Reaction Engineering Research Articles

Concentrated C2+ Alcohol Production Enabled by Post-Intermediate Modulation and Augmented CO Adsorption in CO Electrolysis.

The electrocatalytic synthesis of multicarbon products from CO2/CO feedstock represents a sustainable method for chemical production with a reduced carbon footprint. Traditional copper catalysts predominantly produce alkenes, but generating valuable and versatile C2+ alcohols, especially high-energy-density C3 alcohols, has been challenging due to issues with selectivity, activity, and stability. Here, we present the construction of Ru-doped Cu nanowires that enhance the selectivity of n-PrOH and C2+ alcohols. In situ Raman spectroscopy shows that our approach promotes both *CO binding and availability, particularly facilitating the formation of high-frequency-bound *CO (*COHFB) and maintaining multiple *CO adsorption modes on Ru-modified and bare low-coordinated Cu nanowires. Density-functional theory (DFT) simulations illustrate that introducing Ru species onto a low-coordinated Cu step surface simultaneously stabilizes CO and alcohol-related intermediates, shifting the dominant reaction pathway toward alcohols and facilitating CO-C2 coupling at the expense of ethylene selectivity. In an alkaline gas-diffusion electrolyzer, we attained a maximum Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 35.9% for n-PrOH and 62.4% for the total C2+ alcohols. Optimizing parameters in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) system enabled the one-pot generation and separation of C2+ alcohols, achieving a record concentration of 18.8 wt % (4.2 wt % n-PrOH and 14.6 wt % EtOH) with nearly 100% purity at 200 mA/cm2 over 100 h. This work not only provides new insights and guidance for the development of future catalysts from the perspectives of surface science and mechanisms but also highlights the importance of coupling material engineering with reactor engineering to optimize the production process of high-value alcohol products.

Mechanistic Model Advancements for Optimal Calcium Removal in Water Treatment: Integral Operation Improvements and Reactor Design Strategies

Drinking water softening has primarily prioritized public health, environmental benefits, social costs and enhanced client comfort. Annually, over 35 Gm3 of water is softened worldwide, often utilizing three main techniques: nanofiltration, ion exchange and seeded crystallization by pellet softening. However, recent modifications in pellet softening, including changes in seeding materials and acid conditioning used post-softening, have not fully achieved desired flexibility and optimization. This highlights the need of an integral approach, as drinking water softening is just one step in the drinking water treatment chain, which includes ozonation, softening, biological active carbon filtration (BACF) and sand filtration among others. In addition, pellet softening is often practiced based on operator knowledge, lacking practical key reactor performance indicators (KPIs) for efficient control. For that reason, we propose a newly and improved integral mechanistic model designed to accurately predict (1) calcite removal rates in drinking water through seeded crystallization in pellet softening reactors, (2) the saturation of the filter bed in the subsequent treatment step, (3) values for the KPIs steering the softening efficiency. Our new mechanistic model integrates insights from hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, mass transfer kinetics, nucleation and reactor engineering, focussing on critical variables such as temperature, linear velocity, pellet particle size and saturation index with respect to calcite. Our model was validated with data from the Waternet Weesperkarspel drinking water treatment plant in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, but implies universal applicability for addressing industrial challenges beyond drinking water softening. The implementation of our model proposes five effective KPIs to optimize the softening process, chemical usage, and reactor design. The advantage of this model is that it eliminates the application of numerical methods and fills a significant gap in the field by providing predictions of the carry-over (i.e., the produced CaCO3 fines leaving the fluidized bed) from water softening practices. With our model, the calcium removal rate is predicted with an average standard deviation (SD) of 40% and the consequential clogging prediction of the BACF bed with an average SD of 130%. Ultimately, our model provides crucial insights for operational management and decision-making in drinking water treatment plants, steering towards a more circular and environmentally sustainable process.

Comprehensive research facility for negative ion source neutral beam injection at CRAFT: design and first operations

Abstract Neutral beam injection (NBI) has been proven as a reliable heating and current drive method for fusion plasma. For the high-energy NBI system (particle energy > 150 keV) of large-scale fusion devices, the negative ion source neutral beam injection (NNBI) system is inevitable, which can obtain an acceptable neutralization efficiency (> 55%). But the NNBI system is very complex and challengeable. To explore and master the key NNBI technology for future fusion reactor in China, an NNBI test facility is under development in the framework of the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT). The initial goal of CRAFT NNBI facility is to achieve a 2 MW hydrogen neutral beam at the energy of 200–400 keV for lasting 100 s. In the first operations of the CRAFT NNBI facility, a negative ion source with dual RF drivers was developed and tested. By using the 50 keV accelerator, the long-pulse and high-current extractions of negative hydrogen ions have been achieved and the typical values were 55.4 keV, 7.3 A (~ 123 A/m2), 105 s and 55.0 keV, 14.7 A (~ 248 A/m2), 30 s, respectively. By using the 200 keV accelerator, the megawatt-class negative hydrogen beam has also been achieved (135.9 keV, 8.9 A, 8 s). The whole process of the gas neutralization of negative ion beam, electric removal of residual ions, and beam transport have been demonstrated experimentally.

Decentralized Clean Energy for Rural India: The Role of Small Modular Reactors

India's rapid development and expanding population have intensified the need for sustainable energy solutions. This is particularly significant in addressing the growing disparity in energy access between urban and rural communities. As the country shifts from traditional fossil-fuel-based power generation to cleaner technologies, nuclear energy is poised to play an increasingly vital role. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) represent a promising option to meet these energy demands in a decentralized and environmentally friendly manner, especially in rural regions. In this perspective article, we explore the technological, economic, social, and environmental advantages of deploying SMRs in rural India. SMRs offer the potential for faster and cheaper build, as well as stable and reliable power, which is essential for driving economic growth in underdeveloped areas. However, several challenges need to be addressed, including regulatory and legislative hurdles that could impede the integration of SMRs into the existing energy mix. This article also suggests solutions such as leveraging India’s existing reactor technology expertise, utilizing the mature supply chain framework, co-locating SMRs with renewable energy sources, and advocating for necessary regulatory and legislative reforms. These would help SMRs serve as a crucial bridge in facilitating a smoother transition from fossil fuel plants to clean energy technologies, particularly in underserved rural communities.

Chemical reaction engineering of nutritional phenomena in the human body

Unlike many accomplished fields, human nutrition lacks the support of engineering science. Here, the aspects of food processing in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract are reviewed, highlighting the experimental chemical reaction engineering (CRE) approach to digestion studies in particular. As a first look at human nutrition in terms of conservation laws, the differential forms of mass and energy balances are presented, emphasizing the chemical and biochemical reaction rates of generation and consumption and the heats associated with these reactions, respectively. These rates and the heats should be very meaningful for understanding the dynamics of nutrition within the body, though they remain unknown. Without solving the differential equations, global integrations of the mass balances within each organ, up to the organ boundary, can create control volumes for gaining new insights, such as the transient multicomponent nature of the stomach “reactor” emptying. Global integration within the human body to the boundaries of the entire GI tract, from the mouth to anus, finds the GI tract to be a “pipe outside the body.” This has revealed interesting aspects, highlighting the human body as a “molecular machine.” It is envisaged that the terms outlined here ought to be established in the future to improve human nutrition.

Simulation-Based Design for Recycling of Car Electronic Modules as a Function of Disassembly Strategies

