Electric Swing Adsorption for CO2 removal from flue gases

One of the most important sources of CO₂ emissions are the fossil-fuel fired plants for production of electricity. Removal of CO₂ from flue gas streams for further sequestration has been proposed by the International Panel on Climate Change experts as one of the most reliable solutions to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse emissions. When natural gas is employed as fuel, the molar fraction of CO₂ in the flue gas is lower than 5% causing serious problems for capture. The purpose of this work is to present experimental validation of an Electric Swing Adsorption (ESA) technology that may be employed for carbon capture for low molar fractions of CO₂ in the flue gas streams. To improve energy utilization, an activated carbon honeycomb monolith with low electrical resistivity was employed as selective adsorbent. A mathematical model for this honeycomb is proposed as well as different ESA cycles for CO₂ capture.     

Effect of steam hydration on performance of lime sorbent for CO2 capture

Lime is considered a feasible sorbent for the capture of CO₂ from large stationary sources. The positive attributes of a natural source material, low cost and lack of harmful by-products are offset by rapid deterioration in performance and high regeneration temperature. Performance can be improved by hydrating the lime using steam. We investigate a steam hydration process wherein lime is hydrated for 5 min at 300 °C and atmospheric pressure in a mixture of steam and CO₂. The experiments consisted of 10 capture cycles with 60% of the lime active at the end. Extrapolation using a decay model suggests a residual carbonation level of 48%, significantly higher than the 8% achieved by dry lime cycles. The cost of replacement sorbent under these conditions is less than $1/t of CO₂ captured. The hydrated lime process also reduces the thermal load, for heating and cooling, by half as well as the inventory, and therefore solids handling, by a factor 5 over dry lime. The introduction of the hydration reaction provides another exothermic reaction for heat management.     

CO2 capture and storage from a bioethanol plant: Carbon and energy footprint and economic assessment

Biomass energy and carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can lead to a net removal of atmospheric CO₂. This paper investigates environmental and economic performances of CCS retrofit applied to two mid-sized refineries producing ethanol from sugar beets. Located in the Region Centre France, each refinery has two major CO₂ sources: fermentation and cogeneration units. “carbon and energy footprint” (CEF) and “discounted cash flow” (DCF) analyses show that such a project could be a good opportunity for CCS early deployment. CCS retrofit on fermentation only with natural gas fired cogeneration improves CEF of ethanol production and consumption by 60% without increasing much the non renewable energy consumption. CCS retrofit on fermentation and natural gas fired cogeneration is even more appealing by decreasing of 115% CO₂ emissions, while increasing non renewable energy consumption by 40%. DCF shows that significant project rates of return can be achieved for such small sources if both a stringent carbon policy and direct subsidies corresponding to 25% of necessary investment are assumed. We also underlined that transport and storage cost dilution can be realistically achieved by clustering emissions from various plants located in the same area. On a single plant basis, increasing ethanol production can also produce strong economies of scale.     

基于生物质能的芒属（Miscanthus）植物碳动态和收支研究进展

生物质能（Biomass energy）是最为广泛的可再生能源,其中多年生芒属C4植物（Miscanthus）由于具有巨大碳固定能力而成为潜力巨大的生物质能植物。中国是芒属植物芒草起源中心,但相对于欧洲国家应对能源危机和温室效应而采取的芒草研究与应用来说,仍处于起步阶段。我国长期以来传统的草地利用模式,决定了在南方草地的研究显著少于北方,近年来芒草在华南地区的运用研究集中于生态修复,对草本植物群落基于生态系统水平的 CO2气体交换能力的研究仍然相当缺乏,在二氧化碳浓度持续增长及全球变暖背景下,生物质能植物及其碳汇功能的相关研究尤显重要。我国南方近6700万hm2退化丘陵草坡急待恢复或处于恢复中,草坡地芒属植物符合生物质能植物标准,施肥少,害虫少,农药输入少,能够有效地利用光、水等自然资源。考虑到C4植物具有比C3植物更强的光合作用能力,高光能利用率C4芒属植物的碳固定能力及能源潜力值得重视,但缺乏科学的碳动态和碳收支评估。综述了国内外芒草生物量特征与生物质能潜力研究现状,重点论述芒属植物生态系统水平的碳动态和收支能力研究,探讨了系统水平更客观评估芒属碳源汇（Carbon sequestration）功能的方法,基于生物量过程的研究结果及华南地区草坡研究历史和现状,为草坡地生物质能的合理开发利用提出了相关对策,强调在我国南方开发和利用芒属植物资源具有重要能源价值和经济、环境效益。     

