Processing of Composite Thin Film Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Structures

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) structure is proposed in which a composite thin film cathode substrate supports a dense thin film electrolyte with a thickness of less than 1 μm. The cathode substrate has a graded porosity achieved through the partial sintering of a spin-coated CeO₂ colloidal suspension. The resulting surface has a pore size and surface roughness which allowed a fully dense ZrO₂:16%Y (YSZ) electrolyte to be spin-coated directly from a polymeric precursor without capillary forces removing the precursor from the surface of the porous substrate. Using this process, fuel cell structures were constructed with temperatures not exceeding 800°C. The porous CeO₂ interlayer should allow for decreased ohmic losses, as well as decreased reactions between the YSZ and the cathode substrate. In addition, the nanocrystalline grain sizes should allow for increased catalytic activity on the cathode. Calculated ohmic losses indicated the resistance of the CeO₂ interlayer limited the power of the structure, which was minimized by impregnating the porous layer with a mixed-conducting perovskite. The final structure shows significantly reduced ohmic losses as calculated at 400°C.     

生物柴油的合成和使用研究进展

总结了近年来生物柴油的合成方法和使用方法。催化方法上,生物柴油的合成方法有酸催化、碱催化、酶催化和超临界催化等;工艺路线上,生物柴油可由高温热裂解和酯交换两种路线合成。目前一般采用混合和微乳液两种方法来使用生物柴油。     

Properties of silica/clay filled heavy‐duty truck tire thread formulation

A tire thread formulation for heavy‐duty trucks containing SBR/BR rubber blend and varying proportions of silica/clay fillers including a silane‐coupling agent have been investigated. The various mixes were compounded in a Banbury ‘O’ mixer and vulcanized using the EV‐system. Silica/clay (80/0) served as the control mix. The oscillating disc rheometer (ODR) was used in determination of cure characteristics. Substitution of silica (80 phr) with china clay up to 40 phr increased the cure rate of the rubber blend mixes as well as their maximum torque level (T_max). T_max was observed to be highest at a filler blend ratio of 40/40 phr. Synergism between silica and clay at this filler blend mixture is suggested to be responsible for the observation. The heat buildup was reduced from 43 to 20°C as the clay content increased. Results also showed that the rubber blend compound containing silica/clay (60/20) filler blend in the stated ratio exhibited the best balance of properties in the critical parameters such as the absolute torque level (69.5 dNm), heat buildup (39°C), and abrasion resistance (0.574 mg.loss/1,000 rev). The rate of depreciation of abrasion resistance of rubber blend compound as the clay content increased was found to be 0.035 mg loss/1,000 rev as silica is substituted with one part of china clay phr. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1024–1028, 2004     

A decision model for energy resource selection in China

This paper evaluates coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear energy and renewable energy resources as energy alternatives for China through use of a hierarchical decision model. The results indicate that although coal is still the major preferred energy alternative, it is followed closely by renewable energy. The sensitivity analysis indicates that the most critical criterion for energy selection is the current energy infrastructure. A hierarchical decision model is used, and expert judgments are quantified, to evaluate the alternatives. Criteria used for the evaluations are availability, current energy infrastructure, price, safety, environmental impacts and social impacts.     

Efficiency of activated carbon to transform ozone into *OH radicals: influence of operational parameters

Based on previous findings (Jans, U., Hoigné, J., 1998. Ozone Sci. Eng. 20, 67-87), the activity of activated carbon for the transformation of ozone into *OH radicals including the influence of operational parameters (carbon dose, ozone dose, carbon-type and carbon treatment time) was quantified. The ozone decomposition constant (k(D)) was increased by the presence of activated carbon in the system and depending on the type of activated carbon added, the ratio of the concentrations of *OH radicals and ozone, the R(ct) value ([*OH]/[O3]), was increased by a factor 3-5. The results obtained show that the surface chemical and textural characteristics of the activated carbon determines its activity for the transformation of ozone into *OH radicals. The most efficient carbons in this process are those with high basicity and large surface area. The obtained results show that the interaction between ozone and pyrrol groups present on the surface of activated carbon increase the concentration of O2*- radicals in the system, enhancing ozone transformation into *OH radicals. The activity of activated carbon decreases for extended ozone exposures. This may indicate that activated carbon does not really act as a catalyst but rather as a conventional initiator or promoter for the ozone transformation into *OH radicals. Ozonation of Lake Zurich water ([O3] = 1 mg/L) in presence of activated carbon (0.5 g/L) lead to an increase in the k(D) and R(ct) value by a factor of 10 and 39, respectively, thereby favouring the removal of ozone-resistant contaminants. Moreover, the presence of activated carbon during ozonation of Lake Zurich water led to a 40% reduction in the content of dissolved organic carbon during the first 60 min of treatment. The adsorption of low concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on activated carbon surfaces did not modify its capacity to initiate/promote ozone transformation into *OH radicals.     

