Recent Fast Wave Coupling and Heating Studies on NSTX, with Possible Implications for ITER (open access)

Recent Fast Wave Coupling and Heating Studies on NSTX, with Possible Implications for ITER

The goal of the high harmonic fast wave (HHFW) research on NSTX is to maximize the coupling of RF power to the core of the plasma by minimizing the coupling of RF power to edge loss processes. HHFW core plasma heating efficiency in helium and deuterium L-mode discharges is found to improve markedly on NSTX when the density 2 cm in front of the antenna is reduced below that for the onset of perpendicular wave propagation (nonset ∝ B*k|| 2/ω). In NSTX, the observed RF power losses in the plasma edge are driven in the vicinity of the antenna as opposed to resulting from multi-pass edge damping. PDI surface losses through ion-electron collisions are estimated to be significant. Recent spectroscopic measurements suggest that additional PDI losses could be caused by the loss of energetic edge ions on direct loss orbits and perhaps result in the observed clamping of the edge rotation. Initial deuterium H-mode heating studies reveal that core heating is degraded at lower kφ (- 8 m-1 relative to 13 m-1) as for the Lmode case at elevated edge density. Fast visible camera images clearly indicate that a major edge loss process is occurring from the plasma scrape off …
Date: July 21, 2009
Creator: J.C. Hosea, R.E. Bell, E. Feibush, R.W. Harvey, E.F. Jaeger, B.P LeBlanc, R. Maingi, C.K. Phillips, L. Roquemore, P.M. Ryan, G. Taylor, K. Tritz, E.J. Valeo, J. Wilgen, J.R. Wilson, and the NSTX Team
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
PRELIMINARY FRIT DEVELOPMENT AND MELT RATE TESTING FOR SLUDGE BATCH 6 (SB6) (open access)

PRELIMINARY FRIT DEVELOPMENT AND MELT RATE TESTING FOR SLUDGE BATCH 6 (SB6)

The Liquid Waste Organization (LWO) provided the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) with a Sludge Batch 6 (SB6) composition projection in March 2009. Based on this projection, frit development efforts were undertaken to gain insight into compositional effects on the predicted and measured properties of the glass waste form and to gain insight into frit components that may lead to improved melt rate for SB6-like compositions. A series of Sludge Batch 6 (SB6) based glasses was selected, fabricated and characterized in this study to better understand the ability of frit compositions to accommodate uncertainty in the projected SB6 composition. Acceptable glasses (compositions where the Product Composition Control System (PCCS) Measurement Acceptability Region (MAR) predicted acceptable properties, good chemical durability was measured, and no detrimental nepheline crystallization was observed) can be made using Frit 418 with SB6 over a range of Na{sub 2}O and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} concentrations. However, the ability to accommodate variation in the sludge composition limits the ability to utilize alternative frits for potential improvements in melt rate. Frit 535, which may offer improvements in melt rate due to its increased B2O3 concentration, produced acceptable glasses with the baseline SB6 composition at waste loadings of 34 and 42%. …
Date: July 21, 2009
Creator: Fox, K.; Miller, D. & Edwards, T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Molecular Genetic Analysis of Maize Starch Branching Isoforms: Modulation of Starch Branching Enzyme Isoform Activities in Maize to Produce Starch with Novel Branching Architecture and Properties (open access)

Molecular Genetic Analysis of Maize Starch Branching Isoforms: Modulation of Starch Branching Enzyme Isoform Activities in Maize to Produce Starch with Novel Branching Architecture and Properties

Modulation of Starch Branching enzyme Isoform Activities in Maize to Produce Starch with Novel Branching Architecture and Properties.
Date: July 21, 2009
Creator: Guiltinan, Mark J. & Thompson, Donald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
High Power, High Voltage FETs in Linear Applications: A User's Perspective (open access)

