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At least 757 records · Page 42

Heat storage in alloy transformations

Heats of transformation of eutectic alloys were measured for many binary and ternary systems by differential scanning calorimetry and thermal analysis. Only the relatively cheap and plentiful elements Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, Cu, Zn were considered. A method for measuring volume change during transformation was developed using x-ray absorption in a confined sample. Thermal expansion coefficients of both solid and liquid states of aluminum and of its eutectics with copper and with silicon also were determined. Preliminary evaluation of containment materials lead to the selection of silicon carbide as the initial material for study. Possible applications of alloy PCMs for heat storage in conventional and solar central power stations, small solar receivers and industrial furnace operations are under consideration.

Birchenall, C. E.↗

Heat storage in alloy transformations

The feasibility of using metal alloys as thermal energy storage media was investigated. The elements selected as candidate media were limited to aluminum, copper, magnesium, silicon, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus on the basis of low cost and latent heat of transformation. Several new eutectic alloys and ternary intermetallic phases were determined. A new method employing X-ray absorption techniques was developed to determine the coefficients of thermal expansion of both the solid and liquid phases and the volume change during phase transformation. The method and apparatus are discussed and the experimental results are presented for aluminum and two aluminum-eutectic alloys. Candidate materials were evaluated to determine suitable materials for containment of the metal alloys. Graphite was used to contain the alloys during the volume change measurements. Silicon carbide was identified as a promising containment material and surface-coated iron alloys were also evaluated. System considerations that are pertinent if alloy eutectics are used as thermal energy storage media are discussed. Potential applications to solar receivers and industrial furnaces are illustrated schematically.

Birchenall, C. E.↗

Cogeneration technology alternatives study. Volume 1: Summary report

Data and information in the area of advanced energy conversion systems for industrial congeneration applications in the 1985-2000 time period was studied. Six current and thirty-one advanced energy conversion systems were defined and combined with appropriate balance-of-plant equipment. Twenty-six industrial processes were selected from among the high energy consuming industries to serve as a framework for the study. Each conversion system was analyzed as a cogenerator with each industrial plant. Fuel consumption, costs, and environmental intrusion were evaluated and compared to corresponding traditional values. Various cogeneration strategies were analyzed and both topping and bottoming (using industrial by-product heat) applications were included. The advanced energy conversion technologies indicated reduced fuel consumption, costs, and emissions. Typically fuel energy savings of 10 to 25 percent were predicted compared to traditional on-site furnaces and utility electricity. With the variety of industrial requirements, each advanced technology had attractive applications. Overall, fuel cells indicated the greatest fuel energy savings and emission reductions. Gas turbines and combined cycles indicated high overall annual cost savings. Steam turbines and gas turbines produced high estimated returns. In some applications, diesels were most efficient. The advanced technologies used coal-derived fuels, or coal with advanced fluid bed combustion or on-site gasification systems.

Source record↗

Thermal energy storage systems using fluidized bed heat exchangers

A rotary cement kiln and an electric arc furnace were chosen for evaluation to determine the applicability of a fluid bed heat exchanger (FBHX) for thermal energy storage (TES). Multistage shallow bed FBHX's operating with high temperature differences were identified as the most suitable for TES applications. Analysis of the two selected conceptual systems included establishing a plant process flow configuration, an operational scenario, a preliminary FBHX/TES design, and parametric analysis. A computer model was developed to determine the effects of the number of stages, gas temperatures, gas flows, bed materials, charge and discharge time, and parasitic power required for operation. The maximum national energy conservation potential of the cement plant application with TES is 15.4 million barrels of oil or 3.9 million tons of coal per year. For the electric arc furnance application the maximum national conservation potential with TES is 4.5 million barrels of oil or 1.1 million tons of coal per year. Present time of day utility rates are near the breakeven point required for the TES system. Escalation of on-peak energy due to critical fuel shortages could make the FBHX/TES applications economically attractive in the future.

Weast, T.↗

Cogeneration Technology Alternatives Study (CTAS). Volume 3: Energy conversion system characteristics

Six current and thirty-six advanced energy conversion systems were defined and combined with appropriate balance of plant equipment. Twenty-six industrial processes were selected from among the high energy consuming industries to serve as a frame work for the study. Each conversion system was analyzed as a cogenerator with each industrial plant. Fuel consumption, costs, and environmental intrusion were evaluated and compared to corresponding traditional values. The advanced energy conversion technologies indicated reduced fuel consumption, costs, and emissions. Fuel energy savings of 10 to 25 percent were predicted compared to traditional on site furnaces and utility electricity. With the variety of industrial requirements, each advanced technology had attractive applications. Fuel cells indicated the greatest fuel energy savings and emission reductions. Gas turbines and combined cycles indicated high overall annual savings. Steam turbines and gas turbines produced high estimated returns. In some applications, diesels were most efficient. The advanced technologies used coal derived fuels, or coal with advanced fluid bed combustion or on site gasifications. Data and information for both current and advanced energy conversion technology are presented. Schematic and physical descriptions, performance data, equipment cost estimates, and predicted emissions are included. Technical developments which are needed to achieve commercialization in the 1985-2000 period are identified.

