Effects of charge temperature and exhaust gas re-circulation on combustion and emission characteristics of an acetylene fuelled HCCI engine

In this work, experiments were conducted on a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine with acetylene as the sole fuel at different power outputs. Initially, the intake air was heated to different temperatures in order to determine the optimum level at every output. Charge temperatures needed were in the range of 40-110 °C from no load to a BMEP (Brake Mean Effective Pressure) of 4 bar. Subsequently, exhaust gas re-circulation (EGR) was done at the identified charge temperatures and brake thermal efficiency was found to improve. At high BMEPs, use of EGR led to knocking. Thus, fine control over charge temperature and EGR quantity is needed at these conditions. Nitric oxide and smoke levels were very low. However, HC levels were high at about 1700-2700 ppm. Brake thermal efficiencies were comparable to or even better than the compression ignition mode of operation.     

Characterization of PA-12 specimens fabricated by projection sintering at various sintering parameters

Large area projection sintering (LAPS) promises to be a new method in the field of additive manufacturing. Developed in the Mechanical Engineering Department, University of South Florida, LAPS uses long exposure times over a broad area of powder to fuse into dense, reproducible materials. In contrast, LS, a common powder-based additive manufacturing, uses a focused beam of light scanned quickly over the material. Local regions of concentrated high-energy bursts of light lead to higher peak temperatures and differing cooling dynamics and overall crystallinity. The mechanical properties of laser sintered specimens suffer because of uneven particle fusion. LAPS offers the capacity to fine-tune fusion properties through enhanced thermodynamic control of the heating and cooling profiles for sintering. Further research is required to identify the relationship between LAPS build settings and part properties to enable the fabrication of custom parts with desired properties. This study examines the influence of LAPS sintering parameters on chemical structures, crystallinity, mechanical, and thermal properties of polyamide-12 specimens using powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, small-angle X-ray scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and microhardness testing. It was observed that higher crystallinity was imparted to specimens that were sintered for a shorter time and vice versa.     

Agricultural best management practices for Conesus Lake: The role of extension and soil/water conservation districts

Small sub-watersheds of the Conesus Lake catchment were the site of a project evaluating the ability of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) to maintain soil and nutrients on the landscape and to reduce the impact of agriculture on downstream aquatic systems. Local agricultural agencies, with participation of local farmers, joined with scientists to focus attention on watershed issues, to develop and foster a sense of stewardship among the farming community, and to assist and coordinate collaboration among academic researchers, governing bodies, and the agricultural community. Cornell Cooperative Extension served as a liaison and as a resource and assisted in the development and implementation of voluntary BMPs in selected sub-watersheds of Conesus Lake. We discuss our approach to working with producers, the selection of watersheds for management, and our decision-making process for implementation of BMPs. Decisions to establish traditional structural and nonstructural management practices on sub-watersheds of Conesus Lake were based on field assessments, soil testing, the Phosphorus Index, and the software package Cornell Cropware. For example, the use of soil testing and the Cornell Cropware software allowed the cooperating farms to apply fertilizer only as needed for optimum crop production. Farmers achieved cost savings because previous plans had not given enough credit to soil reserves, manure, and sod crop nutrients. Low-cost voluntary practices based on well-established agricultural management practices have been combined with cost-shared (structural) practices in Conesus Lake watersheds to mitigate the impact of agricultural runoff on water quality and to improve cost efficiency of agricultural operations.     

Chemical looping gasification of solid fuels using bimetallic oxygen carrier particles – Feasibility assessment and process simulations

The chemical looping gasification (CLG) process utilizes an iron-based oxygen carrier to convert carbonaceous fuels into hydrogen and electricity while capturing CO₂. Although the process has the potential to be efficient and environmentally friendly, the activity of the iron-based oxygen carrier is relatively low, especially for solid fuel conversion. In the present study, we propose to incorporate a secondary oxygen carrying metal oxide, i.e. CuO, to the iron-based oxygen carrier. Using the “oxygen-uncoupling” characteristics of CuO, gaseous oxygen is released at a high temperature to promote the conversion of both Fe₂O₃ and coal. Experiments carried out using a Thermal-Gravimetric Analyzer (TGA) indicate that a bimetallic oxygen carrier consisting of a small amount (5% by weight) of CuO is more effective for coal char conversion when compared to oxygen carrier without copper addition. ASPEN Plus^® simulations and mathematical modeling of the process indicate that the incorporation of a small amount of copper leads to increased hydrogen yield and process efficiency.     

