Heavy Transport Research Articles

Structure and Strength Analysis of Scissors Boom of Heavy Load Transporter through Finite Element Analysis

Structure and Strength Analysis of Scissors Boom of Heavy Load Transporter through Finite Element Analysis

Hospitalization costs of road traffic injuries in Hunan, China: A quantile regression analysis

BackgroundHealthcare expenditure of road traffic injuries in China has not been adequately investigated so far. We aim to provide comprehensive information about the hospitalization costs of inpatients who suffered road traffic injuries, and explore the components and influencing factors of costs. MethodsWe extracted the data of all inpatients (n = 60535) with road traffic injuries during the year 2019 from Chinese National Health Statistics Network Reporting System database in Hunan, China. We calculated the components of hospitalization costs and analyzed the association between hospitalization costs and patient characteristics using quantile regression models. ResultsThe median hospitalization cost was $853.48, and the median length of hospital stay was 9 days. Vulnerable road users accounted for 84.9 % of all cases. Medicine cost is the first driver of hospitalization cost, accounting for 25.94 %. In the low- and medium-cost groups, hospitalization costs were highly concentrated on diagnosis, medicine, and medical services, while in the high-cost groups, consumable cost constituted the highest percentage. Male, a longer length of stay, more severe injuries, two or more comorbidities, surgical treatment, and admission to tertiary hospitals were significantly associated with higher hospitalization costs, and the regression coefficients increased with increasing of quartile points. Costs were lower in the 0–14 years group than in the other groups across all quartiles. At the median, occupants of heavy transport vehicle incurred the highest costs, $44.18 higher than pedestrians; injuries at lower extremities generated higher costs than those at any other site; and vascular injuries caused the greatest costs, $786.24 higher than superficial injuries. ConclusionsRoad traffic injuries cause huge healthcare costs for victims, most of whom are vulnerable road users. The total cost of hospitalization is incurred mainly for medicine, consumables, diagnosis, medical services, and treatment. Patients’ demographic factors (gender and age), clinical factors (injury severity, location, nature, and number of comorbidities), treatment factors (surgery, length of stay, and hospital level), and road user type are all significantly associated with hospitalization costs.

Cloning and biological function analysis of Nramps in blueberry

The natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (Nramp) family comprises crucial membrane transport proteins that play vital roles in the transport and reuse of heavy metal ions in plants. Limited information is currently available on the Nramp family in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.; Vc). Elucidation of the mechanism underlying mineral-element deficiency and heavy metal toxicity in blueberry is essential for the sustainable development of the blueberry industry. In this study, three Nramp genes (VcNramp4, VcNramp6, and VcNramp8.2) were cloned and identified from blueberry, and their functions were analyzed in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and yeast. Sequence analysis showed that the VcNramp genes encoded 321–455 amino acids and contained 6–8 transmembrane structural domains. Expression analysis showed that VcNramp genes were significantly up-regulated under iron (Fe) deficiency. The expression of VcNramp genes was most significantly up-regulated in the roots, by 2.05-fold relative to the control group. VcNramp4 and VcNramp6 expression in yeast and A. thaliana alleviated Fe deficiency stress. Interestingly, yeast expressing VcNramp6 showed a 1.13- to 1.38-fold increase in Fe accumulation at different medium pH levels, which was significantly higher than that of yeast expressing the other VcNramp genes. All VcNramp genes respond to changes in Fe ion concentration. Among them, VcNramp6 can effectively ameliorate Fe deficiency symptoms in plants. The expression of VcNramp genes exhibited distinct tissue specificity. Notably, the expression levels of VcNramp6 and VcNramp8.2 in the stems was only 2 %–10 % of that in the roots. The results illustrated the Fe nutrient inefficiency of blueberry. Furthermore, all identified VcNramp genes responded to mild zinc or cadmium stress, but their expression levels decreased under severe zinc or cadmium stress.

