Effect of air supply on the performance of an active direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) fed with neat methanol

Unlike the situation in the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) fed with dilute liquid methanol solution, the required water in anode for a DMFC fed with neat methanol is entirely transported from cathode. In this study, the water concentration in anode catalyst layer of such a DMFC operating with fully active mode is theoretically analyzed, followed by the experimental investigations on the effects of air flow rate and operating temperature on cell performance. The results revealed that the air flow rate has a strong impact on cell performance, especially at larger current density. Overmuch air causes rapid decline of cell performance, which results from the dehydration of membrane and lack of water in the anode reaction sites. Raising temperature induces faster reaction kinetics, while undesired stronger water dissipation from the DMFC. In practice, the stable cell resistance can be used as a criterion to help the DMFC to achieve a high and sustainable performance by finely combining the air flow rate and operating temperature.     

Novel electrochemical half-cell design and fabrication for performance analysis of metal-air battery air-cathodes

Metal-air batteries (MABs) are considered promising candidates for sustainable energy storage & conversion applications. Air-cathodes have been identified to be the major challenge towards the commercialization of MAB technology. In development of air-cathodes effectively, a method, or a device is desired for cathode evaluation at operating conditions that are as close as possible to that of an actual battery. In this paper, for diagnosing, evaluating and analyzing the electrochemical performance of MAB air-cathodes, a novel electrochemical half-cell has been designed and fabricated. This half-cell is a three-electrode system, in which the air-cathode is used as the working electrode, a platinum wire with large area as the counter electrode and a saturated calomel electrode (SCE) as the reference electrode. The working electrode is designed to allow the surface of gas diffusion layer to be exposed to the air and the catalyst layer to be exposed to the electrolyte. This half-cell is validated by commercially available and in-house made air cathodes using electrochemical linear scan voltammetry (LSV) method in both neutral and alkaline solutions at various temperatures, enabling the in-situ performance evaluation and analysis of air-cathodes in an environment much closer to that of a primary aqueous metal-air battery while offering a more controlled laboratory environment and economic way for down-selecting and optimizing the air-cathodes.     

Numerical Analysis of Heat Transfer and Gas Flow in PEM Fuel Cell Ducts by a Generalized Extended Darcy Model

Abstract

In this work, gas flow and heat transfer have been numerically investigated and analyzed for both cathode/anode ducts of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The simulation is conducted by solving a set of conservation equations for the whole domain consisting of a porous medium, solid structure, and flow duct. A generalized extended Darcy model is employed to investigate the flow inside the porous layer. This model accounts for the boundary-layer development, shear stress, and microscopic inertial force as well. Effects of inertial coefficient, together with permeability, effective thermal conductivity, and thickness of the porous layer on gas flow and heat transfer are investigated.     

沸石负载型TiO2处理炼化反渗透浓缩水的研究

利用沸石负载型二氧化钛对炼化企业的反渗透浓缩水进行研究,考察了催化剂对浓缩水的处理效果及影响降解的因素。由实验结果可知:沸石负载型二氧化钛对反渗透浓缩水TOC降解率达到67.4%,降解浓缩水的最佳条件为:pH值为4～6,温度30～40℃,光照时间2.5h,催化剂投加量为1.5g/L。实验为浓缩水处理技术的发展提供了新的依据。     

A two-dimensional analytical model of PEMFC with dead-ended anode

ABSTRACT

When the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) works in the mode of dead-ended anode (DA), the water and the nitrogen in the cathode flow channel will diffuse, and accumulate, to the anode flow channel resulting in fuel starvation on the anode side as well as the performance degradation of PEMFC, which has an important impact on the durability and working state of PEMFC. Because the PEMFC performance is closely related to the cathode working parameters, in order to study the influence of the cathode working parameters on the performance of the PEMFC with DA, a two-dimensional analytical model of PEMFC with DA is established in this article, and the parameters in the model are corrected by experiments. The effects of humidity, stoichiometric ratio and working pressure of cathode gas on the performance of PEMFC with DA are studied by model and experiment, as well as the effects of these working parameters on the accumulation process and distribution of water vapor and nitrogen on the anode side, and the relative performance of PEMFC with DA under different cathode working parameters is obtained. This model is of great significance to guide the practical work of the PEMFC with DA.     

