Project News
Rice researchers receive USD 1.5M federal grant
An interdisciplinary team of Rice researchers has received a threeyear , USD 1.5M grant from the U . S . Department of Energy ’ s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office to explore applications of carbon nanotube ( CNT ) materials for improved heat exchange . “ The goal of our team is to develop materials and devices that will support energy transition by producing low-CO2 footprint CNT materials with superior properties at competitive costs ,” said Geoff Wehmeyer , assistant professor of mechanical engineering ( MECH ) and the project ’ s lead investigator . The project , titled “ High Thermal Conductivity Carbon Nanotube Fibers for Improved Heat Exchange ,” aims to replace high- CO2 footprint metals currently used in heat exchanger fins to promote decarbonization in various industrial applications . It will help advance the goals of the DoE ’ s Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap and its Industrial Heat
Shot Energy Earthshot Initiative . The research team will focus on improvements to the processing that increase the thermal conductivity of CNT fibers to 10 % better-than-copper levels and show that CNT fibers can be woven into textile-based CNT devices for potential use as fins for heat exchangers common in industrial applications . “ This collaborative project builds on Rice ’ s expertise in manufacturing highly aligned CNT materials ,” Wehmeyer said . “ The thermal conductivity enhancements will be achieved through new processing approaches in Matteo Pasquali ’ s lab , such as doping , annealing , and material selection .
ThermAvant Technologies secures NASA project
ThermAvant Technologies , the innovator in oscillating heat pipe ( OHP ) based thermal management systems ( TMS ), proudly announces its Phase II project with NASA titled “ Additively Manufactured , Structurally-Integrated , Passive Two-Phase Heat Sink for Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Systems .” This project , as outlined by NASA ’ s 2020-I SBIR A1.04 Electrified Aircraft Propulsion ( EAP ), aims to enable next-generation electric aircraft by improving temperature control of critical components , even as their heat loads rise and their size and mass targets do not . In Phase I of the project , ThermAvant Technologies ( TAT ) showcased a groundbreaking TMS with an Additively Manufactured Oscillating Heat Pipe ( AM- OHP ) heat sink . By additively embedding the OHP into the TMS power-dense heat sinks , several key advantages over the status quo were proven , including : Improved specific heat transfer capacity of > 4 kW / kg , a 50 % mass reduction compared to the solid metal heat sink ( and orders of magnitude less mass when compared to pumped , actively
cooled alternatives ); Shorten lead times to reduce the design and manufacturing cycle by three-fold ; and Improved thermal performance and ruggedness where the heat sinks ’ oscillating heat pipe thermal conductance proved independent of gravity and insensitive to variable , multiheat source distributions . The anticipated benefits of this project extend to various sectors , including the Advanced Air Transport Technology ( AATT ) program within the Aero Research Mission Directorate ( ARMD ), NASA Johnson Space Center ( JSC ), Minute Man Missile , and small electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing ( eVTOL ) aircraft .
De Nora to provide electrolyzer technology for HyTecHeat
Industrie De Nora S . p . A , headquartered in Milan , Italy , has announced its participation as one of the key partners in the ambitious European initiative known as HyTecHeat . Collaborating with industry giants such as Snam and Tenova , De Nora is set to play a crucial role in revolutionizing steel production by leveraging hybrid technologies to achieve significantly lower CO2 emissions . This groundbreaking project marks a pivotal step towards addressing environmental concerns in an industry traditionally deemed challenging to decarbonize . |
HyTecHeat , an acronym for Hybrid Technologies for sustainable steel reheating , has garnered support from the “ Horizon Europe ” program , backed by a substantial funding injection of approximately 3.3 million euros from the EU . The core objective of this project is to integrate De Nora ’ s innovative 1-MW capacity Dragonfly on-site electrolytic hydrogen generation system into steel production processes . These processes , characterized by their energyintensive nature , have a profound impact on the environment . The introduction of the Dragonfly system aims to curtail emissions |
|
|
and usher in a more sustainable approach to steel manufacturing . This partnership represents a pioneering effort to reduce the environmental footprint of heat treatment and heating stages in steel production , traditionally |
|
reliant on natural gas . By augmenting the percentage of lowcarbon hydrogen utilized in these critical phases , HyTecHeat aspires to foster a virtuous hybridization of resources , aligning with broader sustainability goals . |
KBR awarded a project management contract by Sonangol
KBR ( KBR ) has been awarded a project management contract by Sonangol for the design and construction of a new 200,000bpd refinery in Lobito , Angola . Under the terms of the contract , KBR will provide services encompassing the project management of engineering , procurement , and construction phase execution . The Lobito Refinery Project is one of the most significant energy infrastructure projects in the region |
and will contribute to Angola ’ s energy independence . The project will also contribute to significant job creation and economic development in this region . Upon completing the Lobito Refinery Project , Angola is expected to have a 200 % increase in the capacity to produce fuel products within the country in an efficient and sustainably improved approach . This award further extends the more than twenty-year-long partnership |
between KBR and Sonangol in the development of essential natural resources in Angola . KBR completed the FEED phase of the project earlier in 2023 , providing a cost competitive design that met Sonangol ’ s business objectives while meeting the advanced emission standards required in the industry . In line with our strategy in energy transition to provide more environmentally friendly solutions , KBR ’ s FEED design also meets 2030 African and |
European Product Specifications with river water consumption and waste-water treatment requirements reduced by 30 % as a result of KBR ’ s innovation in the refinery ’ s cooling system design . |
56 Heat Exchanger World April 2024 www . heat-exchanger-world . com