Rhizosphere microbial characteristics of pioneer plant Oxyria sinensis Hemsl. in abandoned Pb-Zn mining area

Oxyria sinensis has the characteristics of drought resistance, barren resistance, pollution resistance and clonal reproduction, and has the potential to be developed as a restoration plant (pioneer plant) for vegetation restoration and heavy metal pollution control in mining wasteland. In this study, the rhizosphere microbial communities of the pioneer plant O. sinensis growing in a lead-zinc mine wasteland and the rhizosphere microbial communities of O. sinensis growing in adjacent non-mining areas were studied by field investigation. There were significant differences in the composition of microbial communities between the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis and the bare soil. There were significant differences in the composition of soil microbial communities between the non-mining area control and the lead-zinc mine wasteland. Compared with the non-mining area control, the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis in the lead-zinc mine wasteland had a unique microbial community. The dominant bacteria were Nitrospirae, Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Ascomycota and Kickxellomycota. Further gene function prediction showed that the metabolic pathway sequences related to heavy metal ion transport, heavy metal resistance and repair in the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis were more abundant than those in the control. The dominant ecological functional groups of fungi in the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis were saprophytic flora and pathological flora. Plenodomus, Surfurifusis, Sphingomonas, Filobasidium and Articulospora were enriched in the rhizosphere soil of O. sinensis in the abandoned land of lead-zinc mining area, and had high tolerance to heavy metals in the soil, indicating that O. sinensis can recruit heavy metal-tolerant microbial groups to promote its survival and adaptation in the abandoned land of the mining area.

Radiation attenuation and elemental composition of locally available ceramic tiles as potential radiation shielding materials for diagnostic X-ray rooms

Ceramic materials are being explored as alternatives to toxic lead sheets for radiation shielding due to their favorable properties like durability, thermal stability, and aesthetic appeal. However, crafting effective ceramics for radiation shielding entails complex processes, raising production costs. To investigate local viability, this study evaluated Malaysian ceramic tiles for shielding in diagnostic X-ray rooms. Different ceramics in terms of density and thickness were selected from local manufacturers. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) characterized ceramic compositions, while Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (MC PHITS) simulations determined Linear Attenuation Coefficient (LAC), Half-value Layer (HVL), Mass Attenuation Coefficient (MAC), and Mean Free Path (MFP) within the 40–150 kV energy range. Comparative analysis between MC PHITS simulations and real setups was conducted. The C3–S9 ceramic sample, known for homogeneous full-color structure, showcased superior shielding attributes, attributed to its high density and iron content. Notably, energy levels considerably impacted radiation penetration. Overall, C3–S9 demonstrated strong shielding performance, underlining Malaysia's potential ceramic tile resources for X-ray room radiation shielding.

GCN2 is required to maintain core body temperature in mice during acute cold.

Nonshivering thermogenesis in rodents requires macronutrients to fuel the generation of heat during hypothermic conditions. In this study, we examined the role of the nutrient sensing kinase, general control nonderepressible 2 (GCN2) in directing adaptive thermogenesis during acute cold exposure in mice. We hypothesized that GCN2 is required for adaptation to acute cold stress via activation of the integrated stress response (ISR) resulting in liver production of FGF21 and increased amino acid transport to support nonshivering thermogenesis. In alignment with our hypothesis, female and male mice lacking GCN2 failed to adequately increase energy expenditure and veered into torpor. Mice administered a small molecule inhibitor of GCN2 were also profoundly intolerant to acute cold stress. Gcn2 deletion also impeded liver-derived FGF21 but in males only. Within the brown adipose tissue (BAT), acute cold exposure increased ISR activation and its transcriptional execution in males and females. RNA sequencing in BAT identified transcripts that encode actomyosin mechanics and transmembrane transport as requiring GCN2 during cold exposure. These transcripts included class II myosin heavy chain and amino acid transporters, critical for maximal thermogenesis during cold stress. Importantly, Gcn2 deletion corresponded with higher circulating amino acids and lower intracellular amino acids in the BAT during cold stress. In conclusion, we identify a sex-independent role for GCN2 activation to support adaptive thermogenesis via uptake of amino acids into brown adipose.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This paper details the discovery that GCN2 activation is required in both male and female mice to maintain core body temperature during acute cold exposure. The results point to a novel role for GCN2 in supporting adaptive thermogenesis via amino acid transport and actomyosin mechanics in brown adipose tissue.

