Coal Heating Systems Research Articles

A case study on the technical and economical feasibility of different types of central heating systems for ÇATES lodgements

In this study, the practicability of central heating systems of water source heat pump, coal and natural gas boiler-radiator are economically investigated for ÇATES lodgements in Zonguldak Çatalağzı. The effects of prices of coal, natural gas and electricity with TL/USD exchange rates over the total costs of these systems are also examined for next 15 year projections. The results indicate that natural gas boiler-radiator system is more applicable and the heat pump system comes the head to head point with the coal boiler-radiator system in the total costs 3.5 years approximately after their installations because of increasing prices of coal. Under the conditions that the other variables are in the trends of the last ten years, the increase in the value of dollar decreases the costs of all systems and prolongs the time of reaching to the head to head point for the systems of heat pump and coal. Moreover, ascending electricity’s price significantly increases the cost of heat pump system. Coal heating system become more economic according to heat pump system by 13% decrease in coal’s price every year, and annual 12% increment in the price of natural gas makes heat pump system feasible

Million Trees for Warsaw: Managing pollution crisis through green renewal

The article proposes the notion of a “spectacle of repair,” a carefully calibrated social technology of green governance aimed at managing the environmental degradation through control over images in Warsaw, Poland. Using case studies Million Trees for Warsaw project and a candidacy for the Green Capital of Europe and building on political ecology literature that addresses the rise of new opportunities for capitalist expansion through restoration activity, this article claims that the production of the green policy sphere allows for a creation of an array of possible “green” actions in the city that are presented as interchangeable and effectively commensurable. As the municipality heavily invests in greenery and a removal of visible signs of messiness and dirt in the city, the depoliticized spectacle of a clean and green urban space focuses on creating an image of the authorities actively combating the pollution as well as working towards making Warsaw more “livable.” At the same time, the two major roots of pollution found in ever-increasing car traffic and old coal-heating systems remain insufficiently addressed amid a lack of political will. The paper argues that mitigation strategy of the city hall thus heavily relies on a management of visibilities; attempting to alleviate the citizens’ pressure to tackle the largely invisible air pollution by delivering the tidy greenery desired by the urban elites, keeping the city fit for competing in the global neoliberal economy.

Child risk assessment of selected metal(loid)s from urban soils using in vitro UBM procedure

In city agglomerations significant pollution results from fossil fuel combustion from heat and power plants, transportation, and boilers in households. In this context, pollution from recalcitrant, environmentally accumulative metal(loid)s can be a critical human health risk. In day-care centers, playgrounds, kindergartens, schools, and sport facility areas children may ingest significant quantities of potentially polluted soil and dust, increasing incidence of health disorders or diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the oral bioaccessibility and human health risk of As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn from potentially polluted urban topsoils by applying gastrointestinal Unified Bioaccessibility Method (UBM) protocol. Total content of studied elements was relatively low and none of studied elements exceeded Polish legal limits for urban soils. According to the Enrichment Factor (EF), studied sites were characterized from minimal to significant degrees of soil pollution by analyzed metal(loid)s in the order: Pb > Zn > Cu > Cd > As > Ni > Cr. Concentrations of the metal(loid)s in bioaccessible phases were varied, and higher for gastric than gastrointestinal bioaccessibility. Metal(loid) bioaccessibility in soils of Bydgoszcz was highly correlated with total concentration. Almost no correlation was found between concentration of these phases and parameters like soil pH, texture, CaCO3, TOC, or CEC. A relationship did exist with landform where the lower positions had greater concentrations. These locations are those with the highest traffic density and operation of old coal heating systems leading to the highest deposition of airborne contaminants. Higher landscape positions are favored for new facilities in newer residential districts. Exposure and health risk from soil ingestion given normal ingestion scenario at any site investigated was very low. Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk was identified only for soil pica behavior. Soil pica ingestion scenario might be considered for children with lapses of adult.

