A comprehensive three-dimensional modeling of an internal reforming planar solid oxide fuel cell with different interconnect designs

Development of low-emission or zero-emission power generation systems is one of the most important subjects humanity is dealing with. Among different under development technologies and energy systems, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is an efficient and low-emission energy conversion device that is passing its research and development career. The current study aims to investigate a hydrocarbon fueled anode-supported planar-type SOFC due to simpler geometry, higher power density, and low overpotentials. In this study, electric performance of a SOFC with different interconnect designs under different operating conditions, such as operating voltage, channel inlet temperature, pre-reforming rate of methane, and inlet fuel and air velocity, has been investigated by use of a three-dimensional model considering complicated systems of equations: species mass conservation, first law of thermodynamics, conservation of momentum, and non-linear electrochemical models including multi-specious diffusion. It has been concluded that at a given voltage, inlet temperature, inlet air and fuel velocity, and pre-reforming rate, wider gas channels help to more uniform distribution and better penetration of reactant gases. Therefore, considering low-concentration polarization as an object, narrow ribs are preferred over wide ribs. By increasing the rate of the electrochemical reaction, the current and power density and subsequently the temperature difference increase but the fuel consumption in all cases has almost a decreasing trend. Also, it has been found that increasing inlet air velocity has little effect on current and power density but because of more cooling effect, it reduces the temperature difference and fuel consumption coefficient. On the other hand, increasing the inlet temperature has no meaningful effect on the temperature difference along the channels.

     

Pt/SiO2 as addition to multilayer SPSU/PTFE composite membrane for fuel cells

A multilayer composite membrane was prepared by reinforcing sulfonated polysulfone (SPSU) with porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and adding Pt/SiO₂–Nafion® membranes on both sides of the SPSU/PTFE membrane to self‐humidify and protect the inside membrane. The ex situ Fenton test and open circuit voltage (OCV) accelerated test show that the composite membrane has better stability than the initial membrane because of the protection of the outside Pt/SiO₂–Nafion layers. The composite membrane has similar performance to that of NRE‐212 under the fully humidified condition and better performance than NRE‐212 without humidifying. The self‐humidifying membrane shows great potential for use in low humidifying conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance analysis of an integrated cooling system consisted of earth-to-air heat exchanger (EAHE) and water spray channel

This study evaluates the cooling performance of a new hybrid system composing of an earth-to-air heat exchanger (EAHE) and a water spray channel to provide thermal comfort in Tehran, Iran. The inlet air temperature passing through the EAHE dissipates its heat to the surrounding soil and become slightly colder. To reach thermal comfort, the pre-cooled air flows upward through a channel spraying water downward and enters the living space. Considering the evaporative thermal comfort zone, the results showed that this system can meet comfort conditions for summer season Tehran. Moreover, according to the results, the cooling effectiveness of the proposed hybrid system is more than 100%, which means that the integrated system is capable of decreasing the air dry-bulb temperature below the inlet ambient wet-bulb temperature. Employing ground as a reliable source of alternative energy, the proposed cooling system can be considered an eco-friendly and energy-efficient system. Therefore, the introduced cooling system can be utilized as an alternative to conventional evaporative coolers or mechanical vapor compression systems while it can be considered an eco-friendly and energy-efficient system.

     

Utilization of a multimembrane inlet and a cyclic sudden sampling introduction mode in membrane inlet mass spectrometry

Sudden sampling introduction into a membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS) considerably improves the selectivity of the membrane inlet and is therefore applicable even for compounds with low permeabilities through a silicone membrane. In this study the basics of cyclic non-steady-state sudden increase sample injection were studied using a three-membrane inlet and a portable sector double-focusing mass spectrometer. The operational parameters of the inlet system providing the most efficient enrichment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air were defined. Simulation of the diffusion process following sudden sample introduction into the three-membrane inlet was also carried out. Experimental testing of the three-membrane inlet system with the cyclic sudden sample injection mode for benzene, toluene, styrene, and xylene in air was performed. The simulation and the experimental results demonstrated that, when this mode is used, the VOCs/nitrogen relative enrichment factor of samples introduced into the mass spectrometer equipped with a three-membrane inlet is increased by a factor of approximately 10(5) compared with a direct introduction method. This effect may be used to decrease detection limits of compounds obtained with mass spectrometry to decrease matrix flow through the inlet at the same detection limits.     

Membrane Focusing - A New Injection Method For Capillary Gas Chromatography

Abstract

The principles of a new sample focusing technique in capillary gas chromatography are described. A solidsorbent trapped sample is thermally released from the sample tube, transfered to a membrane chamber by a carrier gas and there retained by a gas separation membrane which is highly permeable to the carrier gas. After focusing in the membrane chamber the sample is brane chamber geometry to increase the membrane surface and thereby the carrier gas flow is promising too.

