Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “ALTERNATE REDUCTANT”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 595 records · Page 33

Sustainable Ammonia Synthesis – Exploring the scientific challenges associated with discovering alternative, sustainable processes for ammonia production

Ammonia (NH 3 ) is essential to all life on our planet. Until about 100 years ago, NH 3 produced by reduction of dinitrogen (N 2 ) in air came almost exclusively from bacteria containing the enzyme nitrogenase.. DOE convened a roundtable of experts on February 18, 2016. Participants in the Roundtable discussions concluded that the scientific basis for sustainable processes for ammonia synthesis is currently lacking, and it needs to be enhanced substantially before it can form the foundation for alternative processes. The Roundtable Panel identified an overarching grand challenge and several additional scientific grand challenges and research opportunities: -Discovery of active, selective, scalable, long-lived catalysts for sustainable ammonia synthesis. -Development of relatively low pressure (<10 atm) and relatively low temperature (<200 C) thermal processes. -Integration of knowledge from nature (enzyme catalysis), molecular/homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. -Development of electrochemical and photochemical routes for N 2 reduction based on proton and electron transfer -Development of biochemical routes to N 2 reduction -Development of chemical looping (solar thermochemical) approaches -Identification of descriptors of catalytic activity using a combination of theory and experiments -Characterization of surface adsorbates and catalyst structures (chemical, physical and electronic) under conditions relevant to ammonia synthesis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Improvement of Odor Control for the UWMS Hard-Sided Fecal Canister and the Alternate Fecal Canister

On longer range exploration missions, the mass and volume of critical hardware and consumables required to support crew will pose a big stowage challenge. This includes the hardware for the collection and storage of human metabolic solid waste. The amount of stowage needed for this hardware both before (empty) and after (full) use will be a significant burden on the overall spacecraft habitable volume, layout, and design. To help with this challenge, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Mars Campaign Office (MCO) Logistics Reduction (LR) Portfolio has developed a collapsible canister for the collection and containment of fecal deposits. The Alternate Fecal Canister (AFC) is a collapsible alternative to the exploration toilet Hard-sided Fecal Canister (HFC). The AFC in its empty state has a volumetric benefit to smaller vehicles on longer missions. The current designs for HFC and AFC were tested with human fecal material for odor containment at White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) where the tests on both were unsuccessful. The source of the lack of containment was isolated to a gasket used on both HFC and AFC. The gasket used was found to be open cell in design. This paper provides a summary of the materials selection and testing process to identify a replacement gasket material with the intention to replace the gaskets on both existing units as well as incorporate it into the designs going forward for future builds for exploration. Details will be provided on the design of the canisters interface with the odor bacteria lid which led to the selection of the thickness of the desired replacement. Finally, the paper will provide an update on the testing in advance of a return to WSTF for final testing and detail plans to complete testing and perform a demonstration on ISS with UWMS.

ECLSS↗

Improvement of Odor Control for the UWMS Hard-Sided Fecal Canister and the Alternate Fecal Canister

On longer range exploration missions, the mass and volume of critical hardware and consumables required to support crew will pose a big stowage challenge. This includes the hardware for the collection and storage of human metabolic solid waste. The amount of stowage needed for this hardware both before (empty) and after (full) use will be a significant burden on the overall spacecraft habitable volume, layout, and design. To help with this challenge, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Mars Campaign Office (MCO) Logistics Reduction (LR) Portfolio has developed a collapsible canister for the collection and containment of fecal deposits. The Alternate Fecal Canister (AFC) is a collapsible alternative to the exploration toilet Hard-sided Fecal Canister (HFC). The AFC in its empty state has a volumetric benefit to smaller vehicles on longer missions. The current designs for HFC and AFC were tested with human fecal material for odor containment at White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) where the tests on both were unsuccessful. The source of the lack of containment was isolated to a gasket used on both HFC and AFC. The gasket used was found to be open cell in design. This paper provides a summary of the materials selection and testing process to identify a replacement gasket material with the intention to replace the gaskets on both existing units as well as incorporate it into the designs going forward for future builds for exploration. Details will be provided on the design of the canisters interface with the odor bacteria lid which led to the selection of the thickness of the desired replacement. Finally, the paper will provide an update on the testing in advance of a return to WSTF for final testing and detail plans to complete testing and perform a demonstration on ISS with UWMS.

