Recent advances during CH4 dry reforming for syngas production: A mini review

Given the continuing issues of environment and energy, methane dry reforming for syngas production have sparked interest among researchers, but struggled with the process immaturity owing to catalyst deactivation. This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of efficient and stable catalysts with strong resistance to coking and metal sintering, including the application of novel materials, the assessment of advanced characterizations and the compatibility to improved reaction system. One feasible option is the crystalline oxide catalysts (perovskite, pyrochlore, spinel and LDHs), which feature a fine metal dispersion and surface confinement effect via a metal exsolution strategy and exhibit superior reactivity and stability. Some new materials (h-BN, clays and MOFs) also extend the option because of their unique morphology and microstructure. It also is elaborated that progresses were achieved in advanced characterizations application, leading to success in the establishment of reaction mechanisms and attributions to the formed robust catalysts. In addition, the perspective described the upgrade of reaction system to a higher reaction efficiency and milder reaction conditions. The combination of efficient reaction systems and robust catalysts paves a way for a scaling-up application of the process.     

Full AC analysis of value of DER to the grid and optimal DER scheduling

This paper presents part of the work ComEd and Quanta Technology have performed to quantify the locational and temporal value of DER to avoid distribution grid upgrade investments. It focuses on the formulation of a robust and efficient algorithm for DER optimal dispatch on a distribution feeder to mitigate the violation of current and voltage limits using the allocated cost of capacity and locational marginal value of real and reactive DER injection/withdrawal.     

Thermodynamic modeling of gas solubility in aqueous sodium chloride solution

An electrolyte Equation of State is presented by combining the Cubic Plus Association Equation of State,Mean Spherical Approximation and the Born equation.This new model uses experimental relative static permittivity,intend to predict well the activity coefficients of individual ions (ACI) and liquid densities of aqueous solutions.This new model is applied to model water + NaCl binary system and water + gas +NaCl ternary systems.The cation/anion-water interaction parameters of are obtained by fitting the exper-imental data of ACI,mean ionic activity coefficients (MIAC) and liquid densities of water + NaCl binary system.The cation/anion-gas interaction parameters are obtained by fitting the experimental data of gas solubilities in aqueous NaCl solutions.The modeling results show that this new model can correlate well with the phase equilibrium and volumetric properties.Without gas,predictions for ACI,MIAC,and liquid densities present relative average deviations of 1.3％,3.6％ and 1.4％ compared to experimental ref-erence values.For most gas-containing systems,predictions for gas solubilities present relative average deviations lower than 7.0％.Further,the contributions of ACI,and salting effects of NaCl on gases are ana-lyzed and discussed.     

Novel measurement system for respiratory aerosols and droplets in indoor environments

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created a great demand for a better understanding of the spread of viruses in indoor environments. A novel measurement system consisting of one portable aerosol-emitting mannequin (emitter) and a number of portable aerosol-absorbing mannequins (recipients) was developed that can measure the spread of aerosols and droplets that potentially contain infectious viruses. The emission of the virus from a human is simulated by using tracer particles solved in water. The recipients inhale the aerosols and droplets and quantify the level of solved tracer particles in their artificial lungs simultaneously over time. The mobile system can be arranged in a large variety of spreading scenarios in indoor environments and allows for quantification of the infection probability due to airborne virus spreading. This study shows the accuracy of the new measurement system and its ability to compare aerosol reduction measures such as regular ventilation or the use of a room air purifier.     

Cyberbullying: Effect of emergency perception on the helping tendencies of bystanders

The effect of the emergency perception of bystanders of cyberbullying victims on helping behaviors is often neglected in research on cyberbullying. In this study, we explored the influence of this cognitive factor on cyber-bystanders’ helping tendencies as well as elucidated possible underlying processes. The results of two studies were reported. In Study 1, 150 undergraduates read a true case of a girl experiencing cyberbullying. The results indicated that when the participants perceived the victim’s situation to be more critical (i.e., higher emergency perception), their helping tendencies were stronger, partly through increased state empathy followed by feelings of responsibility to help. In Study 2, we randomly assigned 300 undergraduates to two groups. The low emergency group read the same cyberbullying case as Study 1, whereas the cyberbullying case read by the high emergency group contained additional emergency information of the victim. The results indicated that the high emergency group expressed stronger helping tendencies than did the low emergency group. This effect was caused by a stronger perception that the victim was in an emergency situation, which not only strengthened the participants’ helping tendencies directly but also indirectly through increasing their state empathy and feelings of responsibility to help.     

Microbial susceptibility of various polymers and evaluation of thermoplastic elastomers with antimicrobial additives

The incursion of microbial growth on polymeric products can deteriorate their performance and lead to the development of undesirable staining and odors. A growing trend in the industry has aimed to reduce microbial populations on high-touch surfaces via the use of antimicrobials to protect material aesthetics and durability or to prevent the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. In this study, a variety of plastic substrates (30 unique polymer compounds), including poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene), poly(butylene terephthalate), poly(etherimide), various thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), poly(carbonates), and poly(amides), were screened for susceptibility to microbial attack using American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) G21 (fungi susceptibility), Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) Z2801, and modified ASTM E1428-15a (bacterial susceptibility) test standards. TPEs were determined to be most susceptible to microbial attack under the appropriate environmental conditions. Subsequent studies assessed the use of an antimicrobial additive, zinc pyrithione (ZPT), for potential efficacy in a variety of TPE blends for diverse target market applications. ZPT proved to be very effective in protecting TPEs, reducing Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli populations by 99.9% or more in JIS Z2801 testing and inhibiting fungal growth (rating = 0) according to the ASTM G21 standard.     

基准平面垂直断面法在爆破漏斗试验中的应用

系统阐述了基准平面垂直断面法在爆破漏斗试验中测量爆破漏斗体积的基本原理,并将隧道激光断面仪应用于金厂河矿1 750 m水平15^#采场底部切割巷道爆破漏斗试验爆破漏斗体积测量中。通过与传统体重法等计算法所得漏斗体积分析比较,结果表明基于隧道激光断面仪与3D Mine软件分析的基准平面垂直断面法实用性强、操作方便、结果直观可靠,达到试验预期目的。     

控制爆破法处理卡钻事故

介绍了在包头市某工程实施管道穿越黄河施工中,采用爆破法处理卡钻的经验。针对深水环境条件及钻杆内径小不宜采用集团装药的条件,确定采用"小直径爆破筒,钻杆内部装药"的爆破方案,阐述了爆破设计及施工注意事项。可供类似工程参考。