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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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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Antisolvent‐Mediated Air Quench for High‐Efficiency Air‐Processed Carbon‐Based Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have becoma a leading low‐cost photovoltaic technology, achieving power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of up to 26.1%. However, their commercialization is hindered by stability issues and the need for controlled processing environments. Carbon‐electrode‐based PSCs (C‐PSCs) offer enhanced stability and cost‐effectiveness compared to traditional metal‐electrode PSCs, i.e., Au and Ag. However, processing challenges persist, particularly in air conditions where moisture sensitivity poses a significant hurdle. Herein, a novel air processing technique is presented for planar C‐PSCs that incorporates antisolvent vapors, such as chlorobenzene, into a controlled air‐quenching process. This method effectively mitigates moisture‐induced instability, resulting in champion PCEs exceeding 20% and robust stability under ambient conditions. The approach retains 80% of initial efficiency after 30 h of operation at maximum power point without encapsulation. This antisolvent‐mediated air‐quenching technique represents a significant advancement in the scalable production of C‐PSCs, paving the way for future large‐scale deployment.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Emissions in short-gated ns/ps/fs-LIBS for fuel-to-air ratio measurements in methane-air flames

A study of short-gated 10 nanosecond (ns), 100 picosecond (ps), and 100 femtosecond (fs) laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was conducted for fuel-to-air ratio (FAR) measurements in an atmospheric Hencken flame. The intent of the work is to understand which emission lines are available near the optical range in each pulse width regime and which emission ratios may be favorable for generating equivalence ratio calibration curves. The emission spectra in the range of 550–800 nm for ns-LIBS and ps-LIBS are mostly similar with slightly elevated atomic oxygen lines by ps-LIBS. Spectra from fs-LIBS show the lowest continuum background and prominent individual atomic lines, though have significantly weaker ionic emission from nitrogen. A qualitative explanation based on assumed local thermodynamic equilibrium and electron temperatures calculated by the N I I ( 565 n m ) and N I I ( 594 n m ) emissions is presented. In studying line emission ratios for FAR calculation, it is found that H α <#comment/> ( 656 n m ) / N I I ( 568 n m ) is best for FAR measurements with ns-LIBS and remains viable for ps-LIBS, while H α <#comment/> ( 656 n m ) / O I ( 777 n m ) is optimal for the ps-LIBS and fs-LIBS cases. Due to low continuum background and short time delay for spectra collection, fs-LIBS is very promising for high-speed FAR measurements using short-gated LIBS.

Gragston, Mark (ORCID:0000000324698995)↗
DOE OSTI2018

A lithium–oxygen battery with a long cycle life in an air-like atmosphere [Lithium-oxygen batteries with long cycle life in a realistic air atmosphere]

Lithium-air batteries are considered to be a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries for transportation applications, owing to their high theoretical specific energy. So far, however, such systems have been largely restricted to pure oxygen environments (lithium oxygen batteries) and have a limited cycle life owing to side reactions involving the cathode, anode and electrolyte. In the presence of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapour, these side reactions can become even more complex. Moreover, because of the need to store oxygen, the volumetric energy densities of lithium-oxygen systems may be too small for practical applications. Here we report a system comprising a lithium carbonate-based protected anode, a molybdenum disulfide cathode and an ionic liquid/di methyl sulfoxide electrolyte that operates as a lithium-air battery in a simulated air atmosphere with a long cycle life of up to 700 cycles. We perform computational studies to provide insight into the operation of the system in this environment. Furthermore this demonstration of a lithium-oxygen battery with a long cycle life in an air-like atmosphere is an important step towards the development of this field beyond lithium-ion technology, with a possibility to obtain much higher specific energy densities than for conventional lithium ion batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Line shape parameters of air-broadened water vapor transitions in the nu(1) and nu(3) spectral region