Relationships Between Satellite Observed Lit Area and Water Footprints

Global water resources are vulnerable to depletion due to the increasing demand of an ever-increasing human population. A country’s water footprint is a measure of the total volume of water needed to produce the goods and services consumed by the country, including water originating beyond its own borders. The water footprint can be a critical indicator of global water resource use, but its practical application is hindered by a lack of comparable data across national boundaries. The purpose of this article is to test the applicability of the nighttime imagery products produced by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) for the assessment of the global water footprint. To accomplish this purpose, the average areal extent of nighttime lighting (lit area) is calculated from 1997 to 2001. Next, lit area is regressed on the total water footprint for each country, as indicated by the Water Footprint Network (WFN), to estimate that country’s total water footprint using nighttime imagery. Model residuals are analyzed at the national scale to understand the appropriateness of nighttime imagery for assessing water consumption. Results indicate strong positive correlations between lit area and total water footprint (TWF), domestic water withdrawal (DWW), and industrial water consumption (IWC) at the national scale. Overall, the analyses reveal that the rate of agricultural water consumption to total water footprint (AWCR) and population density can affect the precision of estimates when lit area is selected as a proxy to estimate water footprints.     

Synergies of scale: A vision of Mongolia and China's common energy future

Energy consumption in China is expected to double over the next 20 years. Addressing the enormous scale of China's energy need and attendant increases in greenhouse gas emissions requires dramatic and rapid rollout of renewable energy technologies. Mongolia has some of the world's best renewable energy resources but the scale of its market cannot tap them efficiently. Developing Mongolia into a significant exporter of renewable energy to China will create synergies of scale moving both countries towards their energy goals, creating jobs, and fostering growth while significantly reducing GHG emissions in the region.     

Increased biogas production in a wastewater treatment plant by anaerobic co-digestion of fruit and vegetable waste and sewer sludge - a full scale study

Anaerobic digestion is a well established technology for the reduction of organic matter and stabilization of wastewater. Biogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, is produced as a useful by-product of the process. Current solid waste management at the city of Prince George is focused on disposal of waste and not on energy recovery. Co-digestion of fresh fruit and vegetable waste with sewer sludge can improve biogas yield by increasing the load of biodegradable material. A six week full-scale project co-digesting almost 15,000 kg of supermarket waste was completed. Average daily biogas production was found to be significantly higher than in previous years. Digester operation remained stable over the course of the study as indicated by the consistently low volatile acids-to-alkalinity ratio. Undigested organic material was visible in centrifuged sludge suggesting that the waste should have been added to the primary digester to prevent short circuiting and to increase the hydraulic retention time of the freshly added waste.     

Application of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool for six watersheds of Lake Erie: Model parameterization and calibration

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a physically-based watershed-scale model, holds promise as a means to predict tributary sediment and nutrient loads to the Laurentian Great Lakes. In the present study, model performance is compared across six watersheds draining into Lake Erie to determine the applicability of SWAT to watersheds of differing characteristics. After initial model parameterization, the Huron, Raisin, Maumee, Sandusky, Cuyahoga, and Grand SWAT models were calibrated (1998-2001) and confirmed, or validated (2002-2005), individually for stream water discharge, sediment loads, and nutrient loads (total P, soluble reactive P, total N, and nitrate) based on available datasets. SWAT effectively predicted hydrology and sediments across a range of watershed characteristics. SWAT estimation of nutrient loads was weaker although still satisfactory at least two-thirds of the time across all nutrient parameters and watersheds. SWAT model performance was most satisfactory in agricultural and forested watersheds, and was less so in urbanized settings. Model performance was influenced by the availability of observational data with high sampling frequency and long duration for calibration and confirmation evaluation. In some instances, it appeared that parameter adjustments that improved calibration of hydrology negatively affected subsequent sediment and nutrient calibration, suggesting trade-offs in calibrating for hydrologic vs. water quality model performance. Despite these considerations, SWAT accurately predicted average stream discharge, sediment loads, and nutrient loads for the Raisin, Maumee, Sandusky, and Grand watersheds such that future use of these SWAT models for various scenario testing is reasonable and warranted.     

Physicochemical,crystallinity, pasting and thermal properties of heat‐moisture‐treated pinhão starch

The effect of heat‐moisture treatment (HMT) on the properties of pinhão starches under different moisture and heat conditions was investigated. The starches were adjusted to 15, 20 and 25% moisture levels and heated to 100, 110 and 120°C for 1 h. The X‐ray diffractograms, swelling power, solubility, gel hardness, pasting properties and thermal properties of the native and HMT pinhão starches were evaluated. Compared to native starch, there was an increase in the X‐ray intensity and gel hardness of HMT starches, with the exception of the 25% moisture‐treated and 120°C heat‐treated starch. HMT reduced the swelling power and solubility of the pinhão starches when compared to native starch. There was an increase in the pasting temperature, final viscosity and setback and a decrease in the peak viscosity and breakdown of HMT pinhão starches compared to native starch. HMT increases the gelatinisation temperature of native pinhão starch and reduces gelatinisation enthalpy.