Experimental and Numerical Verification of Similarity Concept for Dispersion of Car Exhaust Gases in Urban Street Canyons

In urban conditions, car exhaust gases are often emitted inside poorly ventilated street canyons. One may suppose however that moving cars can themselves produce a certain ventilation effect in addition to natural air motions. Such ventilation mechanism is not sufficiently studied so far. A similarity criterion relating the vehicle- and wind-induced components of turbulent motion in an urban street canyon was proposed in 1982 by E. J. Plate for wind tunnel modelling purposes. The present study aims at further evaluation of the criterion and its applicability for a variety of wind and traffic conditions. This is accomplished by joint analyses of data from numerical simulations and wind tunnel measurements.     

SURFACE WATER WITHDRAWAL ALLOCATION AND TRADING SYSTEMS FOR TRADITIONALLY RIPARLAN AREAS1

ABSTRACT: There is a growing need for water regulations in states traditionally managed by the riparian doctrine. Several states have passed water laws to control withdrawals from streams. Few, if any, however, have set up consistent and defensible methods for allocating water to users. This paper explores several methods for such allocations, examining each in detail and offering numerical examples that compare each on the basis of economic efficiency and effectiveness for maintaining critical stream‐flow standards. This work is part of a study to assess the vulnerability of Midwestern streams to climate change and, especially, surface supplied irrigation spawned by such climate change. The results suggest that it is possible to implement regulations that at once (1) are consistent with the riparian doctrine; (2) control the hydrological and ecological impacts of off stream withdrawals effectively; and (3) preserve the primary economic functions of those withdrawals, including minimizing economic risk. The results further suggest that trading of water permits improves the latter two objectives, but only if both the regulatory system and permit are well‐designed. On the other hand, in the absence of regulations, or under poorly designed regulations, streamflows, and therefore aquatic ecosystems, could be quite vulnerable.     

Analyses of platinum group elements in mosses as indicators of road traffic emissions in Austria

The concentrations of platinum group elements (PGE; platinum, palladium, rhodium) and 17 other elements in mosses growing at 32 sampling sites along 12 roads in Austria were analysed. The study included passive monitoring of naturally growing mosses with an experimental design using mosses samples exposed in a tunnel experiment. PGEs (Pt, Pd, Rh) were analysed by ICP-MS (ELAN DRC II, Perkin Elmer SCIEX) according to EN ISO 17294-2 Tl.29. Mean concentrations of PGEs in five moss species were: Pt 7.07±9.97, Pd 2.8±5.2 und Rh 0.6±0.8 ng g⁻¹ dry weight. This is comparable to data derived from measurements of gasoline autocatalyst emissions or airborne particles (<10 μm). Compared to soils and road dust along highways, concentrations in mosses were lower by a factor of ten, compared to grasses they were comparable or somewhat higher. The ratios between the various PGEs were calculated as follows (mean values): Pt/Pd 7.9±10.2, Pt/Rh 12.6±8.3 and Pd/Rh 3.7±2.2. The number of light duty vehicles (<3.5 t) and the distance from the road were the main influential factors for PGE concentrations. Especially strong correlations could be found between Pt and Sb, Cu, Zn, and Cd (in decreasing order), which are all elements derived mainly from road traffic emissions. Cluster analysis (Partioning Around Medoids Method) separated elements derived mainly from soil dust (Ca, Al). An analysis of spatial deposition patterns of PGEs showed a reciprocal decrease of concentrations with increasing distance from the road, reaching background values at distances between 10 and 200 m, sometimes even more, but outside the spatial range of our investigation.     

Emissions trading in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region—A modeling approach to trade decisions in Hong Kong's electricity industry

In 2002, the Hong Kong government and the Guangdong provincial government agreed to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, respirable suspended particulates, and volatile organic compounds by 40%, 20%, 55%, and 55%, respectively. There was strong public demand for the power stations in Hong Kong to reduce emissions. Emission caps were introduced, with allowances for the trading of emission credits. However, local power stations were using equipment built in the 1980s and 1990s, making it difficult for them to meet the new emissions requirements. The situation presented a new challenge, which involved a choice of either improving the existing equipment, or using emissions trading to meet the emission caps. This study reviews the background on emissions in Hong Kong and the surrounding regions, the “cap and trade” system, and the technologies used for power generation and emission reduction. A modeling approach is adopted to simulate the equipment, the electricity dispatching requirements, and the costs of either reducing emissions or trading emission credits. Data from a power station in Hong Kong was chosen for the simulation. Different options were simulated in the model to identify the optimal strategy. The results were then compared with the plan for emission reduction. This study demonstrates that a modeling approach using linear programming can analyze the complicated options involving emission reduction and investments to achieve an optimized business solution.     

