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At least 451 records · Page 25

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DOE OSTI2021

A modified many-body dissipative particle dynamics model for mesoscopic fluid simulation: methodology, calibration, and application for hydrocarbon and water

The many-body dissipative particle dynamics (mDPD) is a prominent mesoscopic multiphase model for fluid transport in mesoconfinement. However, it has been a long-standing challenge for mDPD (and other multiphase-enabled DPD models) to accurately predict real-fluid static and dynamic properties simultaneously. We have developed a modified mDPD model to overcome the issue and a rigorous calibration approach that uses reference data, including experimental and/or molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to parameterise the modified mDPD for real fluids. We choose heptane as a representative example of hydrocarbon in source rocks to demonstrate the model's capability to accurately predict the equation of state (EOS), free surface tension, diffusivity, and viscosity. Our timing test shows that the modified mDPD is 400–500 times faster than its MD counterpart for simulating bulk heptane in equivalent volumes. To further demonstrate the robustness of the model, we revisited the benchmark problem of mesoscopic modelling of water, in which all the previous works on DPD reported only a limited portion of the water properties. Here, we show that the modified mDPD can provide accurate modelling of water static and dynamic properties and an EOS that matches the experimental data to a large range of confinement pressure.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2020

Solar-metallicity gas in the extended halo of a galaxy at z ∼ 0.12

ABSTRACT We present the detection and analysis of a weak low-ionization absorber at z = 0.121 22 along the sightline of the blazar PG 1424+240, using spectroscopic data from both HST/COS and STIS. The absorber is a weak Mg ii analogue, with an incidence of weak C ii and Si ii, along with multicomponent C iv and O vi. The low ions are tracing a dense (nH ∼ 10−3 cm−3) parsec-scale cloud of solar or higher metallicity. The kinematically coincident higher ions are either from a more diffuse (nH ∼ 10−5–10−4 cm−3) photoionized phase of kiloparsec-scale dimensions or are tracing a warm (T ∼ 2 × 105 K) collisionally ionized transition temperature plasma layer. The absorber resides in a galaxy overdense region, with 18 luminous (>L*) galaxies within a projected radius of 5 Mpc and velocity of 750 km s−1. The multiphase properties, high metallicity, and proximity to a 1.4L* galaxy, at ρ ∼ 200 kpc and separation |Δv| = 11 km s−1, favour the possibility of the absorption tracing circumgalactic gas. The absorber serves as an example of weak Mg ii–O vi systems as a means to study multiphase high-velocity clouds in external galaxies.

Pradeep, Jayadev↗

DOE OSTI2022

The driving mode of shock-driven turbulence

Turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM) is crucial in the process of star formation. Shocks produced by supernova explosions, jets, radiation from massive stars, or galactic spiral-arm dynamics are amongst the most common drivers of turbulence in the ISM. However, it is not fully understood how shocks drive turbulence, in particular whether shock driving is a more solenoidal (rotational, divergence-free) or a more compressive (potential, curl-free) mode of driving turbulence. The mode of turbulence driving has profound consequences for star formation, with compressive driving producing three times larger density dispersion, and an order of magnitude higher star formation rate than solenoidal driving. Here, we use hydrodynamical simulations of a shock inducing turbulent motions in a structured, multiphase medium. This is done in the context of a laser-induced shock, propagating into a foam material, in preparation for an experiment to be performed at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Specifically, we analyse the density and velocity distributions in the shocked turbulent medium, and measure the turbulence driving parameter $b=(\sigma _{\rho /\langle \rho \rangle }^{2\Gamma }-1)^{1/2}(1-\sigma _{\rho /\langle \rho \rangle }^{-2})^{-1/2}\mathcal {M}^{-1}\Gamma ^{-1/2}$, with the density dispersion σρ/<ρ>, the turbulent Mach number $\mathcal {M}$, and the polytropic exponent Γ. Purely solenoidal and purely compressive driving correspond to b ~ 1/3 and b ~ 1, respectively. As a result, using simulations in which a shock is driven into a multiphase medium with structures of different sizes and Γ < 1, we find b ~ 1 for all cases, showing that shock-driven turbulence is consistent with strongly compressive driving.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Deprojection of X-ray data in galaxy clusters: confronting simulations with observations

