An international group of researchers, coordinated by the Institute of Solar Research of the German Aerospace Center e.V. (DLR; Cologne, Germany; www.dlr.de), is developing a sulfur-based storage system for solar power. Large-scale chemical storage of solar power and its overnight…
Efficient distillation Last month, Toyo Engineering Corp. (Toyo; Chiba, www.toyo-eng.co.jp) and Koch-Glitsch, LP (Wichita, Kan.; www.koch-glitsch.com) announced a new partnership to distribute Toyo’s energy-saving distillation system, SuperHIDiC, to new global markets in Europe and the Middle East. SuperHIDiC provides energy…
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO, Kawasaki City; Japan; www.nedo.go.jp), in partnership with Japan Technological Research Assn. of Artificial Photosynthetic Chemical Process (ARPChem) members, Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, has developed a hyperstable…
Researchers from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (Ulsan; www.unist.ac.kr) have found a new way to increase the energy efficiency of metal-air batteries — which are next-generation energy devices — by adding the conducting polymer polypyrrole (pPy). According…
Recovery of the essential plant nutrient phosphorus from wastewater can be an effective way to reduce runoff into waterways while avoiding the need to obtain the element from mined minerals. While phosphorus recovery from wastewater effluent performs well, it is…
Nippon Paper Industries Co. (NPI; Tokyo, Japan; www.nipponpapergroup.com) has installed the world’s largest facility of its kind for the commercial production of cellulose nanofiber (CNF). Located at its Ishinomaki Works in Miyagi Prefecture, the $16-million investment has a production capacity…
The first pre-commercial demonstration has started for a system that can provide steam for industrial process heat using solar energy at prices lower than using natural gas. The technology uses solar thermal collectors to generate hot water, air or steam…
Researchers from the University of Wollongong (Australia; www.uow.edu.au), led by professor Gordon Wallace and Caiyun Wang, built a battery with electrodes and a solid electrolyte out of silk. Previous attempts at making such biodegradable, dissolvable batteries used natural, biocompatible materials…
Plant Watch LyondellBasell announces HDPE technology license in Dalian April 12, 2017 — LyondellBasell’s (Rotterdam, the Netherlands; www.lyondellbasell.com) Hostalen ACP process technology was selected by Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Chemical Co. for a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit to be built in…
New IIoT- and cloud-enabled digital tools and services give petroleum refiners new avenues to increase profitability and safety, but also require greater attention to cybersecurity While several forces are creating conditions in which U.S. petroleum refiners can thrive in 2017…