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Performance of two-layer thermal barrier systems on directionally solidified Ni-Al-Mo and comparative effects of alloy thermal expansion on system life

A promising two-layer thermal barrier coating system (TBS), Ni-16.4Cr-5.1A1-0.15Y/ZrO2-6.1Y2O3 (all in weight percent), was identified for directionally solidified Ni-Al-Mo (gamma/gamma' alpha). In cyclic furnace tests at 1095 C this system on gamma/gamma' alpha was better than Ni-16. 4Cr-5.1Al-0.15Y/ZrO2-7.8Y2O3 by about 50 percent. In natural gas - oxygen torch rig tests at 1250 C the ZrO2-6.1Y2O3 coating was better than the ZrO2-7.8Y2O3 coating by 95 percent, on MAR-M509 substrates and by 60 percent on gamma/gamma' alpha substrates. Decreasing the coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate material from 17-18x10 to the -6 power/C (MAR-M200 + Hf and MAR-M509) to 11x10 to the -6 power/C (gamma/gamma' alpha) also resulted in improved TBS life. For example, in natural gas - oxygen torch rig tests at 1250 C, the life of Ni-16.4Cr-5.1Al-0.15Y/ZrO26.1Y2O3 was about 30 percent better on gamma/gamma' alpha than on MAR-M509 substrates. Thus compositional changes in the bond and thermal barrier coatings were shown to have a greater effect on TBS life than does the coefficient of thermal expansion.

Stecura, S.↗

Improved bond coatings for use with thermal barrier coatings

The potential for improving the durability of thermal barrier coatings (TBC's) being developed for coal derived fuel fired gas turbines was studied. Furnace oxidation behavior of plasma deposited bond coatings was improved by increasing the thickness from 0.010 cm to 0.015 cm and by depositing the coatings at 20 kW with argon 3.5 vol % hydrogen arc gas rather than at 11 kW with argon. The most oxidation resistant plasma deposited bond coatings were Ni-14, 1Cr-13.4Al-0.10Zr, Ni-14.3Cr-14.4Al.0.16Y, and Ni-15.8Cr-12.8Al-0.36Y on B-1900 + Hf and Ni-30.9Cr-11.1Al-0.48Y on MAR-M-509. The oxidation resistant bond coatings improved TBC life when the coatings were deposited on the specimens supported on a nail bed fixture during coating.

Gedwill, M. A.↗

Symposium /International/ on Combustion, 17th, Leeds University, Leeds, England, August 20-25, 1978, Proceedings

The Symposium focused on deflagration to detonation transition, coal combustion, turbulent-combustion interactions, kinetics, furnace combustion, inhibition and ignition, flame structure and chemistry, combustion studies, measurement techniques, fire and explosion, engine combustion, soot, and propellants and explosives. Papers were presented on numerical modeling of the deflagration-to-detonation transition, the interaction between turbulence and combustion, turbulent flame propagation in premixed gases, spray evaporation in recirculating flow, dissociation of nitric oxide in shock waves, pollutant emissions from partially mixed turbulent flames, energy transfer and quenching rates of laser-pumped electronically excited alkalis in flames, a study of flammability limits using counterflow flames, the unified theory of explosions with fuel consumption, and the dynamics and radiant intensity of large hydrogen flames.

Source record↗

Tailored emitter, low-resistivity, ion-implanted silicon solar cells

Open-circuit voltages as high as 0.645 V (AM0, 25 C) have been obtained by a new process developed for low-resistivity silicon. The process utilizes high-dose phosphorus implantation followed by furnace annealing and simultaneous oxide growth. The effect of the thermally grown oxide is a reduction of surface recombination velocity; the oxide also acts as a moderately efficient antireflection (AR) coating. Boron-doped, float-zone silicon with resistivities from 0.1 to 1.0 (omega)(cm) has been processed according to this sequence; results show that the highest open-circuit voltage is obtained with 0.1(omega)(cm) starting material. The effects of Auger recombination and bandgap narrowing caused by high doping concentrations in the n(+)junction region have been investigated by implanting phosphorus over a wide range of dose levels. The effects of emitter-phosphorus concentrations tailored to optimize electric fields in the emitter have also been investigated.