ABSTRACT Numerical simulations with varying realism indicate an emergent principle−multiphase condensation and large cavity power occur when the ratio of the cooling time to the free-fall time (tcool/tff) falls below a threshold value close to 10. Observations indeed show cool-core signatures when this ratio falls below 20–30, but the prevalence of cores with tcool/tff ratio below 10 is rare as compared to simulations. In X-ray observations, we obtain projected spectra from which we have to infer radial gas density and temperature profiles. Using idealized models of X-ray cavities and multiphase gas in the core and 3D hydro jet-ICM simulations, we quantify the biases introduced by deprojection based on the assumption of spherical symmetry in determining tcool/tff. We show that while the used methods are able to recover the tcool/tff ratio for relaxed clusters, they have an uncertainty of a factor of 2−3 in systems containing large cavities (≳ 20 kpc). We also show that the mass estimates from these methods, in the absence of X-ray spectra close to the virial radius, suffer from a degeneracy between the virial mass (M200) and the concentration parameter (c) in the form of M200c2 ≈ constant. Additionally, the lack of soft-X-ray (≲ 0.5 keV) coverage and poor spatial resolution makes us overestimate min(tcool/tff) by a factor of few in clusters with min(tcool/tff) ≲ 5. This bias can largely explain the lack of cool-core clusters with min(tcool/tff) ≲ 5.

Sarkar, Kartick C. (ORCID:0000000277678472)↗

DOE OSTI2022

The effect of saturated thermal conduction on clouds in a hot plasma

We numerically investigate the internal evolution of multiphase clouds, which are at rest with respect to an ambient, highly ionized medium (HIM) representing the hot component of the circumgalactic medium. Time-dependent saturated thermal conduction and its implications like condensation rates and mixing efficiency are assessed in multiphase clouds. Our simulations are carried out by using the adaptive mesh refinement code FLASH. The model clouds are initially in both hydrostatic and thermal equilibrium and are in pressure balance with the HIM. Thus, they have steep gradients in both temperature and density at the interface to HIM leading to non-negligible thermal conduction. Several physical processes are considered numerically or semi-analytically: thermal conduction, radiative cooling and external heating of gas, self-gravity, mass diffusion, and dissociation of molecules and ionization of atoms. It turns out that saturated thermal conduction triggers a continuous condensation irrespective of cloud mass. Dynamical interactions with ambient HIM all relate to the radial density gradient in the clouds: (1) mass flux due to condensation is the higher the more homogeneous the clouds are; (2) mixing of condensed gas with cloud gas is easier in low-mass clouds, because of their shallower radial density gradient; and thus (3) accreted gas is distributed more efficiently. A distinct and sub-structured transition zone forms at the interface between cloud and HIM, which starts at smaller radii and is much narrower as deduced from analytical theory.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

A strong blend in the morning: studying the circumgalactic medium before cosmic noon with strong, blended Ly α forest systems

ABSTRACT We study of the properties of a new class of circumgalactic medium absorbers identified in the Ly α forest: ‘Strong, Blended Lyman-α’ (or SBLA) absorption systems. We study SBLAs at 2.4 < z < 3.1 in SDSS-IV/eBOSS spectra by their strong extended Ly α absorption complexes covering 138 $\, \, {\rm km}\, {\rm s}^{-1}$ with an integrated $\log (N_{\rm H\, {\small I}}/\mathrm{cm}^{-2}) =16.04$$\substack{+0.05 \\ -0.06}$ and Doppler parameter b = 18.1$\substack{+0.7 \\ -0.4}$$\, \, {\rm km}\, {\rm s}^{-1}$. Clustering with the Ly α forest provides a large-scale structure bias of b = 2.34 ± 0.06 and halo mass estimate of $M_h \approx 10^{12}\, h^{-1}\, {\rm M_{\odot }}$ for our SBLA sample. We measure the ensemble mean column densities of 22 metal features in the SBLA composite spectrum and find that no single-population multiphase model for them is viable. We therefore explore the underlying SBLA population by forward modelling the SBLA absorption distribution. Based on covariance measurements and favoured populations we find that ≈25 per cent of our SBLAs have stronger metals. Using silicon only we find that our strong metal SBLAs trace gas with a log (nH/cm−3) > −2.40 for T = 103.5 K and show gas clumping on <210 parsec scales. We fit multiphase models to this strong subpopulation and find a low ionization phase with nH = 1 cm−3, T = 103.5 K, and [X/H] = 0.8, an intermediate ionization phase with log (nH/cm−3) = −3.05, T = 103.5 K and [X/H] = −0.8, and a poorly constrained higher ionization phase. We find that the low ionization phase favours cold, dense super-solar metallicity gas with a clumping scale of just 0.009 parsecs.

