Author: Ed Sartor

Institution: New York University

CdTe is a high-efficiency and low-carbon thin-film photovoltaic technology that has seen tremendous commercial success over the past decade. Yet despite the improvement of other device characteristics, the fabrication of an ohmic hole back contact layer has remained a challenge due to the high ionization potential of CdTe which limits the external potential that can be feasibly reached even as other characteristics of the device improve. MXenes, a family of 2D materials with rapidly growing scientific and commercial interest, offer a promising route to forming low-cost, low-barrier contacts due to their demonstrated high work function, metallic conductivity, and facile solution processing from benign solvents. Here we show that Ti3C2Tx MXene films processed from an aqueous colloidal dispersion can perform as a highly efficient hole contact material for CdTe solar cells, resulting in high power-conversion efficiencies. The modularity of the expansive MXene family of materials presents a promising strategy for developing next-generation CdTe solar cells.

Author: Wendy de Gomez/ Mahima Patel

Institution: University of Waterloo

Sustainable Development seeks solutions to complex social, environmental and economic problems that do not compromise the ability of the next generation (s) to meet their own specific needs. Although the needs of each future generation will change given the chosen paths of the current generation, the core theory is to proceed introspectively using a what-if mindset. Engineers are poised to make significant gains in operationalizing sustainable development beyond this what if mindset. They have the knowledge and tools needed to ask the burgeoning questions, propose adaptable solutions, and leverage their industry, government, and community connections to implement solutions. This quantitative study is the first of its kind to determine the specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in which Canadian engineering researchers are having research traction and impact- specifically, Sustainable Development Goal 7- Affordable and Clean Energy. This baseline data can be used as a starting point from where transformative sustainable development practice, research and education may begin.

Author: Farhan Hyder

Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology

Recent emergence of utility-scale energy storage necessitates practical and efficient modeling of energy storage resources (ESRs) in unit commitment (UC), an important daily operation problem faced by independent operators. ESRs are typically modeled with binary variables to prevent simultaneous charging and discharging in UC in the mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) form. However, with these additional binary variables, commercial MILP solvers that are widely used in industries may experience difficulties. To overcome this, our idea is to transform (tighten) the ESR constraints to directly delineate the convex hull (the smallest convex set of all feasible solutions), then a solution can be obtained by using linear programming methods without combinatorial difficulties. In this study, our recent constraint-to-vertex conversion-based tightening method has been much enhanced through machine learning-based parameterization for the generic use of tight constraints rather than manual analysis. In this way, it can handle large amounts of constraint parameters in a more computationally efficient way, and tight formulations for different types of ESRs can be obtained according to their charging/discharging durations. After investigating the performance of different existing ESR models, tight formulations for fast ERSs (e.g., 1-hour and 2-hour duration) have been obtained via the enhanced method. Numerical results based on the IEEE 118-bus system demonstrate the benefits of tightened ESR models for UC. Formulation tightening provides a promising way to efficiently integrate ESRs into the power grid.

Author: William Campbell

Institution: Case Western Reserve University

This summer I worked on the design of a high-grade heat extraction system (HGHES) of the MARVEL Project. The MARVEL project at INL is a first-of-a-kind terrestrial microreactor to help provide a test platform to demonstrate the use of a microreactor to end customers and enable technology developers to test enabling microreactor technologies with a functional nuclear reactor. One of the project’s main requirements is the reactors’ ability to deliver high-grade thermal power to end users, both for industrial and commercial use. The project required communication with multiple vendors for custom-made equipment, working with a high-temperature and high-pressure helium coolant system, and research of a Thermal Storage Unit (TSU).