A Bruker IFS-120HR Fourier transform spectrometer located at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington was used to record a series of spectra of pure H2O and air-broadened H2O in the regions of the ¦1 and ¦3 bands (3450-4000 cm-1) at different pressures, mperatures and volume mixing ratios of H2O in air. 18 high-resolution, high signal- to-noise (S/N) ratio absorption spectra were recorded at T = 268, 296 and 353 K using two temperature-controlled absorption cells with path lengths of 9.906(1) and 19.95(1) cm. The resolution of the spectra recorded with the 9.906 cm and 19.95 cm absorption cells was 0.006 and 0.008 cm-1, respectively. A multispectrum nonlinear least squares fitting technique was employed to fit all the eighteen spectra simultaneously to retrieve 313 accurate line positions, 315 intensities, 229 Lorentz air-broadened half- width and 213 air-shift coefficients and their temperature dependences (136 for air-broadened width and 128 for air-shift coefficients, respectively). Room temperature self-broadened half-width coefficients for 209 transitions and self-shift coefficients for 106 transitions were also measured. Line mixing coefficients were experimentally determined for isolated sets of 10 transition pairs for H2O-air and 8 transition pairs for H2O-H2O using the off-diagonal relaxation matrix element formalism, and 85 quadratic speed dependence parameters were measured. Modified Complex Robert-Bonamy (MCRB) calculations of self-, and air-broadened (from N2- and O2-broadening) half-width and air-shift coefficients, and temperature dependence exponents of air-broadened half-width coefficients are made. The measurements and calculations are compared with each other and with similar parameters reported in the literature.

H2O, spectral line shapes, air-broadening, tempera↗
DOE OSTI2016

Simulation evaluation of NIST air-kerma rate calibration standard for electronic brachytherapy: Simulation of NIST air-kerma rate eBT calibration standard

Purpose: Dosimetry for the model S700 50 kV electronic brachytherapy (eBT) source (Xoft, Inc., a subsidiary of iCAD, San Jose, CA) was simulated using Monte Carlo (MC) methods by Rivard et al. [“Calculated and measured brachytherapy dosimetry parameters in water for the Xoft Axxent x-ray source: An electronic brachytherapy source,” Med. Phys. 33, 4020–4032 (2006)] and recently by Hiatt et al. [“A revised dosimetric characterization of the model S700 electronic brachytherapy source containing an anode-centering plastic insert and other components not included in the 2006 model,” Med. Phys. 42, 2764–2776 (2015)] with improved geometric characterization. Additionally, while these studies examined the dose distribution in water, there have not previously been reports of the eBT source calibration methods beyond that recently reported by Seltzer et al. [“New national air-kerma standard for low-energy electronic brachytherapy sources,” J. Res. Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. 119, 554–574 (2014)]. Therefore, the motivation for the current study was to provide an independent determination of air-kerma rate at 50 cm in air K air (d = 50 cm) using MC methods for the model S700 eBT source. Methods: Using CAD information provided by the vendor and disassembled sources, an MC model was created for the S700 eBT source. Simulations were run using the mcnp6 radiation transport code for the NIST Lamperti air ionization chamber according to specifications by Boutillon et al. [“Comparison of exposure standards in the 10-50 kV x-ray region,” Metrologia 5, 1–11 (1969)], in air without the Lamperti chamber, and in vacuum without the Lamperti chamber. K air (d = 50 cm) was determined using the *F4 tally with NIST values for the mass energy-absorption coefficients for air. Photon spectra were evaluated over 2π azimuthal sampling for polar angles of 0° ≤ θ ≤ 180° every 1°. Volume averaging was averted through tight radial binning. Photon energy spectra were determined over all polar angles in both air and vacuum using the F4 tally with 0.1 keV resolution. A total of 10 11 simulated histories were run for the Lamperti chamber geometry (statistical uncertainty of 0.14%), with 10 10 histories for the in-air and in-vacuum simulations (statistical uncertainty of 0.04%). The total standard uncertainty in the calculated air-kerma rate determination amounted to 6.8%. Results: MC simulations determined the air-kerma rate at 50 cm from the source with the modeled Lamperti chamber to be (1.850 ± 0.126) × 10 -4 Gy/s, which was within the range of K air (d = 50 cm) values (1.67–2.11) × 10 -4 Gy/s measured by NIST. The ratio of the photon spectra in air and in vacuum were in good agreement above 13 keV, and for θ < 150° where the influence of the Kovar sleeve and the Ag epoxy components caused increased scatter in air. Below 13 keV, the ratio of the photon spectra in air to vacuum exhibited a decrease that was attributed to increased attenuation of the photons in air. Across most of the energy range on the source transverse plane, there was good agreement between the authors' simulated spectra and that measured by NIST. Discrepancies were observed above 40 keV where the NIST spectrum had a steeper fall-off towards 50 keV. Conclusions: Through MC simulations of radiation transport, this study provided an independent validation of the measured air-kerma rate at 50 cm in air at NIST for the model S700 eBT source, with mean results in agreement within 3.3%. Lastly, this difference was smaller than the range (i.e., 23%) of the measured values.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Air Dispersion Modeling for the INL Application for a Synthetic Minor Sitewide Air Quality Permit to Construct with a Facility Emission Cap Component

The Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) is applying for a synthetic minor, Sitewide, air quality permit to construct (PTC) with a facility emission cap (FEC) component from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to limit its potential to emit to less than major facility limits for criteria air pollutants (CAPs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) regulated under the Clean Air Act. This document is supplied as an appendix to the application, Idaho National Laboratory Application for a Synthetic Minor Sitewide Air Quality Permit to Construct with a Facility Emissions Cap Component, hereafter referred to as “permit application” (DOE-ID 2015). Air dispersion modeling was performed as part of the permit application process to demonstrate pollutant emissions from the INL will not cause a violation of any ambient air quality standards. This report documents the modeling methodology and results for the air dispersion impact analysis. All CAPs regulated under Section 109 of the Clean Air Act were modeled with the exception of lead (Pb) and ozone, which are not required to be modeled by DEQ. Modeling was not performed for toxic air pollutants (TAPs) as uncontrolled emissions did not exceed screening emission levels for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic TAPs. Modeling for CAPs was performed with the EPA approved AERMOD dispersion modeling system (Version 14134) (EPA 2004a) and five years (2000-2004) of meteorological data. The meteorological data set was produced with the companion AERMET model (Version 14134) (EPA 2004b) using surface data from the Idaho Falls airport, and upper-air data from Boise International Airport supplied by DEQ. Onsite meteorological data from the Grid 3 Mesonet tower located near the center of the INL (north of INTEC) and supplied by the local National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) office was used for surface wind directions and wind speeds. Surface data (i.e., land use data that defines roughness, albedo, Bowen ratio, and other parameters) were processed using the AERSURFACE utility (Version 13016) (EPA 2013). Emission sources were modeled as point sources using actual stack locations and dimensions. Emissions, flow rates and exit temperatures were based on the design operating capacity of each source. All structures close enough to produce an area of wake effect were included for all sources. For multi-tiered structures, the heights of the tiers were included or the entire building height was assumed to be equal to the height of the tallest tier. Concentrations were calculated at 1,352 receptor locations provided by DEQ. All receptors were considered for each pollutant and averaging period. Maximum modeled CAP concentrations summed with average background concentration values were presented and compared to National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The background concentration values used were obtained using the Washington State University’s Laboratory for Atmospheric Research North West Airquest web-based retrieval tool (http://lar.wsu.edu/nw airquest/lookup.html). The air dispersion modeling results show the maximum impacts for CAPs are less than applicable standards and demonstrate the INL will not cause a violation of any ambient air quality standards.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Gaseous contaminant transfer in membrane-based air-to-air energy exchangers

Membrane-based air-to-air energy exchangers (M–AAEEs) transfer heat and moisture between building exhaust air and fresh ventilation air streams through a membrane, thereby reducing the energy required for conditioning the fresh ventilation air. Energy exchangers are typically used in buildings with relatively clean building exhaust air, such as office buildings and schools. Recently interest in using energy exchangers in a wider range of buildings has grown, to reduce the energy consumption associated with the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in these buildings. However, if the building exhaust air is not clean, as would be the case for laboratories or factories, new risks are encountered when using energy exchangers. It is possible that gaseous contaminants in the exhaust air may also transfer along with the moisture through the membranes, contaminating the incoming fresh ventilation air. Current test standards provide a test procedure to determine the contamination of the fresh ventilation air by measuring the transfer of an inert tracer gas in an energy exchanger. However, the tracer gas test may not represent the transfer of common indoor air contaminants due to differences in their transport properties. Therefore, in this study, an experimental facility is developed to determine the transfer of seven different contaminants through two membranes (porous and dense) at different flow rates. Contaminant transfer is quantified using a parameter called the exhaust contaminant transfer ratio (ECTR), which gives the fraction of the contaminants transferred from the exhaust air to the fresh ventilation air. A theoretical model based on the effectiveness-number of transfer units (ε-NTU) correlation and moisture transfer resistance of the membrane is presented to determine transfer through porous membranes and validated with experimental results. The major contribution of this paper is that it presents a simple method to predict the transfer of different contaminants through a porous membrane based on the moisture transfer resistance of the membrane at different operating conditions. It is found that as contaminant diffusivity decreases, ECTR generally also decreases, and as the flow rate increases, ECTR decreases, which is consistent with the predictions from the correlation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Role of climate goals and clean-air policies on reducing future air pollution deaths in China: a modelling study