High Power, High Voltage FETs in Linear Applications: A User's Perspective

The specifications of the current crop of highpower, high-voltage field-effect transistors (FETs) can lure a designer into employing them in high-voltage DC equipment. Devices with extremely low on-resistance and very high power ratings are available from several manufacturers. However, our experience shows that high-voltage, linear operation of these devices at near-continuous duty can present difficult reliability challenges at stress levels well-below their published specifications. This paper chronicles the design evolution of a 600 volt, 8 ampere shunt regulator for use with megawatt-class radio transmitters, and presents a final design that has met its reliability criteria.
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: Greenough, N.; Fredd, E. & DePasquale, S.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Highly Selective Synthesis of Catalytically Active Monodisperse Rhodium Nanocubes (open access)

Highly Selective Synthesis of Catalytically Active Monodisperse Rhodium Nanocubes

Synthesis of monodisperse and shape-controlled colloidal inorganic nanocrystals (NCs) is of increasing scientific interest and technological significance. Recently, shape control of Pt, Pd, Ag, Au, and Rh NCs has been obtained by tuning growth kinetics in various solution-phase approaches, including modified polyol methods, seeded growth by polyol reduction, thermolysis of organometallics, and micelle techniques. Control of reduction kinetics of the noble metal precursors and regulation of the relative growth rates of low-index planes (i.e. {l_brace}100{r_brace} and {l_brace}111{r_brace}) via selective adsorption of selected chemical species are two keys for achieving shape modification of noble metal NCs. One application for noble metal NCs of well-defined shape is in understanding how NC faceting (determines which crystallographic planes are exposed) affects catalytic performance. Rh NCs are used in many catalytic reactions, including hydrogenation, hydroformylation, hydrocarbonylation, and combustion reactions. Shape manipulation of Rh NCs may be important in understanding how faceting on the nanoscale affects catalytic properties, but such control is challenging and there are fewer reports on the shape control of Rh NCs compared to other noble metals. Xia and coworkers obtained Rh multipods exhibiting interesting surface plasmonic properties by a polyol approach. The Somorjai and Tilley groups synthesized crystalline Rh multipods, cubes, horns …
Date: February 21, 2009
Creator: Zhang, Y.; Grass, M. E.; Kuhn, J. N.; Tao, F.; Habas, S. E.; Huang, W. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Investigation of a Gas Jet-Produced Hollow Plasma Wakefield Accelerator (open access)

Investigation of a Gas Jet-Produced Hollow Plasma Wakefield Accelerator

The effect of ion motion and the need for practical positron propagation in a plasma wakefield accelerator (PWFA) have incited interest in hollow plasma channels. These channels are typically assumed to be cylindrically symmetric; however, a different geometry might be easier to achieve. The introduction of an obstruction into the outlet of a high Mach number gas jet can produce two parallel slabs of gas separated by a density depression. Here, there is a detailed simulation study of the density depression created in such a system. This investigation reveals that the density depression is insufficient at the desired plasma density. However, insights from the simulations suggest another avenue for the creation of the hollow slab geometry.
Date: May 21, 2009
Creator: Kirby, N; Blumenfeld, I.; Hogan, M. J.; Siemann, R. H.; Walz, D. R.; Davidson, A. W. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Innovative High Thermal Conductivity Fuel Design (open access)

An Innovative High Thermal Conductivity Fuel Design

Thermal conductivity of the fuel in today's Light Water Reactors, Uranium dioxide, can be improved by incorporating a uniformly distributed heat conducting network of a higher conductivity material, Silicon Carbide. The higher thermal conductivity of SiC along with its other prominent reactor-grade properties makes it a potential material to address some of the related issues when used in UO2 [97% TD]. This ongoing research, in collaboration with the University of Florida, aims to investigate the feasibility and develop a formal methodology of producing the resultant composite oxide fuel. Calculations of effective thermal conductivity of the new fuel as a function of %SiC for certain percentages and as a function of temperature are presented as a preliminary approach. The effective thermal conductivities are obtained at different temperatures from 600K to 1600K. The corresponding polynomial equations for the temperature-dependent thermal conductivities are given based on the simulation results. Heat transfer mechanism in this fuel is explained using a finite volume approach and validated against existing empirical models. FLUENT 6.1.22 was used for thermal conductivity calculations and to estimate reduction in centerline temperatures achievable within such a fuel rod. Later, computer codes COMBINE-PC and VENTURE-PC were deployed to estimate the fuel enrichment required, …
Date: November 21, 2009
Creator: Khan, Jamil A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Improving Corrosion Behavior in SCWR, LFR and VHTR Reactor Materials by Formation of a Stable Oxide (open access)

