32 research outputs found
Porosity and Structure of Hierarchically Porous Ni/AlâOâ Catalysts for COâ Methanation
CO methanation is often performed on Ni/AlO catalysts, which can suffer from mass transport limitations and, therefore, decreased efficiency. Here we show the application of a hierarchically porous Ni/AlO catalyst for methanation of CO. The material has a well-defined and connected meso- and macropore structure with a total porosity of 78%. The pore structure was thoroughly studied with conventional methods, i.e., N sorption, Hg porosimetry, and He pycnometry, and advanced imaging techniques, i.e., electron tomography and ptychographic X-ray computed tomography. Tomography can quantify the pore system in a manner that is not possible using conventional porosimetry. Macrokinetic simulations were performed based on the measures obtained by porosity analysis. These show the potential benefit of enhanced mass-transfer properties of the hierarchical pore system compared to a pure mesoporous catalyst at industrially relevant conditions. Besides the investigation of the pore system, the catalyst was studied by Rietveld refinement, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible (DRUV/vis) spectroscopy, and H-temperature programmed reduction (TPR), showing a high reduction temperature required for activation due to structural incorporation of Ni into the transition alumina. The reduced hierarchically porous Ni/AlO catalyst is highly active in CO methanation, showing comparable conversion and selectivity for CH to an industrial reference catalyst
Porosity and Structure of Hierarchically Porous Ni/AlâOâ Catalysts for COâ Methanation
COâ methanation is often performed on Ni/AlâOâ catalysts, which can suffer from mass transport limitations and, therefore, decreased efficiency. Here we show the application of a hierarchically porous Ni/AlâOâ catalyst for methanation of COâ. The material has a well-defined and connected meso- and macropore structure with a total porosity of 78%. The pore structure was thoroughly studied with conventional methods, i.e., Nâ sorption, Hg porosimetry, and He
pycnometry, and advanced imaging techniques, i.e., electron tomography and ptychographic X-ray computed tomography. Tomography can quantify the pore system in a manner that is not possible using conventional porosimetry. Macrokinetic simulations were performed based on the measures obtained by porosity analysis. These show the potential benefit of enhanced mass-transfer properties of the hierarchical pore system compared to a pure mesoporous catalyst at industrially relevant
conditions. Besides the investigation of the pore system, the catalyst was studied by Rietveld refinement, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible (DRUV/vis) spectroscopy, and Hâ-temperature programmed reduction (TPR), showing a high reduction temperature required for activation due to structural incorporation of Ni into the transition alumina. The reduced hierarchically porous Ni/AlâOâ catalyst is highly active in COâ methanation, showing comparable conversion and selectivity for CHâ
to an industrial reference catalyst
Activation of the SPHK/S1P signalling pathway is coupled to muscarinic receptor-dependent regulation of peripheral airways
BACKGROUND: In peripheral airways, acetylcholine induces contraction via activation of muscarinic M2-and M3-receptor subtypes (M(2)R and M(3)R). Cholinergic hypersensitivity is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, and therefore the identification of muscarinic signaling pathways are of great therapeutic interest. A pathway that has been shown to be activated via MR and to increase [Ca(2+)](i )includes the activation of sphingosine kinases (SPHK) and the generation of the bioactive sphingolipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). Whether the SPHK/S1P signaling pathway is integrated in the muscarinic control of peripheral airways is not known. METHODS: To address this issue, we studied precision cut lung slices derived from FVB and M(2)R-KO and M(3)R-KO mice. RESULTS: In peripheral airways of FVB, wild-type, and MR-deficient mice, SPHK1 was mainly localized to smooth muscle. Muscarine induced a constriction in all investigated mouse strains which was reduced by inhibition of SPHK using D, L-threo-dihydrosphingosine (DHS) and N, N-dimethyl-sphingosine (DMS) but not by N-acetylsphingosine (N-AcS), a structurally related agent that does not affect SPHK function. The initial phase of constriction was nearly absent in peripheral airways of M(3)R-KO mice when SPHK was inhibited by DHS and DMS but was unaffected in M(2)R-KO mice. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the disruption of the M(2)R and M(3)R genes had no significant effect on the expression levels of the SPHK1-isoform in peripheral airways. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the SPHK/S1P signaling pathway contributes to cholinergic constriction of murine peripheral airways. In addition, our data strongly suggest that SPHK is activated via the M(2)R. Given the important role of muscarinic mechanisms in pulmonary disease, these findings should be of considerable therapeutic relevance
ELGARâa European Laboratory for Gravitation and Atom-interferometric Research
Gravitational waves (GWs) were observed for the first time in 2015, one century after Einstein predicted their existence. There is now growing interest to extend the detection bandwidth to low frequency. The scientific potential of multi-frequency GW astronomy is enormous as it would enable to obtain a more complete picture of cosmic events and mechanisms. This is a unique and entirely new opportunity for the future of astronomy, the success of which depends upon the decisions being made on existing and new infrastructures. The prospect of combining observations from the future space-based instrument LISA together with third generation ground based detectors will open the way toward multi-band GW astronomy, but will leave the infrasound (0.1â10 Hz) band uncovered. GW detectors based on matter wave interferometry promise to fill such a sensitivity gap. We propose the European Laboratory for Gravitation and Atom-interferometric Research (ELGAR), an underground infrastructure based on the latest progress in atomic physics, to study spaceâtime and gravitation with the primary goal of detecting GWs in the infrasound band. ELGAR