Facilities

The Isotope Geoscience Unit, formerly Isotope Geology Unit, operates stable, radiogenic/ICPMS and noble gas laboratories for the Scottish Universities. It also provides analytical facilities for applications of stable isotopes to life and earth and environmental science research, and Ar-Ar geochronology on behalf of NERC in our NEIF labs.

We pursue a diverse range of research aimed at tracing material and quantifying rates of processes on time scales of billions of years, e.g. planetary accretion and evolution, through to decades, e.g. climate and environment change. Training of graduate students and post-doctoral researchers in isotope analysis is important and we have a team of skilled technicians and scientists, who, not only ensure the equipment is well-maintained, but also offer thorough training experience to post-graduate students and other visitors. Prof. Darren Mark heads the high precision geochronology laboratories, Dr. Jason Newton heads the stable isotope laboratories, Prof. Fin Stuart runs the noble gas labs and Prof. Rob Ellam oversees the thermal ionisation and plasma mass spectrometers and associated preparation labs.  While we place a lot of emphasis on the development of new analytical techniques with instrumentation that is amongst the best in the world, we are also keen to widen the application of some of the more routine isotopic techniques into an ever-widening array of sub-disciplines.

Biomass downdraft gasification facilities 

Aberdeen Centre for Electron Microscopy, Analysis and Characterisation (ACEMAC) is based around a Carl Zeiss GeminiSEM 300 – high resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) with SE (secondary electron), BSE (backscattered electron) and CL (cathodoluminescence) detectors.

The GeminiSEM 300 can be operated in both high vacuum and variable pressure modes, enabling imaging of a wide variety of sample types, from steel to rocks to biological cells. The SEM is equipped with Oxford Instruments EDS (AZtec energy) and EBSD (AZtecHKL) analytical systems. Mineral, chemical, and EBSD mapping is routine. Analysis can be integrated with onsite CT analysis of rock cores. The facility is supported by a full time highly experienced technician. www.abdn.ac.uk/acemac

Several CO₂ capture rigs and related materials characterisation equipment for the investigation of the performance of CO₂ capture materials, are hosted within the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) at Heriot-Watt University. These bespoke rigs simulate actual flue or flue gases composition, and hence allows for the determination of the capture capacity of test materials, and optimisation of operational conditions, allowing for scale-up. The conventional rig consists of a water bath, a specifically designed reactor, a Coriolis flow meter and a hiden analytical HPR20 mass spectrometer. The reactor has an internal diameter of 0.6 cm and a length of 20cm, allowing for a sample size of 100-250mg. The microwave rig allows for optimisation of the operational conditions using this novel form of energy, and in current modification to allow working under dry and wet conditions. TGA instruments, TA Q500 and TA 5500 Discovery, provide optimum temperature of operation and kinetics parameters, such as the heat of adsorption and the selectivity to CO₂ in complex atmospheres.

X-ray computerised tomography (CT) is a non-destructive analytical technique used in engineering, science and medicine to visualise the internal structure of machine parts, computer components, man-made and natural materials. The CT Scanner analysis software can output a variety of files for further analysis, reprocessing and presentation, e.g. 2D x-ray images, 3D volume files, image slices, model animation and movies, as well as performing some advanced calculation techniques, e.g. defect analysis (porosity or inclusion), and flow and diffusion analysis (transport phenomena). This newly installed instrument is now fully operational offering imaging analysis across a broad range of research fields.

Specifications:

The Adsorption group has developed tools for the dynamic simulation and optimisation of adsorption systems for separation processes.

T he adsorption simulator CySim (https://www.carboncapture.eng.ed.ac.uk/lab/cysim) contains different mass and heat transfer models and allows the simulation of multi-column adsorption cycles; thus, it is applicable to a wide range of adsorbents and process conditions. The simulator has been linked to multi-objective optimisation tools for the design of efficient cycle configurations and for the parameter estimation from adsorption experiments. Furthermore, the adsorption simulator can be integrated with complete flow sheet simulations, e.g. coal fired power station, using Unisim Design, the Honeywell process simulator.

