Electrical power prototypes

The strain in electric field-associated bending of a PVA-PAA gel is given by the equation g = 6DY/L2 (see Eq. 21). The strain depends on the electric power applied to the gel. Thus, the deflection increases as the thickness becomes small even if the electric power remains constant. The PVA-PAA gel rod of 1 mm diameter bends semicircularly within 1 s under both dc and ac excitation. An artificial fish with a PVA-PAA gel tail 0.7 mm thick has been designed, and it has been demonstrated that the fish swims forward at a velocity of 2 cm/sec as the gel flaps back and forth under sinusoidally varied electric fields (Fig. 13b). This prototype of a biomimetic actuator shows that translational motion may be produced using bending deformation [74],... 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has started the billion- dollar, FutureGen project to demonstrate a 275-megawatt prototype plant that cogenerates electric power and hydrogen and sequesters 90% of the C02. 

SOFC-a Siemens Westing house Power Corporation demonstration of SO FC electrical generator prototype and development of balance-of-systems components for a SOFC CHP to generate up to 250 kW, enough for 50 homes. 

To decrease the start-up time and the electrical power demand requested for the air supply system, Whyatt et al. [10] redesigned the [ISV 3] system completely. The aim was to meet the U S Department of Energy ambient temperature start-up time demand targets, which are < 1 min by 2005 and < 30 s by 2010. Figure 2.84a shows the flow schematics of the device and the prototype is shown in Figure 2.84b. 

Having now determined to total amount of nuclear electricity required, the thorium fuel input to the energy amplifiers can be calculated from the design data of Rubbia and Rubio (1996). The thermal output from the prototype design reactor is 1500 MW, with a fuel amount of 27.6 t in the reactor (Fig. 5.42). The fuel will sit in the reactor heat-generating unit for 5 years, after which the "spent" fuel will be reprocessed to allow for manufacture of a new fuel load with only 2.9 t of fresh thorium oxide supply. This means that 2.6/5 t y of thorium fuel is required for delivery of 5 x 1500 MWy of thermal power over 5 years, or 675 MWy of electric power, of which the 75 MWy is used for powering the accelerator and other in-plant loads. The bottom line is that 1 kg of thorium fuel produces very close to 1 MWy of electric power, and 1 kt thorium produces close to 1 TWh. ... 

Alcoa process. A more efficient method of producing aluminum from bauxite that requires one-third less electric power than the Hall process. Alumina is reacted with chlorine, the resulting aluminum chloride yielding the metal and chlorine on electrolysis. No fluorine is required in the process. Prototype plants are under development. 

The electric drive, DC-DC converter and Pb battery pack are equipped with sensors able to monitor all the main parameters of the electric power train during the tests. All the analogic and digital signals are connected to a J-space prototyping system, programmed by means of MathWorks MATE AB development tools. 

In the Sulzer-Hexis prototype (shown schematically in Figure 12.18b), which runs on natural gas, the key component is the ceramic/metal hybrid stack with circular planar elements. The inner round aperture (2.2 cm diameter) is used as a channel for the fuel supply, while the metallic interconnect ensures an electrical contact between the individual segments of the stack, and also distributes the gases onto the surface of the electrodes. The fuel pours radially out of the channel at the anode end ofthe cell to the outside. Simultaneously, preheated air is fed from the outside to the interior of the stack through four channels, and then redirected so as to flow radially over the cathode end of the cell to the outside. The fuel, which is not converted on the anode, is burned off at the edge of the stack. This fuel cell has been developed to supply, simultaneously, an electrical power of 1 kW and a thermal capacity of approximately 2.5 kW. 

Prototype Efficiency Measurements. A variety of LSC devices have been tested by ourselves and others. Table I is Intended to be a representative list of typical performance parameters. Again, the geometric gain is the ratio of the area exposed to the sun to the active area of the edge. The flux gain is the factor by which the short circuit current increased when attached to the plate, as opposed to facing the sun directly. The cell efficiency is the measured or assumed AMI efficiency of the solar cells used (which in all cased were silicon). The collector efficiency is the total electrical power out divided by the total sunlight power incident on the plate. 

Table I. Prototype performances. Devices B and D were made and tested by Owens Illinois. The rest were made and tested at Caltech. The collector efficiency is the assumed AMI cell efficiency times the flux gain divided by the geometrical gain, and corresponds to the electrical power output per solar power input.

FIGURE 44.8 Typical prototype designs of total artificial hearts (a) pneumatically powered TAH. The right and left ventricular chambers, inflow and outflow valves, as well as the connector for the pneumatic line are visible in the photograph (b) electrically powered TAH. Shown are the external battery pack, transcutaneous energy transmission system (TETS) primary and secondary coils, implanted electronics, energy converter and the blood pumps, compliance chamber and the subcutaneous access port. (Courtesy of G. Rosenberg, Pennsylvania State University.)... 

Three different trends in the road traffic are apparent purely electrically powered cars, hybrid cars with the option to be entirely powered by electricity and fuel ceU cars running on hydrogen. Three prototypes for each development shell be named BMW i3, VW XLl and Mercedes Benz F-Cell. All three cars are launched. 

On the prototype reactor Monju, the initial criticality was achieved in April 1994 and the start-up tests are in progress. The reactor power has been increased gradually from February 1995. Generation of electric power and connection to the grid will be started in July 1995. 

Apart from the prototype FBR MONJU, much research and development (R D) has already been performed to complete the design of the Demonstration FBR, sponsored by nine Japanese utilities, Electric Power Development Co., Ltd., and the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC). The R D included the development of new types of equipment for sodium cooled reactors such as highly reliable electromagnetic pumps and double-walled tube steam generators with leak detection systems for both sodium and water/steam. This new equipment is considered to become more important for the commercialization of sodium cooled reactors, and the 4S is adopting these technologies in its design. 

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