Author: Kun Tan

Institution: Stony Brook University

Replacing fossil fuels and natural gas with alternative fuels like hydrogen is an important step towards the goal of reaching a carbon neutral economy. As an important intermediate step towards utilizing pure hydrogen, blending hydrogen in an existing natural gas network is a practical choice for reducing carbon emissions in the near future. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model is developed to quantify frictional losses and energy efficiency of transport of methane/hydrogen blends across straight pipe sections. The CFD model developed in the present study is first validated by verifying that the results obtained in the present study (for pressure drops, numerical friction number (fN), and energy specific toll (EST) agree well with those obtained in an earlier study when identical boundary conditions and model parameters such as Redlich-Kwong equation of state, k-ε turbulence model and pipe wall roughness, are invoked. Furthermore, additional CFD models are developed to assess the effects of other factors such as 1) hydrogen concentration, 2) pipe surface roughness of common pipe materials, and 3) pipe diameter on the dynamics of blended gas flows. The principal conclusions from the present study are as follows: (i) High hydrogen concentration in the gas blends (i.e., greater than 25% and 50%) require higher energy for transporting the blended gases in the pipelines. (ii) Polyethylene (PE) or PE coated pipes, with smoother walls, are 33-40% more energy efficient in transporting gas blends than uncoated stainless steel pipes, which are 17-31% more energy efficient than the uncoated cast iron pipes. (iii) Due to relatively fewer gas interactions with wall surfaces which result in frictional losses, than in the case of smaller diameter pipes, it requires lesser energy to transport blended gases in larger diameter pipes. The CFD model and the simulation results provide valuable operational guidelines for transitioning natural gas networks to transport greener blends of methane and hydrogen.

Author: Wiam Homir

Institution: Stony Brook University

Natural gas consists mostly of Methane gas (CH4) which mainly comes from the decomposition of organic matter. However, there are other ways to produce natural gas other than extracting it from the ground. Methane can be produced from a variety of renewable and sustainable sources. CH4 is a result of a Methanation reaction essentially defined as the process of conversion of (CO) and (CO2) into (CH4) through hydrogenation. Methanation reactions tend to express carbon oxide buildup. To prevent that, Methanation catalysts are added after several hydrogen-producing steps. Through this poster, we will be exploring research that focuses on synthesizing and optimizing methanation nanocatalysts that produce RNG for P2G* technology.

Author: Neehad Islam

Institution: National Oilheat Research Alliance

The world is moving rapidly towards a future with less greenhouse gas emissions, and the heating sector needs to move with it. In liquid fuels heating market, 5 billion gallons of distillate fuels are used annually. Replacing this fuel with renewable biofuels could allow for rapid decarbonization of the market. The most common biofuel to provide that need in the heating oil industry is Biodiesel. Currently, most marketers supply heating oil with up to 5% biodiesel by volume (also known as B5). While there are some marketers who are using higher blends of biofuels, even to B100, questions and concerns still remain. Many wonder what the impact on existing equipment will be when a higher blend of biodiesel is used in the field and, going further into the future, what kind of changes are needed to a home to make it completely sustainable with biodiesel. To answer this, we have done field tests with residential homes using both B50 and B100 (50% and 100% biodiesel by volume, respectively). These sites were closely monitored for changes in fuel stability, acid content, particulate load, and flue gas composition, along with any changes to the equipment. We have also developed models to look at combining solar energy generation at a residential home in combination with the burning of Biodiesel for heat and hot water. These models are being used to renovate homes in the field that will generate all their energy needs renewably. One example home has already made this transition.

Author: Leela Sotsky

Institution: Stony Brook University; National Renewable Energy Lab

Using hydrogen as fuel has the potential to minimize carbon emissions but implementing hydrogen into existing gas pipeline networks comes with several challenges. Hydrogen can degrade metal pipelines after exposure, which could create safety concerns. Pipeline operators seeking to blend hydrogen into their gas networks will need guidelines to safely inject hydrogen. The U.S. Department of Energy established the Pipeline Blending CRADA – A HyBlend Project to overcome these challenges. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s role in HyBlend is to develop an open-source tool, entitled the Pipeline Preparation Cost Analysis tool (PPCT), that can analyze existing natural gas pipeline networks for conversion into hydrogen-blended pipeline systems. The PPCT will be designed for organizations conducting initial assessments of their networks. It will determine if pipelines need to be replaced and/or modified, then provide an estimate of all associated costs. We have identified key pipeline components and their costs. We have also created and analyzed three models of existing gas networks in Scenario Analysis Interface for Energy Systems (SAInT) software. Hydrogen sensitivity analyses were conducted on the models to determine trends in operation conditions. This data will be integrated into the PPCT to create more accurate estimates of the costs of hydrogen blending.

