Role of Bio-Energy Plantations for Carbon-Dioxide Mitigation with Special Reference to India

Fuelwood plays an important role in the rural economy of the developing countries of Asia and Africa. Optimizing energy fixation in forest trees through high density energy plantations (HDEP), gasification of wood, and conversion of forest tree biomass, are some of the potential areas whereby additional research and development input for efficient management of atmospheric carbon in our energy system can be incorporated. For example, the photosynthetic efficiency of forest trees is rarely above 0.5%, which on the basis of theoretical considerations can be increased by up to 6.6%. Thus there is an ample scope to improve the efficiency up to 1%, which amounts to doubling of the productivity of the forests. Recent policy changes and experiences with wood-based bio-energy programmes in several countries indicate that woodfuels may become increasingly attractive as industrial energy sources. Use of biodiesel and the formulation of a project for undertaking 13.4 million ha of Jatropha plantations in India highlight the seriousness with which the Government of India is promoting carbon neutral energy plantations. The cost of establishment of plantations primarily for fuel production and its conversion to energy are major deterrents in this pursuit. Some of the issues in developing countries, like low productivity on marginal lands, degraded forest lands, and unorganized units for biomass energy conversion, result in cost escalation as compared to other energy sources. This paper revisits the scope for raising energy plantations, a comparison of the direct and indirect mitigation potential uses of plantations as an adaptation strategy through reforestation and afforestation projects for climate change mitigation and socio-economic issues to make this venture feasible in developing countries.     

Production,engine performance,combustion, emission characteristics and economic feasibility of biodiesel from waste cooking oil: A review

The depletion of fossil fuel reserves and increasing demands for diesel are considered to be important triggers for many of the initiatives that have been taken to search for possible sources for the production of biodiesel from materials available within the country. It is possible to produce biodiesel from waste/used cooking oils (WCO) that is comparable in quality to that of fresh vegetable oil. Not only does reuse of WCO, which can otherwise harm human health, reduce the burden on the government of treating oily wastewater, disposing of the waste, and maintaining public sewers, it also significantly lowers the production cost of biodiesel. In the process of frying, oil undergoes many reactions, leading to the formation of a number of undesirable compounds, such as polymers, free fatty acids, and many other chemicals. This poses challenges in the transesterification of WCO. This article covers different techniques in the production of biodiesel from WCO. It also compares combustion, emissions, and engine performance characteristics of biodiesel from WCO as well as factors affecting biodiesel production from WCO and its economic feasibility.     

Emissions of intermediate volatility organic compound from waste cooking oil biodiesel and marine gas oil on a ship auxiliary engine

Ship auxiliary engines contribute large amounts of air pollutants when at berth.Biodiesel,including that from waste cooking oil(WCO),can favor a reduction in the emission of primary pollutant when used with internal combustion engines.This study investigated the emissions of gaseous intermediate-volatile organic compounds(IVOCs) between WCO biodiesel and marine gas oil(MGO) to further understand the differences in secondary organic aerosol(SOA) production of exhausts.Results revealed that WCO exhaust exhibited similar IVOC composition and volatility distribution to MGO exhaust,despite the differences between fuel contents.While WCO biodiesel could reduce IVOC emissions by 50% as compared to MGO,and thus reduced the SOA production from IVOCs.The compositions and volatility distributions of exhaust IVOCs varied to those of their fuels,implying that fuel-component-based SOA predicting model should be used with more cautions when assessing SOA production of WCO and MGO exhausts.WCO biodiesel is a cleaner fuel comparing to conventional MGO on ship auxiliary engines with regard to the reductions in gaseous IVOC emissions and corresponding SOA productions.Although the tests were conducted on test bench,the results could be considered as representative due to the widely applications of the test engine and MGO fuel on real-world ships.     

DOC对柴油机燃用生物柴油颗粒物微观形貌及SOF组分的影响

为研究氧化催化转化器（DOC）对柴油机燃用调合生物柴油（B0,B20）后排放颗粒物微观形貌及可溶性有机组分（SOF）的影响规律,对DOC作用前后的排气颗粒物进行采样,利用透射电镜（TEM）和气相色谱-质谱仪（GC-MS）开展颗粒物理化特性研究.结果表明：未加装DOC时,与B0相比,B20排放颗粒物基本碳粒子粒径减小,分形维数增加,团聚堆积现象加剧;SOF组分中的脂类和酸类物质质量分数增加,烷烃类、芳香烃和酚类物质质量分数减少,C26~C35的质量分数降低.加装DOC后,B0和B20排气颗粒物团簇程度降低,分形维数降幅分别为10.1%和15.5%;SOF组分中芳香烃类和酚类物质质量分数增加,烷烃类、脂类、酸类质量分数减小,C15~C25质量分数下降;B0排放颗粒物SOF中C26~C35质量分数降低41.4%,而B20增加865.8%.     

Accumulation of anticoagulant rodenticides in a non-target insectivore, the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

Studies on exposure of non-targets to anticoagulant rodenticides have largely focussed on predatory birds and mammals; insectivores have rarely been studied. We investigated the exposure of 120 European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) from throughout Britain to first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs and SGARs) using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC) and liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). The proportion of hedgehogs with liver SGAR concentrations detected by HPLC was 3-13% per compound, 23% overall. LCMS identified much higher prevalence for difenacoum and bromadiolone, mainly because of greater ability to detect low-level contamination. The overall proportion of hedgehogs with LCMS-detected residues was 57.5% (SGARs alone) and 66.7% (FGARs and SGARs combined); 27 (22.5%) hedgehogs contained >1 rodenticide. Exposure of insectivores and predators to anticoagulant rodenticides appears to be similar. The greater sensitivity of LCMS suggests that hitherto exposure of non-targets is likely to have been under-estimated using HPLC techniques.     

