基于国内实测燃煤电厂烟气汞排放估算的不确定度

参照测量不确定度评定与表示的国家技术规范,基于近年来我国燃煤电厂常规污控设备协同脱汞的现场测试数据(文献报道和实测值)及各省原煤w(汞)的实测值,初步构建了国内燃煤电厂烟气汞排放不确定度的计算方法,并以2010年的燃煤量、污控方式布局为基础,计算了该年度汞排放的不确定度. 结果表明:2010年我国燃煤电厂烟气汞排放的总不确定度为48.8t,占平均排放总量的34.3%;其中60.2%源于污控设备脱汞效率的不确定度,39.8%源于原煤w(汞)的不确定度;采用ESP(静电除尘)、ESP+WFGD(静电除尘+湿法脱硫)、SCR+ESP+WFGD(选择性催化还原脱硝+静电除尘+湿法脱硫)和FF(袋式除尘)大气污控组合的机组各存在6.0、32.2、9.7和0.9t的烟气汞排放不确定度,分别占各对应机组烟气汞排放量的19.3%、32.8%、84.6%和53.6%,其中SCR+ESP+WFGD污控组合烟气汞排放的相对不确定度最大. 随着我国烟气脱硝工作全面推行,2015年以后,SCR+ESP+WFGD污控措施(组合)的机组所占比例将会提高到66%以上,如果仍以现有数据为基础,则来自SCR+ESP+WFGD污控措施(组合)机组的烟气汞排放不确定度将会大幅增加,因此急需增加对该类装置脱汞效率的实测样本数量.      

大气PM_（2.5）在线监测仪对SO_4~（2-）、NO_3~-和NH_4~＋的测定评价

通过两套大气细颗粒物（PM2.5）水溶性离子在线监测仪与蜂巢式固气分离器膜采样系统作对比,评估了在线监测仪器对主要水溶性组分SO24-、NO3-和NH4＋的测定结果.美国URG公司生产的在线连续监测分析系统（AIM URG-9000B）对NH4＋和NO3-的监测结果较好,但对SO24-的测定结果存在明显高估,其原因是AIM的平板溶蚀器系统无法完全去除大气中高浓度SO2,从而对SO24-的测定结果有干扰.为解决这一问题,进行了一系列实验,结果表明采用两个溶蚀器串联并用5 mmol.L-1H2O2＋5 mmol.L-1NaOH混合溶液作吸收液时,高浓度的SO2（甚至达到260μg.m-3）可以被完全吸收而对SO24-的测定结果不产生影响.由荷兰能源研究所（ECN）、Metrohm和Applikon共同研制的在线气体组分及气溶胶监测系统（MARGA,ADI2080）对NH4＋和SO24-的监测结果较好,可以满足实验要求;但NO3-的测定结果偏高,其准确性需作进一步评估.新型监测仪器在不同大气环境中投入使用前需进行对比测试,以确定其准确性和精确性.     

石家庄地区雾霾天气下云滴和云凝结核的分布特征

2009年5~10月在石家庄地区对雾霾天气下的近地面到高空的云雾滴和云凝结核(CCN)进行了7架次飞机探测.利用PMS云粒子测量仪器、机载温湿仪和连续气流纵向热梯度云凝结核仪获得的云雾粒子和云凝结核(CCN)探测资料,分析了层积云(Sc)和高积云(Ac)中云粒子浓度、液态含水量、粒子算术平均直径和粒子有效平均直径的垂直分布特征;分析了CCN垂直和水平分布特征以及谱分布.结果表明雾霾天气状况下,云滴数浓度在102个/cm3量级上.高云粒子粒径总体大于低云粒子.云含水量平均值范围为0.03~0.14g/m3;地面到600 m高度内, CCN值的平均值为3034cm-3(过饱和度S=0.3%).对CCN的活化谱进行拟合表明石家庄属于典型大陆性核谱,云对CCN有消耗作用,逆温层的存在使得该区CCN浓度累积增加.     

Simulation of Reflected and Scattered Laser Radiation for Designing Laser Shields

This paper presents a computer simulation of reflected and scattered laser radiation for calculating the angle of laser shields performed with the Laser Shield Solver computer program. The authors describe a method of calculating the shield angle for laser shields which protect workers against reflected and scattered laser radiation and which are made from different materials. The main assumptions of the program, which calculates and simulates reflected laser radiation from any material and which can be used for designing shield angles, are presented. Calculations are compared with measurements of reflected laser radiation. The results for one type of laser and different materials which interacted with a laser beam showed that the Laser Shield Solver was an appropriate tool for designing laser shields and its simulations of reflected laser radiation distribution have practical use.     

Risk Factors to Musculoskeletal Disorders and Anthropometric Measurements of Filipino Manufacturing Workers

This study looked into the risk factors to musculoskeletal disorders and established anthropometric measurements of Filipino workers in 29 manufacturing industries. Anthropometric measurements of 1,805 workers were taken, and 495 workers were surveyed. Limitation of motion was found in 0.8% of the respondents, affectation in activities of daily living was seen in 1.6% and 3.2% felt discomfort in the head and neck. Upper trunk and low back pain was experienced by 23.8%. Odds ratio results (p = .05) showed that it is 29 times likely for workers to develop low back pain when they stand for 2-8 hrs a day than when they sit all the time. Anthropometry can be used for the design ofworkstations and work furniture.     

