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The sustainability of the second-generation biofuels requests to confirm that the energy produced from lignocellulosic biomass is significantly greater than the energy consumed in the process. As lignocellulosic biomass does not affect the food supply, sugarcane bagasse was analyzed as a raw material for second-generation biofuels production. Exergy analysis serves as a unified and effective tool to evaluate the global process efficiency. Exergy analysis evaluates the performance of sugarcane bagasse and its sustainability in the bioethanol production process. In this work, four ethanol production topologies using the typical daily amount of residual biomass produced by the sugar industry were compared. The exergy...
The mission of the USGS National Minerals Information Center (formerly the Minerals Information Team) is to collect, analyze, and disseminate information on the domestic and international supply of and demand for minerals and mineral materials essential to the U.S. economy and national security. About 90 mineral commodities are covered.The Center's goal is to provide decision makers with the information required to ensure that the Nation has an adequate and dependable supply of minerals and materials to meet its defense and economic needs at acceptable costs related to environment, energy, and economics. In addition to special data releases available through ScienceBase, annual and monthly or quarterly statistical...
Tags: NMIC, abrasives, alumina, aluminum, antimony, All tags...
This study deals with modeling and analyzing the performance of greenhouses from the power plant through the heating system to the greenhouse envelope using exergy analysis method, the so-called low exergy or LowEx approach, which has been and still being successfully used in sustainable buildings design, for the first time to the best of the author’s knowledge. For the heating applications, three options are studied with (i) a solar assisted vertical ground-source heat pump greenhouse heating system, (ii) a wood biomass boiler, and (iii) a natural gas boiler, which are driven by renewable and non-renewable energy sources. In this regard, two various greenhouses, the so-called small greenhouse and large greenhouse,...
Algae are the fastest-growing plants in the world. Industrial reactors for algal culture are open ponds, photobioreactors and closed systems. Algae are very important as a biomass source. Algae will some day be competitive as a source for biofuel. Different species of algae may be better suited for different types of fuel. Algae can be grown almost anywhere, even on sewage or salt water, and does not require fertile land or food crops, and processing requires less energy than the algae provides. Algae can be a replacement for oil based fuels, one that is more effective and has no disadvantages. Algae are among the fastest-growing plants in the world, and about 50% of their weight is oil. This lipid oil can be used...
One of the most spectacular phenomena in nature is the annual return of millions of salmon to spawn in their natal streams and lakes along the Pacific coast of North America. The salmon die after spawning, and the nutrients and energy in their bodies, derived almost entirely from marine sources, are deposited in the freshwater ecosystems. This represents a vital input to the ecosystems used as spawning grounds. Salmon-derived nutrients make up a substantial fraction of the plants and animals in aquatic and terrestrial habitats associated with healthy salmon populations. The decline of salmon numbers throughout much of their southern range in North America has prompted concern that the elimination of this "conveyor...
This article summarizes a study directed towards the prediction of oil spill migration in sandy soils. Such a prediction is needed for the design of remedial measures against soil and groundwater contamination. The geneai approach in this study is to convert available data concerning water infiltration into equivalent unknown data concerning oil spillage. This information is then fed into a numerical model by which the oil spill migration is simulated. Laboratory measurements including retention curve, hydraulic conductivity and infiltration rate, were made separately for water and kerosene in order to evaluate and confirm the suggested approach.
Much focus is given to the energy efficiency of dwellings, in policy and regulation, in pursuance of reduced CO2 emissions for sustainability. This article examines a terrace of 6 similar, passive solar dwellings with sunspaces and the effects that occupants' behaviours have on their energy efficiency. It was found that average annual space heating demand was less than expected, indicating potential benefits from measuring passive solar gains as a form of renewable energy. Space heating demand per person varied by a factor of up to 14 between dwellings dependent on occupant behaviour. Further evidence showed a factor of 45 possible. Significant behaviours in this dwelling type were identified. A second study used...
