An improved method for Kr analysis by liquid scintillation counting and its application to atmospheric Kr determination

Atmospheric ⁸⁵Kr concentration at Fukuoka, Japan was determined by an improved ⁸⁵Kr analytical method using liquid scintillation counting (LSC). An average value of 1.54 ± 0.05 Bq m⁻³ was observed in 2008, which is about two times that measured in 1981 at Fukuoka, indicating a 29 mBq y⁻¹ rate of increase as an average for these 27 years. The analytical method developed involves collecting Kr from air using activated charcoal at liquid N₂ temperature and purifying it using He at dry ice temperature, followed by Kr separation by gas chromatography. An overall Kr recovery of 76.4 ± 8.1% was achieved when Kr was analyzed in 500-1000 l of air. The Kr isolated by gas chromatography was collected on silica gel in a quartz glass vial cooled to liquid N₂ temperature and the activity of ⁸⁵Kr was measured with a low-background LS counter. The detection limit of ⁸⁵Kr activity by the present analytical method is 0.0015 Bq at a 95% confidence level, including all propagation errors, which is equivalent with ⁸⁵Kr in 1.3 l of the present air under the analytical conditions of 72.1% counting efficiency, 0.1597 cps background count rate, and 76.4% Kr recovery.     

燃料电池发电系统安全与标准化

燃料电池因具有高效、节能、环保等优点,在电动汽车、分布式电站、便携式备用电源等方面具有广泛的应用前景,而燃料电池的安全标准是燃料电池产品市场准入的重要保证。燃料电池发电系统的安全涉及机械危险、电气危险、热危险、化学危害、物理危险、设备故障危险、因不适当的人机工程学原理而导致的危险及人机界面危险、合理预见的误用、环境条件危险、污染等方面。本文介绍了国内外燃料电池发电系统安全技术以及标准化的现状。     

贵州农村地区室内空气质量及细颗粒物污染特征

对贵州农村地区燃煤和燃柴典型村进行了室内外空气质量的监测,并对其中细颗粒物PM2.5的特征进行了研究。结果表明:燃煤家庭厨房和卧室PM2.5分别超过《环境空气质量标准》GB 3095—2012中标准限值(75μg/m3)的1.97、1.41倍,燃柴家庭分别超标0.74、0.06倍,而SO2、CO、NOx均低于标准限值。PAHs以燃煤村厨房最高,为53.92 ng/m3,燃柴村厨房为10.34 ng/m3,2种燃料所致PAHs均以中高环组分为主,对人体健康产生较大风险。PM2.5中氟和砷含量较低,低于参考浓度限值。燃煤村和燃柴村厨房内氟均值分别为0.14、0.11μg/m3,砷平均值分别为0.020、0.014μg/m3。需采取炉灶/燃料改良干预措施来降低农村室内空气污染物浓度,保障居民身体健康。     

关于核燃料循环建设项目竣工环境保护验收监测的思考

针对核燃料循环建设项目竣工环境保护验收监测活动中存在的问题作探讨,明确了验收监测活动的起点,建议加强验收监测方案编制的培训。指出应重视流出物的持续监测和环保设施运行效率的验证,验收监测方案应参考环评文件中的环境监测计划,结合设施运行后的现状合理编制,并重视与污染源项有关的其他监测问题。提出了进一步完善核燃料循环标准体系、持续加强环保验收能力建设等建议。     

Comparison of jatropha and karanja biofuels on their combustion characteristics

Biofuel blends produced from Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) and Karanja (Pongamia pinnata) oil were evaluated for their combustion properties. Two kinds of blends (regular diesel with Jatropha and Karanja oil) were prepared at 20% volume to the diesel and tested as alternative fuels in single cylinder (vertical), water-cooled, direct injection diesel engine at the rated speed of 1500 rpm. The performance of the engine in terms of thermal efficiency at full load for diesel was 30%. For Jatropha and Karanja biodiesel blends, the thermal efficiencies were 29.0% and 28.6%, respectively. The maximum cylinder pressure and ignition delay for biodiesel fuel blends are very close to that of regular diesel. Prolonged combustion was observed for Karanja oil blend in comparison to Jatropha oil blend. The combustion pattern also reveals the slow burning characteristics of vegetable oils and this study indicates that the blended biofuels have combustion characteristics that are similar to regular diesel fuels.     