Author: Gozde Ustuner

Institution: Stony Brook university, The Advanced Energy Center

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are considered promising power sources as they offer a highly efficient and environmentally friendly solution for energy conversion. The practical applications of the commercial fuel cell have been not achieved due to its high cost and limited durability of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). One of the main reasons for the high cost of the MEA is the amount of Pt used to catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode of PEMFC. Pt is the most used element due to its high activity towards ORR however, its low durability, high cost and degradation due to CO brings the need for a new catalyst development with low Pt content. To date, Pt-Co alloy nanoparticles have been exhibited as one of the best alternative catalyst for commercial Pt/C catalyst. Thus, this work focuses on synthesis of PtCoN/KB electrocatalyst as it promises highly stable and active ORR catalyst. More specifically, it presents that the incorporation of lower Pt mass loadings with Co catalyst will enhance the performance of the ORR and mass and specific activity of the catalyst. Electrocatalytic activity was seen to be improved by doping the catalyst with Nitrogen (N) in previous studies therefore, controlled number of nitrogen into alloy nanoparticles are infused to improve the activity. Electrochemical testing will be conducted to analyze electrochemical surface area (ECSA), mass and specific activity. The chemical and physical properties of the catalyst are characterized by using material characterization techniques to analyze the nanoparticle structure.

Author: Joshua Heuvel-Horwitz

Institution: Stony Brook University

Hydrogen has the potential to become one of the main energy-carrier resources of the future. However, it still faces significant barriers to becoming widely adopted, particularly in storage and transport. As such, research on the hydrogen storage capacity of solid materials is in high demand. The DOE has outlined technical targets for material properties of a hydrogen storage material which would be economically feasible for use in light duty vehicles. Some of the notable goals to meet include a 6.5 wt% usable storage capacity, an operating temperature between -40 and 60 °C, and a delivery pressure between 5 and 12 bars. We synthesize TiO2 spheres and nanotubes by hydrothermal methods, and perform material characterization using XRD, SEM, and TEM. Hydrogen storage capacity of these materials will be measured by the volumetric method using a Sievert’s like apparatus, at moderate temperatures and pressures. We initially used TiO2 material because they are more readily available, although they are unlikely to meet the DOE standards. Next, we plan to synthesize more promising materials, such as metal doped carbon materials like carbon nanotubes and graphene, using solution based methods and then evaluate their hydrogen storage capacity.

Author: Jessica Arnoldi

Institution: Stonybrook University

Several reports exist in which metal hydrides were studied for hydrogen absorption at low pressure. The recent focus is on replacing natural gas with hydrogen to achieve complete decarbonization of the power and transportation sectors by 2050. Hydrogen is a clean and effective energy carrier with the potential to be a long-term renewable energy source. However, blending hydrogen with natural gas is a likely scenario during this transition. This study experimentally determines the interaction between pure methane and Hy-Stor 208 mischmetal-nickel-aluminum alloy metal hydride, as well as the optimal temperature for absorption of an 8:2 methane/hydrogen blend on Hy-Stor 208. The potential degradation of the metal hydride has also been evaluated. Adsorption trials conducted with 50 psi of pure methane at 20℃, 10℃, and 5℃ found no significant decrease in pressure suggesting no adsorption of methane on the Hy-Stor 208, indicating that methane acts as an inert gas within the metal hydride system. For the 8:2 methane/hydrogen blend on average across the three different temperatures, there was no evident trend in the amount of hydrogen absorbed or the time the system took to reach equilibrium during hydrogen absorption. However, there was an observed trend in the hydrogen absorption rate across the three different temperatures explored. On average, across the three temperatures tested in this study, greater hydrogen desorption occurred after hydrogen absorption at lower temperatures. Additionally, desorption took less time after absorption trials at lower temperatures, meaning lower absorption temperatures increased the desorption rate at 70℃.