The major advantage of a membrane focusing system as compared to the cryofocusing technique would be no need for a cooling agent. Such a system would be favourable for hydrocarbon analyses at remote sites.     

Improvement of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) performance at low-humidity conditions by exposing anode in Ultraviolet light

External humidifying system is generally needed for the fully hydration of membrane and catalyst layer, but it is considered as a barrier to PEMFC all the time. In this study, ultraviolet (UV) light was served as external stimulus to increase the wettability of anode which consists of photo-sensitive hygroscopic materials titanium oxide (TiO₂). Under UV irradiation, water adsorbed on the photo-induced oxygen defects of TiO₂ and transformed into surface hydroxyl groups. The generated hydroxyl groups furthered the back diffusion and decreased the charge resistance, which improved the performance at the low-humidity condition. The problems on the introduction of excessive hygroscopic materials are avoided by the new method.     

Solvent extraction through a double-pass parallel-plate membrane channel with recycle

The reflux indeed has much influence on the heat and mass transfer, which in turn plays a significant role on the design, calculation, and operation of the equipment. The effects of recycle on membrane extraction through a double-pass parallel-plate channel have been studied both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical analysis of mass transfer in multipass membrane extractors was analogous to heat transfer in multipass heat exchangers. Experiments were carried out with the use of a membrane sheet made of microporous polypropylene coated with polytetrafluoroethylene as a permeable barrier to extract acetic acid from aqueous solution by methyl isobutyl ketone. Theoretical predictions are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results. Contrast a single-pass parallel-plate membrane channel without recycle, considerable improvement in mass transfer is obtainable if membrane extraction is operated in a double-pass device of same size with recycle which provides the increase of fluid velocity and pre-extraction (or pre-mixing) effect. It is found that recycle can enhance mass transfer, especially for operations with higher inlet volume rate or shorter conduit length.     

CFD simulations of net-type turbulence promoters in a narrow channel

The most common spacers or turbulence promoters for membrane processes are net-like materials which enhance mass transfer as well as provide passage for feed solutions. The enhanced membrane performance of spacer-filled channels is determined by the fluid flow patterns induced by the spacer filaments. Insight into the effect of spacer characteristics can be obtained by computational fluid dynamics. In this research, the commercial finite volume package FLUENT was used to visualise the flow pattern in a rectangular membrane channel. Three transverse filament arrangements were simulated. The results show that both high shear stress regions and eddies are present in the channel due to the spacer cylinders. The mass transfer enhancement on the wall/membrane surface is directly related to the high shear stress value, velocity fluctuation, and eddy formation. The peak shear stress and velocity fluctuation are repeated after each spacer cylinder, while the eddies are generally found before and after each cylinder. The CFD simulation also suggests that reducing the transverse filament distance will reduce the distance between shear stress peaks and consequently introduce larger shear stress regions near the wall region and increase the number of eddies, which will benefit membrane mass transfer. However, the penalty for this is that energy losses will also be significantly increased. The selection of optimum spacer geometry design involves a trade-off between these competing effects.     

HEH/EHP在中空纤维膜器中萃取钕、钐及传质研究

２－乙基己基膦酸单２－乙基己基酯（ＨＥＨ／ＥＨＰ,ＨＬ）是广泛用于稀土分离湿法冶金的有效萃取剂［１～３］．未氨化的ＨＥＨ／ＥＨＰ在中空纤维膜（ＨＦＭ）中萃取稀土元素的机理和控制模式已有报道［４,５］,但未氨化的ＨＥＨ／ＥＨＰ对轻、中稀土的萃取能力较弱...     

快速测量挥发性有机物的膜进样-飞行时间质谱仪的设计和应用

研制了一种膜进样-微型飞行时间质谱仪, 该仪器使用双层50 μm硅橡胶膜作为大气压下直接进样的接口. 实验结果表明, 随着样品流速的提高, 膜富集效率信号强度呈线性提高. 双膜中间具有真空差分系统, 富集得到的样品被迅速抽走, 进样系统中样品无记忆效应. 样品在膜中的响应时间为100 s, 而打开差分系统后仅需10 s信号即下降为平稳状态. 与毛细管直接进样相比, 双层膜的富集作用显著, 在相同的实验条件下使用膜进样技术测定10×10-6 (体积分数)苯、甲苯和对二甲苯的信号强度分别提高了280, 370和600倍. 膜进样系统与真空紫外光软电离方式联用, 对于苯的检出限已经达到了25×10-9 (体积分数), 线性范围为3个数量级. 由于采用了软电离方法, 无碎片离子产生, 所以能够根据分子量进行快速定性分析. 将该仪器应用于香烟主烟气中可挥发性有机物的在线分析, 得到50多种可挥发性的有机物. 实验结果表明, 膜进样-飞行时间质谱将在在线分析(特别是环境监测)方面具有广泛的应用空间.     