Over 3 million people still die every year from diseases caused by exposure to outdoor PM 2.5 air pollution, and more than a quarter of these premature deaths occur in China. In addition to clean air policies that target pollution emissions, climate policies aimed at reducing fossil-fuel CO 2 emissions (e.g., to avoid 1.5°C of warming) may also dramatically improve air quality and public health. Yet there has been no comprehensive accounting of public health outcomes under different energy pathways and local clean air management decisions in China. In particular, further research is needed to understand the relationships among climate and clean air polices and future health burdens in China, where an aging population will further exacerbate the impacts of air pollution. Using a China-focused integrated assessment model (GCAM-China) and a dynamic emission projection model (DPEC), we project future Chinese air quality in scenarios spanning a range of global climate targets (i.e. 1.5°0C, 2°C, NDC, unambitious, baseline, and 4.5°C) as well as national clean air actions (i.e. 2015-pollution, current-pollution, and ambitious-pollution). We then evaluate the health impacts of PM2·5 air pollution of scenario matrix using the chemical transport model WRF-CMAQ and the latest epidemiological concentration–response (C-R) functions (i.e. GBD2019). We find that, without ambitious climate mitigation (e.g., under current NDC pledges), Chinese deaths related the PM2.5 air pollution do not substantially decrease—and often grow—by mid-century, regardless of clean air policies and air quality improvements. For example, in scenarios that track China’s current NDC pledge and deploy best-available pollution control technologies, PM 2.5 -related deaths in China decrease slightly by 2030 (to 1.2 million per year) but no further by mid-century (Ambitious-pollution-NDC-goals; 1.2 million deaths in 2050) despite substantial and continuous improvements in population-weighted air quality (27.2 to 16.0 µg/m 3 from 2030 to 2050). The contrary trends of improving air quality and increasing PM 2·5 -related deaths in many of our scenarios reveals the extent to which extra efforts are needed to compensate for the established fact of increasing age of China’s population in future. Substantial decreases in China’s PM 2.5 -related deaths and age-standardized death rates (e.g., decreasing by 0.3–0.5 million deaths and 10.2–14.2 per 100,000 population age-standardized death rates per year) thus require the sort of large-scale transition in energy sources entailed by scenarios that meet international climate goals to avoid 1.5°C and 2°C of warming (Ambitious-pollution-2°C- and 1.5°C-goals).

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Secondary organic aerosol formation from ambient air in an oxidation flow reactor in central Amazonia

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from ambient air was studied using an oxidation flow reactor (OFR) coupled to an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) during both the wet and dry seasons at the Observations and Modeling of the Green Ocean Amazon (GoAmazon2014/5) field campaign. Measurements were made at two sites downwind of the city of Manaus, Brazil. Ambient air was oxidized in the OFR using variable concentrations of either OH or O3, over ranges from hours to days (O3) or weeks (OH) of equivalent atmospheric aging. The amount of SOA formed in the OFR ranged from 0 to as much as 10 µg m−3, depending on the amount of SOA precursor gases in ambient air. Typically, more SOA was formed during nighttime than daytime, and more from OH than from O3 oxidation. SOA yields of individual organic precursors under OFR conditions were measured by standard addition into ambient air and were confirmed to be consistent with published environmental chamber-derived SOA yields. Positive matrix factorization of organic aerosol (OA) after OH oxidation showed formation of typical oxidized OA factors and a loss of primary OA factors as OH aging increased. After OH oxidation in the OFR, the hygroscopicity of the OA increased with increasing elemental O:C up to O:C∼1.0, and then decreased as O:C increased further. Possible reasons for this decrease are discussed. The measured SOA formation was compared to the amount predicted from the concentrations of measured ambient SOA precursors and their SOA yields. While measured ambient precursors were sufficient to explain the amount of SOA formed from O3, they could only explain 10–50 % of the SOA formed from OH. This is consistent with previous OFR studies, which showed that typically unmeasured semivolatile and intermediate volatility gases (that tend to lack C=C bonds) are present in ambient air and can explain such additional SOA formation. To investigate the sources of the unmeasured SOA-forming gases during this campaign, multilinear regression analysis was performed between measured SOA formation and the concentration of gas-phase tracers representing different precursor sources. The majority of SOA-forming gases present during both seasons were of biogenic origin. Urban sources also contributed substantially in both seasons, while biomass burning sources were more important during the dry season. This study enables a better understanding of SOA formation in environments with diverse emission sources.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Local pollutants go global: The impacts of intercontinental air pollution from China on air quality and morbidity in California

