Tank Technology Research Articles

Exploring variations in the weight, size and shape of liquid hydrogen tanks for zero-emission fuel-cell vessels

We report an exploration of liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank technology, determining if improving LH2 tank weight, multiplicity or shape enables more hydrogen to be stored on hydrogen vessels. The improvements investigated are well beyond the current LH2 technology state-of-the-art. The platform for this study is a monohull H2 Baseline research vessel powered 100% by hydrogen.Regarding weight reductions, we found that the research vessel does not benefit significantly from large weight reductions of the LH2 tanks. A 50% reduction in mass of the inner pressure vessel led to a 3.1% reduction in the total research vessel weight. Reducing the LH2 tank weight to the asymptotic limit of zero results in a 7.1% reduction in the overall research vessel weight. This maritime application, while benefitting from a reduction in LH2 tank weight, is not a strong driver for LH2 tank weight improvements.The two large LH2 tanks of the H2 Baseline Vessel can be replaced with a multitude of smaller LH2 tanks. In two Multiplicity design variants, the total amount of stored LH2 was ∼5–9% less than that of the H2 Baseline Vessel, which does not motivate conducting the needed R&D that would drive the technology to smaller high-performing LH2 tanks.We did find a significant benefit to improving the shape of LH2 tanks, towards prismatic tanks that would better match the vessel hullform. Considering a “Shape Variant” that included space-consuming features such as tank connection spaces, manifolding and ventilation, we found a 26% improvement in stored LH2 compared to the H2 Baseline Vessel. The large improvement in storage capacity could warrant further LH2 tank R&D that can enable high performing prismatic LH2 tanks, such as pressure vessel steel developments allowing for higher strength/ductility at 20 K, improved insulation systems, methods for efficiently building prismatic tanks with insulation systems fit for 20 K service and flare-less techniques for managing heat leak (venting).The results are reviewed considering the current regulatory restrictions as well as prevailing limitations in LH2 tank manufacturing.

The Future of Septic Tanks: Uncovering Technological Trends through Patent Analysis

As global urbanisation, industrialisation, and population growth escalate, the production of wastewater also increases, leading to significant water pollution on a global scale. This pollution poses severe threats to environmental health, wildlife, and human communities. In rural areas where centralised sewage systems are often absent, septic tanks play a crucial role in managing wastewater. They separate solids from liquids and facilitate the biological decomposition of organic matter. This paper utilises a Patent Landscape Review (PLR) to analyse the scope and direction of innovations in septic tank technology. Conducted on 23 September 2022, the patent search targeted filings from January 2001 through June 2022 to identify prevailing trends and advancements within this field. Through a detailed examination of 889 patents, categorised by keywords, processes, materials, and designs, this study offers a comprehensive overview of the patent landscape for septic tanks. Key findings indicate that fibreglass cylindrical tanks dominate the market due to their durability and efficiency. This review also highlights a growing trend towards modular septic systems, which offer scalable solutions adaptable to specific environmental conditions. Furthermore, some patents propose the repurposing of various objects as septic tanks, demonstrating a move towards sustainability by reducing waste and enhancing environmental conservation. This paper emphasises the importance of continued innovation in septic tank technology to address the challenges of effective wastewater management in underserved rural communities.

Solutions for urban sanitation: A case study of Imhoff tank technology in Bandung, Dutch East Indies (1917‒1938)