催化型连续再生颗粒捕集器对生物柴油发动机排放颗粒理化特性的影响

以某重型柴油机为原机,研究氧化催化转化器(Diesel Oxidation Catalyst,简称"DOC")与催化型颗粒捕集器(Catalyzed Diesel Particulate Filter,简称"CDPF")结合而成的催化型连续再生颗粒捕集器(Catalyzed Continuously Regeneration Trap,简称"CCRT")对燃用B20混合燃料柴油机颗粒排放理化特性的影响.试验结果表明:生物柴油发动机安装CCRT装置后排放的颗粒质量和数量均显著低于原机.CCRT装置对不同粒径颗粒的捕集效率不同,对聚集态颗粒的捕集效果略优于核态颗粒.与原机相比,安装CCRT后PAHs总排放量下降,在检测到的20种PAHs中有17种排放量减少.按环数比较,原机及安装CCRT装置后PAHs均以三环和四环为主.CCRT装置的安装使生物柴油发动机排放颗粒中化学成分毒性降低.     

Safety Evaluation for a Biodiesel Process Using Prion-Contaminated Animal Fat as a Source (6 pp)

Background Due to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), specified risk material (SRM) as well as animal meat and bone meal (MBM) are banned from the food and feed chain because of a possible infection with pathogenic prions (PrPSc). Nowadays, prions are widely accepted to be responsible for TSE(transmissible spongiform encephalopathies)-caused illnesses like BSE and scrapie, and especially for the occurrence of the new variant of CJD in humans. Presently, SRM and MBM are burnt under high temperatures to avoid any hazards for humans, animals or the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate a method using animal fat separated from Category I material which includes SRM and the carcasses of TSE-infected animals, or animals suspected of being infected with TSE, as a source for producing biodiesel by transesterification, analogous to the biodiesel process using vegetable oil. Methods For this purpose, animal fat was spiked with scrapie-infected hamster brain equivalents – as representative for a TSE-infected animal – and the biodiesel manufacturing process was downscaled and performed under lab-scale conditions. Results and Discussion The results analysed by Western blotting showed clearly that almost each single step of the process leads to a significant reduction of the concentration of the pathogenic prion protein (PrPSc) in the main and side-products. Conclusion The data revealed that the biodiesel production, even from material with a high concentration of pathogenic prions, can be considered as safe. Recommendations and Outlook The obtained results indicated that biodiesel produced from prion-contaminated fat was safe under the tested process conditions. However, it has to be pointed out that the results cannot be generalized because a different process control using other conditions may lead to different results and then has to be analysed independently. It is clear that the production of biodiesel from high risk material represents a more economic usage than the combustion of such material.     

Potential biodiesel-producing microalgae: two new strains of Amphikrikos sp.

BH32 and BH43 were isolated and identified as Amphikrikos sp. based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic trees. They shared the same 18S rRNA sequences, but possessed different amounts of introns in their 18S rDNAs. The specific growth rate, cellular component and fatty acid profile under different growth stages have been surveyed. Their main fatty acids were found to be C16 and C18 groups. Our results indicated that both of them could be taken as excellent candidates of biodiesel. Moreover, the intra-genus polymorphism of 18S rDNA caused by intron presence/absence can provide valuable information for the study of intron evolution.     

Emission and Performance Characteristics of a 2 Litre Toyota Diesel Van Operating on Esterified Waste Cooking Oil and Mineral Diesel Fuel

Exhaust emission and performance characteristics were evaluated in a Toyota van, powered by a 21 indirect injection (IDI) naturally aspirated diesel engine, operating on vegetable based waste cooking oil methyl ester (WCOME).Tests were performed on a chassis dynamometer and the data were compared with previous results conducted on the same vehicle using mineral diesel fuel. The data obtained includes smoke opacity, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), oxygen (O₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), nitric oxide (NO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and brake power. Engine lubricating oil samples were also taken. Results from this study indicated a difference of approximately 9% in brake power between the two fuels. WCOME developed a significant lower smoke opacity level and reduced CO, CO₂, SO₂ emissions. However, O₂, NO₂ and NO levels were higher with the vegetable oil based fuel. Power values were comparable for both fuels. Lubricating oil analysis gave little change of viscosity and wear metal concentrations after 2887km were: Silicon 35ppm, Chromium 3.3ppm, Iron 33.8ppm, Copper 14.1ppm and lead 78.6ppm.     

生物柴油发动机颗粒排放物粒径及其分布试验研究

为获取燃用不同比例生物柴油的发动机排放颗粒物粒径及其分布特性,对1台增压直喷式车用柴油机进行了台架测试.用80 L/min定量泵和装有直径90 mm的玻纤滤膜采样器在排气管内采样10 min,用激光粒度仪测量与分析颗粒粒径和分布.结果表明,随着发动机转速提高,排放颗粒粒径变小且分布更集中.干法众数对应的粒径级较大（约10～12 μm）且较集中,湿法众数的较小（约4～10 μm）且分散.用干法分析,发动机低速时,B100的Sauter平均直径d₃₂最大,纯柴油最小,而B20的结果介于二者之间.而高速时B20的粒径最大,纯柴油次之,B100最小.中数粒径d(0.5)的结果也反映这一趋势.用湿法分析,除了2?000 r/min点外, B20的d₃₂最大,B100次之,柴油最小.湿法众数比干法分散,因而d₃₂也较大.