A mathematical approach for retrofit and optimization of total site steam distribution networks

This paper presents a generic mathematical model for retrofitting the steam power plants in an industrial site. The industrial sector under review consists of one steel mill, one oil refinery, and several petrochemical plants, where only small-scale steam integration has been implemented before this study. The relevant unit models in a typical steam power plant are established, and the steam plant retrofit problem is formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP). Feasible retrofit alternatives suggested by experienced field engineers are investigated in sequence to examine the revenue of those possible modifications. The first scenario examines operational optimization of existent plants; the second option allows installation of one new turbine and replacement of several boilers and turbines with lower efficiency; the third scenario considers using a steam ejector to upgrade the disqualified import steam in the oil refinery. The significant merits from these three retrofit alternatives show that the proposed MINLP formulation has been a great help to enhance the inter-plant steam integration in an industrial sector.     

Fuzzy optimization of multi-period carbon capture and storage systems with parametric uncertainties

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an important technology option for reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions. In practice, CO₂ sources are easy to characterize, while the estimation of relevant properties of storage sites, such as capacity and injection rate limit (i.e., injectivity), is subject to considerable uncertainty. Such uncertainties need to be accounted for in planning CCS deployment on a large scale for effective use of available storage sites. In particular, the uncertainty introduces technical risks that may result from overestimating the limits of given storage sites. In this work, a fuzzy mixed integer linear program (FMILP) is developed for multi-period CCS systems, accounting for the technical risk arising from uncertainties in estimates of sink parameters, while still attaining satisfactory CO₂ emissions reduction. In the model, sources are assumed to have precisely known CO₂ flow rates and operating lives, while geological sinks are characterized with imprecise fuzzy capacity and injectivity data. Three case studies are then presented to illustrate the model. Results of these examples illustrate the tradeoff inherent in planning CCS systems under parametric uncertainty.     

青海省东部农业区参考作物蒸散量的变化及对气象因子的敏感性分析

使用FAO推荐的Penman-Monteith公式计算了青海省东部农业区7个气象代表站的逐日参考作物蒸散量(ET₀),运用多窗谱方法(MTM)对青海省东部代表站的ET₀的变化周期进行了分析,同时,分析了影响ET₀的主要气象要素的变化趋势,运用基于偏导数的敏感系数法分析了生长季ET₀对气温、日照时数、相对湿度、风速的敏感性,结果表明,青海省东部农业区的7个站点有比较一致的19.23~22.22 a的周期;整个东部农业区的气温(最高温度、最低温度、平均温度)呈明显的上升趋势,日照时数、风速、相对湿度则随纬度的变化而趋势不同,北纬36°以南的两个站日照时数、风速均有增加的趋势,相对湿度则减小,以北的5个站则呈相反的变化;ET₀对日照时数最为敏感,其次是气温、相对湿度和风速;敏感系数在整个生长季随气象因子的变化而变化,日照时数敏感系数呈波动状,最大值出现在4月,最小值出现在9月,气温敏感系数呈现单峰型变化,最大值出现在7月,风速敏感系数则呈单谷型变化,最小值出现在7月。     

Reach‐Scale Geomorphic and Biological Effects of Localized Streambank Armoring

Armoring of streambanks is a common management response to perceived threats to adjacent infrastructure from flooding or erosion. Despite their pervasiveness, effects of reach‐scale bank armoring have received less attention than those of channelization or watershed‐scale hydromodification. In this study, we explored mechanistic ecosystem responses to armoring by comparing conditions upstream, within, and downstream of six stream reaches with bank armoring in Southern California. Assessments were based on four common stream‐channel assessment methods: (1) traditional geomorphic measures, (2) the California Rapid Assessment Method for wetlands, (3) bioassessment with benthic macroinvertebrates, and (4) bioassessment with stream algae. Although physical responses varied among stream types (mountain, transitional, and lowland), armored segments generally had lower slopes, more and deeper pools and fewer riffles, and increased sediment deposition. Several armored segments exhibited channel incision and bank toe failure. All classes of biological indicators showed subtle, mechanistic responses to physical changes. However, extreme heterogeneity among sites, the presence of catchment‐scale disturbances, and low sample size made it difficult to ascribe observed patterns solely to channel armoring. The data suggest that species‐level or functional group‐level metrics may be more sensitive tools than integrative indices of biotic integrity to local‐scale effects.     