This research investigates how municipalities managed wastewater in the Dutch East Indies in the early 20th century. We focus on Bandung, one of the most important cities in the Dutch East Indies, which transformed into a modern residential area, economic center, and seat of government. This research combines primary data from written sources and field observations using historical-archaeological methods. The written sources include official reports from the Public Works Department, Civil Health Department, Bandung City Council, old maps, sewer network designs, environmental engineering journals, and newspapers published from 1909 to 1941. Using the techno-environmental approach introduced by Martin V. Melosi, this study considers urban technology as a strategic response by decision-makers to address the challenges faced by developing cities in the early 20th century. The study reveals that Bandung City faced environmental problems, such as the natives' habit of defecating in rivers and open spaces, spreading diseases, and potentially polluting river water. These problems arose due to the lack of sanitation facilities and the densely populated settlements, especially in the native and Chinese residential areas. To address these challenges, policymakers, environmental engineers, and researchers initiated the design and implementation of sewers, public toilets, and wastewater treatment plants in 1917. The Municipality integrated sewers with the Imhoff Tank sewage treatment technology developed by researchers and engineers from 1932 to 1938 to introduce circular sewage treatment. Imhoff Tanks was a significant technological innovation in the Dutch East Indies. In the early 20th century, only a handful of cities in the Dutch East Indies, including Bandung, Medan, and Yogyakarta, had integrated sewer networks. Among the cities that did have sewer networks, Bandung pioneered the implementation of the Imhoff Tank. As a result, it emerged as an important laboratory and development center for Bandung and the entire Dutch East Indies. The Imhoff Tank treatment process, which produces clean water, fertilizer, and methane gas that can be used as vehicle fuel, was part of a proactive strategy pioneered by policymakers in Bandung in the early 20th century, reflecting their vision to create a healthy and sustainable city.

Blended Wing Body Configuration for Hydrogen-Powered Aviation

Hydrogen aircraft have the potential to achieve more significant climate impact reductions at a lower cost than aircraft powered by biofuels or other drop-in sustainable aviation fuels. Nevertheless, even as a liquid, hydrogen requires four times more volume than kerosene to store the same energy. Companies and researchers have suggested that the blended wing body configuration is well-suited to hydrogen because it can efficiently store large fuel tanks. However, nobody has quantified this claim, at least publicly. We address this gap by comparing optimized kerosene and hydrogen versions of blended wing body and tube and wing aircraft. Our models predict that, with ambitious hydrogen tank technology assumptions, a hydrogen blended wing body has a 3.8% energy penalty compared to a kerosene blended wing body. In contrast, the energy penalty for a tube and wing is 5.1%. These results suggest that the blended wing body configuration is slightly better suited to hydrogen than a tube and wing. However, the conclusion breaks down under less optimistic scenarios where lightweight conformal liquid hydrogen tanks are unavailable. Nonetheless, the energy penalties of switching the two configurations to hydrogen have a similar order of magnitude. Any kerosene blended wing body fuel burn benefit over a tube and wing also applies to hydrogen versions. As a result, kerosene blended wing body technology developments, such as maturing the structural design of the noncircular pressurized passenger cabin, remain valuable for future hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Inactivation of Escherichia coli in domestic wastewater by modified septic tank treatment

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets for the improvement of drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) makes the development of wastewater infrastructure in many countries is increasing. In Indonesia, the development of sewer connections remained limited nationally, most households still rely on on-site sanitation systems that mainly use septic tanks technology. Septic tank as watertight containment itself cannot provide the treatment to comply with the effluent standard of domestic wastewater, while a lot of application of septic tank do not follow by suggested technology for further treatment. That makes the need of septic tank improvement as modified septic tank (MST) system. One of parameters removed by MST better is microbial content. This research aims to identify Escherichia coli inactivation in MST, how the process along the treatment impact E. coli concentration and identification the effectiveness of trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) tablet application as disinfectant in E. coli inactivation, and concurrently safe to environment. This research was conducted in laboratory using MST reactor set-up consists of pre-sedimentation chamber, fixed bed anoxic chamber, and MBBR chamber to treat synthetic wastewater. The synthetic wastewater, composed by C6H12O6, NH4Cl, KH2PO4 and E. coli culture is used. With influent E. coli concentration was 108-109, it was reduced to 108 in pre sedimentation chamber, 106-107 in fixed bed anoxic chamber, 105-106 in MBBR chamber and final effluent, all in MPN/100 ml unit. E. coli was inactivated 99.84% along MST process but with relative high concentration to be discharged. Application of TCCA tablet 90% active chlorine with contact time 15 minutes is adequate to inactivate E. coli completely but generates high concentration of chlorine residual.

