AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Fractal Analysis of Fracture Systems: Topical report, September 3, 1996

A fractal analysis of outcrop fracture patterns was undertaken in the Valley and Ridge study area. Use of pavement style investigations such as those conducted by Barton and Hsieh (1989) was not a feasible form of analysis in either Appalachian study areas. Large exposures of bedding plane surfaces are limited, particularly at the Plateau site; hence, fracture studies were concentrated in the Middle and Elkhorn Mountain areas of the Valley and Ridge. The area is complexly deformed, which presented difficulty in the design of a controlled experiment. While bedding plane exposures were found, it was not possible to find comparable exposures of the same lithologic unit in the different structural areas represented at the site. In such instances, therefore, lithologic factors could not be separated from structural factors in the interpretation of variations in fractal dimension. Comparisons of fractal behavior in a common lithologic interval were possible to some extent using one-dimensional analysis of bed-normal fracture plane intersections. However, even in this case, the distribution of exposure was the limiting factor.

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In situ treatment of manufactured gas plant contaminated soils demonstration program

The work performed in this study is Task 015, `In Situ Treatment of Manufactured Gas Plant Contaminated Soils Demonstration Program` of U. S. Department of Energy cooperative agreement DE-FC21-93MC30127. The contained recovery of oily waste (CROW(TM)) process removes organic contaminants from the subsurface by adaptation of secondary and heavy oil recovery technology. The technology was successfully tested in the laboratory as part of a project for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SITE Program`s Emerging Technology Program. The EPA advanced the CROW process to the SITE Demonstration Program based on the laboratory performance. Additional development of the process has included a pilot test at an active wood treatment facility. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of the CROW process for remediation of a site contaminated primarily with a dense organic fluid. The site selected for this demonstration project was a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) site located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

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Development and demonstration of a wood-fired gas turbine system

Power Generating Inc. (PGI) has developed and patented a unique direct-fired gas turbine power system (PGI Power System) that operates on solid wood-based fuels. The PGI Power System is designed to generate from 500 kilowatts to 3.5 megawatts of electrical power and up to 30 million Btu per hour of thermal energy for various industrial and utility applications. The system is expected to operate at thermal efficiency levels greater than 70% through full utilization of both the electrical and thermal energy it generates at a specific host facility. PGI and WRI built a 450-kW prototype system at the Western Research Institute (WRI) facilities in Laramie, Wyoming, to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of the PGI Power System. The plant has undergone a brief shakedown, and is presently being operated on white wood. In previous attempts to develop similar systems, the major technical hindrance to long-term operation of a gas turbine power system has been degradation of the hot section in the gas turbine. This problem is overcome in the PGI Power System through its unique design, by closely controlling fuel specifications, and by developing specialized operating procedures. In wood-fired testing conducted to date, no degradation in the engine performance is obvious.

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AFBC co-firing of coal and hospital waste. Fourth quarterly report, 1997

The project objective is to design, construct, install, provide operator training and start-up a circulating fluidized bed combustion system at the Lebanon Pennsylvania Veteran`s Affairs Medical Center. This unit will co-fire coal and hospital waste providing lower cost steam for heating and possibly cooling (absorption chiller) and operation of a steam turbine-generator for limited power generation while providing efficient destruction of both general and infectious hospital waste. The steam generated is as follows: Steam =20,000 lb/hr; Temperature = 353 F (saturated,3404 ); Pressure= 125 psig; Steam quality = 98.5%

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Conversion to a Coal-Fueled Industrial ATS (CFATS): Topical report, May 1997

The task objective is to identify system changes to the selected Gas Fueled Advanced Turbine System (GFATS) hardware that are necessary to adapt it for the burning of coal-derived fuels. Using GFATS configuration results of Task 6, a study was initiated to determine the required engine system changes that are needed to utilize coal derived gas fuels. An imposed goal of this Task, was to maintain the following engine conditions, which are the same as the engine GFATS power and airflow levels defined in Task 3. Engine Compressor Airflow 496.4 lbs/sec. Power Output 131.9 MW (Simple Cycle) and 158.6 MW (Combined Cycle). The initial effort for this study was to select a coal gasification system that had the potential of being used in a commercial environment and then to determine the impact on the engine system. Four gasifier systems have been reviewed for constituent content, heating value of the gas fuel output, and the engine bleed flow needed to maintain the required power level. After review of four available coal gasification systems and based on General Electric`s experience, the Shell coal gasification system was chosen for additional study. The resulting engine interface schematic is provided.

