Physico-chemical characterization of Residual Household Waste for energy recovery in insular territories: Case study of Reunion Island

Waste-to-energy is a promising approach to face the current challenge of waste overproduction in Reunion Island, a French territory. In this particular context of an isolated and tropical territory, it is essential to study the properties of potential feedstocks to choose the most appropriate conversion process. This article reports on the composition of Residual Household Waste from Reunion Island and its physico-chemical parameters. Twelve representative samples of Residual Household Waste were subjected to thermal and elemental analysis. The results showed that their composition had a significant influence on the physico-chemical properties, including calorific value. Residual Household Waste from the selective sorting (rich in wood, plastic, and sanitary textiles) as well as dry mixed RHW are the most interesting for energy recovery. Due to their high volatile matter and high carbon content, and their low moisture content, these types of waste have a high calorific value exceeding 18 MJ/kg. Furthermore, the RHW sample comply with the environmental and health criteria applied by French regulations concerning halogen and heavy metal. Thus, it seems that Residual Household Waste can be an alternative to conventional fuels used in incineration or pyro-gasification processes. However, the study also points the need for a pre-treatment process for these wastes. Indeed, it is necessary to sort them correctly in order to avoid the risks of pollution and important maintenance. And more importantly, drying beforehand is unavoidable to improve combustibility and obtain optimal energy conversion.     

Development of machine learning based prediction models for hazardous properties of chemical mixtures

Lower flammability limit (LFL), upper flammability limit (UFL), auto-ignition temperature (AIT) and flash point (FP) are crucial hazardous properties for fire and explosion hazards assessment and consequence analysis. In this study, a comprehensive prediction model set was constructed by using expanded chemical mixture databases of chemical mixture hazardous properties. Machine learning based gradient boosting quantitative structure-property relationship (GB-QSPR) method is implemented for the first time to improve the model performance and prediction accuracy. The result shows that all developed models have significantly higher accuracy than other regular QSPR models, with the 5-fold cross-validation RMSE of LFL, UFL, AIT, and FP models being 1.06, 1.14, 1.08, and 1.17, respectively. All developed QSPR models can be used to estimate reliable chemical mixture hazardous properties and provide useful guidance in chemical mixture hazard assessment and consequence analysis.     

Discounting in the presence of scarce ecosystem services

The discount rate for cost-benefit analysis has to take account of future scarcity of ecosystem services in consumption and production. Previous literature focuses on the first aspect and shows the importance of the relative price effect, for given growth rates of consumption and ecosystem services. This paper focuses on intermediate ecosystem services in production and shows that for limited substitutability and a low growth rate of these ecosystem services, the growth rate of consumption, and thus the discount rate, declines towards a low value. Using a Ramsey growth model, the paper distinguishes three cases. If ecosystem services can be easily substituted, the discount rate converges to the usual value in the long term. Secondly, if ecosystem services can be easily substituted in production but not in consumption, the relative price effect is important. Finally, and most interestingly, if ecosystem services cannot be easily substituted in production, the discount rate declines towards a low value and the relative price effect is less important. Another part of the previous literature has shown that a declining discount rate is the result of introducing several forms of uncertainty, but this paper reaches that conclusion from an endogenous effect on the growth rate of the economy.     

钻屑法测定煤层H_2S含量

为了测定煤层硫化氢(H2S)含量,防治矿井H2S涌出,提出一种通过钻屑法测定煤层H2S含量的方法。在未受采动影响的新鲜煤壁,采用钻屑法取样,通过测定煤样H2S解吸量、取样过程损失量和H2S残存量确定煤层H2S含量。根据溶于水中H2S的p H值和色谱分析解吸气体中H2S体积分数,确定H2S解吸量;根据煤样解吸规律和气样H2S体积分数,确定H2S损失量;根据色谱分析残存气体中H2S体积分数,确定其残存量。用此方法,对山西某矿H2S涌出煤层进行现场和实验室测定。研究表明,该矿H2S含量为(4.465~6.701)×10-3m3/t。钻屑法测定煤层H2S含量是可行的,可以为矿井H2S治理提供基础数据。     

Safe speed limits for a safe system: The relationship between speed limit and fatal crash rate for different crash types

Objective: The objective of this article is to provide empirical evidence for safe speed limits that will meet the objectives of the Safe System by examining the relationship between speed limit and injury severity for different crash types, using police-reported crash data.

Method: Police-reported crashes from 2 Australian jurisdictions were used to calculate a fatal crash rate by speed limit and crash type. Example safe speed limits were defined using threshold risk levels.

Results: A positive exponential relationship between speed limit and fatality rate was found. For an example fatality rate threshold of 1 in 100 crashes it was found that safe speed limits are 40 km/h for pedestrian crashes; 50 km/h for head-on crashes; 60 km/h for hit fixed object crashes; 80 km/h for right angle, right turn, and left road/rollover crashes; and 110 km/h or more for rear-end crashes.

