Abstract: A thermal energy storage apparatus includes at least one hollow tube having an internal cavity and at least one basic module placed inside the internal cavity. The at least one basic module has at least one slab, at least one pair of spacer bars, and at least one through channel adapted for the passage of a heat transfer fluid.

Abstract: A thermal energy storage apparatus includes at least one hollow tube having an internal cavity and at least one basic module placed inside the internal cavity. The at least one basic module has at least one slab, at least one pair of spacer bars, and at least one through channel adapted for the passage of a heat transfer fluid.

Abstract: A process for the production of an optically selective coating of a receiver substrate of a suitable material for solar receiver devices particularly suitable for operating at high temperatures, more specifically for receiver tubes of linear parabolic trough, which comprises: deposition of a layer reflecting infrared radiation consisting of a high-melting metal on a heated receiver substrate of a suitable material; annealing under the same temperature and pressure conditions as the deposition of the reflecting layer; deposition on the high-melting metal of one or more layers of metal-ceramic composite materials (CERMET), wherein the metal is W and the ceramic matrix is YPSZ (“Yttria-Partially Stabilized Zirconia”); deposition on the cermet of an antireflection layer; annealing under the same temperature and pressure conditions as the depositions of the cermet and antireflection layers.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a mixture of inorganic nitrate salts, comprising LiNO3, NaNO3, KNO3 and CsNO3 wherein the LiNO3 content ranges from 17.5% by weight to 21.6% by weight, the NaNO3 content ranges from 10% by weight to 11% by weight, the KNO3 content ranges from 27.7% by weight to 32.6% by weight, the CsNO3 content ranges from 35.8% by weight to 43.8% by weight, including the interval bounds.

Abstract: A process for the production of an optically selective coating of a receiver substrate of a suitable material for solar receiver devices particularly suitable for operating at high temperatures, more specifically for receiver tubes of linear parabolic trough, which comprises: deposition of a layer reflecting infrared radiation consisting of a high-melting metal on a heated receiver substrate of a suitable material; annealing under the same temperature and pressure conditions as the deposition of the reflecting layer; deposition on the high-melting metal of one or more layers of metal-ceramic composite materials (CERMET), wherein the metal is W and the ceramic matrix is YPSZ (“Yttria-Partially Stabilized Zirconia”); deposition on the cermet of an antireflection layer; annealing under the same temperature and pressure conditions as the depositions of the cermet and antireflection layers.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a mixture of inorganic nitrate salts, comprising LiNO3, NaNO3, KNO3 and CsNO3 wherein the LiNO3 content ranges from 17.5% by weight to 21.6% by weight, the NaNO3 content ranges from 10% by weight to 11% by weight, the KNO3 content ranges from 27.7% by weight to 32.6% by weight, the CsNO3 content ranges from 35.8% by weight to 43.8% by weight, including the interval bounds.

Abstract: A process to activate a titanium silicalite catalyst for the oxidation of benzene to phenol is provided. The catalyst is activated in the reactor for the oxidation by feeding to a reactor containing the titanium silicalite catalyst, during a time of from 2 to 6 hours, at a temperature ranging from 20 to 120° C., an aqueous solution of ammonium acid fluoride in a concentration ranging from 0.1% to 1% by weight; and hydrogen peroxide in a concentration ranging from 3% to 10% by weight; feeding water to the reactor at the end of the reaction; and drying or calcining the catalyst contained in the reactor to obtain the activated catalyst. The catalyst is represented by the formula: xTiO2.(1?x)SiO2 wherein x is from 0.0001 to 0.04.

Abstract: A process for purifying an aqueous stream from a Fischer-Tropsch reaction that includes feeding the aqueous stream to a system that includes a distillation column equipped with a partial condenser and a total condenser, at least partially condensing the vaporized stream leaving the head of the distillation column and collecting a first distillate in which in heavier by-products, totally condensing the remaining portion of the vaporized stream leaving the partial condenser and collecting a liquid stream which is returned to the distillation column as a reflux and removing a purified aqueous stream from the bottom of the distillation column.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the purification of an aqueous stream coming from the Fischer-Tropsch reaction which comprises:—feeding of the aqueous stream containing the organic by-products of the reaction to a system consisting of a distillation column equipped with a partial condenser and a total condenser;—partial condensation of the vaporized stream leaving the head of the column and collection of a first distillate enriched in the heavier by-products;—total condensation of the vaporized stream leaving the partial condenser and collection of a liquid stream which is partly sent back to the distillation column as reflux whereas the remaining part is collected as distillate;—extraction of the purified aqueous stream from the bottom of the distillation column.

Abstract: A process to activate a titanium silicalite catalyst for the oxidation of benzene to phenol is provided. The catalyst is activated in the reactor for the oxidation by feeding to a reactor containing the titanium silicalite catalyst, during a time of from 2 to 6 hours, at a temperature ranging from 20 to 120° C., an aqueous solution of ammonium acid fluoride in a concentration ranging from 0.1% to 1% by weight; and hydrogen peroxide in a concentration ranging from 3% to 10% by weight; feeding water to the reactor at the end of the reaction; and drying or calcining the catalyst contained in the reactor to obtain the activated catalyst. The catalyst is represented by the formula: xTiO2.(1?x)SiO2 wherein x is from 0.0001 to 0.04.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous process for the preparation of phenol by means of the direct oxidation of benzene with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a catalyst based on titanium silicalite TS-1 comprising: (a) running the process in a fixed bed reactor containing the catalyst based on TS-1 at a temperature ranging from 80-120° C. and at a pressure ranging from 3-15 atm; (b) feeding to the reactor a stream containing H2O2, benzene, sulfolane and water in a single or double phase, wherein the quantities of the single components are within the range of 0.2-6, 15-60, 30-80, 0.5-30 parts by weight, respectively, for every 100 units fed and whose total flow rate is calculated so that the residence time in the reactor (defined as the ratio between the quantity of catalyst by weight and the feeding flow rate) ranges from 0.3 to 2 min; (c) recovery of the products, by-products and solvent from the liquid stream leaving the reactor.

Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous process for the preparation of phenol by means of the direct oxidation of benzene with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a catalyst based on titanium silicalite TS-1 comprising: (a) running the process in a fixed bed reactor containing the catalyst based on TS-1 at a temperature ranging from 80-120° C. and at a pressure ranging from 3-15 atm; (b) feeding to the reactor a stream containing H2O2, benzene, sulfolane and water in a single or double phase, wherein the quantities of the single components are within the range of 0.2-6, 15-60, 30-80, 0.5-30 parts by weight, respectively, for every 100 units fed and whose total flow rate is calculated so that the residence time in the reactor (defined as the ratio between the quantity of catalyst by weight and the feeding flow rate) ranges from 0.3 to 2 min; (c) recovery of the products, by-products and solvent from the liquid stream leaving the reactor.