Second Law Analysis for Solar Cookers

Abstract

This article presents the importance and usefulness of Second Law (exergy) analysis for evaluating and comparing solar cookers in meaningful ways. The thermodynamic considerations required for the development of rational and meaningful methodologies for the evaluation and comparison of the efficiency of the solar cookers were defined. Energy and exergy equations were also developed to obtain energy and exergy efficiencies of the solar cookers. The evaluation of the solar cookers requires a measure of efficiency, which is rational, meaningful, and practical. Exergy analysis provides an alternative means of evaluating and comparing the solar cookers. Since exergy is a measure of the quality or usefulness of energy, exergy efficiency measures are more significant than energy efficiency measures, exergy analysis should be considered in the evaluation of the solar cookers.     

中国农村能源正义的法律实现

为了厘清中国能源正义的现况,为《能源法》的制定提供直接参考,本文选择中国农村能源正义作为具体的研究对象,主要采用规范分析的研究方法,从能源正义和农村能源正义的概念界定入手,描述了中国农村能源不正义的事实现况和法律现况,指出了中国农村环境正义法律实现的路径,并阐释了法律实现的关键。本文认为,农村能源正义是指,能源的所有方、供给服务方、消费方等主体不因其农民的身份性质、农村的地域分布和农业的禀赋强弱等因素,而应在能源的勘探开发、加工转换、仓储运输、供给服务等领域享有平等的对待和实质的参与;农村能源不正义的事实现况主要表现为农村能源并未全面体现能源的自然、经济、安全和生态等多维价值,而其法律现况则主要表现为现有的能源立法并未对农村能源在分配、程序、矫正和社会正义上做系统的表达。本文指出,中国农村能源正义法律实现的路径,其逻辑起点在于保障农民的能源权,应首先从法律上正面规定公民的能源权,进而采用《能源法》的集中表达与相关法律部门的分散表达相结合的具体方式和步骤。本文建议,中国农村能源正义法律实现的关键是科学制定《能源法》,首先要明确其核心地位,处理好与《农业法》等法律部门之间的关系;其次要在总则中,重述立法目的、规定公民能源权、完善能源普遍服务;最后在《能源法》的分则中专设"农村能源"的章节,整合现有的《能源法(征求意见稿)》的内容,并从原则、规划、保障、生态化、公众参与、授权、救济、法律责任等方面进行优化。     

“It's easy to throw rocks at a corporation”: wind energy development and distributive justice in Canada

In places like Canada, fast-paced wind turbine development combined with policy that limits local decision-making power has resulted in strong opposition to specific projects. Some studies suggest that anti-wind sentiment is tied to inadequate financial benefits – especially sharing at the local level. Thus, ideas of distributive economic justice have received traction, particularly in the form of praise for community-based development models. This paper reports on the findings from a mixed-methods study concerning preferred distributive justice elements in rural communities in Ontario (technocratic-based model) and Nova Scotia (community-based model) living with turbines. Residents’ perceptions of economic benefits are nuanced, but unlike other studies, this empirical work shows that both the fair distribution and the amount of local benefits are important predictors of project support. Yet, concerns around the fair distribution of benefits dominate in a regression on the adequacy of those benefits. A variety of interview and survey findings further point to the strength of traditional, profit-sharing community-based models for distributing benefits, but also more novel ideas including lowered electricity bills and tax rebates in areas home to turbines.     

A methodology for electricity monitoring and targeting (M&T) in an Irish precision engineering SME

Abstract

Energy management in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) remains undeveloped due to competing priorities and a lack of specialist knowledge. However considerable savings can be demonstrated where companies take the time to investigate their energy use. Savings of over 20% can be achieved through changes to operational and behavioural practice. Additional benefits, such as improved production tracking and improved maintenance, can been seen which add to the value in undertaking an energy monitoring and targeting (M&T) plan. The method described involves the application of a series of ‘virtuous’ cycles of engagement and energy savings that can be applied from the highest factory level right down to a specific machine. The analysis of overall energy use from utility bills and the visualisation of typical machine power profiles aid in understanding the drivers of energy consumption and in engaging management in energy efficiency. The monitoring of specific machines in production highlights the significant consumption of electricity during non-productive times. The development of energy performance indicators is described for product variations which can be useful in tendering for business and selecting optimum production pathways. The approach is illustrated with data from a case study of a precision engineering SME based in Limerick, Ireland.     

Energy efficiency and conservation for individual Americans

Americans make up only 4% of the world population, yet currently consume 25% of the world’s fossil fuels. The U.S. imports 63% of its oil and it is predicted that by 2020 the U.S. will be importing 95% of its oil resources. Over the past century, ample and affordable supplies of fossil fuels have powered the growth and prosperity of the economies of the US and other countries. Within this century, world oil supplies will decline while demand is projected to continue to increase, suggesting that we will have to transition to different fuels or become much more energy efficient or both. Looking ahead to the near decades, estimates are that consumers will have to reduce their energy use by at least 50%. This reduction will be necessary in large part due the decline in the availability of conventional oil and gas, but also because the U.S. population will continue to grow in number. Although government action is important, individuals too often discount their ability to make significant contributions to solving such major problems. This investigation identifies how informed and concerned individuals can collectively conserve fossil energy. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Behavioural responses to climate change: Asymmetry of intentions and impacts

In seeking to determine whether climate change mitigation strategies are effective, researchers and policy-makers typically use energy consumption as an indicator. UK government data show that energy use amongst the public is rising, despite measures to encourage energy conservation. Yet, research to date has not explicitly asked which actions the public are taking with the express intention of mitigating climate change. Using Stern's classification of impact-oriented and intent-oriented behaviour research, the research described in this paper examines both actions taken ‘out of concern for climate change’ and energy conservation practices amongst the UK public. The findings show a clear divergence between actions prescribed by policy-makers (i.e. energy conservation) and those taken by the public to mitigate climate change (e.g., recycling). Furthermore, those who take action to conserve energy generally do so for reasons unconnected to the environment (e.g., to save money). Regression analyses highlight the distinct determinants of these two behavioural categories. These findings imply that surveys using energy reduction as an indicator of public response to climate change falsely assume that these can be equated; consequently, they will provide a distorted picture of behavioural response. Possible reasons for the asymmetry of intentions and impacts, and policy implications, are discussed.     

