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The First Step In Solar Hydrogen Production: Development Of A Solar Thermal Reactor For The Reduction Of Metal Oxide Particles, Jesse Fosheim, Andrew Schrader
The First Step In Solar Hydrogen Production: Development Of A Solar Thermal Reactor For The Reduction Of Metal Oxide Particles, Jesse Fosheim, Andrew Schrader
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
A solar thermal reactor has been designed to experimentally investigate promising paths for reducing metal oxide particles to reduced oxidation states (e.g. Fe2O3 to Fe3O4) utilizing concentrated solar energy. This reactor is windowless and is able to handle internal cavity temperatures in excess of 1700 K. It also has a quasi-continuous feed system that allows the particle residence times to be varied for particles between 0.044 mm and 1 mm in diameter. Furthermore, this reactor utilizes an instrumentation system for the measurement of temperature, particle residence time, particle mass flow rate, and solar flux. In an industrial setting, a large-scale …
Environmental And Economically Conscious Magnesium Production: Solar Thermal Electrolytic Production Of Mg From Mgo, J Fosheim, C Baum, B Borth, B Gruenwald, P Nasserifar, G Vanheeren, R Palumbo, E Beyers, R Diver, S Duncan, P Kissinger, S Nudehi, J Ogland-Hand, L Saks, J Schoer, A Schrader, L Venstom
Environmental And Economically Conscious Magnesium Production: Solar Thermal Electrolytic Production Of Mg From Mgo, J Fosheim, C Baum, B Borth, B Gruenwald, P Nasserifar, G Vanheeren, R Palumbo, E Beyers, R Diver, S Duncan, P Kissinger, S Nudehi, J Ogland-Hand, L Saks, J Schoer, A Schrader, L Venstom
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
One method to improve the fuel efficiency of American made vehicles is to reduce vehicle weight by substituting steel components with lighter magnesium (Mg) components. Unfortunately, U.S. produced Mg currently costs approximately $3.31 per kg, over seven times the price of steel. Furthermore, Mg production has a staggering energy and environmental impact, consuming up to 102 kW-hr/kg-Mg of energy and producing 36 kg of CO2/kg-Mg. To reduce the overwhelming economic and environmental impact of Mg, a new solar thermal electrolytic process has been developed for the production of Mg from MgO. Through this process, liquid Mg is produced in a …
Untitled, Evan Beyers, Jonathan Ogland-Hand
Untitled, Evan Beyers, Jonathan Ogland-Hand
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The solar furnace research project at Valparaiso University utilizes a decoupled solar thermal electrolysis process for the production of H2 from water. We are focusing on an iron oxide system, which involves the conversion of magnetite to hematite in a cyclical process. Our experimental study for the iron oxide system confirmed that the electrolytic oxidation and thermal reduction steps of the metal oxide occur in a laboratory scale environment. Unfortunately, some of the Fe+3 products for the magnetite system stays in solution when the electrolysis is done in a strong acid. We needed to develop methods to quantify the fraction …
Design And Fabrication Of An Ultra-Low Capacitive Pressure Transducer, Justin Brown, Armand Gagne, Stephen Charnley, Kyle Devlin, Ryan Finley, Jenan Almishari, Anna Wint, Dr. Shahin Nudehi
Design And Fabrication Of An Ultra-Low Capacitive Pressure Transducer, Justin Brown, Armand Gagne, Stephen Charnley, Kyle Devlin, Ryan Finley, Jenan Almishari, Anna Wint, Dr. Shahin Nudehi
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The goal of the Capacitive Pressure Sensor project is to redesign the Alpha Instruments 168 series capacitive pressure sensor sold by Dwyer Instruments. The primary objectives of the new design will be to eliminate the use of welding in the assembly of the sensor components and to eliminate stray capacitance in the system measurements through the use of dielectric boundaries. Additionally, the sensor housing will be a stamped design in order to avoid expensive machining steps. The electrical components of the system will be tailored to accept a capacitive signal and transfer it to a voltage reading. This voltage will …
The Design And Manufacturing Of The Solar Furnace Reactor Table, Chris Baum, Zach Saylor, Andrew Schiller
The Design And Manufacturing Of The Solar Furnace Reactor Table, Chris Baum, Zach Saylor, Andrew Schiller
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility at Valparaiso University will concentrate energy from the sun into a reactor containing unprocessed materials. The concentrated light causes a reaction to occur, turning unprocessed materials into alternative energy products. Accurate placement of the reactor at the focal point of the concentrator is necessary to allow the maximum amount of solar energy to enter the reactor. The Reactor Table was designed and built by Valparaiso University students and faculty. The table controls the placement of the reactor at the focal point of the concentrator quickly and easily by using a computer located …
Electrical Control And Safety System For Solar Furnace, Parisa Nasserifar, Jason Toberman
Electrical Control And Safety System For Solar Furnace, Parisa Nasserifar, Jason Toberman
