Combustion-derived substances in deep basins of Puget Sound: historical inputs from fossil fuel and biomass combustion

Reconstructions of 250 years historical inputs of two distinct types of black carbon (soot/graphitic black carbon (GBC) and char-BC) were conducted on sediment cores from two basins of the Puget Sound, WA. Signatures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were also used to support the historical reconstructions of BC to this system. Down-core maxima in GBC and combustion-derived PAHs occurred in the 1940s in the cores from the Puget Sound Main Basin, whereas in Hood Canal such peak was observed in the 1970s, showing basin-specific differences in inputs of combustion byproducts. This system showed relatively higher inputs from softwood combustion than the northeastern U.S. The historical variations in char-BC concentrations were consistent with shifts in climate indices, suggesting an influence of climate oscillations on wildfire events. Environmental loading of combustion byproducts thus appears as a complex function of urbanization, fuel usage, combustion technology, environmental policies, and climate conditions.     

Fuel efficiency improvement of a dual-fuel engine fuelled with Honge oil methyl ester (HOME)–bioethanol and producer gas

Renewable and alternative fuels have numerous advantages compared with fossil fuels as they are renewable and biodegradable and provide food and energy security and foreign exchange savings besides addressing environmental concerns and socio-economic issues (Yaliwal et al. 2013. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering, doi:10.1080/19397038.2013.801530. Zhu et al. 2011a, Applied Thermal Engineering 31 (14–15): 2271–2278; Zhu et al. 2011b, Fuel 90: 1743-1750; Banapurmath, Tewari, and Hosmath 2008, Renewable Energy 33: 2007-2018; Banapurmath 2009, “Performance, Combustion and Emission Characteristics of a Single Cylinder Direct Injection CI Engine Operated on Dual Fuel Mode Using Honge Oil and Producer Gas.” PhD thesis, 1–195; Banapurmath et al. 2011, Waste and Biomass Valorization 2: 1–11). In this context, the main objective of the present work is to study methods of biofuel production such as Honge oil methyl ester (HOME) using a conventional transesterification process and bioethanol from the Calliandra calothyrsus shrub using a new pretreatment method known as hydrothermal explosion. Further, experimental investigations were carried out on a single-cylinder, four-stroke, direct-injection stationary diesel engine operating in a dual-fuel mode using HOME, bioethanol and producer gas combinations to determine its performance, combustion and emission characteristics. The performance of the dual-fuel engine was analyzed at optimized engine conditions. HOME-Bioethanol (BE) blends such as HOME+ 5% bioethanol (BE5), HOME+ 10% bioethanol (BE10) and HOME+ 15% bioethanol (BE15) were prepared by adding bioethanol to HOME (on volume basis) in different proportions ranging from 5 to 15% with an increment of 5%. In this present work, the effect of different BE blends on the performance of producer gas fuelled dual fuel engine was studied. Experimental investigation on dual fuel engine using BE5-Producer gas operation resulted in up to 4–9% increased brake thermal efficiency with decreased hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and marginally increased nitric oxide (NOx) emission levels compared to HOME-Producer gas, BE10-producer gas and BE15-producer gas mode of operation. However, it was observed that, the overall performance of BE-producer gas operation was found to be lower compared to diesel-producer gas operation.     

企业内部碳交易市场探析

随着气候变化问题的加剧,企业逐渐认识到将气候变化问题上升到企业战略高度的重要性.在企业的生产运营过程中有效减少温室气体排放量,关系到企业的可持续发展.但目前企业自主减排的动力不足,这不仅需要外部激励,更需要企业具有内生性动力.而只有依靠企业运行机制的修整和改良才能在根本上激励企业减排的自发性.企业内部碳交易市场的构建就能起到这个作用——它将市场机制引入企业,基于“总量管制和排放交易”理念,建立企业内部碳交易市场,在企业内部各部门之间进行温室气体排放权的重新分配和交易.它具体包括三个互为联系的子市场,即碳信用市场、碳项目市场和现碳交易市场,各子市场的良好运作也需要三重保障,即减排基金的合理构建、产权的明晰和监督机制的完善.通过构建内部碳交易市场,实现温室气体排放权在企业内部的市场化运作,提高温室气体排放权的利用效率,从而减少企业的温室气体排放量,降低企业的生产运营成本,保障企业抓住气候变化带来的战略机遇,规避风险,实现可持续发展.     

中国碳捕集、利用与封存技术研发与示范

碳捕集、利用与封存(CCUS)是一项新兴的、具有大规模减排潜力的技术,有望实现化石能源使用的CO2近零排放,被认为是进行温室气体深度减排最重要的技术路径之一.开展CCUS技术的研发和储备,将为中国未来温室气体减排提供一种重要的战略性技术选择,受到政府、企业和学术界的广泛关注.本文从CCUS技术产生和发展的背景出发,概括了该技术的特点及存在的主要同题,总结了当前中国CCUS技术政策,介绍了中国CCUS技术研发、试点示范、国际合作等的开展情况,并通过与欧美等发达国家CCUS技术发展与示范活动现状的对比,初步分析了中国CCUS技术发展方面存在的主要不足.为进一步推动我国CCUS技术的研发与示范,文章提出应加强国家层面的技术政策指导和宏观协调、引导资源有效配置;推动建设行业间的CCUS技术合作平台;重视CCUS来来技术应用软环境建设等有针对性的建议.     