Toilet↗

Limits on Achievable Intensity Reduction with an Optical Occulter

Deep shadowing of a normally incident plane wave by an opaque circular disk is partially negated by the formation of a region of strong intensity surrounding the axis passing normally through the disk center. This local intensity enhancement, historically referred to as the Poisson Spot (also known as the Spot of Arago), has been the principal source of difficulties in applications where a significant reduction of the incident intensity is essential. In particular, the NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder's (TPF) mission requires suppression of direct starlight by at least 10 orders of magnitude over the entire visible spectral range. One technique that has been proposed for blocking the direct starlight is to use a rotationally symmetric disk with petallike segments along its boundary. We find that, even though such configurations could, indeed, theoretically provide the desired intensity reduction, they would require unreasonably small radii of curvature at the petals' tips (in the range of micrometers). When the radii of curvature are increased to 3 mm, the intensity reduction drops to a modest 5 to 6 orders of magnitude. Given that for the NASA's TPF mission the proposed occulter radius would be on the order of 25 m, even the 3 mm radius of curvature would be too small for any practical implementation. Further increases of the radius of curvature result in progressively poorer intensity suppression. As an alternative solution we propose an apodized circular disk. We show that with an optimized apodization function, intensity reductions of at least 10 orders of magnitude can be achieved over the entire visible spectral range. Numerical results are presented for parameters appropriate to the NASA TPF mission.

Wasylkiwskyj, Wasyl↗

Assessment of NHTSA’s Report “Relationships Between Fatality Risk, Mass, and Footprint in Model Year 2003-2010 Passenger Cars and LTVs”

NHTSA recently completed a logistic regression analysis updating its 2003, 2010, and 2012 studies of the relationship between vehicle mass and US fatality risk per vehicle mile traveled (VMT; Kahane 2010, Kahane 2012, Puckett 2016). The new study updates the 2012 analysis using FARS data from 2005 to 2011 for model year 2003 to 2010. Using the updated databases, NHTSA estimates that reducing vehicle mass by 100 pounds while holding footprint fixed would increase fatality risk per VMT by 1.49% for lighter-than-average cars and by 0.50% for heavierthan- average cars, but reduce risk by 0.10% for lighter-than-average light-duty trucks, by 0.71% for heavier-than-average light-duty trucks, and by 0.99% for CUVs/minivans. Using a jack knife method to estimate the statistical uncertainty of these point estimates, NHTSA finds that none of these estimates are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level; however, the 1.49% increase in risk associated with mass reduction in lighter-than-average cars, and the 0.71% and 0.99% decreases in risk associated with mass reduction in heavier-than-average light trucks and CUVs/minivans, are statistically significant at the 90% confidence interval. The effect of mass reduction on risk that NHTSA estimated in 2016 is more beneficial than in its 2012 study, particularly for light trucks and CUVs/minivans. The 2016 NHTSA analysis estimates that reducing vehicle footprint by one square foot while holding mass constant would increase fatality risk per VMT by 0.28% in cars, by 0.38% in light trucks, and by 1.18% in CUVs and minivans.This report replicates the 2016 NHTSA analysis, and reproduces their main results. This report uses the confidence intervals output by the logistic regression models, which are smaller than the intervals NHTSA estimated using a jack-knife technique that accounts for the sampling error in the FARS fatality and state crash data. In addition to reproducing the NHTSA results, this report also examines the NHTSA data in slightly different ways to get a deeper understanding of the relationship between vehicle weight, footprint, and safety. The results of the NHTSA baseline results, and these alternative analyses, are summarized in Table ES.1; statistically significant estimates, based on the confidence intervals output by the logistic regression models, are shown in red in the tables. We found that NHTSA’s reasonable assumption that all vehicles will have ESC installed by 2017 in its baseline regression model slightly increases the estimated increase in risk from mass reduction in cars, but substantially decreases the estimated increase in risk from footprint reduction in all three vehicle types (Alternative 1 in Table ES.1; explained in more detail in Section 2.1 of this report). This is because NHTSA projects ESC to substantially reduce the number of fatalities in rollovers and crashes with stationary objects, and mass reduction appears to reduce risk, while footprint reduction appears to increase risk, in these types of crashes, particularly in cars and CUVs/minivans. A single regression model including all crash types results in slightly different estimates of the relationship between decreasing mass and risk, as shown in Alternative 2 in Table ES.1.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Galaxy clustering in the DESI Legacy Survey and its imprint on the CMB

