Sulphur-Tolerant Anode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

An anode for a solid oxide fuel cell. The anode is not harmed by sulfur-containing compounds, nor is its resistance increased thereby. The anode has two layers, including a “protective” layer (A) and a layer (B) that oxidizes molecular hydrogen The protective layer has a diffusion rate for molecular hydrogen that exceeds its diffusion rate for sulfur-containing compounds, and has an oxidation rate for sulfur-containing compounds that exceeds its oxidation rate for molecular hydrogen. The first anode layer can be selected fro the group of Lanthanum Strontium Titanate (LST) and Lanthanum Strontium Vanadate (LSV), and the second anode layer is made of Gadolinium Doped Cerium oxide (GDC) and nickel. The first layer can include Yttria Stabilized Ziroonia (YSZ), and the second layer can include YSZ interspersed throughout the layer as a separate phase

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Process and Apparatus

Conveying gas containing sulfur through a sulfur tolerant planar solid oxide fuel cell (PSOFC) stack for sulfur scrubbing, followed by conveying the gas through a non-sulfur tolerant PSOFC stack. The sulfur tolerant PSOFC stack utilizes anode materials, such as LSV, that selectively convert H2S present in the fuel stream to other non-poisoning sulfur compounds. The remaining balance of gases remaining in the completely or near H2S-free exhaust fuel stream is then used as the fuel for the conventional PSOFC stack that is downstream of the sulfur-tolerant PSOFC. A broad range of fuels such as gasified coal, natural gas and reformed hydrocarbons are used to produce electricity

The effect of IGFC warm gas cleanup system conditions on the gas-solid partitioning and form of trace species in coal syngas and their interactions with SOFC anodes

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently working on coupling coal gasification and high temperature fuel cell to produce electrical power in a highly efficient manner while being emissions free. Many investigations have already investigated the effects of major coal syngas species such as CO and H2S. However coal contains many trace species and the effect of these species on solid oxide fuel cell anode is not presently known. Warm gas cleanup systems are planned to be used with these advanced power generation systems for the removal of major constituents such as H2S and HCl but the operational parameters of such systems is not well defined at this point in time. This paper focuses on the effect of anticipated warm gas cleanup conditions has on trace specie partitioning between the vapor and condensed phase and the effects the trace vapor species have on the SOFC anode. Results show that Be, Cr, K, Na, V, and Z trace species will form condensed phases and should not effect SOFC anode performance since it is anticipated that the warm gas cleanup systems will have a high removal efficiency of particulate matter. Also the results show that Sb, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, P, and Se trace species form vapor phases and the Sb, As, and P vapor phase species show the ability to form secondary Ni phases in the SOFC anode

Ring electrode for radio-frequency heating of the cornea: modelling and in vitro experiments

