Procuring Stationary Fuel Cells For CHP: A Guide for Federal Facility Decision Makers

Federal agency leaders are expressing growing interest in using innovative fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) technology at their sites, motivated by both executive branch sustainability targets and a desire to lead by example in the transition to a clean energy economy. Fuel cell CHP can deliver reliable electricity and heat with 70% to 85% efficiency. Implementing this technology can be a high efficiency, clean energy solution for agencies striving to meet ambitious sustainability requirements with limited budgets. Fuel cell CHP systems can use natural gas or renewable fuels, such as biogas. Procuring Stationary Fuel Cells for CHP: A Guide for Federal Facility Decision Makers presents an overview of the process for planning and implementing a fuel cell CHP project in a concise, step-by-step format. This guide is designed to help agency leaders turn their interest in fuel cell technology into successful installations. This guide concentrates on larger (100 kW and greater) fuel cell CHP systems and does not consider other fuel cell applications such as cars, forklifts, backup power supplies or small generators (<100 kW). Because fuel cell technologies are rapidly evolving and have high up front costs, their deployment poses unique challenges. The electrical and thermal output of the CHP system must be integrated with the building s energy systems. Innovative financing mechanisms allow agencies to make a make versus buy decision to maximize savings. This guide outlines methods that federal agencies may use to procure fuel cell CHP systems with little or no capital investment. Each agency and division, however, has its own set of procurement procedures. This guide was written as a starting point, and it defers to the reader s set of rules if differences exist. The fuel cell industry is maturing, and project developers are gaining experience in working with federal agencies. Technology improvements, cost reductions, and experienced project developers are making fuel cell projects easier to put into service. In this environment, federal decision makers can focus on being smart buyers of fuel cell energy instead of attempting to become experts in fuel cell technology. For agencies that want to pursue a fuel cell CHP this guide presents a four step process for a successful project. 1. Perform a preliminary screening of the energy needs energy costs and incentives. 2. Compare a detailed project plan. 3. Make a financing and contracting decision. 4. Execute the project plan including financing, installation, and operation. The simplest procurement method is designated funding for the outright purchase of the fuel cell CHP system, although this is usually not the most cost-effective option. This guide describes the following financing options: Power purchase agreement Energy savings performance contract Utility energy services contract Enhanced use lease Fuel cell CHP technology can help federal facility managers comply with agency objectives for reducing energy consumption and air pollution emissions. Fuel cells do not generate particulate pollutants, unburned hydrocarbons or the gases that produce acid rain. Fuel cells emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) than other, less efficient technologies and use of renewable fuels can make them carbon neutral. Fuel cell CHP technology can deliver reliable electricity and heat with high efficiency (70% to 85%) in a small physical footprint with little noise, making it a cost-effective option for federal facilities

Proceedings: International Gas Reburn technology workshop, Malmo, Sweden, February 7-9, 1995

This is the proceedings document for the International Gas Reburn Technology Workship held in Malmo, Sweden, on February 7-9, 1995. Papers presented at the workshop came from the US, Europe, and Japan. Topics discussed include state-of-art gas reburn technologies, the effectiveness of gas reburning in meeting regulatory requirements, and factors limiting the commercialization potential of gas reburning. Presenters discussed needed improvements and cost reductions for the competitive use of gas reburning in a broad deployment to reduce NOx emissions from industrial and public sources. Gas reburn for combustion processes could be applied to utility boilers for electrc power generation, industrial boilers, MSW experimental methods and computational models, as well as experience at demonstration projects

Introduction to modern physics

Introduction to Modern Physic

Pain Scores among ED Patients: Correlation with Desire for Pain Medication

Introduction: Pain has been identified as the most common reason for Emergency Department (ED) visits. The verbal numeric rating pain scale (VNRS) is commonly used to assess pain in the ED. This study was undertaken to determine whether VNRS pain scores correlate with desire for pain medication among ED patients. Methods: In this prospective survey study, eligible patients included Emergency Department patients over 18 with painful conditions. The primary outcome measures included self-reported VNRS, ED diagnosis, number of ED visits and number of ED admissions within the past year, and the self-reported desire for pain medication. Results: Among 482 participants in 2012, the median triage pain score was 8 (IQR 6-10); the most frequently occurring score was 10. Overall, there were significant differences in pain scores with patient desire for analgesics. 67% reported desire for pain medications. Patients who did not want pain medications had significantly lower pain scores (median 6; IQR 4-8) compared to those who wanted medication (median 8; IQR 7-10) (p\u3c0.001) and compared to those who were ambivalent about medication (median 7; IQR 6-10) (p=0.01). There was no association between desire for pain medication and demographics including age, gender, race, or insurance status. Conclusions: ED patients who did not desire pain medication had significantly lower pain scores than patients who desired pain medication. Pain scores usually effectively predicted which patients desired pain medications. Desire for pain medication was not associated with age, gender, race, or insurance status

