Journal of The Energy Institute最新文献

Microwave heating is a promising technique for heterogeneous catalytic reactions in plastic decomposition. The microwave-insensitive plastic material requires microwave-absorbing catalysts to facilitate catalytic-assisted decomposition and synergistic heating. However, the heating characteristics of catalyst particles within the microwave system is still unclear. In this study, the effects of particle size, particle arrangement direction, and particle shape on the microwave heating behavior of particles was investigated, and the model was experimentally validated and analyzed using infrared temperature data. The simulation results indicated that the heating rate increased as the particle size enlarged, with an average heating rate of 5.56 °C/s for the particle with a radius of 5 mm in comparison to 4.29 °C/s for that of 1 mm. Additionally, when particles were aligned parallel to the applied electric field, the electric field was intensely focused at the interparticle area, with a maximum electric field strength difference of 2.2 × 10⁴ V/m in the samples. In contrast, the horizontal placement resulted in reduced electric field intensity (4.7 × 10³ V/m) and lower temperatures (62 °C) near the areas adjacent to the particles compared to the maximum values in the particles. With respect to particle shape, cylindrical particles possessing larger aspect ratios exhibited superior heating performance due to the extended span of intraparticle microwave transmission aligned with the electric field direction but also resulted in increased thermal field distribution inhomogeneity. The research offers theoretical guidance to prevent catalyst sintering and promote microwave-assisted catalytic plastic decomposition.

Sr–Fe oxides are suitable oxygen carriers (OCs) with excellent cyclic stability. However, the moderate redox activity causes a deficiency in H₂ yield in chemical looping reforming coupled with water splitting (CLR-WS) process. Herein, we designed and prepared the composite xNiFe₂O₄/(1-x)SrFe₁₂O₁₉ OCs by ball milling method, which exhibited both high redox activity and high cyclic stability during reactions. A series of characterizations showed that the introduction of NiFe₂O₄ promoted the oxygen vacancy formation and the release of lattice oxygen, facilitating the reforming of bioethanol in fuel reactor (FR). During CLR-WS process, a high carbon conversion of 79.20 % and a H₂ yield of 13.23 mmol/g OC were achieved by 3Ni7Sr OC at 800 °C, outperforming that of the conventional SrFe₁₂O₁₉ OC. Moreover, the severe carbon deposition and sintering issues inherent to NiFe₂O₄ were avoided due to the presence of Sr. All Sr-containing composite OCs showed H₂ purity exceeding 99.26 % and excellent cycling stability with no apparent activation of oxygen transport capacity over 3000 min redox reactions.

The rapid increase in automobile ownership has brought about an increase in pollutant emissions, the blending of alcohols can effectively reduce conventional pollutant emissions from diesel engines. However, alcohols have poor inter-solubility with diesel fuel. This study investigates the effects of blending different alcohols on the spray and combustion characteristics of diesel, with biodiesel as the cosolvent. The results show that among the three alcohols, blending methanol has the best improvement in the gas-liquid phase spray characteristics, followed by ethanol and propanol. The GL-SCA and GL-SPA of the methanol blends are 8.2 % and 2.3 % larger than those of the ethanol blends, and 19 % and 11.9 % larger than those of the propanol blends, respectively. Among the four fuels, fuel blended with methanol emits the least normalized sum KL, 45 % less than that of diesel, 23.8 % less than that of ethanol blended fuel, and 35.3 % less than that of propanol blended fuel.

The potential increase in nitrogen oxide emissions in the coal/ammonia co-firing can hinder the large-scale utilization of ammonia to reduce carbon emissions. In this work, a fluidized bed simulation model was established to investigate the NO_x and N₂O behaviors in the process of coal/ammonia co-firing. The effects of several variables on nitrogen oxides emission characteristics were studied, including the ammonia ratio, temperature, excess air ratio, and air/ammonia distribution strategies. The findings indicate that NO_x and N₂O concentrations rise and then decline with the NH₃ co-firing ratio (CR-NH₃) increased, peaking at 10 % and 5 % CR-NH₃. The formation of N₂O is insensitive to the addition of ammonia, while NO_x emissions vary dramatically with different ammonia ratios. Higher temperatures enhance the formation of NO_x but inhibit the generation of N₂O within 750 °C–950 °C. As the temperature rises, the primary decomposition path of N₂O shifts from N₂O→N₂H₂→NNH→N₂ to N₂O→NO₂→NO→N₂. The generations of NO_x and N₂O are both enhanced due to the weakness of the reduced atmosphere with the excess air ratio increased. When the primary air ratio is raised, N₂O gradually takes over as the main source of nitrogen oxides instead of NO_x. The specific primary air ratio in the fluidized bed should be considered in the priority treatment of NO_x or N₂O in the process of lowering nitrogen oxides emissions. Ammonia distribution strategies have opposite effects on NO_x and N₂O emissions. With more NH₃ introduced as a secondary fuel, the dilute phase area can change from the main source of NO to the consumption area of NO. The present findings can help control the emissions of nitrogen oxides during coal/ammonia co-combustion in coal-fired circulating fluidized bed power plants.