Assessment of hydrogen gas turbine-fuel cell powerplant for rotorcraft

Conventional turboshaft engines are high power density movers suffering from low efficiency at part power operation and producing significant emissions. This paper presents a design exploration and feasibility assessment of a hybrid hydrogen-fueled powerplant for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) rotorcraft. A multi-disciplinary approach is devised comprising models for rotorcraft performance, tank and subsystems sizing and engine performance. The respective trade-offs between payload-range and mission level performance are quantified for kerosene-fueled and hybrid hydrogen tilt-rotor variants. The effects of gas turbine scaling and fuel cell pressurization are evaluated for different hybridization degrees. Gas turbine scaling with hybridization (towards the fuel cell) results in up to 21% benefit in energy consumption relative to the non-scaled case with the benefits being more pronounced at high hybridization degrees. Pressurizing the fuel cell has shown significant potential as cell efficiency can increase up to 10% when pressurized to 6 bar which translates to a 6% increase in overall efficiency. The results indicate that current fuel cells (1 kW/kg) combined with current hydrogen tank technology severely limit the payload-range capability of the tilt-rotor. However, for advanced fuel cell technology (2.5 kW/kg) and low ranges, hybrid powerplant show the potential to reduce energy consumption and reduce emissions footprint.

Comparative study of multiple-mode collaborative operation strategy and traditional heat and power decoupling technologies for cogeneration system based on GTCC

This study proposes a multiple-mode collaborative operation strategy for the first time, which integrates compressor inlet air heating mode, gas turbine interstage extraction mode, and back pressure heating mode. This operation strategy can improve the peak shaving flexibility of the cogeneration system based on gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC). This article uses Ebsilon software to simulate cogeneration system based on GTCC under different heat and power decoupling technologies and obtain the heat and power operation region. The peak performance of different heat and power decoupling technologies on heating characteristic days are analyzed. Meanwhile, the impact of objective power load changes is studied. The results show that during the whole heating season, compared with the conventional operation mode without heat and power decoupling technology, the multiple-mode collaborative operation strategy, electric boiler (EB) technology, and heat storage tank (HST) technology are adopted, and the renewable energy integration of the cogeneration system based on GTCC are increased by 1.16 × 105 MW, 1.37 × 105 MW and 5.65 × 104 MW, respectively. In addition, When the objective power load is 197.5 MW or 120 MW, taking into account the integration of renewable energy, natural gas consumption, and system benefits, the multiple-mode collaborative operation strategy is the optimal choice.

Upaya Peningkatan Kualitas Sanitasi Masyarakat Pesisir Laut di Pulau Belakang Padang Menggunakan Communal Septic Tank

Sanitation issues are important to pay attention to because they have a negative impact on various aspects of life. Development of sanitation facilities and infrastructure really needs efforts related to environmental aspects and public health. The problem that occurs in Kampung Tengah is about the quality of sanitation. The purpose of this research is to analyze sanitation problems that occur in Kampung Tengah village. From these data results will be obtained which will be used to improve and propose solutions for infrastructure development to improve sanitation conditions according to local conditions. Data collection used field observation methods by distributing data questionnaires. Then the data was tested using SPSS software, to ensure the validity and reliability of the data collected. The results showed that the sanitation quality of Kampung Tengah was classified as poor. Residents do not have a septic tank, the environment around the house is dirty and slum due to the absence of high tide. So it is necessary to improve the quality of sanitation by building a septic tank. The communal septic tank is a solution for the residents of Kampung Tengah who have limited land and cannot afford to build their own septic tank. In addition, to adapt to the socio-economic conditions of the residents, biofilter septic tank technology is needed. To meet the needs of the residents of Kampung Tengah, so sanitation can be improved.

