Modeling of a compact plate-fin reformer for methanol steam reforming in fuel cell systems

The characteristics of a compact plate-fin reformer (PFR) which integrates endothermic and exothermic reactions into one unit have been investigated by experiment as well as by numerical simulation. One reforming chamber was integrated with two vaporization chambers and two combustion chambers to constitute a single unit of PFR. In the PFR, which is based on a plate-fin beat exchanger, catalytic combustion of the reforming gas is used to simulate the fuel cell anode off gas (AOG) which supplies the necessary heat for the methanol steam reforming. Temperature distributions in all chambers and composition distribution in reforming chamber have been studied, and the effect of the ratio of H2O/CH3OH on the performance of the PFR has also been investigated. A model of the PFR was derived using a three-dimensional numerical model for a cross-current flow arrangement. Theoretical predictions of the temperature distributions in the PFR were in good agreement with experimental values. In addition, the numerical model was able to accurately predict the methanol conversion and the reformate composition in reforming chamber. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heat capacity and thermodynamic properties of N-(2-cyanoethyl) aniline (C9H10N2)

The low temperature heat capacities of N-(2-cyanoethyl)aniline were measured with an automated adiabatic calorimeter over the temperature range from 83 to 353 K. The temperature corresponding to the maximum value of the apparent heat capacity in the fusion interval, molar enthalpy and entropy of fusion of this compound were determined to be 323.33 +/- 0.13 K, 19.4 +/- 0.1 kJ mol(-1) and 60.1 +/- 0.1 J K-1 mol(-1), respectively. Using the fractional melting technique, the purity of the sample was determined to be 99.0 mol% and the melting temperature for the tested sample and the absolutely pure compound were determined to be 323.50 and 323.99 K, respectively. A solid-to-solid phase transition occurred at 310.63 +/- 0.15 K. The molar enthalpy and molar entropy of the transition were determined to be 980 +/- 5 J mol(-1) and 3.16 +/- 0.02 J K-1 mol(-1), respectively. The thermodynamic functions of the compound [H-T - H-298.15] and [S-T - S-298.(15)] were calculated based on the heat capacity measurements in the temperature range of 83-353 K with an interval of 5 K. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fully developed laminar flow and heat transfer in smooth trapezoidal microchannel

Numerical analysis of fully developed laminar slip flow and heat transfer in trapezoidal micro-channels has been studied with uniform wall heat flux boundary conditions. Through coordinate transformation, the governing equations are transformed from physical plane to computational domain, and the resulting equations are solved by a finite-difference scheme. The influences of velocity slip and temperature jump on friction coefficient and Nusselt number are investigated in detail. The calculation also shows that the aspect ratio and base angle have significant effect on flow and heat transfer in trapezoidal micro-channel. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelagem molecular da proteína small heat shock de Xylella fastidiosa.

Este documento descreve o modelo molecular da proteína XF2234 e a análise preliminar da sua estrutura. O modelo foi construído por modelagem por homologia (ou modelagem comparativa) com a estrutura cristalográfica de uma proteína small heat shock de Triticum aestivum (trigo). A análise da estrutura tridimensional da proteína XF2234 tem o objetivo de contribuir para aumentar o conhecimento sobre o papel biológico das smHSPs, necessário para o combate à CVC.

Low temperature heat capacity of (S)-ibuprofen

Molar heat capacities of ( S)-ibuprofen were precisely measured with a small sample precision automated adiabatic calorimeter over the temperature range from 80 to 370 K. Experimental heat capacities were fitted into a polynomial equation of heat capacities ( C-p,C- m) with reduced temperature ( X), [ X = f(T)]. The polynomial equations for ( S)-ibuprofen were C-p,C- m(s) = - 39.483 X-4 - 66. 649 X-3 + 95. 196 X-2 + 210. 84 X + 172. 98 in solid state and C-p,C- m(L) = 7. 191X(3) + 4. 2774 X-2 + 56. 365 X + 498. 5 in liquid state. The thermodynamic functions relative to the reference temperature of 298. 15 K, H-T - H-298.15 and S-T - S-298.15, were derived for the( S)-ibuprofen. A fusion transition at T-m = (324. 15 +/- 0. 02) K was found from the C-p - T curve. The molar enthalpy and entropy of the fusion transition were determined to be (18. 05 +/- 0. 31) kJ.mol(-1) and (55. 71 +/- 0. 95) J.mol(-1).K-1, respectively. The purity of the ( S)-ibuprofen was determined to be 99. 44% on the basis of the heat capacity measurement. Finally, the heat capacities of ( S)-ibuprofen and racemic ibuprofen were compared.

Determination of heat capacities and thermodynamic properties of 2-(chloromethylthio)benzothiazole by an adiabatic calorimeter

The molar heat capacities of 2-(chloromethylthio)benzothiazole (molecular formula C8H6ClNS2, CA registry no. 28908-00-1) were measured with an adiabatic calorimeter in the temperature range between (80 and 350) K. The construction and procedures of the calorimeter were described in detail. The performance of the calorimetric apparatus was evaluated by heat capacity measurements on alpha-Al2O3. The deviation of experiment heat capacities from the corresponding smoothed values lies within 0.3%, whereas the uncertainty is within +/-0.5%, compared with that of the recommended reference data over the whole experimental temperature range. A fusion transition was found from the C-p-T curve of 2-(chloromethylthio)benzothiazole. The melting temperature and the molar enthalpy and entropy of fusion of the compound were determined to be T-m = (315.11 +/- 0.04) K, Delta(fus)H(m) = (17.02 +/- 0.03) kJ(.)mol(-1), and Delta(fus)S(m) = (54.04 +/- 0.05) J(.)mol(-1.)K(-1), respectively. The thermodynamic functions (H-T - H-298.15) and (S-T - S-298.15) were also derived from the heat capacity data. The molar fraction purity of the 2-(chloromethylthio)benzothiazole sample used in the present calorimetric study was determined to be 99.21 by fraction melting.

Measurements of the heat capacity of an azeotropic mixture of water and n-butanol from 78 to 320 K

Molar heat capacities of n-butanol and the azeotropic mixture in the binary system [water (x=0.716) plus n-butanol (x=0.284)] were measured with an adiabatic calorimeter in a temperature range from 78 to 320 K. The functions of the heat capacity with respect to thermodynamic temperature were established for the azeotropic mixture. A glass transition was observed at (111.9 +/- 1.1) K. The phase transitions took place at (179.26 +/- 0.77) and (269.69 +/- 0.14) K corresponding to the solid-liquid phase transitions of. n-butanol and water, respectively. The phase-transition enthalpy and entropy of water were calculated. A thermodynamic function of excess molar heat capacity with respect to temperature was established, which took account of physical mixing, destructions of self-association and cross-association for n-butanol and water, respectively. The thermodynamic functions and the excess thermodynamic ones of the binary systems relative to 298.15 K were derived based on the relationships of the thermodynamic functions and the function of the measured heat capacity and the calculated excess heat capacity with respect to temperature.