IPMC Based Flexible Platform: A Boon to the Alternative Energy Solution

The ameliorating urge for energy in consonance with the descending environment and attenuation of natural resources leads to the development of alternate energy storage. Realistically, flexible, portable, and lightweight energy storage devices have immense popularity for accessible transportation. In this context, this chapter analyses a possible solution to the problems described aforesaid on IPMC (Ionic Polymer Metal Composite) membranes. Also, this chapter includes porosity induced electrolyte polymer membrane by MCP of Nafion enhances electrical harvesting attribution. The novel and transportable ocean kinetic energy converting platform by IPMC membrane was fabricated and applied for energy conversion. The etching and surface sanding advances the surface area of IPMC to escalate the gas generation rate as an electrolyser. The functionalised infiltrated Nafion nanocomposite membranes are fabricated and analysed for DMFC performance and methanol permeability. Perfluorosulfonic acid polymer electrolyte membranes gained more attention in the former epoch for vast applications in energy, chloro-alkali electrolytes, OER, and polymer electrolyte fuel cells. The direct methanol fuel cell is an excellent alternative to PEFC for managing liquid fuel and higher energy density at low operational temperatures. Nevertheless, polymer electrolyte membranes and direct methanol fuel cells are potential contenders for circulated power and transferable power applications; the substantial technical, scientific, and economic difficulties must be elucidated beforehand commercialisation.

Study on the Kinetics and Pyrolysis Behavior of Waste Containing Urea-Formaldehyde Resins

In this work, we studied the kinetics and behavior of wood panel wastes containing ureaformaldehyde resins. For this purpose, we used a TG-FTIR coupled system to analyze the gaseous products of the pyrolysis. With the results, we obtained the models that provide theoretical evidence and data support for the studied reactions. According to our findings, the pyrolysis of the ureaformaldehyde components displayed two stages, and the second stage presented a higher intensity. At a temperature of 900 °C, the gas generation rate for hard UF (UF1) was 32.6% higher than that for soft UF (UF2). When temperature increased from 600 °C to 900 °C, the increase of the gas generation rate was relatively small. In addition, the reaction order was obtained using the CoatsRedfern method, which provided a value for the reaction order of 1.4. The activation energy of UF1 was slightly higher than that of UF2. The FTIR analysis indicated that the main gaseous products of the pyrolysis of the urea-formaldehyde resin samples were CO2, H2O, and other compounds containing the C–H and the N–H bond as well as carbonyl groups. In addition, it was determined that Nitrogen was mainly present in the form of hydronitrogen compounds but not as nitrogen oxides. These last may represent a higher degree of pollution.

Evaluation of Processing Parameters for Densification of Composite Propellants

The present work investigated the effects of varying two parameters of a pilot-scale composite propellant plant: the mechanical vibration and the vacuum level. The application of mechanical vibration to the casted mold after the end of mixing has improved the propellant density. On the other hand, the change of the vacuum level had no significant effect. Static firing tests showed an increase in the gas generation rate with the increase of the number of voids.

Solid-State NaBH4/Co Composite as Hydrogen Storage Material: Effect of the Pressing Pressure on Hydrogen Generation Rate

A solid-state NaBH4/Co composite has been employed as a hydrogen-generating material, as an alternative to sodium borohydride solutions, in the long storage of hydrogen. Hydrogen generation begins in the presence of cobalt-based catalysts, immediately after water is added to a NaBH4/Co composite, as a result of sodium borohydride hydrolysis. The hydrogen generation rate has been investigated as a function of the pressure used to press hydrogen-generating composites from a mechanical mixture of the hydride and cobalt chloride hexahydrate. The hydrogen generation rate was observed to increase with the increase of this pressure. Pre-reduction of the cobalt chloride, using a sodium borohydride solution, leveled this dependence with a two-fold decrease in the gas generation rate. According to TEM and XPS data, oxidation of the particles of the pre-reduced cobalt catalyst took place during preparation of the composites, and it is this oxidation that appears to be the main reason for its low activity in sodium borohydride hydrolysis.