Highlights: • Heavy sandstorms are a major pollution source in China. • Trans-Pacific air pollution from sandstorms in China affect health in California. • Policymakers could plan for worsened air quality in California following sandstorms. China is among the greatest emitters of air pollution in the world and one concern is the effects of intercontinental air pollution traveling across the Pacific Ocean from China to the U.S. We exploit a natural experiment by observing the effects of changes in intercontinental air pollution associated with Chinese New Year, a 7-day national holiday, and sandstorms from China on air quality and morbidity in California. The timing of these events are unlikely correlated to other factors affecting air quality and health in California. Chinese New Year follows the Lunar New Year which varies each traditional calendar year while sandstorms are a naturally occurring phenomenon. We examine effects on morbidity using restricted emergency department and inpatient hospitalization data for the universe of patients with respiratory and heart disease between 2005 and 2012 in California. This is the first study to use patient-level data to examine the effects of trans-Pacific air pollution from China on morbidity in the U.S. We show that heavy sandstorms are associated with a modest increase in acute respiratory disease per capita, representing 0.5–4.6% of average weekly hospitalizations. However, we find no significant effect on morbidity in California from Chinese New Year. Results suggest that policymakers could prepare for changes in air quality following major sandstorms in China.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

SAPO-34 Membranes for Xenon Capture from Air

Capturing Xe from gas mixtures represents one of the most challenging molecular gas separations. In this communication, we demonstrate the ability of a zeolite membrane, denoted as SAPO-34 to effectively capture Xe from air. Specifically, SAPO-34 membranes showed air permeances as high as 2.3 x 10 -7 mol/m 2 s Pa (690 GPU) and separation selectivities as high as 30.1 for a molar feed of 9:1 air/Xe. Molecular sieving, competitive adsorption, and diffusivity differences played a critical role in the overall separation performance. Membranes were air selective due to favorable molecular sieving and differences in diffusivity between gases present in mixture and Xe, which were identified as the dominant separation mechanisms. The high air permeances, and high separation selectivities, make these membranes highly appealing as a potentially less energy intensive alternative to cryogenic distillation the benchmark technology used to separate these gases. We (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) acknowledge US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy for adsorption. P.K.T. would like to acknowledge Dr Terry Todd at Idaho National Laboratory, Dr Robert Jubin at Oakridge National Laboratory, Dr John Vienna at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Kimberly Gray, Dr. Patricia Paviet and Jim Breese (DOE-NE HQ) for programmatic support. PNNL is a multi-program national laboratory operated for the US DOE by Battelle under Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830.

Wu, Ting↗
DOE OSTI2019

Numerical Analysis of Detonability Assessment in a Natural Gas-Air Fueled Rotating Detonation Engine

