Engineering topics

Bourcier, William L

Publications and source records attributed to Bourcier, William L.

5 records

DOE OSTI2015

Polymer-encapsulated carbon capture liquids that tolerate precipitation of solids for increased capacity

A system for carbon dioxide capture from flue gas and other industrial gas sources utilizes microcapsules with very thin polymer shells. The contents of the microcapsules can be liquids or mixtures of liquids and solids. The microcapsules are exposed to the flue gas and other industrial gas and take up carbon dioxide from the flue gas and other industrial gas and eventual precipitate solids in the capsule.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Silica extraction from geothermal water

A method of producing silica from geothermal fluid containing low concentration of the silica of less than 275 ppm includes the steps of treating the geothermal fluid containing the silica by reverse osmosis treatment thereby producing a concentrated fluid containing the silica, seasoning the concentrated fluid thereby producing a slurry having precipitated colloids containing the silica, and separating the silica from the slurry.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2014

Separation of a target substance from a fluid or mixture using encapsulated sorbents

Method and apparatus for separating a target substance from a fluid or mixture. Capsules having a coating and stripping solvents encapsulated in the capsules are provided. The coating is permeable to the target substance. The capsules having a coating and stripping solvents encapsulated in the capsules are exposed to the fluid or mixture. The target substance migrates through the coating and is taken up by the stripping solvents. The target substance is separated from the fluid or mixture by driving off the target substance from the capsules.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2014

Nanoengineered field induced charge separation membranes and methods of manufacture thereof

A device according to one embodiment includes a porous membrane having a surface charge and pore configuration characterized by a double layer overlap effect being present in pores of the membrane. A device according to another embodiment includes a porous membrane having a surface charge in pores thereof sufficient to impart anion or cation selectivity in the pores. Additional devices, systems and methods are also presented.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2011

Deionization and desalination using electrostatic ion pumping

The present invention provides a new method and apparatus/system for purifying ionic solutions, such as, for example, desalinating water, using engineered charged surfaces to sorb ions from such solutions. Surface charge is applied externally, and is synchronized with oscillatory fluid movements between substantially parallel charged plates. Ions are held in place during fluid movement in one direction (because they are held in the electrical double layer), and released for transport during fluid movement in the opposite direction by removing the applied electric field. In this way the ions, such as salt, are "ratcheted" across the charged surface from the feed side to the concentrate side. The process itself is very simple and involves only pumps, charged surfaces, and manifolds for fluid collection.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