Multiple regression models for the lower heating value of municipal solid waste in Taiwan

A multiple regression analysis was used to develop two predictive models of lower heating value (LHV) for municipal solid waste (MSW), using 180 samples gathered from cities and counties in Taiwan during 2001-2002. These models are referred to as the original proposed model (OPM) and the simplified model (SM). The coefficients of multiple determinations for the OPM and SM were 0.983 and 0.975, respectively. To verify the feasibility of the models, a demonstration program based on sampling of MSW in Kaohsiung City was conducted. As a result, the OPM showed superior precision in terms of relative percentage deviation (RPD) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), when compared to the conventional models based on the proximate analysis, physical composition and ultimate analysis. The SM was derived by neglecting the three minor physical components used in the OPM. The resulting SM was less precise when compared to the OPM, but it was still acceptable, with a precision level better than the conventional models. It was concluded that the predictability of empirical models could be improved significantly through selection of the appropriate physical components and multiple regression analysis.     

Mitigation of CO2 Emissions from the EU-15 Building Stock. Beyond the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (9 pp)

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Goal Scope and Background. The European Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings which came into force 16 December 2002 will be implemented in the legislation of Member States by 4 January 2006. In addition to the aim of improving the overall energy efficiency of new buildings, large existing buildings will become a target for improvement, as soon as they undergo significant renovation. The building sector is responsible for about 40% of Europe's total end energy consumption and hence this Directive is an important step for the European Union in order that it should reach the level of saving required by the Kyoto Agreement. In this the EU is committed to reduce CO2 emissions relative to the base year of 1990 by 8 per cent, by 2010. But what will be the impact of the new Directive, how large could be the impacts of extending the obligation for energy efficiency retrofitting towards smaller buildings? Can improvement of the insulation offset or reduce the growing energy consumption from the increasing installation of cooling installations? EURIMA, the European Insulation Manufacturers Association and EuroACE, the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings, asked Ecofys to address these questions.

Methods

The effect of the EPB Directive on the emissions associated with the heating energy consumption of the total EU 15 building stock has been examined in a model calculation, using the Built Environment Analysis Model (BEAM), which was developed by Ecofys to investigate energy saving measures in the building stock. The great complexity of the EU-15 building stock had to be simplified by examining five standard buildings with eight insulation standards, which are assigned to building age and renovation status. Furthermore, three climatic regions (cold, moderate, warm) were distinguished for the calculation of the heating energy demand. This gave a basic 210 building types for which the heating energy demand and CO2 emissions from heating were calculated according to the principles of the European Norm EN 832.

Results and Discussion

The model calculations demonstrates that the main contributor to the total heating related CO2 emissions of 725 Mt/a from the EU building stock in 2002 is the residential sector (77%) while the remaining 23% originates from non-residential buildings. In the residential sector, single-family houses represent the largest group responsible for 60% of the total CO2 emissions equivalent to 435 Mt/a.

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- The technical potential: If all retrofit measures in the scope of the Directive were realised immediately for the complete residential and non-residential building stock the overall CO2 emission savings would add up to 82 Mt/a. An additional saving potential compared to the Directive of 69 Mt/a would be created if the scope of the Directive was extended to cover retrofit measures in multi-family dwellings (200-1000m2) and non-residential buildings smaller than 1000m2 used floor space. In addition including the large group of single-family dwellings would lead to a potential for additional CO2 emission reductions compared to the Directive of 316 Mt/a.

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- Temporal mobilization of the potential: Calculations based on the building stock as it develops over time with average retrofit rates demonstrated that regulations introduced following the EPB Directive result in a CO2 emissions decrease of 34 Mt/a by the year 2010 compared to the business as usual scenario. Extending the scope of the EPB Directive to all residential buildings (including single and multi-family dwellings), the CO2 emission savings potential over the 'business as usual' scenario could be doubled to 69 Mt/a in the year 2010. This creates an additional saving potential compared to the Directive of 36 Mt/a.

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- Cooling demand: The analysis demonstrated that in warm climatic zones the cooling demand can be reduced drastically by a combination of lowering the internal heat loads and by improved insulation. With the reduction of the heat loads to a moderate level the cooling demand, e.g. of a terraced house located in Madrid, can be reduced by an additional 85% if the insulation level is improved appropriately.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that the European Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings will have a significant impact on the CO2 emissions of the European building stock. The main saving potential lies in insulation of the existing building stock. Beyond this, CO2 emissions could, however, be greatly reduced if the scope of the Directive were to be extended to include retrofit of smaller buildings.

