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The shortness of time . . .

As I get older, time seems to get shorter. Although many experience this feeling, the duration of time is not changing, only our perception of it. However, in the five decades I have been involved in science, the timescale at…

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Closed-loop CO2-based energy-storage system slated for Wisconsin

Alliant Energy (Madison, Wis.; www.alliantenergy.com) was recently selected to receive a $30-million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED; Washington, D.C.; www.energy.gov/oced) for a proposed 200-MWh energy storage system. Alliant Energy’s new battery system,…

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First-phase pilot tests completed to demonstrate RotoDynamic technology

Coolbrook Oy (Helsinki, Finland; www.coolbrook.com) has successfully completed the first phase of large-scale pilot testing (photo) for its RotoDynamic Technology at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen, the Netherlands. During 2023, Coolbrook has been running a test program to demonstrate…

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The first H2-fired low-NOx burner for traveling-grate pelletizing plants

Last month, Metso Corp. (Espoo, Finland; www.mogroup.com) introduced a hydrogen-variant of its Ferroflame LowNOx burners as part of its NextGen Pelletizing plant product range. It is a first-of-its-kind burner to run on H2 and to operate on the LowNOx combustion…

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Ultrathin films achieve record hydrogen separation

Scientists at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL; Switzerland; www.epfl.ch) have synthesized the first ever metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) membrane with the thickness of just one unit cell. The ultrathin film yields record-high performance for the separation of hydrogen from nitrogen.…

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A single flow reactor produces a toxic precursor, an unstable reagent and product

The Vilsmeier reagent (VR), [(CH3)2 NCHCl]Cl, is necessary for producing a large range of pharmaceuticals, but it is unstable in air and is made from the toxic precursor phosgene (COCl2). A new flow-reactor system has been developed by Akihiko Tsuda,…

Solids Flow Measurement in Specialty Chemicals: Seamless Integration

Continuous flow measurement is used at this Austrian specialty chemicals manufacturer for process optimization, as well as overload protection Sensing-plate weighing systems are often used for weighing free-flowing and very dusty bulk materials. Such solids flowmeters ensure reliable determination of…

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Hydrogen Production via Methane Pyrolysis: An Overview of ‘Turquoise’ Hydrogen

‘Turquoise’ hydrogen processes generate H2 without releasing CO2. Presented here are the opportunities and challenges for producing hydrogen by methane pyrolysis Hydrogen-producing processes are classified using a color scheme according to their carbon footprint (Table 1; [1–3]). So-called “turquoise hydrogen”…

Management and Maintenance Strategies for Valves

Asset criticality and risk are primary among the many factors that must be considered to appropriately manage valves throughout their lifecycle Asset strategies usually define how assets will be treated in the different phases of an asset lifecycle, from acquisition…

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Safely Operating a Heat-Transfer-Fluid System

Being aware of and understanding potential hazards are crucial for operating a heat-transfer-fluid system safely A significant number of industrial processes require heating or cooling with precise temperature control. Maintaining this temperature control can be achieved through several industrial practices,…