Evaluation of life cycle inventory data for recycling systems

This paper reviews databases on material recycling (primary as well as secondary production) used in life cycle assessments (LCA) of waste management systems. A total of 366 datasets, from 1980 to 2010 and covering 14 materials, were collected from databases and reports. Totals for CO₂-equivalent emissions were compared to illustrate variations in the data. It was hypothesised that emissions from material production and the recycling industry had decreased over time due to increasing regulation, energy costs and process optimisation, but the reported datasets did not reveal such a general trend. Data representing the same processes varied considerably between databases, and proper background information was hard to obtain, which in turn made it difficult to explain the large differences observed. Those differences between the highest and lowest estimated CO₂ emissions (equivalents) from the primary production of newsprint, HDPE and glass were 238%, 443% and 452%, respectively. For steel and aluminium the differences were 1761% and 235%, respectively. There is a severe lack of data for some recycled materials; for example, only one dataset existed for secondary cardboard. The study shows that the choice of dataset used to represent the environmental load of a material recycling process and credited emissions from the avoided production of virgin materials is crucial for the outcome of an LCA on waste management. Great care and a high degree of transparency are mandatory, but advice on which datasets to use could not be determined from the study. However, from the gathered data, recycling in general showed lower emission of CO₂ per kg material than primary production, so the recycling of materials (considered in this study) is thus beneficial in most cases.     

An energetic life cycle assessment of C&D waste and container glass recycling in Cape Town,South Africa

This study presents the results of a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) on the energy requirements and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission implications of recycling construction and demolition (C&D) rubble and container glass in Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town is a medium sized city in a developing country with a growing population and a rising middle class, two factors that are resulting in increased generation of solid waste. The City is constrained in terms of landfill space and competing demands for municipal resources.The LCA assessment was based on locally gathered data, supplemented with ecoinvent life cycle inventory data modified to the local context. The results indicated that recycling container glass instead of landfilling can achieve an energy savings of 27% and a GHG emissions savings of 37%, with a net savings still being achieved even if collection practices are varied. The C&D waste results, however, showed net savings only for certain recycling strategies. Recycling C&D waste can avoid up to 90% of the energy and GHG emissions of landfilling when processed and reused onsite but, due to great dependence on haulage distances, a net reduction of energy use and GHG emissions could not be confidently discerned for offsite recycling. It was also found that recycling glass achieves significantly greater savings of energy and emissions than recycling an equivalent mass of C&D waste.The study demonstrated that LCA provides an important tool to inform decisions on supporting recycling activities where resources are limited. It also confirmed other researchers’ observations that strict adherence to the waste management hierarchy will not always result in the best environmental outcome, and that more nuanced analysis is required. The study found that the desirability of recycling from an energy and climate perspective cannot be predicted on the basis of whether such recycling conserves a non-renewable material. However, recycling that replaces a virgin product from an energy-intensive production process appears to be more robustly beneficial than recycling that replaces a product with little embodied energy. Particular caution is needed when applying the waste management hierarchy to the latter situations.     

地铁站细水雾幕挡烟效果的数值模拟研究

地铁站台层发生火灾时,烟气会从站台层经过楼扶梯开口蔓延至站厅层,因此, 楼扶梯开口处的挡烟效果对人员安全疏散影响重大。通过搭建全尺寸地铁站数值模拟模 型,对细水雾幕和排烟系统作用下楼扶梯开口处的挡烟效果进行了模拟研究,结果表明 :当仅设置挡烟垂壁时,挡烟垂壁有一定的蓄烟作用,但仍有大量烟气通过楼扶梯开口 从站台层蔓延至站厅层;设置细水雾幕可在一定程度上阻止烟气通过楼扶梯开口从站台 层蔓延至站厅层,有效降低烟气温度,但由于细水雾向下的冲量破坏烟气层的稳定性, 使得细水雾幕附近的烟气层高度降低;同时设置细水雾幕和排烟系统可实现良好的挡烟 效果,在楼扶梯的中段附近已基本不受火灾烟气的影响。     

压裂钻孔孔壁破坏行为与注水流量相关性试验研究

为分析流量对水力压裂钻孔起裂特征的影响,开展了不同注水流量水力压裂实验,得到了煤体起裂过程的孔壁压缩应变-水压曲线。结果表明,流量的增大使破裂形态趋于复杂,表现在裂缝的数目及宽度会变多增大,而原煤则更易于沟通原生裂隙;对于无明显节理的配比型煤,随着注水流量增大,孔壁应变速率和起裂压力均增高;对于含明显节理的原煤,孔壁应变速率及起裂压力变化具有一致性,但与流量变化不一致,原煤内部的节理会影响试块起裂行为,降低钻孔内能量积聚速率和煤体破裂强度。研究成果对于揭示钻孔起裂行为具有重要理论意义,为水力压裂实验研究提供了一种新思路。     

