Task 3.10 - Gas Separation and Hot-Gas Cleanup: Topical report, August 1995

Catalytic gasification of coal to produce H{sub 2}-, CO-, and CH{sub 4}-rich mixtures of gases for consumption in molten carbonate fuel cells is currently under development; however, to optimize the fuel cell performance and extend its operating life, it is desired to separate as much of the inert components (i.e., CO{sub 2} and N{sub 2}) and impurities (i e., H{sub 2}S and NH{sub 3}) as possible from the fuel gas before it enters the fuel cell. In addition, the economics of the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) can be improved by separating as much of the hydrogen as possible from the fuel, since hydrogen is a high-value product. Researchers at the Energy {ampersand} Environmental Research Center (EERC) and Bend Research, Inc., investigated pressure-driven membranes as a method for accomplishing this gas separation and hot- gas cleanup. These membranes are operated at temperatures as high as 800{degrees}C and at pressures up to 300 psig. They have very small pore sizes that separate the undesirable gases by operating in the Knudsen diffusion region of mass transport (30-50 A) or in the molecular sieving region of mass transport phenomena (less than 5A). In addition, H{sub 2} separation through a palladium metal membrane proceeds via a solution- diffusion mechanism for atomic hydrogen. This allows the membranes to exhibit extremely high selectivity for hydrogen separation

Mineral Matter Transformations in a Pressurized Drop-Tube Furnace

To meet the objectives of the program, a pressurized combustion vessel was built to allow the operating parameters of a direct-fired gas turbine combustor to be simulated. One goal in building this equipment was to design the gas turbine simulator as small as possible to reduce the quantity of test fuel needed, while not undersizing the combustor such that wall effects had a significant effect on the measured combustion performance. Based on computer modeling, a rich-lean, two-stage, nonslagging combustor was constructed to simulate a direct-fired gas turbine. This design was selected to maximize the information that could be obtained on the impact of low-rank coal's unique properties on the gas turbine combustor, its turbomachinery, and the required hot-gas cleanup devices (such as high-temperature/high-pressure (HTHP) cyclones). Seventeen successful combustion tests using coal-water fuels were completed. These tests included seven tests with a commercially available Otisca Industries-produced, Taggart seam bituminous fuel and five tests each with physically and chemically cleaned Beulah-Zap lignite and a chemically cleaned Kemmerer subbituminous fuel. LRC-fueled heat engine testing conducted at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) has indicated that LRC fuels perform very well in short residence time heat engine combustion systems. Analyses of the emission and fly ash samples highlighted the superior burnout experienced by the LRC fuels as compared to the bituminous fuel even under a longer residence time profile for the bituminous fuel

Hot-Gas Filter Testing with a Transport Reactor Development Unit

The objective of the hot-gas cleanup (HGC) work on the transport reactor demonstration unit (TRDU) located at the Environmental Research Center is to demonstrate acceptable performance of hot-gas filter elements in a pilot-scale system prior to long-term demonstration tests. The primary focus of the experimental effort in the 2-year project will be the testing of hot- gas filter elements as a function of particulate collection efficiency, filter pressure differential, filter cleanability, and durability during relatively short-term operation (100-200 hours). A filter vessel will be used in combination with the TRDU to evaluate the performance of selected hot- gas filter elements under gasification operating conditions. This work will directly support the Power Systems Development Facility utilizing the M.W. Kellogg transport reactor located at Wilsonville, Alabama and indirectly the Foster Wheeler advanced pressurized fluid-bed combustor, also located at Wilsonville and the Clean Coal IV Pinon Pine IGCC Power Project. This program has a phased approach involving modification and upgrades to the TRDU and the fabrication, assembly, and operation of a hot-gas filter vessel (HGFV) capable of operating at the outlet design conditions of the TRDU. Phase 1 upgraded the TRDU based upon past operating experiences. Additions included a nitrogen supply system upgrade, upgraded LASH auger and 1807 coal feed lines, the addition of a second pressurized coal feed hopper and a dipleg ash hopper, and modifications to spoil the performance of the primary cyclone. Phase 2 included the HGFV design, procurement, and installation. Phases 3 through 5 consist of 200-hour hot-gas filter tests under gasification conditions using the TRDU at temperatures of 540-650{degrees}C (1000-1200{degrees}F), 9.3 bar, and face velocities of 1.4, 2. and 3.8 cm/s, respectively. The increased face velocities are achieved by removing candles between each test