[EN] Radio-frequency thermokeratoplasty (RF-TKP) is a technique used to reshape the cornea curvature by means of thermal lesions using radio-frequency currents. This curvature change allows refractive disorders such as hyperopia to be corrected. A new electrode with ring geometry is proposed for RF-TKP. It was designed to create a single thermal lesion with a full-circle shape. Finite element models were developed, and the temperature distributions in the cornea were analysed for different ring electrode characteristics. The computer results indicated that the maximum temperature in the cornea was located in the vicinity of the ring electrode outer perimeter, and that the lesions had a semi-torus shape. The results also indicated that the electrode thickness, electrode radius and electrode thermal conductivity had a significant influence on the temperature distributions. In addition, in vitro experiments were performed on rabbit eyes. At 5 IN power the lesions were fully circular. Some lesions showed non-uniform characteristics along their circular path. Lesion depth depended on heating duration (60% of corneal thickness for 20s, and 30% for 10s). The results suggest that the critical shrinkage temperature (55-63degreesC) was reached at the central stroma and along the entire circular path in all the cases.Berjano, E.; Saiz Rodríguez, FJ.; Alió, J.; Ferrero, JM. (2003). Ring electrode for radio-frequency heating of the cornea: modelling and in vitro experiments. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing. 41(6):630-639. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02349970S630639416Alió, J. L., Ismail, M. M., Artola, A., andPérez-Santonja, J. J. (1997a): ‘Correction of hyperopia induced by photorefractive keratectomy using non-contact Ho: YAG laser thermal keratoplasty’,J. Refract. Surg.,13, pp. 13–16Alió, J. L., Ismail, M. M., andSanchez, J. L. (1997b): ‘Correction of hyperopia with non-contact Ho: YAG laser thermal keratoplasty’,J. Refract. Surg.,13, pp. 17–22Alió, J. L., andPérez-Santonja, J. J. (1999): ‘Correction of hyperopia by laser thermokeratoplasty (LTK)’ inPallikaris, I., andAgarwal, S. (Eds): ‘Refractive Surgery’ (Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers Ltd, New Delhi, 1999), pp. 583–591Alió, J. L., andPérez-Santonja, J. J. (2002): ‘Correction of hyperopia by laser thermokeratoplasty (LTK)’ inAgarwal, S., Agarwal, A., Apple, D. J., Buratto, L., Alió, J. L., Pandey, S. K., andAgarwal, A. (Eds): ‘Textbook of ophthalmology’ (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2002), pp. 1331–1337Ayala, M. J., Alió, J. L., Ismail, M. M., andSánchez-Castro, J. M. (2000): ‘Experimental corneal histological study after thermokeratoplasty with holmium laser’,Arch. Soc. Esp. Oftalmol.,75, pp. 619–626Asbell, P. A., Maloney, R. K., Davidorf, J., Hersh, P., McDonald, M., Manche, E., andConductive Keratoplasty Study Group (2001): ‘Conductive keratoplasty for the correction of hyperopia’,Tr. Am. Ophtalmol. Soc.,99, pp. 79–87Avitall, B., Mughal, K., Hare, J., Helms, R., andKrum, D. (1997): ‘The effects of electrode-tissue contact on radiofrequency lesion generation’PACE,20, pp. 2899–2910Avitall, B., Helms, R. W., Koblish, J. B., Sieben, W., Kotov, A. V., andGupta, G. N. (1999): ‘The creation of linear contiguous lesions in the atria with an expandable loop catheter’,J. Am. Coll. Cardiol.,33, pp. 972–984Berjano, E. J., Saiz, J., andFerrero, J. M. (2002): ‘Radio-frequency heating of the cornea: Theoretical model andin vitro experiments’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,49, pp. 196–205Brickmann, R., Kampmeier, J., Grotehusmann, U., Vogel, A., Koop, N., Asiyo-Vogel, M., Kamm, K., andBirngruber, R. (1996): ‘Corneal collagen denaturation in laserthermokeratoplasty’,SPIE Proc.,2681, pp. 56–63Choi, B., Kim, J., Welch, A. J., andPearce, J. A. (2002): ‘Dynamic impedance measurements during radio-frequency heating of cornea’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,49, pp. 1610–1616Curley, M. G., andHamilton, P. S. 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(1999): ‘Temperature controlled and constant power radiofrequency ablation: what affects lesion growth?’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,46, pp. 1405–1412Krasteva, V. Tz., andPapazov, S. P. (2002): ‘Estimation of current density distribution under electrodes for external defibrillation’,Biomed. Eng. OnLine,1, 7Labonté, S. (1992): ‘A theoretical study of radio-frequency ablation of the myocardium’,PhD dissertation, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Ottawa, CanadaLabonté, S. (1994): ‘Numerical model for radio-frequency ablation of the endocardium and its experimental validation’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,41, pp. 108–115Mannis, M. J., Segal, W. A., andDarlington, J. K. (2001): ‘Making sense of refractive surgery in 2001: Why, when, for whom, and by whom?’,Mayo Clin. Proc.,76, pp. 823–829McCally, R. L., Bargeron, R. A., andGreen, W. R. (1983): ‘Stromal damage in rabbit corneas exposed to CO2 laser radiation’,Exp. Eye Res.,37, pp. 543–550McDonald, M. B., Hersh, P. S., Manche, E. E., Maloney, R. K., Davidorf, J., andSabry, M. (2002): ‘Conductive keratoplasty for the correction of low to moderate hyperopia: U.S. clinical trial 1-year results on 355 eyes’,Ophthalmol.,109, pp. 1978–1989McRury, I. D., Mitchell, M. A., Panescu, D. andHaines, D. E. (1997): ‘Non-uniform heating during radiofrequency ablation with long electrodes: monitoring the edge effect’,Circ.,96, pp. 4057–4064Méndez-g, A., andMéndez-Noble, A. (1997): ‘Conductive keratoplasty of the correction of hyperopia’ inSher, N. A. (Ed.) ‘Surgery for hyperopia and presbyopia’ (Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1997), pp. 163–171Miller, D., andManning, W.J. (1978): ‘Alterations in curvature of bovine cornea using heated rings’,Invest. Ophthalmol., p. 297Mirotznik, M. S., andSchwartzman, D. (1996): ‘Nonuniform heating patterns of commercial electrodes for radiofrequency catheter ablation’,J. Cardiovasc. Electrophysiol.,7, pp. 1058–1062Nakagawa, H., Yamanashi, W. S., Pitha, J. V., Arruda, M., Wang, X., Ohtomo, K., Beckman, K. J., McClelland, J. H., Lazzara, R., andJackman, W. M. (1995): ‘Comparison ofin vivo tissue temperature profile and lesion geometry for radiofrequency ablation with a saline-irrigated electrode versus temperature control in a canine thigh muscle preparation’,Circ.,91, pp. 2264–2273Panescu, D., Whayne, J. G., Fleischman, S. D., Mirotznik, M. S., Swanson, D. K., andWebster, J. G. (1995): ‘Three-dimensional finite element analysis of current density and temperature distributions during radio-frequency ablation’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,42, pp. 879–890Plonsey, R., andHeppner, D. B. (1967): ‘Considerations of quasistationarity in electrophysiological systems’,Bull. Math. Biophys.,29, pp. 657–664Rowsey, J. J. (1987): ‘Electrosurgical keratoplasty: Update and retraction’,Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.,28, p. 224Rutzen, A. R., Roberts, C. W., Driller, J., Gomez, D., Lucas, B. C., Lizzi, F. L., andColeman, D. J. (1990): ‘Production of corneal lesions using high-intensity focused ultrasound’,Cornea,9, pp. 324–330Schwan, H. P., andFoster, K. R. (1980): ‘RF-fields interactions with biological systems: electrical properties and biophysical mechanism’,Proc. IEEE,68, pp. 104–113Seiler, T., Matallana, M., andBende, T. (1990): ‘Laser thermokeratoplasty by means of a pulsed Holmium:YAG Laser for the hyperopic correction’,Refrac. Corneal Surg.,6, pp. 335–339Silvestrini, T. A. (1998): ‘Electrosurgical procedure for the treatment of the cornea’. US Patent 5,766,171Simmons, W. N., Mackey, S., He, D. S. andMarcus, F. L. (1996): ‘Comparison of gold versus platinum electrodes on myocardial lesion size using radiofrequency energy’,PACE,19, pp. 398–402Stringer, H., andParr, J. (1964): ‘Shrinkage temperature of eye collagen’,Nature,204, p. 1307Trembly, B. S., andKeates, R. H. (1991): ‘Combined microwave heating and surface cooling of the cornea’,IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.,38, pp. 85–91Trembly, B. 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Syphilis at the Crossroad of Phylogenetics and Paleopathology