Rotating Detonation Engines (RDE) offer an alternative combustion strategy to replace conventional constant pressure combustion with a process that could produce a pressure gain without the use of a mechanical compressor. Recent numerical and experimental publications that consider air as the oxidizer have primarily focused on the ability of these annular combustors to sustain a stable continuous detonation wave when fueled by hydrogen. However, for this to be a viable consideration for the land-based power generation it is necessary to explore the ability to detonate natural gas and air within the confines of the annular geometry of an RDE. Previous studies on confined detonations have expressed the importance of permitting detonation cells to fully form within the combustor in order to achieve stability. This poses a challenge for natural gas–air fueled processes as their detonation cell size can be quite large even at moderate pressures. Despite the practical importance, only a few studies are available on natural gas detonations for air-breathing RDE applications. Moreover, the extreme thermodynamic condition (high temperature inside the combustor) allows limited accessibility inside the combustor for detailed experimental instrumentations, providing mostly single-point data. Recent experimental studies at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have reported detonation failure at higher methane concentration in an air-breathing RDE fueled by natural gas-hydrogen fuel blends. This encourages to perform a detailed numerical investigation on the wave characteristics of detonation in a natural gas-air fueled RDE to understand the various aspects of instability associated with the natural gas-air detonation.This study is a numerical consideration of a methane-air fueled RDE with varying operating conditions to ascertain the ability to achieve a stable, continuous detonation wave. The simulations have been performed in a 2D unwrapped RDE geometry using the open-source CFD library “OpenFOAM” employing an unsteady pressure-based compressible reactive flow solver with a <em>k</em>–<em>ε</em> turbulence model in a structured rectangular grid system. Both reduced and detailed chemical kinetic models have been used to assess the effect of the chemistry on the detonation wave characteristics and the underlying flow features. A systematic grid sensitivity study has been conducted with various grid sizes to quantify the weakly stable overdriven detonation on a coarse mesh and oscillating features at fine mesh resolutions.The main focus of the current study is to investigate the effects of operating injection pressure on detonation wave characteristics of an air-breathing Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) fueled with natural gas-hydrogen fuel blends. Wave speeds, peak pressures and temperatures, and dominant frequencies have been computed from the time histories. The flow structures were then visualized using 2D contours of temperature and species concentration.

Saha, Pankaj↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Effect of Air Separations on Fast Pyrolysis Products for Forest Residue Feedstocks

This study investigates the intricate relationship between biomass preprocessing and pyrolysis product yields, employing the air classification technique for the treatment of loblolly pine residues with varying moisture content. A comprehensive exploration of the physicochemical properties of air-classified loblolly pine informs a sophisticated pyrolysis simulation model. Given the complex and multifaceted nature of biomass pyrolysis, operating across diverse temporal and spatial scales, a pyrolysis kinetics-based CFD–DEM simulation method is employed to predict product yields. Results showed that the elevated moisture content amplifies particle adhesiveness, necessitating augmented air velocities for effective separation, thereby influencing the efficiency of the separation process. While carbon and hydrogen contents exhibit relative stability across diverse moisture contents and blower frequencies, the oxygen content undergoes noticeable changes. For example, the oxygen contents were measured as 29.2 and 38.6 wt% in the light fraction of 30% moisture content sample at blower frequencies of 10 and 20 Hz, respectively. An intriguing finding emerges from pyrolysis simulation, indicating that a lower blower frequency in air classification moderately enhances bio-oil yield and significantly improves its quality, particularly in terms of water content. For instance, the water content in the bio-oil was about 1.5% and 10% in the heavy and light fractions, respectively from 10% moisture sample under 15 Hz blower frequency. In summary, a detailed understanding and strategic manipulation of critical material attributes in biomass through efficient fractionation techniques are imperative for advancing fast pyrolysis as a sustainable avenue for renewable energy and chemical production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Modeling and Qualification of a Modified Emission Unit for Radioactive Air Emissions Stack Sampling Compliance

A planned laboratory space and exhaust system modification to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Material Science and Technology Building indicated a new evaluation of the mixing at the air sampling system location would be required for compliance to ANSI/HPS N13.1-2011. The modified exhaust system would add a third fan thereby increasing the overall exhaust rate out the stack thus voiding the previous mixing study. Prior to modifying the radioactive air emissions exhaust system, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics computer model was used to evaluate the mixing at the sampling system location. Modeling of the new original three-fan system indicated that not all mixing criteria could be met. A second modeling effort was conducted with the addition of an air blender downstream of the confluence of the three fans which then showed satisfactory mixing results. The final installation included an air blender, and the exhaust system underwent full-scale tests to verify velocity, cyclonic flow, gas, and particulate uniformity. The modeling results and those of the full-scale tests show agreement between each of the evaluated criteria. The use of a computational fluid dynamics code was an effective aid in the design process and allowed the sampling system to remain in its original location while still meeting the requirements for sampling at a well-mixed location.

atmospheric emissions, air monitoring, environment↗