Efficiency enhancement in solar air heaters by modification of absorber plate-a review

This paper outlines a complete review on modifications made on the absorber plate of solar air heaters in order to improve the turbulence and heat transfer rate, thereby efficiency. Corrugated sheets, fins, extended surfaces, wire mesh, porous medium, etc., are a few of the modifications used. Most of such alterations in the absorber plate resulted with an increase in efficiency but associated with drawback of increased pumping power due to raising friction factor. Pumping power is considered here as a predominant comparison parameters of various solar air heaters with different absorber plate in terms of effective efficiency.     

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.     

Co-treatment of fruit and vegetable waste in sludge digesters. An analysis of the relationship among bio-methane generation,process stability and digestate phytotoxicity

The co-digestion of a variable amount of fruit and vegetable waste in a waste mixed sludge digester was investigated using a pilot scale apparatus. The organic loading rate (OLR) was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.8 kg VS/m³ day. The hydraulic retention time was reduced from 14 days to about 10 days. Specific bio-methane production increased from about 90 NL/kg VS to the maximum value of about 430 NL/kg VS when OLR was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.1 kg VS/m³ day. A higher OLR caused an excessive reduction in the hydraulic retention time, enhancing microorganism wash out. Process stability evaluated by the total volatile fatty acids concentration (mg/l) to the alkalinity buffer capacity (eq. mg/l CaCO₃) ratio (i.e. FOS/TAC) criterion was <0.1 indicating high stability for OLR <2.46 kg VS/m³ day. For higher OLR, FOS/TAC increased rapidly. Residual phytotoxicty of the digestate evaluated by the germination index (GI) (%) was quite constant for OLR < 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, which is lower than the 60% limit, indicating an acceptable toxicity level for crops. For OLR > 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, GI decreased rapidly. This corresponding trend between FOS/TAC and GI was further investigated by the definition of the GI ratio (GIR) parameter. Comparison between GIR and FOS/TAC suggests that GI could be a suitable criterion for evaluating process stability.     

Development of heat transfer and evaporation model of LNG covered by Hi-Ex foam

Natural gas is a kind of clean, efficient green energy source, which is used widely. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is produced by cooling natural gas to −161 °C, at which it becomes the liquid. Once LNG was released, fire or explosion would happen when ignition source existed nearby. The high expansion foam (Hi-Ex foam) is believed to quickly blanket on the top of LNG spillage pool and warm the LNG vapor to lower the vapor cloud density at the ground level and raising vapor buoyancy. To identify the physical structure after it contacted with LN₂ and to develop heat transfer model, the small-scale field test with liquid nitrogen (LN₂) was designed. In experiment, three layers including frozen ice layer, frozen Hi-Ex layer and soft layer of Hi-Ex foam were observed at the steady state. By characterizing physical structure of the foam, formulas for calculating the surface of single foam bubble and counting foam film thickness were deduced. The micro heat transfer and evaporation model between cryogenic liquid and Hi-Ex foam was established. Indicating the physical structure of the frozen ice layer, there were a certain number of icicles below it. The heat transfer and evaporation mathematical model between the frozen ice layer and LNG was derived. Combining models above with the heat transfer between LNG, ground and cofferdam, the heat transfer and evaporation mathematical model of LNG covered by Hi-Ex foam was developed eventually. Finally, LN₂ evaporation rate calculated by this model was compared with the measured evaporation rate. The calculated results are 1.2–2.1 times of experimental results, which were acceptable in engineering and proved the model was reliable.     

容积负荷对ABR-MBR工艺反硝化除磷性能的影响

采用连续流ABR-MBR组合工艺处理生活污水,研究不同容积负荷(volume loading rate,VLR)对该工艺反硝化除磷性能的影响,获得最佳工艺参数.试验考察ABR进水容积负荷(以COD计,下同)分别为0.76、1.01、1.51和2.27 kg·(m~3·d)~(-1)时系统去碳脱氮除磷的性能,并在各ABR容积负荷条件下考察MBR容积负荷对MBR反应器硝化性能的影响.结果表明,在ABR进水容积负荷为1.51 kg·(m~3·d)~(-1)的条件下,系统A2隔室COD去除量最大,并在MBR容积负荷为0.462 kg·(m~3·d)~(-1)时,MBR反应器中实现了短程硝化,系统NH_4~+-N和TN去除率分别达到90%和72%以上,厌氧释磷量为7.41 mg·L~(-1),缺氧吸磷量达到15.42 mg·L~(-1),出水PO_4~(3-)-P浓度低于0.5 mg·L~(-1),这表明短程硝化更有利于强化ABR-MBR系统的反硝化除磷性能.     

