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Researchers Find Biofuel Combustion Chemistry More Complex than Petroleum-based Fuels

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:40:50 +0000

Cover of Angewandte-Chemie

Understanding the key elements of biofuel combustion is an important step toward insightful selection of next-generation alternative fuels. And that’s exactly what researchers at Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories are doing. The journal Angewandte Chemie devotes its May 10 cover to a paper co-authored by Sandia’s Nils Hansen and Lawrence Livermore’s Charles Westbrook, which examines the essential elements of biofuel combustion.

Biofuels, such as ethanol, biobutanol and biodiesel, are of increasing interest as alternatives to petroleum-based transportation fuels. According to Hansen and Westbrook, however, little research has been done on the vastly diverse and complex chemical reaction networks of biofuel combustion.

In general, the term biofuel is associated with only a few select chemical compounds, especially ethanol (used exclusively as a gasoline replacement in spark-ignition engines) and very large methyl esters in biodiesel (used as a diesel fuel replacement in diesel engines). The biofuels are oxygenated fuels, which distinguishes them from hydrocarbons in conventional petroleum-based fuels.

While much discussion surrounding biofuels has emphasized the process to make these alternative fuels and fuel additives, Hansen and Westbrook are the first to examine the characteristic aspects of the chemical pathways in the combustion of potential biofuels.

In collaboration with an international research team representing Germany, China and the U.S., Westbrook, Hansen and former Sandia post-doctoral student Tina Kasper used a combination of laser spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and flame chemistry modeling to explore the decomposition and oxidation mechanisms of certain biofuels and the formation of harmful or toxic emissions. Hansen’s experiments were conducted in part at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline of the Advanced Light Source at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

To understand the associated combustion reactions and to identify recurring reaction patterns, Hansen and Westbrook agreed, it is important to study prototypical variants of potential biofuels.

Their study was funded in part by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which supports fundamental research, including research aimed at understanding, predicting and ultimately controlling matter and energy at the electronic, atomic and molecular levels in order to provide the foundations for new energy technologies and to support DOE missions in energy, environment and national security.

Angewandte Chemie is the weekly, peer-reviewed scientific journal of the German Chemical Society.

Sandia’s Bob Carling to Speak at Present and Future Auto Engines Conference in China

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:51:07 +0000

The 11th International Conference on Present and Future Engines for Automobiles will take place from May 30th to June 3rd, 2010 in Shanghai, China. The US and Europe should take note that events such as this highlight the fact that the Chinese are committed to becoming the world leader in automobile design and manufacturing. Bob Carling, director of Sandia National Laboratories’ Transportation Energy Center in California, will give a plenary presentation at the conference on May 31 at 10 a.m. local time.

Carling’s presentation will center on major public-private initiatives designed to accelerate combustion science’s role in future transportation technologies and concept engines.

“Creating a global energy future that balances climate, security and sustainability requires unprecedented international cooperation,” said Carling. “New energy solutions, particularly in the transportation sector, will depend on a concerted effort and a new consensus that has yet to emerge.” Sandia’s Hub for Innovation in the Transportation Energy Community, or HITEC, aims to accelerate innovation in low-carbon transportation through domestic and international partnerships.

The conference will include presentations on current and future automotive powertrain technologies, emission measurement and control and new concept engines. Senior engineers, research managers from the automotive industry and members of the academic community are expected to attend the biennial event, which is restricted to 100 participants from Asia, Europe and the United States.

As part of his duties at Sandia, Carling also leads the Labs’ Combustion Research Facility.

Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.

Innovation for Green Advanced Transportation Excellence

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:08:23 +0000

i-GATE (Innovation for Green Advanced Transportation Excellence) as one of six applicants to be recognized as inaugural members of the California iHub demonstration program.

i-GATE was submitted by the city of Livermore (iHub coordinator) in close partnership with Sandia National Laboratories/California (Program Lead), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and several others, including two University of California campuses. Its mission is to maximize the economic impact of green transportation and clean energy technologies through expedited technology transfer, entrepreneurial assistance, collaboration opportunities, academic alliances and a technology incubator for the development of high-growth green businesses.

“This represents an exciting opportunity to both advance technology in the transportation arena and to increase our partnerships with the city of Livermore and local businesses,” said Rick Stulen, vice president at Sandia/California.

The i-GATE hub will be leveraged by the Livermore Valley Open Campus (LVOC), a joint venture between Sandia and LLNL that will promote greater collaboration between the world-class scientists at those labs and their partners in industry and academia. According to Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a press release last year, the LVOC will maximize the return on the nation’s investment in nuclear security.

“By leveraging the groundbreaking research of our nuclear security labs through private sector collaborations,” said Chu, “we will bring breakthroughs to the market faster and find new solutions to the energy problem.”

The i-GATE effort is designed to drive the Livermore Valley as the core of an energy research cluster that will rapidly expand to benefit the regional economy and the state of California, create jobs, mitigate climate change, increase energy security, educate the future technical workforce and form an interlocking innovation web. In addition to the LVOC, the iGATE plan leverages several current initiatives, including the National Energy Systems Technology (NEST) incubator and the i-GATE Academic Alliance.

The state’s iHub program is designed to spur economic recovery and growth by showcasing and supporting California’s most promising hubs of innovation. Six applicants were selected, including hubs in Orange County, Sacramento, the Coachella Valley and San Francisco’s North Bay (Sonoma) and Greater Mission Bay regions.

The state is now working to secure seed funding for the iHub program and is working with entities such as the U.S. Department of Commerce to pursue funding grants and other resources.