Reduction of iron oxides enhanced by a sulfate-reducing bacterium and biogenic H2S

Interactions between bacteria and minerals at low temperatures often lead to accelerated alteration and transformation of mineral phases through dissolution and precipitation. Here we report the reductive dissolution of ferrihydrite, goethite, hematite, and magnetite by the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans strain G-20. The goal of this study was: (1) To investigate iron reduction by G-20 using iron as the sole electron acceptor and (2) to determine whether iron reduction could be enhanced during bacterial sulfate reduction. In the absence of sulfate, G-20 was capable of enzymatically reducing structural Fe3+ from different iron-oxide phases including ferrihydrite (4.6% of total iron reduced), goethite (5.3%), hematite (3.7%), magnetite (8.8%) and ferric citrate (23.0%). Enzymatic reduction of goethite and hematite was comparable to abiotic reduction by N2S using the same medium. Within 3 weeks, the maximum cells-density increased 13-fold in the magnetite culture and 5-fold in the ferric-citrate culture compared to cell densities at the beginning. In the presence of sulfate, iron reduction was significantly enhanced in all bacterial cultures. The amount of reduced iron was 64.3% of total iron for hematite, 73.9% for goethite, 97.3% for magnetite, and nearly 100% for ferric citrate and ferrihydrite after incubation for 156 hours. The accelerated dissolution of the iron oxides under sulfate-reducing conditions was due to strong interplay between cell growth and redox-reactions between ferric iron and biogenic sulfides. Analysis by transmission electron microscopy and electron-dispersion spectroscopy indicated extensive alteration of the crystals of goethite, hematite, and magnetite, and revealed changes in stoichiometry of iron sulfides after 1 year's incubation. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Procuring Stationary Fuel Cells For CHP: A Guide for Federal Facility Decision Makers

Federal agency leaders are expressing growing interest in using innovative fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) technology at their sites, motivated by both executive branch sustainability targets and a desire to lead by example in the transition to a clean energy economy. Fuel cell CHP can deliver reliable electricity and heat with 70% to 85% efficiency. Implementing this technology can be a high efficiency, clean energy solution for agencies striving to meet ambitious sustainability requirements with limited budgets. Fuel cell CHP systems can use natural gas or renewable fuels, such as biogas. Procuring Stationary Fuel Cells for CHP: A Guide for Federal Facility Decision Makers presents an overview of the process for planning and implementing a fuel cell CHP project in a concise, step-by-step format. This guide is designed to help agency leaders turn their interest in fuel cell technology into successful installations. This guide concentrates on larger (100 kW and greater) fuel cell CHP systems and does not consider other fuel cell applications such as cars, forklifts, backup power supplies or small generators (<100 kW). Because fuel cell technologies are rapidly evolving and have high up front costs, their deployment poses unique challenges. The electrical and thermal output of the CHP system must be integrated with the building s energy systems. Innovative financing mechanisms allow agencies to make a make versus buy decision to maximize savings. This guide outlines methods that federal agencies may use to procure fuel cell CHP systems with little or no capital investment. Each agency and division, however, has its own set of procurement procedures. This guide was written as a starting point, and it defers to the reader s set of rules if differences exist. The fuel cell industry is maturing, and project developers are gaining experience in working with federal agencies. Technology improvements, cost reductions, and experienced project developers are making fuel cell projects easier to put into service. In this environment, federal decision makers can focus on being smart buyers of fuel cell energy instead of attempting to become experts in fuel cell technology. For agencies that want to pursue a fuel cell CHP this guide presents a four step process for a successful project. 1. Perform a preliminary screening of the energy needs energy costs and incentives. 2. Compare a detailed project plan. 3. Make a financing and contracting decision. 4. Execute the project plan including financing, installation, and operation. The simplest procurement method is designated funding for the outright purchase of the fuel cell CHP system, although this is usually not the most cost-effective option. This guide describes the following financing options: Power purchase agreement Energy savings performance contract Utility energy services contract Enhanced use lease Fuel cell CHP technology can help federal facility managers comply with agency objectives for reducing energy consumption and air pollution emissions. Fuel cells do not generate particulate pollutants, unburned hydrocarbons or the gases that produce acid rain. Fuel cells emit less carbon dioxide (CO2) than other, less efficient technologies and use of renewable fuels can make them carbon neutral. Fuel cell CHP technology can deliver reliable electricity and heat with high efficiency (70% to 85%) in a small physical footprint with little noise, making it a cost-effective option for federal facilities

No Pain, No Gain?: Correlation between Pain Scores and Desire for Pain Medication in the Emergency Department

This study was undertaken to determine whether pain scores correlate with desire for pain medication among ED patients