Recommendation and Perspective

The reductions should be seen in relation to the remaining gap of 190 Mt CO2 eq. per annum between the current emission levels of EU-15 and the target under the Kyoto-Protocol for the year 2010. The energy and industrial sector will probably contribute only a fraction of this reduction via the newly established EU emissions trading scheme and connected projects under the flexible mechanism. In addition, the traffic sector is likely to continue its growth path leading to a widening of the gap. Thus, there is likely to be considerable pressure on the EU building sector to contribute to the EU climate targets beyond what will be achieved by means of the current EPB Directive. Legislators on the EU and national level are therefore advised to take accelerated actions to tap the very significant emission reduction potentials available in the EU building stock.     

Copula-Based Bivariate Return Period Analysis and Its Implication to Hydrological Design Event

In univariate frequency analysis, the return period of an event has a one-to-one correspondence with its characteristic value, and the response of the hydraulic structure to hydrological load expressed by the hydrological event is monotonic. Thus, the design criteria of the hydraulic structure can be equivalently represented by the return period of the hydrological event, and consequently, design event-based design parameters evaluated have been widely used in practical engineering. However, the monotonic correspondence between the return period of the hydrological event and the response of the hydraulic structure does not exist in the multivariate context, and hydrological load with a larger joint return period does not always produce a more unsafe response. Misunderstandings of concepts of return periods of hydrological event, and estimation of hydrological design events usually take place in multivariate frequency analysis. This study theoretically derives the relations between different types of joint return periods, joint return period and its marginal return periods, the occurrence of bivariate extreme events and their return periods, and then the theoretical framework is tested. Results from the case contribute to the understanding of bivariate return periods of hydrological event, and the results demonstrate that design criteria cannot be equivalently represented by joint return periods of hydrological load, and design parameters of the hydraulic structure should not be determined by multivariate hydrological design events.     

人机操作界面中有或无外部反应对后继作业的干扰作用

实验结果提示：在高速复杂人机系统操作界面的优化设计中,有或无外部反应都不能消除对后继作业的瓶颈干扰。但是,有外部反应比无外部反应,对后继作业的瓶颈干扰更大;无外部反应降低了瓶颈的干扰强度,从而显示出提高了被交叠作业绩效的趋向。另外,降低反应选择复杂度可有效提高被交叠作业的绩效     

DDS系列煤炭自燃阻化剂实验研究

为寻找高效阻化剂以防止煤炭自热引燃，在控温炉中对ＤＤＳ系列煤自燃阻化剂的阻化效果进行了实验研究，并与经前的阻化剂做了比较。实验采用烟煤作为试样，借助于著名的Ｆｒａｎｋ－Ｋａｍｅｎｅｔｓｋｉｉ模型，利用４，６，８和１０厘米立方体阻化煤磁地６０－２２０℃温度范围估测其氧化反应的活化能。     

长江中游致洪暴雨天气气候特征

本文从建国以来长江中游地区发生的所有暴雨事件中选出四个典型年，并从这些典型年的暴雨个例中得出暴雨和大暴雨和大暴雨的分布范围和暴雨特征，由此而造成的特大洪水情况，以及洪涝灾害对国民经济的影响。最后应用天气归纳方法分析了暴雨的大尺度环流背景。     

乌鲁木齐市供热现状调查分析

通过调查，分析了供热方式与环境质量的关系，比对了集中供热与分散供热环境效益和经济效益。到本世纪末可实现供热规化后，使城市热化率达到２０％。市内大气环境质量将有较大改善。     

采空区遗煤自燃过程及其规律的数值模拟研究

基于非均质多孔介质中的连续性方程、多相气体渗流———扩散方程和综合传热方程,建立了工作面动态推进下的采空区自燃数值模型。结合实例,从理论上描绘了工作面开采过程中采空区的漏风流态、氧、CO、瓦斯和温度等分布状态及其动态过程。计算中考虑了瓦斯涌出对自燃的耦合作用;工作面动态推进对自燃的影响,以及沿边界冒落非压实性对漏风供氧、自燃高温区产生的影响。从理论上重点讨论了采空区自燃与各因素的定量化关系,得出自然发火期与煤氧化速度、工作面风量二者均呈显著的反比例关系;对于综放工作面采场漏风供氧系统,自然发火期主要取决于煤的耗氧能力,提高工作面风量仅能扩大自燃高温区的范围,增大自燃的发生几率;提高推进度能显著延长采空区自然发火期,呈指数变化。     

集中供热-缓解乌鲁木齐大气污染的有效途径

针对乌鲁木齐大气污染的现状,重点介绍了集中供热在治理城市大气污染中发挥的重要作用,阐明了推广热电联产、集中供热以及清洁能源对改善乌鲁木齐市空气环境质量的重要意义.指出在现阶段发展集中供热工程,仍将是缓解和改善乌鲁木齐大气污染的有效途径之一.