Minnucci, J. A.↗

Effects of yttrium, aluminum and chromium concentrations in bond coatings on the performance of zirconia-yttria thermal barriers

A cyclic furnace study was conducted on thermal barrier systems to evaluate the effects of yttrium, chromium and aluminum in nickel-base alloy bond coatings and the effect of bond coating thickness on yttria-stabilized zirconia thermal barrier coating life. Without yttrium in the bond coatings, the zirconia coatings failed very rapidly. Increasing chromium and aluminum in the Ni-Cr-Al-Y bond coatings increased total coating life. This effect was not as great as that due to yttrium. Increased bond coat thickness was also found to increase life.

Stecura, S.↗

Progress on the Dow Corning process for solar-grade silicon

The Dow Corning approach to increasing the resistivity of solar-grade silicon from about 0.04 ohm-cm (40 ppma B) to greater than 0.1 ohm-cm (10 ppma B) involves the use of high-purity raw materials carbothermically reduced in a specially designed electric arc furnace. Final purification occurs during Czochralski crystal growth of a polycrystalline ingot. This small-scale purification technology has resulted in silicon that has been fabricated into solar cells with a maximum AM1 conversion efficiency of 13.4%.

Hunt, L. P.↗

Study of thermal energy storage using fluidized bed heat exchangers

The technical and economic feasibility of fluid bed heat exchangers (FBHX) for thermal energy storage (TES) in waste heat recovery applications is assessed by analysis of two selected conceptual systems, the rotary cement kiln and the electric arc furnace. It is shown that the inclusion of TES in the energy recovery system requires that the difference in off-peak and on-peak energy rates be large enough so that the value of the recovered energy exceeds the value of the stored energy by a wide enough margin to offset parasitic power and thermal losses. Escalation of on-peak energy rates due to fuel shortages could make the FBHX/TES applications economically attractive in the future.

Weast, T. E.↗

Automatic Control of Silicon Melt Level

A new circuit, when combined with melt-replenishment system and melt level sensor, offers continuous closed-loop automatic control of melt-level during web growth. Installed on silicon-web furnace, circuit controls melt-level to within 0.1 mm for as long as 8 hours. Circuit affords greater area growth rate and higher web quality, automatic melt-level control also allows semiautomatic growth of web over long periods which can greatly reduce costs.

Duncan, C. S.↗

Fluxless Brazing of Large Structural Panels

Fluxless brazing is used in fabricating aluminum structural panels that withstand high internal pressure. Aluminum sheet of structural thickness with 4045 aluminum/silicon-braze-alloy cladding is brazed to corrugated "fin stock" having channels 0.001 inch (0.03mm) high by same width. Process is carried out in an inert (argon) atmosphere in a retort furnace. Filler bars are used in some channels to prevent fin stock from collapsing as pressure is applied.

Beuyukian, C. S.↗

Combustion of Coal/Oil/Water Slurries

Proposed test setup would measure combustion performance of new fuels by rapidly heating a droplet of coal/oil/water mixture and recording resulting explosion. Such mixtures are being considered as petroleum substitutes in oil-fired furnaces.

Kushida, R. O.↗

Arc-Free High-Power dc Switch

Hybrid switch allows high-power direct current to be turned on and off without arcing or erosion. Switch consists of bank of transistors in parallel with mechanical contacts. Transistor bank makes and breaks switched circuit; contacts carry current only during steady-state "on" condition. Designed for Space Shuttle orbiter, hybrid switch can be used also in high-power control circuits in aircraft, electric autos, industrial furnaces, and solar-cell arrays.

Miller, W. N.↗

Power-MOSFET Voltage Regulator

Ninety-six parallel MOSFET devices with two-stage feedback circuit form a high-current dc voltage regulator that also acts as fully-on solid-state switch when fuel-cell out-put falls below regulated voltage. Ripple voltage is less than 20 mV, transient recovery time is less than 50 ms. Parallel MOSFET's act as high-current dc regulator and switch. Regulator can be used wherever large direct currents must be controlled. Can be applied to inverters, industrial furnaces photovoltaic solar generators, dc motors, and electric autos.

Miller, W. N.↗

Catalyzing the Combustion of Coal

Reaction rate of coal in air can be increased by contacting or coating coal with compound such as calcium acetate. The enhanced reaction rate generates more heat, reducing furnace size. Increase in combustion rate is about 26 percent, and internal pollutants in powerplant are reduced.

Humphrey, M. F.↗