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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Designs of Column Separation Processes for Recovery of Molybdenum from Dissolved High-Density LEU Target - Further Studies

The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Conversion Program develops technology necessary to convert civilian facilities that use high enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuels and targets. The conversion of conventional HEU dispersion targets to LEU for the production of 99 Mo production requires approximately five times the uranium in a target to maintain the 99 Mo yield per target. Under GTRI, Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) is developing two frontend options for the current processes to allow the use of LEU-foil targets. In both processes, the aim is to produce a product after the frontend that will be compatible with current purification operations and that will, with the same number of targets irradiated, provide the same or a higher yield of 99 Mo at the end of processing. The goal of the frontend process is to deliver a product solution that is of the same or higher Mo purity than the current solution and is of equal or better compatibility with current purification process. In the first frontend option, the LEU foil (contained in a thin [10–15 µm] Ni fission-recoil barrier) is removed from the annular target and dissolved in nitric acid. In the dissolution, the uranium, nickel, and all fission and activation products are dissolved; the solution will be ~7 mM Mo and ~450 g-U/L, and the nitricacid concentration after dissolution will be ~1 M. The resultant solution will then be run through a column to recover Mo from other target components; the Mo will be stripped from the column with a sodium hydroxide solution that will be compatible with the current purification processes used for dispersion targets. The volume of dissolved-foil solution is assumed to be 500 mL, and the pressure drop, ΔP, constraint of 0.8 atm is based on the use of vacuum/gravity fluid transfer system. Therefore pressure loss is limited to <1 atm; hence a value of 0.8 was chosen.

Stepinski, Dominique C.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Liquid-Liquid Separation Process

The 3M Company, in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and others, will develop the concept of the membrane solvent-extraction (MSE) technology for water removal and verify the technology at a pilot scale for bio-ethanol production to increase energy and water savings.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Production of Salable Rare Earths Products from Coal and Coal Byproducts in the U.S. Using Advanced Separation Processes (Final Technical Report)

The entirety of the report that follows this brief Executive Summary Chapter is the product of a Funding Announcement by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Fossil Energy, originally issued 09/28/2016, otherwise known as Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0001627, under the title of “Production of Rare Earth Elements from Domestic U.S. Coal and Coal By-Products” The solicitation was subsequently amended several times ending in amendment 000005. Ultimately a consortium designated “Minerals Refining and Rare Earth Consortium” (to which many of the remaining participants recited in this report joined) filed a proposal on December 8, 2016. On June 9, 2017, the contracting office of the US DOE, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), alerted Dr. Keim, the Authorized Representative of the December 08, 2016, proposal, that the consortium proposal had been selected. In summary, this report presents the results of the efforts in meeting the stated project objectives as outlined in DE-FOA-0001627 to wit: “The main objective of the proposed work is to design and construct a demonstration plant that can extract rare earth elements (REEs) from domestic U.S. coal and coal by-products. The plant will produce salable rare earth elements and intermediates, including at a minimum three individual REEs (preferably heavy rare earths) at 90-99% purities, with output capacities in excess of 10 pounds per day of composite rare earth products (reported as oxides). In addition, the plant will produce high value premium solid fuels, magnetite and other materials to increase the economic viability of the plant and to create jobs. If successful, the proposed work will help develop a domestic supply chain of the critical materials that are essential for the development of renewable energy resources, high-tech industries and a strong national defense.” The principal investigators immediately launched the tasks outlined in the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) in accordance to its Project Management Plan (PMP) based on their collective knowledge of the subject matter and the expectations generated by preliminary laboratory results. Events and circumstances related in part to the vagaries of the coal mining, processing, and marketing industry triggered a series of carefully deliberated step-wise transitions from the original Lower Kittanning coal source in West Virginia to an ultimate stopping point with the Fire Clay Seam (Hazard No. 4) rejects from Blue Diamond Coal Company in Kentucky (Operated by Blackhawk Mining LLC). These transitional steps are discussed in substantial detail in the body of this report. Notably, substantial data of potential future significance, both in terms of sample collection, processing, and testing, were collected in the process. Unfortunately, as reported in the Techno-Economic Chapter of this report, none of these efforts resulted in an anticipated economically viable venture. Thus, the principals associated with this project elected not to transition into a “Pilot Plant” operation. A proposal for funding that pilot plant was therefore not requested. The outcome of this initiative under DE-FOA-0001627 notwithstanding, the following portions of this Executive Summary outline the activities of the investigators. That said, the reader is encouraged to examine the main body of this report in which each chapter is assembled as a free-standing product, complete with Table of Contents, for practical and easy reference purposes.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
NASA NTRS1976

Influence of acoustics in separation processes

The effects of introducing high energy acoustics into various filtering and drying systems were studied. With very slow velocity filtration systems, it was found that the introduction of acoustics could substantially increase the flow rate and also aided in the coagulation of the particulates before reaching the filter media. In the drying of temperature sensitive powders, the rate was increased by the introduction of acoustics. The acoustic frequency used was 20 kHz with power levels up to 3 watts per square centimeter.