Modules (or parts) of a car are a complex functional material combination used to deliver a specified task for a car. Recovering all materials, energy, etc., into high-grade materials at their end of life (EoL) is impossible. This is dictated by the second law of thermodynamics (2LT) and thence economics. Thus, recyclability cannot be conducted with simplistic mass-based approaches void of thermodynamic considerations. We apply, in this paper, a process simulation model to estimate the true recyclability of various SEAT (Volkswagen Group) car parts within the EU H2020 TREASURE project. This simulation model is developed with 190 reactors and over 310 feed components with over 1000 reaction species in the 880 streams of the flowsheet. The uniqueness of the work in this paper is to apply the full material declaration (FMD) and bill of materials (BOM) of all 310 materials in the parts as a feed to the process simulation model to show the parts’ true recyclability. We classified all parts into categories, i.e., copper-rich, steel-rich and plastic-rich, to maximally recover metals at the desired material quality, as well as energy. Recyclability is understood to create high-grade products that can be applied with the same functional quality in these parts. In addition, disassembly strategies and related possible redesign show how much recyclability can be improved. Process simulation permits the creation of alloys, phases, materials, etc., at a desired quality. The strength of the simulation permits any feed from any End-of-Life part to be analyzed, as long as the FMD and BOM are available. This is analogous to any mineral and metallurgical engineering process simulation for which the full mineralogy must be available to analyze and/or design flowsheets. This paper delivers a wealth of data for various parts as well as the ultimate recovery of materials, elements, and energy. The results show clearly that there is no one single recycling rate for elements, materials, and alloys. It is in fact a function of the complexity and material combinations within the parts. The fact that we use a thermochemical-based process simulator with full compositional detail for the considered parts means full energy balances as well as exergy dissipation can be evaluated. This means that we can also evaluate which parts, due complex mixtures of plastics, are best processed for energy recovery or are best for material and metal recovery, with thermochemistry, reactor technology and integrated flowsheets being the basis.

Molybdenum Disulfide Induced Phase Control Synthesis of Multi‐dimensional Co3S4‐MoS2 Heteronanostructures via Cation Exchange

AbstractPhase control over cation exchange (CE) reactions has emerged as an important approach for the synthesis of nanomaterials (NMs), enabling precise determination of their reactivity and properties. Although factors such as crystal structure and morphology have been studied for the phase engineering of CE reactions in NMs, there remains a lack of systematic investigation to reveal the impact for the factors in heterogeneous materials. Herein, we report a molybdenum disulfide induced phase control method for synthesizing multidimensional Co3S4‐MoS2 heteronanostructures (HNs) via cation exchange. MoS2 in parent Cu1.94S‐MoS2 HNs are proved to affect the thermodynamics and kinetics of CE reactions, and facilitate the formation of Co3S4‐MoS2 HNs with controlled phase. This MoS2 induced phase control method can be extended to other parent HNs with multiple dimensions, which shows its diversity. Further, theoretical calculations demonstrate that Co3S4 (111)/MoS2 (001) exhibits a higher adhesion work, providing further evidence that MoS2 enables phase control in the HNs CE reactions, inducing the generation of novel Co3S4‐MoS2 HNs. As a proof‐of‐concept application for crystal phase‐ and dimensionality‐dependent of cobalt sulfide based HNs, the obtained Co3S4‐MoS2 heteronanoplates (HNPls) show remarkable performance in hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) under alkaline media. This synthetic methodology provides a unique design strategy to control the crystal structure and fills the gap in the study of heterogeneous materials on CE reaction over phase engineering that are otherwise inaccessible.

Predictive modeling of membrane reactor efficiency using advanced artificial neural networks for green hydrogen production

