United States Department of Energy

About: United States Department of Energy is a government organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Coal & Catalysis. The organization has 13656 authors who have published 14177 publications receiving 556962 citations. The organization is also known as: DOE & Department of Energy.

The IMADA-AVER Boundary Layer Experiment in the Mexico City Area

Abstract: A boundary layer field experiment in the Mexico City basin during the period 24 February–22 March 1997 is described. A total of six sites were instrumented. At four of the sites, 915-MHz radar wind profilers were deployed and radiosondes were released five times per day. Two of these sites also had sodars collocated with the profilers. Radiosondes were released twice per day at a fifth site to the south of the basin, and rawinsondes were flown from another location to the northeast of the city three times per day. Mixed layers grew to depths of 2500–3500 m, with a rapid period of growth beginning shortly before noon and lasting for several hours. Significant differences between the mixed-layer temperatures in the basin and outside the basin were observed. Three thermally and topographically driven flow patterns were observed that are consistent with previously hypothesized topographical and thermal forcing mechanisms. Despite these features, the circulation patterns in the basin important for the...

Characterization of coke deposited on Pt/alumina catalyst during reforming of liquid hydrocarbons

Abstract: Temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO), Raman spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are used to characterize coke species deposited on a 0.61 wt% Pt/alumina catalyst for three reactions, carried out separately: partial oxidation (POX), steam reforming (SR), and autothermal reforming (ATR). Three individual compounds were used as simulants of liquid fuels in each of these three reactions: tetradecane, decalin, and 1-methylnaphthalene. The TPO profiles of the coke showed that partial oxidation and steam reforming resulted in generally greater coke deposition than autothermal reforming for each of the fuels. 1-Methylnaphthalene produces more coke than the other fuels in each of the reactions. Coke appears to be deposited both on the metal and the support, with the coke on the metal being more easily oxidized by TPO. Raman spectroscopy shows that there is no significant change in the carbon crystallite size on any of the catalysts; all are within the range of 1.45–1.83 nm. XPS analysis of carbon deposited during partial oxidation of tetradecane shows that small amounts of graphitic carbon (C/Al ratio

Enhancing SOFC Cathode Performance by Surface Modification Through Infiltration

Abstract: Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have the potential to be one of the cleanest and most efficient energy technologies for direct conversion of chemical fuels to electricity. Economically competitive SOFC systems appear poised for commercialization, but widespread market penetration will require continuous innovation of materials and fabrication processes to enhance system lifetime and reduce cost. One early technical opportunity is minimization of resistance to the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode, which contributes the most to performance degradation and efficiency loss in the existing SOFCs, especially at temperatures <700 °C. Detailed study over the past 15 years has revealed the positive impact of catalyst infiltration on SOFC cathode performance, both in power density and durability metrics. However, realizable performance improvements rely upon strongly-coupled relationships in materials and morphology between the infiltrate and the backbone, and therefore efficacious systems cannot be simply generated with a set of simple heuristics. This article reviews recent progress in enhancing SOFC cathode performance by surface modification through a solution-based infiltration process, focusing on two backbone architectures – inherently functional and skeletal – infiltrated using wet-chemistry processes. An efficient cathode consists of a porous mixed-conducting backbone and an active coating catalyst; the porous backbone provides excellent ionic and electronic conductivity, while the infiltrated surface coating possesses high catalytic activity and stability. As available, performance comparisons are emphasized and reaction schematics for specific infiltrate/backbone systems are summarized. While significant progress has been achieved in enhancing surface catalytic activity and durability, the detailed mechanisms of performance enhancement are insufficiently understood to obtain critical insights and a scientific basis for rational design of more efficient catalysts and novel electrode architectures. Recent progress in characterization of surfaces and interfaces is briefly discussed with challenges and perspectives in surface modification of SOFC electrodes. Surface modification through infiltration is expected to play an increasingly important role in current and next-generation commercial SOFC development, and this review illustrates the sophisticated technical considerations required to inform judicious selection of an infiltrate for a given SOFC system.