Developing a passive air-breathing tubular direct methanol fuel cell fed with concentrated methanol

This study develops and investigates a fully passive air-breathing tubular direct methanol fuel cell (t-DMFC) with a steel-tube anode and a steel-mesh cathode. The effects of methanol concentration, cathode catalyst loading, mesh structure, and forced air convection are experimentally explored. Results indicate that the t-DMFC performs better at a relatively higher methanol concentration of 8 M. It is recommended to use a catalyst loading of 4 mg cm^?2. Both the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and performance tests confirm that the 40-mesh setup is preferred at the cathode. The fuel cell yields a poor performance when the cathode works with forced air convection because the air-blowing operation reduces the cell temperature and this effect dominates the cell performance. The dynamic and constant-load behaviors are also inspected.     

Transport and reaction processes affecting the attenuation of landfill gas in cover soils

Methane and trace organic gases produced in landfill waste are partly oxidized in the top 40 cm of landfill cover soils under aerobic conditions. The balance between the oxidation of landfill gases and the ingress of atmospheric oxygen into the soil cover determines the attenuation of emissions of methane, chlorofluorocarbons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons to the atmosphere. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of oxidation reactions on the overall gas transport regime and to evaluate the contributions of various gas transport processes on methane attenuation in landfill cover soils. For this purpose, a reactive transport model that includes advection and the Dusty Gas Model for simulation of multicomponent gas diffusion was used. The simulations are constrained by data from a series of counter-gradient laboratory experiments. Diffusion typically accounts for over 99% of methane emission to the atmosphere. Oxygen supply into the soil column is driven exclusively by diffusion, whereas advection outward offsets part of the diffusive contribution. In the reaction zone, methane consumption reduces the pressure gradient, further decreasing the significance of advection near the top of the column. Simulations suggest that production of water or accumulation of exopolymeric substances due to microbially mediated methane oxidation can significantly reduce diffusive fluxes. Assuming a constant rate of methane production within a landfill, reduction of the diffusive transport properties, primarily due to exopolymeric substance production, may result in reduced methane attenuation due to limited O(2) -ingress.     

Shift to continuous operation of an air-cathode microbial fuel cell long-running in fed-batch mode boosts power generation

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) which are operated in continuous mode are more suitable for practical applications than fed batch ones. The aim of the present study was to characterize an air-cathode MFC operating in continuous mode and to determine the intrinsic properties for suitable performance and scalability. Air-cathode MFCs were constructed from plexiglass with a total working volume of 220 mL. Zirfon® separator used in this MFC had cross section area of 100 cm². The air cathode MFCs were operated in fed-batch mode and then shifted to the continuous mode. To determine the behavior of anode and cathode in long term operation (274 days), their contribution in MFC performance was evaluated over time. Once the active biofilm was formed, power production and substrate consumption rate were significantly higher. The internal resistance increased with the passage of time. After stabilization of biofilm when the MFC was placed in close circuit by connecting an external resistance, the anode-reference and cathode-reference electrode behavior showed that anode potential is near to the bacterial cell inside potential. The maximum open circuit voltage achieved was 623 mV and the highest power and volumetric power density were 38.03 mW/m² and 1296 mW/m³, respectively.     

Swine manure injection with low-disturbance applicator and cover crops reduce phosphorus losses

Injection of liquid swine manure disturbs surface soil so that runoff from treated lands can transport sediment and nutrients to surface waters. We determined the effect of two manure application methods on P fate in a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production system, with and without a winter rye (Secale cereale L.)-oat (Avena sativa L.) cover crop. Treatments included: (i) no manure; (ii) knife injection; and (iii) low-disturbance injection, each with and without the cover crop. Simulated rainfall runoff was analyzed for dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total P (TP). Rainfall was applied 8 d after manure application (early November) and again in May after emergence of the corn crop. Manure application increased soil bioavailable P in the 20- to 30-cm layer following knife injection and in the 5- to 20-cm layer following low-disturbance injection. The low-disturbance system caused less damage to the cover crop, so that P uptake was more than threefold greater. Losses of DRP were greater in both fall and spring following low-disturbance injection; however, application method had no effect on TP loads in runoff in either season. The cover crop reduced fall TP losses from plots with manure applied by either method. In spring, DRP losses were significantly higher from plots with the recently killed cover crop, but TP losses were not affected. Low-disturbance injection of swine manure into a standing cover crop can minimize plant damage and P losses in surface runoff while providing optimum P availability to a subsequent agronomic crop.     

