A preliminary analysis of the biomass energy production potential in Africa in 2025 considering projected land needs for food production

This paper provides a preliminary examination of present and projected land use in Africa to estimate the potential availability of land in 2025 for use in producing biomass energy. Fifty countries are included in the analysis. Future cropland requirements are projected on the basis of average African cereal crop yield improvements since 1972, and minimum nutritional requirements are assumed to be met in 2025 without increasing imports above present absolute levels. Cropland, natural forests and other wilderness areas are excluded from consideration for biomass energy use. Woody biomass energy yields are estimated on the basis of nationally averaged precipitation, using a yield-precipitation correlation for commercial eucalyptus plantations in Brazil. The total African bioenergy production potential in 2025 is estimated to be about 18 EJ per year for a set of baseline assumptions that includes planting only 10% of the available non-crop, non-forest, non-wilderness area with biomass energy crops. A preliminary cost assessment suggests that much of this biomass could be produced for $1–2 GJ⁻¹. A number of uncertainties in the modelling assumptions are examined through a sensitivity analysis. Despite limitations in the model used here, one robust conclusion is that Africa as a whole has a significant biophysical potential for producing biomass energy. This result suggests that more detailed country and sub-country level assessments would be worthwhile to understand better the practical prospects for future biomass energy production in Africa.     

Upgrading coal-derived liquids to diesel fuel

Distilled fractions of a coal-derived liquid from the H-Coal process were upgraded to diesel fuel by catalytic hydrotreatment. The total hydrotreated products were distilled into naphtha (<180°C) and diesel fuel fractions (>180°C) and the diesel fractions were analysed for hydrocarbon-type composition, hydrogen content and some diesel fuel properties. GC—MS-analyses were carried out on the hydrocarbon-type fractions to identify individual chemical compounds. To investigate the effect of different distillation cut points on diesel fuel yield and properties, cut points for one hydrotreated product were varied. The diesel fuel cetane numbers were correlated with percentage hydrogen, total aromatics and saturates. Cetane numbers above 40 were obtained for diesel fuels containing (i) more than 75% saturates, (ii) less than 15% total aromatics and (iii) a hydrogen content above 12.8%. Compounds identified by GC—MS-analyses (in the diesel fractions) were typical aromatic and cycloparaffin compounds. Normal-and iso-paraffin compounds were not detected. By varying the distillation cut point from 135 to 180°C, the cetane number of the residual diesel fraction improved from 37 to 44. This increase is ascribed to the removal of aromatic compounds in the 135–180°C boiling point range.     

Environmental Effects of Hydro-Electric Power Generation in Africa and the Potential for Artificial Floods

Electricity is a fundamental requirement for economic growth, and hydro-electric power is often thought to be environmentally benign. However, the construction and operation of many hydro-power dams in Africa have had significant negative impacts on the environment and rural economies. Reduced downstream flooding has destroyed fisheries and starved the floodplain soils of moisture and nutrients. Often the worst-affected areas have no electrification and therefore do not benefit from power generation. New dams which are planned in Kenya and Tanzania have been specifically designed to make flood releases. This will allow electricity to be generated whilst maintaining a dynamic flooding pattern for the short-term economic importance of fisheries and agriculture and the longer-term importance of soil fertility and biodiversity. Involvement of local community representatives in deciding when flood waters should be released on the Phongolo River in South Africa has resulted in substantial benefits to floodplain users.     

浅谈不同时期南非政府办公建筑的发展特征

南非的社会发展经历了殖民主义统治时期，种族主义统治时期和民主政府统治时期3个历史阶段。社会体制的变化深深影响了南非建筑的发展。尤其体现在政府办公建筑的形式上，本文按照历史发展的顺序，通过列举实例的方式，分别对这3个时期政府办公建筑的风格与布局牲进行了的探讨。     

Phosphorus seed coating increases phosphorus uptake,early growth and yield of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) grown on an acid sandy soil in Niger,West Africa

In pot and field experiments conducted in 1990 and 1991 on an acid sandy, phosphorus (P) deficient soil in Niger, West Africa, the effect of seed coating on seedling emergence, early growth and grain yield of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) was studied. Seeds of pearl millet were coated with different rates (0; 0.5; 1.0; 2.0; 5.0; 10.0 mg P seed^–1) and types of P fertilizers (single superphosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate; monocalcium phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate and sodium triphosphate). Seedling emergence was generally reduced at coating rates higher than 0.5 mg P seed^–1 and prevented with single superphosphate and sodium triphosphate at rates higher than 5 mg P seed^–1. No correlation was found between the pH and osmomolity of the coatings and final emergence of millet seedlings. The most favourable effect on plant growth and P content was achieved with ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (AHP) as seed coating. This was attributed to the enhancement effect of ammonium on P uptake. Compared to the untreated control dry matter production at 20 days after planting (DAP) was increased by 280%, P content per plant by 330%, total biomass at maturity by 30% and grain yield by 45%. Although seed coating with AHP may be harmful to seedlings emergence, it represents a suitable method to enhance early growth and increase yield of pearl millet.     

闽南红砖在现代室内空间中的表征与应用

从泉州所用闽南红砖的地方性表征与建筑的在地文化,浅谈红砖文化在室内空间设计中的可创造性和可复制性.文章从室内运用现状和材料特性方面探讨闽南红砖材质与尺寸在室内空间设计中的构成法则.     

Water quality in the southern Tibetan Plateau: chemical evaluation of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra)

Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) is the largest river system draining the northern slopes of the Himalayan ranges on the southern Tibetan Plateau. It remains one of only two large non‐regulated rivers in China. In this paper the chemical composition of Yarlung Tsangpo and its major tributaries (Raga Tsangpo, Nyangchu and Lhasa River) are studied. Water samples (n = 55) were collected and measured for major ions, trace elements and nutrients in order to: (1) define the present chemical quality of this water course; (2) address possible mechanisms governing the water chemical compositions, and (3) identify potential sources for contaminants. Multivariable analysis shows that geology and climate are the major explanatory variables for the spatial variation in water chemistry in this river system. In general, water chemistry is mainly controlled by carbonate weathering, with Ca²⁺ and HCO being the dominant ions. In addition, runoff from brackish/saline lakes and geothermal waters, enriched in Na⁺, Cl^?, SO, Mg²⁺ and Li, are major contributors of elevated concentrations of these solutes in the headwater regions resulting in a relatively high loading of total dissolved solids (TDS, 146–397 mg L^?1). Levels of most heavy metals and total dissolved nutrients were generally found to be low. However, elevated As concentration (avg. 95 μg L^?1) in the headwaters and additions from untreated wastewater were evident at some locations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A bibliography of applications of operational research in West Africa

There is considerable interest in the potential for using operational research (O.R.) in developing countries. One sign of this is the formation of new societies for O.R. scientists in countries and regions where no such society had existed. Since 2003, such societies have been formed in several parts of Africa. This paper focuses on West Africa, and presents a bibliography of papers relating to applications of O.R. in the nations of this part of the continent. The paper describes the way in which the bibliography was collated and discusses the overall picture that the list of papers presents of the state of O.R. in the 18 countries that are considered.