Category Archives: Energy & Environment

Bioremediation, coal gasification, fuel cells, remote sensing, etc.

s-Triazine Degrading Bacterial isolate

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Summary:

Researchers at the Ohio State University have isolated a pure bacterial culture, designated herein as M91-3, which rapidly degrades certain s-triazines, particularly halogenated s-triazines. S-triazines are compounds are a family of herbicides that is extensively used for weed control in corn and other crops, but the widespread use of s-triazines has resulted in contamination of water resources above safe levels. S-triazine has been targeted for removal at sites that exceed EPA guidelines, but traditional methods of treatment involve either spreading thin layer of contaminated soil on top of a large area of healthy soil, which limits the use of the existing healthy soil, or costly excavation and incineration of contaminated soil. As a result, an inexpensive and fast method of safely degrading s-triazines in-situ is highly desirable.

The M91-3 degrades s-triazines, particularly atrazine, beyond the point of ring cleavage, leading to complete mineralization of the atrazine. The ability of M91-3 to completely degrade atrazine appears to be unique among bacteria. The M91-3 is capable of degrading s-triazine in solution and in presence of soil or sediment. The invention also relates to a method for degrading s-triazines, particularly atrazine.

Potential Applications:

Treatment of sites with high s-triazine levels

Advantages:

  • Fast
  • Inexpensive; doesn’t involve excavation
  • Does not use up currently healthy soil

Method for In-Situ Immobilization of Lead in Contaminated Soils, Wastes and Sediments Using Solid Calcium Phosphate Materials

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Summary:

Solid calcium phosphate materials are used for in-situ immobilization of lead contaminated soils, wastes, and sediments by mixing the solid calcium phosphate material with the lead contaminated material and leaving the mixture in place. The solid calcium phosphate material includes, for example, naturally occurring apatite, synthetic hydroxyapatite, dibasic calcium phosphate, or phosphate rock.

After treatment with solid calcium phosphate materials, lead concentrations in contaminated water and soil were reduced from as high as 2405 µmol L-1 to below the EPA Pb2+ action level of 72.4 nmol/L.

Potential Applications:

Cleanup of lead contaminated water, soils, and waste water

Advantages:

  • Takes place at the site of contamination
  • Can be completed within a few hours

Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators for Noise Mitigation and Mixing Enhancement

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Summary:

The Ohio State University has developed a new technology that could reduce jet engine noise during takeoff and landing while not affecting the jet exhaust flow and thrust during cruising and thus improving fuel efficiency. Jet noise has been a major issue in commercial subsonic aircraft and in the development of supersonic aircraft for decades. Recently, encroachment of neighboring communities on military airports and landing strips has also created growing pressure to reduce community noise from the military aircraft. Noise radiation from the exhaust jet in an aircraft is the dominant component of noise during takeoff and a major component during landing. While chevrons and tabs have been researched for noise reduction for decades, they were very recently put in use in jet aircraft engines for noise reduction. Since these devices are simple geometric modifications at the nozzle exit, their pattern and strength cannot be changed, and they remain active during the entire flight even when they are not needed. As a result, they decrease the fuel efficiency during most of the fight. This technology utilizes localized arc filament plasma (LAFP) actuators that can be turned on and off as needed, and their pattern and strength can be changed to further reduce jet engine noise and improve fuel efficiency. In addition, LAFP actuators could manipulate instabilities in the jet to maximize their effectiveness.

Potential Applications:

LAFP actuators could be used in jet aircraft engines, large or small, commercial or military, for jet noise reduction.

Advantages:

LAFP actuators can modify the flow field on command and can be turned “on” and “off” to minimize required power and potential losses when actuation is necessary.

This results in:

  • Noise reduction during takeoff and landing
  • Improved fuel efficiency during cruising altitude
  • Manipulation of the jet’s instabilities

In addition:

  • LAFP actuators do not involve any moving parts.
  • LAFP actuators do not change the geometry of the system/vehicle.
  • LAFP actuators can control mixing and noise in the jet by either excitation of the flow instabilities, by generating stream-wise vortices of desired frequency and strength, or by a combination of the two techniques.

