Behavior of coal-chlorine in chemical looping combustion

This work focuses on two aspects: (i) the behavior of coal-derived chlorine in chemical looping combustion (CLC); (ii) the potential adverse impacts of primary gaseous chlorine (i.e., HCl) on Cu-based oxygen carrier (OC). The inactivation mechanism of the sol-gel-derived CuO/Al₂O₃ OC is investigated. Systematic experiments are conducted in a batch fluidized reactor. First, in CLC of coal, chlorine distribution including HCl, Cl₂, Cl adsorbed in the outlet tube and Cl in solid phase is studied under various bed inventories, temperatures and gas atmospheres. The main gaseous Cl from coal is HCl, which shows a high reactivity towards CuO and is partially physically adsorbed by Al₂O₃. Unconverted HCl is 15.63 ± 0.20%, which could result in corrosion of the CO₂ transportation line and compression equipment. What's more, the coal ash exhibits a dechlorination function by forming KCl and CaCl₂. The CO₂ atmosphere and high temperature in fuel reactor show a promotion on the conversion of coal-Cl to HCl. Then, the corrosion of various OC components is evaluated by a mixture gas with 400 ppm HCl, i.e., Cu-Al (whole OC), CuO (active phase) and Al₂O₃ (inert support phase). It is found that a part of HCl is converted to Cl₂ via the Deacon reaction (4HCl + O₂ = 2H₂O + 2Cl₂) and oxidized by CuO (2CuO + 4HCl = 2CuCl + Cl₂ + 2H₂O). At the high concentration of HCl (400 ppm) atmosphere, CuO is partially lost from the OC, producing the gaseous copper chlorides, i.e., CuCl and (CuCl)₃, which are found to be condensed in the outlet tube. Besides, the solid-phase copper chlorides also degrade the oxygen donation capacity of the OC. Finally, the migration path of coal-chlorine during CLC is summarized. This work will contribute to the development of Cl-resistance OCs and control approaches for Cl emission.     

Investigation of chemical looping combustion of natural gas at 1 MWth scale

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is an advanced oxyfuel process that enables CO₂ capture with low efficiency penalty. CLC of gaseous fuels has successfully been demonstrated in several pilots up to 150 kW_th. Numerous oxygen carriers have been tested regarding fuel conversion performance and lifetime. This work is a scale-up study of gaseous fuel CLC to MW_th scale. A Ca-Mn-based oxygen carrier has been developed and manufactured in ton-scale prior to the present test. Investigations were conducted in a 1 MW_th CLC unit that was adapted to utilize natural gas as fuel. Stable CLC conditions were reached during tests with Ca-Mn-based material, and the transition to operation with ilmenite was studied. The fuel conversion was in the range of 80%. During operation, 99% of the unburned methane was converted in the post oxidation chamber. The solids circulation rate and the lifetime of solids were determined by means of solids samples from the process, which were investigated in terms of attrition and degree of oxidation. The solids circulation rate was 17 tons h^?1  MW^?1 which is higher than in former tests but lower compared to other units. The most important limiting factors of the fuel conversion are the low solids inventory of the fuel reactor and the oxygen carrier to fuel ratio that corresponds to the solids circulation.     

Understanding the effect of CaO on HCN conversion and NOx formation during the circulating fluidized combustion process using DFT calculations

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is an important intermediate during the conversion of fuel nitrogen to NO_x. The mechanism of HCN oxidation to NO, N₂, and N₂O on the CaO (100) surface model was investigated using density functional theory calculations to elucidate the effect of in-furnace SO_x removal on HCN oxidation in circulating fluidized bed boilers. HCN adsorption on the CaO (100) surface releases as high as 1.396 eV and the HC bond is strongly activated. The CaO (100) surface could catalyze the oxidation of CN radical to NCO with the energy barrier decreasing from 1.560 eV for the homogeneous case to 0.766 eV on the CaO (100) surface. The succeeding oxidation of NCO by O₂ forming NO is catalyzed by the CaO (100) surface with the energy barrier decreasing from 0.349 eV (homogeneous process) to 0.026 eV on the CaO (100) surface, while the reaction between NCO and NO forming either NO or N₂ is prohibited in comparison with corresponding homogeneous routes. The rate constants of these reactions under fluidized bed combustion temperature range are provided, and the calculation results lead to the conclusion that CaO (100) surface catalyzes the HCN conversion and improves the NO selectivity during HCN oxidation in the HCN/O₂/NO atmosphere, which could well explain previous experimental observations. Kinetic parameters of HCN oxidation on the CaO (100) surface are provided in the Arrhenius form for future kinetic model development.     

