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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 901 records · Page 50
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Possible Catalytic Effects of Ice Particles on the Production of NOx by Lightning Discharges

One mechanism by which NO(x) is produced in the atmosphere is heating in lightning discharge channels. Since most viable proposed electrification mechanisms involve ice crystals, it is reasonable to assume that lightning discharge channels frequently pass through fields of ice particles of various kinds. We address the question of whether ice crystals may serve as catalysts for the production of NO(x) by lightning discharges. If so, and if the effect is large, it would need to be taken into account in estimates of global NO(x) production by lightning. In this study, we make a series of plausible assumptions about the temperature and concentration of reactant species in the environment of discharges and we postulate a mechanism by which ice crystals are able to adsorb nitrogen atoms. We then compare production rates between uncatalyzed and catalytic reactions at 2000 K, 3000 K, and 4000 K. Catalyzed NO production rates are greater at 2000 K, whereas uncatalyzed production occurs most rapidly at 4000 K. 2010

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2004

Electrochemical, H2O2-Boosted Catalytic Oxidation System

An improved water-sterilizing aqueous-phase catalytic oxidation system (APCOS) is based partly on the electrochemical generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This H2O2-boosted system offers significant improvements over prior dissolved-oxygen water-sterilizing systems in the way in which it increases oxidation capabilities, supplies H2O2 when needed, reduces the total organic carbon (TOC) content of treated water to a low level, consumes less energy than prior systems do, reduces the risk of contamination, and costs less to operate. This system was developed as a variant of part of an improved waste-management subsystem of the life-support system of a spacecraft. Going beyond its original intended purpose, it offers the advantage of being able to produce H2O2 on demand for surface sterilization and/or decontamination: this is a major advantage inasmuch as the benign byproducts of this H2O2 system, unlike those of systems that utilize other chemical sterilants, place no additional burden of containment control on other spacecraft air- or water-reclamation systems.

Akse, James R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Development and Testing of a Methane/Oxygen Catalytic Microtube Ignition System for Rocket Propulsion

This study sought to develop a catalytic ignition advanced torch system with a unique catalyst microtube design that could serve as a low energy alternative or redundant system for the ignition of methane and oxygen rockets. Development and testing of iterations of hardware was carried out to create a system that could operate at altitude and produce a torch. A unique design was created that initiated ignition via the catalyst and then propagated into external staged ignition. This system was able to meet the goals of operating across a range of atmospheric and altitude conditions with power inputs on the order of 20 to 30 watts with chamber pressures and mass flow rates typical of comparable ignition systems for a 100 lbf engine.

Deans, Matthew↗
NASA NTRS2012

Development and Testing of a Methane/Oxygen Catalytic Microtube Ignition System for Rocket Propulsion

This study sought to develop a catalytic ignition advanced torch system with a unique catalyst microtube design that could serve as a low energy alternative or redundant system for the ignition of methane and oxygen rockets. Development and testing of iterations of hardware was carried out to create a system that could operate at altitude and produce a torch. A unique design was created that initiated ignition via the catalyst and then propagated into external staged ignition. This system was able to meet the goals of operating across a range of atmospheric and altitude conditions with power inputs on the order of 20 to 30 watts with chamber pressures and mass flow rates typical of comparable ignition systems for a 100 Ibf engine.

Deans, Matthew C.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Catalytic Converters Maintain Air Quality in Mines

At Langley Research Center, engineers developed a tin-oxide based washcoat to prevent oxygen buildup in carbon dioxide lasers used to detect wind shears. Airflow Catalyst Systems Inc. of Rochester, New York, licensed the technology and then adapted the washcoat for use as a catalytic converter to treat the exhaust from diesel mining equipment.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2014

Organic Analysis of Catalytic Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Products and Ordinary Chondrite Meteorites by Stepwise Pyrolysis-GCMS: Organics in the Early Solar Nebula

Abiotic generation of complex organic compounds, in the early solar nebula that formed our solar system, is hypothesized by some to occur via Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. In its simplest form, FT synthesis involves the low temperature (<300degC) catalytic reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases to form more complex hydrocarbon compounds, primarily n-alkanes, via reactive nano-particulate iron, nickel, or cobalt, for example. Industrially, this type of synthesis has been utilized in the gas-to-liquid process to convert syngas, produced from coal, natural gas, or biomass, into paraffin waxes that can be cracked to produce liquid diesel fuels. In general, the effect of increasing reaction temperature (>300degC) produces FT products that include lesser amounts of n-alkanes and greater alkene, alcohol, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. We have begun to experimentally investigate FT synthesis in the context of abiotic generation of organic compounds in the early solar nebula. It is generally thought that the early solar nebula included abundant hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases and nano-particulate matter such as iron and metal silicates that could have catalyzed the FT reaction. The effect of FT reaction temperature, catalyst type, and experiment duration on the resulting products is being investigated. These solid organic products are analyzed by thermal-stepwise pyrolysis-GCMS and yield the types and distribution of hydrocarbon compounds released as a function of temperature. We show how the FT products vary by reaction temperature, catalyst type, and experimental duration and compare these products to organic compounds found to be indigenous to ordinary chondrite meteorites. We hypothesize that the origin of organics in some chondritic meteorites, that represent an aggregation of materials from the early solar system, may at least in part be from FT synthesis that occurred in the early solar nebula.