The imperative to decarbonize the energy sector has prompted substantial advancements in clean electricity generation, with hydrogen emerging as a promising low-carbon energy carrier. While hydrogen synthesis from renewable sources is crucial, challenges persist, necessitating innovative approaches for efficient and sustainable production. This study leverages diverse artificial neural network (ANN) models to assess and predict system efficiency based on key operational variables in membrane reactor systems. The multilayered perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF) methodologies are employed, with the MLP models optimized across twelve training algorithms and eight activation functions, exploring up to three hidden layers with variable neuron counts. The MLP model, utilizing the Levenberg-Marquard training algorithm and Tangent-Sigmoid activation function, achieved a high correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9975 for training and 0.9962 for testing, and a mean squared error (MSE) of 0.00425 for training and 0.23951 for testing, indicating precise and accurate efficiency predictions. The Log-Sigmoid activation function also performed well, with R² values of 0.9971 (training) and 0.9961 (testing), and MSE values of 0.004086 (training) and 0.17694 (testing). Optimization of the RBF network identified the best performance with a spread parameter of 1 and 35 neurons, although the MLP model demonstrated superior accuracy and reduced computational time. Statistical analysis, encompassing correlation coefficient, mean squared error, Root Mean Squared error, absolute average deviation, absolute average relative deviation, and runtime, confirms the network’s consistent and accurate estimation of system efficiency across various input variables. The study highlights that applying tansig and logsig activation functions, configured with neuron counts of 20, 17, 6 and 23, 20, 2 at the first, second and third hidden layers, respectively, offers enhanced accuracy and reliability. The MLP model’s high performance underscores its potential to identify optimal conditions for H2 generation based on system efficiency, thereby advancing membrane reactor technology for hydrogen production.

Neutronics design of shutdown and control systems for a Zero Power Experiments of chloride-based molten salt fast reactor.

Nuclear power's role as a reliable, baseload, low-carbon source and its importance in achieving clean energy goals are being increasingly recognized with growing urgency around decarbonization of the global energy systems. However, to deliver a long-term sustainable solution, it is essential to develop innovative nuclear technologies for improving the fuel utilization and reducing the nuclear waste disposal challenge. Zero Power Reactors (ZPR) are an essential initial step for developing new nuclear technologies because they allow for testing and refinement in a safe environment before large-scale deployment. This paper discusses the design of a ZPR experiments for the development of iMAGINE, a novel chloride-based molten salt reactor technology. The paper presents a detailed analysis of the neutronic design for the shutdown and control systems of an experimental ZPR based on the iMAGINE molten salt reactor technology. The study concludes that a split-core design with a lower corner reflector as an extension of the lower annular reflector offers the most robust ZPR configuration, offering optimum operational margins and maneuverability. This design ensures safety, regulatory compliance, and sufficient control and shutdown performance for the successful development of the iMAGINE technology.

Aspects of Reaction Engineering for Biodiesel Production

Biodiesel is a non-toxic, drop-in liquid transportation fuel that is amenable to continuous production from sustainable biomass resources using catalytic technologies. A diverse range of catalysts and reactor technologies have been experimentally investigated and computationally modelled, for producing biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) from oil feedstocks by their esterification or transesterification with short-chain alcohols. Solid-acid and base catalysts are attractive for biodiesel production from renewable oil feedstocks due to their ease of separation from the desired biodiesel and glycerol by-product, use of Earth’s abundant elements, and suitability in continuous processes. Here, we review the technical challenges and opportunities in designing catalytic reactor systems for biodiesel production.

Longitudinal wastewater-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 during 2023 in Ethiopia.

Although wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) successfully functioned as a tool for monitoring the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic globally, relatively little is known about its utility in low-income countries. This study aimed to quantify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in wastewater, estimate the number of infected individuals in the catchment areas, and correlate the results with the clinically reported COVID-19 cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A total of 323 influent and 33 effluent wastewater samples were collected from three Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) using a 24-h composite Moore swab sampling method from February to November 2023. The virus was captured using Ceres Nanotrap® Enhancement Reagent 2 and Nanotrap® Microbiome A Particles, and then nucleic acids were extracted using the Qiagen QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit. The ThermoFisher TaqPath™ COVID-19 kit was applied to perform real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to quantify the SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Wastewater viral concentrations were normalized using flow rate and number of people served. In the sampling period, spearman correlation was used to compare the SARS-CoV-2 target gene concentration to the reported COVID-19 cases. The numbers of infected individuals under each treatment plant were calculated considering the target genes' concentration, the flow rate of treatment plants, a gram of feces per person-day, and RNA copies per gram of feces. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 94% of untreated wastewater samples. All effluent wastewater samples (n = 22) from the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology were SARS-COV-2 RNA negative. In contrast, two out of 11 effluents from Waste Stabilization Pond were found positive. Positive correlations were observed between the weekly average SARS-CoV-2 concentration and the cumulative weekly reported COVID-19 cases in Addis Ababa. The estimated number of infected people in the Kality Treatment catchment area was 330 times the number of COVID-19 cases reported during the study period in Addis Ababa. This study revealed that SARS-CoV-2 was circulating in the community and confirmed previous reports of more asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in Ethiopia. Additionally, this study provides further evidence of the importance of wastewater-based surveillance in general to monitor infectious diseases in low-income settings. Wastewater-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 can be a useful method for tracking the increment of COVID-19 cases before it spreads widely throughout the community.