The Ca-looping process for CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> capture and energy storage: role of nanoparticle technology

The calcium looping (CaL) process, based on the cyclic carbonation/calcination of CaO, has come into scene in the last years with a high potential to be used in large-scale technologies aimed at mitigating global warming. In the CaL process for CO₂ capture, the CO₂-loaded flue gas is used to fluidize a bed of CaO particles at temperatures around ~?650 °C. The carbonated particles are then circulated into a calciner reactor wherein the CaO solids are regenerated at temperatures near ~?950 °C under high CO₂ concentration. Calcination at such harsh conditions causes a marked sintering and loss of reactivity of the regenerated CaO. This main drawback could be however compensated from the very low cost of natural CaO precursors such as limestone or dolomite. Another emerging application of the CaL process is thermochemical energy storage (TCES) in concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. Importantly, carbonation/calcination conditions to maximize the global CaL-CSP plant efficiency could differ radically from those used for CO₂ capture. Thus, carbonation could be carried out at high temperatures under high CO₂ partial pressure for maximum efficiency, whereas the solids could be calcined at relatively low temperatures in the absence of CO₂ to promote calcination. Our work highlights the critical role of carbonation/calcination conditions on the performance of CaO derived from natural precursors. While conditions in the CaL process for CO₂ capture lead to a severe CaO deactivation with the number of cycles, the same material may exhibit a high and stable conversion at optimum CaL-CSP conditions. Moreover, the type of CaL conditions influences critically the reaction kinetics, which plays a main role on the optimization of relevant operation parameters such as the residence time in the reactors. This paper is devoted to a brief review on the latest research activity in our group concerning these issues as well as the possible role of nanoparticle technology to enhance the activity of Ca-based materials at CaL conditions for CO₂ capture and energy storage.     

Selective hydrogenation of citral over supported Pt catalysts: insight into support effects

Highly dispersed platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on various substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a fluidized bed reactor at 300 °C. The substrates included multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), silica gel (SiO₂), commercial γ-Al₂O₃, and ALD-prepared porous Al₂O₃ particles (ALD-Al₂O₃). The results of TEM analysis showed that ~1.3 nm Pt NPs were highly dispersed on all different supports. All catalysts were used for the reaction of selective hydrogenation of citral to unsaturated alcohols (UA), geraniol, and nerol. Both the structure and acidity of supports affected the activity and selectivity of Pt catalysts. Pt/SiO₂ showed the highest activity due to the strong acidity of SiO₂ and the conversion of citral reached 82% after 12 h with a selectivity of 58% of UA. Pt/MWCNTs showed the highest selectivity of UA, which reached 65% with a conversion of 38% due to its unique structure and electronic effect. The cycling experiments indicated that Pt/MWCNTs and Pt/ALD-Al₂O₃ catalysts were more stable than Pt/SiO₂, as a result of the different interactions between the Pt NPs and the supports.     

A novel continuous process for synthesis of carbon nanotubes using iron floating catalyst and MgO particles for CVD of methane in a fluidized bed reactor

A novel continuous process is used for production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of methane on iron floating catalyst in situ deposited on MgO in a fluidized bed reactor. In the hot zone of the reactor, sublimed ferrocene vapors were contacted with MgO powder fluidized by methane feed to produce Fe/MgO catalyst in situ. An annular tube was used to enhance the ferrocene and MgO contacting efficiency. Multi-wall as well as single-wall CNTs was grown on the Fe/MgO catalyst while falling down the reactor. The CNTs were continuously collected at the bottom of the reactor, only when MgO powder was used. The annular tube enhanced the contacting efficiency and improved both the quality and quantity of CNTs.The SEM and TEM micrographs of the products reveal that the CNTs are mostly entangled bundles with diameters of about 10-20 nm. Raman spectra show that the CNTs have low amount of amorphous/defected carbon with I_G/I_D ratios as high as 10.2 for synthesis at 900 °C. The RBM Raman peaks indicate formation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) of 1.0-1.2 nm diameter.     

Attrition of lignite char under fluidized bed gasification conditions: The effect of carbon conversion

The effect of carbon conversion on the attrition of lignite char particles during fluidized bed gasification by CO₂ was studied in a lab-scale apparatus. The influence of bed temperature and inlet CO₂ concentration on carbon conversion and, consequently, on attrition was studied. The mechanical resistance of the char particles was also characterized at different stages of char conversion by specific attrition experiments. A predictive kinetic model for CO₂ gasification of the lignite char was developed from the experimental results, that was able to correctly predict the evolution of carbon conversion versus time. On this basis a semi-empirical model was developed in order to simulate the evolution of carbon elutriation rate with carbon conversion degree, i.e. the gasification-assisted attrition enhancement effect.     