• Validated adsorption simulator

• Experience in simulating pressure and temperature swing cycles for several different gas separations

• Optimisation of adsorption processes with respect to purity, recovery, energy consumption and productivity

• Can be run with flow sheet simulations for the calculation of complete processes

• Integration with molecular simulation for the calculation of adsorbent properties

The rigs enable quantitative analysis of the impact of pore structure, pore wettability, liquid viscosity and surface tension on the displacement of oil by water and CO₂ in pores and network structure, and the displacement of water by CO₂  Our approach is significantly different from core sample tests and the experiments of 2D pore network models. Data from core sample tests is difficult to interpret in terms of the heterogeneous chemical and physical properties of rocks; outputs from the study of 2D pore network models is microvisual data, photographs and video footage, which is an observation of flow behaviour. We aim to answer how the heterogeneity of rocks and fluids affect CO₂ trapping, CO₂ migration, CO₂ displacement and oil displacement. For example, the effect of pore size on the displacement of water by CO₂ or oil has been measured. Further experiments indicate that the pore resistance to natural gas is higher than to CO₂ which has implication for CO₂ storage. We also measured the dislodging pressure of microtubules in an individual channel of a pore network. Several articles have been published in Langmuir, Chemical Engineering Science etc.

The microwave swing system can be used for CO₂ capture using solid adsorbents and liquid solvents, and can measure the power consumption for CO₂ capture. 

The microwave swing gas separation system can be used for CO₂ capture using both solid adsorbents and liquid solvents, and can measure the power consumption for CO₂ capture.

The system consists of a WR340 rectangular waveguide (86.36 mm 43.18 mm) connected to a 2450 MHz magnetron (GAE Inc., GA4001, maximum power 1.2 kW, peak voltage 4.5 kV) controlled by an Alter SM445 switching power supply. The waveguide incorporates a three-port circulator (GAE Inc., GA1105) with a cross dummy load, a dual-directional coupler (GAE Inc., GA310x, coupling factor 60 dB, directivity 23 dB) with GA3301 coupler power interfaces, a three-stub tuner (GAE Inc., GA1005), universal waveguide applicator (GAE Inc., GA600x), and a sliding short circuit (Sairem). The microwaves are generated by the magnetron with an adjustable input power setting and are then directed through the circulator and down the longitudinal axis of the waveguide.

 The WR340 waveguide propagates the microwave electric field in the dominant TE10 mode (guide wavelength = 17.35 cm), meaning that the electric field is uniform and transverse to the direction of propagation. After passing through the dual-directional coupler and three-stub tuner, the input wave travels through the waveguide applicator and interacts with the loaded sample. The wave then undergoes reflection at normal incidence from the short circuit and is directed back through the sample region along the reverse direction of the input wave, where finally the power is dumped into the dummy (water) load. A superposition of the forward and reflected waves creates a standing wave within the sample interaction region. The three-stub tuner and sliding short circuit are manually adjusted before each set of experiments to minimize impedance mismatch of the sample load and shift the peak of the electric field intensity to the sample. This ensures maximum power transfer efficiency during the microwave heating. The dual-directional coupler monitors the forward and reverse power flow across the waveguide.

The Civil Automation Lab is used to demonstrate the robotic installation of sensors and smart materials into/onto (typically concrete) infrastructure components. When compared to manual technology installation, automation can improve the repeatability and traceability of the installation process, and reduce the productivity and health and safety risks associated with using people to install technologies in dangerous or challenging environments.

Specifications/key features

The equipment includes: large scale (30 cm x 30 cm) 3D printer, UR10e six axis robot, with gripper, spray coater and 3D printing attachments, Gamry interface 1000B electrical impedance analyser, environmental chamber, and a tensile tester. 
The tensile tester and environmental chamber are available for use by researchers and industry in collaboration with Strathclyde researchers. 

Example projects

We are currently doing projects in automated sensor and smart material installation for concrete assets in transport tunnels, offshore oil & gas, and nuclear containments.
 

The X-ray tomography (XCT) facilities at Strathclyde allows researchers to image the internal structure of materials with micron scale resolution. XCT is a non-destructive method to produce breath-taking 3D images of materials and enables in situ experiments to capture changes to those materials though time. 

Specifications/key features

Suitable for scanning of geological core materials up to 5cm diameter. Micron scale resolution will require smaller diameter samples.  

Example projects

Multiphase fluid flow, in situ precipitation, fracture formation, porosity structure and evolution, microstructure analysis, defect distribution, 3D mineralogy