Implementation of Technological Innovation in the Production of 'Harimau' Medium Tanks Make use of the National Defense Industry's Independence

Efforts to develop the defense industry are to encourage innovation, because only with innovation can an industry always develop competence in the form of technology development and commercialization. The innovation process includes research and development, prototyping, demonstration, commercialization and after-sales service. Innovation is a combination of invention and commercialization of technology. So that innovation requires a process from the background of the needs to the achievement of success during commercialization. Currently, Indonesia has one type of medium tank technology called the Harimau. Basically, Indonesia has implemented technological innovation in the development of the medium tank technology 'Harimau'. Howeever, there are still challenges in the way of implementing these technological advancements, including whether or not their aplication may lead to defense industry independence or vice versa. This paper aims to analyze the national defense industry on the technological innovation of the medium tank 'Harimau'. The SWOT (Stengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) method is used in this analysis. This research is planned to give an analysis of defense industry technology developments that will advance the provision of defense and defense equipment to land-bases forces.

Impact of tank gravimetric efficiency on propulsion system integration for a first-generation hydrogen civil airliner

AbstractCivil aircraft that fly long ranges consume a large fraction of civil aviation fuel, injecting an important amount of aviation carbon into the atmosphere. Decarbonising solutions must consider this sector. A philosophical-analytical feasibility of an airliner family to assist in the elimination of carbon dioxide emissions from civil aviation is proposed. It comprises four models based on the integration of the body of a large two-deck airliner with the engines, wings and flight surfaces of a long-range twin widebody jet. The objective of the investigation presented here is to evaluate the impact of liquid hydrogen tank technology in terms of gravimetric efficiency. A range of hydrogen storage gravimetric efficiencies was evaluated; from a pessimistic value of 0.30 to a futuristic value of 0.85. This parameter has a profound influence on the overall fuel system weight and an impact on the integrated performance. The resulting impact is relatively small for the short-range aircraft; it increases with range and is important for the longer-range aircraft. For shorter-range aircraft variants, the tanks needed to store the hydrogen are relatively small, so the impact of tank weight is not significant. Longer range aircraft are weight constrained and the influence of tank weight is important. In the case of the longest range, the deliverable distance increases from slightly over 4,000 nautical miles, with a gravimetric efficiency of 0.3, to nearly 7,000 with a gravimetric efficiency of 0.85.

Installation Assistance Repeated Processing Technology Septictank (RPS) in Pahandut Seberang Village, Palangka Raya City

The people of Pahandut Seberang Village have long lived on the Kahayan Riverside area. The characteristics of the settlements in Pahandut Seberang Village are floating houses and pillar houses, most of which are located above the water. The river is used for water transportation, fishing, fulfilling daily needs such as bathing, washing, and as a source of drinking water. The Kahayan River problem is also a place for disposal of waste from human activities such as household waste. Human waste is dumped directly into water bodies because the toilets of the pillar houses on the riverside do not have septic tank facilities. To solve the priority problems of Partners, a solution to assist the manufacture and installation of Repeated Processing Septic tank (RPS) Technology for pillar houses in Pahandut Seberang Village is needed. The goal is to provide sanitation problem solving for settlement in Pahandut Seberang Village through training on the construction and installation of RPS. The methods used qualitatively include: (a) Finding concrete problems and priorities: the existence of a toilet on pillar house without a septic tank; (b) Offering ideas, making RPS to settlement who are located on pillar houses on the riverside; (c) Making activity plans and work procedures, and d ) Inviting Partner participation by providing training (creating and installing RPS). A special target has been achieved by giving a pilot RPS to settlement of Pahandut Seberang Village, by facilitating a house on stilts with the RPS. Outputs in the form of RPS goods and products and their specifications.

Growth and feed utilisation of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed different protein levels in a clear-water or biofloc-RAS system