The origin of syphilis is still controversial. Different research avenues explore its fascinating history. Here we employed a new integrative approach, where paleopathology and molecular analyses are combined. As an exercise to test the validity of this approach we examined different hypotheses on the origin of syphilis and other human diseases caused by treponemes (treponematoses). Initially, we constructed a worldwide map containing all accessible reports on palaeopathological evidences of treponematoses before Columbus's return to Europe. Then, we selected the oldest ones to calibrate the time of the most recent common ancestor of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, T. pallidum subsp. endemicum and T. pallidum subsp. pertenue in phylogenetic analyses with 21 genetic regions of different T. pallidum strains previously reported. Finally, we estimated the treponemes' evolutionary rate to test three scenarios: A) if treponematoses accompanied human evolution since Homo erectus; B) if venereal syphilis arose very recently from less virulent strains caught in the New World about 500 years ago, and C) if it emerged in the Americas between 16,500 and 5,000 years ago. Two of the resulting evolutionary rates were unlikely and do not explain the existent osseous evidence. Thus, treponematoses, as we know them today, did not emerge with H. erectus, nor did venereal syphilis appear only five centuries ago. However, considering 16,500 years before present (yBP) as the time of the first colonization of the Americas, and approximately 5,000 yBP as the oldest probable evidence of venereal syphilis in the world, we could not entirely reject hypothesis C. We confirm that syphilis seems to have emerged in this time span, since the resulting evolutionary rate is compatible with those observed in other bacteria. In contrast, if the claims of precolumbian venereal syphilis outside the Americas are taken into account, the place of origin remains unsolved. Finally, the endeavor of joining paleopathology and phylogenetics proved to be a fruitful and promising approach for the study of infectious diseases

Modeling of a 5 kWₑ Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell based System Operating on Desulfurized JP-8 Fuel for Auxiliary and Mobile Power Applications

An onboard autothermal reformer (ATR) integrated with a SOFC stack offers potential for high energy efficiency and utilization, low emission and quiet operation avoiding cost associated with hydrogen storage and infrastructure. Such a system can be a viable and attractive option especially for military\u27s need for quiet and less pollutant Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and Mobile Electric Power (MEP) units in temporary and permanent base camps [1,2]. A 5 kWe Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system operating on desulfurized JP-8 fuel was modeled using Aspen Plus process simulation software to examine the effects of oxygen to carbon ratio (O2/C) and steam to carbon ratio (H2O/C) at different ATR operating temperatures (700-850 °C), while keeping the SOFC stack temperature constant at 910 °C. Anode recycle steam and heat have been used to reform the desulfurized JP-8 fuel which would make the system lighter and compact for mobile application. The system modeling revealed a maximum net AC efficiency of 39.5% at 700 °C and a minimum of 32.6% at 850 °C ATR operating temperatures, respectively. Sensitivity analysis with respect to fuel utilization factor (Uf) and current density (j) were also conducted to identify the optimum operating window