Author: Sera Lee

Institution: Dept. of Technology and Society

Food waste is a global issue in recent years that encompasses every sectoral aspect such as climate change, food security, and energy issues. Annually, one-third of global food is wasted or lost. Ironically, about more than 30% of the global population suffers from food insecurity. Producing bioenergy from agricultural biomass could be an ethically debatable issue under food insecurity in developing countries and minority regions in developed countries. Biomass cultivation also needs additional degradation of lands and generates carbon into the atmosphere while burning them to make bioenergy. However, using food waste for bioenergy can resolve many global challenges by reducing the amounts of food waste in landfill, producing clean energy, reducing CO2 emissions indirectly from not using fossil fuels, and creating a bioeconomy at large. As a carbon-neutral sustainable energy technology, biomass gasification converts food and agricultural waste into biofuel. Food waste is used as bioenergy raw material, but it also produces biochar that directly contributes to soil carbon sequestration and soil amendment to increase crop yield. The most widely used technology for biochar production is the slow pyrolysis of organic materials in the absence of oxygen. While producing biochar from food and crop waste, clean energy such as bio-oils and syngas are also produced for electricity and heat. Raw materials for biochar production are heavily studied by many biochar scholars. They include tomato plant residue, urban biodegradable wastes, wheat straw, corn fodder, rice straw, rice husk, cocoa shells, oil palm waste, maize cobs, and other crop residues.

Author: Rebecca Trojanowski

Institution: Brookhaven National Laboratory

Interest in the direct use of biomass for thermal applications as a renewable technology is increasing as is also focus on air pollutant emissions from these sources and methods to minimize the impact. This work has focused on wood chip-fired residential boilers, and the impact of fuel chip quality. Manufacturers often specify a specific moisture content the user should burn with; however, users may stray from this value and use a “green” or wet chip which may have poor implications on the emission and efficiency performance of the boiler. Two chip boilers were tested—Boiler A was tested at full load with four (4) different wood chips and the other, Boiler B, was tested with two (2) different wood chips at full load and at minimum load (15% of full load) used for United States compliance testing. During the minimum load, the boiler operated steady but was also forced to cycle during the low load period. Boiler A had a nominal output of 35 kW and was fired with three different chips to identify the effect of hot-water extraction (HWE) and flue gas drying on the wood chips fuel properties and their combustion emissions. The chips moisture contents were 8.98%, 7.89%, 4.50%, and 27.5%. Boiler B had a nominal output of 24 kW and was fired with both “dry” and “wet” woodchips with average moisture contents of 30% and 45%, respectively. For both boilers, the particulate matter (PM) was measured both in real-time using a Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM) and the standard integrated filter approach in a dilution tunnel, capturing both the condensable and non-condensable PM. Gaseous emissions (carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons [methane equivalent]) were captured in the hot flue stack. The test results for Boiler A showed the HWE treated chip had a 50% reduction in particulate emission compared to air-dried chip—with a total reduction of 73% relative to baseline wood chips with emission factors ranging from 0.05 to 0.19 lb/MMBtu for the HWE to the baseline chip. Efficiency values for Boiler A ranged from 79.2% to 83.3%, with the baseline chip producing the lowest efficiency. The test results for Boiler B showed that the use of wet chips significantly impacts the boilers performance in a negative manner, increasing particulates and decreasing its efficiency, particularly in low load operation. When chips with a moisture content of 30% were used, the boilers performance would meet EPA’s step one emission limits, but still fall short of step two with a value of 0.24 lb/MMBtu. With the use wet chips, the emissions are increased by roughly five times to 1.36 lb/MMBtu and efficiency is reduced from 65.3% to 57.7%. The test results for Boiler A showed the HWE treated chip had a 50% reduction in particulate emission compared to air-dried chip—with a total reduction of 73% relative to baseline wood chips with emission factors ranging from 0.05 to 0.19 lb/MMBtu for the HWE to the baseline chip. Efficiency values for Boiler A ranged from 79.2% to 83.3%, with the baseline chip producing the lowest efficiency. The test results for Boiler B showed that the use of wet chips significantly impacts the boilers performance in a negative manner, increasing particulates and decreasing its efficiency, particularly in low load operation. When chips with a moisture content of 30% were used, the boilers performance would meet EPA’s step one emission limits, but still fall short of step two with a value of 0.24 lb/MMBtu. With the use wet chips, the emissions are increased by roughly five times to 1.36 lb/MMBtu and efficiency is reduced from 65.3% to 57.7%. The work presented here not only shows the impact fuel has on the performance of an automatic fed boiler but also the value in evaluating units at low loads, which are common practice in the field. This work is meritorious because it directly evaluates, for the first time, the emissions species (PM, CO, CH4) produced by woodchip fired boilers operating with a range of expected fuels—ranging from commonplace to specialty and also evaluating the effects of fuel moisture content. The impact of burning an upgraded fuel, or minimally a fuel at the appropriate moisture content, can yield to more than a 50% reduction in particulate emissions.

