A new model for the complex dielectric constant, ε, of aqueous ammonia (NH4OH) has been developed based on laboratory measurements in the frequency range between 2-8.5 GHz for ammonia concentrations of 0-8.5 %NH3/volume and temperatures between 277-297 K. The new model has been validated for temperatures up to 313 K, but may be consistently extrapolated up to 475 K and ammonia concentrations up to 20 %NH3/volume. The model fits 60.26 % of all laboratory measurements within 2σ uncertainty. The new model is identical to the Meissner and Wentz (2004) model of the complex dielectric constant of pure water, but it contains a correction for dissolved ammonia. A description of the experimental setups, uncertainties associated with the laboratory measurements, the model fitting process, the new model, and its application to approximating jovian cloud opacity for NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter are provided.

Aqueous ammonia treatment of organic material to increase enzymatic digestibility is a growing area of research for animal fodder and biofuel production. The application of this treatment in the municipal composting process has not previously been investigated. Litterbags were used to investigate the effects of an aqueous ammonia treatment prior to composting on source-separated organic waste. The treatment consisted of soaking organic material in aqueous ammonia prior to introducing the material back into the composting process. Dry mass, ash content, ash-free dry mass, and water-solubility were measured. Three experiments were performed: one in the laboratory, one in an in-vessel system, and one in windrows. The aqueous ammonia treatment removed more dry mass compared to controls; however, the results indicate that the majority of the loss occurred during the soak. This treatment may be of interest for compost facilities if the leachate produced can be used in an economically beneficial way. / Ontario Centres of Excellence

L'objectif de ces travaux vise à évaluer les performances d'un contacteur membranaire à fibres creuses utilisé pour réaliser l'absorption chimique du CO2 dans une solution ammoniacale ainsi que la régénération de cette dernière. Les membranes utilisées sont composites, c'est-à-dire composées d'une fine couche dense recouverte sur un support microporeux, la couche dense permettant d'éviter le mouillage par pénétration de liquide dans la membrane. Pour réaliser ces études, une approche combinant expérimentation et modélisation a été adoptée. Lors de la réalisation de l'absorption chimique avec un contacteur membranaire, des chutes importantes d’efficacité de captage du CO2 au cours du temps ont été observées et confirment les résultats obtenus lors de travaux ultérieurs. Cette baisse des performances est attribuée à la précipitation de sels d’ammonium en phase gaz. Lors de l'utilisation d’un gaz saturé en vapeur d'eau, comme le seraient les fumées industrielles, les performances du procédé se sont révélées stables. Un modèle 1D multi-composant adiabatique du contacteur a été développé sur Aspen Custom Modeler® et validé à partir des résultats expérimentaux. Les simulations réalisées avec ce modèle ont confirmé le potentiel d'intensification volumique de la technologie, toutefois, la réduction des pertes de NH3, grâce à l'utilisation d’une couche dense sélective moins perméable à NH3 qu’au CO2, n’a pas été satisfaisante. Les phénomènes de condensation dans les contacteurs membranaires ont été étudiés par expérimentation et modélisation. Il a ainsi été montré que le mouillage par condensation de la membrane ne devrait pas survenir, par contre, la condensation dans le lumen des fibres creuses entraîne une augmentation importante de la perte de charge pouvant conduire à des coûts de compression des gaz à traiter plus élevés. Des expériences et des simulations sur la régénération de solutions ammoniacales chargées avec des contacteurs membranaires ont été effectuées et des disparités importantes ont été trouvées entre les flux de CO2 mesurés et simulés. Une réduction volumique de trois par rapport à la colonne à garnissage a pu être calculée laissant entrevoir un potentiel intéressant de la technologie pour l’étape de régénération. En collaboration avec les partenaires du projet C2B, dans lequel s’intègre cette thèse, des essais d’absorption de CO2 ont été réalisés sur site avec un contacteur de taille industrielle. Les résultats de ce pilote sont conformes aux résultats obtenus au laboratoire et encourageants quant au transfert de la technologie vers l’échelle industrielle / This work aims to evaluate the performances of hollow fiber membrane contactors used for the CO2 absorption in aqueous ammonia and the regeneration of the latter within the frame of post-combustion CO2 capture. Fibers are made of a thin dense layer coated on a microporous support, the dense layer prevent membrane wetting by liquid penetration. Both experiment and modelling were done. During absorption experiments, important decrease of the CO2 capture efficiency was observed due to ammonium salts precipitation in the gas-side corroborating results from previous works. Experiments with CO2/N2 mixture saturated with water vapor, as would be the case for flue gas, interestingly, showed stable performances of the process. A one-dimensional multi-component adiabatic transfer model for CO2 absorption in NH3 has been implemented in Aspen Custom Modeler® and validated with experimental results. The simulations performed with the model confirmed the volumetric intensification potential of the technology, however, the NH3 slip reduction expected, because of the use of a dense layer more permeable to CO2 than NH3, wasn’t satisfying. Water condensation phenomenon in membrane contactors were studied with both experiments and simulations. It was thus showed that membrane pore wetting by condensation should not happened but gas-side condensation led to an important increase of the pressure drop with the potential of increasing compression costs. Experiments and simulations of the desorption of CO2 from a loaded aqueous ammonia solution with a membrane contactor were performed and important disparities were found between CO2 flux measured and simulated. A volumetric reduction of the membrane contactor when compared to the packed column was calculated highlighting the potential of the technology for the stripping step. In collaboration with the partners of the C2B project, in which this thesis is integrated, CO2 absorption essays were carried out on site with an industrial scale membrane contactor. The results of this pilot are consistent with laboratory results and encourages the transfer of the technology to the industrial scale