Design of experimental facility for helium gas component testing

The current state-of-the-art helium gas test loops for component testing are constrained by the maximum operating temperatures, pressures, and flow rates of such facilities. Idaho National Laboratory is designing a new experimental facility known as HECTOR (HElium Component Testing Out-of-pile Research), which is a helium gas test loop for evaluating the performance of components to helium gas pressures, temperatures, and flow rates up to 8 MPa, 800 °C, and 0.15 kg/s, respectively. The construction of this facility will enable researchers to perform experiments across a wide range of Reynolds and Nusselt numbers, which could result in the maturation of technology for high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) components.

National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) 2024 annual meeting: advanced and small modular nuclear power reactors**The authors have confirmed that any identifiable participants in this study have given their consent for publication.

On 25-26 March 2023, the U.S. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) held its 2024 annual meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. The NCRP dates from 1929, and this meeting celebrated the 60th anniversary of receiving a U.S. Congressional Charter. For this annual meeting the NCRP felt it was essential to provide a briefing about advanced and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). The Journal of Radiological Protection is delighted to publish the following synopsis of material presented at the U.S. NCRP meeting. This synopsis is divided into five sections. The first section provides an overview of the whole meeting together with summaries of two context setting overview papers. The following four sessions of this synopsis are specific to advanced and small modular nuclear power reactors. The meeting also included keynote presentations by three of NCRP annual award recipients. The meeting topical areas were Technology Overview and Critical Issues. The individual papers laid the groundwork to understanding reactor technologies, terminology, and the fundamental concepts and processes for electrical generation. The perspectives of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and states, through the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors were provided. The papers included a discussion of diverse topics including potential emergency preparedness considerations, radiological survey requirements, an evaluation of the future of nuclear power, the economics of reactors (both large and small), and the critical issues identified by the recent National Academies of Sciences' study on advanced reactors. The summary papers were developed to briefly document the major points and concepts presented during the oral papers presented at the 2024 NCRP Annual Meeting. The meeting heralded the dawn of a new era for commercial nuclear power.

Total Synthesis of an Immunosuppressive C25 Macrocyclic Terpenoid Produced by Terpene Synthase (LcTPS2).

Macrocyclic natural products, particularly those with no functionalities except unsaturation, are recognized for their therapeutic potential but are notoriously challenging to synthesize. In this study, we report the first total synthesis of an unconventional 18-membered, C25 macrocyclic terpenoid, which has demonstrated substantial immunosuppressive activity. This synthesis was achieved through strategic modifications and innovative reaction engineering, utilizing α-terpineol and geraniol as starting materials, highlighting a novel approach in macrocyclic terpenoid synthesis.