水力压裂冲蚀磨损对连续管剩余寿命影响研究

针对水力压裂中连续管内壁冲蚀磨损严重和连续管易失效的问题,基于液-固两 相流和冲蚀理论,建立了连续管内部砂砾冲蚀模型。采用Grant和Tabakoff模型求解砂 砾冲蚀速率,借助实验数据验证了CFD数值模型。利用该模型研究了连续管在不同弯曲 度、砂砾粒度、压裂液注入量、质量流量、压裂液粘度对连续管内壁的冲蚀特性。研究 表明:弯曲连续管比直连续管冲蚀磨损严重,且弯曲度对连续管内壁的冲蚀磨损影响较 大。随着注入量的增加,壁厚平均损失值和壁厚损失峰值呈现快速递增趋势。支撑剂固 体颗粒的粒度对连续管内壁的冲蚀磨损影响较大,粒度为40目时连续管冲蚀速率最大。 随质量流量的增加,连续管剩余寿命呈线性下降。随压裂液粘度的增加,连续管内壁冲 蚀速率总体呈现下降趋势。     

条缝型空气幕对抽油烟机污染控制的辅助作用

运用数值模拟和实验测试方法,研究了住宅厨房在油烟机和送风气幕作用下的气流流动、温度分布和污染物扩散机理,并通过CFD数值计算对比分析了射速在0~5m/s范围的空气幕对厨房污染物扩散的影响.结果表明,单独使用抽油烟机作为厨房排风系统无法有效地将烹饪产生的油烟快速排向室外.空气幕作为补风装置应用在厨房通风系统不仅可以降低厨房空气温度,提高人体热舒适,而且能合理组织气流流动,降低厨房污染物浓度.然而,当油烟机排风量一定时,空气幕射速并非与油烟机捕集效率成正比,而是存在着最佳设计风速,排风速率为5m/s的最佳空气幕射速为0.6m/s.当通过增加油烟机排风量来提高捕集效率时,应根据不同的排风量确认对应的空气幕射速.     

循环弯曲和内压作用下连续油管壁厚变化规律试验研究

连续油管作业期间,除受到循环弯曲载荷作用外,管内还常受内压作用,从而产生严重的塑性变形,会出现壁厚减薄和截面椭圆化,而大多数情况的疲劳裂纹都是源于壁厚减薄处。采用自制的连续油管疲劳试验机进行室内试验,模拟全尺寸连续油管在实际工况中受到的循环弯曲和内压作用,利用超声波测厚仪检测不同循环次数下的油管壁厚值。在300mm最大弯曲行程、20MPa内压下,连续油管壁厚变化率成抛物线下降趋势,得到壁厚变化率与循环次数拟合关系,可为预判连油管工作寿命提供依据。     

简易垃圾填埋场综合治理方案

结合牛山简易垃圾填埋场综合治理工程,分别从简易填埋场的封场和防渗两方面进行了综合治理方案的研究。结果表明:以生活垃圾填埋场封场技术规程为指导,以垂直防渗帷幕作为防渗方案,在工程中切实可行,可以为简易填埋场的综合治理提供借鉴。     

三种常用外墙可燃保温材料竖向燃烧特性数值模拟研究

运用FDS软件对外墙保温材料竖向燃烧的发展规律进行了研究.根据具体的工程参数,对挤塑聚苯板、模塑聚苯板和聚氨酯三种常用外墙可燃保温材料的燃烧参数进行设定,分别选取窗口火、墙角火两种情况进行数值模拟与分析.模拟结果显示:火焰的蔓延高度随时间按照y=at2+bt+c的关系变化,而火焰前锋则以vp=1/(α+βt)的速度竖向蔓延.     

流体中污染物对轴对称物体的扩散模型及其简化研究

在建立静止流体和运动流体中污染物对每种常见的具有轴对称物体吸收表面的扩散模型的简化计算公式时,首先给出了相应问题的扩散模型级数解.简化扩散模型的理论依据是浓度服从误差函数分布和叠加原理.把静止介质中污染物对方形容器、球体和柱体的扩散以及流动介质中污染物对矩形管、圆形管等常见轴对称体壁面的扩散的浓度分布均简化为简单的计算公式.