Abstract: A fuel cell has a high heat recovery efficiency for effectively collecting heat discharged from a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell includes a power generating cell and a separator which are alternately laminated to constitute a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stacks are disposed in the central area of a power generating reaction chamber to form two columns-by-two rows array in a plan view. A cross-shaped fuel reformer is arranged between the opposing sides of the fuel cell stacks.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell is formed by arranging a fuel electrode layer and an air electrode layer on both surfaces of a solid electrolyte, respectively, a fuel electrode current collector and an air electrode current collector outside the fuel electrode layer and the air electrode layer, respectively, and separators outside the fuel electrode current collector and the air electrode current collector. A fuel gas and an oxidant gas are supplied from the separators to the fuel electrode layers and the oxidant electrode layers, respectively, through the fuel electrode current collectors and the air electrode current collectors, respectively. Alternatively, indents are provided on the surface of each of the separators, which surface is in contact with one of the current collectors, to increase the dwell volume and hence the retaining time of the gas in the interior of the current collectors.

Abstract: To further reduce the concentrations of basic amine compounds remaining in decarbonated flue gas. Means of Solution A CO2 recovery system includes an absorber 2 and a regenerator 3. The absorber 2 includes a CO2 absorbing section 21 and a water-washing section 22. The CO2 absorbing section 21 allows flue gas 101 to come into contact with a basic amine compound absorbent 103 so that the basic amine compound absorbent 103 absorbs CO2 in the flue gas 101. The water-washing section 22 allows the decarbonated flue gas 101A in which the amount of CO2 has been reduced in the CO2 absorbing section 21 to come into contact with circulating wash water 104 and to be washed with the wash water 104 so that the amounts of the basic amine compounds entrained in the decarbonated flue gas 101A are reduced. The regenerator 3 releases CO2 from the basic amine compound absorbent 103 the CO2 absorbed therein.

Abstract: With a view to preventing increases in forward voltage due to a change with the lapse of time of a bipolar semiconductor device using a silicon carbide semiconductor, a buffer layer, a drift layer and other p-type and n-type semiconductor layers are formed on a growth surface, which is given by a surface of a crystal of a silicon carbide semiconductor having an off-angle ? of 8 degrees from a (000-1) carbon surface of the crystal, at a film growth rate having a film-thickness increasing rate per hour h of 10 ?m/h, which is three times or more higher than conventional counterparts. The flow rate of silane and propane material gases and dopant gases is largely increased to enhance the film growth rate.

Abstract: With a view to preventing increases in forward voltage due to a change with the lapse of time of a bipolar semiconductor device using a silicon carbide semiconductor, a buffer layer, a drift layer and other p-type and n-type semiconductor layers are formed on a growth surface, which is given by a surface of a crystal of a silicon carbide semiconductor having an off-angle ? of 8 degrees from a (000-1) carbon surface of the crystal, at a film growth rate having a film-thickness increasing rate per hour h of 10 ?m/h, which is three times or more higher than conventional counterparts. The flow rate of silane and propane material gases and dopant gases is largely increased to enhance the film growth rate.

Abstract: With a view to preventing increases in forward voltage due to a change with the lapse of time of a bipolar semiconductor device using a silicon carbide semiconductor, a buffer layer, a drift layer and other p-type and n-type semiconductor layers are formed on a growth surface, which is given by a surface of a crystal of a silicon carbide semiconductor having an off-angle ? of 8 degrees from a (000-1) carbon surface of the crystal, at a film growth rate having a film-thickness increasing rate per hour h of 10 ?m/h, which is three times or more higher than conventional counterparts. The flow rate of silane and propane material gases and dopant gases is largely increased to enhance the film growth rate.

Abstract: [Object] To further reduce the concentrations of basic amine compounds remaining in decarbonated flue gas. [Means of Solution] A CO2 recovery system includes an absorber 2 and a regenerator 3. The absorber 2 includes a CO2 absorbing section 21 and at least one water-washing section 22. The CO2 absorbing section 21 allows flue gas 101 to come into contact with a basic amine compound absorbent 103 so that the basic amine compound absorbent 103 absorbs CO2 in the flue gas 101. The at least one water-washing section 22 allows the decarbonated flue gas 101A in which the amount of CO2 has been reduced in the CO2 absorbing section 21 to come into contact with wash water 104A and 104B to reduce the amounts of the basic amine compounds entrained in the decarbonated flue gas 101A. The regenerator 3 releases the CO2 from the basic amine compound absorbent 103 containing CO2 absorbed therein.

