Review: recent advances in biogas purifying technologies

Biomethane production through biogas upgrading is a promising renewable energy for some industries which could be part of the equilibrium needed with fossil fuels consumption to achieve a sustainable society. This paper presents a comprehensive list of biogas upgrading technologies focused on carbon dioxide removal as well as recent advances reported by researcher with wide expertise in this topic. Additionally, an extensive costs–performance comparison among the technologies studied is discussed. Among the different alternatives, chemical scrubbing stood out to achieve high biomethane purities while cryogenic technologies proved to be effective against methane losses. Regarding the different costs, water scrubbing and membrane separation seem to be the most affordable techniques.     

Optimization of capture–recapture monitoring of elusive species illustrated with a threatened grasshopper

Information on population sizes and trends of threatened species is essential for their conservation, but obtaining reliable estimates can be challenging. We devised a method to improve the precision of estimates of population size obtained from capture–recapture studies for species with low capture and recapture probabilities and short seasonal activity, illustrated with population data of an elusive grasshopper (Prionotropis rhodanica). We used data from 5 capture–recapture studies to identify methodological and environmental factors affecting capture and recapture probabilities and estimates of population size. In a simulation, we used the population size and capture and recapture probability estimates obtained from the field studies to identify the minimum number of sampling occasions needed to obtain unbiased and robust estimates of population size. Based on these results we optimized the capture–recapture design, implemented it in 2 additional studies, and compared their precision with those of the nonoptimized studies. Additionally, we simulated scenarios based on thresholds of population size in criteria C and D of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List to investigate whether estimates of population size for elusive species can reliably inform red-list assessments. Identifying parameters that affect capture and recapture probabilities (for the grasshopper time since emergence of first adults) and optimizing field protocols based on this information reduced study effort (−6% to −27% sampling occasions) and provided more precise estimates of population size (reduced coefficient of variation) compared with nonoptimized studies. Estimates of population size from the scenarios based on the IUCN thresholds were mostly unbiased and robust (only the combination of very small populations and little study effort produced unreliable estimates), suggesting capture–recapture can be considered reliable for informing red-list assessments. Although capture–recapture remains difficult and costly for elusive species, our optimization procedure can help determine efficient protocols to increase data quality and minimize monitoring effort.     

Synthesis, characterization and experimental investigation of Cu-BTC as CO2 adsorbent from flue gas

Porous Cu-BTC material was synthesized by the solvothermal method. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) was used to test the phase purity of the synthesized material and investigate its structural stability under the influence of flue gas components. The thermal stability of the material was determined through thermal gravimetric (TG) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to study the microstructure of the material. Cu-BTC was demonstrated not only to have high CO₂ adsorption capacity but also good selectivity of CO₂ over N₂ by means of packed bed tests. The adsorption capacity of Cu-BTC for CO₂ was about 69 mL/g at 22°C. The influence of the main flue gas components on the CO₂ capacity of the material were discussed as well.     

化学链燃烧中钙基载氧体CaSO4再生的氧化反应机理

在热重和红外联用进行等温实验的基础上,探讨了氧体积分数为10%、20%,970～1150℃温度范围内化学链燃烧过程中钙基载氧体再生(CaS)的氧化特性.结果显示,CaS氧化的直接产物主要为CaSO4,只有在诱导期生成极少量CaO和SO2;但CaSO4与CaS还可进一步反应,生成更多CaO和SO2.通过对氧气浓度和温度的实验条件改变,研究了CaSO4的转化率、转化速率,并辅以SO2析出速率分析,获得了CaSO4相对于CaO的瞬时选择性、CaSO4的收率和反应选择率.结果表明,钙基载氧体CaSO4再生过程氧化反应的适宜条件为温度970～1000℃以及较高的氧气气氛,这不仅可以抑制SO2的排放量从而得到较高的反应选择率,同时反应过程也具有较高的转化速率.     

Minimizing leakage from a smelter off-gas system by enhanced control

The off-gas handling system is a vital component of a smelter and it is essential that it operates in accordance with environmental regulations. A key feature of the off-gas management system is maintaining a slightly negative system pressure to prevent gas leakage, such as SO₂, out into the work and external environments. To enhance sustainable development, there is also growing interest in capturing and reusing the significant amount of heat and CO₂ contained within off-gas. The potential incorporation of heat and CO₂ recovery systems places importance on enhancing control to minimize the risk of both gas leakage and disturbance of the smelting process. With these requirements in mind, an easily implementable feedforward control enhancement to existing control schemes is proposed to help provide improved performance.     