Author: Hugo Ramos

Institution: Stony Brook University

Hydrogen has become a very important resource in the search for renewable energy solutions. This is due to its high energy yield and environmentally friendly aspects. When burned the hydrogen produces no carbon emissions and thus is used in various applications. However, methods of obtaining hydrogen have become quite difficult and need further investigation. One of these methods is gasification. Gasification is the process of turning biomass into a mixture of combustible and non-combustible gas. This study looks at using the All Power Labs 25kW PP30 Gasifier to create the producer gas. This gasifier takes wood waste and turns it into the producer gas along with tar, char, and ash. This gasifier advertises that it is carbon negative because it collects the char and it may be used as fertilizer for water retention, pest control, and providing minerals for plants. A downdraft gasifier is utilized to produce all the products aforementioned. To determine how much hydrogen will be produced by the gasifier, several measurements must be taken first. These measurements include the emissions of the gasifier and the moisture content of the woodchips. This is important as it has been shown that the moisture content can affect the amount of hydrogen produced in the syngas. Through this study, we attempt to find a new source of renewable energy for heavily wooded areas such as Long Island.

Author: Geuris German

Institution: Stony Brook University

Water treatment facilities are becoming increasingly needed as the climate change crisis continues to alter ecosystems around the globe. Take the water issues currently persisting in the western coastal region of the United States. California has been experiencing its worst drought in over 1000 years. While many potential solutions have been proposed, we are exploring the possibility of utilizing brewery wastewater for water purification. California has almost double the number of breweries in any country (931). According to a publication by The Equipped Brewer, craft brewers, on average, use three gallons of wastewater per gallon of beer produced. In comparison, large brewery facilities use seven gallons of wastewater per gallon of beer. Brewery effluent typically contains high suspended solids, primarily yeasts, hops, other grains, and sugars. These solids are complex for water treatment plants to break down and can consume too much oxygen, disrupting the delicate balance of bacteria and microorganisms that sewage plants rely on. Our approach utilizes the formation of clathrate propane hydrates by mixing propane at 60 psi with wastewater in a windowed reactor and using a cooling bath to lower the temperature to +1-3℃. The collected clean water is achieved by separating the hydrates and then decomposing these hydrates by warming them to room temperature. The water purity is then tested using Total Suspended Solids (TSS). The formation of propane hydrates reduces the number of suspended solids in brewery wastewater and therefore increases water purity.