Numerical estimation of photovoltaic–electrolyzer system performance on the basis of a weather database

We performed a numerical simulation to investigate the performance of a photovoltaic (PV)–electrolyzer on the basis of a simulated weather database during the summer solstice (SS), autumnal equinox (AE), and winter solstice (WS), and all year round. First, we selected a location in southern Taiwan (latitude: 22.65°N) to create a local weather simulation database that included daily solar radiation, wind speed, and ambient temperature. The I–V curves of a PV system and an electrolyzer were obtained numerically by using Simpson integration computation. Subsequently, the optimal configuration of a PV driving system comprising the electrolyzer and the PV panel was determined. The database of weather conditions was input into the numerical estimation model of the PV–electrolyzer system, and the hydrogen generation rates and hydrogen production volumes under both clear skies and changeable weather conditions were obtained.     

Turfgrass thatch effects on pesticide leaching: a laboratory and modeling study

Process-based models are frequently used to assess the water quality impacts of turfgrass management emanating from proposed or existing golf courses. Thatch complicates the prediction of pesticide transport because surface-applied pesticides must pass through an organic-rich layer before entering the soil. This study was conducted to (i) compare the use of a linear equilibrium model (LEM) and two-site nonequilibrium (2SNE) model to predict pesticide transport through soil and thatch + soil columns, and (ii) evaluate thatch effects on pesticide transport through soil columns with a volume-averaging approach. Pesticide breakthrough curves were obtained for soil and thatch + soil columns from a 1 cm h(-1) flux applied one day after applying triclopyr (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyloxyacetic acid) and carbaryl (1-napthyl-methyl carbamate). Pesticide and bromide transport parameters indicated that nonequilibrium processes were affecting pesticide transport. Columns containing zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) thatch had lower triclopyr and carbaryl leaching losses than did soil-only columns, although total reductions attributable to thatch did not exceed 15% of the applied pesticide. When laboratory-based retardation factors were used, the 2SNE model explained 88 to 93% of the variability for triclopyr and 70 to 94% of the variability for carbaryl. Laboratory-based retardation factors performed well in a 2SNE model to predict the peak concentration and tailing behavior of triclopyr and carbaryl with a volume-averaging approach. These results suggest that separate representation of the thatch layer in process-based models is not a prerequisite to obtain reasonable estimates of pesticide transport under steady state flow conditions.     

Experimental investigation into performance of integrated hotbox in 1-kW solid oxide fuel cell system

An experimental investigation is performed to evaluate the performance of an integrated hotbox in a 1-kW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system fed by natural gas. The integrated hotbox comprises all the main balance of plant components of an SOFC system, i.e. afterburner, reformer, and heat exchanger, and it not only reduces the physical size of the system but also yields improved system efficiency. The experimental results show that under optimal operating conditions, the combined H₂ and CO content of the reformate gas is approximately 70%, while both anode and cathode in-gas temperatures are around approximately 750°C.     

Phosphorus-doped graphene supported palladium (Pd/PG) electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction in PEM water electrolysis

PEM water electrolysis is one of the most efficient methods for the production of hydrogen because of produced high purity of the gases and environmentally friendly. In the present study, Phosphorus-doped Graphene (PG) was synthesized by thermal annealing of triphenylphosphine (TPP) and graphene oxide (GO). The PG supported palladium (Pd/PG) electrocatalysts were synthesized by chemical reduction method and used as the cathode for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrode. Structural properties and electrochemical performances of the synthesized Pd/PG electrocatalyst were studied by FE-SEM, EDS, ICP, FT-IR, XRD, and Cyclic voltammetry (CV) methods, respectively. The membrane electrode assemblies (MEA’s) were fabricated using Pd/PG as cathode for HER electrode and RuO₂ as anode for OER electrode. Also, their electrochemical performances along with the corresponding hydrogen yields were evaluated in single cell PEM water electrolyzer at various experimental conditions such as different current densities from 0.1 to 2.0 A cm^?2 and temperatures (28–80°C). The synthesized Pd/PG electrocatalyst was observed a current density of 1 A cm^?2 with 1.95 V at 80°C. Further, long-term stability studies were carried out continuously up to 2000 h which showed a reasonable stability. Hence, the synthesized Pd/PG can be used as an alternative to Pt-based electrocatalysts for the HER in PEM water electrolysis.     

