Search results for "fuel"
showing 10 items of 986 documents
Influence of the methodology of inoculation in the performance of air-breathing microbial fuel cells
2017
n this work, four air-breathing microbial fuel cells (AB-MFC) were operated for 1 month in order to determine if the methodology of inoculation affects the steady-state performance of this type of MFCs. For this purpose, anaerobic and aerobic sludge were fed to two identical AB-MFCs without any external carbon source into a tight sealed environment during the first three days of start-up. For comparison purposes, other two AB-MFCs were operated mixing the initial sludge and an amount of sodium acetate as substrate. Results point out that the inoculation procedure does not affect the steady-state treatment capacity of the cells but it affects very seriously the production of electricity. Onl…
Aspen Plus process-simulation model: Producing biogas from VOC emissions in an anaerobic bioscrubber
2018
A process-simulation model for a novel process consisted of an anaerobic bioscrubber was developed in Aspen Plus®. A novel approach was performed to implement the anaerobic reactor in the simulation, enabling it to be connected to the scrubber. The model was calibrated and validated using data from an industrial prototype that converted air emissions polluted with volatile organic compounds with an average daily concentration of 1129 mgC Nm−3 into bioenergy for more than one year. The scrubber, which showed a removal efficiency within 83-93%, was successfully predicted with an average absolute relative error of 5.2 ± 0.08% using an average height-to-theoretical-plate value of 1.05 ± 0.08 m …
Researches on the Alternative Fuels Which Can Be Used to Motors
2010
The alternative fuels are substances or materials used as fuel, other than the old conventional fuels (oil, natural gases and coals). 
 The paper analyses the most important alternative fuels, such as: bio-diesel, alcohols and hydrogen, presenting at each category the main important characteristics, the advantages and disadvantages presented by them. 
 The methyl-ester which is known as bio-diesel can be used in all motors with ignition by compression, alone or mixed in any proportion with oil, with minor modifications at the injection system. Bio-diesel fuel assures the same motor power as oil does, having even a bigger cetanic number than the usual oil. After tests, it was obser…
Triggering collective action for bio-energy supply chain through contract schemes
2016
This paper discusses contractual features to manage and coordinate a hypothetical bio-energy supply chain. The present study focuses on farmers operating in two Regions of Italy, namely Sicily and Campania, somewhat representative of areas with high potential of investments in new bioenergy supply value chain. Farmers were asked to choose whether to participate or not in a collective investment regulated by contract schemes. Monetary trade-offs were then computed among contract attributes. A specific questionnaire was submitted to a sample of farmers selected on the basis of their potential capability of investments. A stated preference modelling approach was implemented so that farmers cou…
An improved cathode for alkaline fuel cells
2010
Abstract The use of nickel foam as an electrode substrate in alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) has been investigated for bipolar cells incorporating an electrically conducting gas diffusion layer (GDL). Improved performance, compared to a previous design, was obtained by adding an extra active layer (AL) composed of manganese (IV) oxide (MnO2) deposited onto carbon black. This new cathode design performed significantly better (130 mA cm−2 at 0.8 V and 25 °C) than the previous design (35 mA cm−2 under the same condition), especially at higher potential. It has been shown that the GDL is a key component of the gas diffusion electrode for both performance and durability, especially with liquid electr…
Alkaline fuel cell technology - A review
2021
Abstract The realm of alkaline-based fuel cells has with the arrival of anionic exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) taken a great step to replace traditional liquid electrolyte alkaline fuel cells (AFCs). The following review summarises progress, bottleneck issues and highlights the most recent research trends within the field. The activity of alkaline catalyst materials has greatly advanced, however achieving long-term stability remains a challenge. Great AEMFC performances are reported, though these are generally obtained through the employment of platinum group metals (PGMs), thus emphasising the importance of R&D related to non-PGM materials. Thorough design strategies must be utilise…
Influence of melt flow and temperature on erosion of refractory and deposit formation in aluminium melting furnaces
2002
The deposition and erosion mechanism in induction-channel furnace for Al melting in alumino-silicate refractory is considered. The possibility of simultaneous erosion and deposition in the same cross-section of the channel is shown. The chemical reaction model causing the erosion of refractory is proposed. The erosion process is described by chemically active aluminium oxides while the deposition is caused by chemically stable aluminium oxides. The variations of erosion and deposition in the same cross-section of the channel are explained by variation of the thickness of laminar sub-layer along the perimeter.
Material Substitution for Automotive Applications: A Comparative Life Cycle Analysis
2012
Lightweight materials have become an important strategy in the automotive industry to enable vehicle weight reduction and reduce fuel consumption. However, when developing specific strategies, the overall benefits of any material should be analyzed throughout its life cycle to comprehend energy/environmental differences that arise during its processing and its final use. A key example is aluminum which despite having great potential in the use phase requires large amounts of energy to process. This paper provides a comparison between aluminum and steel utilizing a life-cycle approach. This approach reveals the importance of incorporating a recycling strategy to leverage aluminum’s low-weigh…
Emissions of Greenhouse Gases and Climate Politics in the Latvian Waste Sector
2015
According IPCC guidelines for determination of greenhouse gases in waste management (IPCC 2006) the quantity of greenhouse gases must be determined for the emissions of CO2, CH4, N2O for such treatment activities: disposal of solid waste, biological treatment of solid waste and incineration and open burning of waste. Presented report reviles the current situation of this field in Latvia and conclusions on its minimization actions. The data received from Latvian environmental data bases shows that the quantity of disposed unsorted municipal waste is rising and created sanitary landfill system with anaerobic digestion of bio mas (the content of it in the disposed waste reaches 40–50 %) is pro…
Start-up and Operation of Laboratory-Scale Thermophilic Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactors Treating Vegetable Processing Wastewaters
1997
Thermophilic anaerobic treatment of hot vegetable processing wastewaters was studied in laboratory-scale UASB reactors at 55°C. The high-strength wastewater streams, deriving from steam peeling and blanching of carrot, potato and swede were used. The reactors were inoculated with mesophilic granular sludge. Stable thermophilic methanogenesis with about 60% COD removal was reached within 28 days. During the 134 day study period the loading rate was increased up to 24 kg COD m−3 day−1. High treatment efficiency of more than 90% COD removal and concomitant methane production of 7·3 m3 CH4 m−3 day−1 were achieved. The anaerobic process performance was not affected by the changes in the wastewat…