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The Valparaiso University College of Engineering has recently received a donor gift and a federal earmark to design and manufacture a solar furnace facility. In the solar facility, a heliostat will reflect sunlight straight into the concentrator at every instant. However, due to manufacturing tolerances and inaccuracy in sun’s position model a sun sensor is added in the heliostat sun tracking system. The sun sensor fine adjusts the heliostat’s position so the reflected sunlight is normal to the concentrator. Our goal is to develop a sun sensor that provides an unbalanced output signal when the sensors receive an unbalanced light …
Designing A Calorimeter To Calibrate An Optical Radiative Flux Measurement System To Find The Power Entering A Solar Reactor, Jesse Fosheim, Melissa Meyer, Jonathan Ogland-Hand
Designing A Calorimeter To Calibrate An Optical Radiative Flux Measurement System To Find The Power Entering A Solar Reactor, Jesse Fosheim, Melissa Meyer, Jonathan Ogland-Hand
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
A solar furnace has been constructed at Valparaiso University to test the performance of various solar chemical reactors. A primary performance index of a solar chemical reactor is the efficiency, or the fraction of the energy that enters the reactor that is utilized in the chemical reaction. To calculate this efficiency, we must first know how much solar power is entering the reactor. An optical radiative flux measurement system has been developed that gives the solar flux distribution over the aperture of the reactor, but must be calibrated to provide the actual power level. Therefore, a calorimeter was designed and …
Vu Solar Furnace: Final Design And Construction Of Louver System, Chris Baum, Zach Saylor, Andrew Schiller, Gretchen Vanheeren
Vu Solar Furnace: Final Design And Construction Of Louver System, Chris Baum, Zach Saylor, Andrew Schiller, Gretchen Vanheeren
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
Solar energy is an environmentally clean and abundant alternative to the use of fossil fuels. One method of harnessing solar energy, solar thermal electrochemistry, uses a solar furnace to concentrate sunlight and heat a reactor to temperatures around 2000 K. At such high temperatures, metallic oxides can be decomposed into metals and oxygen with minimal electrical work. The solar furnace used for this process consists of a heliostat, which tracks the sun; a concentrator, which focuses the light to a single point; and a reactor in which the chemical reaction takes place. To control the amount of sunlight entering the …
The Solar Thermal Decoupled Electrolysis Of Water Process: An Investigation Of The Electrochemistry In A Base, Jessica Guertin
The Solar Thermal Decoupled Electrolysis Of Water Process: An Investigation Of The Electrochemistry In A Base, Jessica Guertin
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The solar research team at Valparaiso University is developing solar thermal chemical processes that will transform solar energy into economically viable and reusable energy forms. One subgroup is working on the Solar Thermal Decoupled Electrolysis of Water Process. In this multi-step process, the electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen occurs at room temperature outside of the solar reactor, and it is facilitated by the oxidation of magnetite (Fe3O4) to hematite (Fe2O3). The hematite is then pumped to the solar reactor where it is reduced back to magnetite at high temperatures with the liberation of oxygen. This cycle is then repeated. …
An Improved Method For Quantifying The Stiffness Of Running Shoes, Jorie Ballun, Kyle Zobeck
An Improved Method For Quantifying The Stiffness Of Running Shoes, Jorie Ballun, Kyle Zobeck
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The purpose of running shoes is to protect feet from injury by stabilizing motion and cushioning impact. As material technology and product testing develop, shoes can offer more protection through advanced designs. A typical test for running shoes is a flexion test in which the shoe is bent through a fixed angle and the applied force is measured. Most tests bend the forefoot of a shoe, but this characterizes stiffness over a limited portion of the shoe. The goal of this research is to develop an improved flexion test by evaluating and quantifying the stiffness of running shoes in both …
Accelerating Quantum Computer Simulation Via Parallel Eigenvector Computation, Karl Stathakis
Accelerating Quantum Computer Simulation Via Parallel Eigenvector Computation, Karl Stathakis
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
Quantum-dot cellular automata (QDCA) hold great potential to produce the next generation of computer hardware, but their development is hindered by computationally intensive simulations. Our research therefore focuses on rewriting one such simulation to run parallel calculations on a graphics processing unit (GPU). We have decreased execution time from 33 hours 11 minutes to 1 hour 39 minutes, but current progress has shown that further gains are possible. The calculation of eigenvectors holds particular promise for acceleration. Our research has two components: testing MATLAB’s algorithm for these calculations and creating a C-based algorithm to improve on MATLAB’s execution time. MATLAB …
Oxidation Performance Of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics In Air And A Simulated Combustion Environment, Tim Englert
Oxidation Performance Of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics In Air And A Simulated Combustion Environment, Tim Englert