The influence of the operational environment on the efficiency of water utilities

Adjusting for the operational environment in studies of performance measurement is very important, otherwise the analysis may lead to unrealistic scores, especially when its influence on costs is high, such as in the water utilities. In this paper, we study the influence of exogenous variables on the water utilities performance by applying conditional efficiency measures based on the order-m method and its probabilistic formulation. We use a sample of 66 water utilities operating between 2002 and 2008, representing about 70% of the Portuguese population. Our research suggests that inefficiency of Portuguese water utilities is substantial for some utilities: several exogenous variables might influence it considerably. For example, regulation has a positive influence on efficiency but when drinking water supply and wastewater services are provided by the same utility or when the wholesale and retail activities are provided together, the performance is lower. The effect of ownership is inconclusive and the variables residential customers, water source, peak factor, and density of customers have a mixed influence on performance which varies according to their scores.     

Designing a mixed performance measurement system for environmental supply chain management using evolutionary game theory and balanced scorecard: A case study of an auto industry supply chain

This paper proposes a mixed performance measurement system using a combination of evolutionary game theory and the balanced scorecard (BSC) in environmental supply chain management (ESCM) that measures and evaluates business operations using the four different perspectives of finance, customer, internal business process, and learning and growth. ESCM plays an important role in the supply chain which leads to the reduction, reuse and recycling of resources involved in both upstream and downstream activities. This paper presents guidance for practical managers in evaluating and measuring ESCM by developing a knowledge-based BSC and evolutionary game theory. The primary purpose of this paper is to apply the proposed method in a case study to one of Iran's biggest auto industry supply chain SAIPA Company. The results of this study indicate that the adoption of ESCM, in the absence of regulatory pressures and cost-saving measures is triggered by public pressures and its implementation is limited by organizational factors and strategic myopia.     

On-road and simulated driving: concurrent and discriminant validation

Introduction

A converging pair of studies investigated the validity of a simulator for measuring driving performance/skill.

Study 1

A concurrent validity study compared novice driver performance during an on-road driving test with their performance on a comparable simulated driving test.

Results

Results showed a reasonable degree of concordance in terms of the distribution of driving errors on-road and errors on the simulator. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between the two when driver performance was rank ordered according to errors, further establishing the relative validity of the simulator. However, specific driving errors on the two tasks were not closely related suggesting that absolute validity could not be established and that overall performance is needed to establish the level of skill.

Study 2

A discriminant validity study compared driving performance on the simulator across three groups of drivers who differ in their level of experience - a group of true beginners who had no driving experience, a group of novice drivers who had completed driver education and had a learner's permit, and a group of fully licensed, experienced drivers.

Results

The findings showed significant differences among the groups in the expected direction -- the various measures of driving errors showed that beginners performed worse than novice drivers and that experienced drivers had the fewest errors. Collectively, the results of the concurrent and discriminant validity studies support the use of the simulator as a valid measure of driving performance for research purposes.

Impact on industry

These findings support the use of a driving simulator as a valid measure of driving performance for research purposes. Future research should continue to examine validity between on-road driving performance and performance on a driving simulator and the use of simulated driving tests in the evaluation of driver education/training programs.     

Aging of PVDF and PES ultrafiltration membranes by sodium hypochlorite: Effect of solution pH

Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) is a commonly applied cleaning agent for ultrafiltration membranes in water and wastewater treatment. Long-term exposure to NaClO might change the properties and performance of polymeric membranes, and ultimately shorten membrane lifespan. Active species in NaClO solution vary with solution pH, and the aging effects can change depending on the membrane material. In this study, the aging of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyethersulfone (PES) membranes by NaClO at pH 3–11 was investigated by examining variations in chemical composition, surface charge, surface morphology, mechanical strength, permeability, and retention ability. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), which was blended in both membranes, was oxidized and dislodged due to NaClO aging at all investigated pH values, but the oxidation products and dislodgement ratio of PVP varied with solution pH. For the PVDF membrane, NaClO aging at pH 3–11 caused a moderate increase in permeability and decreased retention due to the oxidation and release of PVP. The tensile strength decreased only at pH 11 because of the defluorination of PVDF molecules. For the PES membrane, NaClO aging at all investigated pH resulted in chain scission of PES molecules, which was favored at pH 7 and 9, potentially due to the formation of free radicals. Therefore, a decrease in tensile strength and retention ability, as well as an increase in permeability, occurred in the PES membrane for NaClO aging at pH 3–11. Overall, the results can provide a basis for selecting chemical cleaning conditions for PVDF and PES membranes.     

Performance assessment of NAPL remediation in heterogeneous alluvium

Over the last few years, more than 40 partitioning interwell tracer tests (PITTs) have been conducted at many different sites to measure nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) saturations in the subsurface. While the main goal of these PITTs was to estimate the NAPL volume in the subsurface, some were specifically conducted to assess the performance of remedial actions involving NAPL removal. In this paper, we present a quantitative approach to assess the performance of remedial actions to recover NAPL that can be used to assess any NAPL removal technology. It combines the use of PITTs (to estimate the NAPL volume in the swept pore volume between injection and extraction wells of a test area) with the use of several cores to determine the vertical NAPL distribution in the subsurface. We illustrate the effectiveness of such an approach by assessing the performance of a surfactant/foam flood conducted at Hill Air Force Base, UT, to remove a TCE-rich NAPL from alluvium with permeability contrasts as high as one order of magnitude. In addition, we compare the NAPL volumes determined by the PITTs with volumes estimated through geostatistical interpolation of aquifer sediment core data collected with a vertical frequency of 5-10 cm and a lateral borehole spacing of 0.15 m. We demonstrate the use of several innovations including the explicit estimation of not only the errors associated with NAPL volumes and saturations derived from PITTs but also the heterogeneity of the aquifer sediments based upon permeability estimates. Most importantly, we demonstrate the reliability of the