Evaluation of membrane fouling models based on bench-scale experiments: A comparison between constant flowrate blocking laws and artificial neural network (ANNs) model

Both the blocking laws and ANNs models have been used frequently in membrane filtration process in recent years. However, specially applying these models in constant flowrate condition with synthetic surface water is rare case. Further, there has no literature been found to compare the performance of purely mathematic and mechanical model (blocking laws) with the so-called “black-box” ANNs model. In this study, the performance of both blocking laws and ANNs model is evaluated. The dominant fouling mechanisms in specific experimental period also is identified based on the individual model fitting performance.     

Simulation of temperature and moisture fields around a single borehole ground heat exchanger: effects of moisture migration and groundwater seepage

This paper aims to investigate the effects of moisture migration and groundwater seepage on the heat transfer capacity of ground heat exchangers in stratified soils. A three-dimensional unsteady groundwater flow and heat transport model was established using finite volume method. Sixteen cases with different model considerations and initial soil conditions were simulated based on the proposed model. A group of 8 cases considering only transverse moisture migration and another group considering both transverse and longitudinal moisture migration were compared. The heat and moisture fields after 30 days of operation reveal that considering the change of saturation caused by vertical moisture transfer, the soil temperature field will be affected, but borehole outlet temperature was less influenced. The absolute value of outlet temperature difference between corresponding cases in the two groups is only about 0.2 °C. The position of groundwater seepage and arrangement of unsaturated soil layers with different degrees of saturation on heat transfer capacity of vertical ground heat exchanger were further explored. The results show that the longitudinal moisture migration would be made more influential by the existence of seepage layer, because the average relative deviation of inlet and outlet temperature difference between the corresponding cases of Group 1 and Group 2 was 1.34% when setting seepage layer and was 0.44% when without seepage layer. Heat transfer performance of borehole heat exchanger is also affected by the location of seepage layer. The average relative deviation of inlet and outlet temperature difference between the reference case and cases with seepage in the top, middle and bottom layers is 34.18%, 25.08% and 16.82%, respectively. The arrangement of unsaturated soil layers also has a certain effect. When the soil layer with low degree of saturation is located in the upper layer of soil, heat transfer capacity is better.

     

热致相分离聚偏氟乙烯膜接触器法高压吸收CO2过程及数学模拟

研究了膜接触器法高压吸收混合气中CO2的过程,考察水作为吸收剂时,操作压力、气体和吸收剂流量对聚偏氟乙烯(PVDF)中空纤维膜脱除CO2效果的影响.通过物理传质模型得出气相、膜相和液相的传质方程式,构建了二维数学模型,并结合边界层条件和多物理场耦合分析软件(COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS)对膜接触器法高压物理吸收CO2的过程进行了模拟预测.结果表明,吸收过程中膜的润湿情况显著影响CO2传质效果;在数学模型中引入润湿率,可以较准确预测CO2的物理吸收效果.     

A simple model for an amperometric channel biosensor

A simple model is presented for the channel biosensor where an oxidase enzyme layer is located upstream of a detector electrode. In this model the enzyme kinetics are restricted to the linear region. The model enables the elucidation of the parameters important in tuning the response of the biosensor. Two extreme regimes of operation are identified; the kinetically limited and mass transport limited regimes both provide features which overcome reproducibility problems associated with the classical enzyme electrode geometry.     

Mass transfer examination in electrodialysis using limiting current measurements

The impact of electrodialysis module characteristics on mass transfer was examined using the limiting current method. The current-voltage curves of different electrodialysis modules were measured and limiting currents were determined using the derivative method. The mass transfer coefficients were calculated and the parameters of their dependence on linear flow velocity were estimated. From these the impact of spacer thickness, spacer net type, membrane type, and module geometry were evaluated. It was found that the impact of spacer thickness was almost negligible within the examined range, but a decrease in the mass transfer coefficient could be expected in the case of thicker spacers. By contrast, the spacer net type and type of membrane were found to be very important parameters able to significantly influence the mass transfer. By modifying the module geometry, the mass transfer coefficient could also be altered and, only in this case, the exponential parameter of the dependence was changing. The parameters thus determined may be used to calculate the limiting current in a wide range of operational conditions and may help predict the performance of different electrodialysis module types.     