Biomass is considered a renewable green coal, and its clean and efficient utilization is of great significance for energy conservation and carbon reduction. One of the most critical aspects of biomass gasification is the selection of an appropriate catalyst. In this study, we synthesized a catalyst with 10 % Pr_1-xCe_xCoO₃ supported on dolomite using the sol-gel method. We conducted graded internal circulation gasification experiments to produce hydrogen-rich syngas. The effects of element substitution in PrCoO₃, temperature, catalyst composition, and steam injection rate on the products were investigated. The optimal gasification conditions were determined through response surface regression analysis. The data indicate that this catalyst can improve gasification efficiency, with Pr_0.4Ce_0.6CoO₃/Dol showing the best catalytic performance. It effectively reduces the required gasification temperature and steam amount, decreases CO₂ production, and increases CO and H₂ yields. The catalyst accelerates the cleavage and ring-opening reactions of hydrocarbons, leading to terminal chain hydroxylation, followed by the dehydration-condensation of methyl groups into ethers. As the temperature rises, the rate of carboxyl group removal gradually exceeds the rate of carboxyl group formation via the oxidation of hydroxyl and ether chains, resulting in an initial increase and then a decrease in the number of carboxyl groups. Under optimal gasification conditions, CO₂ production is reduced by one-fourth compared to using a dolomite catalyst.

As the greenhouse effect intensifies, ammonia is garnering increasing attention as a carbon-free fuel. In the transport sector, ammonia-diesel dual-fuel (ADDF) engines are regarded as an effective means of reducing carbon emissions. The objective of this study is to investigate the combustion and emission optimization of an ADDF engine under high load conditions. To this end, an experimental optimization study of different start of diesel injection timing (SODI) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates was conducted at a load of 18 bar and an ammonia energy ratio of 80 %. The mechanism of heat capacity, dilution, and chemical effects of EGR was also revealed by numerical simulation based on the separated variables method. It was demonstrated that advancing SODI is effective in enhancing combustion efficiency. However, this approach is limited by the upper limit of in-cylinder pressure and results in higher nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions, which can be mitigated by the EGR. The heat capacity effect of EGR increases the specific heat capacity and decreases the average temperature. The suppression of the combustion process leads to a reduction in thermal and fuel NO_x, but an increase in nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. The dilution effect of EGR results in insufficient oxygen, which decreases the heat release rate and combustion efficiency. Additionally, the NO_x and N₂O are significantly reduced. The chemical effect of EGR affects reactive groups and unburned components that accelerate heat release rate and increase accumulated heat release, resulting in significantly higher NO_x. The comprehensive effect of EGR results in a decrease in N₂O emissions and a significant reduction in thermal and fuel NO_x. The EGR and further optimization of SODI enabled the ADDF engine to achieve a gross indicated thermal efficiency of 48.5 % with a load of 18 bar and an ammonia energy ratio of 80 %. In addition, NO emissions were reduced by 32.8 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 63.3 percent.

CO₂ and CH₄ are converted to syngas by dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction. This research investigated the effects of the Mg promoter on Al₂O₃-supported Ni catalysts and Mg calcination temperature on the DRM performance in a parallel plate dielectric barrier discharge reactor. The Mg promoter played a crucial role in the DRM performance, as increasing the Mg calcination temperature from 700 °C to 800 °C significantly improved the DRM performance and catalyst properties, including increased specific surface area, decreased total acidity, reduced crystallite and particle sizes, and more uniform dispersion of the Ni nanoparticles. Under these conditions, the H₂ and CO selectivity were 77.0 % and 70.7 %, the CH₄ and CO₂ conversion were 25.1 % and 20.6 %, and the energy efficiency was 8.4 %. In addition, the catalyst was associated with a lower coking rate (0.5 mg C/g_cat h), a relatively low carbon deposit of 1.5 %, and a carbon loss of 2.8 %, possibly because the weak acidity hindered the Boudouard reaction and CH₄ decomposition. However, increasing the Mg calcination temperature to 900 °C increased the total acidity and Ni particle size, decreasing H₂ and CO selectivities and increasing carbon deposits on the catalyst surface.

