Solid fuels quality/composition

Figure 1 shows the DTA curve obtained when a sample of diesel soot is burned in the absence of a catalyst. With increasing the temperature, four exothermic peaks appear. These peaks can be attributed to the combustion of different types of hydrocarbons constituting the soot (11). Indeed, it is known that a real soot consists of a volatile fraction, which is more active than a carbonaceous solid fraction. The composition of the volatile fraction can also vary depending on the quality of fuel and the engine s mode of operation. In some cases, aromatic, oxygenated and paraffinic compounds can be present, as well as residual coke of the lubricant (12). 

In recent years, environmental concerns over water quality have led to installation of waste water treatment plants at pulp and paper mills. The underflow from the primary clarifier has generated another solid waste disposal problem. To solve this problem, some mills are feeding clarifier sludge to hog fuel boilers. The high moisture content of the sludge in conjunction with its low Btu content creates more difficult operating conditions for the furnace. Comparative composition of TDF, coal, wood waste,... 

The key achievements at Ballard (Wilkinson 1998)15 are low Pt loading (1 mg cm-2) in 50-kW fuel cell power plants, and that of a power-to-weight ratio of 1 kW/kg. The development of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane was by no means in a final state in the late 1990s. The quality of the membrane controls the highest current density at which the cell is viable. There are open areas, too, with regard to the composition (as apart from the loading and particle size) of the catalyst a PtRu alloy... 

Although we believe that the importance of IS is demonstrated throughout this monograph by its usefulness in the various applications discussed, it is of some value to summarize the matter briefly here. IS is becoming a popular analytical tool in materials research and development because it involves a relatively simple electrical measurement that can readily be automated and whose results may often be correlated with many complex materials variables from mass transport, rates of chemical reactions, corrosion, and dielectric properties, to defects, microstructure, and compositional influences on the conductance of solids. IS can predict aspects of the performance of chemical sensors and fuel cells, and it has been used extensively to investigate membrane behavior in living cells. It is useful as an empirical quality control procedure, yet it can contribule to the interpretation of fundamental electrochemical and electronic processes. 

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