ABSTRACT We use data from the DESI Legacy Survey imaging to probe the galaxy density field in tomographic slices covering the redshift range 0 < z < 0.8. After careful consideration of completeness corrections and galactic cuts, we obtain a sample of 4.9 × 107 galaxies covering 17 739 deg2. We derive photometric redshifts with precision σz/(1 + z) = 0.012−0.015, and compare with alternative estimates.1 Cross-correlation of the tomographic galaxy maps with Planck maps of cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and lensing convergence probe the growth of structure since z = 0.8. The signals are compared with a fiducial Planck ΛCDM model, and require an overall scaling in amplitude of Aκ = 0.901 ± 0.026 for the lensing cross-correlation and AISW = 0.984 ± 0.349 for the temperature cross-correlation, interpreted as the integrated Sachs–Wolfe effect. The ISW amplitude is consistent with the fiducial Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) prediction, but lies significantly below the prediction of the AvERA model of Rácz et al., which has been proposed as an alternative explanation for cosmic acceleration. Within ΛCDM, our low amplitude for the lensing cross-correlation requires a reduction either in fluctuation normalization or in matter density compared to the Planck results, so that $\Omega _\mathrm{ m}^{0.78}\sigma _8=0.297\pm 0.009$. In combination with the total amplitude of CMB lensing, this favours a shift mainly in density: Ωm = 0.274 ± 0.024. We discuss the consistency of this figure with alternative evidence. A conservative compromise between lensing and primary CMB constraints would require Ωm = 0.296 ± 0.006, where the 95 per cent confidence regions of both probes overlap.

Hang, Qianjun↗

Liquid–Solid Boundaries Dominate Activity of CO 2 Reduction on Gas-Diffusion Electrodes

Electrochemical CO 2 electrolysis to produce hydrocarbon fuels or material feedstocks offers a renewable alternative to fossilized carbon sources. Gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs), composed of solid electrocatalysts on porous supports positioned near the interface of a conducting electrolyte and CO 2 gas, have been able to demonstrate the substantial current densities needed for future commercialization. These higher reaction rates have often been ascribed to the presence of a three-phase interface, where solid, liquid, and gas provide electrons, water, and CO 2 , respectively. Conversely, mechanistic work on electrochemical reactions implicates a fully two-phase reaction interface, where gas molecules reach the electrocatalyst’s surface by dissolution and diffusion through the electrolyte. Because the discrepancy between an atomistic three-phase versus two-phase reaction has substantial implications for the design of catalysts, gas-diffusion layers, and cell architectures, the nuances of nomenclatures and governing phenomena surrounding the three-phase-region require clarification. In this paper we outline the macro, micro, and atomistic phenomena occurring within a gas-diffusion electrode to provide a focused discussion on the architecture of the often-discussed three-phase region for CO 2 electrolysis. From this information, we comment on the outlook for the broader CO 2 electroreduction GDE cell architecture.

CO2 reduction↗

Modelling of Blast Furnace with Respective Chemical Reactions in Coke and Ore Burden Layers

The ironmaking blast furnace (BF) is an efficient chemical reactor for producing liquid iron from solid iron ore, where the solids of coke and iron ore are charged in alternative layers and different chemical reactions occur in the two solid layers as they descend. Such respective reacting burden layers have not been considered explicitly in the previous BF models. In this article, a mathematical model based on multi-fluid theory is developed for describing the multiphase reacting flows considering the respective reacting burden layers. Then, this model is applied to a BF, covering the area from the burden surface at the furnace top to the liquid surface above the hearth, to describe the inner states of a BF in terms of the multiphase flows, temperature distribution and reduction process. The results show that some key important features in the layered burden with respective chemical reactions are captured, including fluctuating iso-lines in terms of gas flow and thermochemical behaviours; particularly the latter cannot be well captured in the previous BF models. The temperature difference between gas–solid phases is found to be larger near the raceway, at the cohesive zone and at the furnace top, and the thermal reserved zone can be identified near the shaft. Three chemical reserve zones of hematite, magnetite and wustite can also be observed near the stockline, in the shaft near the wall and near centre, respectively. Inside each reserve zone, the corresponding ferrous oxides stay constantly high in alternative layers; the overall performance indicators including gas utilization efficiency and reduction degree also stay stable in an alternative-layered structure. This model provides a cost-effective tool to investigate the BF in-furnace process and optimize BF operation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The long term energy problem and aeronautics