This paper distinguishes between Social Impact Assessment (S1A) and the Public Involvement (PI) process and makes a case for PI as an integral part of SlA. PI is seen as activity within the SIA process that provides the social impact assessor with a means to obtain quantitative information regarding social impact assessment variables. In North America during the 1970s SIA began to evolve both separately and as a component of environmental impact assessments. However, the utilization and implementation of SIA procedures have moved forward in an uneven manner among federal agencies. Furthermore, the practice of SIA at the federal or ministerial level has been hindered by the unfortunate equating of SlA with public...
Energy subsidies are widespread around the world but they vary greatly in importance and type of fuel and country. The fossil fuel consumption rate is growing every year and in about 50 years we will have depleted most of our fossil fuel reserves, so it is necessary to find alternative sources of energy before that happens. However, the only solution to this challenge is through investment on energy conservation programmes and renewable energy source. In line with this challenge and confusion on fund appropriate for energy. This paper is aimed at examining the effect of energy subsidy on energy conservation and renewable energy in developing countries. The study intends to quantify and analysis a case study of Trinidad...
Partners developed a simulation model to better show how various projections associated with increased marine traffic in the Bering Sea might look in the coming decades. These simulations are able to help communities and managers better understand future patterns of traffic in the Bering Sea region as a whole, and look more specifically at possible changes in key areas of concern like the Bering Strait.Following vessel activity analysis and considering vessel type, transit routes, route timing, routing speed, and ports of call, we developed a novel agent-based, spatially-explicit, baseline model of current marine vessel traffic patterns. We then applied projections about changes in traffic volume from a report by...
We examined bird and bat mortality at a new 89-turbine windfarm constructed in an environmentally sensitive area in north-central Iowa. The windfarm became operational in November 2001. It is located in cropland between three Wildlife Management Areas (WMA's) with historically high bird use. In the past, migrant and resident waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds moved between the WMA's through the area now occupied by the windfarm. Studies of bird collision mortality in California and elsewhere raised concerns about the possibility of mortalities in this area. From April 15, 2003 and December 15, 2003 we searched for dead animals under 26 randomly selected turbines. Six 76.2 m by 3.0 m transects were maintained...
There are unconventional fuels that may serve as near term major replacements for conventional mineral oil and natural gas. These include fuels from oil shale and bitumen, liquid fuels from coal, methane from methane hydrates, biofuels and the secondary fuel hydrogen. Here, these fuels will be reviewed as to their presumable stocks and life cycle wastes, emissions and inputs of natural resources. The unconventional fuels are usually characterized by a relatively poor source-to-burner energy efficiency when compared with current conventional mineral oil and gas. Apart from some varieties of hydrogen and biofuel, their life cycles are characterized by relatively large water inputs, emissions, and wastes. The unconventional...
Biofuels world production has increased sharply in recent years. Oil reserves depletion, the oil high price and the confidence in biofuels “carbon neutrality” are the main causes of this phenomenon. However, claims related to the negative consequences of biofuel programs are frequent; mainly those related to the biofuels/food competition and sustainability. This paper aims to contribute for the development of a framework for sustainability indicators as a tool for performance assessment. The most used indicators to measure the biofuels sustainability are: Life Cycle Energy Balance (LCEB), quantity of fossil energy substituted per hectare, co-product energy allocation, life cycle carbon balance and changes in soil...
The objective of this paper is to provide a review on the latest developments on the main initiatives and approaches for the sustainability certification for biofuels and/or bioenergy. A large number of national and international initiatives lately experienced rapid development in the view of the biofuels and bioenergy targets announced in the European Union, United States and other countries worldwide. The main certification initiatives are analysed in detail, including certification schemes for crops used as feedstock for biofuels, the various initiatives in the European Union, United States and globally, to cover biofuels and/or biofuels production and use. Finally, the possible way forward for biofuel certification...
Each of the following sections carries one central thought, often summarised in one (bold-face) sentence. Together, these statements give an overview of some major long term issues of sustainable use of energy which humanity must face. No effort is made to argue all points, to be exhaustive, or go into details; that is the task of other publications. The aim is to give a clear, broad and striking picture, which can be filled in by further study. We draw conclusions in the field of energy policy, in particular with respect to developing countries. The attention is strongly concentrated on the CO 2 issue, not only because of its importance, but also because this issue illustrates many of the problems that will arise...