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Environment and Energy
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| Clean, sustainable manufacturing processes and practices... new ways to treat and reclaim contaminated soils, water and sites... the promise of alternative energy technologies – from fuel cells to gas hydrates... The future of our world is the subject of NRC's environmental and energy R&D. |
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Testing Truck Aerodynamics
New emission regulations and higher fuel prices are driving a renewed interest in improving the aerodynamics of large trucks. NRC is helping small companies and truck manufacturers investigate truck aerodynamics and verify the efficacy of devices that reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The tests are carried out in the largest of NRC's eight wind tunnels. The tunnel's balance was modified to enable it to take the truck's full weight, and four air-bearing plates were built to provide for a frictionless setup on which to rest the truck wheels.
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Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Development
Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) are being investigated as future power sources for a variety of electronic devices such as laptop computers and cell phones. NRC has a number of facilities to develop and test anode catalysts for DMFC applications. DMFCs have the potential to be lighter and have longer run times than today's batteries. In addition, refuelling the system would take much less time than recharging a battery.
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Gas Hydrates
Gas hydrates are ice-like, solid mixtures of water and small molecules such as methane, making them a potential energy source. The image shows a sample of gas hydrate recovered from the deep ocean seabed offshore Vancouver Island. NRC scientists are pioneers in the study of gas hydrates, and have identified them as a possible way to efficiently store hydrogen gas as a fuel. Only stable under high pressure or at low temperature, they're stored in liquid nitrogen (-196 °C). The cold causes water vapour in the air to condense (see image).
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Modelling Air Quality
Combining data analysis and 3D modelling, NRC scientists are helping pinpoint regional factors that can contribute to the formation of pollutants such as ground level ozone. This image shows 3D modelling of periodic episodes of ozone formation in the Vancouver area. The blue is ocean (Strait of Georgia), mountains are brown with white tips, and the yellow is an area of ozone concentration. Modeling helps to visualize and predict how variables such as airborne pollutants, atmospheric chemical reactions and meteorological conditions can affect air quality. The models are helping to plan future strategies to control airborne pollutants.
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Turning Waste into Usable Energy
Some microbes just love to eat garbage. Not only that, they produce usable gases such as methane and CO2 while they do it. They are getting their fill to eat in this table-top bioreactor which is kept at a toasty 55°C and supplied with food waste from one of the NRC's cafeterias. In this image, an NRC scientist is taking a sample of the gases (mostly methane) produced by anaerobic (oxygen-averse) micro-organisms. In the future, a larger version of this technology could provide a new and novel way of turning waste into usable energy.
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Testing Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
NRC scientists are exploring ways to maximize fuel cell efficiency. In proton exchange membrane fuel cells the membrane acts as an electrolyte, or medium, transporting protons from the positive to the negative electrode. The faster the membrane can conduct the protons (its proton conductivity) the better. NRC researchers use the apparatus shown here to assess the conductivity of various potential membrane materials. The white square is a Teflon-glass composite material that holds the test membrane underneath. The yellow alligator clips are attached to electrodes connected to the membrane.
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Computer Modelling of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
NRC researchers are using computer modelling to optimize the design of durable, efficient solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). SOFCs are solid ceramic devices that use an oxide ion-conducting material as an electro-catalyst, to generate energy. Computer modeling is used to visualize the flow of fuel and air through cell stacks in order to improve the efficiency of design. The anticipated result of this research is to produce "next generation" cells and stacks that can efficiently convert hydrocarbon fuels into clean energy.
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Engineering and Microbiology Make Effective Biobarrier
With our expertise in bioengineering and microbiology, NRC scientists are currently working on biobarriers which will help clean our polluted waters and provide an effective solution for contamination caused by methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive. The barrier, packed with perlite, is augmented with cultures of Mycobacterium austroafricanum, a microorganism which accelerates the biodegradation process. These biobarriers represent one of the many projects at NRC that will contribute to cleaning up our environment.
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Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor
One of the main challenges in developing commercially viable fuel cell-powered vehicles is increasing the range the vehicles can travel between refuellings. To this end, NRC scientists have developed an electrochemical hydrogen compressor, seen here being assembled. The technology uses electricity to compresse hydrogen up to 10 000 psi, thus increasing the amount of hydrogen that can be stored in a vehicle. Importantly, the compressor has no moving parts. This means less noise and potentially lower maintenance costs and better performance compared with existing hydrogen compressor technologies.
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Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Test Apparatus
Fuel cell technology is in its infancy, and NRC scientists are investigating the use of novel materials to improve fuel cell performance. The image shows an open-view of a device for testing the efficiency of components in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The core of the device is the NRC custom-made membrane electrode assembly (in tweezers). This is the heart of a fuel cell where chemical reactions take place and electricity is generated. The apparatus enables researchers to test different materials as electrodes (black), the membrane (clear/yellowish) or the catalyst.
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