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.     

Viscosities, thermal conductivities and diffusion coefficients of CO2 mixtures: Review of experimental data and theoretical models

Accurate experimental data on the thermo-physical properties of CO₂-mixtures are pre-requisites for development of more accurate models and hence, more precise design of CO₂ capture and storage (CCS) processes. A literature survey was conducted on both the available experimental data and the theoretical models associated with the transport properties of CO₂-mixtures within the operation windows of CCS. Gaps were identified between the available knowledge and requirements of the system design and operation. For the experimental gas-phase measurements, there are no available data about any transport properties of CO₂/H₂S, CO₂/COS and CO₂/NH₃; and except for CO₂/H₂O(/NaCl) and CO₂/amine/H₂O mixtures, there are no available measurements regarding the transport properties of any liquid-phase mixtures. In the prediction of gas-phase viscosities using Chapman–Enskog theory, deviations are typically <2% at atmospheric pressure and moderate temperatures. The deviations increase with increasing temperatures and pressures. Using both the Rigorous Kinetic Theory (RKT) and empirical models in the prediction of gas-phase thermal conductivities, typical deviations are 2.2–9%. Comparison of popular empirical models for estimation of gas-phase diffusion coefficients with newer experimental data for CO₂/H₂O shows deviations of up to 20%. For many mixtures relevant for CCS, the diffusion coefficient models based on the RKT show predictions within the experimental uncertainty. Typical reported deviations of the CO₂/H₂O system using empirical models are below 3% for the viscosity and the thermal conductivity and between 5 and 20% for the diffusion coefficients. The research community knows little about the effect of other impurities in liquid CO₂ than water, and this is an important area to focus in future work.     

The Al Gore effect: An Inconvenient Truth and voluntary carbon offsets

This paper examines the relationship between climate change awareness and household behavior by testing whether Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth caused an increase in the purchase of voluntary carbon offsets. I find that in the two months following the film's release, zip codes within a 10-mile radius of a zip code where the film was shown experienced a 50 percent relative increase in the purchase of voluntary carbon offsets. During other times, offset purchasing patterns for zip codes inside the 10-mile radius were similar to the patterns of zip codes outside the 10-mile radius. There is, however, little evidence that individuals who purchased an offset due to the film purchased them again a year later.     

复合光催化剂(TiO2/多壁碳纳米管)制备工艺条件对甲基橙光催化降解动力学的影响

采用溶胶-凝胶法在不同条件下制备了多壁碳纳米管(MwCNTs)负载纳米TiO2的复合光催化剂(TiO2/MWCNTs).以偶氮类染料甲基橙为模拟污染物,研究不同制备工艺参数的复合光催化剂对甲基橙的光催化降解动力学的影响.对TiO2/MWCNTs的表征结果表明,纳米TiO2较好地分散在多壁碳纳米管表面;随着温度的升高,复...     

大亚湾和四十里湾附近海域表层沉积物中无机碳形态研究

采用连续浸取法对位于亚热带的大亚湾和温带的四十里湾附近海域的表层沉积物样品中无机碳的赋存形态进行了研究,将无机碳分为可交换态（NaCl相）、弱碱浸取态（NH.3H2O相）、强碱浸取态（NaOH相）、弱酸浸取态（NH2OH.HCl相）和残渣态,测定了相关地球化学参数粒度组成和总有机碳（TOC）.结果表明,NH2OH.HC...     

Integrating soil carbon cycling with that of nitrogen and phosphorus in the watershed model SWAT: Theory and model testing

In this paper we describe and test a sub-model that integrates the cycling of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) watershed model. The core of the sub-model is a multi-layer, one-pool soil organic carbon (S_C) algorithm, in which the decomposition rate of S_C and input rate to S_C (through decomposition and humification of residues) depend on the current size of S_C. The organic N and P fluxes are coupled to that of C and depend on the available mineral N and P, and the C:N and N:P ratios of the decomposing pools. Tillage explicitly affects the soil organic matter turnover rate through tool-specific coefficients. Unlike most models, the turnover of soil organic matter does not follow first order kinetics. Each soil layer has a specific maximum capacity to accumulate C or C saturation (S_x) that depends on texture and controls the turnover rate. It is shown in an analytical solution that S_x is a parameter with major influence in the model C dynamics. Testing with a 65-yr data set from the dryland wheat growing region in Oregon shows that the model adequately simulates the S_C dynamics in the topsoil (top 0.3 m) for three different treatments. Three key model parameters, the optimal decomposition and humification rates and a factor controlling the effect of soil moisture and temperature on the decomposition rate, showed low uncertainty as determined by generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation. Nonetheless, the parameter set that provided accurate simulations in the topsoil tended to overestimate S_C in the subsoil, suggesting that a mechanism that expresses at depth might not be represented in the current sub-model structure. The explicit integration of C, N, and P fluxes allows for a more cohesive simulation of nutrient cycling in the SWAT model. The sub-model has to be tested in forestland and rangeland in addition to agricultural land, and in diverse soils with extreme properties such high or low pH, an organic horizon, or volcanic soils.     