The Application of Activated High Surface Area Char Containing Alkali/Alkaline Earth Metals for the Reduction of Nox from Flue Gas

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Summary:

Researchers at the Ohio State University have developed a method to reduce nitric oxide (NO) using alkali impregnated activated carbon in the presence of oxygen. Coal fired power plants are faced with increasing emissions regulations and therefore it is necessary to minimize the amount of NO released into the environment. This method of NO reduction makes use of a carbon catalyst to reduce NO which has the inherent advantages of being a ubiquitous, low cost, benign catalyst with a wide range of operating temperatures that does not require an external reducing agent. This method has been shown to be experimentally effective and is a promising new technology to allow coal fired power plants to meet emissions regulations.

Potential Applications:

For use in the reduction of nitric oxide in coal fired power plants.

Advantages:

This method makes use of carbon which is a ubiquitous, low cost, benign catalyst with a wide range of operating temperatures that does not require an external reducing agent.

NOx Sensor with Improved Selectivity and Parts-Per-Billion Sensitivity

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Summary:

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) present a host of environmental and health problems, including acid rain, urban smog, acidification of lakes and streams, and damage of forest soils.  The major source of NOx is from the combustion of fossil fuels, and NOx sensors are employed in the development of internal combustion engines in order to optimize combustion and minimize emissions.  Nitric Oxide is also an important biological molecule and its level in human breath is also an indication of many diseased states, including asthma.

Resistance-based electrochemical NOx sensors, while exhibiting good sensitivity, often react to many different gases, and selectivity suffers.  Potentiometric sensors offer a promising approach for NOx measurements in harsh environments, but often suffer from interference with other gases.

Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a novel potentiometric NOx sensor that overcomes the interference limitations of previous potentiometric sensors.  This sensor is extremely selective to NOx in the presence of other gas species, and sensitivities have been confirmed in the parts-per-billion range!  The sensor is ideal for incredibly precise NOx measurements in environments as diverse as engines and for breath monitoring.

Potential Applications:

  • Medical diagnostics
  • Combustion optimization
  • Environmental NOx monitoring

Advantages:

  • Ridiculously high sensitivity (ppb range!)
  • Excellent selectivity
  • Will withstand extreme environments
  • Cost effective as potentiometric output does not require sophisticated support electronics

Reactivation and Recycling of Partially Utilized Sorbent Using a Novel OSU Process

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Summary:

Researchers at the Ohio State University have developed a novel process for reactivation of partially utilized calcium-based sorbents for increased SO2 removal and sorbent utilization from coal-fired boilers/combustors. Limestone or hydrated lime used in pulverized or fluidized bed combustors for SO2 removal suffer from low reactivity and under-utilization as typically less than one-half of the available calcium is converted to a calcium sulfate product. The partially utilized sorbent is rendered ineffective for any further SO2 removal and is either disposed of or partially reactivated by hydration. Therefore, despite being economical and easily retrofittable in existing utility units, dry sorbent processes are less competitive with other more expensive SO2 control technologies due to their poor SO2 removal efficiency and low sorbent utilization. The increased sorbent utilization obtained by this reactivation process could significantly improve the sorbent-based flue gas desulfurization technology.

Potential Applications:

Treatment of individuals with viral infections, microbial contaminant or patients that have undergone a transplant.

Advantages:

Use of psoralens that have proven effective without the harmful side effects from breakdown products or mutagenesis.

Resonant Interband Tunneling Diodes–Extending Moore’s Law and Enabling New Circuitry

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Summary:

Since the early 1960’s, the utility of the tunnel diode (or Esaki diode) has been evident, but several practical hurdles have kept it from reaching mainstream status. Historically, it has been difficult to control peak current and, more importantly, tunnel diode fabrication has lacked a Si-based process that can easily be mass produced and integrated into existing Si-based integrated circuits. As a result, today’s tunnel diodes are primarily used in discrete form and for niche applications. Regardless, tunnel diodes have many current and future applications, and the challenges of aggressively scaled CMOS is forcing this subject to be seriously revisited, since quantum tunneling will dominate in any ultra-low dimensional material. The structure of the Resonant Interband Tunneling Diode (RITD) differs from that of the Esaki diode (traditional tunnel diode) which results in additional useful properties. In RITDs, electrons quantum mechanically tunnel across an energy well formed between two barriers, where Esaki diodes have no energy well. This quantum mechanical tunneling effect happens extremely quickly and thus very high speed electronics can be realized with the use of RITDs. Terahertz operation has been demonstrated. Furthermore, a useful effect called Negative Differential Resistance (NDR) can be exploited using these devices.