Long term effects of salt on activity, population structure and floc characteristics in enriched bacterial cultures of nitrifiers

The effect of salinity on the activity, the composition of nitrifiers and floc characteristics of nitrifying sludge was studied. Non-adapted and adapted (to 10 g NaCl-Cl⁻/L for one year) enriched cultures of nitrifiers were tested in three sequencing batch reactors. Salt was increased gradually with 5 up to 40 g Cl⁻/L.No difference in steady state activity was observed between the adapted and non-adapted sludge. The activities of ammonia and nitrite oxidizers dropped 36% and 11%, respectively, at salt concentrations of 10 g Cl⁻/L. At 40 g Cl⁻/L inhibition reached 95% of salt free activity for ammonia and nitrite oxidizers in both adapted and non-adapted reactors. Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrobacter sp. (fluorescent in situ hybridization) were the only nitrifiers present at high salt levels. Increased salt concentrations resulted in better settling characteristics of the nitrifying sludge. After 118 days the sludge was brought back to the initial conditions (0 g Cl⁻/L for non-adapted and 10 g Cl⁻/L for adapted). Despite the change in population composition similar kinetics as before the salt stress were observed.     

Performance of a bioreactor with submerged membranes for aerobic treatment of municipal waste water

Aerobic treatment of municipal waste water in a membrane bioreactor was studied for 535 d. Apart from sampling, sludge was retained completely by a submerged hollow fibre membrane with a pore-size of 0.2 microm. The pilot plant comprised an anoxic zone to enable denitrification. The maximum liquid hold-up of the plant was 3.9 m3. In this study the reactor performance and the stability of the process and the membrane capacity were investigated. A stable flux of 181 m(-2)h(-1) could be realised with a mean transmembrane pressure difference of 0.3bar with air-bubbling and backflushing the membrane and cleaning it in place every two months for one or two hours. For about 140d, a flux of 271 m(-2)h(-1) was achieved, but cleaning became necessary more often. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) varied between 10.4 and 15.6h. Accordingly the volumetric loading rate was between 1.1 and 1.7kg CODm(-3)d(-1). No inoculum was used. The mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration gradually increased to 18-20g MLSSl(-1). The feed to microorganism (F/M) ratio varied according to the operation conditions but decreased against a value of 0.07 kg COD kg(-1) MLSSd(-1). Treatment performance was very stable and on a high level. The COD was reduced by 95%. Nitrification was complete and up to 82% of the total nitrogen could be denitrified.     

Ultrasonic waste activated sludge disintegration for improving anaerobic stabilization

The pretreatment of waste activated sludge by ultrasonic disintegration was studied in order to improve the anaerobic sludge stabilization. The ultrasound frequency was varied within a range from 41 to 3217 kHz. The impact of different ultrasound intensities and treatment times was examined. Sludge disintegration was most significant at low frequencies. Low-frequency ultrasound creates large cavitation bubbles which upon collapse initiate powerful jet streams exerting strong shear forces in the liquid. The decreasing sludge disintegration efficiency observed at higher frequencies was attributed to smaller cavitation bubbles which do not allow the initiation of such strong shear forces. Short sonication times resulted in sludge floc deagglomeration without the destruction of bacteria cells. Longer sonication brought about the break-up of cell walls, the sludge solids were distintegrated and dissolved organic compounds were released. The anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge following ultrasonic pretreatment causing microbial cell lysis was significantly improved. There was an increase in the volatile solids degradation as well as an increase in the biogas production. The increase in digestion efficiency was proportional to the degree of sludge disintegration. To a lesser degree the deagglomeration of sludge flocs also augmented the anaerobic volatile solids degradation.     

By-products formation during drinking water disinfection: a tool to assess disinfection efficiency?

In drinking water treatment, the inactivation of microorganisms increases with increasing disinfectant exposure (product of concentration and contact time, CT). Also, the formation of undesired (toxic) disinfection by-products increases with CT. The present study proposes a new concept that uses this undesired side effect of chemical water disinfection for a fast and reliable test of treatment efficiency. In laboratory systems, bromate formation during ozonation and the formation of trihalomethanes during chlorination were used to calculate the disinfectant exposure, which is a measure for the achieved degree of disinfection.     

异步轧制对表面纳米化316L不锈钢组织和性能的影响

采用表面机械研磨处理(SMAT)在316L不锈钢上制备出纳米结构表层,然后在室温对其进行80％形变量的异步轧制(CSR),研究了CSR处理后表层组织和性能的变化．结果表明：经过60min SMAT后,样品表面形成了一定厚度的纳米晶层,晶粒尺寸为10—30nm．对其进行80％形变量的CSR后,表层组织仍为纳米晶组织,但纳米晶尺寸更加均匀、细小(为5—15nm),表面粗糙度显著下降;纳米表层硬度略有提高,但基体硬度显著提高;在0．05mol／L H2SO4 0.25mol／L Na2SO4腐蚀介质中的耐腐蚀性能比SMAT后的样品有明显改善,但均低于原基材．