Following is the list of confirmed i-GATE partners:

City of Livermore (iHub Coordinator)
Sandia National Laboratories (i-GATE program lead)Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Joint BioEnergy Institute (DOE)Scion Group (New Zealand Crown Research Institute)
California Fuel Cell PartnershipEast Bay Economic Development Alliance
University of MichiganUniversity of California, Berkeley, CITRIS (UC Institute for Science & Innovation)
University of California, DavisCalifornia State University, East Bay
Las Positas Community CollegeSmall Business Development Center
NewLine Ventures, LLCLivermore Chamber of Commerce
City of PleasantonCity of Dublin
City of TracyCity of San Ramon
City of West SacramentoTri-Valley Business Council
Workforce IncubatorAlameda County One Stop (job training)
Alameda County Workforce InvestmentBridgelux, Inc.

Sandia National Labs Partners New Zealand Institute to address Low Carbon transportation energy issues

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:25:49 +0000

Sandia National Laboratories and Scion, a New Zealand Crown Research Institute, have signed an agreement that will focus research on the cooperative development of technical information and system studies relevant to low-carbon energy technologies.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlines the intention to develop mutually beneficial research activities between Sandia and Scion.

Bob Carling, director of Sandia’s Transportation Energy Center, said the collaboration will explore key research topics important to both organizations, including biofuels supply chain analysis, renewable energy and alternative transportation fuels, and modeling and systems analysis of energy resources.

The effort, Carling said, is aimed at leveraging complementary capabilities at each institution and furthering the strategic objectives in these areas for each party. It also signifies the first official MOU to be signed in support of Sandia’s blossoming HITEC (Hub for Innovation in the Transportation Energy Community) effort.

Tom Richardson, Scion CEO, said there is much to be gained from US-NZ scientific collaboration in this field as both countries see potential in creating new energy products from renewable resources.

“Scion has undertaken many decades of research into creating energy from woody residues. We are therefore in a strong position to both contribute to and benefit from the large research investment that the U.S. is making in this area. We welcome the opportunity to work with organizations like Sandia that have a shared interest in creating low carbon energy options for our respective consumers,” Richardson said.

Sandia is engaged in a wide variety of transportation energy research activities. It has worked extensively with General Motors and enjoys a longstanding relationship with all the major U.S. automakers. Sandia also plays a major role in the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) and other transportation energy projects.

Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies and economic competitiveness.

Scion is a crown-owned institute dedicated to building a stronger bio-based economy for New Zealand. Scion is focused on applying a deep knowledge of plantation forestry, wood and fiber to the development of new biomaterials and energy from renewable plant resources.

GM Enlists the Help of Sandia National Laboratories to Develop Hydrogen Storage Technology

admin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 08:24:40 +0000

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have successfully designed and demonstrated key features of a hydrogen storage system that utilizes a complex metal hydride material known as sodium alanate. The system, developed through a multiyear project funded by General Motors Corp., stores 3 kilograms of hydrogen and is large enough to evaluate control strategies suitable for use in vehicle applications.

The design tools developed by Sandia researchers now provide GM with a workable template for future designs, which is expected to significantly save the company costs and time when developing hydrogen storage systems for onboard vehicular applications.

Jim Spearot, GM lead executive for hydrogen storage said,

For GM, the enduring value of this project can be found in the design concepts, computational tools, and control strategies that Sandia developed. With this new body of knowledge and information, we will be able to quickly design viable systems as new storage materials emerge.

Methods have been validated

S.N.L.

Sandia researchers are quick to point out that the system was not meant to fit on board a vehicle, and that sodium alanate will not be the material of choice for onboard storage of hydrogen. But, although it is indeed larger and heavier than a viable automotive storage system requires, the system’s engineered elements address many of the thermal management issues that are necessary for successful vehicular storage of hydrogen.

“We’ve shown that we can engineer vehicle-scale energy storage systems to meet a variety of operating requirements and driving cycles, and our design methods have been validated for relevant materials,” said Sandia engineer Terry Johnson.

Johnson said Sandia is well-equipped to do similar work on behalf of other companies, including those that manufacture rolling stock, specialty, or heavy-duty vehicles. Companies that focus on other niche applications, including underwater, military, or unmanned aerial vehicles, would likely benefit from Sandia’s expertise, too, he said.

Modular heat exchange system allows flexibility

In addition to its size and storage capacity, the unique features of the Sandia system include an advanced heating system whereby a fraction of the stored hydrogen is used to provide heat to release the remaining hydrogen. This method — the catalytic combustion of hydrogen — is not new, Johnson said, but is unique to this particular application and the first to be successfully demonstrated.

We chose not to use resistive (electrically driven) heating, because it would have necessarily resulted in a larger and heavier system.

After considering a number of thermal management options, Sandia selected a “shell and tube” heat exchanger, a heating technique common in many industrial processes. The “SmartBed” — a term coined by Sandia that refers to the method for controlling a modular storage system — consists of four identical modules, each of which contains a shell and tube heat exchanger. The material used to store the hydrogen — sodium alanate — resides within the tubes, which essentially serve as a high-pressure storage vessel. Inside the shell, a heating fluid circulates to transfer heat to and from the sodium alanate.

The modular design of the system means that only a minimum amount of the storage material needs to be heated at any one time. The design also aids in the packaging of the system to fit on board a vehicle.

Sandia’s work with GM on a hydrogen storage system reflects the lab’s long history of exploring basic science for energy and transportation. From developing renewable means of producing hydrogen, to discovering the science behind hydrogen safety, to creating the building blocks of hydrogen and fuel cell systems, Sandia scientists and engineers are actively working to help hydrogen and fuel cells take their place in a sustainable energy future. Sandia is actively seeking commercial partners to further develop its hydrogen storage technologies.

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Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.