Improving Corrosion Behavior in SCWR, LFR and VHTR Reactor Materials by Formation of a Stable Oxide

The objective of this study is to understand the influence of the alloy microstructure and composition on the formation of a stable, protective oxide in the environments relevant to the SCWR and LFR reactor concepts, as well as to the VHTR. It is proposed to use state-of-the art techniques to study the fine structure of these oxides to identify the structural differences between stable and unstable oxide layers. The techniques to be used are microbeam synchrotron radiation diffraction and fluorescence, and cross-sectional transmission electron microcopy on samples prepared using focused ion beam.
Date: December 21, 2009
Creator: Motta, Arthur T.; Comstock, Robert; Li, Ning; Allen, Todd & Was, Gary
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
EFFECTS OF GAMMA RADIATION ON ELECTROCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF IONIC LIQUIDS (open access)

EFFECTS OF GAMMA RADIATION ON ELECTROCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF IONIC LIQUIDS

The electrochemical properties of ionic liquids (ILs) make them attractive for possible replacement of inorganic salts in high temperature molten salt electrochemical processing of nuclear fuel. To be a feasible replacement solvent, ILs need to be stable in moderate and high doses of radiation without adverse chemical and physical effects. Here, we exposed seven different ILs to a 1.2 MGy dose of gamma radiation to investigate their physical and chemical properties as they related to radiological stability. The azolium-based ILs experienced the greatest change in appearance, but these ILs were chemically more stable to gamma radiation than some of the other classes of ILs tested, due to the presence of aromatic electrons in the azolium ring. All the ILs exhibited a decrease in their conductivity and electrochemical window (at least 1.1 V), both of which could affect the utility of ILs in electrochemical processing. The concentration of the irradiation decomposition products was less than 3 mole %, with no impurities detectable using NMR techniques.
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: Visser, A; Nicholas Bridges, N; Thad Adams, T; John Mickalonis, J & Mark02 Williamson, M
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
COG Software Architecture Design Description Document (open access)

COG Software Architecture Design Description Document

This COG Software Architecture Design Description Document describes the organization and functionality of the COG Multiparticle Monte Carlo Transport Code for radiation shielding and criticality calculations, at a level of detail suitable for guiding a new code developer in the maintenance and enhancement of COG. The intended audience also includes managers and scientists and engineers who wish to have a general knowledge of how the code works. This Document is not intended for end-users. This document covers the software implemented in the standard COG Version 10, as released through RSICC and IAEA. Software resources provided by other institutions will not be covered. This document presents the routines grouped by modules and in the order of the three processing phases. Some routines are used in multiple phases. The routine description is presented once - the first time the routine is referenced. Since this is presented at the level of detail for guiding a new code developer, only the routines invoked by another routine that are significant for the processing phase that is being detailed are presented. An index to all routines detailed is included. Tables for the primary data structures are also presented.
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: Buck, R M & Lent, E M
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Annual Stock Assessment - CWT [Coded Wire Tag program] (USFWS), Annual Report 2007. (open access)

Annual Stock Assessment - CWT [Coded Wire Tag program] (USFWS), Annual Report 2007.

In 1989 the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) began funding the evaluation of production groups of juvenile anadromous fish not being coded-wire tagged for other programs. These groups were the 'Missing Production Groups'. Production fish released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) without representative coded-wire tags during the 1980s are indicated as blank spaces on the survival graphs in this report. This program is now referred to as 'Annual Stock Assessment - CWT'. The objectives of the 'Annual Stock Assessment' program are to: (1) estimate the total survival of each production group, (2) estimate the contribution of each production group to fisheries, and (3) prepare an annual report for USFWS hatcheries in the Columbia River basin. Coded-wire tag recovery information will be used to evaluate the relative success of individual brood stocks. This information can also be used by salmon harvest managers to develop plans to allow the harvest of excess hatchery fish while protecting threatened, endangered, or other stocks of concern. All fish release information, including marked/unmarked ratios, is reported to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC). Fish recovered in the various fisheries or at the hatcheries are sampled to recover coded-wire tags. This recovery information is …
Date: July 21, 2009
Creator: Pastor, Stephen M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Annotated Bibliography for the DEWPOINT project (open access)