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Particulate Hot Gas Stream Cleanup Technical Issues: Quarterly report, July 1-September 30, 1996

This is the eighth in a series of quarterly reports describing the activities performed under Contract No. DE-AC21-94MC31160. Analyses of Hot Gas Stream Cleanup (HGCU) ashes and descriptions of filter performance address aspects of filter operation that are apparently linked to the characteristics of the collected ash or the performance of the ceramic barrier filter elements. Task 1 is designed to generate a data base of the key characteristics of ashes collected from operating advanced particle filters (APFS) and to relate these ash properties to the operation and performance of these filters. Task 2 concerns testing and failure analysis of ceramic filter elements. Under Task I during the past quarter, additional analyses were performed on ashes from the Ahlstrom 10 MWt Pressurized Fluidized Circulating Fluid Bed (PCFB) facility located at Karhula, Finland. Work continued on the HGCU data base being constructed in Microsoft Access. A variety of information has been entered into the data base, including numerical values, short or long text entries, and photographs. Detailed design of a bench top device for high temperature measurement of ash permeability has also begun. In addition to these activities, a paper was prepared and a poster was presented summarizing recent work performed under this contract at the 1996 DOE/METC Contractor`s Conference. A presentation was also given corresponding to the manuscript entitled Particle Characteristics and High-Temperature Filtration that was prepared for publication in the Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual International Pittsburgh Coal Conference held this September in Pittsburgh, PA. Arrangements have been made to be present at the DOE/METC Modular Gas Cleanup Rig (MGCR) at the conclusion of the next run of the DOE/METC air blown Fluid Bed Gasifier (FBG). This visit will include on-site sampling to collect and characterize the filter cakes collected during FGB operation. Task 2 efforts during the past quarter focused on hoop tensile testing of Schumacher FT20 and Refractron 326 candle filter elements removed from the Karhula APF after 540 hours of service.

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BIODESULF(TM), A Novel Biological Technology for the Removal of H2S From Sour Natural Gas

The state-of-the-art technologies for the removal of sulfur compounds from Sour Natural Gas (SNG) are not cost-effective when scaled down to approximately 2-5 MMSCFD. At the same time, the SNG Production is increasing at 3-6 TCF/Yr and -78 TCF potential reserves are also sour. Assuming only 3% treatment of this potential SNG market is for small volume processing, the potential U.S. Market is worth $0.14 to $0.28 billion. Therefore, the Gas Processing Industry is seeking novel, cost-effective, environmentally compatible and operator friendly technologies applicable to the small volume producers in the range of less than 1 MMSCFD to - 5 MMSCFD. A novel biological process, BIODESTJLFTM (patent pending), developed at ARCTECH removes H{sub 2}S and other sulfur contaminants that make the Natural Gas Sour. The removal is accomplished by utilizing an adapted mixed microbial culture (consortium). A variety of anaerobic microbial consortia from ARCTECH`s Microbial Culture Collection were grown and tested for removal of H{sub 2}S. One of these consortia, termed SS-11 was found to be particularly effective. Utilizing the SS-11 consortium, a process has been developed on a laboratory-scale to remove sulfur species from Sour Natural Gas at well head production pressures and temperatures. The process has been independently evaluated and found to be promising in effectively removing H{sub 2}S and other sulfur species cost effectively.

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Task 14 - Bubbleless Gas Transfer Technology for the In Situ Remediation of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons. Semiannual report, November 1, 1996--March 31, 1997

The primary objective of this project is to demonstrate the ability of hydrogen to supply reducing equivalents for the reductive dehalogenation of PCE. This objective will be accomplished by two types of activities. First, laboratory experiments will compare the kinetics of hydrogen-mediated dehalogenation with natural routes of loss (hydrolysis and natural attenuation). Secondly, bench-scale column experiments will be performed to demonstrate hydrogen-mediated reductive dehalogenation in aquifer sediments.

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Task 2.3 - Review and Assessment of Results from the Comprehensive Characterization of Toxic Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants: Semi-annual report, July 1- December 31, 1995

To help meet the requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored Phase I of a study entitled `Comprehensive Characterization of Toxic Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants` in 1992. Final reports which detail air toxic emissions from eight power plants (nine configurations) have been completed by the contractors. The University of North Dakota Energy {ampersand} Environmental Research Center (EERC) served as an independent third-party reviewer of these reports. In addition, the EERC has prepared two reports. The first report is a summary and evaluation of the stack emissions, entitled `A Comprehensive Assessment of Toxic Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants: Phase I Results from the U.S. Department of Energy Study,` of which a draft has been submitted to DOE and the individual contractors for input. All review comments were received as of January 1996 and are currently being incorporated into the final report. The second report, entitled `A Comprehensive Assessment of Toxic Emissions from Coal- Fired Power Plants: Statistical Correlations from the Combined DOE and EPRI Field Test Data`, prepared by the EERC details empirical correlations derived from the Phase I DOE data and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) PISCES (Power Plant Integrated Systems: Chemical Emissions Studies) data. Review comments from the contractors and DOE have been received and responses prepared. Further work on the statistical correlations report is on hold until Phase II data are available to be incorporated.