Physiological and behavioral aspects of Calanus euxinus females (Copepoda: Calanoida) during vertical migration across temperature and oxygen gradients

 In the Black Sea, during summer stratification, Calanus euxinus (Hulsemann) undertakes diel vertical migrations with an amplitude of about 117 m from oxygenated, warm (18 °C) surface layers to hypoxic (∼0.8 mg O₂ l⁻¹) zones with lower temperature (7.9 °C). When such changes in temperature and oxygen concentration are reproduced in the laboratory, total metabolism, basal metabolism and scope of activity of copepods decrease 7.2, 7.8 and 6.7 times, respectively, while the frequency of locomotory acts and mechanical power decline 3.4- and 9.5-fold, respectively. These changes allowed the copepods to conserve a significant portion of food consumed near the surface for transformation to lipid reserves. Diel respiratory oxygen consumption of migrating individuals, calculated so as to include actual duration of residence in layers with different temperature and oxygen concentrations, is estimated at 17.87 μg O₂ ind⁻¹. The net energy cost of vertical migration made up only 11.6% of the total. Copepods expend 78.6% of diel energy losses during approximately 10 h in the surface layers, while about 5.4% is required during about 9 h at depth. Hypoxia is shown to have a significant metabolic advantage during diel vertical migrations of C. euxinus in the Black Sea. Received: 1 October 1999 / Accepted: 11 July 2000     

欧洲能源复兴计划CCS示范项目实施进展与启示

碳捕集与封存(Carbon Capture and Storage,CCS)作为最有前景可有效深度减排的低碳技术之一,在世界范围内受到广泛推行,特别是欧洲,其作为全球CCS技术的先行者,一直在积极推进该项技术工业化进程.2009年,欧盟委员会(European Commission,EC)启动欧洲能源复兴计划(European Energy Programme for Recovery,EEPR),正式批准资助6个全流程CCS示范项目.这6个CCS示范项目囊括了当前所有可行的CO2工业捕集技术,运输方式以及封存方法,本文将对其基本情况和最近进展进行介绍,并重点对欧盟层面的CCS法律法规与此6个项目所在欧盟成员国的CCS技术与政策环境的交互影响进行比对和分析,以进一步系统评述欧洲能源复兴计划CCS示范项目带来的积极成果,包括达成减排目标和气候政策,建立欧洲CCS示范项目网络共享平台,获得CCS技术研发突破等,同时也详细列举了这些项目目前所面临的阻碍与困境,如相关法律政策缺乏执行力,融资困难,公众接受度低,技术成本高等.最后,试探讨欧盟能源复兴计划CCS全流程示范项目实施发展现状对我国未来CCS商业化走向的思索与启示.     

Recovery of different waste vegetable oils for biodiesel production: A pilot experience in Bahia State,Brazil

In Brazil, and mainly in the State of Bahia, crude vegetable oils are widely used in the preparation of food. Street stalls, restaurants and canteens make a great use of palm oil and soybean oil. There is also some use of castor oil, which is widely cultivated in the Sertão Region (within the State of Bahia), and widely applied in industry. This massive use in food preparation leads to a huge amount of waste oil of different types, which needs either to be properly disposed of, or recovered. At the Laboratorio Energia e Gas-LEN (Energy & Gas lab.) of the Universidade Federal da Bahia, a cycle of experiments were carried out to evaluate the recovery of waste oils for biodiesel production. The experiences were carried out on a laboratory scale and, in a semi-industrial pilot plant using waste oils of different qualities. In the transesterification process, applied waste vegetable oils were reacted with methanol with the support of a basic catalyst, such as NaOH or KOH. The conversion rate settled at between 81% and 85% (in weight). The most suitable molar ratio of waste oils to alcohol was 1:6, and the amount of catalyst required was 0.5% (of the weight of the incoming oil), in the case of NaOH, and 1%, in case of KOH.The quality of the biodiesel produced was tested to determine the final product quality. The parameters analyzed were the acid value, kinematic viscosity, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, free glycerine, total glycerine, clearness; the conversion yield of the process was also evaluated.     

Conditions for a 100% renewable energy supply system in Japan and South Korea

In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident, alternative energy paths have been discussed for Japan, but except for a few studies the assumption is usually made that Japan is too densely populated to be suited for a near-100% sustainable, indigenous energy provision. The studies emphasizing renewable energy have proposed the use of photovoltaic power as the main source of electricity supply, in combination with diurnal battery storage and supplemented by other renewable sources such as wind, hydro, and geothermal power. Here, an alternative approach is explored, with wind and derived hydrogen production as the main energy source, but still using solar energy, biofuels, and hydropower in a resilient combination allowing full satisfaction of demands in all sectors of the economy, i.e., for dedicated electricity, transportation energy as well as heat for processes and comfort. Furthermore, the possible advantage of establishing a regional energy system with energy interchange and coordinated management of the mix of renewable energy resources across a wider region is discussed. As the closest neighbor, the energy system of South Korea is considered, first regarding the possibility of a similar full renewable energy reliance, and then for possible synergetic effects of connecting the Korean and the Japanese energy systems, in order to be able to better cope with the intermittency of renewable energy source flows.