City Power Plant Research Articles

Marine Air Pollution in Israel: Extent, Proposed Mitigation Targets, Benefits and Feasibility

Marine air pollution is a major contributor to seaports and coastal air pollution, and Israel has yet to seriously confront this issue. This study aimed to update previous marine air pollution estimations in Israel’s two major ports: Haifa and Ashdod. The objectives were to examine technical and regulatory measures to address the problem, to propose mitigation targets and to estimate their potential benefits. Based on a model of emission-calculations that relies on an updated ship-inventory data as well as real-time ships’ location and movement tools, the combined marine NOx, SOx and PM2.5 annual emissions in these ports were found to be 18,415, 15,128 and 1453 tons, respectively. These values are considerably higher than previous estimates, are comparable to the constant pollution emitted at ground level from a 1000-MW coal powered city power plant and are 3–20 times higher than the industrial and land transportation sectors in these cities. Relatively high nickel concentration in PM was found in Israel only relatively adjacent to the Haifa and Ashdod ports. Since high nickel concentration in PM is today mainly associated with marine air pollution, this finding supports the hypothesis that marine air pollution worsens the air quality in these cities. SOx and PM2.5 emissions can be reduced by 78% and 27%, respectively, if Israel enforces the revised International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI regulations in its territorial waters. While the latter step can achieve external benefits of NIS 518.4 million/year (EUR 132 million/year), additional mitigation actions and local regulations are suggested, focusing on NOx emissions but also on other pollutant criteria. Such actions can achieve further benefits of NIS 274.3 million/year (EUR 70 million/year). Achieving the suggested targets is challenging yet attainable, and their potential benefits will probably outweigh their costs.

CFD Simulation of a 3D Solar Chimney Integrated with an Axial Turbine for Power Generation

The solar chimney is one of the uninvestigated areas in the possible selection in the field of renewable solar energy utilization. CFD can be demonstrated as a useful tool of figure confidence in the design and employment of a solar chimney. A realistic numerical model for a solar-based updraft power plant for power generation was established through this research work. Iraqi weather in Kirkuk, northern Iraq was considered for this case study. A three-dimensional (3D) simulation of the main geometric dimensions of the Spanish, Manzanares model integrated with a real turbine was performed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The turbulent model of RNG k-e, the nongrey discrete coordinate (DO) radiation model, and the solar raytracing algorithm were used. It was observed that the air velocity below the turbine was graded according to the seasons of the year and was at its maximum in July with 18.28 m/s due to the high ambient temperature, and the lowest value was recorded in January with 8.64 m/s. The overall average daily and monthly energy production values for the Kirkuk system were higher than those of the Kubang system, with values of 310 kWh/day and 9314 kWh/month, respectively, for the Kirkuk system, and 246 kWh/day and 7398 kWh/month, respectively, for the Kubang system. The simulation results showed that the electricity generation from the Kirkuk city power plant varied seasonally to be at its maximum value of 14,424 kWh/month in July. This research work will help to determine the possibility of producing electricity in this Kirkuk city, which would then contribute in a great way to reduce the cash spent on electricity.

A People, A Place: The Story of Abilene. Volume 1: The Future Great City, 1881-1940 (review)

2010Book Reviews403 A People, A Place: TL· Story ofAbilene. Volume 1: TL· Future Great City, 1881-1940. By Robert W. Sledge. (Buffalo Gap, Tex.: State House Press, 2008. Pp. 316. Illustrations, appendices, notes, selectbibliography, index. ISBN 978 1 9333373 1 9, $24.95 paper.) Robert W. Sledge has made a significant contribution to the history ofAbilene and Taylor County with this book, the first volume ofa projected two-volume work. As the title suggests, he works the concept of people and places throughout the narrative. In doing so, he creates an effective sense ofplace forAbilene. The reader can almost feel the wind blowing across the prairie and see herds of tumbleweeds blowing across wagon tracks. Sledge structures the history of Abilene around the significant events of American history but focuses solely on the local events. Each chapter covers the local events ofa given time period. For example, in the chapter called "Peril 191 1— 1919," Sledge tells of a 191 1 rainstorm that did significant damage to the town, a 1913 dam failure on Lyde Creek, a drought from 1916 to 1919, the burning of the city's power plant in 1919, the effects of the United States entry into World War I, and finally the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. The drought inspired the creation ofLake Abilene as the cityjoined many others building surface reservoirs for water supply. The loss of students from Simmons College and the deaths of soldiers both before and during fighting in Europe are the main results of the war for Abilene. The Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 is detailed in two pages as Sledge tells of actions taken by the authorities and private efforts made by the people of Abilene to tend the sick and reduce the chances of contagion. The book has a nice feature at the end of each chapter, a "portrait," as Sledge calls them, telling of some person or event. None of these cover as much as a page, but all are interesting. For example, there is a story in whichJohn and Clabe Merchant (often called the father of Abilene) escaped prosecution for alleged cattle theft on a drive from East Texas to Abilene when the witnesses could not distinguish one brother from another. Another tells ofthe controversy surrounding whether prairie dogs are pets or pests. The book is well done. It is readable, engaging, and full of important facts and interesting tidbits. Sledge provides both endnotes and a bibliography for the scholarly minded who seek more information. Numerous black-and-white photographs of people and events augment the information provided in the text. There are also appendices that provide informaüon such as listings of Abilene mayors, university presidents, members of the Texas Legislature, superintendents ofAbilene ISD, rainfall totals, and population figures. A reader looking for local history ofAbilene would do well to start with this book. It is recommended. University ofNorth TexasBruce Bumbalough ...

