Showing papers by "Thomas H. Fletcher published in 2012"

Prediction of Tar and Light Gas during Pyrolysis of Black Liquor and Biomass

Abstract: A generalized model for describing the pyrolysis behavior of low-grade fuels is being developed for incorporation into larger combustion simulation models. Light gas and tar yields from black liquor or biomass pyrolysis can be predicted using the chemical percolation devolatilization (CPD) model originally developed for coal. The initial approach is to measure the average chemical structures in a black liquor sample using 13C NMR spectroscopy. These chemical structures are then used in pyrolysis model predictions. With few changes from the coal-derived kinetic parameters, the model describes the organic pyrolysis behavior of black liquor samples obtained in a nitrogen-purged furnace. It is hoped that future black liquor models can be divided into five major components (hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, Kraft lignin, and carboxylic acids) which would permit engineering predictions of many forms of biomass. This paper discusses chemical structure and kinetic parameters used to model pyrolysis behavior of bl...

‘Who do ‘‘they” cheer for?’ Cricket, diaspora, hybridity and divided loyalties amongst British Asians:

Abstract: This article explores the relationship between British Asians’ sense of nationhood, citizenship, ethnicity and some of their manifestations in relation to sports fandom: specifically in terms of how cricket is used as a means of articulating diasporic British Asian identities. Norman Tebbit’s ‘cricket test’ is at the forefront of this article to tease out the complexities of being British Asian in terms of supporting the English national cricket team. The first part of the article locates Tebbit’s ‘cricket test’ within the wider discourse of multiculturalism. The analysis then moves to focus on the discourse of sports fandom and the concept of ‘home team advantage’ arguing that sports venues represent significant sites for nationalist and cultural expression due to their connection with national history. The article highlights how supporting ‘Anyone but England’, thereby rejecting ethnically exclusive notions of ‘Englishness’ and ‘Britishness’, continues to be a definer of British Asians’ cultural identit...

‘All Yorkshiremen are from Yorkshire, but some are more “Yorkshire” than others’: British Asians and the myths of Yorkshire cricket

Abstract: This article explores the contemporary relationship between Yorkshire cricket and South Asian communities through oral testimonies with white and British Asian cricketers within the region. The art...

Coal Swelling Model for Pressurized High Particle Heating Rate Pyrolysis Applications

Abstract: A model was previously developed to describe the decrease in swelling during coal pyrolysis at atmospheric pressure when maximum particle heating rates increase from 104 K/s to 105 K/s. That model included effects of coal type using chemical structure properties. This paper presents results of new experiments to study the effects of elevated pressure and high heating rates on coal pyrolysis. A pressurized flat-flame burner (PFFB) was designed and built to conduct these studies. The pyrolysis experiments reported in this paper were conducted at particle heating rates of ∼105 K/s and maximum gas temperatures of 1700 to 1900 K at pressures of 1 to 15 atm. Residence times of 25–85 ms were used. A new coal swelling correlation was developed that predicts the effects of heating rate, pressure, and coal rank on the swelling ratio at heating rates above ∼104 K/s. The coal rank index parameters from a previously published atmospheric swelling model were used to model the pressurized swelling data, and a new correl...

Book review: Race, Sport and Politics: The Sporting Black Diaspora

Abstract: types of sources may already present the information in a bias manner, which has the potential to skew his arguments. Zirin could have added strength and rigor to his point of view with more research data and peer-reviewed sources. Overall, Bad Sports: How Owners are Ruining the Games We Love can be used to start a discussion about not only the future of ownership in professional sports but also the structure and consumption of it. The book can serve as a reminder for the general public to question what is being presented to them and to avoid becoming a passive spectator. Zirin does a fine job of pointing out that professional sports have changed significantly from past generations and the general public needs to question the direction in which North American professional sports’ leagues are headed with their present stakeholders. Fans and the general public have the right to question the value of what they are getting for their money and whether the increasing commercialization of the leagues have helped or hindered their quality. Zirin’s book could serve as a basis for discussion on sport and power relations or the commercialization of sport within an undergraduate or graduate class at a university level.