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Corrosion resistant coatings for silicon carbide heat exchanger tubes -- Volume 3. Final report

The development of a silicon carbide (SiC) heat exchanger is a critical step in the development of the Externally-Fired Combined Cycle (EFCC) power system. SiC is the only material that provides the necessary combination of resistance to creep, thermal shock, and oxidation. While the SiC structure materials provide the thermomechanical and thermophysical properties needed for an efficient system, the mechanical properties of the SiC tubes are severely degraded through corrosion by the coal combustion products. To obtain the necessary service life of thousands of hours at temperature, a protective coating is needed that is stable with both the SiC tube and the coal combustion products, resists erosion from the particle laden gas stream, is thermal shock resistant, adheres to SiC during repeated thermal shocks (start-up, process upsets, shut-down), and allows the EFCC system to be cost competitive. This demanding set of technical performance and cost drivers was used in reviewing and selecting candidate protective materials. After a review of open literature, discussion with leading researchers in materials for coal combustion environments, and preliminary thermodynamic studies, a total of ten materials were identified for future study that were grouped into three categories: alumina-based materials, materials stable with SiO{sub 2}, and low expansion materials.

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Task 2.5 - Effectiveness of Sorbents for Trace Elements: Semi-annual report, January 1-June 30, 1995

Significant quantities of trace elements are emitted to the atmosphere each year as a result of the large volumes of coal used in combustion and gasification processes as well as from other industrial and commercial operations, such as waste incineration and chlorine and alkali production (1). Owing to their potentially harmful effects on the ecosystem, eleven trace elements have been identified for control action under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments: beryllium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, antimony, lead, and mercury. Although appearing as trace species, arsenic, selenium, and mercury are of particular concern, since they can occur in gaseous or submicron fume form; consequently, substantial amounts can pass through the conventional collection devices such as precipitators and baghouses.

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Task 2.6 - Catalyst for Utilization of Methane in Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx: Topical report, July 1, 1995

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}) in flue gas or engine exhaust gas with hydrocarbons as the reductant has great potential for less expense, less pollution, and easier operation than SCR with ammonia. Methane is the preferred reducing gas because of its low cost and low toxicity. Stable, low-cost catalysts for SCR with methane are required to demonstrate this technology for controlling NO{sub x} emissions. Several cobalt and nickel catalysts on synthetic clay and uranium oxide supports were investigated for their activities in reducing NO{sub x} with methane in the presence of air. The efficiency of the synthetic clay-supported nickel and cobalt catalysts for nitric oxide (NO) reduction with methane as the reducing gas was poor. The nickel oxide-uranium oxide catalyst, which was chosen for its high stability, was also ineffective. Results from the two-step experiments conducted at two temperatures produced some interesting information on the reactions of methane with the catalysts and the reactivity of the carbonaceous intermediate. The carbonaceous material formed from methane dissociation at 450{degrees}C not only reduces NO to N{sub 2}O at lower temperatures, but also prevents oxidation of NO to NO{sub 2}. Unfortunately, the carbonaceous forms that reduce the NO are not available for reactions at 400{degrees}C in the presence of oxygen. A two-step process employing this chemistry would be difficult because the catalyst would have to be cycled between the two temperatures. Also the desired reduction to nitrogen is not very efficient.

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Development of an Eastern Shale Oil Residue as an Asphalt Additive - Subtask 2.5: Topical report, February 1, 1994-February 1, 1995

An evaluation of eastern shale oil as an asphalt additive to reduce oxidative age hardening and moisture susceptibility is being conducted. An eastern shale oil residue having a viscosity of 1.30 Pa`s at 60{degrees}C (140{degrees}F) was blended with three different petroleum-derived asphalts that are known to be very susceptible to oxidative aging. In addition, blends of the eastern shale oil residue and the petroleum-derived asphalts are being coated onto three different aggregates that are known to be susceptible to water stripping. The oxidative age hardening portion of this study is not complete at this time. To date, information has been obtained on the unaged samples and two of the aged petroleum-derived asphalts (AAD-1 and AAK-1). When complete, this data will include rheological data on the unaged, RTFO-aged, and the RTFO/PAV-aged samples and infrared data on the unaged and RTFO/PAV-aged samples. With respect to the rheological data, asphalt AAD-1 meets the specifications of a PG 58 asphalt while asphalt AAK-1 does not. In the latter case this indicates that AAK-1 is more appropriately evaluated at a higher temperature range. The infrared spectroscopic data obtained for the eastern shale oil residue show that it contains appreciable amounts of carbonyl and sulfoxide compound types, 0.22 absorbance units and 0. 27 moles/L, respectively. Thus, upon the addition of this residue to the three petroleum-derived asphalts the blends contain increased amounts of these functional groups relative to the petroleum-derived asphalts. This has been observed with other additives and is not considered detrimental. In addition, the data that has been collected to date indicate that the moisture susceptibility of blends of eastern shale oil residue and asphalt AAK-1 are somewhat improved when coated onto Lithonia granite.