Abstract: A reclaiming apparatus 106 includes: a sealed container 106a that is an absorbent reservoir for storing therein a part of an absorbent that has absorbed CO2 in flue gas, and a heater that heats the absorbent stored in the sealed container 106a. The reclaiming apparatus 106 distributes a part of the absorbent stored in the sealed container 106a, and brings the distributed absorbent into counter-current contact with steam. Because a part of the absorbent stored in the absorbent reservoir is brought into counter-current contact with the steam, absorbent component contained therein becomes volatilized, and is separated from depleted materials. In this manner, the absorbent component can be extracted from the depleted materials, and a loss of the absorbent can be reduced.

Abstract: A CO2 recovery system includes an absorption tower and a regeneration tower. CO2 rich solution is produced in the absorption tower by absorbing CO2 from CO2-containing gas. The CO2 rich solution is conveyed to the regeneration tower where lean solution is produced from the rich solution by removing CO2. A regeneration heater heats lean solution that accumulates near a bottom portion of the regeneration tower with saturated steam thereby producing steam condensate from the saturated steam. A steam-condensate heat exchanger heats the rich solution conveyed from the absorption tower to the regeneration tower with the steam condensate.

Abstract: A reaction column (12) to which a raw material mixture (11) containing a mono-lower-alkylamine (AA: raw material I) and an alkylene oxide (AO: raw material II) is supplied, an unreacted raw material distillation column (14) that separates an unreacted raw material (15) from a reaction product (13a) (containing the unreacted raw material (15), a target reaction product (monomer) (17), and a by-product (dimer) (18)), and a flash drum (16) to which a reaction product (13b) (containing the target reaction product (monomer) (17) and the by-product (dimer) (18)) is supplied, the flash drum (16) separating a mono-lower-alkyl monoalkanolamine (monomer, the target reaction product 17) in a gas state, are provided.

Abstract: A CO2 recovery apparatus according to the present invention includes: an absorber (1003) that brings CO2-containing flue gas (1001A) into counter-current contact with CO2 absorbent (1002) to reduce CO2, and a regenerator (1005) that regenerates rich solution (1004) that has absorbed CO2, in which lean solution (1006) having CO2 reduced in the regenerator (1005) is reused in the absorber (1003). The absorber (1003) further includes a CO2 absorbing unit (1010) that recovers CO2 contained in the flue gas (1001A), and the CO2 absorbent (1002) that has absorbed CO2 is extracted from a rich side of the CO2 absorbing unit (1010) to exterior, cooled, and then supplied to a position nearer to a lean side of the absorber (1003) with respect to the position at which the CO2 absorbent (1002) is extracted.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mercury removal system and method for effectively removing a mercury component, which is present in a gas stream in an extremely small amount in wet gas cleaning. The mercury removal system in wet gas cleaning includes a water washing tower for introducing therein a target gas containing a mercury component and transferring the mercury component into an absorbing solution, a flash drum (10) for flashing the absorbing solution discharged from the water washing tower to separate the absorbing solution into a gas component and waste water, an oxidation treatment means (1) for adding an oxidizing agent to the absorbing solution at the preceding stage of the flash drum, and a waste water treatment means for subjecting to coagulation sedimentation treatment the separated waste water containing the mercury component at the following stage of the flash drum to dispose of the mercury component as sludge.

Abstract: An object is to provide a method and an apparatus for improving a residual stress in a tubular body, which are enabled to improve the residual stress reliably by clearly defining controlling rage for treatment conditions without depending on an installation state and configuration of the tubular body. When a cylindrical tubular body (2) is improved in its residual stress by locally irradiating an outer-circumferential surface of a welded portion (C) of the tubular body (2) with laser beams (5a) and by moving an irradiation area (s) in an circumferential direction, a plurality thermocouples (9) are installed on the tubular body (2) to be improved, a temperature history of the outer surface of the tubular body (2) by the irradiation of the laser beam (5a) is managed by measuring the temperature history itself.

