Four-Stage Multi-Physics Simulations to Assist Temperature Sensor Design for Industrial-Scale Coal-Fired Boiler.

The growth of renewable energy sources presents a pressing challenge to the operation and maintenance of existing fossil fuel power plants, given that fossil fuel remains the predominant fuel source, responsible for over 60% of electricity generation in the United States. One of the main concerns within these fossil fuel power plants is the unpredictable failure of boiler tubes, resulting in emergency maintenance with significant economic and societal consequences. A reliable high-temperature sensor is necessary for in situ monitoring of boiler tubes and the safety of fossil fuel power plants.

Stabilization of platinum clusters by substitutional boron dopants in carbon supports.

To stabilize platinum clusters on carbon supports, carbon substituted boron dopants were introduced in graphite and fullerene models, and the binding energies of Pt(1) to Pt(6) clusters on the carbon supports were investigated using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The adsorption energies of the Pt clusters increased significantly in the presence of boron. The adsorption energies of Ru(1) and Au(1) were also found to dramatically increase in the presence of boron.