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High Volume - High Value Usage of Flue Dry Gas Desulfurization (FGD) By-Products in Underground Mines: Quarterly report, January 1-March 31, 1997

Activities during the quarter focused on two areas: monitoring of grout strength from the field demonstration (Subtask 1.4) and construction of laboratory lysimeters to examine the leaching characteristics of the waste materials used in that demonstration (Subtask 2.4). Two of the auger holes filled in October 1996 at the demonstration site were sampled and returned to the laboratory for compressive strength, mineralogic, and chemical testing. Construction and packing of eight laboratory leaching columns (lysimeters) was also initiated. Four columns were packed with samples of grout taken from cement-mixer trucks during the emplacement (October, 1996). A fifth column was loaded with crushed material cored from borehole {number_sign}10 two months after emplacement. Samples of dry FGD material were used to prepare water/FGD waste blends that were loaded to the final three columns. Two of these latter columns were loaded with a slurry produced by blending water with the FOD waste at levels similar to those used during emplacement (approx. 38 wt%). Differing amounts of slurry was loaded to each these columns and permitted to harden prior to initiating water additions. The final column was loaded with a blend of the dry FGD waste and a lesser amount of water (27.5 wt%) to both facilitate the percolation of water through the lysimeter and to permit subsequent comparisons to previous studies of the leaching behavior of dry FOD materials.1 Weekly additions of 100 mL of distilled water have been initiated. However, due to a significant lag time between the initiation of water feed and leachate-water breakthrough, leaching data are not available for presentation at this time.

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Interfacial coatings for ceramic-matrix composites -- Volume 2. Final report

This report summarizes the task conducted to examine various activities on interface development for ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) intended for high-temperature applications. While several articles have been published on the subject of CMC interfaces, the purpose of this report is to describe the various ongoing efforts on interface concepts, material selection, and issues related to processing methods employed for developing interface coatings. The most exciting and new development in the field is the discovery of monazite as a potential interface material for mullite- and alumina-based composites. Monazite offers two critical properties to the CMC system; a weakly bonded layer due to its non-wetting behavior and chemical compatibility with both alumina and mullite up to very high temperatures (> 1,600 C). Other interesting concepts with intensive material development efforts are also being pursued and a brief discussion of these are given in the main text. While demonstration of new interface concepts seems to be the primary objective in most studies, difficulties in processing of interface coatings and designing reliable test methods for determining interface properties have actually retarded the progress. Some of the concepts appear to be simple in nature but require sophisticated processing schemes to develop the coatings. Multilayered coatings with each layer serving specific function are also being proposed. Recent studies also show that significant degradation in fiber strength (30--50%) can result from merely applying the interface coating. These factors have compounds the complexity of interface tailoring in CMCs leading to a need for specific solution for a specific CMC system.

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Task 3 - Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste. Semiannual report, November 1, 1996--March 31, 1997

Over the last 50 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has produced a wide variety of radioactive wastes from activities associated with nuclear defense and nuclear power generation. These wastes include low-level radioactive solid wastes, mixed wastes, and transuranic (TRU) wastes. A portion of these wastes consists of high- organic-content materials, such as resins, plastics, and other polymers; synthetic and natural rubbers; cellulosic-based materials; and oils, organic solvents, and chlorinated organic solvents. Many of these wastes contain hazardous and/or pyrophoric materials in addition to radioactive species. Physical forms of the waste include ion-exchange resins used to remove radioactive elements from nuclear reactor cooling water, lab equipment and tools (e.g., measurement and containment vessels, hoses, wrappings, equipment coverings and components, and countertops), oil products (e.g., vacuum pump and lubrication oils), bags and other storage containers (for liquids, solids, and gases), solvents, gloves, lab coats and anti-contamination clothing, and other items. Major polymer and chemical groups found in high-organic-content radioactive wastes include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), Teflon(TM), polystyrene (PS), nylon, latex, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), vinyl, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polycarbonate, nitrites, Tygon(R), butyl, and Tyvec(R).

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