This study delves into the intriguing prospect of concurrently utilizing macadamia husk and nutshell for biomass gasification, aiming to generate sustainable energy. By scrutinizing their physicochemical properties such as thermal behaviors, char conversion kinetics, and syngas properties we unveiled an intriguing revelation. The fusion of these residues creates an apt feedstock for biomass batch-gasification in industrial settings. This resultant blend inherits distinctive traits from its constituent parts, profoundly influencing gasification reactivity and fostering heightened char conversion efficiency and stability. Spanning 2165 s, this process exhibited commendable control. Furthermore, the residue amalgamation consistently yields an average syngas flow rate of 0.00136 [mol (g minute)⁻¹], predominantly composed of CO at 0.00097 [mol (g minute)⁻¹], constituting over 71 % of the syngas. These findings underscore the potential of merging these residues to optimize the conversion process and bolster resource availability, thus propelling advancements in waste-free energy production and sustainable energy technologies.

The preparation of bio-oil from cotton stalks and agricultural residue films using co-pyrolysis technology can achieve resource recovery and energy conversion, which has important research value and significance. In this study, cotton stalks were subjected to different chemical pretreatments using NaOH, HCl, and H₂O solutions to understand their structural changes and pyrolysis characteristics. In addition, the lower H/C ratio of cotton stalks resulted in higher oxygen content in the pyrolysis oil, which limited its efficient and clean utilization. Therefore, the characteristics and pyrolysis kinetics of the pyrolysis products of pretreated cotton stalks and LDPE (low-density polyethylene) were studied. The results showed that the ash content of alkali pretreatment cotton stalks decreased by 1.24 %, and the dense structure of cotton stalks significantly relaxed. NaOH pretreatment effectively removed hemicellulose sugars and cracked them. During the co-pyrolysis process, when the ratio of NaOH-CS/LDPE was 50/50, the synergistic effect was more pronounced, and the oil yield increased by 2 % compared to the theoretical value. The oxygen content of CO and CO₂ in the pyrolysis gas was higher than the theoretical value, at 10.4 % and 14.1 % respectively. The synergistic effect of bio-oil on hydrocarbons was the most significant, reaching 18.9 %. More hydrogen and less oxygen migrated into the co-pyrolysis oil, resulting in an increase in hydrocarbons and a decrease in oxygen-containing compounds, and improving the quality of bio-oil. Results from electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) indicated that adding LDPE might raise the quantity of stable free radicals. The evolution mechanism of functional groups of NaOH-CS and LDPE co-pyrolysis behavior was analyzed by Fourier in-situ infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and it was found that C–O–C, C=O, and O–H decreased due to dehydroxylation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation, and demethoxy reactions with the increase of temperature, indicating that there was a synergistic effect between NaOH-CS and LDPE co-pyrolysis. The pyrolysis kinetics of NaOH-CS, LDPE and their blends were determined by the model-free method. The introduction of LDPE can reduce the activation energy of NaOH -CS pyrolysis alone, and the 3D diffusion (D3) model is suitable for their blends.

As a promising carbon-free fuel, ammonia is expected to be widely applied in internal combustion engines. However, the physical properties of ammonia are quite different from those of conventional fuels, which leads to different spray characteristics. In this paper, the ammonia spray under injection pressure as high as 80 MPa was visualized by the diffused back-illumination imaging method, and the liquid ammonia spray characteristics under different ambient pressures and ambient temperatures were analyzed. The liquid spray penetration length, cone angle and tip velocity calculated from the spray images provide a reference database for numerical simulation. The results show that the development characteristics of liquid ammonia spray are significantly different under flare flash boiling, transitional flash boiling and non-flash boiling conditions. Flash boiling (especially flare flash boiling) inhibits the initial liquid spray penetration. The spray tip velocity increases first and then gradually decreases under flash boiling conditions. Ammonia spray has obvious radial expansion at the initial stage of flare flash boiling and the spray contour under flare flash boiling conditions is noticeably distorted, forming an obvious dilute region. With the increase of ambient pressure, the intensity of flash boiling reduces, the dilute region gradually disappears, and the distortion of the spray contour gradually weakens. Under non-flash boiling conditions, ammonia spray presents a dense and regular shape; there is no spray acceleration but a sharp decrease in spray tip velocity at the initial stage, and then the spray penetrates forward at a similar velocity. The spray penetration velocity decreases significantly with the increase of ambient pressure. The increase in ambient temperature accelerates the vaporization of ammonia spray. The liquid spray penetration length decreases and maintains with only slight fluctuations during the injection process as the ambient temperature increases from 300 K to 600 K because the vaporization rate and penetration velocity reach a balance.