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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.

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58 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Modular Adaptive Packing for Integrally Cooled Absorbers

Process intensification is one cornerstone in ION Clean Energy’s (ION) efforts to lowering CO2 capture cost. ION has modeled, designed, and fabricated an innovative gas-liquid contactor known as Modular Adaptive Packing (MAP). During two successful SBIR Phase I and II projects entitled: “Rapid Design and Testing of Novel Gas-Liquid Contacting Devices for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture via 3D-printing”, ION developed and proved this new technology at bench scale. MAP, a 3D-printed lattice-structured packing, combines the absorber gas/liquid contactor with an innovative in-situ heat-exchanger. Thanks to the capabilities of 3D-printing, the lattice structure of MAP contains hollow channels through which coolant water can be pumped to remove the heat of reaction from CO2 absorption. ION refers to this novel method of heat exchange as intracooling. After 25.4 cm (10 in) diameter MAP modules were fabricated, ION built and tested a packing characterization rig at its pilot facility in Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A. To provide baseline results for the characterization rig, ION tested Sulzer’s Mellapak™ 250Y (MP250Y) as a standard structured packing. ION’s MAP was then compared directly to the baseline MP250Y packing to evaluate key indicators including pressure drop, liquid hold-up, and effective area. MAP has a higher pressure drop than MP250Y at the same gas velocities in addition to greater liquid holdup. However, ION found that MAP displays a higher wetting coverage of 93% compared to 65% for MP250Y and reduces shearing forces that result in undesirable droplet formation. Using Optimized Gas Treating’s (OGT) rate-based simulation software ProTreat®, a conceptual evaluation of MAP was modeled for a CO2 absorber using 30 wt% MEA solvent over a range of lean loadings at 90% CO2 capture from a coal-fired power plant. ION modeled a 25-meter column absorber for both the standard MP250Y packing and a hybrid column. The hybrid absorber contained 10 m of MP250Y packing at the top and bottom with the middle 5 meters comprised of MAP. Compared to a traditional intercooled absorber, MAP can remove 22% more heat and increase overall MEA carrying capacity by 4% without increasing overall pressure drop.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1985

Development of Materials Processing Systems for Use in Space on Low-g Simulation Devices

Advanced furnace systems are being developed for use in space. Systems are being tested for current experiment applications and modified for future experiment requirements. Future projects are: (1) fabrication and testing of the Advanced Automated Directional Solidification Furnace (AADSF) flight hardware; (2) development of a Heat Pipe Furnace (HPF) for use in space. Heat pipes will be tested for space flight qualification in conjunction with the furnace development. The HPF design will be based on the AADSF development and will be of modular design including capabilities of operating with or without heat pipes; and (3) the AADSF furnace will be modified and tested to operate at temperatures up to 1700 C in the heated cavity. This will be accomplished by developing a new hot end heating module and insulation package for the existing AADSF. Refurbishment of the Drop Tower Furnace (DTF) is under way. The DTF can operate at temperatures up to 1700 C. The sample size will be approximately 3/8 in. dia. x 5/8 in. long. Design improvements for the General Purpose Rocket Furnace (GPRF) for use in the Material Experiment Assembly (MEA) are to be accomplished.

Aldrich, B. R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Impact of electrode thick spot irregularities on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell initial performance

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells have great potential for power generation in many applications, but to implement them on a larger scale, understanding of quality requirements, tolerances, and controls during manufacturing must improve. As part of this broad challenge, irregularities resulting from the membrane electrode assembly production process must be studied to determine if they impact the performance of the cell. One potential irregularity is a locally increased thickness of the coated or deposited electrode. In order to understand and provide insight into the impact of such irregularities, we intentionally created thick spots in the center of cathode electrodes. The thick spots fabricated by two different approaches were carefully characterized by optical microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We found that the impact of the thick spots on the electrochemically active catalyst area and mass activity was minimal. However, specific electrode thick spot irregularities significantly impacted the mass transport properties of the cells. Based on SEM analysis, the likely cause of the performance drop is morphological changes associated with the creation of the thick spot irregularity. Spatial performance results obtained with a segmented cell system further indicated that the area of the performance impact exceeded that of the intentionally created thick spot.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Jeankempite, Ca 5 (AsO 4 ) 2 (AsO 3 OH) 2 (H 2 O) 7 , a new arsenate mineral from the Mohawk Mine, Keweenaw County, Michigan, USA

Abstract Jeankempite, Ca 5 (AsO 4 ) 2 (AsO 3 OH) 2 (H 2 O) 7 , is a new mineral species (IMA2018-090) discovered amongst coatings of arsenate minerals on oxidised copper arsenides from the Mohawk No. 2 mine, Mohawk, Keweenaw County, Michigan, USA. The new mineral occurs as lamellar bundles of colourless to white plates up to 1 mm wide and is visually indistinguishable from guérinite, with which it forms intergrowths. Jeankempite is transparent to translucent with a waxy lustre and white streak, is non-fluorescent under longwave and shortwave ultraviolet illumination, has a Mohs hardness of ~1.5 and brittle tenacity with uneven fracture. Crystals are flattened on {01 $\bar{1}$ } and exhibit perfect cleavage on {01 $\bar{1}$ }. Optically, jeankempite is biaxial (+), α = 1.601(2), β = 1.607(2), γ = 1.619(2) (white light); 2V meas. = 72(2)° and 2V calc. = 71.0°. The empirical formula is (Ca 4.97 Na 0.013 Mg 0.017 )(As 3.99 S 0.01 ) 4 O 23 H 16 , based on 23 O and 16 H atoms per formula unit. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that jeankempite undergoes four weight losses totalling 16.82%, close to the expected loss of 16.30%, corresponding to eight H 2 O. Jeankempite is triclinic, P $\bar{1}$ , a = 6.710(6), b = 14.901(14), c = 15.940(15) Å, α = 73.583(12)°, β = 81.984(12)°, γ = 82.754(12)°, V = 1507(2) Å 3 and Z = 3. The final structure was refined to R 1 = 0.0591 for 2781 reflections with I obs > 3σ I . The crystal structure of jeankempite is built from a network of edge- and vertex-sharing CaO 6 , CaO 7 and AsO 4 polyhedra, and we hypothesise that the new mineral has formed due to a topotactic reaction brought on by dehydration of preexisting guérinite.

Mineralogy↗