Conclusions: The positive exponential relationship between speed limit and fatal crash rate is consistent with prior research into speed and crash risk. The results indicate that speed zones of 100 km/h or more only meet the objectives of the Safe System, with regard to fatal crashes, where all crash types except rear-end crashes are exceedingly rare, such as on a high standard restricted access highway with a safe roadside design.     

Lower flammability limits of flammable ternary organic mixtures: Synergistic behavior

Organic flammable liquids and their mixtures, which possess high risk of combustion and explosion, are widely used as raw materials and solvents in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Lower flammability limits (LFL) is one of the most important parameters to characterize the combustion and explosion hazards of combustible gases and liquid vapors. The LFL of various ternary organic mixtures consist of ketone (acetone and butanone), ester (ethyl acetate) and alcohol (ethanol and isopropanol) were tested at 25 °C and atmospheric pressure. The results showed that resulted LFL values of the experiment were always lower than those calculated by volume fraction weighting method when the volume fraction of alcohol was less than 20 vol% but more than 10 vol%. The co-existence of alcohol and ethyl acetate had synergistic effect on reducing the LFL values of ternary organic mixtures and thus increased their explosive risk. The mechanism of synergistic effect was analyzed, and the results showed that the OH· and H· radicals produced by the oxidation decomposition of alcohols and esters accelerated the oxidation process of ternary organic mixtures, which led to the decrease of experimental LFL values and thus corresponding increased of their explosive risk. This study would be expected to provide some guidance for designing or choosing safer and more suitable ternary organic mixtures prior to their applications for engineering.     

Characteristics of stable biodiesel emulsion fuel with the aid of lipophilic surfactant,polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR)

ABSTRACT

Biodiesel emulsion fuel is reported as one of the most feasible options capable of generating lower NOx emission than that from fossil fuels. However, oil and water in the emulsion fuel are easily separated and unstable. The aim of the present study is to consider the production and stability of biodiesel emulsion fuel by using tetraglycerin ester (CR-310), i.e., one of lipophilic surfactant, polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) and biodiesel, i.e., Waste cooking Oil Methyl Ester (WOME) produced based on waste cooking oil. The corresponding heat rate, water content, and viscosity are measured. Emphasis is placed on the effects of water content and surfactant on biodiesel emulsions. It is found that: (i) stable emulsion fuel is obtained by adding at least 2.0% of CR-310 and is maintained over 1 month, (ii) there is no effect of water content on stable emulsion fuel if CR-310 is used over 2.0%, and (iii) the viscosity of emulsion fuels is higher than that of the biodiesel fuel and is gradually increased with an increase in the water content.     

铁磁流体对煤粒瓦斯解吸性能影响实验研究*

为探究铁磁流体对煤体瓦斯解吸性能的影响，采用水浴恒温吸附解吸系统，开展0.44，0.65，1.14 MPa 3组不同平衡压力下加铁磁流体前后的瓦斯解吸对比实验，根据Langmuir方程经验公式计算瓦斯极限解吸量和初始扩散系数，分析铁磁流体对煤体瓦斯解吸影响的机理。结果表明:在3组不同平衡压力下加入铁磁流体后瓦斯极限解吸量由2.5，10，20 mL/g降低为2.22，3.33，10 mL/g，降低11.2%，66.7%，50%；初始扩散系数由0.997 1，1.629 9，3.888 3 μm2·s降低为0.685 5，0.997 1，2.933 5 μm2·s，降低31.25%，38.82%，24.56%。在铁磁流体的作用下，煤体瓦斯解吸性能得到大幅降低。     

煤矿水害风险量化评价方法

为提高煤矿防治水管理水平，预防和消除矿井水害，在层次分析法的基础上建立中性值作为参照对象对矿井水害风险进行实时评判的方法。根据《煤矿防治水细则》建立以矿井水文地质类型、矿井涌水量标准分数、突水预兆、采掘面位置、探水结果为准则层的层次结构模型，并对各评价指标赋权。依据制定的水害风险评价指标的评分细则和监测监控数据并结合其权重得到水害评价总得分。通过总得分与中性参照分数比较得出预测结果:水害评价总得分大于中性参照分数，证明水害的威胁小，分数越高越安全；反之则水害的威胁较大，分数越低越危险，这时需要加强防治水的力度，令评价分数管控大于中性参照分数。这种方法依赖于井下监测监控数据进行量化评价，能实时、客观、全面且准确地反映煤矿水害的风险情况。     

成渝高速铁路地面三向振动总值特性分析

为研究高速铁路地面三向振动总值特性,选择成渝高速铁路某路堤段和桥梁段进行了现场地面三向振动测试,分析了振动总值随距离的变化特性。结果表明,路堤段和高架桥段计权和未计权振动总值均随距离增加而近似呈负指数衰减,近场衰减快,远场衰减缓慢;路堤段和高架桥段计权振动总值与Z振级随距离的变化规律类似,且近场两者之间的差值较小,当评价高速铁路运营振动的环境影响时,近场可用Z振级近似代替计权振动总值。