Fuel efficiency improvement of a dual-fuel engine fuelled with Honge oil methyl ester (HOME)–bioethanol and producer gas

Renewable and alternative fuels have numerous advantages compared with fossil fuels as they are renewable and biodegradable and provide food and energy security and foreign exchange savings besides addressing environmental concerns and socio-economic issues (Yaliwal et al. 2013. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering, doi:10.1080/19397038.2013.801530. Zhu et al. 2011a, Applied Thermal Engineering 31 (14–15): 2271–2278; Zhu et al. 2011b, Fuel 90: 1743-1750; Banapurmath, Tewari, and Hosmath 2008, Renewable Energy 33: 2007-2018; Banapurmath 2009, “Performance, Combustion and Emission Characteristics of a Single Cylinder Direct Injection CI Engine Operated on Dual Fuel Mode Using Honge Oil and Producer Gas.” PhD thesis, 1–195; Banapurmath et al. 2011, Waste and Biomass Valorization 2: 1–11). In this context, the main objective of the present work is to study methods of biofuel production such as Honge oil methyl ester (HOME) using a conventional transesterification process and bioethanol from the Calliandra calothyrsus shrub using a new pretreatment method known as hydrothermal explosion. Further, experimental investigations were carried out on a single-cylinder, four-stroke, direct-injection stationary diesel engine operating in a dual-fuel mode using HOME, bioethanol and producer gas combinations to determine its performance, combustion and emission characteristics. The performance of the dual-fuel engine was analyzed at optimized engine conditions. HOME-Bioethanol (BE) blends such as HOME+ 5% bioethanol (BE5), HOME+ 10% bioethanol (BE10) and HOME+ 15% bioethanol (BE15) were prepared by adding bioethanol to HOME (on volume basis) in different proportions ranging from 5 to 15% with an increment of 5%. In this present work, the effect of different BE blends on the performance of producer gas fuelled dual fuel engine was studied. Experimental investigation on dual fuel engine using BE5-Producer gas operation resulted in up to 4–9% increased brake thermal efficiency with decreased hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and marginally increased nitric oxide (NOx) emission levels compared to HOME-Producer gas, BE10-producer gas and BE15-producer gas mode of operation. However, it was observed that, the overall performance of BE-producer gas operation was found to be lower compared to diesel-producer gas operation.     

全球低碳发展评估及中国低碳发展的实现路径

低碳发展日益成为国际关注的热点问题,中国正处在快速工业化和城镇化进程当中,通过低碳发展实现经济社会转型尤为迫切。在全球大背景下正确判断中国的低碳发展水平,汲取各国有益的低碳发展经验,寻求适合中国的低碳发展路径尤为重要。从低碳发展特征指标变动出发,通过统计分析,得出全球低碳发展历史和现状水平,以及中国所处的位置。研究表明,近20年来全球碳生产力水平不断提高,近年来中国的碳生产力水平飞速提升,但是中国的碳生产力仍然远远低于全球平均水平,离先进国家的差距更大,不足法国的1/10,人均二氧化碳排放增速位居世界前列,减排压力巨大。因此,结合国内外实践经验,总结了中国低碳发展的5个实现路径,分别是调整能源结构、发展低碳产业、倡导低碳消费、建设低碳城市和加强碳汇建设。     

基于小流域尺度的目标抗生素排放量估算方法——以梅江流域为例

抗生素的大量使用和排放造成的环境污染和生态风险问题日益突出,抗生素排放量的估算是评价流域内抗生素污染程度的重要指标,但目前抗生素排放量估算方法尚不完善。本研究以梅江流域为例,建立了适合小流域尺度的典型抗生素排放量估算方法,计算了四环素类抗生素(TCs)向不同环境相的排放量并分析了其主要来源。结果表明:2016年梅江流域TCs排放量为8 558.1 kg,不同行政区抗生素排放量差异较大,其中梅江镇受人口密度及养殖密度影响,抗生素排放量最大,高达1 224.4 kg;同时流域内不同抗生素的排放量也有所不同,其大小顺序为强力霉素(DXC)土霉素(OTC)四环素(TC)金霉素(CTC);TCs受排放源、排放途径等因素影响,以进入环境水相及土壤相为主,其中进入水相中的抗生素主要来自人类及生猪粪便,进入土壤相中的抗生素主要来自生猪及三黄鸡粪便。梅江小流域抗生素具有潜在的生态风险,应加强抗生素使用管理。该研究为我国小尺度流域目标抗生素排放量的估算提供了十分有效的方法。     

机动车尾气对人体健康的危害

随着城市机动车保有量的不断增加,机动车尾气已经成为影响我国城市大气环境的主要问题之一。本文以儿童和交通警察两类人群为例,分析了机动车尾气污染给人体呼吸系统、免疫系统、心脑血管系统等造成的危害。结果表明,由于儿童的呼吸带与机动车尾气排放带非常接近,交警在机动车尾气环境中暴露事件太长,导致这两类人群的呼吸系统极易遭到破坏,发生支气管炎等疾病的概率大大增加;而免疫球蛋白水平和血压发生改变导致了抵抗能力的下降。最后建议通过采取发展公共交通、加强城市交通管理、完善检查维修制度等有效措施加强机动车尾气治理,减少对人体健康产生的危害。     