Author: Jason Loprete

Institution: Stony Brook University

“Residential space heating represents over one-tenth the United States’ energy use and has a
breadth of potential for emissions reduction. Much of this space heating utilizes hydronic heat
distribution methods that use water supply temperatures up to 180 °F. However, this operating
temperature is incompatible with high-efficiency heat generation systems, which typically
provide heating temperatures of up to 140 °F. To avoid replacing the entire distribution system
and allow emerging technologies to utilize the existing infrastructure, we have used
computational tools to develop a low-cost retrofit solution that achieves the same heat output and
effectiveness at lower temperatures, as traditional systems operating at high temperatures. The
retrofit technology incorporates an airflow distributor that preferentially directs the airflow from
a fan to enhance heat transfer over the finned-tube heat exchanger found in the baseboard.
Experimental and computational results indicate that the proposed solution can produce a 50%
improvement in the heat transfer output at temperatures as low as 140 °F, effectively matching
the same output range achieved by 160–180°F water supply temperatures. Ultimately, this
technology enables the transition of existing building infrastructure to be coupled with new,
high-efficiency heating systems such as condensing boilers, solar-thermal systems, and
geothermal and air-to-water heat pumps. For example, coupled with a heat generation system
utilizing renewable electricity, such as an air-to-water heat pump, the emissions reduction per
home is on the order of ~3000 kgCO2. In comparison, a traditional natural gas-fired boiler
generates ~1300 kgCO2 with the current grid emissions. Thus, we have established a pathway
toward reducing operational emissions in the residential sector.”

Author: Wiam Homir

Institution: Stony Brook University

Natural gas consists mostly of methane gas (CH4), also known as Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). RNG is commonly produced through the decomposition of organic matter. However, there are other ways to produce RNG. Methane can be produced from a variety of renewable and sustainable sources. CH4 is a result of a CO2 Methanation reaction, which is essentially defined as converting H2 and CO2 into CH4. Methanation reactions tend to express carbon monoxide buildup. Methanation catalysts are utilized to selectively produce methane instead. This research is unique because methanation nanocatalysts were synthesized. Nanocatalysts provide a larger surface area for the reaction to take place, increasing the product yield. Two top-performing nanocatalysts are the focus: nickel on gamma alumina and nickel on ceria.

Author: Ioannis Nikiforakis

Institution: Stony Brook University

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have been deployed in hybrid decentralized energy systems, in which they are directly coupled to internal combustion engines (ICEs). Prior research indicated that the anode tailgas exiting the SOFC stack should be additionally exploited due to its high energy value, with typical ICE operation favoring hybridization due to matching thermodynamic conditions during operation. Consequently, extensive research has been performed, in which engines are positioned downstream the SOFC subsystem, operating in several modes of combustion, with the most prevalent being homogeneous compression ignition (HCCI) and spark ignition (SI). Experiments were performed in a 3-cylinder ICE operating in the latter modus operandi, where the anode tailgas was assimilated by mixing syngas (H2:33.9%, CO: 15.6%, CO2: 50.5%) with three different water vapor flowrates in the engine’s intake. While increased vapor content significantly undermined engine performance, brake thermal efficiency (BTE) surpassed 34% in the best-case scenario, which outperformed the majority of engines operating under similar operating conditions, as determined from the conducted literature review. Nevertheless, the best performing application was identified operating under HCCI, in which diesel reformates assimilating SOFC anode tailgas, fueled a heavy-duty ICE (17:1), and gross indicated thermal efficiency (ηth,ig) of 48.8% was achieved, with the same engine exhibiting identical performance when operating in reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI). Overall, emissions in terms of NOx and CO were minimal, especially in SI engines, while unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) were non-existent due to the absence of hydrocarbons in the assessed reformates.

