{"title":"Updated perspective on the potential for thermionic conversion to meet 21st Century energy needs","authors":"G. O. Fitzpatrick, E. Britt, B. Moyzhes","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.661913","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.661913","url":null,"abstract":"Thermionic conversion is unique amongst power conversion approaches in its ability to generate power efficiently with high temperature heat rejection. This feature has made thermionics an attractive choice for space power systems; and it has substantial potential for terrestrial advanced energy conversion, if certain recently identified technological developments are realized in a low cost manner. Thermionic energy converters are well suited to a modular approach. Thermionics is a passive system without moving parts. Recently it has been shown that close spaced thermionic converters can achieve the performance goals necessary to meet attractive new terrestrial power applications. The paper addresses the progress in this regard and describes approaches for engineering practical closed spaced converters for large scale applications. Clearly the potential for thermionic energy conversion is great. Every effort must now be made to use this technology to help solve the world's energy problems. Investments in the manufacturing infrastructure necessary to make thermionic energy conversion cost effective are needed to reach this goal.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132820054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Halpert, S. Narayanan, T. Valdez, W. Chun, H. Frank, A. Kindler, S. Surampudi, J. Kosek, C. Cropley, A. Laconti
{"title":"Progress with the direct methanol liquid-feed fuel cell system","authors":"G. Halpert, S. Narayanan, T. Valdez, W. Chun, H. Frank, A. Kindler, S. Surampudi, J. Kosek, C. Cropley, A. Laconti","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.660237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.660237","url":null,"abstract":"The direct methanol, liquid-feed fuel cell with proton exchange membrane (DMLFFC/PEM) technology offers a number of system advantages which on the whole compare favorably with the direct hydrogen PEM fuel cell system or the indirect fuel cell system. This paper summarizes progress in cell, stack, and system development based on the direct methanol, liquid-feed fuel cell concept.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130391850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Ahmed, R. Doshi, Sheldon H. D. Lee, R. Kumar, M. Krumpelt
{"title":"Partial oxidation reformer development for fuel cell vehicles","authors":"S. Ahmed, R. Doshi, Sheldon H. D. Lee, R. Kumar, M. Krumpelt","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.661878","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.661878","url":null,"abstract":"A bench-scale partial oxidation reformer that is compact (1.8 L) and light-weight has been demonstrated with methanol fuel. The hydrogen output from the reactor had a lower heating value of 12 kW. The gas contained over 50% hydrogen and less than 1% carbon monoxide. A novel class of catalyst materials has been identified which is able to convert various hydrocarbons, including gasoline, to a hydrogen-rich product gas. Tested in a micro-reactor with gasoline and oxygen at 760/spl deg/C, these catalysts yielded a product gas containing over 60% hydrogen.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127693582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Carbon dioxide capture in molten carbonate fuel cell power plants fueled with coal and natural gas","authors":"P. Reimer, J. Hirschenhofer, J. S. White","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.661872","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.661872","url":null,"abstract":"This paper summarizes an IEA sponsored study whose purpose was to assess fuel cell power generation configurations that could be adopted if climate change considerations lead to a need to reduce emissions of CO/sub 2/ to the atmosphere. The study provided a comparison of performance, CO/sub 2/ emission, capital cost, cost of electricity, and cost of avoiding CO/sub 2/ emission among four atmospheric, or near atmospheric, molten carbonate fuel cell/CO/sub 2/ capturing plants (fueled with either coal or natural gas). Each fuel cell combined cycle plant with CO/sub 2/ capture was compared with a similarly-sized reference combined cycle plant without CO/sub 2/ capture to develop comparison characteristics. Data for the reference plants were taken from previously completed IEA studies. The first reference plant was a coal-fueled integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). This plant features an oxygen-blown, entrained-bed gasifier providing fuel gas to a commercially available gas turbine. Waste heat is recovered and utilized in a steam turbine bottoming cycle. The second reference plant was a typical natural gas-fueled gas turbine combined cycle.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127757012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Economic comparison of pulsed electrostatic precipitators and fabric filters in coal fired utility plants","authors":"A. Caputo","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.661989","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.661989","url":null,"abstract":"Electrostatic precipitators (ESP) and fabric filters (FF) are the main air pollution control systems utilized to clean dust laden fumes from utility boilers. The choice among these systems depends from the specific site conditions such as dust characteristics, required efficiency, gas flowrate and temperature. ESP are generally characterized by higher capital investments and lower operating charges, while the opposite may be said for baghouses. As a consequence, ESP present higher total costs when high specific collection areas are required, as happens in the case of low-sulfur high-resistivity dust. However, significant reductions in both capital investment and operating charges may be obtained with pulsed energization of precipitators working in severe back corona conditions. This possibility greatly enlarges the field of applications in which ESP are a lower cost option compared to fabric filters. In the paper an economic comparison of pulse energized ESP, with conventional ESP, reverse-air, shaker and pulse-jet baghouses is performed. A mapping of the operating conditions in which the adoption of each examined control technology is economically convenient is also defined.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"141 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121322511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Srinivasan, E. Tulapurkara, T. Bose, F. Schlottmann