A 9-week feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate different dietary protein levels in juvenile Nile tilapia reared in either a biofloc (Bio-RAS) or clear water recirculating aquaculture system (CW-RAS). The fish were fed four isoenergetic (19 MJ kg−1) diets with graded levels of a fixed mixture of three protein sources (animal, plant, and microbial origin) and containing 23, 27, 31 or 35% crude protein. Triplicate groups of 20 juvenile tilapia (initial weight: 39.1 ± 2.5 g) were randomly assigned to 24 identical conical 500-L tanks equipped with feed waste traps. Twelve of the tanks were supplied with clear water purified by a mechanical and biological filter, denoted CW-RAS, and on average 15% daily replacement of water. The other 12 tanks were supplied with a biofloc suspension, maintained by a bioreactor system, denoted Bio-RAS, where the mechanical and biological filters were replaced with four serial 10 m3 open bioreactor tanks. In this later system only evaporated water was replaced. The bioreactor tanks were initially inoculated with Bacillus subtilis, and nutrients were supplied to achieve a C: N ratio of 10, supporting heterotrophic bacterial growth. Feed and protein intake, weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency of fish in all treatments, and biomass of micro components in the bioreactor tanks, as well as apparent digestibility of dietary components, were determined at end of the experiment. Growth, feed intake and protein efficiency, especially if retention of the floc was included, was overall higher in the Bio-RAS than in the CW- RAS system. Feed conversion was influenced both by protein level and by the availability of biofloc, with a general lower value in the Bio-RAS and fish given higher protein containing diets. Apparent digestibility of total protein did not vary with the rearing system but was higher with higher dietary levels of crude protein. No significant effect was found for mortality or body index, except for hepato-somatic index and intestinal quotient index, with the latter being significantly higher in the fish given access to biofloc. In all fish given access to biofloc, given all other factors being equal, displayed higher and more feed efficient growth than fish kept in clear water with only access to fabricated diets. Our results tally with other studies using biofloc tank technology and reports from more commercial settings indicating that our data is valid also at a more general level.

Analysis of improved cleaning process targeting tough spot around the yogurt filling machine

The dairy industry produces sterilized room temperature yogurt. In the process of water flushing filling machine of valves ABC structure, the milk pressed by the seal ring of plunger valve A cannot be cleaned for a long time, causing scaling and increasing the risk of pollution. In order to avoid the risk, the filling machine need to be manually disassembled and cleaned which takes more than 4 hours, resulting in great loss of efficiency. This paper integrates the aseptic tank technology and filling technology of China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited. On this basis, the cleaning process of the sterile[1] normal temperature yogurt filling machine is improved, the technology of water flushing valve A is innovated. It solves the problem of milk scale caused by the pressing of ring of valve A which is hard to clean, therefore minimizes the risk of microbial contamination. The improved process has been tested and applied to sterilized normal temperature yoghurt. The risk control of pollution products with high pectin fiber and even the filling machine with steam barrier structure in food industry is also applicable, which has certain promotion value.

Performance of novel constructed wetlands for treating solar septic tank effluent

To improve treatment performance of the solar septic tank technology, novel constructed wetland systems have been proposed as an effective post-treatment system. This study aimed to investigate the treatment performance of the multi-soil layer based constructed wetland (MSL-CW) and comparing with the modified constructed wetland (mCW) for treating solar septic tank effluent in long-term operation. Pilot-scale MSL-CW and mCW units were operated in parallel under the same conditions during the period of 2016–2019. Removal efficiencies of TCOD, SCOD and TBOD in the MSL-CW were not significantly different (p < 0.05) from those of the mCW unit, which were 70–72%, 63–68% and 78–82%, respectively. The removal efficiencies of TSS, TKN, NH4-N and TP were found in the same magnitude in both units. The total coliform and E.coli counts in the effluent of MSL-CW and mCW units were reduced from 105 MPN/100 mL to be lower than 103 MPN/100 mL. These long-term operational results demonstrated that the effluent from the MSL-CW and mCW units could meet the global standards of non-sewered sanitation systems and the WHO guidelines. The effects of seasonal variations and plant harvesting on the monthly treatment performance are discussed in this study.

