties, and high absorption coefficients for visible light. In the present study, polyaniline decorated Pt@TiO₂ for visible light-driven H₂ generation is reported for the first time. The above-mentioned nanocomposite is prepared through a simple oxidative-polymerization and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X–ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectra. Polyaniline modification improves the absorption of the nanocomposite in visible light region via a photosensitization effect similar to dye–sensitization but does not influence the crystal structure and size of Pt@TiO₂. The polyaniline modified Pt@TiO₂ exhibits a remarkable visible light activity (61.8 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹) and good stability for H₂ generation (with an average apparent quantum yield of 10.1%) with thioglycolic acid as an electron donor. This work provides new insights into using conducting polymers, including polyaniline, as a sensitizer to modify Pt@TiO₂ for visible-light hydrogen generation.     

The dual capacity of the NiSn alloy/MWCNT nanocomposite for sodium and hydrogen ions storage using porous Cu foam as a current collector

A nanostructured NiSn alloy/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite was successfully synthesized for highly reversible sodium and hydrogen ions storage by using an electrochemical deposition process on porous Cu foam. The surface morphology of the resulting NiSn alloy/MWCNT nanocomposite was characterized using a field-emission scanning electron microscope, indicating the formation of sphere-like NiSn alloy nanoparticles with an average size of 190 nm. On the other hand, X-ray diffraction analysis, energy dispersive and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies were employed to determine the crystalline structure, elemental surface and chemical composition of the nanocomposite electrode. The initial sodium discharge capacity of the electrode was maximized at ∼550 mAh g⁻¹ under the current density of 1000 mA g⁻¹, and a high hydrogen discharge capacity of 5200 mAh g⁻¹ was obtained at 1100 mA g⁻¹ after 20 cycles. A comprehensive comparison between the sodium and hydrogen ions capacities in this study and those of the literature for different materials and structures was also performed. Accordingly, the resulting nanocomposite electrode with dual capacity may offer promising applications in both sodium-ion battery and hydrogen storage.     

Transient performances of the gas turbine recuperating waste heat through hydrogen rich fuels

Operational rules and control strategies of the chemically recuperated gas turbine (CRGT) in the marine propulsion are investigated in this paper. The Minimization of Gibbs free energy method is used to calculate the diesel-steam reforming reaction which products synthetic hydrogen rich fuels, and a universal model of the chemical regenerator which is easily applied to different application environments is created. The hydrogen production and hydrogen molar fraction are investigated to verify that the CRGT improve the combustion performances under low working conditions. Off-design calculations are performed to derive proper operational rules, and transient calculations are performed to investigate the best control strategies for the systems. The modelling approach of the chemical regenerator can be generally used in the chemically recuperated gas turbine. The elaborate operational rules can greatly improve the thermal efficiencies under every working condition. The system using synchronous control strategies have better regulation speed and operation stability than that using asynchronous control strategies.     

Synthesis and color tuning of titanium oxide inorganic pigment by phase control and mixed-anion co-doping

B and N co-doped anatase, rutile, and brookite TiO₂ (abbreviated as BN-Ana, BN-Rut, and BN-Bro) were successfully synthesized. The apparent color of as-obtain BN-Ana, BN-Rut and BN-Bro was red, cyan and yellow-green, respectively. The mechanisms of various coloring were concluded as the different band gap configurations and the formation of covalent B-N bonding. The nitridation time expressed less effect on changing the color. On the contrary, nitridation temperature enabled the distinct color changes by altering the brightness. Lower temperature, fewer doping concentration, and brighter apparent color, vice versa. Through tuning the brightness, a gradient of yellow-orange-red was achieved in the case of BN-Ana, as well the transitions of grey-to-cyan and white-to-pale-yellow were achieved in BN-Rut and BN-Bro, respectively. This research proposed a method for the synthesis of color-full titania pigment without the addition of other toxic transition metal elements.     

Three-dimensional layered porous graphene aerogel hydrogen getters

Organic getters are often introduced into sealed systems to remove the excessive reactive hydrogen gas. In this work, the formable graphene aerogel hydrogen getters are prepared by integrating the alkyne-containing molecules (e.g., DEB) into the palladium-loaded three-dimensional layered porous graphene aerogel (Pd-GA). The performance of Pd-GA/DEB composite materials in reducing reactive hydrogen gas is examined at pressures of 0.1–1 bar at a temperature of 25 °C, and the hydrogen consumption is measured as a function of time. Results suggest that the hydrogen uptake capability of Pd-GA/DEB getters increases with the loading of Pd particles on the GA and the content of Pd⁰. The highest hydrogen absorption capacity is up to 215.5 cm³/g, and the hydrogenation rate of DEB molecules is 89.3%. This study promotes the fundamental understanding of solid-phase catalytic hydrogenation and the applications of 3D layered porous graphene aerogel in hydrogen absorption.     