Biosolids Drying: Solving Municipal Regulation and Cost Problems

Municipalities around the world are challenged with growing populations, changing regulations and rising costs. Heat drying technologies have been used for many years to reduce biosolids volumes, and recently, there have been developments in the drying industry surrounding safety, air quality, beneficial reuse and heat recovery (Igoe, 2002). There are two main categories of drying technologies: convective (or direct) and contact (or indirect). In this paper, the direct Convective Thermal Dryer (CTD) system and indirect Ecoflash® Thin Layer Dryer are discussed and illustrated through municipal examples. The projects discussed in this paper are:The City of Corona, California, USA, which uses a Convective Thermal Dryer (CTD) system to reduce volume and disposal costs of biological biosolids generated at the city's two wastewater treatment plants. The project is unique because the CTD system uses waste heat from the City's power plant to promote the production of beneficial reuse, Class A biosolids.The Dundalk drying plant in Ireland, which is the first plant designed and built by Siemens Water Technologies to be in full compliance with the European ATEX (Atmosphere Explosible) Safety Regulation Directive 94/9/EC.Disposal of dewatered sludge quickly becomes a big problem for Cagliari, a city on Sardinia Island in Italy, whose economy is based on tourism. They use the Ecoflash® dryer to reduce biosolids hauling and disposal costs.

HEC—5Q Model Applied to a Lake System in Illinois for Water Quality Evaluations

The United States Army Corps of Engineers HEC-5Q model was applied to Lake Spring-field and two proposed lakes (Hunter Lake and Lick Creek Reservoir) to be built for supplementing Lake Springfield's water. Lake Springfield is the water supply reservoir for the city of Springfield, Illinois. Water from the lake is also used for cooling the city's power plant complex. The model was calibrated and verified on Lake Springfield using monitored data in 1986 and 1988. Eight water quality constituents were simulated. Calibration, verification, and predictions were made only for temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrate-nitrogen, and phosphate-phosphorus. The calibrated and verified model was used to predict water surface elevations and constituent concentrations in the three lakes, individually and in combination, with meteorological and estimated flow data for a twenty-month period in 1953–1954, the most severe drought of record. The model provided a useful tool in the water quality evaluations of the three lakes.

Air Pollution and the Distribution of Epiphytic Lichens and Bryophytes in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Four zones based on cover and species diversity of epiphytic lichens and bryophytes are designated for urban and suburban Winnipeg, Manitoba. Epiphyte cover decreases markedly towards the city center, and there is a well-defined area almost totally devoid of epiphytes in the central built-up region. As known levels of sulphur dioxide are generally low in the city center, other pollutants, especially emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles, e.g., carbon monoxide, ethylene, may be chiefly operative in the maintenance of this depauperate zone, with aridity associated with the heat island perhaps also important. Sulphur dioxide from oil refineries and the main city power plant may be locally important over smaller areas. The most city-tolerant species in Winnipeg are Candelaria concolor, Physcia adscendens, Xanthoria fallax, Amblystegium juratzkanum, Leskea obscura/polycarpa, and Pylaisiella polyantha, with Lecania dimera, Lecanora impudens, Parmelia bolliana, and P. subargentifera among the least tolerant. Increase in soredia production, and decrease in apothecial production towards the city center were observed in Candelaria concolor, Physcia millegrana, P. orbicularis, and Xanthoria fallax, and Physcia aipolia, P. ciliata, P. stellaris, and Xanthoria polycarpa respectively.