膜吸收-再生循环技术捕集CO_2操作性能及其参数优化研究

采用N-甲基二乙醇胺(MDEA)+哌嗪(PZ)复合溶液作为捕集CO2吸收剂,研究了膜吸收-再生循环装置的操作性能,考察了气液流量、吸收剂浓度和再生电压等因素对捕集率和传质通量的影响,采用正交实验方法,优化操作条件,确定最佳操作方案。结果表明,气体流量对捕集率的影响明显大于液体流量的影响;气体流量增大对传质通量影响不明显;吸收剂浓度的增大使传质通量迅速增大,但大于一定值时通量不再增大;正交实验得出最佳操作条件为液体流量110 mL/min、气体流量0.65 L/min、吸收剂总浓度2.5 mol/L和再生电压210 V,捕集率大于95%,传质通量维持在5.86×10-4mol/(m2.s)。     

Flow field-flow fractionation as an analytical technique to rapidly quantitate membrane fouling

The initial fouling behavior of a clean membrane surface was studied using flow field-flow fractionation (flow FFF), an analytical technique typically used to separate and characterize macromolecules and particulates. This work represents the first time flow FFF has been used to quantitatively evaluate membrane performance. Flow FFF is an ideal tool for expeditiously studying sample–membrane interactions for the following reasons: membranes can be quickly installed into the flow FFF channel, each analysis requires only microgram amounts of sample, and sample–membrane interactions can be rapidly quantitated for different flowrates and solution compositions.Suwannee River humic acids were used as a probe to investigate the initial fouling of an XLE reverse osmosis membrane and an NF-200 nanofiltration membrane. Flow FFF was successfully used to quantitate the fouling of each membrane and to demonstrate that the majority of sample loss was due to irreversible adsorption. The fouling on both membranes was enhanced by increasing the flowrate perpendicular to the membrane surface and by adding calcium ions to the solution. The NF-200 membrane was more resistant than the XLE membrane to fouling in the presence of calcium ions, whereas, the fouling resistance of both membranes improved to similar levels with the addition of EDTA to a solution containing calcium ions.     

Energy-efficient dehydrogenation of methanol in a membrane reactor: a mathematical modeling

A two-dimensional non-isothermal stationary mathematical model of the catalytic membrane reactor for the process of methanol dehydrogenation is described. Copper supported on the carbonaceous support was considered as a catalyst. The reaction of methanol dehydrogenation was thermodynamically conjugated with a reaction of hydrogen oxidation taking place in a shell side of the membrane reactor. The effects of various parameters on the methanol conversion and the methyl formate yield have been calculated with the developed model and discussed. Two different types of heating the gas flow were considered and compared. In the case of conjugated dehydrogenation process, the methyl formate yield reaches 77%, when the reactor outer wall was heated up to 150 °C. When the inlet gas flows in the tube and shell sides were heated up to 100 and 83 °C, correspondingly, the yield was 72%.     

Optimization of cyclical electrical field flow fractionation

Cyclical electrical field flow fractionation (CyElFFF) is a variation on electrical field flow fractionation (ElFFF) where cyclical electrical fields are used instead of steady DC fields to increase the effective field experienced by particles in the flow channel. Even though the effective field increases more than 20-fold compared to normal ElFFF, the retention and resolution in CyElFFF has not been shown to be better than in ElFFF. In this paper we report how one can optimize operational parameters in CyElFFF to obtain good retention and resolution in CyElFFF. The effects of offset voltage, frequency, flowrate, concentration of particles and sample size on retention, resolution and retained peak/void peak ratio have been observed. The results obtained from these experiments were analyzed and suggestions have been made to improve both retention and resolution. A 4-fold improvement in retention without a significant increase in band broadening is reported.     

A semi-empirical approach for predicting the performance of mixed matrix membranes containing selective flakes

A successful model for mixed matrix membrane performance must address the complex geometry of the problem and accurately treat the diffusion behavior of the host–guest systems being considered. Detailed calculations based on the Maxwell–Stefan equations provide a widely accepted means of treating the diffusion of gases within zeolites. However, a full numerical solution of these equations for a complex mixed matrix membrane geometry does not offer the convenience and transparency that comes with an analytical treatment. At the same time, existing analytical equations which were formulated specifically to address mixed matrix geometry do so under the assumption of very simplistic models for diffusion. Here, an approach is presented for predicting the permeability and selectivity of mixed matrix membranes containing zeolite flakes that combines well-known analytical expressions for mixed matrix membrane performance with Maxwell–Stefan modeling for zeolite diffusion. The constant permeabilities required by the analytical models are calculated by the Maxwell–Stefan equations as a function of operating conditions, and these calculated effective permeabilities are used to predict mixed matrix membrane performance at corresponding operating conditions. The method is illustrated through two case studies: normal- and iso-butane separation by a membrane containing silicalite-1 flakes and carbon dioxide/methane separation by membranes containing CHA-type zeolites. Predictions are compared to experimental results found in the literature for both cases. Also, the applicability of the Maxwell and Cussler analytical models for mixed matrix membrane performance is explored as a function of flake loading and aspect ratio.