Morrison, Sean (ORCID:0000000267702627)↗

DOE OSTI2025

Cosmic-ray transport in inhomogeneous media

A theory of cosmic-ray transport in multiphase diffusive media is developed, with the specific application to cases in which the cosmic-ray diffusion coefficient has large spatial fluctuations that may be inherently multiscale. We demonstrate that the resulting transport of cosmic rays is diffusive in the long-time limit, with an average diffusion coefficient equal to the harmonic mean of the spatially varying diffusion coefficient. Thus, cosmic-ray transport is dominated by areas of low diffusion even if these areas occupy a relatively small, but not infinitesimal, fraction of the volume. On intermediate time-scales, the cosmic rays experience transient effective subdiffusion, as a result of low-diffusion regions interrupting long flights through high-diffusion regions. In the simplified case of a two-phase medium, we show that the extent and extremity of the subdiffusivity of cosmic-ray transport is controlled by the spectral exponent of the distribution of patch sizes of each of the phases. We finally show that, despite strongly influencing the confinement times, the multiphase medium is only capable of altering the energy dependence of cosmic-ray transport when there is a moderate (but not excessive) level of perpendicular diffusion across magnetic-field lines.

Astronomy and Astrophysics↗

DOE OSTI2023

Shock-induced melting of [100] lithium fluoride: Sound speed and Hugoniot measurements to 230 GPa

Although [100] lithium flouride (LiF) is the most widely used optical window material in dynamic compression experiments, its high stress (>100 GPa) shock compression response, including melting, is not well understood. To address this need, we measured wave profiles in plate impact experiments to determine the Hugoniot states and longitudinal sound speeds in [100] LiF crystals shock compressed to 231 GPa. The measured peak states are fitted well by a linear shock velocity-particle velocity relation, providing an accurate determination of the LiF Hugoniot curve to significantly higher stresses than previous experiments. The longitudinal sound speeds show a near linear increase with density compression to 182 GPa. Between 182 GPa and 195 GPa, the sound speed and the longitudinal modulus decrease abruptly, due to shock-induced melting. The increasing sound speeds and moduli at higher stresses suggest that shock compressed LiF is fully liquid at 195 GPa and above, allowing determination of the Gruneisen parameter for liquid LiF. Here, the melt stress determined here differs from that predicted by current multiphase equations of state for LiF. Our results provide important insight into the high stress solid and liquid states of shock compressed LiF and point to the need for an improved multiphase equation of state at high pressures and high temperatures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2022

Numerical Analysis of Liquid Metal MHD Flow and Heat Transfer for Open-Surface Li Divertor in FNSF

Within the ongoing U.S.-based program on the development of liquid metal plasma-facing components, numerical simulations and analyses are performed to address the feasibility of the open-surface Li divertor. In the previous scoping studies (Smolentsev, 2021), heat-removal capabilities of the divertor were assessed using a simplified flow model for a slug-type velocity profile and constant flow thickness. Here, new analyses take into account forces acting on the flowing Li layer. Three reduced-order mathematical models are applied under the conditions of the U.S. Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF) to access magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow development effects, velocity distribution, and surface waves: 1) fully developed MHD flow; 2) quasi-2-D developing MHD flow; and 3) multiphase MHD flow. The obtained results for MHD flows and the surface heat flux computed with the plasma code scrape-off layer plasma simulation for ITER (SOLPS-ITER) are then used as input data to compute the temperature distribution in the divertor by solving the convection–diffusion energy equation.

