Measurement of through-the-thickness variations of mechanical properties in SA508 Gr.3 pressure vessel steels using ball indentation test technique

The through-the-thickness variations of mechanical properties in SA508 Gr.3 pressure vessel steels were measured using the automated ball indentation (ABI) test technique. Key mechanical properties, such as the yield strength, ultimate strength, flow curve and hardness, were evaluated from indentation load-depth curves. The mechanical properties measured were location-dependent and the steepest gradients in the distributions of the mechanical properties appeared in the near-surface regions. The maximum through-the-thickness variations of the mechanical properties were in the range of 5–20% and they depended on the manufacturing process as well as the original wall thickness. It was concluded that the through-the-thickness variations in the mechanical properties were mainly caused by the location-dependent cooling rate during water quenching in the quality heat treatment which consisted of water quenching and tempering.     

Oxidative destruction of perfluorooctane sulfonate using boron-doped diamond film electrodes

This research investigated the oxidative destruction of perfluorooctane sulfonate at boron-doped diamond film electrodes. Experiments measuring oxidation rates of PFOS were performed over a range in current densities and temperatures using a rotating disk electrode (RDE) reactor and a parallel plate flow-through reactor. The oxidation of PFOS yielded sulfate, fluoride, carbon dioxide, and trace levels of trifluoroacetic acid. Reaction rates in the RDE reactor were zeroth order in PFOS concentration. Reaction rates in the flow-through reactor were mass-transfer-limited and were pseudo-first-order in PFOS concentration, with a half-life of 5.3 min at a current density of 20 mA/cm2. Eyring analysis of the zeroth order rate constants at a fixed electrode potential yielded an apparent activation energy of 4.2 kJ/mol for PFOS oxidation. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations were used to calculate activation barriers for different possible reaction mechanisms, including oxidation by hydroxyl radicals at different sites on the PFOS molecule, and direct electron transfer. A comparison of the experimentally measured apparent activation energy with those calculated using DFT indicated that the most likely rate-limiting step for PFOS oxidation was direct electron transfer.     

Shedding light on solar technologies—A techno-economic assessment and its policy implications

Solar power technologies will have to become a major pillar in the world's future energy system to combat climate change and resource depletion. However, it is unclear which solar technology is and will prove most viable. Therefore, a comprehensive comparative assessment of solar technologies along the key quantitative and qualitative competitiveness criteria is needed. Based on a literature review and detailed techno-economic modeling for 2010 and 2020 in five locations, we provide such an assessment for the three currently leading large-scale solar technologies. We show that today these technologies cannot yet compete with conventional forms of power generation but approach competitiveness around 2020 in favorable locations. Furthermore, from a global perspective we find that none of the solar technologies emerges as a clear winner and that cost of storing energy differs by technology and can change the order of competitiveness in some instances. Importantly, the competitiveness of the different technologies varies considerably across locations due to differences in, e.g., solar resource and discount rates. Based on this analysis, we discuss policy implications with regard to fostering the diffusion of solar technologies while increasing the efficiency of policy support through an adequate geographical allocation of solar technologies.     

Gasification inhibition in chemical-looping combustion with solid fuels

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is a novel technology that can be used to meet growing demands on energy production without CO₂ emissions. The CLC process includes two reactors, an air and a fuel reactor. Between these two reactors oxygen is transported by an oxygen carrier, which most often is a metal oxide. This arrangement prevents mixing of N₂ from the air with CO₂ from the combustion giving combustion gases that consist almost entirely of CO₂ and H₂O. The technique reduces the energy penalty that normally arises from the separation of CO₂ from other flue gases, hence, CLC could make capture of CO₂ cheaper. For the application of CLC to solid fuels, the char remaining after devolatilization will react indirectly with the oxygen carrier via steam gasification. It has been suggested that H₂, and possibly CO, has an inhibiting effect on steam gasification in CLC. In this work experiments were conducted to investigate this effect. The experiments were conducted in a laboratory fluidized-bed reactor that was operating cyclically with alternating oxidation and reduction periods. Two different oxygen carriers were used as well as an inert sand bed. During the reducing period varying concentrations of CO or H₂ were used together with steam while the oxidation was conducted with 10% O₂ in N₂. The temperature was constant at 970 °C for all experiments. The results show that CO does not directly inhibit the gasification whereas the partial pressure of H₂ had a significant influence on fuel conversion. The results also suggest that dissociative hydrogen adsorption is the predominant hydrogen inhibition mechanism under the laboratory conditions, thus explaining why char conversion is much faster in a bed of oxygen carrying material, compared to an inert sand bed.     