Dominant design and evolution of technological trajectories: The case of tank technology, 1915–1998

This study examines the evolution of product-based technological trajectories by linking technology and socioeconomic factors. Products evolve to adapt to market conditions in a manner similar to biological evolution, and form a constant trajectory under the influence of the current technological paradigm. This study analyzes the changes in technological trajectories after the emergence of a dominant design in the core weapon of the army—armored tanks. Based on a case study of the evolution of tanks between 1915 and 1998 and the application of principal component analysis (PCA, to transform technological characteristics of tanks into product performance) and K-means clustering (to classify the types of tanks based on the PCA), we find that tanks have evolved into a common pattern of product evolution and the main battle tank concept plays a role as the dominant design. In addition, military tactical doctrines and capability requirements are used to explain the socioeconomic factors at the core of the technological paradigm behind tank development. We argue that the interaction between science, technology, and the social element is responsible for product evolution. In the case of tanks, moreover, we show that the product evolution process follows continuous changes in the technological trajectory resulting from technological advances. This study also derives policy implications for weapons system acquisition.

Treatment process of rural domestic sewage based on small purification tank technology

With the continuous development of our country's economy, the living standard in rural areas has been greatly improved, rural water consumption has also increased significantly, especially in recent years, the popularity of rural tap water, improve the rural water availability, rural sewage has also increased significantly. As China's rural sewage treatment technology and facilities are generally backward, some rural areas even have no sewage treatment facilities, a large number of living directly into the surface or rivers. According to the characteristics and analysis of the discharge of rural domestic sewage, this paper puts forward the method of purifying rural domestic sewage with the technology of tank.

Stabilization and sanitization of concentrated domestic bio-wastes with improved septic tank technology

Stabilization and sanitization of concentrated domestic bio-wastes with improved septic tank technology

Techno-economic and off-design analysis of stand-alone, distributed-scale reversible solid oxide cell energy storage systems

Reversible solid oxide cells may be a cost competitive energy storage technology at the distributed scale. Leveraging C–O–H chemistry and operating near 600 °C allows the cells to be exothermic in both modes, improving efficiency and operability. This study characterizes ReSOC balance-of-plant hardware off-design performance to investigate component mode compatibility, the effect of tank dynamics, and part-load performance for a 100 kW/800 kWh plant. We also introduce a variable volume floating piston tank concept to improve energy storage density and evaluate operability advantages. Results show that with proper system design, balance-of-plant components are compatible, and tank dynamics have minimal impact when tanks are uninsulated and designed for storage near ambient temperature. System AC roundtrip efficiency is between 53% and 54%, depending on the tank technology selected and the compressor operating approach. Energy density is 84.4 kWh/m3 for rigid tanks, and 146.1 kWh/m3 for the variable volume tank concept at 100 bar storage pressure. This study also shows that ReSOC systems can maintain high efficiency at part-loads as low as 15% of rated capacity. Economic analysis of the system estimates an installed capital cost of $422–452/kWh, and a levelized cost of storage of 18.8–19.6 ¢/kWh, values competitive with state-of-the-art battery technology.

Theoretical and experimental investigation on vertical tank technology for sinter waste heat recovery

In the present work, the gas flow pressure drop and gas–solid heat transfer characteristics in sinter bed layer of vertical tank were studied experimentally on the basis of the homemade experimental setup. The gas flow pressure drop through the sinter bed layer was measured with different gas velocity and particle diameters, as well as the sinter and air temperatures. The influences of gas superficial velocity and particle diameter on the gas flow pressure drop and gas solid heat transfer in sinter bed layer were analyzed in detail. The revised Ergun’s correlation and gas solid heat transfer correlation were obtained according to the regression analysis of experimental data. It is found that, the pressure drop of unit bed layer height gradually increases as a quadratic relationship with increasing the gas superficial velocity, and decreases as an exponential relationship with the increase of sinter particle diameter. For a given sinter temperature, the heat transfer coefficient in sinter bed layer increases with increasing the gas superficial velocity, and increases with decreasing the sinter particle diameter. In addition, the heat transfer coefficient also gradually increases with increasing the sinter temperature at the same gas superficial velocity and sinter particle diameter. The mean deviations between the experimental data obtained from this work and the values calculated by the revised Ergun’s correlation and the experimental heat transfer correlation are 7.22% and 4.22% respectively, showing good prediction.

Sulzer licences Total wash tank technology

Sulzer's Chemtech division has been granted a licence covering Total's wash tank technology for oil processing.