Combustion of slugs of propane and air moving up through an incipiently fluidized bed

A mathematical model is proposed to show the evolution of temperature, chemical composition and energy release or transfer in slugs, clouds and particulate phase, in a fluidized bed where there are slugs, of a mixture of air and propane, moving up through the particulate phase previously set in the state of incipient fluidization with air. The analysis begins as the slugs are formed at the orifices of the distributor, until they explode inside the bed or emerge at the free surface. The model also makes the analysis of what happens in the gaseous mixture that leaves the free surface of the fluidized bed until the propane is thoroughly burnt. It is essentially built upon a simple quasi-global mechanism for the combustion reaction and the mass and heat transfer equations from the two-phase model of fluidization. The aim was not to propose a new modelling approach, but to combine classical models, one concerning the reaction kinetics and the other the bed hydrodynamic aspects, to obtain a better insight on the events occurring inside a fluidized bed reactor, enhancing the understanding of this type of reactor. Experimental data to balance with the numerical model were obtained through tests on the combustion of commercial propane, in a laboratory scale fluidized bed, using four sand particle sizes: 400–500, 315–400, 250–315 and 200–250 μ m. The mole fractions of CO₂, CO and O₂ in the flue gases and the temperature of the fluidized bed were measured and compared with the numerical results.     

Modelling Chemical-Looping assisted by Oxygen Uncoupling (CLaOU): Assessment of natural gas combustion with calcium manganite as oxygen carrier

Chemical-Looping Combustion (CLC) is a promising technology for performing CO₂ capture in combustion processes at low cost and with lower energy consumption. Fuel conversion modelling assists in optimizing and predicting the performance of the CLC process under different operating conditions. For this work, the combustion of natural gas was modelled using a CaMnO₃-type perovskite as oxygen-carrier and taking into consideration the processes of fluid dynamics and reaction kinetics involved in fuel conversion. The CLC model was validated against experimental results obtained from the 120?kW_th CLC unit at the Vienna University of Technology (TUV). Good agreement between experimental and model predictions of fuel conversion was found when the temperature, pressure drop, solids circulation rate and fuel flow were varied. Model predictions showed that oxygen transfer by means of the gas–solid reaction of the fuel with the oxygen-carrier was relevant throughout the entire fuel-reactor. However, complete combustion could be only achieved under operating conditions where the process of Chemical-Looping assisted by Oxygen Uncoupling (CLaOU) became dominant, i.e. a relevant fraction of the fuel was burnt with molecular oxygen (O₂) released by the oxygen-carrier. This phenomenon was improved by the design configuration of the 120?kW_th CLC unit at TUV, in which oxidized particles are recirculated to the upper part of the fuel-reactor. Thus, the validated model identified the conditions at which complete combustion can be achieved, demonstrating that it is a powerful tool for the simulation and optimization of the CLC process with the CaMnO₃-type material.     

Reaction mechanism studies for platinum nanoparticle growth by atomic layer deposition

Mass spectrometry is used to study the reaction mechanism of platinum (Pt) atomic layer deposition (ALD) on large quantities of high surface area silica gel particles in a fluidized bed reactor. (Methylcyclopentadienyl)trimethylplatinum [(MeCp)PtMe₃] and oxygen are used as precursors. Studies are conducted at a substrate temperature of 320 °C. The self-limiting behavior of ALD appears to be disrupted with overexposure of Pt precursor. The amount of the deposited Pt and the size of the Pt nanoparticles increase with an increasing overdose time of Pt precursor. This can be explained by the thermal decomposition of Pt precursor at the reaction temperature of 320 °C and the in situ sintering of Pt nanoparticles forming larger particles. This finding is significant and its understanding is essential for better control of Pt deposition to achieve desirable morphological and structural properties for different application requirements.     