The projected increase in energy consumption by transportation in general and civil aviation in particular is directly opposed to the dwindling supplies of natural petroleum crude oil currently used to produce aircraft fuels. This fact dictates the need to develop even more energy conservative aircraft and propulsion systems than are currently available and to explore the potential of alternative fuels to replace the current petroleum derived hydrocarbons. Advances in technology are described in the areas of improved component efficiency, aircraft and engine integration, control systems, and advanced lightweight materials that are needed to maximize performance and minimize fuel usage. Also, improved turbofan and unconventional engine cycles which can provide significant fuel usage reductions are described. These advancements must be accomplished within expected environmental constraints such as noise and pollution limits. Alternative fuels derived from oil shale and coal are described, and the possible technological advancements needed to use these fuels in aircraft engines are discussed and evaluated with relation to potential differences in fuel characteristics.

Rudey, R. A.↗

Effect of a 17 day spaceflight on contractile properties of human soleus muscle fibres

1. Soleus biopsies were obtained from four male astronauts 45 days before and within 2 h after a 17 day spaceflight. 2. For all astronauts, single chemically skinned post-flight fibres expressing only type I myosin heavy chain (MHC) developed less average peak Ca2+ activated force (Po) during fixed-end contractions (0.78 +/- 0. 02 vs. 0.99 +/- 0.03 mN) and shortened at a greater mean velocity during unloaded contractions (Vo) (0.83 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.64 +/- 0.02 fibre lengths s-1) than pre-flight type I fibres. 3. The flight-induced decline in absolute Po was attributed to reductions in fibre diameter and/or Po per fibre cross-sectional area. Fibres from the astronaut who experienced the greatest relative loss of peak force also displayed a reduction in Ca2+ sensitivity. 4. The elevated Vo of the post-flight slow type I fibres could not be explained by alterations in myosin heavy or light chain composition. One alternative possibility is that the elevated Vo resulted from an increased myofilament lattice spacing. This hypothesis was supported by electron micrographic analysis demonstrating a reduction in thin filament density post-flight. 5. Post-flight fibres shortened at 30 % higher velocities than pre-flight fibres at external loads associated with peak power output. This increase in shortening velocity either reduced (2 astronauts) or prevented (2 astronauts) a post-flight loss in fibre absolute peak power (microN (fibre length) s-1). 6. The changes in soleus fibre diameter and function following spaceflight were similar to those observed after 17 days of bed rest. Although in-flight exercise countermeasures probably reduced the effects of microgravity, the results support the idea that ground-based bed rest can serve as a model of human spaceflight. 7. In conclusion, 17 days of spaceflight decreased force and increased shortening velocity of single Ca2+-activated muscle cells expressing type I MHC. The increase in shortening velocity greatly reduced the impact that impaired force production had on absolute peak power.

Clinical Trial↗

Multiple Redox Modes in the Reversible Lithiation of High-Capacity, Peierls-Distorted Vanadium Sulfide

Vanadium sulfide VS4 in the patronite mineral structure is a linear chain compound comprising vanadium atoms coordinated by disulfide anions [S2]2–. 51V NMR shows that the material, despite having V formally in the d1 configuration, is diamagnetic, suggesting potential dimerization through metal–metal bonding associated with a Peierls distortion of the linear chains. This is supported by density functional calculations, and is also consistent with the observed alternation in V–V distances of 2.8 and 3.2 Å along the chains. Partial lithiation results in reduction of the disulfide ions to sulfide S2–, via an internal redox process whereby an electron from V4+ is transferred to [S2]2– resulting in oxidation of V4+ to V5+ and reduction of the [S2]2– to S2– to form Li3VS4 containing tetrahedral [VS4]3– anions. On further lithiation this is followed by reduction of the V5+ in Li3VS4 to form Li3+xVS4 (x = 0.5–1), a mixed valent V4+/V5+ compound. Eventually reduction to Li2S plus elemental V occurs. Despite the complex redox processes involving both the cation and the anion occurring in this material, the system is found to be partially reversible between 0 and 3 V. The unusual redox processes in this system are elucidated using a suite of short-range characterization tools including 51V nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), S K-edge X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES), and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of X-ray data.