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The oxidation resistance of various (Zr or Hf)B2-based ceramics will be tested in order to evaluate their respective performances in both furnace and oxyacetylene torch environments. Furnace testing will allow experimentation at temperatures similar to hypersonic travel or reentry conditions (>2000°C); use of an oxyacetylene torch flame will enable the replication of severe thermal gradients and combustion conditions. Oxidation resistance will be firstly quantified by measuring a sample’s change in mass after exposure to the testing environment for a defined time period. A sample that experiences a smaller change in mass is better able to resist oxidation. Oxidation rate …
Solar Furnace: Heliostat And Concentrator Design, Tyler Heagney, Andrew Schiller, Matthew Gaide
Solar Furnace: Heliostat And Concentrator Design, Tyler Heagney, Andrew Schiller, Matthew Gaide
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
In recent decades, solar energy has been shown as a viable, clean, and abundant alternative to fossil fuels. Many methods of solar energy collection are being researched, with solar thermal electrochemistry being one of the most promising. Solar thermal electrochemistry uses sunlight to heat a furnace to temperatures nearing 2000 K. At these temperatures, metallic oxides can be decomposed to metals and oxygen with minimal electrical work. Achieving these high temperatures requires a solar furnace that consists of a heliostat to track and reflect the sun’s rays into a concentrator, which then focuses the sunlight to a single point in …
Decoupled Solar Thermal Chemical Electrolysis Of Water To Produce Hydrogen, Melissa Meyer, Megan Wilken
Decoupled Solar Thermal Chemical Electrolysis Of Water To Produce Hydrogen, Melissa Meyer, Megan Wilken
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
Solar thermal chemical research at Valparaiso University focuses on using concentrated solar energy to produce hydrogen, which can be used to generate electricity in fuel cells. A two-step solar electrolytic process has been proposed for chemical systems such as Fe2O3/Fe3O4, Co3O4/CoO, and Mn2O3/MnO. This new process produces hydrogen using ideally 63-82% less electricity than the traditional electrolytic process. Theoretical solar-to-electrical efficiencies are approximately 19-40%, a range comparable to similar solar thermal chemical processes. Preliminary experimental work with the Fe2O3/Fe3O4 system has validated the chemical possibility of each step of the process. Future work seeks to determine if the proposed processes …
Oxidation Performance Of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics In Air And A Simulated Combustion Environment, Kevin Fedde
Oxidation Performance Of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics In Air And A Simulated Combustion Environment, Kevin Fedde
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The objective of this experiment is to evaluate the oxidation performance and heat resistance of the Ultra-high Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) ZrB2 and HfB2 under high temperature, high heat flux, ablative, and oxidative environments. The investigation of UHTCs such as ZrB2 and HfB2 could potentially lead to new, easily reusable thermal protection systems (TPS) for space craft. The UHTC samples will be oxidized using an oxy-acetylene torch and a high temperature air furnace. The torch will expose the samples to rapid heating, high velocity combustion gasses, and sample temperatures in excess of 3000°C. The furnace will expose the samples to temperatures …
Solar Thermal Electrolytic Production Of Mg From Mgo, William Sheline, L. Matthews, N. Lindenke, S. Duncan, R. Palumbo
Solar Thermal Electrolytic Production Of Mg From Mgo, William Sheline, L. Matthews, N. Lindenke, S. Duncan, R. Palumbo
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The electrolytic production of Mg from MgO was experimentally and theoretically investigated near 1550 K. The oxide was dissolved in either CaF2 or MgF2. The cathode was Mo and the anode was either Pt or Cgr. Mg evolved as a gas, was quenched on cooling coils at the exit of the reactor and was collected for analysis. A thermodynamic cycle study indicates that the ideal thermal efficiency for the solar process is 35 percent for an inert anode and 39 percent for a carbon anode, making the process competitive with the industrial potential of other solar to metal processes. Experimental …
An Evaluation Of Non-Contact Temperature Measurements For Oxyacetylene Torch Testing Of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics, Justin Cotter
An Evaluation Of Non-Contact Temperature Measurements For Oxyacetylene Torch Testing Of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics, Justin Cotter
Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)
The feasibility of using noncontact measurement devices in oxy-acetylene torch ablation testing for UHTCs has been investigated. UHTCs are candidate materials for use in hypersonic and atmospheric re-entry vehicles for their oxidation resistance and thermal capabilities and an oxy-acetylene torch rig is being used to screen materials that show promise for these applications. Non-contact temperature measurement devices have been used for similar testing, but there are some potential issues regarding their use, such as changing emissivity of the UHTCs and combustion interferences. The feasibility of using non-contact temperature measurement devices will be evaluated through the use of thermocouples and a …