Smolentsev, Sergey↗

DOE OSTI2021

Electronic surface reconstruction of TiO 2 nanocrystals revealed by resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

The identification of lattice multiphases in TiO 2 nanocrystals is studied by high resolution transmission electron microscope and electron diffraction patterns. Based on the spectroscopic analysis using soft x-ray absorption and resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering, it is believed that the oxygen vacancies at the interface exhibit structural distortion of the TiO$^{8-}_6$ cluster around the defect site as for the multiphase lattice. We elucidate that the extra 3d electrons nearby induce the inelastic scattering features with the excitation energy dependence owing to different energy relaxation processes, a characteristic of the electron-phonon coupling or the nature of the electron-hole pair at the intermediate state. The manifold dd excitations driven by the strong interaction between Ti-3d and O-2p electrons are noticeably rich, coexisting on both Ti and O sites. Finally, this sophisticated experiment can advance the perspective of nanocomposite TiO 2 for various interactions of surface Ti 3+ in applications of future devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Formation of wide-blocky calcite veins by extreme growth competition

Liassic limestones on the coast of Somerset in the UK contain dense arrays of calcite microveins with a common, but poorly understood microstructure, characterized by laterally wide crystals that form bridges across the vein. We investigated the mechanisms of formation and evolution of these ‘wide-blocky’ vein microstructures using a combination of high-resolution analytical methods, including virtual petrography, optical cathodoluminescence and scanning electron microscopy techniques (e.g. energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, back-scattered electron imaging, cathodoluminescence and electron back-scattered diffraction), laboratory experiments and multiphase field modelling. Our results indicate that the studied veins formed in open, fluid-filled fractures, each in a single opening and sealing episode. As shown by the optical and electron back-scattered diffraction images, the vein crystals grew epitaxially on grains of the wall rock and we hypothesize that their growth rates differed depending on whether the crystals were on a wall rock grain substrate that fractured intergranularly (slow growth rates) or transgranularly (rapid growth rates). Our multiphase field models support this hypothesis, showing that wide, blocky crystals only form where there are significant differences in the growth rate and are dependent on the type of seed grain. These results provide strong evidence for extreme growth competition, a process that we propose controls vein-filling in many micritic carbonate reservoirs, as well as demonstrate that the characteristics of the fracture wall can affect the filling processes in syntaxial veins. Supplementary material: The description and images of the studied thin sections are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5172371 . High-resolution optical microscopy mosaics (under plane-polarized- and crossed polarized light) of the thin section collection in PetroScan file format are available on request from the authors.

Geology↗

DOE OSTI2023

TOUGH3/EOS7MG (EOS7MG) v1.1

EOS7MG is a new TOUGH3 module for modeling water, brine, and multiple gas mixtures in the subsurface multiphase flow system. The module allows mixture of as more as three gas components selecting from a list of predefined gases (CH4, C2H6, C3H8, H2S, CO2, N2, NO2, H2, and AIR). EOS7MG was developed based on EOS7C and inherited the general modeling capabilities of the TOUGH3 platform. It uses cubic equation of states for gas density, viscosity, and enthalpy calculation. The module provides the selection options for Peng-Robinson, Redlich-Kwong, or Soave-Redlich-Kwong equations of state. The subsurface flow and transport of gas and aqueous phase mixtures over a wide range of pressures and temperatures is modeled with a multiphase Darcy's Law and an accurate chemical equilibrium approach as originally implemented in EOS7C is used for calculation of the solubilities of different mass components. EOS7MG was designed to allow flexible number of components based on the number of gases included in the model. The potential application of this module may include subsurface gas storage, energy storage, CCS, enhanced gas recovery, and more.

Zhang, Keni↗

DOE OSTI2025

Openpronghorn

OpenPronghorn is a simulation tool specifically tailored for modeling thermal-hydraulic phenomena in advanced nuclear reactors. It is built on the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE), an open-source platform that facilitates the development of high-performance scientific computing applications. OpenPronghorn solves the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy in fluid flows, using the finite volume numerical method. The code supports a wide range of fluid flow conditions that are applicable to nuclear reactors, including incompressible and weakly compressible flows, as well as single-phase and multiphase flows. It is capable of modeling diverse flow regimes, including laminar and turbulent flows, using various turbulence models such as the standard k-epsilon models, the v2f model, and the mixing length model. For multiphase flows, OpenPronghorn employs a mixture a Eulerian modeling approach with mixture, drift-flux, and full Eulerian models, and includes open-sourced interfacial transfer correlations for drag, exchange, and heat transfer coming from the scientific literature. OpenPronghorn's modular design allows it to handle multiscale simulations, ranging from detailed Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations to coarse-mesh and lumped parameter models. This flexibility enables users to perform high-fidelity simulations of specific reactor components as well as system-level analyses of entire reactor circuits. The code can be coupled with other MOOSE-based tools using the MultiApp system, allowing for the transfer of coupling quantities such as mass flow rates, heat fluxes, and boundary conditions between different simulation scales. One of the main features of OpenPronghorn is the it includes built-in validation cases from the open-source scientific literature and supports the implementation of user-defined models and correlations through MOOSE's FunctorMaterial system. OpenPronghorn is designed to be computationally efficient, leveraging the SIMPLE projection method for large-scale problems, and can be run on high-performance computing systems to handle the extensive computational demands of detailed reactor simulations. Overall, OpenPronghorn is a versatile and robust tool that provides critical insights into the thermal-hydraulic behavior of advanced nuclear reactors, supporting the design, safety, and optimization of next-generation nuclear energy systems.

