The Power Systems Development Facility at Wilsonville, Alabama

One of the Morgantown Energy Technology Center`s (METC`s) goals is to: {open_quotes}Commercialize Advanced Power Systems with improved environmental performance, higher efficiency, and lower cost. {close_quotes} Advanced coal-based power generation systems include Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), Pressurized Fluidized- Bed Combustion (PFBC), and Integrated Gasification/Fuel Cell systems. The strategy for achieving this goal includes: (1) Show the improved performance and lower cost of Advanced Power Systems through successful Clean Coal Technology demonstration projects, (2) Build and operate Technology Integration Sites in partnership with U.S. Industry (these sites will resolve key technology issues and effect continuous product improvement, and these partnerships result in leveraging of research and development (R&D) funds), and (3) Set up partnerships with other agencies and organizations such as Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to leverage R&D funds and skills. Demonstration of practical high-temperature particulate control devices (PCD`s) is crucial to the evolution of advanced, high- efficiency coal-based power generation systems. There are stringent particulate requirements for the fuel gas for both turbines and fuel cells. In turbines, the particulates cause erosion and chemical attack of the blade surfaces. In fuel cells, the particulates cause blinding of the electrodes. Filtration of the incoming, hot, pressurized gas is required to protect these units. Although filtration can presently be performed by first cooling the gas, the system efficiency is reduced. Development of high temperature, high pressure filtration is necessary to achieve high efficiency and extend the lifetime of downstream components to acceptable levels

Linear friction weld process monitoring of fixture cassette deformations using empirical mode decomposition

Due to its inherent advantages, linear friction welding is a solid-state joining process of increasing importance to the aerospace, automotive, medical and power generation equipment industries. Tangential oscillations and forge stroke during the burn-off phase of the joining process introduce essential dynamic forces, which can also be detrimental to the welding process. Since burn-off is a critical phase in the manufacturing stage, process monitoring is fundamental for quality and stability control purposes. This study aims to improve workholding stability through the analysis of fixture cassette deformations. Methods and procedures for process monitoring are developed and implemented in a fail-or-pass assessment system for fixture cassette deformations during the burn-off phase. Additionally, the de-noised signals are compared to results from previous production runs. The observed deformations as a consequence of the forces acting on the fixture cassette are measured directly during the welding process. Data on the linear friction-welding machine are acquired and de-noised using empirical mode decomposition, before the burn-off phase is extracted. This approach enables a direct, objective comparison of the signal features with trends from previous successful welds. The capacity of the whole process monitoring system is validated and demonstrated through the analysis of a large number of signals obtained from welding experiments

Particulate Control Device (PCD) Testing at the Power Systems Development Facility, Wilsonville, Alabama

One of the U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) objectives overseen by the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) is to test systems and components for advanced coal-based power generation systems, including integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), pressurized fluidized-bed combustion (PFBC), and integrated gasification/fuel cell (IGFC) systems. Stringent particulate requirements for fuel gas for both combustion turbines and fuel cells that are integral to these systems. Particulates erode and chemically attack the blade surfaces in turbines, and cause blinding of the electrodes in fuel cells. Filtration of the hot, high-pressure, gasified coal is required to protect these units. Filtration can be accomplished by first cooling the gas, but the system efficiency is reduced. High-temperature, high-pressure, particulate control devices (PCDs) need to be developed to achieve high efficiency and to extend the lifetime of downstream components to acceptable levels. Demonstration of practical high-temperature PCDs is crucial to the evolution of advanced, high-efficiency, coal-based power generation systems. The intent at the Power Systems Development Facility (PSDF) is to establish a flexible test facility that can be used to (1) develop advanced power system components, such as high-temperature, high-pressure PCDs; (2) evaluate advanced power system configurations and (3) assess the integration and control issues of these advanced power systems

Real-Time Measurement for an Internal Grinding System

M.S.Thomas R. Kurfes

The Skybox Satellite Operator Intern Program - Benefits and Lessons Learned

The Skybox Flight Operator program trains rotating cohorts of college students and recent graduates to fly our constellation of microsatellites. This program has provided significant benefits for Skybox Flight Operations. First, it attracts highly motivated, energized people, who are interested in the many short-term growth opportunities offered by the role, but who may not be interested in a shift-based role with few long-term growth opportunities. Staffing skilled and motivated individuals allows us to quickly adapt to changes in mission needs; this agility is crucial to a rapidly evolving flight operations system. Second, the recurring training for each cohort keeps other engineering teams engaged, catalyzing interactions and improving the knowledge and abilities of our team. Third, the program has brought a stream of talent into our company, creating a pipeline of full time employment candidates that already understand our satellite fleet. We believe that our program has maintained the health and safety of our satellites, while providing valuable skills and experience to the program participants. In this paper we explain these benefits, and examine the lessons we have learned after two years of running this evolving program

Synthetic fuel aromaticity and staged combustion

Samples of middle and heavy SRC-II distillates were distilled into 50 C boiling point range fractions. These were characterized by measurements of their molecular weight, elemental analysis and basic nitrogen content and calculation of average molecular structures. The structures typically consisted of 1 to 3 aromatic rings fused to alicyclic rings with short, 1 to 3 carbon aliphatic side chains. The lower boiling fractions contained significant amounts (1 atom/molecule) of oxygen while the heavier fractions contained so few heteroatoms that they were essentially hydrocarbons. Laboratory scale oxidative-pyrolysis experiments were carried out at pyrolysis temperatures of 500 to 1100 C and oxygen concentrations from 0 to 100 percent of stoichiometry. Analysis of liquid products, collected in condensers cooled with liquid nitrogen showed that aromatization is a major reaction in the absence of oxygen. The oxygen-containing materials (phenolics) seem to be more resistant to thermal pyrolysis than unsubstituted aromatics. Nitrogen converts from basic to nonbasic forms at about 500 C. The nonbasic nitrogen is more stable and survives up to 700 C after which it is slowly removed. A recently constructed 50,000 Btu/hr staged combustor was used to study the chemistry of the nitrogen and aromatics. SRC II combustion was studied under fuel-rich, first-stage conditions at air/fuel ratios from 0.6 to 1.0 times stoichiometric. The chemistry of the fuel during combustion calls for further investigation in order to examine the mechanism by which HCN is evolved as a common intermediate for the formation of the nitrogen-containing gaseous combustion products. 25 references, 45 figures, 25 tables