Alternative Energy

Hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) over metal catalyst is being accepted as a potential technology to deliver H 2 for portable fuel cells. However, unresolved issues such as minimizing the amount of water and nature of hydration by-product limit the hydrogen storage capacities of NaBH 4 ...

Three classes of nonfouling substances, poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (POEM), poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA), and perfluoroalkyl tagged poly(ethylene glycol) surfactants (fPEG), were covalently tethered onto the surface of Anopore TM membranes (nominal pore size 0.2...

Chemical hydride is one of the most potential hydrogen storage materials which can effectively increase hydrogen storage capacity. To meet the new goal of U.S. department of energy (DoE), 4.5wt% and 5.5 wt% of gravimetric hydrogen density capacity by 2010 and 2015, respectively, ammonia borane (AB...

Ordered mesoporous Zr-doped TiO 2 /ZnO material is currently being investigated for band gap tuning and higher loadings of photo-sensitizer. Utilization of such mesoporous materials thereby offers an opportunity to sensitize semiconductor with higher sensitizer loadings leading to effective charge...

Here we propose to develop a farm-scale biorefining system that can convert cellulosic biomass into useable hydrogen gas. In particular, we focus on the development of cost-effective procedures for biomass pretreatment and catalysts for alkaline hydrothermal treatment, which is less studied as...

A clean and efficient way to overcome the limited supply of fossil fuels and the greenhouse effect is the production of hydrogen fuel from sunlight and water through the semiconductor/water junction of a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell, where energy collection and water electrolysis are combined...

A multiyear DOE-supported study was completed to identify, determine, and understand fundamental burn characteristics and properties of alternative fuel sources to replace coal for energy generation, with emphasis on impacts in cement processing. Portland cement manufacturing involves the...

Abstract A BLEVE (boiling-liquid expanding-vapor explosion) occurs when a tank containing liquefied gas ruptures, resulting in the instantaneous release of the vapor, boiling liquid, missiles (tank fragments), and blast wave 1 . The most common type of the BLEVE is caused when the external wall of...

Saccharification of fermentable sugars is one of the most critical steps in producing bio-ethanol from lignocellulosics through Consolidate Bioprocessing (CBP). However, the extreme pH and ethanol concentration are commonly considered to be the potential inhibitory factors for the application of...

Alumina supports were coated with CoFe 2 O 4 using an alternating atomic layer deposition process. Nano-powder and hollow skeletal shells were used as supports. Large, high surface area polymer particles (~600µm, 43.5 m 2 /g) have been coated via ALD with several layers of alumina. The alumina...