Economic feasibility of autonomous hybrid wind–diesel power systems for residential loads in hot regions: a step to mitigate the implications of fossil fuel depletion

Today, energy occupies a pivotal position around which all socio-economic activities revolve. No energy means no life, and supply of energy in a cheap, plentiful, long-sustainable and environmentally safe form is a boon for everyone. In the light of rising cost of oil and fears of its exhaustion coupled with increased pollution, the governments worldwide are deliberating and making huge strides to promote renewable energy sources such as wind. Integration of wind machines with the diesel plants is pursued widely to reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-produced energy and to reduce the release of carbon gases that cause global climate change. The literature indicates that commercial/residential buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consume an estimated 10–40% of the total electric energy generated. The aim of this study is to analyse wind-speed data of Dhahran (East-Coast, KSA) to assess the economic feasibility of utilising autonomous hybrid wind–diesel power systems to meet the electrical load of 100 typical residential buildings (with annual electrical energy demand of 3512 MWh). The monthly average wind speeds range from 3.3 to 5.6 m/s. The hybrid systems simulated consist of different combinations of 600 kW commercial wind machines supplemented with diesel generators. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's hybrid optimisation model for electric renewables software was employed to perform the techno-economic analysis.

The simulation results indicate that for a hybrid system comprising 600 kW wind capacity together with a 1.0 MW diesel system (two 500 kW units), the wind penetration (at 50 m hub-height, with 0% annual capacity shortage) is 26%. The cost of generating energy (COE, $/kWh) from this hybrid wind–diesel system was found to be 0.070 $/kWh (assuming diesel fuel price of 0.1 $/l). The study exhibits that for a given hybrid configuration, the number of operational hours of diesel generator sets (gensets) decreases with an increase in the wind-farm capacity. Concurrently, emphasis has also been placed on wind penetration, un-met load, effect of hub-height on energy production and COE, excess electricity generation, percentage fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions (relative to diesel-only situation) of different hybrid systems, cost breakdown of wind–diesel systems, COE of different hybrid systems, etc.     

白洋淀流域府河干流村落非点源负荷研究

村落非点源污染是白洋淀流域农业非点源污染的重要组成部分.现场调查府河干流临河村落生活污水、生活垃圾的排放情况及相应污染物含量,研究了其非点源污染特征.结果表明:临河村落生活污水与生活垃圾的人均排放量分别为26.3 L/d和0.41 kg/d;临河村落非点源氮、磷污染中,生活垃圾贡献极大,在TN、TP年潜在入河负荷和年入河负荷中所占比例均接近70%;生活污水中的氮、磷以可溶态为主;生活污水与人粪尿的CODCr年入河负荷分别为10.9和2.30 t,生活垃圾的TOC年入河负荷为26.9 t.      

密云水库流域植被覆盖度变化对输沙量的影响

封闭流域中,泥沙的产生是多种因素相互作用,相互制约的结果,而在这些众多的环境影响因素中,植被是土壤侵蚀中最重要的环境控制因子,目前,植被覆盖度变化对输沙量的影响一直是区域生态环境研究中比较热门的话题。文章使用遥感(Remote Sensing(RS))、地理信息系统(Geographic Information System(GIS))与统计分析相结合的方法评价了密云水库流域内2个子流域出口处2002年至2005年植被覆盖度变化对输沙量的影响。密云水库流域多为山地,其降雨具有明显的季节性。本文的主要目的在于分析2002年至2005年植被覆盖度变化对流域输沙量的影响,并分析了植被覆盖度变化对气候改变及人类活动的综合影响,结果表明:在密云水库流域内,输沙量是降雨情况和人为因素引起的地表植被覆盖度变化情况的综合反映,人口增长、经济发展和城市化是密云水库流域内引起土地利用变化和地表植被覆盖度变化的主要驱动力。并且,输沙量可以被看作是一个很好的指标来定量分离出生物生理和人为的影响,并从中能够找出在流域生态系统中获得显著结果关键的临界点。研究结果对制定流域的合理开发和管理计划将有所帮助。     

Air Pollution Zones and Harmful Pollution Levels of Alkaline Dust for Plants

For characterisation of landscapes in north-eastern Estoniaaffected by alkaline oil shale fly ash and cement dust the zonation-method based on average annual (C _y) and short-termconcentrations of pollutants in the air was used, as well as on deposition loads of dust and Ca²⁺. In the overground layer of atmosphere the zones with different air pollution loads were distinguished. A comparative analysis of pollution zones characteristics and biomonitoring data revealed that for sensitive lichen the dangerous level of alkaline dust in the air, introducingthe degradation of Sphagnum sp. at the level of C _y of dust 10–20 g m^-3 and at 0.5–1 hr maximums 100–150 g m^-3. For Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) this limited concentration (decline of growth parameters) of cement dust is correspondingly following: 30–50 g m^-3 and 150–500 g m^-3, in case of fly ash the limit level of C _y amounting 100 g m^-3. Daily deposition load of Ca²⁺ should not exceed approximately 4.5–15 mg m^-2 for lichen; for conifers the harmful pollution load is higher – >22 mg m^-2.     