Fast redox kinetics of a perovskite oxygen carrier measured using micro-fluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis

Redox kinetics of oxygen carrier in chemical looping combustion (CLC) is important for reactor design and its oxidation enthalpy is important in order to establish auto thermal demonstration. Most published redox kinetics of oxygen carrier has been measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) which can include additional diffusion limitations and thus underestimate the overall kinetics. In this study, the redox kinetics of a new perovskite oxygen carrier (CaMn_0.375Ti_0.5Fe_0.125O_3-δ) was measured by a novel micro-fluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis (MFB-TGA) method which can achieve real-time weight measurement of oxygen carrier in a fluidizing state with similar mass and heat transfer characteristics as in a CLC reactor. The experimental data from MFB-TGA were analyzed with a reactor model. The redox kinetics was described by a two-stage model of gas-solid reaction. The effect of temperature, O₂ concentrations and reducing gas type (H₂ and CH₄) on the redox kinetics in MFB-TGA was investigated and compared with other oxygen carriers such as natural manganese ore and ilmenite. It is observed that the oxidation of both manganese ore and ilmenite can be divided into two stages, a fast initial stage followed by a second slower stage, resulting in slower total oxidation rates. A very interesting finding is that there is only the fast initial stage for the oxygen carrier of CaMn_0.375Ti_0.5Fe_0.125O_3-δ, and the full oxidation of CaMn_0.375Ti_0.5Fe_0.125O_3-δ can be finished within ～4 s which is ～7.5 and ～30 times faster than that of manganese ore and ilmenite. The reduction kinetics of CaMn_0.375Ti_0.5Fe_0.125O_3-δ by H₂ is also ～5 and ～2.2 times faster than that of manganese ore and ilmenite, respectively. The kinetic parameters of three oxygen carriers were compared and the redox mechanism of CaMn_0.375Ti_0.5Fe_0.125O_3-δ was discussed.     

Cu–CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanocomposites: mechanochemical synthesis,physico-chemical properties,CO-PROX activity

Catalytic systems designated for preferential oxidation of CO in the presence of H₂ are prepared by ball milling of Cu and CeO₂, a simple and cheap one-step process to synthesize such catalysts. It is found that after 60 min of milling, a mixture of 8 wt.% Cu–CeO₂ powders exhibits CO conversion of 96% and CO selectivity of about 65% at 438 K. Two active oxygen states, which are not observed in case of pure CeO2, were detected in the nanocomposite lattice and attributed to the presence of Cu in surface sites as well as in subsurface bulk sites. Correspondingly, oxidation of CO to CO₂ was found to occur in a two-stage process with T _max ≈ 395/460 K, and oxidation of H₂ to H₂O likewise in a two-stage process with T _max ≈ 465/490 K. The milled powder consists of CeO₂ crystallites sized 8–10 nm agglomerated to somewhat larger aggregates, with Cu dispersed on the surface of the CeO₂ crystallites, and to a lesser extent present as Cu₂O.

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Deposition of conductive TiN shells on SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles with a fluidized bed ALD reactor

Conductive TiN shells have been deposited on SiO₂ nanoparticles (10–20 nm primary particle size) with fluidized bed atomic layer deposition using TDMAT and NH₃ as precursors. Analysis of the powders confirms that shell growth saturates at approximately 0.4 nm/cycle at TDMAT doses of >1.2 mmol/g of powder. TEM and XPS analysis showed that all particles were coated with homogeneous shells containing titanium. Due to the large specific surface area of the nanoparticles, the TiN shells rapidly oxidize upon exposure to air. Electrical measurements show that the partially oxidized shells are conducting, with apparent resistivity of approximately ~11 kΩ cm. The resistivity of the powders is strongly influenced by the NH₃ dose, with a smaller dose giving an order-of-magnitude higher resistivity.     

利用双段床反应器从生物油重整合成气合成甲醇

一种组合了合成气在线调整和甲醇合成的双段床反应器,成功应用于由生物油重整得到的富CO₂合成气的高效合成甲醇．在前段催化床反应器内,富含CO2的原始生物质合成气在CuZnAlZr催化剂的催化作用下可以有效地转化为含CO的合成气．经过450 oC的合成气在线调整之后,CO₂/CO的比率由6.3大幅降至1.2．经过调整后的生物质基合成气在后段催化床反应器内由工业CuZnAl催化剂催化合成甲醇,当反应条件为260 oC 和5.5 MPa时得到每小时每kg催化剂的最大甲醇     

Nanostructures in calcia stabilized hafnia thin films observed by PAC as a function of temperature

The hyperfine quadrupole interaction at Hf sites in films and powders of 14 mol% CaO–HfO₂ and 20 mol% CaO–HfO₂ has been determined as a function of temperature. Results indicate the formation of a cubic solid solution and other microstructures assigned to the ?₁ (CaHf₄O₉) and ?₂ (Ca₆Hf₁₉O₄₄) phases. Dynamical effects on the electric field gradient reveal the existence of oxygen vacancies movements in the solid solution. The thermal behavior of the relaxation constant observed in films allowed the determination of activation energies of 0.54 eV and 0.70 eV for the 14 mol% and 20 mol% CaO doped hafnias, respectively. The influence of the microdomains and the stability of the cubic solid solution are discussed.     