常规施肥条件下农田不同途径氮素损失的原位研究:以长江中下游地区夏玉米季为例

为了解农田常规施肥条件下的不同途径氮素损失特征,本文通过田间原位试验同步研究了长江中下游地区夏玉米生长季氮肥施用后的农田N2O排放、NH3挥发、氮渗漏和地表径流的变化.结果表明,在复合肥为基肥,尿素为追肥,基追肥氮素水平均为150 kg·hm-2的条件下,整个玉米生长季N2O排放系数为3.3%,NH3挥发损失率为10.2%,氮渗漏和地表径流损失率分别为11.2%和5.1%.此外,基肥施用以氮素渗漏损失为主,而追肥氮素损失以氨挥发和渗漏为主,表明不同途径化肥氮素损失主要受氮肥品种影响,玉米季追肥可改用低氨挥发氮肥品种以减少氮素损失.     

Assessment of the clear-sky bias issue using continuous PM10 data from two AERONET sites in Korea

A bias in clear-sky conditions that will be involved in estimating particulate matter(PM)concentration from aerosol optical depth(AOD) was examined using PM_(10) from two Aerosol Robotic Network sites in Korea. The study periods were between 2004 and 2007 at Anmyon and between 2003 and 2011 at Gosan, when both PM_(10) and AOD were available. Mean PM_(10) when AOD was available(PM AOD) was higher than that from all PM_(10)data(PM all) by 5.1 and9.9 μg/m~3 at Anmyon and Gosan, which accounted for 11% and 26% of PM all, respectively.Because of a difference between mean PM_(10) under daytime clear-sky conditions(PM clear)and PM AOD, the variations in ΔPM_(10), the difference of PM all from PM clear rather than from PM AOD, were investigated. Although monthly variations in ΔPM_(10)at the two sites were different, they were positively correlated to those in ΔT, similarly defined as ΔPM_(10)except for temperature, at both sites. ΔPM_(10)at Anmyon decreased to a negative value in January due to an influence of the Siberian continental high-pressure system while ΔPM_(10)at Gosan was high in winter due to an effect of photochemical production at higher temperatures than at Anmyon.     

港口罢工对周边空气质量的影响

港口污染物的排放浓度极大地影响着周边的空气质量,以2013年3月28日香港国际集装箱码头发生的罢工事件为契机来探究港口运作短暂的瘫痪对周边空气质量的影响。首先,进行污染物之间的相关性分析确定影响本次罢工事件的污染物主要为NO_2、NO_x、SO_2以及O_3。其次,基于罢工前、罢工期间以及罢工后污染物排放的浓度变化,进行横向对比发现罢工期间的污染物确实有一定程度的减少。再次,利用纵向对比排除四季带来的影响探究不同年份同一阶段污染物浓度的变化情况评估罢工期间的空气质量。最后,以NO_2为例建立预测模型对罢工期间的NO_2浓度进行预测,根据实际值与预测值之间的差异来说明罢工影响了NO_2的预测趋势。这项研究主要强调港口空气质量对整个环境的影响,在一定程度上说明政府实施政策的有效性,为政府提供了决策支持,同时也要注重污染物之间的相互转化作用对环境的影响。     

Ti/SnO_2-Sb阳极-空气阴极电催化降解染料废水

为解决电化学法处理高盐染料废水存在的能耗大、成本高等问题,分别采用溶胶-凝胶法和辊压法制备Ti/SnO_2-Sb阳极和空气阴极,构建了Ti/SnO_2-Sb阳极-空气阴极双极体系(TSSA-ADC)。甲基橙(MO)作为高盐染料废水的典型污染物,考察了电流强度、MO浓度、电解液浓度和初始p H对TSSA-ADC体系和TSSA单阳极体系降解MO的影响。结果表明:与TSSA单阳极体系相比,TSSA-ADC体系具有更好的抗有机负荷冲击、抗盐分冲击、抗酸碱波动能力,能够维护酸碱平衡防止硬度离子结垢。最佳反应条件为电流强度为0.030 A,电解液浓度为3%,MO浓度为100 mg/L,初始pH=6。以MO去除率达到98%为基准,TSSA-ADC体系比TSSA体系可节能74.26%。     

城市大气中臭氧浓度控制的困难与挑战——以成都市为例

研究城市化、工业化和区域经济一体化进程的不断加快,对城市大气环境的影响是当前大气环境领域研究的热点问题。在此过程中,利用空气质量模型模拟系统研究大气环境污染问题成为大气环境研究中不可缺少的组成部分。在当前空气污染复杂的形势下,针对城市大气环境中臭氧的浓度尚未有效的控制措施。研究主要利用Models-3/CMAQ空气质量模式对成都市臭氧浓度数值通过不同的控制情景进行模拟,揭示城市大气中臭氧浓度控制的困难与挑战,并尝试性提出今后的研究方向,以期为控制城市大气中臭氧浓度提供建议。