Gold Drugs with {Au(PPh3)}+ Moiety: Advantages and Medicinal Applications

Following the success of Auranofin as an anti-arthritic drug, search for novel gold drugs has afforded a large number of [L−Au(PPh₃)] complexes that exhibit notable salutary effects. Unlike Au(III)-containing species, these gold complexes with {Au(PPh₃)}⁺ moiety are stable in biological media and readily exchange L with S- and Se-containing enzymes or proteins. Such exchange leads to rapid reduction of microbial loads or induction of apoptotic cell death at malignant sites. In many cases the lipophilic {Au(PPh₃)}⁺ moiety delivers a desirable toxic L to the specific cellular target in addition to exhibiting its own beneficial activity. Further research and utilization of this synthon in drug design could lead to novel chemotherapeutics for treatment of drug-resistant pathogens and cancers.     

Steel slag waste combined with melamine pyrophosphate as a flame retardant for rigid polyurethane foams

To explore the potential application of industrial waste, steel slag powder in combination with melamine pyrophosphate (MPP) was adopted to improve the flame retardancy of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF). The incorporation of steel slag slightly reduced the thermal conductivity of the resulting flame-retardant RPUF samples. The addition of MPP and/or steel slag did not significantly alter the thermal stability in terms of T_-10% and T_max but did obviously increase the T_-50% value, suggesting the improved thermal resistance of the residues. The coaddition of MPP and steel slag into RPUF resulted in higher LOI values and lower peak heat release rates than the samples incorporating either MPP or steel slag alone. The superior flame retardancy could be attributed to MPP promoting char formation, which then acted as a barrier at the beginning of RPUF thermal decomposition; simultaneously, the thermally stable inorganics in the steel slag powder strengthened the thermal resistance of this char layer.     

Effect of working position and cold environment on muscle activation level and fatigue in the upper limb during manual work tasks

Several occupational groups are exposed to periods of low ambient temperatures while performing manual work tasks outdoors. Work tasks typically include heavy lifting, tool handling, and overhead work. This study evaluated the effect of working position and cold environment on muscle activation level (%RMS_max) and fatigue in the upper limb during manual work tasks. Fourteen male participants (25 ± 3 years, 80.9 ± 6.4 kg, 182 ± 5 cm) completed a 2-h test protocol consisting of five test periods alternating with four work periods, wearing identical sets of clothing, under cold (−15 °C) and control (5 °C) conditions. The work periods consisted of manual work at the hip level, manual overhead work, and a lifting exercise. The test periods consisted of isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and seated rest. Skin temperatures decreased during cold exposure, especially in the extremities. %RMS_max in the forearm was higher in the cold condition both during overhead work and work at the hip level than that for the same work in the control condition, especially at the end of the test when the difference was approximately 25% (equating to 2–3 %RMS_max). For the middle deltoid muscle, the %RMS_max was approximately three times (or 10 %RMS_max) higher during overhead work than work at the hip level, but there was no additional cost of working in the cold. Signs of deltoid muscle fatigue (decrease in electromyography median power frequency and an increase in %RMS_max) were observed during the overhead work periods in both temperature conditions. No decrease in MVC, as a sign of overall muscle fatigue, was observed in either condition.Relevance to industryThis study demonstrated that when wearing suitable cold-weather protective clothing, the adverse effect of work posture is much higher than that of cold on muscle demand and physical strain.     

Ergonomic postural assessment using a new open-source human pose estimation technology (OpenPose)

Observational ergonomic postural assessment methods have been commonly used to evaluate the risks of musculoskeletal disorders. Researchers have proposed semi-automatic methods using Kinect, known for limitations with body occlusions and non-frontal tracking. Meanwhile, new human pose estimation methods have been actively developed, and a popular open-source technology is OpenPose. This study aims to propose the OpenPose-based system for computing joint angles and RULA/REBA scores and validate against the reference motion capture system, and compare its performance to the Kinect-based system. Recordings of 10 participants performing 12 experimental tasks under different conditions: with/without body occlusions and tracked from frontal/non-frontal views were analyzed. OpenPose showed good performance under all task conditions, whereas Kinect performed significantly worse than OpenPose especially at cases with body occlusions or non-frontal tracking. The findings suggested that OpenPose could be a promising technology to measure joint angles and conduct semi-automatic ergonomic postural assessments in the real workspace where the conditions are often non-ideal.