Locke, Darren R.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Catalytic Tar Reduction for Assistance in Thermal Conversion of Space Waste for Energy Production

The Trash to Gas (TtG) project investigates technologies for converting waste generated during spaceflight into various resources. One of these technologies was gasification, which employed a downdraft reactor designed and manufactured at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the conversion of simulated space trash to carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide would then be converted to methane for propulsion and water for life support systems. A minor byproduct of gasification includes large hydrocarbons, also known as tars. Tars are unwanted byproducts that add contamination to the product stream, clog the reactor and cause complications in analysis instrumentation. The objective of this research was to perform reduction studies of a mock tar using select catalysts and choose the most effective for primary treatment within the KSC downdraft gasification reactor. Because the KSC reactor is operated at temperatures below typical gasification reactors, this study evaluates catalyst performance below recommended catalytic operating temperatures. The tar reduction experimentation was observed by passing a model tar vapor stream over the catalysts at similar conditions to that of the KSC reactor. Reduction in tar was determined using gas chromatography. Tar reduction efficiency and catalyst performances were evaluated at different temperatures.

energy conversion↗
NASA NTRS2017

Energy Efficient Microlith-Based Catalytic Reactor and Recuperator for Air Quality Control Applications

Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have been developing, characterizing, and optimizing high temperature catalytic oxidizers (HTCO) based on PCI’s patented Microlith technology to meet the requirements of future extended human spaceflight explorations. Previous efforts focused on integrating PCI’s HTCO unit with a compact, simple recuperative heat exchanger to reduce the overall system size and weight. Significant improvement was demonstrated over traditional approaches of integrating the HTCO with an external recuperative heat exchanger. While the critical target performance metrics were achieved, the thermal effectiveness of PCI’s recuperator remained a potential area of improvement to further reduce the energy requirements of the integrated system. Using the same material combinations and an improved recuperator design, the redesigned prototype has experimentally demonstrated 20 – 30% reduction (flow dependent) in steady state power consumption compared to the earlier prototype without compromising the destruction efficiency of methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Moreover, design modifications and improvements allow our redesigned prototype to be more easily manufactured compared to traditional brazed plate-fin recuperator designs. The redesigned prototype was delivered to MSFC for validation testing. Here, we report and discuss the performance of the improved prototype HTCO unit with a high efficiency recuperative heat exchanger based on testing at PCI and MSFC. The device is expected to provide a reliable and robust means of disposing of trace levels of methane and VOCs by oxidizing them into carbon dioxide and water in order to maintain clean air in enclosed spaces, such as crewed spacecraft cabins.

Vilekar, Saurabh A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Separation of High Purity Oxygenated Aromatics from Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Organic Streams

Thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass offers an attractive route to produce fuels and chemicals. Specifically, catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) oils have been shown to contain a high concentration of oxygenated aromatics, which can be isolated as value-added co-products. Purification of oxygenated aromatics can be a viable pathway to more economically competitive biorefineries, yet the isolation of highly pure coproduct streams remains technically challenging due to the high chemical heterogeneity of thermochemical process steams. Here, we demonstrate an industrially scalable process for isolating phenol, a widely used precursor to plastics, from CFP oil. Importantly, we leverage standard industrial processes, such as distillation, liquid-liquid extraction, and crystallization, to achieve phenol with 97% purity. In addition, the primary distillation of the CFP oil yielded several other fractions that contain chemicals with the potential to be isolated (e.g. cyclic ketones, cresols, and guaiacols). This work provides a technically feasible path to high purity oxygenated aromatics that has the potential to offset fuel production costs in a biorefinery.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Zeolitic catalytic conversion of alcohols to hydrocarbon fractions with reduced gaseous hydrocarbon content

A method for converting an alcohol to a hydrocarbon fraction reduced in gaseous hydrocarbon content, the method comprising: (i) contacting said alcohol with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst under conditions suitable for converting said alcohol to a first hydrocarbon fraction containing liquid hydrocarbons having at least five carbon atoms along with gaseous hydrocarbons having less than five carbon atoms, wherein said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst is catalytically active for converting said alcohol to said first hydrocarbon fraction; and (ii) selectively removing said gaseous hydrocarbons from the first hydrocarbon fraction and contacting said gaseous hydrocarbons with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst under conditions suitable for converting said gaseous hydrocarbons into liquid hydrocarbons having at least five carbon atoms to produce a second hydrocarbon fraction reduced in gaseous hydrocarbon content, wherein the metal-loaded zeolite catalyst in steps (i) and (ii) are the same or different.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fuel Property-Informed Process Design for the Direct Catalytic Conversion of Cellulosics