CO2 capture from combined cycles integrated with Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells

In this paper Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFCs) are considered for their potential application in carbon dioxide separation when integrated into natural gas fired combined cycles. The MCFC performs on the anode side an electrochemical oxidation of natural gas by means of CO₃^2? ions which, as far as carbon capture is concerned, results in a twofold advantage: the cell removes CO₂ fed at the cathode to promote carbonate ion transport across the electrolyte and any dilution of the oxidized products is avoided.The MCFC can be “retrofitted” into a combined cycle, giving the opportunity to remove most of the CO₂ contained in the gas turbine exhaust gases before they enter the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), and allowing to exploit the heat recovery steam cycle in an efficient “hybrid” fuel cell + steam turbine configuration. The carbon dioxide can be easily recovered from the cell anode exhaust after combustion with pure oxygen (supplied by an air separation unit) of the residual fuel, cooling of the combustion products in the HRSG and water separation. The resulting power cycle has the potential to keep the overall cycle electrical efficiency approximately unchanged with respect to the original combined cycle, while separating 80% of the CO₂ otherwise vented and limiting the size of the fuel cell, which contributes to about 17% of the total power output so that most of the power capacity relies on conventional low cost turbo-machinery. The calculated specific energy for CO₂ avoided is about 4 times lower than average values for conventional post-combustion capture technology. A sensitivity analysis shows that positive results hold also changing significantly a number of MCFC and plant design parameters.     

Phosphorus leaching in relation to soil type and soil phosphorus content

Phosphorus losses from arable soils contribute to eutrophication of freshwater systems. In addition to losses through surface runoff, leaching has lately gained increased attention as an important P transport pathway. Increased P levels in arable soils have highlighted the necessity of establishing a relationship between actual P leaching and soil P levels. In this study, we measured leaching of total phosphorus (TP) and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) during three years in undisturbed soil columns of five soils. The soils were collected at sites, established between 1957 and 1966, included in a long-term Swedish fertility experiment with four P fertilization levels at each site. Total P losses varied between 0.03 and 1.09 kg ha(-1) yr(-1), but no general correlation could be found between P concentrations and soil test P (Olsen P and phosphorus content in ammonium lactate extract [P-AL]) or P sorption indices (single-point phosphorus sorption index [PSI] and P sorption saturation) of the topsoil. Instead, water transport mechanism through the soil and subsoil properties seemed to be more important for P leaching than soil test P value in the topsoil. In one soil, where preferential flow was the dominant water transport pathway, water and P bypassed the high sorption capacity of the subsoil, resulting in high losses. On the other hand, P leaching from some soils was low in spite of high P applications due to high P sorption capacity in the subsoil. Therefore, site-specific factors may serve as indicators for P leaching losses, but a single, general indicator for all soil types was not found in this study.     

含油污泥薄层干燥特性及动力学模型分析

采用薄层干燥方式进行含油污泥热干燥的研究,引入薄层干燥模型对含油污泥干燥过程进行模拟,结果表明,Midilli模型比其他模型更适合含油污泥的薄层干燥分析。应用Fick扩散模型,得到80～140℃条件下含油污泥干燥的有效扩散系数变化范围为1.08×10-10～4.22×10-10 m2/s,其值随着温度升高而增大。根据Arrhenius经验公式建立温度与扩散系数的关系,得到含油污泥干燥时水分扩散的活化能为27.26kJ/mol。     