Annotated Bibliography for the DEWPOINT project

This bibliography covers aspects of the Detection and Early Warning of Proliferation from Online INdicators of Threat (DEWPOINT) project including 1) data management and querying, 2) baseline and advanced methods for classifying free text, and 3) algorithms to achieve the ultimate goal of inferring intent from free text sources. Metrics for assessing the quality and correctness of classification are addressed in the second group. Data management and querying include methods for efficiently storing, indexing, searching, and organizing the data we expect to operate on within the DEWPOINT project.
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: Oehmen, Christopher S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Major Successes of Theory-and-Experiment-Combined Studies in Surface Chemistry and Heterogeneous Catalysis. (open access)

Major Successes of Theory-and-Experiment-Combined Studies in Surface Chemistry and Heterogeneous Catalysis.

Experimental discoveries followed by theoretical interpretations that pave the way of further advances by experimentalists is a developing pattern in modern surface chemistry and catalysis. The revolution of modern surface science started with the development of surface-sensitive techniques such as LEED, XPS, AES, ISS and SIMS, in which the close collaboration between experimentalists and theorists led to the quantitative determination of surface structure and composition. The experimental discovery of the chemical activity of surface defects and the trends in the reactivity of transitional metals followed by the explanations from the theoretical studies led to the molecular level understanding of active sites in catalysis. The molecular level knowledge, in turn, provided a guide for experiments to search for new generation of catalysts. These and many other examples of successes in experiment-and-theory-combined studies demonstrate the importance of the collaboration between experimentalists and theorists in the development of modern surface science.
Date: November 21, 2009
Creator: Somorjai, Gabor A. & Li, Yimin
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Strength of Single Crystal Copper under Uniaxial Shock Compression at Mbar pressures (open access)

The Strength of Single Crystal Copper under Uniaxial Shock Compression at Mbar pressures

In situ x-ray diffraction has been used to measure the shear strain (and thus strength) of single crystal copper shocked to Mbar pressures along the [001] and [111] axes. These direct shear strain measurements indicate shear strengths at these ultra-high strain rates (of order 10{sup 9} s{sup -1}) of a few GPa, which are both broadly in agreement with the extrapolation of lower strain-rate data and with non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations.
Date: May 21, 2009
Creator: Murphy, W; Higginbotham, A; Kimminau, G; Barbrel, B; Bringa, E; Hawreliak, J et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Metal-Air Electric Vehicle Battery: Sustainable, High-Energy Density, Low-Cost Electrochemical Energy Storage – Metal-Air Ionic Liquid (MAIL) Batteries (open access)

Metal-Air Electric Vehicle Battery: Sustainable, High-Energy Density, Low-Cost Electrochemical Energy Storage – Metal-Air Ionic Liquid (MAIL) Batteries

Broad Funding Opportunity Announcement Project: ASU is developing a new class of metal-air batteries. Metal-air batteries are promising for future generations of EVs because they use oxygen from the air as one of the battery’s main reactants, reducing the weight of the battery and freeing up more space to devote to energy storage than Li-Ion batteries. ASU technology uses Zinc as the active metal in the battery because it is more abundant and affordable than imported lithium. Metal-air batteries have long been considered impractical for EV applications because the water-based electrolytes inside would decompose the battery interior after just a few uses. Overcoming this traditional limitation, ASU’s new battery system could be both cheaper and safer than today’s Li-Ion batteries, store from 4-5 times more energy, and be recharged over 2,500 times.
Date: December 21, 2009
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
3D Sedimentological and Geophysical Studies of Clastic Reservoir Analogs: Facies Architecture, Reservoir Properties, and Flow Behavior Within Delta Front Facies Elements of the Cretaceous Wall Creek Member, Frontier Formation, Wyoming (open access)

3D Sedimentological and Geophysical Studies of Clastic Reservoir Analogs: Facies Architecture, Reservoir Properties, and Flow Behavior Within Delta Front Facies Elements of the Cretaceous Wall Creek Member, Frontier Formation, Wyoming