Dose and irradiation time analysis of negative pi-meson therapy using particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS)

Dose and irradiation time analysis of negative pi-meson therapy using particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS)

Development of an electron track-structure mode for arbitrary semiconductor materials in PHITS

Abstract Optimizing the design of semiconductor detector requires an electron track-structure code that can trace an incident electron motion with energies down to a few eV and simulate the production process of excited electrons in semiconductors. We therefore developed an Electron Track Structure mode applicable to ARbitrary Targets (ETSART) and implemented it into Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS). ETSART can simulate the electrons’ motion in arbitrary semiconductor materials using their bandgap energies. The accuracy of ETSART was validated by comparing the calculated electron path lengths in semiconductor materials with the corresponding data in the ICRU Report 37. Using ETSART, we also computed the mean energy required to produce an electron–hole pair (epsilon value) in various semiconductors and found that the epsilon value varies nonlinearly with the bandgap energy. Thus, ETSART can be useful for initial and mechanistic evaluations of electron–hole pair formation in new materials.

"Ankara Batıkent Mesa Bölgesinde Zemin Deformasyon Kontrolü: Metro Hattı Kontrolü

Subway systems in large cities play a crucial role in enhancing the sustainability and livability levels of urban areas by offering a solution to heavy traffic and transportation problems. Subway tunnels are critical transportation infrastructures that are constructed to serve residential areas, and thus, they have a direct relationship with residential areas in terms of construction and operation. This study is designed to generate precise data by analyzing ground deformation of metro systems using the Persistent Scatterer (PSI) Interferometry method and utilizing free dataThe Batıkent-Törekent metro line in Ankara is identified with the M3 code. At the location where M3 metro passes, ground deformation has been detected. In the analysis of the relevant location, both ascending and descending Sentinel-1 satellite datasets were used. The StaMPS (Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers)/PSI (approach was utilized in the study. It was found that the results obtained from the ascending datasets were more sensitive. Observations were made in two different periods using ascending datasets: 2015-2016 and 2017-2022. Deformations were observed in the Line of Sight (LOS) direction in the locations where rail systems and tunnels were present. Eight months after the observation, due to the ground deformation in the area, passenger safety was at risk, and a ground strengthening work was carried out, resulting in a 16-day shutdown of the metro system in this location. The results of this study provide concrete contributions to the literature on the possibility of accurate ground measurement using free data

Detection Limit of a NaI(Tl) Survey Meter to Measure <sup>131</sup>I Accumulation in Thyroid Glands of Children after a Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Background: This study examined the detection limit of thyroid screening monitoring conducted at the time of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in 2011 using a Monte Carlo simulation.Materials and Methods: We calculated the detection limit of a NaI(Tl) survey meter to measure 131I accumulation in the thyroid gland of children. Mathematical phantoms of 1- and 5-year-old children were developed in the simulation of the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System code. Contamination of the body surface with eight radionuclides found after the FDNPP accident was assumed to have been deposited on the neck and shoulder area.Results and Discussion: The detection limit was calculated as a function of ambient dose rate. In the case of 40 Bq/cm2 contamination on the body surface of the neck, the present simulations showed that residual thyroid radioactivity corresponding to thyroid dose of 100 mSv can be detected within 21 days after intake at the ambient dose rate of 0.2 μSv/hr and within 11 days in the case of 2.0 μSv/hr. When a time constant of 10 seconds was used at the dose rate of 0.2 μSv/hr, the estimated survey meter output error was 5%. Evaluation of the effect of individual differences in the location of the thyroid gland confirmed that the measured value would decrease by approximately 6% for a height difference of ±1 cm and increase by approximately 65% for a depth of 1 cm.Conclusion: In the event of a nuclear disaster, simple measurements carried out using a NaI(Tl) scintillation survey meter remain effective for assessing 131I intake. However, it should be noted that the presence of short-half-life radioactive materials on the body surface affects the detection limit.