项目教学法在高职商务英语谈判教学中的应用——以中国环境管理干部学院为例

项目教学法是教师为主导,学生为主体,项目为载体,任务为驱动,以职业能力培养为目标,以社会需求为背景的系统的教学方法。以中国环境管理干部学院为例,通过讲述项目教学法的特点及在实践教学中的应用原则,提出了项目教学法在学院商务英语谈判课堂上进行的步骤、遇到的困难,并提出了相应的改进措施。     

Optimization of a Wind/PV Hybrid Power Generation System

This study investigates the wind and solar electricity generation availability at the Solar Energy Institute of Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. The main purpose of this study is to design an appropriate wind-PV hybrid system to cover the electricity consumption of the Institute. In order to do this, monthly average solar irradiation and wind speed data are used, which were measured, consisting of hourly records over an eight-year period from 1995–2002. Simple models were developed to determine wind, solar, and hybrid power resources per unit area. Correlations between the solar and wind power data were carried out on an hourly, daily, and monthly basis. It is shown that the hybrid system can be applied for the efficient and economic utilization of these resources.     

我国现行环境统计指标体系改进方向

我国现行环境统计指标体系在指标的选择和可操作性方面存在缺陷和不足,主要表现为污染物排放量的计算方法模糊、污染物排放标准未能得到有效实施、非重点工业排放量取值比例有待调整、污染源调查范围不能与时俱进、环境质量指标体系未纳入环境统计,这些问题需进一步完善,才能更好地适应环境管理工作需要。     

FSILP: fuzzy-stochastic-interval linear programming for supporting municipal solid waste management

Although many studies on municipal solid waste management (MSW management) were conducted under uncertain conditions of fuzzy, stochastic, and interval coexistence, the solution to the conventional linear programming problems of integrating fuzzy method with the other two was inefficient. In this study, a fuzzy-stochastic-interval linear programming (FSILP) method is developed by integrating Nguyen's method with conventional linear programming for supporting municipal solid waste management. The Nguyen's method was used to convert the fuzzy and fuzzy-stochastic linear programming problems into the conventional linear programs, by measuring the attainment values of fuzzy numbers and/or fuzzy random variables, as well as superiority and inferiority between triangular fuzzy numbers/triangular fuzzy-stochastic variables. The developed method can effectively tackle uncertainties described in terms of probability density functions, fuzzy membership functions, and discrete intervals. Moreover, the method can also improve upon the conventional interval fuzzy programming and two-stage stochastic programming approaches, with advantageous capabilities that are easily achieved with fewer constraints and significantly reduces consumption time. The developed model was applied to a case study of municipal solid waste management system in a city. The results indicated that reasonable solutions had been generated. The solution can help quantify the relationship between the change of system cost and the uncertainties, which could support further analysis of tradeoffs between the waste management cost and the system failure risk.     

Inverse calculation approaches for source determination in hazardous chemical releases

Source determination is vital in decision making and emergency planning involving hazardous chemical releases. This work was concentrated on inverse calculation approaches for source determination as well as current trends and future perspectives. In this paper, these different approaches are reviewed by dividing them into two categories: probability modeling methods and optimization modeling methods. The traits of these approaches are comparatively analyzed. Then it is shown how these approaches behave when applied to practical cases, and their feasibility, applicability, stability, and limitation in determining the location and strength are presented. It is argued that when experimenting with potential terrorist attacks involving hazardous chemical releases, observation points should be around the main line of the downwind direction when the source is known; while the uniform distribution of observation points is an efficient solution for unknown incidents. Probability modeling methods are demonstrated to be insufficient during emergency responses due to their lacking of enough prior information of unknown parameters, while optimization modeling methods are efficient and become a new trend in source determination. Findings reflect an urgent need for the development of high-accuracy detectors and further research of data transmission techniques in order to ensure the validity of these approaches.     

The downfall of mating: the effect of mate-carrying and flight muscle ratio on the escape ability of a pierid butterfly

In many species, the ability to evade predators is known to be periodically impaired by increased weight loads due to feeding and reproduction. Not only may extra weight reduce escape speed, but feeding and mating can also make the prey more noticeable to visually hunting predators. A number of butterfly species mate for hours, and if a mating couple is disturbed, one of the butterflies is responsible for flying, whereas its partner remains still. This study investigated the ability of male Pieris napi butterflies to fly while mating, with the prediction that mate carrying impairs flight ability compared to single flying males and that males with relatively high flight muscle ratios (FMR; male thorax mass/male + female body mass) will have better flight performance in copula. Our results clearly show that whereas single males always take off at steep angles and fly upwards, couples invariably have a negative take-off angle and rarely gain height. Moreover, landing height of the couples is positively associated with higher FMR. Hence, male flight ability when in copula is positively associated with a high relative thorax mass. Butterfly pairs may thus be at greater risk of predation as a consequence of their impaired flight ability, especially couples with critically low FMRs (<16%).