We present experimental and computational results that explain some aspects of measured energy release in explosions of unconfined trinitrotoluene [TNT, C 6 H 2 (NO 2 ) 3 CH 3 ], and an aluminum-containing explosive formulation, and show how this energy release can influence shock wave velocities in air. In our interpretation, energy release is divided into early, middle, and late time regimes. An explanation is provided for the interdependence of the time regimes and their influence on the rate at which energy (detonation/explosion and afterburn) is released. We use a merging of the thermodynamic and chemical kinetic processes that predicts how chemical kinetics may determine the time delay of the afterburn of combustible gases produced by the initial detonation/explosion/fast reaction. The thermodynamic computer code CHEETAH is used to predict gaseous and solid products of early time energy release, and a chemical kinetic reaction mechanism (CHEMKIN format) is used to describe the subsequent afterburn of the gas phase products in air. Results of these calculations are compared with field measurements of unconfined explosions of 2 kg charge weights of TNT and an aluminum-containing explosive formulation.

We propose a novel approach to continuous bioprocessing of gases. A miniaturized coated-paper high gas fraction biocomposite absorber has been developed using slowly shaken horizontal anaerobic tubes with concentrated Clostridium ljungdahlii OTA1 absorbing syngas as a model system. These gas absorbers demonstrate elevated CO mass transfer with low power input, reduced liquid requirements, elevated substrate consumption, and increased product secretion compared to shaken suspended cells. We concentrate OTA1 in a cell paste which was coated by extrusion onto chromatography paper. Cell adhesion was by adsorption to the cellulose fibers; visualized by SEM. The C. ljungdahlii OTA1 coated paper mounted above the liquid level absorbs CO and H2 from a model syngas producing acetate with minimal ethanol. At 100 rpm shaking speed (7.7 W m−3) the optimal cell loading is 6.5 gDCW m−2 to maintain high CO absorbing reactivity without the cells coming off of the paper into the liquid phase. Reducing the medium volume from 10 mL to 4 mL (15% of tube volume) did not decrease CO reactivity. The reduced liquid volume increased secreted product concentration by 80%. The specific CO consumption by paper biocomposites was higher at all shaking frequencies <100 rpm than suspended cells under identical incubation conditions. At 25 rpm the biocomposite outperforms suspended cells for CO absorption by 2.5 fold, with a power reduction of 97% over the power input at 100 rpm. The estimated minimum apparent kLa for these biocomposite gas-absorbers is ~100 h−1, a 10 to 104 less power input than other syngas fermentation systems at similar kLa. Specific consumption rates in a biocomposite were measured as ~14 mmol gDCW−1 h−1. This work intensified CO absorption and reactivity by 14 fold to 94 mmol CO m−2 h−1 over previous C. ljungdahlii OTA1 work by our group. Specific acetate production rates were 23 mM h−1 or 46 mmol m−2 h−1. The specific rates and apparent kLa were shown to scale linearly with biocomposite coating area. These proof of concept results will be used to engineer a continuous biocomposite gas absorber bioreactor.

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