{"title":"Experimental investigation of the effect of partition in deflecting an axisymmetric turbulent jet in a rectangular enclosure","authors":"R. Srinivasan, E. Tulapurkara, T. Bose, F. Schlottmann","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.661998","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.661998","url":null,"abstract":"Flow through a rectangular enclosure with a central partition provides a convenient means of understanding the flow through passenger-car-cabins, clean rooms, operation theatres and other enclosed spaces. Flow through such a system is complex, i.e., three dimensional, turbulent and has low mean velocity. The present experimental investigation involves measuring the complete flow field by the use of a five-holed probe and is aimed at studying the flow field deflection due to the presence of a fixed central partition. Vector plots in vertical planes perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse axes of the enclosure are discussed. The available measurements indicate that as the jet approaches the partition, the flow is deflected upwards. However behind the partition, the jet fills up the enclosure with forward flow in the central region enveloped by regions of reverse flow at the top and bottom.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123246904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Tournier, M. El-Genk, Lianmin Huang, M. Schuller
{"title":"Performance analysis of a multitube vapor-anode AMTEC cell","authors":"J. Tournier, M. El-Genk, Lianmin Huang, M. Schuller","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.661934","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.661934","url":null,"abstract":"A detailed AMTEC performance and evaluation analysis model (APEAM) was developed to predict the performance of next-generation Pluto Express vapor-anode multitube cells. APEAM incorporates an axial electrochemical model, which accounts for the effects of nonuniform axial temperature and vapor pressure profiles along the BASE tubes; a detailed vapor pressure loss model, which includes free-molecular, transition and continuum flow regimes; and a comprehensive radiation/conduction model, which incorporates the effects of circumferential thermal shields above the BASE tubes and conduction studs between the hot end of the cell and the tubes support plate. Model results compared well with measured electrical power and experimental I-V characteristics of the PX-2C cell, recently tested at Phillips Laboratory. The cell peak electric power of 4.4 We occurred at an external load resistance of 3.0 /spl Omega/. At higher load resistance (or lower load demand), the PX-2C cell was load-following. Results also showed that the vapor flow on the low-pressure side of PX-2C was in the transition regime. The evaporator wick provided the sodium flow rate (8 g/hour) necessary to operate the cell at an evaporator temperature of about 950 K. The model predicted that using a molybdenum thermal shield on the inside of the cell wall, near the condenser, would increase the cell electric power and conversion efficiency by /spl sim/23%.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131130551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Theoretical study of the electrical power behavior of a cesium thermionic converter for switching resistive and reactive loads","authors":"J. Perez, C. Estrada, Á. Jiménez, J. Cervantes","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.661916","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.661916","url":null,"abstract":"Pulsed ionized diodes have shown to be an attractive mode to develop thermionic converters (Rasor, 1972). Usually the investigations have been focused to work with additive gases and constant loads at steady state (Zherebtsov et al, 1984 and McVey, 1991). The experimental transient graphs reported suggest a dynamic behavior of the thermionic converter. Periods of the order of 300 /spl mu/s have been reported for the decay time of voltage and current, a condition that is similar to a capacitive discharge. A circuit model for a thermionic converter to define this condition is proposed. Using this model, an electrical analysis of the thermionic converter power with different switching loads is made. Both, resistive and reactive loads are connected. Special emphasis is dedicated to determine the resonance frequencies.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128105494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"High-performance prediction for variable-speed switched reluctance drives","authors":"F. Ismail, S. Wahsh, A. Mohamed","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.659212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.659212","url":null,"abstract":"This work presents a simple developed nonlinear dynamic model of a variable reluctance motor (VRM) based on its magnetic characteristics, considering the saturation effect. Most preliminary design work is centered on a fixed speed, or a small number of fixed speeds, even when the requirement is for operation over a wide speed range. This work deals with both constant and variable speed operation. Model development is motivated by the good performance predictions required to support and simplify the design of a such high performance controller. Because the magnetization curves do not need to be pre-calculated, measured, stored, curve-fitted, or idealized the model is extremely simple fast, and accurate. Simulation results of the phase current and torque in both chopping and single-pulse modes of operation are presented.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"60 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116642116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Yoshikawa, H. Katsushima, M. Kasahara, T. Hasegawa, R. Tanaka, T. Ootsuka
{"title":"Innovative coal gasification system with high temperature air","authors":"K. Yoshikawa, H. Katsushima, M. Kasahara, T. Hasegawa, R. Tanaka, T. Ootsuka","doi":"10.1109/IECEC.1997.661894","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/IECEC.1997.661894","url":null,"abstract":"This paper proposes innovative coal gasification power generation systems where coal is gasified with high temperature air of about 1300 K produced by gasified coal fuel gas. The main features of these systems are high thermal efficiency, low NO/sub x/ emission, compact desulfurization and dust removal equipment and high efficiency molten slag removal with a very compact gasifier. Experimental results on the pebble bed coal gasifier appropriate for high temperature air coal gasification are reported, where 97.7% of coal ash is successfully caught in the pebble bed and extracted without clogging. A new concept of high temperature air preheating system is proposed which is characterized by its high reliability and low cost.","PeriodicalId":183668,"journal":{"name":"IECEC-97 Proceedings of the Thirty-Second Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference (Cat. No.97CH6203)","volume":"95 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115160955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}