Preface

2024 4th International Conference on Fluid and Chemical Engineering (ICFCE 2024) has been successfully held on July 26-27, 2024, in Wuhan China as a virtual event. Organized by Hubei Zhongke Institute of Geology and Environment Technology, ICFCE 2024 intends to invite worldwide famous scientists, experts, scholars, and researchers for academic presentations. ICFCE 2024 proceeding is a collection of outstanding submissions in the field of biofluid mechanics, chemically reacting fluids and combustion, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), experimental fluid mechanics, flow through porous media, fluid–solid interactions (FSI), geophysical fluid dynamics, granular/suspension flows, heat and mass transfer, hydrodynamics, physical, theoretical and computational chemistry, chemical engineering fundamentals, chemical reaction engineering, chemical engineering equipment design and process design, thermodynamics, catalysis & reaction engineering, particulate systems, crystallization, etc. Around 65 articles were selected from 146 submissions after peer-review, and authors and guests participated in ICFCE 2024 with keynote speeches, oral presentations and posters, promoting the communication among researchers and experts from institutes and universities, including University of Sharjah, The University of Manchester, Harbin Engineering University, China University of Petroleum (East China), Shanghai Maritime University, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Nagoya University, Marine Design & Research Institute of China, Tianjin Transportation Technical College, Okayama University, etc. Cordial gratitude is delivered to Technical Program Committee of ICFCE 2024 for the professional work on guarantying the high standard of conference as well as the proceedings. We believe the proceedings will enhance the exchange of ideas and state-of-art knowledge on Fluid and Chemical Engineering. Finally, we thank all the staff members at IOP Publishing for their valuable editorial support. Professor Omid Mahian Xian Jiaotong University, China Associate Professor Sébastien Déon University of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France List of Technical Committee is available in the pdf

Linking Ab initio density functional theory with modelling reaction microkinetics to understand catalytic fatty acids hydro-deoxygenation intermediate species selectivity

Catalyst surfaces enable the catalytic reactions via binding of substrates and lowering the reaction barriers to obtain the desired products. Separating the binding process from the reaction barriers enables us the understanding of surface properties and enables the reaction engineering strategies such as choice of solvents or functional groups protections. Through the modelling of the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of fatty acids, namely Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic, Myristic and Decanoic acid we show why the alkanes are the ideal solvent choice for NiMoS catalyst, why the alcohols side products form, regardless of the kinetic constant indicating fast dehydration, why the aldehydes intermediates are rarely detected and why hydrogenation of double bonds supersedes other kinetics events. We confirm the DFT calculations by integrating them into the kinetic model which confirms that the obtained results are sensible and usable in reaction engineering. The results are supported by the detailed characterization of the NiMoS catalyst.

Current regulates electron donors for heterotrophic and autotrophic microorganisms to enhance sulfate reduction in three-dimensional electrode biofilm reactors

The variability in industrial production often generates wastewater with an unstable carbon-to-sulfur ratio, challenging the concurrent removal of sulfate and organic compounds. Three-dimensional biofilm electrode reactor (3D-BER) technology offers a promising solution, compatible with both autotrophic and heterotrophic sulfate reduction. In this study, four up-flow 3D-BERs with gradient current levels were operated for nearly 400 days to treat simulated high-concentration sulfate wastewater. The effects of current intensity, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and influent carbon-to-sulfur ratio on sulfate and organic removal were investigated. The composition and functions of microbial communities were analyzed by metagenomic sequencing. The synergistic mechanism between heterotrophic and autotrophic sulfate reduction was examined by delineating their individual contributions to sulfate removal. Under optimized conditions (HRT 60 h, influent carbon-to-sulfur ratio of 1.7, and current intensity of 50 mA), the highest removal efficiencies for SO42- and COD reached 70.47 % and 85.58 %, respectively. Elevated current intensity increased the abundances of Desulfuromonadaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae and Methanobacteriaceae, while decreasing Anaerolineaceae and Geobacteraceae. Key genes involved in carbon fixation and hydrogen-relied sulfate reduction showed lower abundances at high current levels, whereas genes for direct electron uptake from the electrode were more abundant. Batch experiments demonstrated a synergistic effect between autotrophic and heterotrophic sulfate reduction, most pronounced at 50 mA. Our work successfully regulates electron donors for microbial reduction of high-concentration sulfate in 3D-BERs by manipulating current intensity, providing new insights into the application of bioelectrochemical technology for complex industrial wastewater treatment.

Biomimetic Transparent Slippery Surface for the Locomotion of Photocontrol Droplets and Bubbles.