Development of nuclear de-excitation model EBITEM Ver.2

ABSTRACT The gamma de-excitation model of the general-purpose radiation transport code Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System, called the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF)-Based Isomeric Transition and isomEr production Model (EBITEM) has been upgraded with a focus on precise neutron-capture reaction simulation. The first de-excitation subsequent to neutron capture of numerous nuclei, which was formerly simulated by a model based on the single particle model, is calculated using the Evaluated Gamma Activation File. The database used for further de-excitation, ENSDF, retrieved in 2013, was replaced with Reference Input Parameter Library 3 to consider internal conversion. The internal conversion process was interfaced with the atomic de-excitation model to assess the emission of Auger electrons and fluorescent X-rays. The spectra of gamma-rays from neutron-capture reactions calculated by the upgraded EBITEM correlate better with the evaluated cross-section data than those of the previous version.

Developing A New Model for Assessment of Heavy Vehicle-Pedestrian Collisions

The treatment and analysis of accidents involving heavy transport vehicles and pedestrians include the identification and treatment of a certain number of factors that may differ from the cases of passenger vehicle-pedestrian accidents. The aim of this paper is to develop a new model with better performance for speed estimation and reconstruction of accidents involving heavy vehicles and pedestrians. In a large number of cases during the research, it was observed that the experts used the same models for passenger vehicles as for transport vehicles. Likewise, a number of factors that have an impact on heavy vehicle accidents with pedestrians are not included as factors that have an impact on other accidents. The newly developed model, which has better performance than other models, can help experts in the case of analysis, speed determination, and reconstruction of accidents involving heavy vehicles and pedestrians. The model describes more than 94% of the most influential factors in the model (R2 = 0.945). This model will provide a novel way to examine crashes involving heavy vehicles and pedestrians, generating highly precise results for speed calculation which can be used to recreate the technical aspects of the accident. Additionally, it will help specialists in the field when preparing their expert opinion, specifically when heavy vehicles and pedestrians are involved, by providing a model which is different from the standard approach and yields more reliable outcomes.

A pluralist assessment of industrialization

The established method of health technology assessment (HTA) is in this study expanded to a Pluralist Technology Assessment (PTA) including the Ecosystem in the production function. Market economy can grow by moderate reciprocal relations where the Government supports the framework for free market enterprise. However, the PTA concludes that industrial side-effects such as global warming and job-related stress today more than outweigh contemporary gains by GDP growth. Sustainable development requires a stronger economic reciprocity with collaborative (public) finance of interventions for the common good in accordance with the democratic social contract claimed by Rousseau 1762. A development from moderate to strong reciprocity is definitely a biological option based on across-the-center collaboration between Social Liberal and Social Democrat parties. A critical economic-political reform for such sustainable development is a CO2 Tariff (ET) towards global warming. However, in a globalized economy there is a national conflict of interests between Eco-protection by ET and business/employment which slows down the implementation. So, a globalized economy requires that the ET is implemented from the international level. A major part of the international ET revenue, for instance by the partners of the Paris Agreement 2015, can be used for Direct Air Capture of CO2 (DAC) and spillover technologies for instance synthetic fuels for heavy transport by sea and aircrafts. At the national level, the ET revenue must be used partly for social compensation to low-income groups, partly for new technology development in special sectors as agriculture and transport by sea and air. At the population level, “Simple Living” as a bottom-up alternative to consumerism complements the political interventions. Part of Simple Living is meditative in-depth-relaxation for better stress-management where a professional collaboration between Medicine and Health Economics can accelerate the development.

Combining Renewable Electricity and Renewable Carbon: Understanding Reaction Mechanisms of Biomass-Derived Furanic Compounds for Design of Catalytic Nanomaterials.

