Prime pagine RA2010FUS:Copia di Layout 1 - ENEA - Fusione

miscellaneous (cont’d.)
progress report
2010
119
been proposed. The Pd–Ag composite membranes have
been produced in form of thin sheets supported over
stainless steel grids and welded to stainless steel frames. The
diffusion welding procedure has further been operated in
order to tightly join the Pd–Ag membranes to the stainless
steel frames. The resulting membrane module is very
compact: as an example, a permeator of surface area of
10 m 2 could be about 1000 × 120 × 180 mm in size.
Modelling and testing of membrane reactors using Pd–Ag
thin wall tubes have concerned the investigation of ethanol
steam and oxidative reforming [9.3–9.7] and water gas shift
reaction [9.8]. The tests have highlighted the complete
hydrogen selectivity of the thin wall membranes and their
capability of promoting the reaction conversion beyond the
thermodynamic equilibrium (shift effect of the
membrane) [9.9].
Figure 9.3 – Hydrogen production from ethanol
reforming: experimental apparatus
9.3 AGILE and LOFT
In 2010 the Astrorivelatore Gamma ad Immagini LEggero
(AGILE), the satellite for gamma and x–ray astronomy built
with the contribute of ENEA, made two interesting findings
(among other results): it discovered a possible new class of
celestial gamma-ray sources [9.10], and shed new light on the
nature of the terrestrial gamma ray flashes, an intriguing
phenomenon which might have consequences on the safety of
civil aviation [9.11].
The promising performances of a new x–ray detector, designed
in collaboration with ENEA Fusion Technology Unit [9.12],
based on silicon drift detectors, have led to the proposal to
“ESA call for a medium–size mission opportunity for a launch
in 2022” of a new satellite, called Large Observatory For x–ray
Timing (LOFT) [9.13], backed by 130 scientists from 16
countries. Thanks to an innovative design and the development
Figure 9.4 – Pictorial view of LOFT, with the six
petals of LAD deployed
of large monolithic silicon drift detectors, the large area detector (LAD) on board of LOFT would achieve an
effective area of ∼12 m 2 (more than one order of magnitude larger than the current spaceborne x–ray