Potential Applications:

  • Can augment CMOS technology resulting in novel logic and embedded circuit topologies with reduced device count, low power, and faster speed.
  • Can be implemented in ICs, memory devices, and small, lightweight portable electronics for greater performance at lower power consumption
  • Applications found in oscillators, frequency locking circuits, advanced SRAM circuits, highly integrated A/D converters, high speed digital latches, and many others

Advantages:

  • Uses quantum tunneling, a very high-speed process. Terahertz operation has been demonstrated
  • Shown to exhibit Negative Differential Resistance (NDR)
  • Low cost, compatible with current CMOS technology, and easy to integrate into existing manufacturing processes
  • Runs at room temperature and at very low voltage
  • Can be combined with existing technologies to offer flexibility

IP Status:

Tunneling Diode: Use and Manufacturing – US Pending
Using Backward Tunneling Diode as a Sensor – US Pending

Syntheses of Alkaline Earth-Transition Metal Bimetallic Catalyst Precursors and Bimetallic Heterogeneous Catalysts

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Summary:

This invention describes high yield (80-85%) methods for producing a family of known alkaline earth-transition heterobimetallic complexes useful for a variety of industrial complexes.

Potential Applications:

  • Hydrogen production – could be used to produce hydrogen for fuel cells
  • Environmental – Can be used to convert some environmental toxins into useful materials

Advantages:

  • High yields
  • Multiple methods for producing the catalysts
  • Method can be fitted to current production processes at relatively inexpensive cost

IP Status:

Provisional patent application in process

Corrosion Resistant Coating

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Summary:

Researchers at the Ohio State University have discovered a novel method to fabricate an inorganic corrosion resistant coating. The invention covers the chemistry and methods of application for an inorganic corrosion resistant coating. The coating may be applied to aluminum, iron, zinc, magnesium, cadmium and their alloys. The coating may also be appropriate for use with other less widely used metals and alloys.

Coatings formed by this method possessed good corrosion resistance in lab tests, and the corrosion resistance demonstrated by the vanadium coatings approaches that of chromate coatings that are currently in widespread use. Chromate coatings, however, have several disadvantages that are addressed by using vanadium coatings. First, chromates are known carcinogens, and human exposure to low levels of chromate may have both acute and chronic health consequences. Second, chromates are long-lived in the environment and proper treatment and disposal of chromates is an expensive and hazardous process. Vanadium coatings do not process this level of toxic hazard and represent an environmentally friendly alternative to the existing chromate coatings.

Potential Applications:

  • Paints
  • Adhesives

Advantages:

Presents a environmentally-friendly alternative to current coatings in use

Preparation and use of a catalyst for the catalytic reduction of nitric oxide using methane

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Summary:

Researchers at the Ohio State University have discovered a novel catalyst for the reduction of nitric oxide (NO) using methane. NO emission has been linked to acid rain, urban smog that causes respiratory problems in humans, and has an adverse effect on the atmosphere and the ozone. As a result, EPA has imposed increasingly stringent regulations on NO emission, and demand for ways to reduce nitric oxide to an environmentally safe product has risen to a high level.

This invention allows the reduction of NO to harmless N2 gas cheaply by using methane as a reduction agent, and this process also has shown the much desired ability to reduce NO with high selectivity in the presence of relatively high concentrations of O2, H2O, and SO2, a quality that is not present in many other nitric oxide reduction processes.

Potential Applications:

Industrial pollution reduction

Advantages:

  • Able to reduce NO in the presence of high concentrations of O2, H2O, and SO2
  • Inexpensive; uses methane