Modeling a 5 kWₑ Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell based System Operating on JP-8 Fuel and a Comparison with Tubular Cell based System for Auxiliary and Mobile Power Applications

A steady state planar solid oxide fuel cell (P-SOFC) based system operating on desulfurized JP-8 fuel was modeled using Aspen Plus simulation software for auxiliary and mobile power applications. An onboard autothermal reformer (ATR) employed to reform the desulfurized JP-8 fuel was coupled with the P-SOFC stack to provide for H2 and CO as fuel, minimizing the cost and complexity associated with hydrogen storage. Characterization of the ATR reformer was conducted by varying the steam to carbon ratio (H2O/C) from 0.1 to 1.0 at different ATR operating temperatures (700-800 C) while maintaining the P-SOFC stack temperature at 850 C. A fraction of the anode recycle was used as the steam and heat source for autothermal reforming of the JP-8 fuel, intending to make the system lighter and compact for mobile applications. System modeling revealed a maximum net AC efficiency of 37.1% at 700 C and 29.2% at 800 C ATR operating temperatures, respectively. Parametric analyses with respect to fuel utilization factor (Uf) and current density (j) were conducted to determine optimum operating conditions. Finally, the P-SOFC based system was compared with a previously published [1] tubular solid oxide fuel cell based (T-SOFC) system to identify the relative advantages over one another

Techno-Economic Analysis of Hydraulic Fracking Flowback and Produced Water Treatment in Supercritical Water Reactor

The use of hydraulic fracturing for shale oil and gas development generates large quantities of flowback and produced (F/P) water as by-products. The current high treatment cost of F/P water inhibits development and profitability of shale oil and gas. The Integrated Precipitative Supercritical (IPSC) process, developed at Ohio University, could remediate F/P water produced from hydraulic fracturing with significantly lower costs than current practices. The objective of this paper is to present results of a techno-economic analysis of the IPSC process using Aspen® process software and Microsoft Excel. The Aspen® model was used to simulate the IPSC process with its output used as input for the cost analysis. Results indicated an average cost of $6.33 per barrel of F/P water treatment with a possible range from$2.93/bbl to $16.03/bbl determined through sensitivity analyses. The results further indicate that the IPSC process is economically competitive compared to existing practices

The Effect of IGFC Warm Gas Cleanup System Conditions on the Gas-Solid Partitioning and Form of Trace Species in Coal Syngas and their Interactions with SOFC Anodes

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently working on coupling coal gasification and high temperature fuel cell to produce electrical power in a highly efficient manner while being emissions free. Many investigations have already investigated the effects of major coal syngas species such as CO and H2S. However coal contains many trace species and the effect of these species on solid oxide fuel cell anode is not presently known. Warm gas cleanup systems are planned to be used with these advanced power generation systems for the removal of major constituents such as H2S and HCl but the operational parameters of such systems is not well defined at this point in time. This paper focuses on the effect of anticipated warm gas cleanup conditions has on trace specie partitioning between the vapor and condensed phase and the effects the trace vapor species have on the SOFC anode. Results show that Be, Cr, K, Na, V, and Z trace species will form condensed phases and should not effect SOFC anode performance since it is anticipated that the warm gas cleanup systems will have a high removal efficiency of particulate matter. Also the results show that Sb, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, P, and Se trace species form vapor phases and the Sb, As, and P vapor phase species show the ability to form secondary Ni phases in the SOFC anode

The Effect of Coal Syngas Containing AsH₃ on the Performance of SOFCs: Investigations into the Effect of Operational Temperature, Current Density and AsH₃ Concentration

The performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) using simulated coal-derived syngas, with and without arsine (AsH3), was studied. Anode-supported SOFCs were tested galvanostatically at 0.25 and 0.5 A cm-2 at 750 and 800 °C with simulated coal syngas containing 0.1, 1, and 2 ppm AsH3. The tests with simulated coal syngas containing 1 ppm AsH3 show little degradation over 100 h of operation. The tests with simulated coal syngas containing 2 ppm AsH3 show some signs of degradation, however no secondary arsenide phases were found. Extended trial testing with 0.1 ppm AsH3 showed degradation as well as the formation of a secondary nickel arsenide phase in the anode of the SOFC