Significant volumes of oil and gas occur in reservoirs formed by ancient river deltas. This has implications for the spatial distribution of rock types and the variation of transport properties. A between mudstones and sandstones may form baffles that influence productivity and recovery efficiency. Diagenetic processes such as compaction, dissolution, and cementation can also alter flow properties. A better understanding of these properties and improved methods will allow improved reservoir development planning and increased recovery of oil and gas from deltaic reservoirs. Surface exposures of ancient deltaic rocks provide a high-resolution view of variability. Insights gleaned from these exposures can be used to model analogous reservoirs, for which data is sparser. The Frontier Formation in central Wyoming provides an opportunity for high-resolution models. The same rocks exposed in the Tisdale anticline are productive in nearby oil fields. Kilometers of exposure are accessible, and bedding-plane exposures allow use of high-resolution ground-penetrating radar. This study combined geologic interpretations, maps, vertical sections, core data, and ground-penetrating radar to construct geostatistical and flow models. Strata-conforming grids were use to reproduce the observed geometries. A new Bayesian method integrates outcrop, core, and radar amplitude and phase data. The proposed method propagates measurement uncertainty and yields …
Date: December 21, 2009
Creator: White, Christopher D.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
PJM Controller Testing with Prototypic PJM Nozzle Configuration (open access)

PJM Controller Testing with Prototypic PJM Nozzle Configuration

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of River Protection’s Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) is being designed and built to pre-treat and then vitrify a large portion of the wastes in Hanford’s 177 underground waste storage tanks. The WTP consists of three primary facilities—pretreatment, low-activity waste (LAW) vitrification, and high-level waste (HLW) vitrification. The pretreatment facility will receive waste piped from the Hanford tank farms and separate it into a high-volume, low-activity liquid stream stripped of most solids and radionuclides and a much smaller volume of HLW slurry containing most of the solids and most of the radioactivity. Many of the vessels in the pretreatment facility will contain pulse jet mixers (PJM) that will provide some or all of the mixing in the vessels. Pulse jet mixer technology was selected for use in black cell regions of the WTP, where maintenance cannot be performed once hot testing and operations commence. The PJMs have no moving mechanical parts that require maintenance. The vessels with the most concentrated slurries will also be mixed with air spargers and/or steady jets in addition to the mixing provided by the PJMs. Pulse jet mixers are susceptible to overblows that can generate large hydrodynamic forces, forces …
Date: August 21, 2009
Creator: Bontha, Jagannadha R.; Nigl, Franz; Weier, Dennis R.; Leigh, Richard J.; Johnson, Eric D.; Wilcox, Wayne A. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
SALTSTONE 3QCY08 TCLP RESULTS (open access)

SALTSTONE 3QCY08 TCLP RESULTS

A Saltstone waste form was prepared in the Savannah River National Laboratory from a Tank 50H sample and Z-Area premix material for the third quarter of calendar year 2008 (3QCY08). After the prescribed 28 day cure, samples of the saltstone were collected, and the waste form was shown to meet the South Carolina Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (SCHWMR) R.61-79.261.24 and R.61-79.268.48(a) requirements for a nonhazardous waste form with respect to RCRA metals and underlying hazardous constituents. These analyses met all quality assurance specifications of USEPA SW-846.
Date: April 21, 2009
Creator: Cozzi, A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Site Environmental Report for 2008, Volume 1 (open access)

Site Environmental Report for 2008, Volume 1

The Site Environmental Report for 2008 is an integrated report on the environmental programs at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and satisfies the requirements of DOE order 231.1A, Environment, Safety, and Health Reporting. Volume II contains individual data results from surveillance and monitoring activities
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: Lackner, Regina; Baskin, David; Fox, Robert; Jelinski, John; Pauer, Ron; Thorson, Patrick et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oncology Center (open access)

Oncology Center

Efforts by the Hollings Cancer Center to earn a designation as a National Cancer Center are outlined.
Date: September 21, 2009
Creator: Kraft, Andrew S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Over Voltage in a Multi-sectioned Solenoid during a Quenching (open access)