Abstract: Provided are a CO2 absorber that reduces CO2 contained in flue gas; a regenerator that reduces CO2 contained in rich solvent absorbing CO2 to regenerate the rich solvent, so that lean solvent having the CO2 reduced in the regenerator is reused in the CO2 absorber; a heat exchanger that allows the rich solvent to exchange heat with the lean solvent; and a controller that controls to extract rich solvent portion that is part of the rich solvent, to allow the rich solvent portion to by pass the heat exchanger, and to be supplied into the top of the regenerator without exchanging heat so as to minimize a sum of an enthalpy that is taken out of the regenerator as CO2 gas accompanying steam and an enthalpy of the lean solvent after heat exchange with the rich solvent in the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A CO2 recovering apparatus includes a CO2 absorber that brings flue gas containing CO2 into contact with CO2 absorbent to reduce the CO2 contained in the flue gas; and a regenerator that reduces CO2 contained in rich solvent absorbing CO2 to regenerate the rich solvent, so that lean solvent that is the CO2 absorbent having the CO2 reduced in the regenerator is reused in the CO2 absorber. The CO2 recovering apparatus further includes a controller that detects a difference between a gas temperature (T1) of the flue gas guided into an entrance of the CO2 absorber and a gas temperature (T2) of the gas exiting the CO2 absorber, and an absorbent concentration (X (Vol %)) of the CO2 absorbent; and controls to adjust an amount of water contained in the gas depending on the gas temperature difference between the gas entering and the gas exiting the CO2 absorber and to keep an absorbent concentration of the CO2 absorbent within a set range (e.g., X0±10% in a relative ratio).

Abstract: A CO2 recovering apparatus includes: a CO2 absorber that brings flue gas containing CO2 into contact with CO2 absorbent to reduce the CO2 contained in the flue gas; a regenerator that reduces CO2 contained in rich solvent that has absorbed CO2 in the CO2 absorber to regenerate the rich solvent, so that the CO2 absorbent that is lean solvent having CO2 reduced in the regenerator is reused in the CO2 absorber; and a controller that controls to detect the absorbent concentration in the CO2 absorbent, to increase the volume of CO2 absorbent to be circulated based on a decrease in the absorbent concentration, and to adjust the volume of steam to be supplied in the regenerator based on the volume of the CO2 absorbent to be circulated.

Abstract: A CO2 recovering apparatus includes a CO2 absorber that brings flue gas containing CO2 and O2 into contact with CO2 absorbing liquid to reduce CO2 in the flue gas; and a regenerator that reduces CO2 in CO2 absorbing liquid (rich solvent) that absorbed CO2 in the CO2 absorber to regenerate the CO2 absorbing liquid, so that the regenerated CO2 absorbing liquid (lean solvent) having CO2 reduced in the regenerator is reused in the CO2 absorber. A lower liquid reservoir is located at the bottom of the CO2 absorber, and an air-bubble gathering member is arranged therein to gather air bubbles included in the absorbing liquid.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell of long lifetime in which good electric conductivity can be maintained between power generation cells even after long time use. A protective plate (20) composed of Ni or Cu is bonded to a side of a metal separator (8) on the side of a fuel electrode layer (3) by diffusion bonding. Since a fuel gas does not intrude into the joint of the both members and Ni and Cu are significantly excellent in high temperature oxidation resistance, the separator (8) is surely protected from the fuel electrode atmosphere and growth of a high temperature oxidation coating is blocked. Consequently, excellent electric conductivity can be maintained when the fuel cell is used for a long time.

Abstract: In the thermal power system, the electricity production efficiency may be improved by providing turbine members having the improved high temperature characteristic over the corresponding prior art turbine members. Turbine members may be provided by using high resistant steels composed of any one or ones selected from the group consisting of the components, including 0.08 to 0.13% of carbon (C), 8.5 to 9.8% of chromium (Cr), 0 to 1.5% of molybdenum (Mo), 0.10 to 0.25% of vanadium (V), 0.03 to 0.08% of niobium (Nb), 0.2 to 5.0% of tungsten (W), 1.5 to 6.0% of cobalt (Co), 0.002 to 0.015% of boron (B), 0.015 to 0.025% of nitrogen (N), and optionally, 0.01 to 3.0% of rhenium (Re), 0.1 to 0.50% of silicon (Si), 0.1 to 1.0% of manganese (Mo), 0.05 to 0.8% of nickel (Ni) and 0.1 to 1.3% of cupper.

Abstract: A heat recovery apparatus, for an absorption apparatus for removing CO2 in combustion exhaust gas emitted from a thermal power plant 112 and for regeneration apparatuses 104 to 107 for regenerating CO2 in an absorbing liquid from the absorption apparatus, includes a regeneration-apparatus-exit-CO2-gas cooling apparatus 100 for cooling CO2 gas from an exhaust port of the regeneration apparatus, and may further include a circulation line 102 for circulating reflux water among boiler feedwater heaters 114 and 116 in the thermal power plant 112 and the regeneration-apparatus-exit-CO2-gas cooling apparatus 100.