Long-Term Trends in Urban Atmospheric Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Nitropolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: China, Russia, and Korea from 1999 to 2014.

Total suspended particulate matter (TSP) was collected during the summer and winter in five cities in China (Shenyang, Beijing, and Shanghai), Russia (Vladivostok), and Korea (Busan) from 1997 to 2014. Nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with four to six rings, including pyrene (Pyr) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Two nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), 1-nitropyrene (1-NP) and 6-nitrobenzo[a]pyrene (6-NBaP), were also determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with online reduction/chemiluminescence detection. Two Chinese cities, Beijing and Shenyang, showed very high concentrations of total PAHs (ΣPAH) and total NPAHs (ΣNPAH) with a large seasonal difference (winter > summer), although the concentrations decreased over time. In both cities, maximum mean concentrations of ΣPAH over 200 ng m−3 were observed in the winter. In Beijing, an increase in the ΣPAH concentration was observed in the winter of 2010, which was after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The [1-NP]/[Pyr] ratio, a diagnostic parameter for source, was smaller in the winter than in the summer over the monitoring period, suggesting a large contribution of coal heating systems in the winter. In Vladivostok, concentrations of ΣPAH and ΣNPAH were lower than in the above two Chinese cities. The [1-NP]/[Pyr] ratio was larger than in the above Chinese cities even in the winter, suggesting that the contribution of coal combustion facilities, such as power plants for heating, was not very large. In Shanghai and Busan, concentrations of ΣPAH and ΣNPAH were much lower than in the above three cities. At the beginning of the monitoring periods, the [1-NP]/[Pyr] ratios, which were as large as those of Japanese commercial cities, suggested a large contribution from automobiles. After that, the contribution of automobiles decreased gradually. However, BaP concentrations were still over 1 ng m−3 in all cities monitored in China, Russia, and Korea, suggesting that the urban air pollution of PAHs and NPAHs in these regions should not be ignored.

A life-cycle comparison of the energy, environmental and economic impacts of coal versus wood pellets for generating heat in China

In this study, we investigated whether wood pellets were more sustainable than coal for heating buildings in China by presenting a “fuel-to-heat” energy, environmental and economic comparison for both energy sources. Pellet and coal heating systems were modeled using a process-based life cycle inventory modeling approach, and the energy consumption and air pollutant emissions were calculated in Gigajoules (GJ). Wood pellets were also analyzed for their costs and market competitiveness against coal and other fossil fuel heating alternatives. The results showed that the energy saving potential from using pellets instead of coal was 1382 MJ for every 1-GJ of heat generated. Greenhouse gas emissions from pellets were 11.76 kg CO2-eq GJ−1 heat, which were approximately 94% less than emissions from coal heating systems. Also, the wood pellet systems reduced SO2, NOx and PM emissions by 86%, 56% and 33%. However, the cost of pellets is significantly higher than the cost for coal, and is the primary impediment for the transition from coal to pellets in China. In addition, multiple consumers of wood residue, unstable heat values of pellet, limited supplies, and the lack of product and heating equipment standards also render the transition from coal to pellets impractical.

3D Conceptual Modelling and Direct Utilization Calculations of The Albanian Geothermal Resources

Balneological use of the Albanian Geothermal springs and waters dates back centuries, but the first modern use started in 1937. Unfortunately they had not been used for its energetic values yet. The temperature of the water is above 60 °C and the flow above 16 l/s, thus direct utilization is possible, in particular for space heating. Three-dimensional temperature field calculations and engineering calculations on a heating system with heat exchangers are presented here. The results show that the water temperature is expected to be stable and considerably higher temperature is expected through deep well drilling. The University’s Campus of Tirana is composed of 29 buildings, which are partially heated through a coal heater. The installed capacity is 2558kW while the coal consumption is about 920 kg/h. The University’s Campus of Tirana is one of the most important areas and with the highest density of population in Tirana, so it is the best area to show the heat exchanger efficiency. The economic analyses prove that the borehole heat exchangers are more convenient than the coal heating systems.