东莞运河水环境容量优化研究

本文根据东莞运河的特点,建立了适用运河特点的水环境容量优化模型,求解运河在不同的运行规律下最大的水环境容量值。建立的模型简单,易于求解,求解方程可以直接引用线性规划软件,计算得到的结果正确。      

中国主要湖泊营养氮沉降临界负荷的研究

水体营养氮沉降临界负荷是不致使水体产生富营养化的最高氮沉降量。文中探讨了一种依据湖泊氮质量平衡原理计算营养氮沉降临界负荷的方法。用该方法计算表明 ,我国主要湖泊的营养氮沉降临界负荷比较低 ,大部分小于 1keq· hm- 1 · a- 1 ,部分已为目前的氮沉降量或者两者相当接近 ,意味着只接受氮沉降也能导致这些湖泊产生富营养化。但实际统计结果表明 ,氮沉降在导致受工农业生产和生活影响很大的城市和郊区湖泊的水质富营养化的所有氮污染源中所占比例较低 ,而其它来源的氮输入如河道入湖、工业生活废水和农田径流等才是导致富营养化的最主要因素 ,它们的量已远远超过了这些水体可随最高允许氮负荷。因此 ,对控制这些湖泊的水质富营养化而言 ,控制氮沉降并不是目前最紧迫的任务 ,而其它人为污染源的控制才是最急需的。但氮沉降临界负荷在湖泊富营养化的中长远控制中仍具有十分重要的意义。     

Evaluation of approaches to calculate critical metal loads for forest ecosystems

This paper evaluates approaches to calculate acceptable loads for metal deposition to forest ecosystems, distinguishing between critical loads, stand-still loads and target loads. We also evaluated the influence of including the biochemical metal cycle on the calculated loads. Differences are illustrated by examples of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn for a deciduous forest on five major soil types in the Netherlands. Stand-still loads are generally lower than critical loads, which in turn are lower than the target loads indicating that present levels are below critical levels. Uncertainties in the calculated critical loads are mainly determined by the uncertainty in the critical limits and the chemical speciation model. Including the metal cycle has a small effect on the calculated critical loads. Results are discussed in view of the applicability of the critical load concept for metals in future protocols on the reduction in metal emissions.     

Nitrogen deposition and its ecological impact in China: An overview

Nitrogen (N) deposition is an important component in the global N cycle that has induced large impacts on the health and services of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Anthropogenic reactive N (N_r) emissions to the atmosphere have increased dramatically in China due to rapid agricultural, industrial and urban development. Therefore increasing N deposition in China and its ecological impacts are of great concern since the 1980s. This paper synthesizes the data from various published papers to assess the status of the anthropogenic N_r emissions and N deposition as well as their impacts on different ecosystems, including empirical critical loads for different ecosystems. Research challenges and policy implications on atmospheric N pollution and deposition are also discussed. China urgently needs to establish national networks for N deposition monitoring and cross-site N addition experiments in grasslands, forests and aquatic ecosystems. Critical loads and modeling tools will be further used in N_r regulation.     

人工湿地对城市住宅区降雨径流中铅的去除效果研究

根据重庆市棕榈泉住宅区雨水径流处理人工湿地的进水特点和运行特点,考察了该人工湿地恒定负荷下对铅的长期去除效果和单场降雨冲击负荷下铅的去除效果。结果表明,住宅区径流中铅浓度随季节性降雨特征变化明显,主要以非溶解态存在。在平均HRT为56 h的日常进水负荷下,人工湿地对铅长期表现出明显而稳定的去除作用,平均去除率达到84.9%,去除负荷达到10.5 mg/(m2.d),出水浓度和去除率受季节变化影响不明显。铅浓度在人工湿地内沿程下降,湿地系统前端潜流床内的去除作用最为明显。在冲击负荷分别为7.3和8.7倍日常负荷、持续时间分别为1.5和2.5 h的两场降雨中,人工湿地铅平均去除率分别为73.22%和38.12%。人工湿地对暴雨高冲击负荷具有明显的缓冲作用,对铅的去除效果受单场降雨进水流量曲线、进水水质曲线以及雨前储存容积大小的影响明显。     

商业建筑火灾荷载调查与统计分析研究

科技的发展促使火灾模拟应用于火灾安全设计中。火灾模拟结果的准确与否取决于火灾场景的选取与设计火灾的合理性。火灾荷载是判断建筑室内火灾危险程度的依据,也是火灾模拟中设计火灾的重要内容。调查了在廊坊、长治、郑州及天津4个城市的117家零售类商业店铺火灾荷载情况,调查的对象包括快餐店、服装店、鞋店等商业零售店铺。针对这些店铺常见的可燃物形式,确定了5种可燃物,分析了它们在总火灾荷载中的比重。