Tissue Triage and Freezing for Models of Skeletal Muscle Disease

Skeletal muscle is a unique tissue because of its structure and function, which requires specific protocols for tissue collection to obtain optimal results from functional, cellular, molecular, and pathological evaluations. Due to the subtlety of some pathological abnormalities seen in congenital muscle disorders and the potential for fixation to interfere with the recognition of these features, pathological evaluation of frozen muscle is preferable to fixed muscle when evaluating skeletal muscle for congenital muscle disease. Additionally, the potential to produce severe freezing artifacts in muscle requires specific precautions when freezing skeletal muscle for histological examination that are not commonly used when freezing other tissues. This manuscript describes a protocol for rapid freezing of skeletal muscle using isopentane (2-methylbutane) cooled with liquid nitrogen to preserve optimal skeletal muscle morphology. This procedure is also effective for freezing tissue intended for genetic or protein expression studies. Furthermore, we have integrated our freezing protocol into a broader procedure that also describes preferred methods for the short term triage of tissue for (1) single fiber functional studies and (2) myoblast cell culture, with a focus on the minimum effort necessary to collect tissue and transport it to specialized research or reference labs to complete these studies. Overall, this manuscript provides an outline of how fresh tissue can be effectively distributed for a variety of phenotypic studies and thereby provides standard operating procedures (SOPs) for pathological studies related to congenital muscle disease

The PHENIX Experiment at RHIC

The physics emphases of the PHENIX collaboration and the design and current status of the PHENIX detector are discussed. The plan of the collaboration for making the most effective use of the available luminosity in the first years of RHIC operation is also presented.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Further details of the PHENIX physics program available at http://www.rhic.bnl.gov/phenix

ASTERIX and 2.0 Knowledge Management : exploring the appropriation of 2.0 KMS via the Myth of the Gaulish village

International audienceKnowledge Management Systems (KMS) in companies have profoundly changed in recent years. They have become KMS 2.0 that aim to transform the firm and are driven by a new relationship to knowledge in line with 2.0 organisations. These 2.0 KMS have implemented modes of organisation that disrupt those that previously guided firms’ performance. This can sometimes lead to paradoxical organizational dysfunctions as witnessed by the difficulties faced by some traditionally hierarchical French companies. Through a case study of Constructor and a theoretical background on IS appropriation in organizations and myths in management, we show how the Asterix myth contributes to understanding how 2.0. KMS are appropriated in such companies. We find evidence of similarities regarding knowledge and Knowledge Management between the Asterix’ myth and the behaviours and practices concerning knowledge management within Constructor. As a result, the Asterix’ myth may be a relevant perspective for understanding the obstacles, advantages and appropriations of 2.0. KMS within French organizations

An Integrated TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource to Drive High-Quality Survival Outcome Analytics

For a decade, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program collected clinicopathologic annotation data along with multi-platform molecular profiles of more than 11,000 human tumors across 33 different cancer types. TCGA clinical data contain key features representing the democratized nature of the data collection process. To ensure proper use of this large clinical dataset associated with genomic features, we developed a standardized dataset named the TCGA Pan-Cancer Clinical Data Resource (TCGA-CDR), which includes four major clinical outcome endpoints. In addition to detailing major challenges and statistical limitations encountered during the effort of integrating the acquired clinical data, we present a summary that includes endpoint usage recommendations for each cancer type. These TCGA-CDR findings appear to be consistent with cancer genomics studies independent of the TCGA effort and provide opportunities for investigating cancer biology using clinical correlates at an unprecedented scale. Analysis of clinicopathologic annotations for over 11,000 cancer patients in the TCGA program leads to the generation of TCGA Clinical Data Resource, which provides recommendations of clinical outcome endpoint usage for 33 cancer types

Heavy quarkonium: progress, puzzles, and opportunities

A golden age for heavy quarkonium physics dawned a decade ago, initiated by the confluence of exciting advances in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and an explosion of related experimental activity. The early years of this period were chronicled in the Quarkonium Working Group (QWG) CERN Yellow Report (YR) in 2004, which presented a comprehensive review of the status of the field at that time and provided specific recommendations for further progress. However, the broad spectrum of subsequent breakthroughs, surprises, and continuing puzzles could only be partially anticipated. Since the release of the YR, the BESII program concluded only to give birth to BESIII; the $B$-factories and CLEO-c flourished; quarkonium production and polarization measurements at HERA and the Tevatron matured; and heavy-ion collisions at RHIC have opened a window on the deconfinement regime. All these experiments leave legacies of quality, precision, and unsolved mysteries for quarkonium physics, and therefore beg for continuing investigations. The plethora of newly-found quarkonium-like states unleashed a flood of theoretical investigations into new forms of matter such as quark-gluon hybrids, mesonic molecules, and tetraquarks. Measurements of the spectroscopy, decays, production, and in-medium behavior of c\bar{c}, b\bar{b}, and b\bar{c} bound states have been shown to validate some theoretical approaches to QCD and highlight lack of quantitative success for others. The intriguing details of quarkonium suppression in heavy-ion collisions that have emerged from RHIC have elevated the importance of separating hot- and cold-nuclear-matter effects in quark-gluon plasma studies. This review systematically addresses all these matters and concludes by prioritizing directions for ongoing and future efforts.Comment: 182 pages, 112 figures. Editors: N. Brambilla, S. Eidelman, B. K. Heltsley, R. Vogt. Section Coordinators: G. T. Bodwin, E. Eichten, A. D. Frawley, A. B. Meyer, R. E. Mitchell, V. Papadimitriou, P. Petreczky, A. A. Petrov, P. Robbe, A. Vair