电厂二氧化碳捕捉技术对比研究

由于全球温室效应的不断加剧,发展二氧化碳捕捉技术变得十分必要.通过分析燃烧前捕捉、燃烧后捕捉和富氧燃烧捕捉三种二氧化碳捕捉方式流程及其特点,指出三种不同的二氧化碳捕捉技术的发展现状以及应用途径.通过具体对比现有二氧化碳捕捉技术的工作原理以及优缺点,针对现有的几种具体的二氧化碳捕捉技术进行详细的分析,积极应用各种物理、化...     

The relevance of James Lovelock’s research and philosophy to environmental science and academia

James E. Lovelock, famed for his Gaia hypothesis, which views the Earth as a living integrated and interconnected self-regulating system whose equilibrium comes about from complex energy-based interactions and feedback loops, ultimately sustaining life, passed away at the end of July, 2022 at the age of 103. Not only are the adaptive mechanisms of Gaia central to the conversation of environmental homeostasis, they lie at the heart of climate change and global warming. Lovelock is also remembered as the co-inventor of the electron capture detector that eventually allowed for the sensitive detection of chlorofluorocarbons and pesticides. Finally, Lovelock’s free-spirited nature and research independence allow academia to rethink current research’s modus operandi.     

活化后钾改性正硅酸锂吸附CO2的性能评价及动力学研究

制备了钾改性正硅酸锂(K-Li4SiO4),并对其进行了自活化,考察了活化后K-Li4SiO4吸附剂在不同温度和CO2浓度气氛中吸附CO2的性能及动力学行为。总体而言,吸附剂的CO2吸附能力随着温度的升高、CO2浓度的增加而提升。在700℃、100%体积分数CO2气氛中吸附剂的吸附量最大,可达7.9 mmol/g,吸附剂的利用率为95.2%。利用双指数模型能够很好地描述吸附剂在各个温度以及各个CO2浓度气氛下的CO2吸附过程。吸附活化能随着CO2气氛浓度的升高而降低,CO2体积分数为20%,50%,100%时的吸附活化能分别为26448,14035,6178 J/mol。     

Toward accurate and precise estimates of lion density

Reliable estimates of animal density are fundamental to understanding ecological processes and population dynamics. Furthermore, their accuracy is vital to conservation because wildlife authorities rely on estimates to make decisions. However, it is notoriously difficult to accurately estimate density for wide‐ranging carnivores that occur at low densities. In recent years, significant progress has been made in density estimation of Asian carnivores, but the methods have not been widely adapted to African carnivores, such as lions (Panthera leo). Although abundance indices for lions may produce poor inferences, they continue to be used to estimate density and inform management and policy. We used sighting data from a 3‐month survey and adapted a Bayesian spatially explicit capture‐recapture (SECR) model to estimate spatial lion density in the Maasai Mara National Reserve and surrounding conservancies in Kenya. Our unstructured spatial capture‐recapture sampling design incorporated search effort to explicitly estimate detection probability and density on a fine spatial scale, making our approach robust in the context of varying detection probabilities. Overall posterior mean lion density was estimated to be 17.08 (posterior SD 1.310) lions >1 year old/100 km², and the sex ratio was estimated at 2.2 females to 1 male. Our modeling framework and narrow posterior SD demonstrate that SECR methods can produce statistically rigorous and precise estimates of population parameters, and we argue that they should be favored over less reliable abundance indices. Furthermore, our approach is flexible enough to incorporate different data types, which enables robust population estimates over relatively short survey periods in a variety of systems. Trend analyses are essential to guide conservation decisions but are frequently based on surveys of differing reliability. We therefore call for a unified framework to assess lion numbers in key populations to improve management and policy decisions.     

钢渣湿法捕获CO_2反应机制研究

以炼钢过程中排放的固体废弃物钢渣为碳捕获剂,进行了钢渣湿法捕获烟气CO2工艺的实验研究。通过分析钢渣的组成成份及反应机理,研究液固比、反应温度、反应时间、pH值及反应产物等主要参数对钢渣湿法碳捕获状况的影响。实验证明,通过合理的设计和适当的操作,可使钢渣湿法碳捕获效率达60%以上,具有一定的应用价值。