Directed transportation and collection of liquids and bubbles play a vital role in the survival of ecosystems. Among them, the optical response control is widely used in the fields of microfluidic chips and chemical synthesis because of its high remote operation and fast response speed. However, due to poor light transmission, the development direction of traditional near-infrared (NIR) absorbing materials in the field of visualization is limited, and there are few reports of manufacturing an operating platform that can realize the directional movement of droplets/bubbles on a single platform. Here, a transparent photo-responsive PBFS platform is prepared for droplet and bubble manipulation by coating the etched glass substrate with Prussian blue (PB) nanocubes. When near-infrared (NIR) irradiation on the PBFS platform, PB nanocubes trigger heat production by photothermal means, due to the action of Marangoni force, the surface tension on the left and right sides of the droplets and bubbles is not uniform, forming a surface tension gradient, thereby driving the movement of the droplets and bubbles. The control platform has good application potential in the field of microchemical reaction and biomedical engineering and brings new solutions to the field of transparent photothermal materials.

Flexible operation of nuclear hybrid energy systems for load following and water desalination

Nuclear hybrid energy systems (NHES) have the potential to provide dependable and emission-free electricity to the grid while also increasing the flexibility and reliability of the electrical grid. Molten salt reactor (MSR) technology can provide consistent, carbon-free electricity while also increasing efficiency, security, and sustainability and reducing nuclear waste. This study investigates the integration of Molten Salt Reactors (MSR) and conventional Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) with desalination technologies: Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD), Multi-Stage Flash Distillation (MSFD), and Reverse Osmosis (RO). Dynamic first-principles models were developed and tested using real grid data from the New York Independent System Operator. The results demonstrate that nuclear power is capable of flexibly responding to changing grid demand while simultaneously producing clean water, particularly during periods of low electricity demand. The MSR-RO system was found to be the most efficient in electricity generation and water production, and all hybrid systems reduced CO2 emissions by 356,000 to 682,000 tons annually. Economic analysis reveals that nuclear desalination technologies are cost-competitive with conventional systems, especially when paired with RO. These findings confirm the technical feasibility and environmental benefits of nuclear hybrid systems for sustainable electricity and water production.

A Demonstration of the Risk-Informed NEI 18-04 Design Evaluation Model for the Modular High-Temperature Gas Reactor

Several advanced reactor designs are now under active development in the United States and elsewhere, promising sustainable solutions to the growing world energy needs. The designs currently being considered are quite diverse and different from the more established light water reactor technology that has dominated the operating commercial nuclear landscape. While advanced reactor concepts were first explored in the dawn of the nuclear age, they are now being reconsidered under the light of modern needs, and specifically, for their flexible operating conditions and inherent safety characteristics. In response, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is moving forward with development of 10 CFR Part 53 rulemaking, which is a more risk-informed, technology-agnostic framework for licensing and regulating such new designs. The nuclear industry response to this regulatory initiative resulted in the technical report by the Nuclear Energy Institute, NEI 18-04 Revision 1, which provides an implementation roadmap of the risk-informed approach when defining the safety case for a new plant design. The implementation of this safety case may be a nontrivial exercise for an actual reactor design. This paper provides a demonstration of performing such an analysis for a representative advanced reactor. Public information from the General Atomics high-temperature gas reactor design was considered in this demonstration. The analysis workflow was facilitated with the FPoliSolutions’ proprietary Risk-Informed System Engineering (RISE) digital platform, a product that was presented in previous publications. RISE is one application of FPoli’s enterprise digital platform, which was created to facilitate orchestration of complex workflows leveraging recent technologies developed at national laboratories, such as Idaho National Laboratory’s RAVEN and EMRALD frameworks. The analysis described in the paper includes the selection and classifications of events, the integration of probabilistic risk analysis artifacts, and event modeling simulations for consequence evaluations. The results are then used for system, structures, and components safety classification and a synthesis of the safety case for the design in line with the frequency-consequence targets presented in NEI 18-04. The purpose of the analysis, as framed in RISE, is to readily produce outputs and views that can aid users and regulators in making risk-informed decisions to demonstrate their plant safety case.