No description available.

No description available.

A series of steady-state microscopic continuum models of the cathode catalyst layer (active layer) of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell are developed and presented. This model incorporates O₂ species and ion transport while taking a discrete look at the platinum particles within the active layer. The original 2-dimensional axisymmetric Thin Film and Agglomerate Models of Bultel, Ozil, and Durand [8] were initially implemented, validated, and used to generate various results related to the performance of the active layer with changes in the thermodynamic conditions and geometry. The Agglomerate Model was then further developed, implemented, and validated to include among other things pores, flooding, and both humidified air and humidified O₂. All models were implemented and solved using FEMAP™ and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver, developed by Blue Ridge Numerics Inc. (BRNI) called CFDesign™. The use of these models for the discrete modeling of platinum particles is shown to be beneficial for understanding the behavior of a fuel cell. The addition of gas pores is shown to promote high current densities due to increased species transport throughout the agglomerate. Flooding is considered, and its effect on the cathode active layer is evaluated. The model takes various transport and electrochemical kinetic parameters values from the literature in order to do a parametric study showing the degree to which temperature, pressure, and geometry are crucial to overall performance. This parametric study quantifies among a number of other things the degree to which lower porosities for thick active layers and higher porosities for thin active layers are advantageous to fuel cell performance. Cathode active layer performance is shown not to be solely a function of catalyst surface area but discrete catalyst placement within the agglomerate. / Master of Science

The sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe is undergoing rapid ecological change. The degradation of sagebrush steppe rangelands has resulted in the listing of more than 350 animals and plants as species of conservation concern. In addition, there has been a decrease in recreational values, reduced forage production, degraded water resources, and an increase in fire frequency. In the sagebrush steppe, success rates for seeding sagebrush after wildfire are notoriously low. Not only are sagebrush seeds hard to sow due to their small size and associated flower parts, but seedlings are exposed to numerous stresses that lowers their survivability. To improve sowing efficiency and reduce the associated stresses to seedling development we use seed enhancement technologies. In Chapter 1, we explain how a rotary seed coater can be used to agglomerate and apply enhancements to Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp. wyomingensis) seed. Using a mix of compost and clay we used a rotary seed coater to create small uniform agglomerates that allowed for enhancements to be applied to the seed. Our study demonstrated that agglomerates have no negative effects on seed germination and increased the overall flow of seed. In Chapter 2, we analyzed the addition of the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) in seed coatings. This hormone may delay seed germination and allow seedlings to avoid mortality due to over-winter freezing. We determined effects of different concentrations of ABA on total germination and timing of germination. Using a wet-thermal accumulation model, we estimated germination timing of seeds using soil temperature and water potential data for six different sites in the Great Basin. These models illustrate the variation in germination timing across the Great Basin. From our results we proposed the idea of using ABA to create a bet- hedging strategy in seed mixes to increase the probability that some seeds would germinate when conditions are favorable for seedling success.

Agglomerate formation is a common phenomenon that can cause operating problems in the fluid coking reactor. When agglomerates form they provide longer diffusion paths of the reaction products through the liquid layers and liquid bridges within the agglomerate, which leads to higher mass transfer resistance, trapping of the reaction products and increasing the undesired coke formation reactions. Surviving agglomerates in the reactor can also cause fouling of the reactor interior and defluidization of the bed. The ultimate coke yield was determined for agglomerates of Athabasca vacuum residue and solid particles by heating on Curie-point alloy strips in an induction furnace at 503 oC and 530 oC and in a fluidized bed reactor at 500 oC until all toluene-soluble material was converted. Coke yields from agglomerates were compared to the results from reacting thin films of vacuum residue. The average coke yield from the agglomerates was 23%, while the coke yield from thin films of 20 m thickness was 11%, which supports the role of mass transfer in coke formation reactions. The ultimate coke yield was insensitive to vacuum residue concentration, agglomerate size, reaction temperature and agglomerate disintegration. The temperature profile within agglomerates was measured by implanting a thermocouple at the agglomerate center, and a heat transfer model was used to describe the temperature variation with time. The effective thermal diffusivity of the agglomerates was 0.20 x 10-6 m2/s. Control experiments on reactions in thin liquid films confirmed that heating rates in the range of 14.8 to 148 K/s had no effect on the ultimate yield of coke

No description available.