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems using methanolysis of sodium borohydride as a hydrogen source with cobalt catalysts

Constant hydrogen generation via a hydrogen generator is evaluated from the methanolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) using Co/Al₂O₃ and MnO_x/Al₂O₃ catalysts. Chemical borohydrides coupled with catalysts can be used for compact storage and to create efficient generation systems. Thus, we first report the catalytic activity of MnO_x/Al₂O₃, which is synthesized using the simple wet-impregnation method, for the methanolysis reaction. The results indicate that both catalysts can effectively accelerate the methanolysis reaction and provide constant hydrogen generation rates. Thus, we integrate this hydrogen generation system into a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack (PEMFC) to determine whether it can be used as a portable power supply. As a result, this fuel cell system operates at 40 W for 1 hr using the hydrogen source supplied from the catalytic methanolysis reaction.     

Phase behaviors,fuel properties,and combustion characteristics of alcohol-vegetable oil-diesel microemulsion fuels

Biofuels are being considered as alternatives to fossil-based fuels due to depletion of petroleum-based reserves and pollutant emission concerns. Vegetable oils and bioalcohols have proven to be viable alternative fuels both with and without engine modification. However, high viscosity and low energy content are long-term operational problems with vegetable oils and bioalcohols, respectively. Therefore, vegetable oil-based microemulsification is being evaluated as a method to reduce the high viscosity of vegetable oils and enhance the miscibility of alcohol and oil phases. Studies have shown that microemulsification with different alcohols lead to varying fuel properties depending on their structure. The overall goal of this study was to formulate microemulsion fuels with single and mixed alcohol systems by determining the effects of water content, alcohol branching structure and carbon chain length on phase behaviors, fuel properties, and emission characteristics. It was found that microemulsion fuels using certain alcohols displayed favorable stability, properties, and emission characteristics. Flames of fuels with linear short-chain-length alcohols had larger near-burner blue regions and lower CO and soot emissions indicating the occurrence of more complete combustion. In addition to alcohol effects, the effect of vegetable oils, surfactants, and additives on emission characteristics were insightful in pursuit of appropriate microemulsion fuels as cleaner burning alternatives to both No.2 diesel and canola biodiesel.     

Biogas upgrading and utilization from ICEs towards stationary molten carbonate fuel cell systems

Biogas production from anaerobic digestion has increased rapidly in the last years, in many parts of the world, mainly due to its local scale disposition and to its potential on greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions mitigation. Biogas can be used as fuel for combined heat and power systems (CHP), in particular for internal combustion engines (ICEs). In recent investigations, fuel cells have been considered as alternative CHP systems. In the present article, two different energy conversion systems are compared: a 1.4 MW class MCFC system, running on pipeline natural gas, and an in situ ICE, running on biogas. In the first case, biogas is considered as a source fuel to obtain upgraded gas to be injected in the natural gas grid. In such scenario, the location of the fuel cell power plant is no longer strictly connected to the anaerobic digester site. Several energy balances are evaluated, considering different upgrading techniques and different biogas methane/carbon dioxide ratios.     

稻壳混煤燃烧对NOx 排放的影响

利用循环流化床试验平台分析稻壳混煤燃烧对NOx 排放的影响。结果表明,贫煤混合稻壳后燃烧,当燃烧温度恒定时,NOx的排放量随着燃料中稻壳所占比重增加而降低;当燃料中稻壳所占比重恒定时,NOx的排放量随着燃烧温度的升高而增加。