Optimal microstructures and thermomechanical properties of ceramic heat carrier balls for waste to energy conversion

最近，滑铁卢大学、阿尔伯塔省创新技术大学和洛克希德·马丁加拿大公司(LMC)开展了一项研究，旨在为加拿大偏远社区开发一种新的、独特的基于可再生能源的解决方案。其主要目标是收集和分析艾伯塔省和安大略省指定偏远地区可获得的生物质原料的数据，并开发关键的工艺和材料特性，使这些原料能够有效地转化为生物能源。将对偏远社区的能源、经济和环境效益进行量化评估。为此，CRD项目旨在通过确定在生物质转化为合成气中起核心作用的热载体球的尖端材料，最大限度地提高能源转换效率并最大限度地降低运营成本，这两者对于对拟议技术的性能进行有意义的评估至关重要。拟开展的研究活动针对这两个领域的新技术发展：1)通过研究材料的微观结构、表面机械和热性能以及相关的热传递机理，提高热载体球的储能能力和能量交换效率；2)通过表征热循环和老化行为，优化热载体球的热机械稳定性和随后的寿命。该CRD项目解决了在这些偏远地区将LMC废物转化为能源(WTE)技术商业化之前必须应对的关键研发挑战。WtE技术的开发和商业化将通过生物质利用、技术进步和HQP培训，帮助偏远社区降低能源成本，实现加拿大承诺的温室气体减排目标。

Recently a research initiation has been developed by the University of Waterloo, InnoTech Alberta and Lockheed Martin Canada (LMC), which aims to develop a new and unique renewable based energy solution to the remote communities of Canada. Its major objectives are, to collect and analyze data of biomass feedstock available in designated remote regions in Alberta and Ontario and to develop critical process and material properties allowing an efficient conversion of these feedstocks to bioenergy. Quantitative assessments on energy, economic and environmental benefits to the remote communities will be performed. Serving for this purpose, this CRD project aims to maximize the energy conversion efficiency and minimize the operating cost, both being critical to achieve a meaningful assessment on the proposed technology's performance, through identification of a cutting edge material for heat carrier balls which play a central role in biomass to syngas conversion. The proposed research activities target at the new technology development in these two areas: 1) increasing the energy storage capacity and energy exchanging efficiency of heat carrier balls, through investigating the micro-structures of the material, surface mechanical and thermal properties and associated heat transfer mechanisms; and 2) optimizing the thermomechanical stability and subsequently the lifetime of these heat carrier ball by means of characterizing the thermal cycling and aging behaviors. This CRD project addresses a critical R&D challenge that must be met before the commercialization of the LMC Waste to Energy (WtE) technology in these remoted regions. The development and commercialization of WtE technology will help the remote communities reduce their energy cost and achieve Canada's pledged GHG reduction goals, through biomass utilization, technology advancement and HQP training.