电—袋复合除尘器捕集微细粒子的理论浅析

依据袋式除尘器的捕集机理,定性分析了静电力对增强电—袋复合除尘器捕集亚微米微细粒子能力以及降低袋式除尘器压力损失的影响,为进一步研究电—袋复合除尘器过滤机制提供参考。     

The value of virtual conferencing for ecology and conservation

The objectives of conservation science and dissemination of its research create a paradox: Conservation is about preserving the environment, yet scientists spread this message at conferences with heavy carbon footprints. Ecology and conservation science depend on global knowledge exchange—getting the best science to the places it is most needed. However, conference attendance from developed countries typically outweighs that from developing countries that are biodiversity and conservation hotspots. If any branch of science should be trying to maximize participation while minimizing carbon emissions, it is conservation. Virtual conferencing is common in other disciplines, such as education and humanities, but it is surprisingly underused in ecology and conservation. Adopting virtual conferencing entails a number of challenges, including logistics and unified acceptance, which we argue can be overcome through planning and technology. We examined 4 conference models: a pure‐virtual model and 3 hybrid hub‐and‐node models, where hubs stream content to local nodes. These models collectively aim to mitigate the logistical and administrative challenges of global knowledge transfer. Embracing virtual conferencing addresses 2 essential prerequisites of modern conferences: lowering carbon emissions and increasing accessibility for remote, time‐ and resource‐poor researchers, particularly those from developing countries.     

灰霾污染和清洁过程中污染物垂直结构特征

针对无锡地区2013年11月6—13日经历的灰霾污染和清洁过程,采用地基遥感激光雷达对空气中的气溶胶颗粒物垂直分布进行垂直探测,发现污染时段气溶胶颗粒物主要积聚在1.8 km以下,消光系数的日均值统计表明,从近地面至高空1.5 km,颗粒物产生的峰值消光系数稳定在0.2 km~(-1);而清洁时段,由于垂直扩散条件改善,颗粒物随高度增加明显减少,1.5 km处的消光系数不足0.05 km~(-1)。同时发现污染时段中,近地面PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)、碳黑(BC)的平均浓度分别是清洁时段的2.48、2.76、3.66倍;大气氧化剂(O3和NO_x的总和)平均值水平是清洁时段的1.73倍。气象条件分析发现,锋面的移动使大气水平、垂直对流运动加剧,污染物得以迅速扩散,空气质量转好,这也是此次污染清除的主要原因。     

用于污水再生利用的生物活性炭床的有机物降解特性

以微生物增殖动力学的基本方程-莫诺方程为出发点,通过氮同位素分析比较了具有同源性微生物的生物陶粒滤床和生物活性炭床的有机物生物降解规律,建立了生物活性炭床的有机物生物降解动力学方程,提出在污水再生利用过程中生物活性炭床符合高基质有机物降解动力学模型,即有机物降解呈一级反应动力学方程。以此方程为基础,分析计算了生物活性炭床沿炭床深度的吸附性能,结果表明,在生物活性炭床中,随生物功能的减弱,生物活性炭床对有机物的吸附能力逐渐加强。     

中国城市温室气体清单研究

介绍城市温室气体排放特征和国际城市温室气体清单研究进展,研究了全球城市化和城市CO2排放的强正相关性,以及中国城市清单方法研究起步较早但发展缓慢的特点。分析了城市温室气体清单相对国家清单的特征,即城市清单编制往往采用消费模式,区别于国家清单的生产模式;国际城市清单中往往包括了由于外调电和供暖产生的CO2排放,同时城市温室气体清单编制灵活性和针对性更强。针对我国城市温室气体清单研究的不足,提出了我国城市温室气体清单方法,强调中国城市采用尺度1+尺度2的范围,暂不考虑尺度3的范围,即生产+消费的混合模式,并且在城市市域温室气体排放研究的基础上,加强狭义城市温室气体排放水平的研究。选择北京市和纽约市,对比分析了两个城市CO2排放特征,结果显示,在确定的清单体系下,北京市和纽约市具有较好的可比性。纽约市的总排放量(尺度1+尺度2)略低于北京市排放量,人均排放量略高于北京市。     

Effects of low concentration biodiesel blend application on modern passenger cars. Part 1: Feedstock impact on regulated pollutants, fuel consumption and particle emissions

Five biodiesels from different feedstocks (rapeseed, soy, sunflower, palm, and used fried oils) blended with diesel at 10% vol. ratio (B10), were tested on a Euro 3 common-rail passenger car. Limited effects (−2% to +4%) were observed on CO₂ emissions. CO and HC emissions increased between 10% and 25% on average, except at high speed - high power where emissions were too low to draw conclusions. NOx emissions increased by up to 20% for two out of the five blends, decreased by up to 15% for two other blends, and remained unchanged for one blend. Particulate matter (PM) was reduced for all blends by up to 25% and the reductions were positively correlated with the extent of biodiesel saturation. PM reductions are associated with consistent reductions in non-volatile particle number. A variable behaviour in particle number is observed when volatile particles are also accounted.