火电厂CO2捕集与封存技术探讨

火电厂CO2减排技术主要包括燃烧前处理、燃烧中减排及燃烧后捕集三类。介绍了IGCC、富氧燃烧、胺吸收法、生物法等CO2捕集与封存技术,分析其存在问题及应用前景。     

乌鲁木齐市主要街道空气中一氧化碳污染规律的研究

本文通过对影响街道空气中一氧化碳污染的因素进行了大量的监测及综合分析,找出乌鲁木齐市主要街道空气中一氧化碳的污染规律,为控制我市汽车污染提供科学依据.     

Synthesis of branched,nano channeled,ultrafine and nano carbon tubes from PET wastes using the arc discharge method

Upcycling polymer wastes into useful, and valuable carbon based materials, is a challenging process. We report a novel catalyst-free and solvent-free technique for the formation of nano channeled ultrafine carbon tubes (NCUFCTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes, using rotating cathode arc discharge technique. The soot obtain from the anode contains ultrafine and nano-sized solid carbon spheres (SCS) with a mean diameter of 221 nm and 100 nm, respectively, formed at the lower temperature region of the anode where the temperature is approximately 1700 °C. The carbon spheres are converted into long “Y” type branched and non-branched NCUFCTs and MWCNTs at higher temperature regions where the temperature is approximately 2600 °C, with mean diameters of 364 nm and 95 nm, respectively. Soot deposited on the cathode is composed of MWCNTs with a mean diameter of 20 nm and other nanoparticles. The tubular structures present in the anode are longer, bent and often coiled with lesser graphitization compared to the nanotubes in the soot on the cathode.     

Carbon Monoxide Concentration in a Street Canyon of Buenos Aires City (Argentina)

The analysis of three years of 8-h CO concentration values registered in a deep street canyon downtown shows high frequency of values that exceed WHO health protection guidelines. An inverse relationship between opposing percentiles of the distributions of CO concentrations and mean wind speed could be found. Data also showed a variation of mean CO values with prevailing wind direction. The averaged concentration value obtained when the sampler probe is on the leeward side is lower than the obtained when it is on the windward wall. A preliminary explanation of this feature may be related to the advection of polluted air from a high traffic density area nearby.     

Cracking styrene derivative polymers in decalin solvent with metal-supported carbon catalysts

The cracking of styrene derivative polymers dissolved in decalin was conducted with metal-supported carbon catalysts under an inert gas atmosphere to recover monosubstituted styrene or monosubstituted ethylbenzene in higher yields than is obtained by pyrolysis, and to elucidate the detailed reaction mechanisms in the solvent. Poly-(4-methylstyrene), poly-(4-t-butylstyrene), poly-(α-methylstyrene), and polystyrene were used. In decalin without a catalyst, each polymer was decomposed into the monomer, dimer, and trimer derived from the corresponding polymer except for poly-(α-methylstyrene), which was decomposed into the monomer and styrene. By using metal-supported carbon, the olefinic compounds derived from the corresponding polymer were thoroughly hydrogenated to the saturated form in a nitrogen atmosphere by a hydrogen transfer reaction from decalin, which was simultaneously dehydrogenated to tetralin and naphthalene with the evolution of hydrogen gas. In comparison with metal species, Pd- and Ru-supported carbon catalysts maintained the hydrogenation activity for a longer time and with a lower evolution of hydrogen than Pt or Rh. The dehydrogenation of decalin was mainly observed not on the metal surfaces, but on the carbon surfaces over Pd-supported carbon. Stabilization of the monomers will be able to suppress the coking which occurs with repolymerization in long running process. Received: July 19, 2000 / Accepted: March 16, 2001     

库仑滴定法测定一氧化碳

本文就一氧化碳的测定条件和CO氧化过程中氧化剂的选择进行了研究。试验表明:ReAO_4-Ⅱ为氧化CO的活性催化剂,转化率可达100％(在300℃以上),本法简便,可用于空气中一氧化碳的测定和催化剂对CO活性测试。