No description available.

The main aim of this thesis is to propose a suitable dusting cooling conveyor technology for agglomeration South in Ostrava. The first part deals with the actual sinter production and its influence on air. It further describes the most commonly used separation device in agglomerations. In the second part of this thesis there is designed a scheme of piping line for suction air and there is also described the choice of abatement equipment and associated equipment. The work includes also drawing plans of the proposed solution.

abstract: The applications utilizing nanoparticles have grown in both industrial and academic areas because of the very large surface area to volume ratios of these particles. One of the best ways to process and control these nanoparticles is fluidization. In this work, a new microjet and vibration assisted (MVA) fluidized bed system was developed in order to fluidize nanoparticles. The system was tested and the parameters optimized using two commercially available TiO2 nanoparticles: P25 and P90. The fluidization quality was assessed by determining the non-dimensional bed height as well as the non-dimensional pressure drop. The non-dimensional bed height for the nanosized TiO2 in the MVA system optimized at about 5 and 7 for P25 and P90 TiO2, respectively, at a resonance frequency of 50 Hz. The non-dimensional pressure drop was also determined and showed that the MVA system exhibited a lower minimum fluidization velocity for both of the TiO2 types as compared to fluidization that employed only vibration assistance. Additional experiments were performed with the MVA to characterize the synergistic effects of vibrational intensity and gas velocity on the TiO2 P25 and P90 fluidized bed heights. Mathematical relationships were developed to correlate vibrational intensity, gas velocity, and fluidized bed height in the MVA. The non-dimensional bed height in the MVA system is comparable to previously published P25 TiO2 fluidization work that employed an alcohol in order to minimize the electrostatic attractions within the bed. However, the MVA system achieved similar results without the addition of a chemical, thereby expanding the potential chemical reaction engineering and environmental remediation opportunities for fluidized nanoparticle systems. In order to aid future scaling up of the MVA process, the agglomerate size distribution in the MVA system was predicted by utilizing a force balance model coupled with a two-fluid model (TFM) simulation. The particle agglomerate size that was predicted using the computer simulation was validated with experimental data and found to be in good agreement. Lastly, in order to demonstrate the utility of the MVA system in an air revitalization application, the capture of CO2 was examined. CO2 breakthrough time and adsorption capacities were tested in the MVA system and compared to a vibrating fluidized bed (VFB) system. Experimental results showed that the improved fluidity in the MVA system enhanced CO2 adsorption capacity. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Mechanical Engineering 2019

Das thermische Spritzen ist geeignet Kompositschichten herzustellen, deren Einsatzgebiet hauptsächlich im Verschleißschutz liegt. Bisher lag der Schwerpunkt in der Untersuchung partikelverstärkter Schichten. Inhalt der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Herstellung und Charakterisierung von C-kurzfaserverstärkten Schichten mit einer Aluminiummatrix. Als Spritzverfahren kamen das DC-Plasmaspritzen und das HF-Plasmaspritzen zur Anwendung. Die Aluminiumpulver und Kohlenstoffkurzfasern werden dafür agglomeriert. Gegenübergestellt wurden für beide Spritzverfahren die Mikrostrukturen der Schichten und das Verschleißverhalten. Die Kompositschichten können im Vergleich mit unverstärktem Aluminium ein deutlich verbessertes Verschleißverhalten aufweisen. Dies konnte in Gleit- und Schwingverschleißprüfungen nachgewiesen werden. Weiterhin wird auf eine für thermisch gespritzte Schichten charakteristische Fasereinbettung in die metallische Matrix hingewiesen, die zu einem speziellen Schädigungsmechanismus bei den Verschleißtests führt.