ConspectusDespite the growing deployment of renewable energy conversion technologies, a number of large industrial sectors remain challenging to decarbonize. Aviation, heavy transport, and the production of steel, cement, and chemicals are heavily dependent on carbon-containing fuels and feedstocks. A hopeful avenue toward carbon neutrality is the implementation of renewable carbon for the synthesis of critical fuels, chemicals, and materials. Biomass provides an opportune source of renewable carbon, naturally capturing atmospheric CO2 and forming multicarbon linkages and useful chemical functional groups. The constituent molecules nonetheless require various chemical transformations, often best facilitated by catalytic nanomaterials, in order to access usable final products.Catalyzed transformations of renewable biomass compounds may intersect with renewable energy production by offering a means to utilize excess intermittent electricity and store it within chemical bonds. Electrochemical catalytic processes can often offer advantages in energy efficiency, product selectivity, and modular scalability compared to thermal-driven reactions. Electrocatalytic reactions with renewable carbon feedstocks can further enable related processes such as water splitting, where value-adding organic oxidation reactions may replace the evolution of oxygen. Organic electroreduction reactions may also allow desirable hydrogenations of bonds without intermediate formation of H2 and need for additional reactors.This Account highlights recent work aimed at gaining a fundamental understanding of transformations involving biomass-derived molecules in electrocatalytic nanomaterials. Particular emphasis is placed on the oxidation of biomass derived furanic compounds such as furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which can yield value-added chemicals, including furoic acid (FA), maleic acid (MA), and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) for renewable materials and other commodities. We highlight advanced implementations of online electrochemical mass spectrometry (OLEMS) and vibrational spectroscopies such as attenuated total reflectance surface enhanced infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS), combined with microkinetic models (MKMs) and quantum chemical calculations, to shed light on the elementary mechanistic pathways involved in electrochemical biomass conversion and how these paths are influenced by catalytic nanomaterials. Perspectives are given on the potential opportunities for materials development toward more efficient and selective carbon-mitigating reaction pathways.

Plant cadmium resistance 10 enhances tolerance to toxic heavy metals in poplar

Toxic heavy metals originating from human activities have caused irreversible harm to the environment. Toxic heavy metal ions absorbed by crop plants can seriously threaten human health. Therefore, decreasing heavy metal contents in crop plants is an urgent need. The plant cadmium resistance protein (PCR) is a heavy metal ion transporter. In this study, PePCR10 was cloned from Populus euphratica. Bioinformatics analyses revealed its transmembrane structure and gene sequence motifs. The transcript profile of PePCR10 was analyzed by RT-qPCR, and its transcript levels increased under toxic heavy metal (cadmium, lead, aluminum) treatments. Subcellular localization analyses in tobacco cells revealed that PePCR10 localizes at the plasma membrane. Compared with wild type (WT), PePCR10-overexpressing lines showed significantly higher values for plant height, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight under heavy metal stress. Electrolyte leakage, nitroblue tetrazolium staining, and chlorophyll fluorescence analyses indicated that Cd/Al tolerance in PePCR10-overexpressing lines was stronger than that in WT. The Cd/Al contents were lower in the PePCR10-overexpressing lines than in WT under Cd/Al stress. Our results show that PePCR10 can reduce the heavy metal content in poplar and enhance its Cd/Al tolerance. Hence, PePCR10 is a candidate genetic resource for effectively reducing heavy metal accumulation in crops.

Autonomous IoT for Condition Monitoring, Assessment and Predictive Maintenance ‐ Advances

AbstractRocket NG is a startup with experts in civil engineering, electronics, and network engineering. We offer and operate a self‐developed end‐to‐end IoT system for condition monitoring, condition assessment and predictive maintenance. The system is reliable and ease to apply.In this paper the autonomous monitoring system is discussed regarding security, reliability, ease of use and artificial intelligence on the edge (smart algorithms used on the nodes). Additionally, the importance of an easy installation and an intuitive data representation are on discussion.Five applications will be presented. The first application is a crack monitoring on a cantilever bridge. There, different data acquisition modes will be shown for the assessment of static loads, dynamic loads and temperature induced displacements. The second application shows the crack width opening due to heavy transport. The third application addresses the wetting and drying of chloride contaminated water in a concrete wall beside a motorway. The fourth is a monitoring of a passive cathodic protection system. Finally, a digitalization of an analog legacy Extensometer is shown.

