Introduction
As the supply of fossil fuels decreases, it is possible that future stationary or mobile energy systems will use hydrogen fuel cells. This article outlines some rules of thumb for fuel cells and describes the basic calculations required to size a fuel cell appropriately and determine hydrogen fuel requirements. Read More »
Renewed World Energies applies time-tested engineering strategies to the design of its cutting-edge algae bioreactor.
Among the general public, interest in alternative fuels tends to rise and fall with each tick in the price of traditional gasoline. However, the growing importance of energy security and environmental protection means that alternative fuels are here to stay. The real question nowadays is which types of alternative fuels will have the greatest staying power.
On that score, biofuels derived from algae have a lot going for them. Algae are inherently renewable, require little energy to produce compared with other bio feedstocks, and do not take agricultural land out of food production. When grown under the proper conditions, algae can produce large quantities of oil that can be harvested and then converted into a variety of biofuels, including green diesel and a even a bio-based jet fuel.
INTRODUCTION
Renewable alternative energy sources are becoming more economically viable, partly as a result of concerns about the effect of CO2 from fossil fuel on global warming and the rising cost of oil and natural gas. Biogas from the anaerobic digestion of organic waste from livestock operations and food processing has long been used as a source of fuel in developing countries such as China and India.
New advances in aerobic digesters and biogas cleaning technology over the last few years have led countries such as Germany to forecast that 17% of their energy requirements for natural gas will be supplied from biogas by the year 2020. Read More »
INTRODUCTION
The term CCHP (combined cooling, heating, and power) is used to describe all electrical power generation systems that utilize recoverable waste heat for space heating, cooling, and domestic hot water purposes. The main difference between CCHP systems and the typical methods of electrical generation is the utilization of the waste heat rejected from the prime mover to satisfy the thermal demand of a facility. Read More »
Problem Description
This article describes the performance of a novel vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). The Zephyr VAWT has a patented stator cage that can increase the turbine’s performance through the creation of low-pressure vortices. The patented features of the turbine allow it to perform in both low-wind and high-turbulence conditions; however, a relatively low maximum efficiency is exhibited by the current prototype design. A problem arises when incoming air is diverted away from the convex sides of the rotors, reducing opposing forces to the direction of rotation; however, the solidity (blockage) is increased, reducing the overall flow through the turbine. Read More »
Transitioning from a traditional build-and-test process using physical prototypes to a new approach that tests designs virtually will greatly reduce costs and speed time to market.
It is often the case that the simpler the product, the greater the complexity surrounding its design. That is certainly true at Dana Holding Corp.’s Sealing Products Group, which manufactures top-to-bottom engine sealing systems for the automotive sector, including cylinder head covers, all kinds of gaskets, and valve stem seals. Read More »
Introduction and Problem Statement
Process heating systems are some of the largest energy-intensive systems in most industrial facilities and account for approximately 36% of industrial energy consumption. These systems may include equipment such as furnaces, ovens, heaters, kilns, and lehrs. They are used in a variety of processes in an industrial energy system to transfer heat from energy sources to the products. Read More »
To inject efficiencies in its engineering processes and to foster new ways of inter-division collaboration, this decentralized, global manufacturer is standardizing PLM technologies and product development practices. It’s secret weapon: A PLM Center of Excellence.
For more than 50-plus years, Emerson has prospered with an organizational chart and infrastructure that’s about as diverse and decentralized as anyone could envision. Over 60 autonomous divisions in 255 locations manufacture everything from consumer-friendly garbage disposals and hand tools to commercial-grade industrial automation and process control systems. The result has been 52 consecutive years of increased dividends, culminating in $24.7 billion in worldwide sales in 2008. Read More »
INTRODUCTION TO ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATORS
Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) are the most commonly used, effective, and reliable particulate control devices; they are employed mostly in power plants and other process industries. The particle-laden flue gas from the boiler flows through the ESP before it enters the environment. The ESP works as a cleaning device, using electrical forces to separate the dust particles from the flue gas. A typical ESP consists of an inlet diffuser known as an inlet evase, a rectangular collection chamber, and an outlet convergent duct known as an outlet evase. Perforated plates are placed inside the inlet and the outlet evase for the purpose of flow distribution. Inside the collection chamber there are a number of discharge electrodes (DEs) and collection electrodes (CEs). A set of discharge electrodes is suspended vertically between two collection electrodes in a typical wire-plate ESP channel. While the flue gas flows through the collection area, electrostatic precipitators accomplish particle separation through the use of an electric field in the following three steps. The electrical field does the following: Read More »
How Colorado State University’s Engines and Energy Conversion Lab transformed itself from a resource of academic research to a full-service R&D partner.
There’s always been a certain rhythm to the partnership between industry and university labs. Industry typically comes knocking at the door of academia when they need access to a highly-specialized resource—a virtual reality CAVE environment, for example, or a complex engine or supercomputing cluster. Other times industry reaches out when they come across a faculty member that has prized expertise and some research funding in a relevant area. Read More »
