A graphical representation of carbon footprint reduction for chemical processes

Climate change has recently become a major focus for industry and government agencies. Some recent works have been reported on the use of pinch analysis techniques for carbon-constrained energy planning problems. This paper discusses a new application of graphical technique based on pinch analysis for company-level visualization and analysis of carbon footprint improvement. The technique is based on the decomposition of total carbon footprint into material- and energy-based components, or alternatively, into internal and external components. The decomposition facilitates the evaluation and screening of process improvement alternatives. Two industrial case studies on the production of phytochemical extracts and bulk chemicals are used to illustrate the new extension.     

HAZOP分析技术在聚丙烯装置的应用

运用HAZOP技术系统识别了聚丙烯装置存在的工艺危险和可操作性问题,提出了相关改进建议措施;并对HAZOP技术应用过程中经常遇到的典型问题,包括后果如何确定、原因能否用偏差代替、如何确定现有保护措施、如何评估风险度等,进行了探讨。     

近30a气候变暖对宁夏植被的影响

研究气候变暖对中国北方农牧交错带植被活动的影响,将有助于地方政府在气候变化背景下科学开展植被恢复和生态保护。利用1982—2013年NOAA-VHP数据,基于Mann-Kendall检验、重新标度极差分析和集合经验模态分解等方法,研究了气候变暖对宁夏植被活动的影响。结果表明,宁夏近30 a的辐射亮温增温趋势明显,温度状态指数在1995年前后发生突变,由气候波动期转向持续增暖期;归一化植被指数的线性增长趋势显著(P0.01),上升幅度为0.012/10 a,植被状态指数在1990年前后发生突变,由植被退化转向持续恢复。植被状态指数与温度状态指数的相关性分析得出,在1995年之前气候变暖对宁夏植被活动的影响不明显,但1995年之后气候变暖对宁夏植被活动有明显促进作用,影响强度由强到弱依次是秋季、冬季、春季和夏季;引起这一变化的原因有两点,一是1995年为气候转向暖干的突变点,二是宁夏从20世纪90年代中后期开始实施了一系列的扬黄灌溉开发和生态治理工程,明显地改变了区域植被的分布格局与类型。     

1960年以来山西秋季连阴雨的气候特征分析

利用山西省66个测站1960-2009年秋季(9-11)月的逐日降水量,采用线性倾向估计、累积距平法、EOF及Morlct小波分析方法,系统地分析了山西秋季连阴雨的变化趋势和时空结构特征,建立了秋季连阴雨强度指数模型。结果表明:山西秋季年际区域性连阴雨次数和阴雨日数呈明显的线性减少趋势,过程雨量呈波动上升趋势,连阴雨次数的累积距平表现为"三升两降"型变化;山西秋季连阴雨的年际和年代际变化特征明显,1960-1970年代中期,有5~6年的周期变化,1990年代后期有2年的周期变化特征,年代际变化呈"波动状"变化规律;全省秋季连阴雨从南到北呈递减分布,除北部的天镇、山阴、繁峙等呈增加趋势外,各代表站表现为一致的减少趋势,南部、东南部及五台山为连阴雨多发区,大同盆地、忻州盆地、太原盆地为少发区;山西秋季连阴雨存在2~3年、8年左右的显著振荡周期。1970年代中期到1980年代中期,8年左右振荡周期的振幅最大,能量最强,是周期振荡最强的阶段。     