Analysis of the effect of operational load fluctuations on heavy vehicle gearbox wear

This research focuses on the wear analysis of heavy vehicle gearbox systems, with particular emphasis on the case study of operational load fluctuations as a factor influencing wear rates. Heavy vehicles play a central role in various industries, and gearboxes are key components that affect operational performance and reliability. In this study, we collected operational data from various heavy vehicles operating under various conditions and environments. Through rigorous statistical analysis, we were able to identify a significant relationship between operational load fluctuations and gearbox wear rates. The results indicate that an increase in operational load fluctuations can proportionally increase the wear rate. These results have important implications in the development of smarter and more efficient maintenance strategies for heavy vehicles, which can reduce unexpected maintenance costs and increase gearbox service life. In addition, this study also confirmed that the basic assumptions in regression analysis, such as normality of residuals, homoscedasticity, and independence of residuals, were well met. This validates the results of the regression analysis and provides a solid basis for decision-making in the context of heavy vehicle maintenance. Recommendations for further research development include more detailed data collection, the use of more advanced analysis methods, and the application of sensor and IoT technologies for real-time monitoring. With continued research in this area, we can advance our understanding of wear on heavy vehicle gearboxes and support the development of smarter maintenance strategies in the heavy transportation industry.

Ammonia as an SOFC Fuel

The conventional production route of ammonia relies on natural gas as a source of hydrogen and is thus very CO2 intensive; almost 2% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions stems from ammonia synthesis. This will have to change over the next two to three decades, where a “green route” to ammonia must be deployed to ensure required emission reductions.The annual production of ammonia is currently around 180 million tons of which ~80% is used for fertilizer production. This will likely increase due to increased fertilizer demand, but also because ammonia is a promising energy vector and a potential green fuel for the shipping sector. The expected energy demand for global shipping by 2050 is in the order of ~15 EJ [1]. It will be difficult to cover such a large demand by bio-mass derived fuels (e.g. methanol) considering global limitations in sustainable biomass resources and the needs of other sectors like aviation, heavy transport and chemical industry [1]. Hence, for the green transition efficient and sustainable routes to green ammonia are important, as will be efficient technologies to convert ammonia to electricity.Ammonia is an excellent fuel for SOFCs as previously reported in several studies [2], [3]. We have in the framework of the project “SOC4NH3” [3] investigated the impacts of firing an SOEC with ammonia in terms of its impact on overall losses, the cell degradation mechanisms as well as potential benefits.SOEC durability, when operating on ammonia, was followed over extended test periods between 2000 and 6000 hours at single cell level at different temperatures and current densities. The cells were Ni/YSZ-supported thin electrolyte cells of a 5*5 cm2 foot-print. The degradation rates observed when feeding with ammonia were very similar to degradation rates observed for the same cells when operated in a 1:3 gas mixture of N2/H2.Also the detailed electrochemical performance was explored at different temperatures using impedance spectroscopy. An example of impedance spectra obtained when feeding ammonia to the cell or a N2/H2 gas mixture at ca. 850 oC and 675 oC is presented in Figure 1. When feeding ammonia a cooling is observed due to the endothermic nature of the cracking reaction. This leads to a slight increase in both series resistance and polarization resistance. Therefore, the impedance responses in the ammonia experiments is in the Figure compared to responses obtained in N2/H2 at a slightly lower furnace set-point temperature (5-10 oC lower). Evidently, at around 850 oC, the only effect on the impedance response of feeding ammonia directly is the slight reduction in temperature; the N2/H2 and NH3 responses are practically identical when comparing characteristics at furnace set-point temperatures of 845 oC and 850 oC for N2/H2 and NH3, respectively. In contrast, if the same experiment is conducted at around 675 oC a difference between the response in ammonia and the response in N2/H2 is observed. The difference in behavior cannot be compensated by just lowering the furnace temperature a bit to simulate the impact of a cooling. The impedance at high frequency in ammonia is clearly much larger than for the N2/H2 feed. Note here, that the Rs in the two different feeds is practically identical. Hence, we have to conclude that there is a direct negative effect of the presence of ammonia at the electrode on the hydrogen oxidation kinetics. The effect is stronger than what can be ascribed to cooling and dilution of the H2. The details will be discussed in the paper.SOFC operation on ammonia and its impact at stack level was also explored. Potential advantages of ensuring that a part of the ammonia cracks inside the stack, as opposed to up-stream the stack, was addressed by modelling. Finally, a TSP1 SOFC stack from Topsoe A/S was operated with some internal ammonia cracking. The results will be presented and discussed to elucidate benefits and limitations in operating SOFC stacks with internal cracking of ammonia. Acknowledgment The work was supported by the EUDP-project SOC4NH3; Grant Agreement 64018-0546. References MarEfuel Project report; “Electro-fuels for long range maritime transport”, 2021. https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/projects/electro-fuels-for-long-range-maritime-transport, available from Orbit DTU. J.B. Hansen, J. Madsen, J.U. Nielsen, N. Christiansen, Proceedings European SOFC Fuel Cell Forum, Luzern, Switzerland (2010), and A. Hagen. Risø International Energy Conference 2007, Risø-R-1608(EN) 3. John Bøgild Hansen and Peter Vang Hendriksen 2019 ECS Trans. 91 2455. Figure 1