Britto, Sylvia↗

Enhancing the discussion of alternatives in EIA using principle component analysis leads to improved public involvement

The purpose of this study is to show the effectiveness of principle component analysis (PCA) as a method of alternatives analysis useful for improving the discussion of alternatives and public involvement. This study examined public consultations by applying quantitative text analysis (QTA) to the minutes of meetings and showed a positive correlation between the discussion of alternatives and the sense of public involvement. The discussion of alternatives may improve public involvement. A table of multiple criteria analysis for alternatives with detailed scores may exclude the public from involvement due to the general public's limited capacity to understand the mathematical algorithm and to process too much information. PCA allowed for the reduction of multiple criteria down to a small number of uncorrelated variables (principle components), a display of the merits and demerits of the alternatives, and potentially made the identification of preferable alternatives by the stakeholders easier. PCA is likely to enhance the discussion of alternatives and as a result, lead to improved public involvement.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Iodine Propulsion Advantages for Low Cost Mission Applications and the Iodine Satellite (ISAT) Technology Demonstration

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Science and Technology Office is continuously exploring technology options to increase performance or reduce cost and risk to future NASA missions including science and exploration. Electric propulsion is a prevalent technology known to reduce mission costs by reduction in launch costs and spacecraft mass through increased post launch propulsion performance. The exploration of alternative propellants for electric propulsion continues to be of interest to the community. Iodine testing has demonstrated comparable performance to xenon. However, iodine has a higher storage density resulting in higher ΔV capability for volume constrained systems. Iodine's unique properties also allow for unpressurized storage yet sublimation with minimal power requirements to produce required gas flow rates. These characteristics make iodine an ideal propellant for secondary spacecraft. A range of mission have been evaluated with a focus on low-cost applications. Results highlight the potential for significant cost reduction over state of the art. Based on the potential, NASA has been developing the iodine Satellite for a near-term iodine Hall propulsion technology demonstration. Mission applications and progress of the iodine Satellite project are presented.

Dankanich, John W.↗

Synthesis, structure, electronic characterization, and halogenation of gold(III) phlorin complexes

The metalation chemistry of the phlorin, which is a non-aromatic tetrapyrrole macrocycle containing a single sp 3 -hybridized meso-carbon has remained underdeveloped, as compared to that of more traditional tetrapyrroles such as porphyrins, corroles and phthalocyanines. There have been few prior efforts to prepare metallophlorins, and those that have been reported have relied on either reduction or nucleophilic attack of parent metalloporphyrins, rather than direct metalation of freebase phlorin constructs. In this work, an alternate synthetic approach for preparation of gold(III) phlorin complexes that involves the first direct metalation of two different freebase phlorin derivatives (3H(Phl tBu ) and 3H(Phl F )) with AuBr 3 to produce the stable and fully isolable gold(III) phlorin complexes Au(Phl tBu ) and Au(Phl F ) is reported. The first structural characterization of a metallophlorin bearing geminal dimethyl substituents at the sp 3 -hybridized meso-carbon via X-ray crystallography is also reported. In addition to the preparation of Au(Phl tBu ) and Au(Phl F ), the UV-vis absorption and redox properties of these two gold(III) phlorins in comparison to those of their freebase homologues is also detailed. Notably, the metallophlorins are characterized by panchromatic absorbance profiles and intense and broad bands that span the long-visible and into the near-IR regions, as well as two fully reversible oxidation and reduction waves as probed by cyclic voltammetry. Lastly, the chlorination of Au(Phl tBu ) using PhI(Cl 2 ) was probed and it was found that this regioslective reaction generates monochlorinated (Au(Phl tBu Cl)) and dichlorinated (Au(Phl tBu Cl 2 )) products, which were both structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Acetaldehyde as an intermediate in the electroreduction of carbon monoxide to ethanol on oxide-derived copper

