Numerical characterization of a microscale solid-oxide fuel cell

In this study, a single unit of planar micro-solid-oxide fuel cell (μSOFC) is investigated numerically to evaluate the influences of flow channel design, oxygen composition, and thermal operating conditions on cell performance. Four flow channel designs are examined under the co-flow configuration: serpentine, double serpentine, rod bundle, and oblique rib. For all designs, the contacts areas of interconnect to electrodes are kept consistent to maintain the ohmic losses at the same level. To characterize the mass transport effects, there are three different compositions, 100% O₂, 50% O₂/50% N₂ and air, fed to the cathode inlet. Different thermal conditions, adiabatic and isothermal, are applied to the outer boundary of the μSOFC and the results are compared. The outcomes suggest that both thermal conditions and oxidant composition show remarkable influences on μSOFC performance. Under adiabatic conditions, the rise of cell temperature causes a decrease in reversible voltage, deteriorating the overall cell competence. When oxygen is diluted with nitrogen, local gas diffusion becomes dominant to the cathode reaction. Bulk flow, on the other hand, plays a minor role in cell performance since there is little deviation in the polarization curves for all flow channel designs, even at high current densities. For comparison, the flow visualization technique is employed to observe the transport phenomena in various flow channel designs. The flow patterns are found to resemble the concentration distribution, providing a useful tool to design μSOFCs.     

Calculation methods for comparing the performance of pure and mixed working fluids in heat pump applications

Three methods for comparing cycle performance of working fluids, pure as well as non-azeotropic mixtures, are investigated for two applications and for two mixture pairs, HCFC22-CFC114 and HCFC22-HCFC142b, and their pure components. The methods differ in the way of calculating the heat exchange processes. They assume, respectively, equal minimum approach temperatures, equal mean temperature differences and equal heat transfer areas. Changes of coefficient of performance (COP) with composition are explained for all methods. It is shown that transport properties must be taken into account when making rigorous comparisons between working fluids. To predict the relations between fluids with high accuracy, one must use the method with equal heat transfer areas. By the method with equal mean temperature differences, the COP can be estimated with the same accuracy for mixtures as for pure fluids, and can be used for rough estimations of the COP level with different fluids. The method of equal minimum approach temperatures should be avoided for non-azeotropic mixtures.     

NUMERICAL STUDY ON QUASI- STEADY FLOW OF NONNEWTONIAN FLUID IN SUCK-ROD PUMP

This paper presents a numerical method for simulation of the flow and thecalculated results of the quasi-steady axisymmetrical flow field and pressure distribution on valveball with power-law model for Non-Newtonian fluid in suck-rod pump.We believe the methodcan provide a foundation for further research and improvement of the design of suck-rod pump.     

Potential of ground heat source systems

This paper presents a historical background of ground source heat pump technology, followed by a review of its current shortcomings. Based on these observations the author assesses the R&D needs and recommendations for future research.     

高炉冲渣水在采暖工程中的应用

随着我国经济的迅速发展,能源消耗不断增加,节约能源、降低能源消耗势在必行,余热利用是节约能源的一个重要环节,冶金行业高炉冲渣水作为采暖热媒可以节约大量能源。     

钻井泵阀箱密封面CO2堆焊试验研究及应用

介绍了用CO_2堆焊35CrMo钢钻井泵阀箱密封面磨损修复工作,通过试验表明,采用Φ1.2mm的H08Mn2Si焊丝,以短路过渡CO_2焊法施焊,可以获得致密、耐磨的堆焊金属层。该法已成功地用于生产,取得了良好的经济效益。     

Fuel cycle strategies and plutonium management in Europe

An overview of current nuclear power generation and fuel cycle strategies in Europe is presented, with an emphasis on options for the management of separated plutonium in the medium to long term. Countries which have opted for reprocessing of spent fuel have had to contend with increasing inventories of separated plutonium. Of the various potential options for utilisation or disposition of these stockpiles, only light water reactor (LWR) mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel programmes are sufficiently technologically mature to be fully operational in several European countries at present. Such reprocessing-recycling programmes allow for a stabilisation of the overall separated plutonium stocks, but not for a significant reduction in the stockpile. Moreover, the quality of recycled plutonium decreases at each potential step of re-irradiation. Therefore, optimised or new ways of managing the plutonium stocks in the medium to long term are required. In the present overview we consider the most promising options for reactor utilisation of plutonium in both near-term future reactor and Generation IV systems.     

Monitoring herbaceous fuel moisture content with SPOT VEGETATION time-series for fire risk prediction in savanna ecosystems

This paper evaluated the capacity of SPOT VEGETATION time-series to monitor herbaceous fuel moisture content (FMC) in order to improve fire risk assessment in the savanna ecosystem of Kruger National Park in South Africa. In situ herbaceous FMC data were used to assess the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Vegetation Dryness Index (VDI), Improved VDI (IVDI), and Accumulated Relative NDVI Decrement (ARND) during the dry season. The effect of increasing amounts of dead vegetation on the monitoring capacity of derived indices was studied by sampling mixed live and dead FMC. The IVDI was proposed as an improvement of the VDI to monitor herbaceous FMC during the dry season. The IVDI is derived by replacing NDVI with the integrated Relative Vegetation Index (iRVI), as an approximation of yearly herbaceous biomass, when analyzing the 2-dimensional space with NDWI. It was shown that the iRVI offered more information than the NDVI in combination with NDWI to monitor FMC. The VDI and IVDI exhibited a significant relation to FMC with R² of 0.25 and 0.73, respectively. The NDWI, however, correlated best with FMC (R² = 0.75), while the correlation of ARND and FMC was weaker (R² = 0.60) than that found for NDVI, NDWI, and IVDI. The use of in situ herbaceous FMC consequently indicated that NDWI is appropriate as spatio-temporal information source of herbaceous FMC variation which can be used to optimize fire risk and behavior assessment for fire management in savanna ecosystems.     

NaI多道脉冲幅度分析系统在燃料元件破损监测中的应用研究

介绍了船用堆燃料元件破损监测中较常用的两种方法.通过分析其缺陷,提出了用NaI多道脉冲幅度分析系统测量特征核素(131I、137Cs)的方法,有效避免了监测中的干扰因素的影响,降低了定量监测中的误报率,提高了燃料元件破损监测的效率和置信度.     

Synfuel development impacts— econometric modelling and policy analysis

The prospects for rapid near-term development of a synfuel industry in the USA have decreased, due to depressed world oil prices, synfuel project cost overruns, and the lukewarm support of the Reagan administration. Nonetheless, socioeconomic and environmental impact analysis studies can provide valuable information for determining the regional welfare effects of proposed projects. The author discusses the results of a regional econometric analysis of the synfuel projects planned for Western Kentucky, which focuses on environmental impacts, and reveals the inevitable trade-offs that would accompany synfuel development. Some policy issues are briefly reviewed, especially that of efficient energy pricing.