Author: Amr Shaalan

Institution: Advanced Combustion & Energy Systems

Ammonia and Hydrogen are attractive alternative fuels for a zero-carbon combustion solution that can rapidly decarbonize our future energy generation. The latest developments in Computer-Aided Engineering tools have allowed us to understand, refine, and optimize new technologies to fit our urgent need for fossil fuel replacements. For ammonia and hydrogen fuel blends, developing robust computational models is the cornerstone for them to find their place on our energy grid. Such models are expected to replicate the dynamics and phenomena captured in the experiments with an extent of predictive capabilities. In this study, ammonia/hydrogen chemical mechanisms available from the research literature are coupled with a 3-D computational fluid dynamics solver. The resulting simulations were compared against images from recently published experiments. Complicated dynamics that appeared in the experiments, like flame buoyancy and non-spherical flame propagation, were successfully replicated in the simulations. A comparison of Laminar flame speeds extracted from the 3-D simulations against 1-D simulations and experimental values showed varying accuracy at different equivalence ratios and pressure conditions. In addition, 0-D simulations were carried out aiming at understanding the ignition delay behavior and were compared with experimental values from the research literature. Generally, the results showed that the accuracy and robustness of the computational models can be acceptable in more advanced analyses that are common in energy extraction devices, like internal combustion engines and other combustion-based devices.

Author: Mahmoud Koraïem

Institution: Stony Brook University

Wind energy is a serious contender in the race for renewable, sustainable, and economically viable energy sources. One of the proposed ideas for improving wind turbine power output is the use of a diffuser shroud as a wind concentrator. Attaching a diffuser to the turbine increases local air flow across the turbine’s blades, and in turn increases the power output of the turbine compared to a similarly sized bare turbine, exposed to the same wind speed. Past research has shown that the use of a diffuser shaped shroud around a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) can increase the power output and effective power coefficient dramatically, which could superficially make shrouded turbines appear more economically viable than their bare counterparts. However, the installation of a shroud on a turbine, coupled with in-situ wind speed variability could affect the turbine power output, and its total energy generation. Additionally, the current global world economy introduces new variables such as the increase in initial, operating and maintenance costs, and rises in inflation rates. These performance affecting variables, and economic factors could limit the range of effective turbine operation and affect its economic performance and environmental impact. This study integrates turbine performance under controlled wind speeds using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), with estimated in-situ performance under fluctuating wind speeds. Using wind speed distribution data, the economic viability is assessed on a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) basis along with the environmental impact of different shrouded turbine configurations and manufacturing materials against their bare counterpart.

Author: Rodrigo Ristow-Hadlich

Institution: Stony Brook University

Many efforts have been made in recent years to find renewable replacements for fossil fuels that can reduce the carbon footprint without compromising combustion performance. Bio-blendstock oil developed from woody biomass using a reliable thermochemical conversion method known as catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP), along with hydrotreating upgrading has the potential to deliver on this renewable promise. To further our understanding of naphthenic-rich bio-blendstock oils, improved formulations of surrogate fuel (SF) that mimic the behavior of the bio-blendstock, featuring decalin and butylcyclohexane naphthenic content were devised and blended with research-grade No.2 diesel (DF2) at various volume percentages. The blends were experimentally evaluated in a single-cylinder Ricardo Hydra compression ignition engine to quantify engine and emissions performance. Injection timing events were varied from knock limit to misfire limit at the same operating conditions for all blends. Three generations of SF are compared, and the results demonstrate that butylcyclohexane/propylcyclohexane (SF1.12) blends perform better than other blend combinations and even better than pure diesel fuel in terms of power output, efficiency, and emissions. Up to 30% by volume of diesel fuel was displaced by SF1.12 yielding higher load and combustion efficiency, and lower CO, THC, and soot emissions compared to diesel. A bio-blendstock oil of similar composition to the evaluated SF would be a good candidate for displacing fossil-derived heavy petroleum distillate fuels in engine applications. Ultimately this work shows that the transportation sector can be decarbonized through the use of biofuels and biofuel blends.

Author: Eeman Jawad

Institution: Institute of Gas Innovation and Technology, Stony Brook University

The objective of this project is to analyze the embrittlement effect of introducing hydrogen fuel into the gas pipeline infrastructure. In efforts to switch to renewable fuels, hydrogen fuel is being gradually blended into natural gas infrastructure. However, due to the nature of the carbon steel’s lattice structure, hydrogen molecules can permeate into the surface of the material and could cause defects that shorten the lifespan of the pipe. The extent to which the pipelines are compromised will be insightful to the suitability of existing infrastructure to support hydrogen fuel as an alternative to natural gas.