will directly inherit from large research facilities now being built in Europe for the study of large scale atom interferometry and will drive new pan-European synergies from top research centers developing quantum sensors. ELGAR will measure GW radiation in the infrasound band with a peak strain sensitivity of at 1.7 Hz. The antenna will have an impact on diverse fundamental and applied research fields beyond GW astronomy, including gravitation, general relativity, and geology.AB acknowledges support from the ANR (project EOSBECMR), IdEx BordeauxâLAPHIA (project OE-TWR), theQuantERA ERA-NET (project TAIOL) and the Aquitaine Region (projets IASIG3D and USOFF).XZ thanks the China Scholarships Council (No. 201806010364) program for financial support. JJ thanks âAssociationNationale de la Recherche et de la Technologieâ for financial support (No. 2018/1565).SvAb, NG, SL, EMR, DS, and CS gratefully acknowledge support by the German Space Agency (DLR) with funds provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) due to an enactment of the German Bundestag under Grants No. DLRâŒ50WM1641 (PRIMUS-III), 50WM1952 (QUANTUS-V-Fallturm), and 50WP1700 (BECCAL), 50WM1861 (CAL), 50WM2060 (CARIOQA) as well as 50RK1957 (QGYRO)SvAb, NG, SL, EMR, DS, and CS gratefully acknowledge support by âNiedersĂ€chsisches Vorabâ through the âQuantum- and Nano-Metrology (QUANOMET)â initiative within the project QT3, and through âFörderung von Wissenschaft und Technik in Forschung und Lehreâ for the initial funding of research in the new DLR-SI Institute, the CRC 1227 DQ-mat within the projects A05 and B07DS gratefully acknowledges funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through the funding program Photonics Research Germany under contract number 13N14875.RG acknowledges Ville de Paris (Emergence programme HSENS-MWGRAV), ANR (project PIMAI) and the Fundamental Physics and Gravitational Waves (PhyFOG) programme of Observatoire de Paris for support. We also acknowledge networking support by the COST actions GWverse CA16104 and AtomQT CA16221 (Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union).The work was also supported by the German Space Agency (DLR) with funds provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) due to an enactment of the German Bundestag under Grant Nos.âŒ50WM1556, 50WM1956 and 50WP1706 as well as through the DLR Institutes DLR-SI and DLR-QT.PA-S, MN, and CFS acknowledge support from contracts ESP2015-67234-P and ESP2017-90084-P from the Ministry of Economy and Business of Spain (MINECO), and from contract 2017-SGR-1469 from AGAUR (Catalan government).SvAb, NG, SL, EMR, DS, and CS gratefully acknowledge support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germanyâs Excellence StrategyâEXC-2123 QuantumFrontiersâ390837967 (B2) andCRC1227 âDQ-matâ within projects A05, B07 and B09.LAS thanks Sorbonne UniversitĂ©s (Emergence project LORINVACC) and Conseil Scientifique de l'Observatoire de Paris for funding.This work was realized with the financial support of the French State through the âAgence Nationale de la Rechercheâ (ANR) in the frame of the âMRSEIâ program (Pre-ELGAR ANR-17-MRS5-0004-01) and the âInvestissement d'Avenirâ program (Equipex MIGA: ANR-11-EQPX-0028, IdEx BordeauxâLAPHIA: ANR-10-IDEX-03-02).Peer Reviewe
Dynamic Behavior of a PEM Fuel Cell During Electrochemical CO Oxidation on a PtRu Anode
Terrestrial Very-Long-Baseline Atom Interferometry:Workshop Summary
This document presents a summary of the 2023 Terrestrial Very-Long-Baseline Atom Interferometry Workshop hosted by CERN. The workshop brought together experts from around the world to discuss the exciting developments in large-scale atom interferometer (AI) prototypes and their potential for detecting ultralight dark matter and gravitational waves. The primary objective of the workshop was to lay the groundwork for an international TVLBAI proto-collaboration. This collaboration aims to unite researchers from different institutions to strategize and secure funding for terrestrial large-scale AI projects. The ultimate goal is to create a roadmap detailing the design and technology choices for one or more km-scale detectors, which will be operational in the mid-2030s. The key sections of this report present the physics case and technical challenges, together with a comprehensive overview of the discussions at the workshop together with the main conclusions
Linear Programming Approach for Structure Optimization of Renewable-to-Chemicals (R2Chem) Production Networks
For CO<sub>2</sub> reduction in the
chemical industries, the massive
use of renewable energies and the substitution of fossil based feedstock
by implementation of Renewables-to-Chemicals (R2Chem) production systems
are of key importance. Due to the multitude of alternative feedstock
sources and process technologies a large number of different process
pathways are possible for converting renewables into valuable target
products. In this work we propose a method for the identification
of the optimal R2Chem process structure under consideration of an
economic objective function. By introducing process extent variables
it is possible to fully avoid binary decision variables, resulting
in a purely linear program. The derived cost function includes operational
as well as capital cost. Furthermore, a penalty term for the carbon
dioxide emission is considered. It is shown that an acceptable trade-off
between cost and emissions is realizable by using natural gas as feedstock
source, especially if the required energy is supplied from renewable
sources. A net consumption of CO<sub>2</sub> of the overall production
system is only possible if renewable energies sources are exploited
while using CO<sub>2</sub> as feedstock source at the same time. In
case of using fossil energy sources, a negative carbon footprint is
unavoidable due to high indirect CO<sub>2</sub> emissions due to the
energy supply (electricity, heat). Thus, in addition to economic challenges
of using CO<sub>2</sub> as feedstock also the ecologic impact strongly
depends on the energy source used. The main advantage of the proposed
method is the fast screening for the optimal process system within
a superstructure which contains many alternative process configurations.
The method is exemplified by optimizing process systems for the production
of methanol for different feedstock and energy supply sources