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Three-phase emulsifying technology makes a better diesel fuel

Researchers at Kanagawa University (Yokohama, Japan; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6517-535) have developed a three-phase emulsification technology for making stable emulsions of diesel-fuel oil in water. Tests with the emulsion (involving a 30-ton truck) show that fuel-combustion efficiency is increased by 10-15% compared to…

Superconductors

The first demonstration of a new high-temperature-superconducting cable was started last month in Columbus, Ohio. The new triax cable - said to provide three times more power-distribution capacity while using half of the superconducting material, compared to previous superconducting cable…

Coal-upgrading process moves closer to commercialization

Brown coal accounts for about half the world’s coal reserves. Although it contains less ash and sulfur than bituminous, brown coal contains more water, which reduces its heating value. To take advantage of this “greener” source of fuel, Kobe Steel…

A fast PSA technology to be trialed at a petroleum refinery

QuestAir Technologies Inc. (Vancouver, B.C.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-534) has received a CDN$2.2-million order from ExxonMobil (Houston, Tex.) for the construction of a prototype H-6200 hydrogen purifier to be demonstrated at an ExxonMobil petroleum refinery. The H-6200 is based on QuestAir’s proprietary Rapid-Cycle,…

A flash-pyrolysis process converts biomass into bio-crude oil

Lurgi AG (Frankfurt; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-535) and the Karlsruhe Research Center (both Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-536) have signed a cooperation contract to construct a pilot plant for producing liquid fuels from biomass. As the first of three steps, Lurgi will build a €3.76-million pyrolysis…

Solar cells

At the end of July, Renewable Capital Ltd. (London, U.K.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-545) and Konarka Technologies, Inc. (Lowell, Mass.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-546) entered a licensing and joint-development agreement to scale up Konarka’s dye-sensitized solar-cell technology (CE, March 2004, p. 19). Renewable Capital has committed…

BioOil

Last month, DynaMotive Energy Systems Corp. (Vancouver, B.C., Canada; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6516-548) announced the successful completion of an industrial-scale test burn of its BioOil as a replacement for natural gas in the lime kiln of a pulp and paper mill. The testing…

Fuel cell makes electricity from previously vented H2

Forza fuel-cell power module, constructed by Nuvera Fuel Cells, Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-542) and installed by Uhdenora S.p.A. (Milan, Italy; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-543), has started operating at the chlorate production plant of Caffaro S.r.l. in Brescia, Italy. Integrating the fuel cell into…

Solar cells

BP Solar (Frederick; Md.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-547) has developed a new silicon growth process that is said to significantly increase the cell efficiency over traditional multicrystalline-based solar cells. Solar cells made with these so-called Mono2 wafers, together with other BP Solar advances…

Green syngas

Last month, Expander Energy Inc. (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-551) licensed the Carbo-V process from Choren Industries GmbH (Freiberg, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6515-552) for the production of synthesis gas derived from biomass. Carbo-V is a three-stage gasification process (CE, August, 2003, p. 16)…