辽河口粪便污染指示菌的时空分布特征

2013年分别于夏季和秋季对辽河口海域的粪便污染指示菌(总大肠菌群、粪大肠菌群和肠球菌)及环境、水化学要素进行分析,研究粪便污染指示菌在海水中的数量、分布特征及其与环境、水化学指标间的相关性,在此基础上,选取河口地区合适的粪便污染指示菌.结果表明:夏季总大肠菌群数量在1.7×105~6.2×106CFU·L-1之间,粪大肠菌群数量在5.0×102~8.7×104CFU·L-1之间,肠球菌数量在1.0×101~2.5×102CFU·L-1之间;秋季总大肠菌群数量在5.0×102~1.1×105CFU·L-1之间,粪大肠菌群数量在4.0×102~1.0×103CFU·L-1之间,肠球菌数量在3~95 CFU·L-1之间.总大肠菌群、粪大肠菌群和肠球菌的数量变化与环境指标之间有着密切联系,特别是与盐度存在显著相关性;粪大肠菌群、肠球菌与水化学指标Si O4-4-Si、NH+4-N、TP和COD之间均存在显著相关性;其中粪大肠菌群与SiO4-4-Si和TP的相关性系数均大于0.742(p0.01),肠球菌与TP和COD的相关性系数均大于0.742.实验结果表明,辽河口粪便污染指示菌的数量在夏季高于秋季,近岸高于远海,其中粪大肠菌群和肠球菌的数量、分布特征与陆源污染物特别是氮磷的输入量密切相关,而且两者之间呈显著正相关关系.粪大肠菌群与肠球菌在一定程度上可以反映河口粪便污染情况,建议采用粪大肠菌群与肠球菌作为河口粪便污染的指示菌.     

Effect of six kinds of scale inhibitors on calcium carbonate precipitation in high salinity wastewater at high temperatures

Precipitation of calcium carbonate(Ca CO3) scale on heat transfer surfaces is a serious and expensive problem widely occurring in numerous industrial processes. In this study, we compared the scale inhibition effect of six kinds of commercial scale inhibitors and screened out the best one(scale inhibitor SQ-1211) to investigate its scale inhibition performance in highly saline conditions at high temperature through static scale inhibition tests. The influences of scale inhibitor dosage, temperature, heating time and p H on the inhibition efficiency of the optimal scale inhibitor were investigated. The morphologies and crystal structures of the precipitates were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction analysis. Results showed that the scale inhibition efficiency of the optimal scale inhibitor decreased with the increase of the reaction temperature. When the concentration of Ca2+was 1600 mg/L, the scale inhibition rate could reach 90.7% at 80°C at p H 8. The optimal scale inhibitor could effectively retard scaling at high temperature. In the presence of the optimal scale inhibitor, the main crystal structure of Ca CO3 changed from calcite to aragonite.     

Characterization of the archaeal community fouling a membrane bioreactor

Biofilm formation, one of the primary causes of biofouling, results in reduced membrane flux or increased transmembrane pressure and thus represents a major impediment to the wider implementation of membrane bioreactor(MBR) technologies for water purification. Most studies have focused on the role of bacteria in membrane fouling as they are the most dominant and best studied organisms present in the MBR. In contrast, there is limited information on the role of the archaeal community in biofilm formation in MBRs. This study investigated the composition of the archaeal community during the process of biofouling in an MBR. The archaeal community was observed to have lower richness and diversity in the biofilm than the sludge during the establishment of biofilms at low transmembrane pressure(TMP). Clustering of the communities based on the Bray–Curtis similarity matrix indicated that a subset of the sludge archaeal community formed the initial biofilms. The archaeal community in the biofilm was mainly composed of Thermoprotei, Thermoplasmata,Thermococci, Methanopyri, Methanomicrobia and Halobacteria. Among them, the Thermoprotei and Thermoplasmata were present at higher relative proportions in the biofilms than they were in the sludge. Additionally, the Thermoprotei, Thermoplasmata and Thermococci were the dominant organisms detected in the initial biofilms at low TMP, while as the TMP increased, the Methanopyri, Methanomicrobia, Aciduliprofundum and Halobacteria were present at higher abundances in the biofilms at high TMP.     

Predicted no-effect concentrations for mercury species and ecological risk assessment for mercury pollution in aquatic environment

Mercury(Hg) exists in different chemical forms presenting varied toxic potentials. It is necessary to explore an ecological risk assessment method for different mercury species in aquatic environment. The predicted no-effect concentrations(PNECs) for Hg(Ⅱ) and methyl mercury(Me Hg) in the aqueous phase, calculated using the species sensitivity distribution method and the assessment factor method, were 0.39 and 6.5 × 10-3μg/L, respectively. The partition theory of Hg between sediment and aqueous phases was considered, along with PNECs for the aqueous phase to conduct an ecological risk assessment for Hg in the sediment phase. Two case studies, one in China and one in the Western Black Sea, were conducted using these PNECs. The toxicity of mercury is heavily dependent on their forms,and their potential ecological risk should be respectively evaluated on the basis of mercury species.