Over Voltage in a Multi-sectioned Solenoid during a Quenching

Accurate analysis of over voltage in the superconducting solenoid during a quench is one of the bases for quench protection system design. Classical quench simulation methods can only give rough estimation of the over voltage within a magnet coil. In this paper, for multi-sectioned superconducting solenoid, based on the classical assumption of ellipsoidal normal zone, three-dimension al temperature results are mapped to the one-dimension of the wire, the temperature distribution along the wire and the resistances of each turn are obtained. The coil is treated as circuit comprised of turn resistances, turn self and mutual inductances. The turn resistive voltage, turn inductive voltage, and turn resultant voltage along the wire are calculated. As a result, maximum internal voltages, the layer-to-layer voltages and the turn-to-turn voltages are better estimated. Utilizing this method, the over voltage of a small solenoid and a large solenoid during quenching have been studied. The result shows that this method can well improve the over voltage estimate, especially when the coil is larger.
Date: June 21, 2009
Creator: Guo, Xinglong; Wang, Li; Pan, Heng; Wu, Hong; Liu, Xiaokun; Chen, Anbin et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nuclear Recoil Cross Sections from Time-dependent Studies of Two-Photon Double Ionization of Helium (open access)

Nuclear Recoil Cross Sections from Time-dependent Studies of Two-Photon Double Ionization of Helium

We examine the sensitivity of nuclear recoil cross sections produced by two-photon double ionization of helium to the underlying triple differential cross sections (TDCS) used in their computation. We show that this sensitivity is greatest in the energy region just below the threshold for sequential double ionization. Accurate TDCS, extracted from non-perturbative solutions of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation, are used here in new computations of the nuclear recoil cross section.
Date: December 21, 2009
Creator: Horner, Daniel A.; Rescigno, Thomas N. & McCurdy, C. William
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Spectroscopic signatures of proton transfer dynamics in the water dimer cation (open access)

Spectroscopic signatures of proton transfer dynamics in the water dimer cation

Using full dimensional EOM-IP-CCSD/aug-cc-pVTZ potential energy surfaces, the photoelectron spectrum, vibrational structure, and ionization dynamics of the water dimer radical cation, (H2O)+2, were computed. We also report an experimental photoelectron spectrum which is derived from photoionization efficiency measurements and compares favorably with the theoretical spectrum. The vibrational structure is also compared with the recent experimental work of Gardenier et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 113, 4772 (2009)] and the recent theoretical calculations by Cheng et al. [J. Phys. Chem. A 113 13779 (2009)]. A reduced dimensionality nuclear Hamiltonian was used to compute the ionization dynamics for both the ground state and first excited state of the cation. The dynamics show markedly different behavior and spectroscopic signatures depending on which state of the cation is accessed by the ionization. Ionization to the ground-state cation surface induces a hydrogen transfer which is complete within 50 femtoseconds, whereas ionization to the first excited state results in a much slower process.
Date: December 21, 2009
Creator: Kamarchik, Eugene; Kostko, Oleg; Bowman, Joel M.; Ahmed, Musahid & Krylov, Anna I.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Testing of FMI's Coal Upgrading Process (open access)

Testing of FMI's Coal Upgrading Process

WRI and FMI have collaborated to develop and test a novel coal upgrading technology. Proprietary coal upgrading technology is a fluidized bed-based continuous process which allows high through-puts, reducing the coal processing costs. Processing is carried out under controlled oxidizing conditions at mild enough conditions that compared to other coal upgrading technologies; the produced water is not as difficult to treat. All the energy required for coal drying and upgrading is derived from the coal itself. Under the auspices of the Jointly Sponsored Research Program, Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-98FT40323, a nominal 400 lbs/hour PDU was constructed and operated. Over the course of this project, several low-rank coals were successfully tested in the PDU. In all cases, a higher Btu, low moisture content, stable product was produced and subsequently analyzed. Stack emissions were monitored and produced water samples were analyzed. Product stability was established by performing moisture readsorption testing. Product pyrophobicity was demonstrated by instrumenting a coal pile.
Date: March 21, 2009
Creator: Sethi, Vijay
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library