城市生活垃圾流化床焚烧时PCDD/Fs排放特性的研究

城市生活垃圾焚烧处理已逐渐在我国推广应用．垃圾焚烧所产生的二恶英污染问题日益被人们所关注,浙江大学基于我国城市生活垃圾的特点（高水份、多组份、低热值等）,成功开发了异重流化床焚烧技术并应用于一座 １５０ ｔ／ｄ垃圾流化床焚烧锅炉．木文首先介绍了二恶英的分析方法,其次在小型流化床上进行了ＰＣＤＤ／Ｆｓ的生成机理试验、在此基础上,对１５０ｔ／ｄ垃圾焚烧炉烟气中二恶英排放进行了分析,实验结果将指导焚烧炉优化运行并为进一步研究打下坚实基础。     

Nanostructured microspheres of silver @ zinc oxide: an excellent impeder of bacterial growth and biofilm

Au@TiO₂ core–shell hollow nanoparticles were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method without surfactants or templates. The core–shell structure materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and specific surface area of the test (BET). The catalytic activity was tested in a stainless reactor with a fixed bed and connected with a gas chromatograph. The results show that the microstructure, crystallography, and morphology were correlated with the hydrothermal reaction time and temperature, and the properties of the solvent. The crystallinity degree of TiO₂ and the particle size increased with the reaction time and temperature. Particles with different morphologies can be obtained when using different solvents. The size of microsphere can be controlled easily by changing the amount of TiF₄. This material exhibited the complete CO conversion temperature to be about 130 °C and no deactivation was observed after 1,000 min reaction.     

Characterization of yellow and colorless decorative glasses from the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bangkok, Thailand

Yellow and colorless ancient glasses, which were once used to decorate the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bangkok, Thailand, around 150 years ago, are studied to unravel the long-lost glass-making recipes and manufacturing techniques. Analyses of chemical compositions, using synchrotron x-ray fluorescence (SRXRF), indicate that the Thai ancient glasses are soda lime silica glasses (60 % SiO₂; 10 % Na₂O; 10 % CaO) bearing lead oxide between 2–16 %. Iron (1.5–9.4 % Fe₂O₃) and manganese (1.7 % MnO) are present in larger abundance than the other 3d transition metals detected (0.04–0.2 %). K-edge x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) provide conclusive evidence on the oxidation states of Fe being 3+ and Mn being 2+ and on short-length tetrahedral structures around the cations. This suggests that iron is used as a yellow colorant with manganese as a decolorant. L ₃-edge XANES results reveal the oxidation states of lead as 2+. The results from this work provide information crucial for replicating these decorative glasses for the future restoration of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.     

Unique spatial continuously tunable cone laser based on a dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal with a birefringence gradient

The present study develops and investigates for the first time a unique spatial continuously tunable cone laser based on a dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (DDCLC) film with an LC-birefringence (Δn) gradient. A continuous Δn variation can be generated in a cell by diffusion and self-organization of CLC after four DDCLC mixtures with a discrete variation of Δn are successively injected into an empty cell. Not only the CLC photonic structure but also the lasing wavelength and the cone angle of the obtained conically symmetric emitted lasing ring can be tuned continuously by continuously changing the pumped position of the cell with an Δn gradient. The continuous tunabilities in the lasing wavelength and the corresponding emitted cone angle of the lasing ring are 605.8 → 568.1 nm and 29° → 50°, respectively, within a spatial interval of about 33 mm in the cell.     

CaO表面CO对NO还原作用的实验与模型研究

循环流化床炉内石灰石脱硫对NOx排放产生影响,包括对挥发分氮氧化的催化作用以及对CO-NO还原的催化作用。利用固定床反应器对不同条件下CaO颗粒表面NO+CO的催化反应特性进行了探究。实验表明,无氧条件下,CaO能够显著催化CO还原NO,NO转化率与反应温度和CO浓度正相关,与NO浓度负相关.基于Langmuir-Hinshelwood机理建立了CaO催化NO+CO反应动力学模型,模型考虑了颗粒内、外扩散的影响.该模型适用于氧气浓度很低、CO浓度较高条件下。而在有氧气氛中,该反应受到明显抑制,且O2浓度越高,抑制作用越明显;当CaO周围氧气浓度远大于CO时,可忽略CaO对NO的催化还原作用。