C-Tech Innovation (United Kingdom)

The issue of the electromagnetic mass of electrons remains an unresolved problem in physics. Traditionally, it has been believed that the electromagnetic mass of electrons naturally constitutes a part of their rest mass (i.e., ). In recent years, a new and opposing viewpoint has emerged, suggesting that the electromagnetic mass of electrons is not a component of their rest mass. This perspective has now garnered substantial support from both theoretical and experimental evidence. Undoubtedly, the exploration of the electromagnetic mass of electrons inevitably touches upon many aspects of physics, such as electron spin. Therefore, while explaining the new viewpoint, necessary clarifications and discussions on these related topics are also provided.

<p>The ButaNexT project aims to demonstrate the techno-economic feasibility of the conversion of two</p> <p>sustainable lignocellulosic feedstocks (wheat straw and miscanthus) available at EU level, into biobutanol through the</p> <p>integration of different technology developments. The project has ended recently and the main achievements of the</p> <p>consortium have been the following: (1) design, construction and operation of a micronizing pilot prototype for</p> <p>controlled biomass particle size production up to 0.5 mm with a more reduced energy consumption and able to be</p> <p>scalable to industrial size; (2) development of a flexible and easy to adapt two-step fractionation process based on the</p> <p>combination of the micronizing prototype with a continuous thermochemical pretreatment; (3) development of</p> <p>tailored enzyme cocktails (MetZyme® SUNO™) that address harsh process-specific conditions and facilitate</p> <p>improved hydrolysis of pretreated biomass to monosaccharides; (4) development of a Clostridial strain able to</p> <p>ferment cellulosic sugars effectively (target butanol yield > 0.25 g/g pure sugar) and having 20% higher butanol</p> <p>tolerance than baseline strain; (5) development of a patent-pending “In situ product recovery process” based on</p> <p>improved pervaporation fluxes obtained during fermentation that allows continuous operation; (6) validation of the</p> <p>technical performance of the individual stages cited above in a pilot facility using wheat straw as feedstock from</p> <p>handling to product recovery in a 100 L bioreactor; (7) testing of properties and performance of butanol as a blend</p> <p>component in both diesel and gasoline fuels and (8) calculation of GHG emissions of biobutanol in a number of</p> <p>different scenarios based on the use of wheat straw and miscanthus as feedstocks and for the provision of heat,</p> <p>electricity and waste water treatment.</p>

Abstract The Zn–Ce flow battery is a recently introduced hybrid redox flow battery (RFB) but has been extensively studied in the laboratory and at the industrial pilot scale since its introduction in 2005. The cell has the highest open‐circuit cell potentials amongst aqueous RFBs, which can exceed 2.4 V at full charge. Although original patents were filed in 2004 and 2005, the history of the half‐cell reactions stretches back many decades, with the CeIV/CeIII redox couple being well studied in sulfuric acid as a redox mediator in organic electrosynthesis or in nitric acid for specialist cleaning in the chemical and nuclear industries; in addition, zinc deposition and stripping in acid media are well known in hydrometallurgy and electroplating of metals as well as in other secondary batteries using zinc negative electrodes. Methanesulfonic acid electrolytes were introduced in surface finishing several decades ago but their use in flow batteries is only 20 years old. This Review considers the thermodynamics and kinetics of the electrode reactions (desired and secondary) in each half‐cell, operational variables, materials for cell components, cell design and performance of the zinc–cerium flow battery. Continuing challenges are highlighted and critical research needs for the science and technological development are considered.

The potential of redox flow batteries to provide power balancing services within a microgrid was studied. Modelling of a benchmark microgrid was performed, to determine the technical and commercial suitability of redox flow batteries to be used for balancing energy generation and demand throughout a single day. It was found that the battery would fit in a service room of a residential block and would be suitable for balancing the whole microgrid. Based on the calculated usage patterns and the technology's characteristics, it was determined that redox flow batteries are suitable for energy storage in urban microgrids.

Biocatalytic oxidase processes can benefit from improved mixing and mass transfer, as can all multiphase processes. Flow reactors are established for their mixing capabilities, but there are practical challenges in terms of slurry and gas/liquid handling. The oxidase of the dl-amino acid was studied and scaled up in flow in a Coflore system and compared to batch processing conditions. The improved mass transfer under flow conditions resulted in a reduction in reaction time, enzyme consumption, and pressure drop.

This study is focused on the radial leakage points between the bottom steel plate and the composite tip seal of a scroll expander device. The critical components of the scroll expander were thoroughly studied with the use of a TE 57 sliding microfriction machine under different lubrication regimes and examined from the perspective of both friction and wear. Various friction graphs were produced using different load, speed, and temperature combinations adjusted to simulate the expander's operating conditions. The wear analysis showed that a higher contact load can enhance the performance of the scroll expander, lowering the wear rates and simultaneously reducing the leakage paths. Surface analysis revealed the wear damage mechanisms of the scroll steel plate and highlighted the tribological performance of the tip seal.

Biomass of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was used to recover Au(III) as Au(0) from test solutions and from waste electronic scrap leachate. Au(0) was precipitated extracellularly by a different mechanism from the biodeposition of Pd(0). The presence of Cu(2+) ( approximately 2000 mg/l) in the leachate inhibited the hydrogenase-mediated removal of Pd(II) but pre-palladisation of the cells in the absence of added Cu(2+) facilitated removal of Pd(II) from the leachate and more than 95% of the Pd(II) was removed autocatalytically from a test solution supplemented with Cu(II) and Pd(II). Metal recovery was demonstrated in a gas-lift electrobioreactor with electrochemically generated hydrogen, followed by precipitation of recovered metal under gravity. A 3-stage bioseparation process for the recovery of Au(III), Pd(II) and Cu(II) is proposed.