Papers – Page 6 – TechConnect Briefs

High Energy Density Supercapacitor Based on a Hybrid Carbon Nanotube – Reduced Graphite Oxide Architecture

Bekyarova E., Ramesh P., Jha N., Itkis M.E., Haddon R.C., Carbon Solutions Inc, US

We report a high energy supercapacitor device that utilizes hybrid carbon electrodes and the ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIMBF¬4) as an electrolyte. The hybrid electrodes were prepared from reduced graphite oxide (rGO) and purified single [...]

Save Hawai‘i…Save the Planet

Barlow J., Power Alternative, US

Petrochemicals are quintessential ingredient in most all products, technologies, and conveniences of modern lifestyle, so it is imperative that we eliminate abusing it to fuel modes of progress, and transports. Power Alternative is scientific R&D [...]

Challenges in Thermal Energy Storage for Solar Power Plants

Wibbenmeyer L., Smith T., Craig J., Abener / Abengoa, US

The need for renewable and sustainable energy is clear. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is one means of power generation that is becoming economically viable to meet those needs. CSP however, does have limitations due to [...]

BioGenerator – a Novel Bio-Technology for the Conversion of Hydrogen to Electricity

Karamanev D., University of Western Ontario, CA

One of the promising applications of the H2-to-electricity converters is in the field of power smoothing and storage. The technologies currently considered for smoothing and storage have certain problems. The use of hydrogen as a [...]

Tailoring Pt-Alloy Cluster Nanoparticles for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity

Balu R., Roy Choudhury N.K. Dutta N., Elvin C.M., Hill A.J., University of South Australia, AU

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, PEMFC is an electrochemical energy conversion device that has the potential to be an alternative to internal combustion engines. However, the complexity and slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics on [...]

An Electron-Relay Prototype Supercapacitor Mimics Electrophorus Electricus’s Reversible Membrane Potential for Multiple-organ Discharge

Chen E.T., Ngatchou C., Advanced Biomimetic Sensors, Inc., US

Electrophorus Electricus (EE) is known to discharge electric voltage through multiple organs based on Reversible Membrane Potential (RMP). We report a new type of supercapacitor for mimicking the EE’s RMP based on an electron-relay nano-biomimetic [...]

Enabling renewable-energy driven reverse osmosis desalination using integrated compressed gas energy storage—bench-scale experiments and modeling

Mahajan P., Sun Y., Ladner D.A., Clemson University, US

Growing fresh water needs have led to increasing interest in desalination using reverse osmosis (RO) membranes, but energy requirements are extreme so renewable sources are sought. Unfortunately, many renewable sources are intermittent and low-intensity while [...]

Hydrogen permeation in pipeline steels

Fallahmohammadi E., Bolzoni F., Fumagalli G., Re G., Lazzari L., Politecnico di Milano, IT

In a previous phase of this research, two sour service pipeline steels, a carbon steel API 5L X65 and a low alloy one ASTM A182 F22, showed a remarkable reduction of the fracture toughness after [...]

NaBH4 in solidified aluminosilicate gel: a new hydrogen storage with interesting properties

Buhl J.-Ch., Schomborg L., Rüscher C.H., Leibniz University Hannover, DE

A new type of safe storage of NaBH4 of high fuel density providing an easy release of hydrogen is presented. NaBH4 exhibits a high gravimetric storage capacity (2.4 l H2/g). However, rapid hydrolysis reaction already [...]

Solar Thermochemical Water-Splitting for H2 Generation Using Sol-Gel Derived Ferrite Nanomaterials

Bhosale R.R., Pasala X., Yelakanti S., Puszynski J.A., Shende R.V., South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, US

Solar-driven thermochemical water-splitting using redox materials constitute a promising high-efficiency, self-sustainable pathway for H2 production from water. In this investigation, several un-doped and doped ferrite nanomaterials were synthesized using sol-gel technique and investigated for H2 [...]