Retamales, Mauricio Eduardo Tano [Idaho National L↗

DOE OSTI2023

Modeling suggests that virion production cycles within individual cells is key to understanding acute hepatitis B virus infection kinetics

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection kinetics in immunodeficient mice reconstituted with humanized livers from inoculation to steady state is highly dynamic despite the absence of an adaptive immune response. To recapitulate the multiphasic viral kinetic patterns, we developed an agent-based model that includes intracellular virion production cycles reflecting the cyclic nature of each individual virus lifecycle. The model fits the data well predicting an increase in production cycles initially starting with a long production cycle of 1 virion per 20 hours that gradually reaches 1 virion per hour after approximately 3–4 days before virion production increases dramatically to reach to a steady state rate of 4 virions per hour per cell. Together, modeling suggests that it is the cyclic nature of the virus lifecycle combined with an initial slow but increasing rate of HBV production from each cell that plays a role in generating the observed multiphasic HBV kinetic patterns in humanized mice.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Equilipy: a python package for calculating phase equilibria

The CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram) approach (Nigel Saunders & Miodownik, 1998) provides predictions for thermodynamically stable phases in multicomponent-multiphase materials across a wide range of temperatures. Consequently, the CALPHAD calculations became an essential tool in materials and process design (Luo, 2015). Such design tasks frequently require navigating a high-dimensional space due to multiple components involved in the system. This increasing complexity demands high-throughput CALPHAD calculations, especially in the rapidly evolving field of alloy design. In response to the need, we developed Equilipy an open-source Python package designed for calculating phase equilibria of multicomponent-multiphase systems. Equilipy is specifically tailored for high-throughput CALPHAD calculations, offering parallel computations across multiple processors and nodes with the given NPT input conditions namely elemental compositions (N), pressure (P), and temperature (T). Equilipy utilizes the program structure and Gibbs energy functions from the Fortran-based program, Thermochimica (Piro et al., 2013), with incorporating a new Gibbs energy minimization algorithm. This algorithm, originally developed by Capitani and Brown in 1987 (Capitani & Brown, 1987), has been revised and implemented to enhance the stability and performance of calculations. The Fortran codes are precompiled and interfaced with Python via F2PY, ensuring high computation speed. Benchmark tests shown in Figure 1 demonstrate that Equilipy’s computation speed is comparable to those of established commercial software, TC-Python and PanPython. This result highlights its efficiency and potential applications in various scientific and industrial fields.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2020

An Integrated Multiscale Experimental-Numerical Analysis on Reconsolidation of Salt-Clay Mixture for Disposal of Heat-Generating Waste (Final NEUP Technical Report)