Oxide-derived copper (OD-Cu) electrodes exhibit unprecedented CO reduction performance towards liquid fuels, producing ethanol and acetate with >50 % Faradaic efficiency at -0.3 V (vs. RHE). By using static headspace-gas chromatography for liquid phase analysis, we identify acetaldehyde as a minor product and key intermediate in the electroreduction of CO to ethanol on OD-Cu electrodes. Acetaldehyde is produced with a Faradaic efficiency of ≈5 % at -0.33 V (vs. RHE). We show that acetaldehyde forms at low steady-state concentrations, and that free acetaldehyde is difficult to detect in alkaline solutions using NMR spectroscopy, requiring alternative methods for detection and quantification. Our results indicate an important step towards understanding the CO reduction mechanism on OD-Cu electrodes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Off-Gas Design and Testing from Advanced Chlorination Process

Chlorination of Zr alloy cladding with sulfur-chloride reagents is being considered as a means of separating the main metal from alloying elements, imbedded U, actinides, and fission and activation products to purify the Zr. This would allow the Zr to be disposed of as low-level nuclear waste or possibly be recycled. A multistage process was developed that involves several steps and waste streams. Recycling of sulfur-chloride reagents S 2 Cl 2 and SOCl 2 is planned to minimize the waste stream. The generation of off-gas and entrainment of volatiles is anticipated to be minimized. However, given the complex nature of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), some volatile components will be generated, including the solvents themselves; Cl 2 used for the regeneration of S 2 Cl 2 ; volatile fission product chlorides, such as Sb and 3 H; and chlorinated alloying components, such as Sn, Nb, Fe, and Mo. This report discusses the chemical phenomena that might give rise to volatile species and their planned capture. The volatility of the transition metals will depend on their oxidation state and the compounds that are formed, such as Zr tritide. Loading radionuclides in the process off-gas will depend on the inputs to the process. For instance, processing separated Zr to reduce waste will have a much lower loading of radionuclides than if alternative chlorination were used for decladding SNF. Much of the volatile process streams will be part of the solvent recycling, which may involve online scrubbing. Generally, a caustic scrubber should be included in the off-gas to remove acidic vapors (e.g., Cl 2 , SOCl 2 ). The decontamination procedures for removing these species could involve pretreatment (i.e., heating) options or reduction by contact with H 2 . This report discusses these options along with a framework for testing these alternatives in future experiments. Technologies for off-gas capture will leverage those developed in the Materials Recovery and Waste Forms program.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

The Effect of a Reduction in the Catalyst Loading on a Mini Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

Mini passive direct methanol fuel cells (mpDMFCs) appear to be a promising alternative for powering portable devices, since they use a liquid fuel, have a fast refuelling time, have a high efficiency and have a low environmental impact. However, some issues need to be solved before their commercialization, such as methanol crossover, short lifetime and high costs. The present work studies the effect of reducing the anode and cathode catalyst loading on the performance of a mpDMFC towards a reduction in the system costs and the characterization of the system losses. The undesirable losses that affect the fuel cell performance were identified and quantified using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique. Accordingly, a novel equivalent electric circuit (EEC) was proposed, accurately reproducing the mini pDMFC. In this work, a maximum power density of 7.07 mW cm−2 was obtained, with a methanol concentration of 5 M, using 2 mg cm−2 Pt-RuB and 4 mg cm−2 PtB. The mpDMFC allowed the cell to work with high methanol concentrations and reduced anode catalyst loadings.

Moreira, C. S.↗

The political economy of noncompliance in China: The case of industrial energy policy

One of the greatest challenges facing China today is the central government's ability to ensure that policies are implemented effectively at the local level, particularly policies that seek to make China's economic growth model more sustainable. These policies face resistance from local authorities and enterprises that benefit from the status quo. This raises a key research question: why do some provinces more fully implement these central policies? We argue the extent of local implementation is best conceptualized as a rational balance between economic and political incentives: localities with regulatory autonomy, low regulatory capacity and alternative interests will not fully implement policies that are at odds with local economic imperatives. By examining a critical case of central policy implementation—industrial energy intensity reduction in the eleventh five-year plan—this article demonstrates that, regardless of industrial makeup or economic development, provinces that have greater regulatory autonomy for noncompliance coupled with alternative economic interests do not, on average, perform as well. As a result, using a nested analysis approach this study illustrates this argument with both quantitative analysis and original case study evidence from fieldwork interviews.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