The direct catalytic conversion of cellulosics (DC3) with supercritical methanol presents a promising pathway to completely solubilize woody biomass and produce >60% mass yield of C2-C6 oxygenates for light duty vehicle applications. Although the oxygenate composition can be tuned by modifying catalyst and process conditions, limited efforts to date have examined DC3 fuel properties for light duty fuel applications to iteratively inform conversion process design. In this work, we designed and evaluated multi-component surrogate bioblendstocks that represent major DC3 light oxygenates and refined catalyst formulations and distillation parameters to improve the resulting light duty fuel quality. Surrogate design for this novel fuel production pathway was based on a preliminary product slate that was systematically adjusted to determine impacts on fuel properties of interest including heating value, oxidative stability, and heat of vaporization, among others. The resulting predictions and measurements of these surrogates were then used to inform improvement of conversion process, and specifically, reformulation of the catalyst which resulted in production of a higher energy density fuel product primarily comprised of saturated alcohols. Fuel testing outcomes also informed downstream oxygenate separations requirements. This resulted in the production of a promising DC3 light-duty fuel blendstock with >15% greater energy density relative to ethanol, while maintaining high octane number and octane sensitivity.

BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Metal-organic frameworks for the adsorption and catalytic transformations of carbon dioxide

Novel crystalline porous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and methods for their synthesis are provided herein. The MOFs include a M6(μ3-OH)8(OH)8(μ2,η2-(O2C)2cyclam)8 cluster, and a metal atom coordinated to the one or more cyclam of the cluster, wherein M is Zr or Hf, and the metal atom is any one of Cu, Ni, Cr, Ru, Co, and Gd. The MOFs can be used as an adsorbent, alone or in a medium with other components, of CO2. The MOFs can also be used as a catalyst for the transformation of CO2 and epoxides to cyclic carbonates. The MOFs can also be used in the electrochemical catalytic reduction of CO2. The MOFs can also be used for photocatalytic CO2 reduction for the production of carbon-based fossil fuels. The MOFs can also be used for light-induced nitric oxide (NO) release. The MOFs can also be used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agents.

Morris, Amanda Jean↗
DOE OSTI2022

Catalytic synthesis of super linear alkenyl arenes using rhodium catalysts

Catalytic methods for synthesis of super linear alkenyl arenes and alkyl arenes are provided. The methods are capable of synthesizing super linear alkyl and alkenyl arenes from simple arene and olefin starting materials and with high selectivity for linear coupling. Methods are also provided for making a 2,6-dimethylnapthalene (DMN) or 2,6-methylethylnapthalene (MEN).

Schinski, William↗
DOE OSTI2022

Combined hydrothermal liquefaction and catalytic hydrothermal gasification system and process for conversion of biomass feedstocks

A combined hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) system and process are described that convert various biomass-containing sources into separable bio-oils and aqueous effluents that contain residual organics. Bio-oils may be converted to useful bio-based fuels and other chemical feedstocks. Residual organics in HTL aqueous effluents may be gasified and converted into medium-BTU product gases and directly used for process heating or to provide energy.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Methods of using multi-ligand metal complexes to perform oxidative catalytic pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass

A homogeneous catalyst is provided comprising one or more metals; and at least two metal coordinating ligands wherein the homogeneous catalyst is a multi-ligand metal complex adapted for use with an oxidant in an oxidation reaction to catalytically pretreat lignocellulosic biomass. In one embodiment, the homogenous catalyst is copper (II) 2, 2′ bipyridine ethylenediamine (Cu(bpy)en). Related methods are also disclosed.

Hodge, David B.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Catalytic Upgrading of Pyrolysis Products for the Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel

The objective of this project is advance the state-of-technology for a catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) + hydrotreating (HT) process to produce sustainable aviation fuel and other biogenic products. Our approach focuses on performing integrated experiments using realistic biomass feedstocks and non-noble metal technical catalyst formulations. CFP is performed in an ex-situ configuration using a fluidized bed reactor without co-fed hydrogen. Research advancements over the past two years include establishing benchmark yield structures and compositional data for each step of the biomass-to-SAF process, demonstrating the ability to produce a cycloalkane-rich SAF product that meets key ASTM 4054 guidelines, generating benchmark characterization data for technical catalyst formulations with an emphasis on determining the unique composition and combustion properties of biogenic coke, and establishing bio-oil critical material attributes to mitigate the risk of plugging during down-stream hydroprocessing. Other impacts from this project include generation of broadly enabling scientific knowledge (12 publications/12 presentations since 2021), engagement with industry partners (Johnson Matthey, ExxonMobil, Phillips 66), and identification of a promising pathway to market that addresses emerging demands for biogenic refinery feedstocks.

biomass↗