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:56:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3641.pdf: 2915031 bytes, checksum: 75a88eb9fcd13120c484443ffeae1a1a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-28 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / The aim of this work was evaluated the sugarcane bagasse (SCB) pretreatment by aqueous ammonia, an alkaline method. Samples of SCB (in natura and steam exploded unwashed) were pretreated with ammonium hydroxide solution (NH4OH) at 1:5 solid-liquid ratio (by weight), in a bench scale. Preliminary assays were carried out employing NH4OH solution (28% w/w) at room temperature 24 ± 3 ⁰C by 7, 15 and 30 days. In these experiments, it was observed that the pretreatment was selective in removing lignin and hemicellulose. New experiments were carried out using at 50⁰C and NH4OH 15% during 30, 60 and 90 minutes. In these pretreatments the same behavior was observed. In the next assays, it decided to fix the reaction time in 60 minutes and the temperature in 100⁰C. Samples of in nature and steam exploded SCB were pretreated at diffent NH4OH concentrations (4 to 15%). Enzymatic hydrolysis assays were carried out in Erlenmeyers flasks (50⁰C, pH 4.8 and 250 rpm) using 30 FPU/g bagasse (Accellerase 1500, Genencor) and 5 CBU/g bagasse (BG, Genencor). Experiments were carried out employing in natura SCB (pretreated conditions 4, 10 and 15% NH4OH solution, 60 min., 100⁰C) with 3% of solid loading. A glucose conversion of 64.2% was reached in the best condition (10% NH4OH solution). Experiments were carried out employing steam exploded SCB (5, 10 e 15% NH4OH solution, 60 min. and 100⁰C) with 5% of solid loading. A glucose conversion of 79.9% was reached in the best condition (15% NH4OH solution). Hydrolysis experiments using higher solid loading (5% for in natura and 10% for steam exploded) and 30 FPU/g cellulose (Accellerase 1500) were carried out. A glucose conversion of 69.6% for in natura and 82.2% for steam exploded SCB were obtained. Fermentation assays (250 rpm, 30⁰C) employing commercial and industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae were conducted, in a rich and poor medium. A theoretical fermentation yield up to 78% was found for the poor medium and around 88% for the rich medium. The industrial S. cerevisiae shows a value of yield slightly superior to those of commercial strain. Samples of SCB (before and after pretreatment) were analyzed by scanning electron micrograph (SEM). / O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a etapa de pré-tratamento do bagaço de cana de açúcar empregando amônia aquosa, um método alcalino. Amostras de bagaço (in natura e explodido a vapor não lavado) foram tratadas na proporção 1:5 (massa de bagaço seco por massa de solução de NH4OH), em escala de bancada. Ensaios preliminares foram realizados empregando solução 28% (m/m) de NH4OH, a temperatura ambiente 24 ± 3 ⁰C por 7, 15 e 30 dias em recipiente fechado. Nestes experimentos verificou-se que o pré-tratamento foi seletivo na remoção de lignina e hemicelulose. Novos experimentos foram realizados fixando-se a temperatura em 50⁰C e a concentração de NH4OH em 15%. Avaliaram-se tempos de reação de 30, 60 e 90 min. Nestes prétratamentos o mesmo comportamento foi observado. Nos próximos ensaios o tempo de reação foi fixado em 60 min e a temperatura em 100⁰C. Amostras de bagaço foram pré-tratadas em soluções de NH4OH (4 a 15%). Experimentos de hidrólise enzimática foram realizados em frascos de Erlenmeyer (50⁰C, pH 4,8 e 250 rpm) empregando 30 FPU/g bagaço (Accellerase 1500, Genencor) e 5 CBU/g bagaço (BG, Genencor). Na hidrólise das amostras de bagaço in natura (pré-tratadas com soluções de NH4OH 4, 10 e 15%, 60 min, 100⁰C) com carga de sólidos de 3% a melhor conversão em glicose foi de 64,2% (amostra tratada NH4OH 10%). Na hidrólise da amostra de bagaço explodido (pré-tratadas com NH4OH 5, 10 e 15%, 60 min e 100⁰C) com carga de sólidos de 7% a melhor conversão em glicose foi de 79,9% (amostra tratada com NH4OH 15 %). Hidrólises com maior carga de sólidos, 5% (bagaço in natura) e 10% (bagaço explodido), utilizando 30 FPU/g celulose (Accellerase 1500, Genencor) foram realizadas. Nestes ensaios obteve-se conversão em glicose de 69,6% (bagaço in natura) e 82,2% (bagaço explodido). Experimentos de fermentação alcoólica (250 rpm, 30⁰C) foram realizados empregando levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae (comercial e industrial) em meios de cultivo denominados rico e pobre . A eficiência na conversão da glicose em etanol nos experimentos foi acima de 78% (meio pobre ) e da ordem de 88% (meio rico ). A levedura industrial apresentou eficiência um pouco superior à comercial. As amostras de bagaço (antes e após o pré-tratamento) foram analisadas por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV).