Hydrogen Transport Membrane (HTM) for Separation of Pure Hydrogen at High Temperatures

The hydrogen transport membrane for the separation of pure hydrogen at high temperatures was developed by Argonne scientist Balu Balachandran and colleagues Stephen Dorris and Tae Lee, in collaboration with Gary J. Steigel, Richard Dunst and John Winslow at the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh. This ceramic membrane provides pure hydrogen gas by selectively separating hydrogen from gas mixtures generated by fossil fuel-based processes. The membrane operates at the high temperatures and pressures required by such processes as coal gasification and methane reforming, without becoming embrittled by its interactions with hydrogen and sulfur.

The membrane was patented in 2003, and development of the technology is underway with industrial partners Eltron Research, Inc., and ITN Energy Systems, Inc. The technology is expected to help advance the emerging “hydrogen economy” by enabling the economical and environmentally friendly production of hydrogen from carbon-based feedstocks, permitting the highly efficient generation of electricity via fuel cells.

Researcher preparing to insert the HTM ceramic membrane assembly into a furnace to measure its hydrogen permeation and staility

 

 

For more information on the work in the Energy Technology Division at Argonne, click here

For additional information contact the Office of Technology Transfer, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne Illinois 60453, 1-800-627-2596, or email partners@anl.gov.

Grancrete™ Spray-On Structural Cement and Rapid Construction Process for Low-Cost Housing

Grancrete spray-on structural cement was developed by Argonne scientist Arun Wagh in collaboration with Jim Paul of Casa Grande International of Mechanicsville, Va. The Grancrete magnesium-phosphate cement powder would be mixed at a construction site with water and sand into a slurry that would be sprayed onto frames and set as structural cement.

Within two to four hours, Grancrete cement forms a rigid, long-lasting structural wall or ceiling that is permanently bonded to the panels. The resulting structures make it possible to offer long-lasting, easily maintained housing to a large segment of the world’s population that could not previously obtain adequate shelter. A Grancrete structure of approximately 800 square feet, for example, would cost $6000 in labor and materials to construct.

For more information on the work in the Energy Technology Division at Argonne, click here

For additional information contact the Office of Technology Transfer, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne Illinois 60453, 1-800-627-2596, or email partners@anl.gov.

Glass Furnace Model (GFM)

The Glass Furnace Model was developed by Argonne scientist Brian Golchert and colleagues Steve Lottes, Michael Petrick, Chenn Qian Zhou and the late Shen Lin Chang as a three-dimensional computer code, developed for the glass industry to evaluate furnace design, performance and operation.

The software's main screen shows the interior of a typical glass furnace. Natural gas burns over a patchwork of molten glass and islands of floating glass batch (sand, chemicals to control quality/color, and recycled glass).

The code is used to generate a computer simulation that allows engineers to “visualize” critical heat transfer, flow and reaction patterns within the interior of a glass furnace. The simulation is used to conduct extensive experiments, inexpensively on the computer, by varying key operating and design parameters to determine their impact of overall furnace performance.

For more information on the work in the Energy Systems Division at Argonne, click here.

For additional information contact the Office of Technology Transfer, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne Illinois 60453, 1-800-627-2596, or email partners@anl.gov.

Powertrain System Analysis Toolkit (PAST)

The Powertrain System Analysis Toolkit allows hybrid and standard drive vehicle designers to develop realistic powertrain control systems. Developed by Argonne engineer Aymeric Rousseau, the computer simulation provides accurate performance, fuel economy and emissions simulations, allowing automotive and truck manufacturers and their suppliers to select appropriate advanced technologies, bringing them more quickly to the market.

The Toolkit was released in 2003, and licensed not only to industry, including Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler Corp., General Motors, Exxon/Mobil, and Lockheed Martin, and also to universities using the program to develop designs for student competitions.

For more information on the work in the Energy Systems Division at Argonne, click here.

The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. The University of Chicago operates Argonne as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratory system.

For More Information

For additional information contact the Office of Technology Transfer, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne Illinois 60453, 1-800-627-2596, or email partners@anl.gov.