SELF-REPAIRING CEMENT POLYMER COMPOSITES AND PROCESSES OF MAKING AND USING SAME
New cement-polymer composites and processes of making and using are detailed. One exemplary cement-polymer composite include a Portland cement, an epoxide polymer, a thiol-containing crosslinking agent, and an optional phase separation inhibitor. These composites are dynamically self-healing, mechanically robust, and thermally stable in high temperature environments and can be expected to increase service lifetimes in various applications including energy producing wellbores.
Aquatic Organism Tracking Devices, Systems and Associated Methods
Compared with MHK energy, widely-used hydropower have also been facing similar environmental concerns. To help investigate the potential of fish injury and mortality from passage through hydropower turbines, PNNL developed the JSATS. Recent JSATS development included several state-of-the-art acoustic transmitters, such as the injectable transmitter and the juvenile eel/lamprey transmitter. The latter is the world's smallest acoustic tag. Both these small transmitters have been successfully demonstrated in field studies and helped gather information on species of early life stages that had previously been unobtainable. The highly efficient transducer and circuit designs as well as the high-density micro-battery technology specifically developed for these transmitters were the innovations that made these technological advancements possible. The JSATS operates at 416.7 kHz, a relatively high acoustic frequency that works well filtering out acoustic noises in freshwater environments. With hardware and software modifications, these technologies can be readily adopted for a lower-frequency transmitter for use in marine environments. Our feasibility assessment and laboratory benchtop testing of the transmitter concept at three different frequencies around 200 kHz have shown significant improvements (detailed results listed in the attached document).
DEVICES AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING SHEAR-ASSISTED EXTRUSION, EXTRUSION FEEDSTOCKS, EXTRUSION PROCESSES, AND METHODS FOR PREPARING METAL SHEETS
A process for forming extruded products using a device having a scroll face configured to apply a rotational shearing force and an axial extrusion force to the same preselected location on material wherein a combination of the rotational shearing force and the axial extrusion force upon the same location cause a portion of the material to plasticize, flow and recombine in desired configurations. This process provides for a significant number of advantages and industrial applications, including but not limited to extruding tubes used for vehicle components with 50 to 100 percent greater ductility and energy absorption over conventional extrusion technologies, while dramatically reducing manufacturing costs.
VARIABLE THICKNESS EXTRUSION FOR VARIABLE EXTRUDATE PRODUCT PROPERTIES (iEdison No. 0685901-21-0136)
This invention is to fabricate axisymmetric or asymmetric parts/components having variable mechanical/physical/thermal properties in one component, for example, variability in strength, formability, impact toughness, creep, and conductivity, via solid phase processing techniques such as shear assisted processing and extrusion, friction stir welding/processing, and cold spray.
Methods, Systems, and Devices for Deep Desulfurization of Fuel Gases
The production of liquid fuel from coal via gasification and catalytic synthesis is one of the few feasible strategies for improving the nation’s energy security. Sulfur, even in extremely low concentrations, can poison the metallic catalysts used in coal-to-liquid process. This is a result of strong binding between sulfur and metal catalysts, such that the catalytically active sites are rendered inactive. From an alternate point of view, metallic-based sulfur sorbents may be considered a vehicle for deep desulfurization of warm coal gas. Here we report that Ni-doped cubic structure mesoporous silica can be used as a regenerable sorbent for deep desulfurization of warm coal gas at 300C. Regenerable sulfur capacity of this sorbent is ~0.75 wt%.
PROCESS FOR WELDING DISSIMILAR MATERIALS WITH NESTED DOVETAILS (iEdison No. 0685901-16-0014)
A method for connecting two dissimilar materials having different melting points is described wherein a the materials are heated together to obtain plasticization of the lower melting point material within a prefigured geometry within a first material in such a way so as to form intermetallic features within a solid state joint.
METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONNECTING TWO DISSIMILAR MATERIALS (iEdison No. 0685901-16-0014)
A method for connecting two dissimilar materials having different melting points is described wherein a the materials are heated together to obtain plasticization of the lower melting point material within a prefigured geometry within a first material in such a way so as to form intermetallic features within a solid state joint.
ELECTROPHILIC ACID GAS-REACTIVE FLUID, PROPPANT, AND PROCESS FOR ENHANCED FRACTURING AND RECOVERY OF ENERGY PRODUCING MATERIALS
An electrophilic acid gas-reactive fracturing and recovery fluid, proppant, and process are detailed. The fluid expands in volume to provide rapid and controlled increases in pressure that enhances fracturing in subterranean bedrock for recovery of energy-producing materials. Proppants stabilize openings in fractures and fissures following fracturing.
ELECTROCHEMICAL LEACHING FOR NUTRIENT DELIVERY IN WATER (iEdison No. 0685901-23-0084)
Photosynthetic productivity has the potential to capture and store atmospheric carbon as biomass. Trace metal nutrient limitations often constrain the capacity for carbon capture and fixation in marine photosynthetic algae. Increases in algal CO2 uptake and carbon sequestration can be achieved by removing nutrient limitations to growth and metabolism via the local addition of nutrients. To address this, open ocean iron fertilization was tested at-scale in the 1970s, but the experiments were conducted with little control, generating public concern. However, as marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) is a topic of growing interest both within DOE (FECM, WPTO etc.) and private sector (Climate Works Foundation, Ocean Visions etc.), interest in open ocean Fe fertilization is resurging as an avenue to achieve scalable ocean decarbonization. The aim for the new generation of Fe-fertilization experiments is to have significant control on delivery so benefits are maximized, and any potential unintended ecosystem impacts are minimal. To that end, unlike the original experiments which relied on one-time addition of chemicals shipped to the open ocean, we have developed and demonstrate here an electrochemical method for controlled addition of Fe for maximum benefit and process control. Not only can electrodes containing Fe be placed local to algal populations and fertilization initiated without human intervention, but dosage can be kept to controllable minimums and in a bioavailable form. We demonstrated an 890% increase in harvest densities of algae cultures fertilized via electrochemical iron leaching compared to controls. This is the first example of electrochemically controlled nutrient fertilization in algae cultivation. Electrically iron-dosed cultures captured 1.04 ± 0.29 g L-1 day-1 CO2 during maximum growth, 10 times more than iron-limited cultures. We refer to this as 'precision electrofertilization". While we demonstrate the concept for Fe, the same method can be extended to various other micronutrients that are critical to the growth of algae (e.g., Mn, Zn, etc.) by simply changing the alloy of the electrode and electrochemical process conditions. Note that while this work originated from our interest in marine carbon dioxide removal in the open oceans, the near-term applications are likely to be in near-shore or on-shore aquaculture where controlled nutrient delivery can generate significant increase in productivity.