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Eru Kyeyune-Nyombi Jr.
Washington University in Saint Louis
Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering
Richard L. Axelbaum
Abstract
Humanity and civilization rely upon energy for daily life and comfort. Indeed, the standard of living in the modern age may be easily correlated to levels of energy consumption. Generally, those societies who consume the most energy also live the most comfortably. During the last century, the world had experienced a revolutionary age in energy production that abandoned the use of renewable energy resources, such as firewood and animal dung, in favor of inexpensive petroleum-based fuels having higher energy-density. However, environmental concerns and dwindling petroleum reserves have led to a renewed interest in renewable fuels. Earlier studies have confirmed that water-based renewable fuels, such as alcohol/water mixtures, can be combusted to form stable flames. This paper describes an effort to develop a demonstration of a hybrid Brayton/Rankine cycle that is capable of achieving upwards of 50% cycle efficiency using renewable water-based fuels.
Eru Kyeyune-Nyombi Jr. is from Loma Linda, CA, and is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in Saint Louis. Eru plans to pursue a career as a professional research scientist and engineer
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