The overall purpose of this research is to improve understanding of THMC coupling effect on the reconsolidation of granular (or crushed) salt-clay mixture used for seal systems of shafts and drifts in salt repositories. This proposed work is partially motivated by the recent work on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) that shows the promising sealing capability of clay-salt mixture compared to crushed salt. In particular, primary emphasis is to develop a fully integrated multiscale experiment-numerical study to determine and explain what leads to the superior sealing ability of the clay-salt mixture. These research activities are designed to seek further understanding of (1) why clay additives may enhance the fluid trapping and (2) whether this flow barrier effect may prevail under different combinations of temperature, confining pressure, deviatoric stress and other foreseeable environmental factors. If successful, this enhanced flow trapping ability of the seal provides significant improvement to the seal and repository performance and therefore make the repository safer in the long-term. The experiment component includes microstructural investigation and macroscopic tests on a reconsolidated salt-clay mixture. In the microstructural study, the goal is to (1) characterize microscopic distributions of distinct phases (e.g., clay, salt crystal boundaries, trapped brine, and pore) to examine the connectivity of the pore network inside the salt-clay mixture with different amounts of clay additive and moisture content and (2) analyze multiscale imaging data to reconstruct the polycrystalline microstructures for numerical simulations. Meanwhile, macroscopic tests are performed to analyze how clay alters the failure/creep mechanisms in the salt-clay mixture. Microscopic and macroscopic experimental observations will both be used to calibrate and validate a multiscale model that explicitly simulates the capillary and multiphase flow in the connected pores and the deformation due to the presence of intra-crystalline brine at the pore scale via a new polyhedral discrete element–lattice Boltzmann method (DEM-LBM) coupling model. The pore-scale simulations are homogenized via an upscaling procedure that converts pore-scale information (e.g. force exerted on grain boundary, sliding, pressure-solution) to continuum measures (e.g. Cauchy stress, Darcy’s flow) at each integration point in the macroscopic multiphase TMHC model. This multiscale scheme will allow coupling be- tween high-fidelity simulations of brine-salt-clay interaction and the macroscopic TMHC model. The multiscale model helps the understanding of how the trapped brine inclusion affects the pressure-solution mechanism with the presence of clay and moisture. This work brings new insight into the sealing capacity of salt-clay mixture under elevated temperature over a long period of time - a key to evaluating the potential of salt-clay mixture usage for salt repositories.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2020

An integrated process for butanol production from cellulosic biomass and CO 2 using engineered clostridia in a linear immobilized bioreactor

Engineered platforms using mixed microbial consortia to consolidate multiple reaction steps and perform disparate conversions simultaneously can substantially enhance the carbon efficiency of biomass conversion processes and lower the biofuel cost to an economically competitive level. In this project, an integrated process will be developed to produce n-butanol from cellulosic biomass and waste gas streams using two engineered clostridial strains, one butanol-tolerant solventogenic strain and one carboxydotrophic acetogen, co-immobilized in a “Linear Immobilized Bioreactor” (LIBR). The CO 2 and H 2 produced by the solventogenic strain will be used by the carboxydotrophic strain to produce acetate (and butyrate) that in turns can be used by the solventogenic strain to produce more butanol. Such a co-cultured fermentation has the potential to increase butanol production from biomass hydrolysate sugars by up to 50% with 100% reduction in CO 2 emission. Butanol produced in the fermentation will be stripped by the rising bubbles of fermentation produced gases (CO 2 and H 2 ) in the LIBR and separated via a condenser, alleviating butanol inhibition while achieving continuous butanol production at a high productivity and product titer, which can reduce both water and energy consumptions by over 50% compared to conventional ethanol and ABE fermentation processes. Phase I study proved the new bioprocess concept and verified our hypothesis that the proposed LIBR and co-cultured fermentation can enhance the conversion of lignocellulosic sugars to butanol with higher butanol yield, productivity and titer, leading to reduced biobutanol cost to compete more favorably with bioethanol and fossil fuels. A prototype lab-scale LIBR for multiphase fermentation was constructed to investigate and demonstrate the technical feasibility and advantages of the LIBR for multiphase fermentation involving sugars and gaseous substrates. The LIBR will be optimized and evaluated for its economic feasibility for biobutanol production from lignocellulosic biomass and industrial waste gases in Phase II.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Experimental and Simulation Analysis of Binary Mixtures of Biomass and Inert Material

A literature review was conducted to identify experiments on various scales of biomass combustion specific to circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustors. Typical feedstock and inert bed material characteristics for biomass combustion in a CFB were gathered. This information was used to design laboratory-scale, non-reacting experiments on biomass-inert bed material mixtures in a 1-in. cylindrical test rig in the Multiphase Flow Analysis Laboratory (MFAL) in Morgantown, WV. The biomass chosen was a hardwood. Pellets from the hardwood were milled and sieved to obtain three size ranges—small, medium, and large. Three mass loadings of each of the biomass samples were fluidized with glass beads as the inert bed material to study the mixing characteristics under varying fluidizing gas velocities. Hydrodynamic data including pressure drop measurements at select vertical locations and video recordings of the mixture behavior were generated in this effort.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