Fairbanks, H. V.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Numerical simulation of electrophoresis separation processes

A new Petrov-Galerkin finite element formulation has been proposed for transient convection-diffusion problems. Most Petrov-Galerkin formulations take into account the spatial discretization, and the weighting functions so developed give satisfactory solutions for steady state problems. Though these schemes can be used for transient problems, there is scope for improvement. The schemes proposed here, which consider temporal as well as spatial discretization, provide improved solutions. Electrophoresis, which involves the motion of charged entities under the influence of an applied electric field, is governed by equations similiar to those encountered in fluid flow problems, i.e., transient convection-diffusion equations. Test problems are solved in electrophoresis and fluid flow. The results obtained are satisfactory. It is also expected that these schemes, suitably adapted, will improve the numerical solutions of the compressible Euler and the Navier-Stokes equations.

Ganjoo, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Separation processes in monotectic systems

Low-gravity work is reviewed and various factors influencing phase distribution are analyzed. The behavior of miscibility gap type materials in low gravity is studied. The nature of the attraction between the solution and the container or surface affects the volume of the minority phase available to form dispersed droplets as well as the extent of undercooling of the monotectic reaction.

Facemire, Barbara R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Controlled Arc Welding and Separation Processes for Carbon Nanotubes

Stage 1 for the Carbon Nanotube Project has been completed. This videograph presents the proposal for Stage 2. The goals of this stage are to: (1) produce CNTs under different conditions such as cooling temperature, voltage, current, cathode and anode sizes; (2) use ferrocene to make longer CNTs; (3) characterize CNTs by spectroscopic methods; (4) develop applications of CNTs, i.e., batteries, composites, wires, etc.; and (5) complete the patent application.

Benavides, Jeannette↗
DOE OSTI2011

Adsorbent and adsorbent bed for materials capture and separation processes

A method device and material for performing adsorption wherein a fluid mixture is passed through a channel in a structured adsorbent bed having a solid adsorbent comprised of adsorbent particles having a general diameter less than 100 um, loaded in a porous support matrix defining at least one straight flow channel. The adsorbent bed is configured to allow passage of a fluid through said channel and diffusion of a target material into said adsorbent under a pressure gradient driving force. The targeted molecular species in the fluid mixture diffuses across the porous support retaining layer, contacts the adsorbent, and adsorbs on the adsorbent, while the remaining species in the fluid mixture flows out of the channel.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Catalytic conversion of cellulose to liquid hydrocarbon fuels by progressive removal of oxygen to facilitate separation processes and achieve high selectivities

Described is a method to make liquid chemicals, such as functional intermediates, solvents, and liquid fuels from biomass-derived cellulose. The method is cascading; the product stream from an upstream reaction can be used as the feedstock in the next downstream reaction. The method includes the steps of deconstructing cellulose to yield a product mixture comprising levulinic acid and formic acid, converting the levulinic acid to .gamma.-valerolactone, and converting the .gamma.-valerolactone to pentanoic acid. Alternatively, the .gamma.-valerolactone can be converted to a mixture of n-butenes. The pentanoic acid so formed can be further reacted to yield a host of valuable products. For example, the pentanoic acid can be decarboxylated yield 1-butene or ketonized to yield 5-nonanone. The 5-nonanone can be hydrodeoxygenated to yield nonane, or 5-nonanone can be reduced to yield 5-nonanol. The 5-nonanol can be dehydrated to yield nonene, which can be dimerized to yield a mixture of C.sub.9 and C.sub.18 olefins, which can be hydrogenated to yield a mixture of alkanes. Alternatively, the nonene may be isomerized to yield a mixture of branched olefins, which can be hydrogenated to yield a mixture of branched alkanes. The mixture of n-butenes formed from .gamma.-valerolactone can also be subjected to isomerization and oligomerization to yield olefins in the gasoline, jet and Diesel fuel ranges.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Catalytic conversion of cellulose to liquid hydrocarbon fuels by progressive removal of oxygen to facilitate separation processes and achieve high selectivities

Described is a method to make liquid chemicals. The method includes deconstructing cellulose to yield a product mixture comprising levulinic acid and formic acid, converting the levulinic acid to .gamma.-valerolactone, and converting the .gamma.-valerolactone to pentanoic acid. Alternatively, the .gamma.-valerolactone can be conveted to a mixture of n-butenes. The pentanoic acid can be decarboxylated yield 1-butene or ketonized to yield 5-nonanone. The 5-nonanone can be hydrodeoxygenated to yield nonane, or 5-nonanone can be reduced to yield 5-nonanol. The 5-nonanol can be dehydrated to yield nonene, which can be dimerized to yield a mixture of C.sub.9 and C.sub.18 olefins, which can be hydrogenated to yield a mixture of alkanes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Catalytic conversion of cellulose to liquid hydrocarbon fuels by progressive removal of oxygen to facilitate separation processes and achieve high selectivities

Described is a method to make liquid chemicals. The method includes deconstructing cellulose to yield a product mixture comprising levulinic acid and formic acid, converting the levulinic acid to .gamma.-valerolactone, and converting the .gamma.-valerolactone to pentanoic acid. Alternatively, the .gamma.-valerolactone can be converted to a mixture of n-butenes. The pentanoic acid can be decarboxylated yield 1-butene or ketonized to yield 5-nonanone. The 5-nonanone can be hydrodeoxygenated to yield nonane, or 5-nonanone can be reduced to yield 5-nonanol. The 5-nonanol can be dehydrated to yield nonene, which can be dimerized to yield a mixture of C.sub.9 and C.sub.18 olefins, which can be hydrogenated to yield a mixture of alkanes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