Global and regional abatement costs of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and of enhanced action to levels well below 2 °C and 1.5 °C

As part of the Paris climate agreement, countries have submitted (Intended) Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which includes greenhouse gas reduction proposals beyond 2020. In this paper, we apply the IMAGE integrated assessment model to estimate the annual abatement costs of achieving the NDC reduction targets, and the additional costs if countries would take targets in line with keeping global warming well below 2 °C and “pursue efforts” towards 1.5 °C. We have found that abatement costs are very sensitive to socio-economic assumptions: under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 3 (SSP3) assumptions of slow economic growth, rapidly growing population, and high inequality, global abatement costs of achieving the unconditional NDCs are estimated at USD135 billion by 2030, which is more than twice the level as under the more sustainable socio-economic assumptions of SSP1. Furthermore, we project that the additional costs of full implementation of the conditional NDCs are substantial, ranging from 40 to 55 billion USD, depending on socio-economic assumptions. Of the ten major emitting economies, Brazil, Canada and the USA are projected to have the highest cots as share of GDP to implement the conditional NDCs, while the costs for Japan, China, Russia, and India are relatively low. Allowing for emission trading could decrease global costs substantially, by more than half for the unconditional NDCs and almost by half for the conditional NDCs. Finally, the required effort in terms of abatement costs of achieving 2030 emission levels consistent with 2 °C pathways would be at least three times higher than the costs of achieving the conditional NDCs – even though reductions need to be twice as much. For 1.5 °C, the costs would be 5–6 times as high.     

Assessing audit impact and thoroughness of VCS forest carbon offset projects

Voluntary markets transacted over $66 million USD of forest carbon offsets in 2016, according to Forest Trends, and over 99% of those offset projects were audited to a standard, primarily the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). We provide a table characterizing all 70 validated and verified forest carbon projects employing the VCS version 3.0 currently-in-use (December 2011–July 2017). We also examine two separate aspects of the audit process––impact and thoroughness––to assess the effectiveness of the costly audit process, which can consume up to one-third of offset revenue. Audit impact we measure in terms of reduction in the number of offsets from ex ante estimated to ex post approved. Audit thoroughness we measure both directly in terms of the number of auditor hours worked per project and also indirectly in terms of the total number of Corrective Action Requests (CARs)/Non-Conformity Reports (NCRs) auditors prescribe. In terms of impact, we find that Afforestation/Reforestation/Restoration (A/R/R) and Improved Forest Management (IFM) projects, though only constituting 5% of total verified offsets, demonstrate significant (p < = 0.05) reductions from ex ante estimated to ex post approved offsets, likely because auditors can easily scrutinize carbon stocks/emission factors for the commercial tree species involved in these project types. In terms of thoroughness, we find that higher ex ante estimates correlate with more total auditor hours worked and total CARs/NCRs prescribed for three of four project activity types, likely because auditors perceive larger ex ante projects as higher risk. We conclude with recommendations for the VCS to empower auditors to scrutinize carbon stocks/emissions factors from avoided deforestation projects, and also to continue to flag high ex ante projects as higher risk.     

纳米TiO2治理室内甲醛的实验研究

利用纳米材料TiO2对室内甲醛进行了治理研究。测定了TiO2在不同吸附剂量、吸附时间时的吸附效率、穿透时间和吸附容量。将TiO2、活性炭对甲醛的吸附效果进行了对比，结果表明，纳米材料TiO2对甲醛的吸附率比相同质量的活性炭高10％-15％；当吸附时间为13h时，TiO2对甲醛的吸附量比活性炭高28％；穿透时间比活性炭长2h。利用SEM图谱进行了机理分析。     

臭氧生物活性炭有机物吸附与生物降解量化分析

以西安北石桥污水净化中心出水为研究对象,通过对臭氧-生物陶粒与臭氧-生物活性炭处理工艺的对比研究,分析比较了两种生物过滤系统的生物活性及有机物去除特性,建立了臭氧-生物活性炭工艺在有机物降解过程中吸附和生物降解作用的量化计算方法,探讨了臭氧-生物活性炭工艺有机物降解过程及去除机理.研究表明:臭氧-生物活性炭工艺对有机物的去除是活性炭吸附和生物降解的协同作用,其中生物降解占主导作用,约占有机物总去除量的65%,生物降解作用去除的有机物几乎全部是易于降解的溶解性有机物;而吸附作用去除的有机物约占有机物总去除量的35%,去除的有机物中难降解和易于降解的有机物的量基本相当.     

军用浸渍活性炭中银含量测定方法——火焰原子吸收分光光度法

本研究建立了一种用空气-乙炔火焰原子吸收分光光度法测定浸渍活性炭中银含量的分析方法，对酸介质浓度、共存元素的干扰进行了探讨，在0—1．0ml沪范围内，银含量与吸光度呈线性关系，相关系数为0．9999。对09型浸渍活性炭标准物质进行测定，测定结果的相对标准偏差为0．191％（n=10），加标回收率为97．5％-101．4％。     

Emissions from RDF/coal blended fuel combustion

The significant volume and weight reduction along with the energy potential of MSW, in the form of refuse derived fuel (RDF), has made its incineration an attractive alternative. However, the gaseous emissions such as, CO₂, CO, NO_x and SO₂, which are the byproduct of the combustion process pose serious environmental problems. These problems are compounded by the presence of certain highly regulated hazardous wastes such as, dioxins and furans in the exhaust stream. In the present investigation, different compositions of RDF/Coal blends were examined and the gaseous emissions from the combustion of the briquetted fuel were measured. Also, a direct comparison of emissions from RDF/coal blend incineration with coal combustion is presented in this paper. The potential for recovery of ferrous and non- ferrous metals provides an additional economic motivation for the use of RDF/Coal blended briquettes.