温度和氮素输入对青藏高原三种高寒草地土壤碳矿化的影响

选取了海北高寒草甸、那曲高寒草原和当雄高寒湿地3种典型高寒草地生态系统类型为研究对象,采集了表层0~10 cm土壤,在实验室内进行可控温度下的碳矿化培养实验。结果表明,青藏高原土壤碳矿化在不同高寒草地类型间存在显著差异（P≤0.05）。在较低的温度下,高寒湿地土壤的碳矿化速率显著低于高寒草甸土壤,而温度在15℃左右时,高寒湿地土的碳矿化速率略高于高寒草甸土壤,当温度处于较高的水平时（〉20℃）,高寒湿地土壤碳矿化速率远高于高寒草甸土壤,高寒湿地土壤碳矿化的Q10显著大于高寒草甸。无论是低温还是较高的温度,高寒草原土壤碳矿化速率最低,数值范围也最窄。高寒草甸和高寒湿地土壤碳矿化均受温度的显著影响（P≤0.05）,其速率均跟温度呈现一级指数函数方程关系,而高寒草原土壤碳矿化速率与温度间未呈现明显的函数关系,但不同温度间的土壤碳矿化速率存在显著差异。氮素输入对高寒草甸和高寒湿地土壤碳矿化的影响不明显,但显著促进了高寒草原土壤碳矿化作用。     

植物碳酸酐酶对岩溶作用的影响及其生态效应

广泛存在各种类型生物细胞中的碳酸酐酶（cA）,通过催化C02和HCO3^-之间的相互转化,驱动岩溶过程。文章通过分析我国西南典型岩溶区植物叶片和根系CA活性,探讨其与岩溶作用的相互关系,结果表明：岩溶生态系统中植物的碳酸酐酶活性差异较大,并在植物的生长期发生变动,植株根系CA活性〉成熟叶片CA活性,因而在土壤水分充足的条件下．根系分泌的CA催化CO2＋H2O←→HCO3^-＋H^＋过程,促进石灰岩溶解,加快成土速率,并通过固定根呼吸和土壤微生物分解所释放的CO2产生岩溶碳汇效应;非岩溶生态系统由于土壤碳酸钙含量低,造成植物根系CA表达活性较低。     

北京市三种典型城市绿地类型的保健功能分析

随着城市化进程的加快,越来越多的城市居民的健康受到城市污染的影响,因而城市绿地对人体的保健作用日益受到重视。通过实地监测的方法,选择北京3种典型类型的绿地、在不同空间以及不同的季相条件组合下,对形成绿地保健功能的空气负离子浓度、空气温度、湿度、二氧化碳浓度、噪音等因子进行了研究。结果表明：（1）不同绿地类型的保健功能有较大的差距,以同一时段空气中的负离子浓度为例,其最大值发生在郊野公园（1810cm^-3）,高于单位绿地（980cm^-3）,远高于作为对照的商业中心（110cm^-3）;（2）在同一绿地的不同空间位置也存在明显差异,以道路绿化防护林带为例,林带中心空气中的负离子浓度高达1900cm-^-3,高于林缘（591cm^-3）和林外（120cm^-3）;（3）同一绿地保健功能随季相变化发生明显改变,在有叶期的道路绿化防护林带中心的空气负离子浓度（1900cm^-3）是落叶期相同位置空气中负离子浓度（750cm-^-3）的两倍多。空气温湿度、噪音、CO2浓度的空间和时间上的变化类似于空气负离子。本研究获得的数据支持了城市绿地保健功能理论,可为合理设计城市绿地增强其保健功能提供依据。