石油类污染物在充填状灰岩裂隙中迁移规律研究

针对淄博市大武水源地的石油污染状况进行了动态模拟石油类污染物迁移特性的研究。内容包括用现场粘土充填灰岩石板缝测定弥散系数、吸附系数及其他有关参数，建立该系统在饱水条件下的迁移数学模型。研究表明静态吸附均遵循Ｌａｎｇｍｕｉｒ吸附模式，且吸附能力较小；静态吸附结果与动态参数比较吻合，可直接用于建立整体模型；水中的石油类污染物在地表以下迁移性很强，容易下渗进入潜水层。     

Antibiotic Transport via Runoff and Soil Loss

Research has verified the occurrence of veterinary antibiotics in manure, agricultural fields, and surface water bodies, yet little research has evaluated antibiotic runoff from agricultural fields. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential for agricultural runoff to contribute antibiotics to surface water bodies in a worst-case scenario. Our hypothesis was that there would be significant differences in antibiotic concentrations, partitioning of losses between runoff and sediment, and pseudo-partitioning coefficients (ratio of sediment concentration to runoff concentration) among antibiotics. An antibiotic solution including tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), sulfathiazole (STZ), sulfamethazine (SMZ), erythromycin (ERY), tylosin (TYL), and monensin (MNS) was sprayed on the soil surface 1 h before rainfall simulation (average intensity = 60 mm h(-1) for 1 h). Runoff samples were collected continuously and analyzed for aqueous and sediment antibiotic concentrations. MNS had the highest concentration in runoff, resulting in the highest absolute loss, although the amount of loss associated with sediment transport was <10%. ERY had the highest concentrations in sediment and had a relative loss associated with sediment >50%. TYL also had >50% relative loss associated with sediment, and its pseudo-partitioning coefficient (P-PC) was very high. The tetracyclines (TC and CTC) had very low aqueous concentrations and had the lowest absolute losses. If agricultural runoff is proven to result in development of resistance genes or toxicity to aquatic organisms, then erosion control practices could be used to reduce TC, ERY, and TYL losses leaving agricultural fields. Other methods will be needed to reduce transport of other antibiotics.     

Optimization of the Resources Management in Fighting Wildfires

Wildfires lead to important economic, social, and environmental losses, especially in areas of Mediterranean climate where they are of a high intensity and frequency. Over the past 30 years there has been a dramatic surge in the development and use of fire spread models. However, given the chaotic nature of environmental systems, it is very difficult to develop real-time fire-extinguishing models. This article proposes a method of optimizing the performance of wildfire fighting resources such that losses are kept to a minimum. The optimization procedure includes discrete simulation algorithms and Bayesian optimization methods for discrete and continuous problems (simulated annealing and Bayesian global optimization). Fast calculus algorithms are applied to provide optimization outcomes in short periods of time such that the predictions of the model and the real behavior of the fire, combat resources, and meteorological conditions are similar. In addition, adaptive algorithms take into account the chaotic behavior of wildfire so that the system can be updated with data corresponding to the real situation to obtain a new optimum solution. The application of this method to the Northwest Forest of Madrid (Spain) is also described. This application allowed us to check that it is a helpful tool in the decision-making process.     

Predicting phosphorus losses with the PLEASE model on a local scale in Denmark and the Netherlands

To reduce losses from agricultural soils to surface water, mitigation options have to be implemented as a local scale. For a cost-effective implementation of these measures, an instrument to identify critical areas for P leaching is indispensable. In many countries, P-index methods are used to identify areas as risk for P losses to surface water. In flat areas, where losses by leaching are dominant, these methods have their limitations because leaching is often not described in detail, PLEASE, is a simple mechanistic model designed to stimulate P Losses by leaching at the field scale using a limited amount of local field data. In this study, PLEASE, was applied to 17 lowland sites in Denmark and 14 lowland sites in the Netherlands. Results show that the simple model simulated measured fluxes and concentrations in water from pipe drains, suction cups, and groundwater quite well. The modeling efficiency ranged from 0.92 for modeling total-P fluxes to 0.36 fr modeling concentrations in groundwater. Poor results were obtained for heavy clay soils and eutrophic peat soils, where fluxes and concentration were strongly underestimated by the model. The poot performance for the heavy clay soil can be explained by the transport of P through macropores to the drain pipes and the underestimation of overland flow on this heavy-textured soil. In the eutrophic peat soils, fluxes were underestimated due to the release of P from deep soil layers.