Kooichi Chino

Evaluation of energy storage method using liquid air

An energy storage system using liquid air for high storage efficiency is studied. Liquid air is produced by off-peak power and can be stored at atmospheric pressure in a large tank. When on-peak power is needed, the stored liquid air is pumped to high pressure and fed to the combustor of a gas turbine. Then, power generation is more than doubled from that of a system with an ordinary air compressor. Furthermore, energy storage efficiency of this system is significantly increased above that of a pumping-up power plant when low-temperature liquid air is used to produce new liquid air.

Reduction of cesium leachability from cementitous resin forms using natural acid clay and zeolite

Abstract Cesium adsorption properties of the natural minerals, acid clay (cristobalite) and zeolite (clinoptilolite), in cement paste were discussed from the viewpoint of pH dependence and Cs selectivity, in order to estimate the reduction effect of Cs leachability by their addition to cementitious resin forms. The addition of natural zeolite or acid clay to cementitious resin forms provided an effective reduction of the Cs leaching ratio. Cs exchange capacity of acid clay increased significantly in the alkali solution because of the formation of new silanol groups (-SiOH) with the dissociation of the main silica structure at high pH. Natural zeolite and acid clay showed selective Cs adsorption in Cs/Ca mixed solution as opposed to synthetic zeolite (4A-type); respective separation factors were approximately 102 and 10.