Factors Influencing Gas Generation Behaviours of Lump Coal Used in COREX Gasifier

The influences of coal rank, particle size, temperature and gasifier atmosphere on the gas generation of lump coals used in COREX gasifier were investigated. The results showed that an increase in gasifier temperature and a decrease in particle size hardly affected the final mass loss of lump coals but strongly enhanced the gas generation rate. When the temperature was greater than 1000 °C, a decrease in coal rank increased the gas yield but had little effect on the gas generation rate. Moreover, the promotion ability of the atmosphere for the gas generation rate of lump coal from low to high was as follows: N2, CO2, CO and H2. Considering energy conservation, to improve the gas generation rate of the gasifier, the coal rank and particle size should be decreased first, and afterwards, an increase in reduction potential of the atmosphere in gasifier is also encouraged.

Thickness-dependent photoelectrochemical properties of a semitransparent Co3O4 photocathode

Co3O4 has been widely studied as a catalyst when coupled with a photoactive material during hydrogen production using water splitting. Here, we demonstrate a photoactive spinel Co3O4 electrode grown by the Kirkendall diffusion thermal oxidation of Co nanoparticles. The thickness-dependent structural, physical, optical, and electrical properties of Co3O4 samples are comprehensively studied. Our analysis shows that two bandgaps of 1.5 eV and 2.1 eV coexist with p-type conductivity in porous and semitransparent Co3O4 samples, which exhibit light-induced photocurrent in photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) containing the alkaline electrolyte. The thickness-dependent properties of Co3O4 related to its use as a working electrode in PEC cells are extensively studied and show potential for the application in water oxidation and reduction processes. To demonstrate the stability, an alkaline cell was composed for the water splitting system by using two Co3O4 photoelectrodes. The oxygen gas generation rate was obtained to be 7.17 mL·h−1 cm−1. Meanwhile, hydrogen gas generation rate was almost twice of 14.35 mL·h−1·cm−1 indicating the stoichiometric ratio of 1:2. We propose that a semitransparent Co3O4 photoactive electrode is a prospective candidate for use in PEC cells via heterojunctions for hydrogen generation.

Bio-Gasification Under Partially Aerated Conditions

Anaerobic digestion (AD) under mild aerobic loading is investigated. Aeration can apparently have both positive and negative impacts on biogas generation. This study aims to recognize and describe these different aeration effects on AD. Seven series of batch experiments (BT 1- 7) were conducted under varying feed and oxygenation conditions at 35 oC. Oxygen was introduced as headspace air in four of the batch experiments and as pure oxygen in two series. Effects of extensive initial aeration of inoculum were investigated in one batch series. The methane yield of the reactors fed with starch (1.09 g COD/LReactor) was positively influenced by oxygenation in the load range up to 38 % O2 (as % of feed COD). A negative influence of oxygen was observed at the next experimental level of 79 % O2. For the glucose fed reactors under similar operating conditions, the oxygen impact was near linearly negative in the tested range of 0 - 49 % O2. These results demonstrate that digestion of soluble substrates like glucose is not enhanced by O2, while substrates requiring hydrolysis are. Thus, limited aeration can enhance biogas production from non-soluble substrates under batch conditions. According to the experiment where the effects of extensive initial aeration was investigated, lengthening of the aeration period increasingly slowed down the gas generation rate but eventually resulted in the same methane yield. The lag period before gas generation started was three times longer for the aerated inoculum reactors than un-aerated. These observations suggest that oxygen induced inhibition of the biomass activity is mostly reversible. Reduced biogas production rates with initial aeration extent suggest some permanent damage to the anaerobes. Extensively aerated inoculums generated less methane compared to the un-aerated inoculum, probably due to the loss of some biogas potential initially present in the inoculum. Oxygen assisted degradation of some recalcitrant organic matter, including biomass cells themselves, present in the inoculum is also detected in an unfed inoculum test series.