Analysis and optimization of a cogeneration system based on biomass combustion

The paper deals with analysis and optimization of the performance of the combustion process in a biomass furnace at a biomass cogeneration plant. For the purpose a thermodynamic model for the biomass burning process in a grate furnace was developed. The mathematical model describes both, the thermal decomposition of the fuel on the grate as well as gas phase combustion in the secondary zone. The presented approach is based on energy equations for each individual step of the biomass combustion process.Measurement results from a biomass-fired cogeneration plant were used to validate the model. Comparison between simulation and measurement results shows good agreement. The model predicts accurately the temperature profiles in the combustion chamber.The presented approach is suitable for model based analysis and optimization of control strategies. The developed model was used to optimize the performance of the recirculation system of the combustion appliance. The simulation based analysis showed, that the flow rate of the recirculated exhaust fumes can be significantly reduced which results in energy savings of 17% of the auxiliary electrical power demand.     

Biomass gasification cogeneration – A review of state of the art technology and near future perspectives

Biomass is a renewable resource from which a broad variety of commodities can be produced. However, the resource is scarce and must be used with care to avoid depleting future stock possibilities. Flexibility and efficiency in production are key characteristics for biomass conversion technologies in future energy systems. Thermal gasification of biomass is proved throughout this article to be both highly flexible and efficient if used optimally. Cogeneration processes with production of heat-and-power, heat-power-and-fuel or heat-power-and-fertilizer are described and compared. The following gasification platforms are included in the assessment: The Harboøre up draft gasifier with gas engine, the Güssing FICFB gasifier with gas engine or PDU, the LT-CFB gasifier with steam cycle and nutrient recycling and finally the TwoStage down draft gasifier with gas engine, micro gas turbine (MGT), SOFC, SOFC/MGT or catalytic fuel synthesis.     

Using a molten organic conducting material to infiltrate a nanoporous semiconductor film and its use in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

We describe a method to fill thin films of nanoporous TiO₂ with solid organic hole-conducting materials and demonstrate the procedure specifically for use in the preparation of dye-sensitized solar cells. Cross-sections of the films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and it was observed that a hot molten organic material fills pores that are 10 μm below the surface of the film. We characterized the incident photon to current conversion efficiency properties of the solid TiO₂/organic dye/organic hole-conductor heterojunctions and the spectra show that the dye is still active after the melting process.     

Pathways and pitfalls of implementing the use of woodfuels in Germany's bioenergy sector

The paper presents an empirical study on the use of woody biomass for energy supply in Germany and the federal state of Brandenburg. It aims to explain the role forestry enterprises have for bioenergy provision in this area. The ‘Institutions of Sustainability’ framework is used as an analytical tool to investigate the role of private and public actors in these transactions, respectively, in the governance structures they are subject to. Empirical evidence was gathered by in-depth interviews with actors from forestry and bioenergy practice. Triggered by favorable governance structures, i.e. strong support by national and regional policies, rising prices for fossil energy sources, and co-operation of committed individuals and groups, a new bioenergy industry has been successfully established. However, the forestry sector has so far been just a marginal fuel supplier for this industry. The study identifies pitfalls impeding a broad implementation of wood-energy supply in forestry: not cost-covering prices offered by the bioenergy sector, lacking market transparency and security of supply, lacking mobilization of forest wood, and a preference among forest managers to sell products to the wood-processing industry. In terms of the Institutions of Sustainability the properties of transactions (asset specificities, uncertainties, separability), characteristics of actors (values, rationality) and governance structures (long-term contractual obligations elsewhere) are decisive in explaining the current form of transaction.     

Chemical Interactions and Their Role in the Microphase Separation of Block Copolymer Thin Films

The thermodynamics of self-assembling systems are discussed in terms of the chemical interactions and the intermolecular forces between species. It is clear that there are both theoretical and practical limitations on the dimensions and the structural regularity of these systems. These considerations are made with reference to the microphase separation that occurs in block copolymer (BCP) systems. BCP systems self-assemble via a thermodynamic driven process where chemical dis-affinity between the blocks driving them part is balanced by a restorative force deriving from the chemical bond between the blocks. These systems are attracting much interest because of their possible role in nanoelectronic fabrication. This form of self-assembly can obtain highly regular nanopatterns in certain circumstances where the orientation and alignment of chemically distinct blocks can be guided through molecular interactions between the polymer and the surrounding interfaces. However, for this to be possible, great care must be taken to properly engineer the interactions between the surfaces and the polymer blocks. The optimum methods of structure directing are chemical pre-patterning (defining regions on the substrate of different chemistry) and graphoepitaxy (topographical alignment) but both centre on generating alignment through favourable chemical interactions. As in all self-assembling systems, the problems of defect formation must be considered and the origin of defects in these systems is explored. It is argued that in these nanostructures equilibrium defects are relatively few and largely originate from kinetic effects arising during film growth. Many defects also arise from the confinement of the systems when they are ‘directed’ by topography. The potential applications of these materials in electronics are discussed.