(Invited) Hydroxide Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers for Green Hydrogen: From Organic Chemistry to MW Stacks

With their increasing availability and rapid price decrease, clean electrons have been leading the way for our global decarbonization efforts. However clean electrons have limitations and cannot access certain sectors of our economy. Green hydrogen as a molecule has unique advantages over clean electrons in areas of chemical synthesis, heavy duty transportation, and long duration and cross sector energy storage. In this presentation I will share our past and latest work on hydroxide exchange membranes, electrocatalysis including electrochemical interface work, and the effort to develop a pure water-fed MW HEM electrolzyer stack.

Pemion®, a High-Performance Hydrocarbon Proton-Exchange Membrane Demonstrating >100 °C Stability for Next-Generation Heavy Duty Fuel Cell Systems

Until recently it was thought that hydrocarbon-based (i.e. non-fluorinated) proton-exchange membranes faced intractable issues in achieving the high performances, chemical stability, and mechanical integrity for effective integration into fuel cells. However, Pemion® PF1-HLF8-15-X, a composite membrane incorporating a new class of polyarylene sulfonic acids, has been commercialized to meet and exceed precedents set for decades by perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs) membranes. These attributes include: The first demonstrable success in all three categories of US Department of Energy accelerated stress tests (open circuit, humidity cycling, combined oxidative-mechanical cycling) without additives, using mass-market components and processes. This suggests greater system lifetimes are achievable and readily incorporated by fuel cell OEMs. Consistent high performances that exceed heavy duty targets (e.g. peak power densities >1.4 W/cm² with a 15 µm membrane) exhibiting comparable area resistances to state-of-the-art PFSA-based materials but across a broader operational temperature range, including a higher temperature operating window of 95 °C without area resistance gain and 110 °C without degradation, This enables long-targeted benefits, chief among which are heat exchanger size reductions and an end to over-specification for heavy duty transportation and aviation applications. Significantly reduced gas crossover in all conditions This enables greater fuel efficiency and the potential for increased component lifetimes or operational pressures. A green and “future proof” chemistry In light of EU-REACH and EPA threat of regulation and the fact that PFSAs emit fluorinated acid derivative PFAS of concern during operation, hydrocarbon materials are the only way to ensure a robust supply chain into the future, with additional benefits of simplifying recycling at end-of-life.These combined benefits represent the near-term potential to realize a step-function alteration in the economic viability of fuel cell systems for both transportation and stationary applications.