Scientific Papers in SCI

The development of anti-icing robust surfaces is a hot topic nowadays and particularly crucial in the aeronautics or wind energy sectors as ice accretion can compromise safety and power generation efficiency. However, the current performance of most anti-icing strategies has been proven insufficient for such demanding applications, particularly in large unprotected zones, which located downstream from thermally protected areas, may undergo secondary icing. Herein, a new testing methodology is proposed to evaluate accretion mechanisms and secondary icing phenomena through, respectively, direct impact and running-wet processes and systematically applied to anti-icing materials including commercial solutions and the latest trends in the state-of-the-art. Five categories of materials (hard, elastomeric, polymeric matrix, SLIPS and superhydrophobic) with up to fifteen formulations have been tested. This Round-Robin approach provides a deeper understanding of anti-icing mechanisms revealing the strengths and weaknesses of each material. The conclusion is that there is no single passive solution for anti-ice protection. Thus, to effectively protect a given real component, different tailored materials fitted for each particular zone of the system are required. For this selection, shape analysis of such a component and the impact characteristics of water droplets under real conditions are needed as schematically illustrated for aeronautic turbines.

Selective CO methanation from H₂-rich stream has been regarded as a promising route for deep removal of low CO concentration and catalytic hydrogen purification processes. This work is focused on the development of more efficient catalysts applied in practical conditions. For this purpose, we prepared a series of catalysts based on Ru supported over titania and promoted with small amounts of Rh and Pt. Characterization details revealed that Rh and Pt modify the electronic properties of Ru. The results of catalytic activity showed that Pt has a negative effect since it promotes the reverse water gas shift reaction decreasing the selectivity of methanation but Rh increases remarkably the activity and selectivity of CO methanation. The obtained results suggest that RuRh-based catalyst could become important for the treatment of industrial-volume streams.