中国碳排放库兹涅茨曲线实证研究——基于Gregory-Hansen协整分析

中国反复、多次出现大范围持续性雾霾天气使碳排放与经济增长问题成为理论界研究的热点,选取1978~2012年中国历年相关统计数据,采用Gregory-Hansen协整检验方法结合结构突变分析,实证检验我国碳排放与能源消费、经济增长及产业结构的关系。研究结果显示,中国碳排放环境库兹涅茨曲线为正U型,且该曲线存在结构突变;经济增长、能源消费、产业结构对碳排放都具有显著的增排效应。因此,建议在保证经济可持续的中高速增长前提下,通过提高能源利用效率、推进产业结构调整等措施来降低碳排放量,使"APEC蓝"能够成为一种"新常态"。     

基于空间面板模型的碳排放影响因素分析——以长江经济带为例

随着全球变暖问题的日益严峻,气候问题引起了国际社会的广泛关注。长江经济带作为中国区域发展"三大战略"之一,面临着严峻的碳减排压力。为此,以二氧化碳排放为测度指标,定量分析了1998~2012年长江经济带二氧化碳的时空格局特征,并构建碳排放影响因素的空间面板模型,分析了产业结构、人口总量、经济水平、技术水平与城市化水平对长江经济带碳排放的影响。研究结果表明:1碳排放的绝对差异呈增大趋势,相对差异呈波动变化趋势;碳排放与人均GDP(1997年不变价)的相关性较弱;2碳排放空间格局相对稳定,高碳排放区域以江苏为中心,逐渐向四周扩散;3空间面板模型结果表明:人口总量是影响长江经济带碳排放时空格局演化的决定性因素,其次依次为经济水平、技术水平和城市化水平。     

城镇化过程中的碳排放来源

改革开放以来,我国城镇化呈现快速发展趋势。2013年城镇化率达到53.7%,年均增长3.10%,是建国至改革开放之前城镇化年均增长率(1.75%)的近2倍。与此同时,碳排放总量增长至35年前的6.2倍,人均碳排放增长至35年前的4.4倍。城镇化过程伴随着高碳排放,增长速率高于城镇化发展速度。这预示着我国未来城镇化发展将面临巨大的高碳排放压力。如何降低城镇化过程中的碳排放成为亟待解决的问题。本文将城镇化过程中导致高碳排放的各因素归纳为经济、政治两项因素,对我国城镇化过程中工业、建筑、交通、地方政府等导致高碳排放结果的行为加以区分。研究发现,城镇化过程中的工业高碳排放、建筑面积扩张与其使用效率的背离、交通出行需求量的持续上升、居民生活水平提高带来的消费力增加,城市低密度扩张以及其背后地方政府官员考核机制与地方财税制度的弊端,是我国目前城镇化呈现高碳发展状态的主要原因。由此可见,过去的城镇化发展模式非低碳、非持续是有其深刻的经济与政治原因的。中长期的低碳转型只有把经济手段和制度调整结合,低碳发展理念才有可能实现。     

CGE model-based analysis of the neutralized hybrid carbon policy and its decomposed effects on economic growth,carbon reduction,and energy utilization costs

The hybrid policy is a flexible policy tool that combines features of carbon trading and carbon taxation.Its economic and environmental effects under China's background are still not studied in detail.Given the exogenous carbon reduction targets,carbon prices,and carbon tax-rates,by computable general equilibrium modeling methods and factor decomposition methods,this article investigates direct and cascaded effects of the hybrid policy on economic growth,energy utilization,and carbon emission on the national level and the sector level,with China's national input-output data-set.Stepwisely,policy scenarios with irrational estimated results are selectively excluded based on comprehensive evaluation among economic,carbon reduction and other policy targets.As a result,against national economic conditions in 2007,the hybrid policy,with a carbon reduction target of -10%,a carbon tax-rate of around $10,and a ceiling carbon price of $40,is highly recommended,because of its significant lower economic loss,lower energy utilization cost,and practical robustness against fluctuation of energy market and carbon market.Furthermore,by decomposition analysis,carbon reduction-related costs are decomposed into a direct part that includes carbon allowance price and carbon tax,and an indirect part as the energy price incremental induced by direct carbon costs.Gross carbon reduction may be decomposed into three parts such as energy intensity,economic scale,and technical progress.And,carbon taxation is the main policy tool that stimulates to improve the energy efficiency.     

基于出行服务的纯电动公交车节能减排效益分析

纯电动公交车因行驶阶段零排放而成为城市地面常规公交车的重点发展方向,但是从其全生命周期来看,其实际的节能减排效益受到多种因素影响,仍需综合权衡.本研究采用生命周期评价方法(LCA),综合考虑公交车载客能力与不同区域的电网发电结构等影响因素,开展纯电动公交车的节能减排效益评价.结果表明,由于现有纯电动公交车的载客能力较柴油公交车低15%左右,所以选取出行服务作为功能单位能够更合理地核算纯电动公交车的实际节能减排效益.同时,由于我国不同区域电网的发电结构仍存有较大差异,相对于柴油公交车,不同区域电网结构下发展纯电动公交车所获取的节能减排效益差别较大.具体而言,纯电动公交车在华北、华东、华中、东北、西北和南方等不同电网结构下的节能效益分别为7.84%、11.91%、26.90%、11.15%、19.55%和20.31%;除华北电网由于煤电占比较高无减排效益外,其余电网结构下发展纯电动公交车所获取的综合减排效益分别为3.46%、26.81%、1.17%、13.74%和17.48%.因此,发展纯电动公交车时,建议将提高纯电动公交车的载客能力作为技术研发的重点,同时充分考虑不同电网发电结构对纯电动公交车的环境影响,合理进行发展规划.     

城市黑臭河道夏季产甲烷通量研究——以南宁市朝阳溪为例

利用静态箱法测定城市黑臭河道!南宁市朝阳溪夏季产甲烷通量,结果表明朝阳溪是重要的甲烷排放源,夏季甲烷排放通量平均值为12.2mg/(m2·h),上游、中游、下游排放通量变化不显著。利用偏最小二乘法进行相关性分析可得,甲烷通量与温度、化学需氧量、底泥有机碳呈显著正相关,与溶解氧呈显著负相关,与总氮、氨氮、总磷、pH相关性较小。