How Do Transport and Metabolism Affect on the Biological Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons?

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), some of which are carcinogenic/mutagenic, are generated by combustion of fossil fuels and also released through tanker or oilfield accident to cause a large scale environmental pollution. PAHs concentration in China is especially high in East Asia because of many kinds of generation sources such as coal heating systems, vehicles and factories without exhaust gas/particulate treatment systems. So, the atmospheric pollution caused by PAHs in China has been seriously concerned from the view point of health effects. Like yellow sand and sulfur oxide, PAHs exhausted in China are also transported to Japan. Additionally, strongly mutagenic nitrated PAHs (NPAHs), estrogenic/antiestrogenic PAH hydroxides (PAHOHs) and reactive oxygen species-producing PAH quinones (PAHQs) are formed from PAHs by the chemical reaction during the transport. Furthermore these PAHOHs and PAHQs are produced by the metabolism in animal body. In the biological activities caused by the above PAH derivatives, the structure-activity relationship was observed. In this review, our recent results on the generation of PAH derivatives by atmospheric transport and metabolism are reported. Also, the existing condition of PAHs as atmospheric pollutants is considered.

Long-term size-segregated characterization of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1 at the IfT research station Melpitz downwind of Leipzig (Germany) using high and low-volume filter samplers

Abstract For a period of 10 years (1993–2002) daily PM10 samples were collected on quartz filters by a PM10 high-volume sampler (Sierra-Andersen). In addition, since 1995 weekly filter samples of PM10, PM2.5 and since 1999 PM1 filter samples were collected by a low-volume sampler (‘Partisol 2000’, Rupprecht and Patashnik) on Teflon filters at the IfT research station Melpitz (12°56′E, 51°32′N) located in the downwind plume of the Leipzig conurbation in central Europe. The resulting time series were compared based on weekly means (particle mass r=0.90, NO3− mass r=0.94, SO42− mass r=0.92 and NH4+ mass r=0.90) and integrated in a historical mass trend (since 1983) for Saxony. In the data (1983–1990) the total particle mass concentration (TSP) shows big scatter with a mean of about 75 μg m−3. Since the re-unification of Germany in 1990 a decrease in PM10-concentration to a mean of 20–30 μg m−3 is observed. The mass concentration of PM10 shows a decreasing trend from a yearly maximum value in 1996 (39 μg m−3) to a mean value for 1999–2002 of about 23 μg m−3. The highest values were observed just before the winter of 1997/1998. No pronounced concentration peaks were found in the following winters. Reasons are the rapid modernization of power plants and the decreasing number of coal heating systems in the Leipzig conurbation and its surroundings as well as a lack of strong inversion situations. The NO3−/SO42−-ratio shows a typical increasing trend caused by the decreasing SO42−-mass concentration in PM10 which originates in the dramatic decrease of SO2 concentrations. From the weekly low-volume samples the mass contributions of PM1, PM2.5–PM1 and PM10–PM2.5 to PM10 (100%) for 1999–2002 were about 61%, 20% and 19% for winter and 42%, 13% and 45% for summer, respectively. Most of the PM2.5 mass is PM1. During summers the weekly ratio of coarse particles (PM10–PM2.5) to fine particles (PM2.5) was higher (about 1.4) than the winter value (about 0.3). An additional impactor for PM1 at the low-volume sampler contains a quartz filter for the weekly determination of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) using a thermographic method. About 30% of the PM1 mass is total carbon (TC=OC+EC). The percentage of EC to TC seems to be increasing in the summer from 1999 to 2002.

99/03222 Providing for transmission in times of scarcity: an ISO cannot do it all

For a period of 10 years (1993–2002) daily PM10 samples were collected on quartz filters by a PM10 high-volume sampler (Sierra-Andersen). In addition, since 1995 weekly filter samples of PM10, PM2.5 and since 1999 PM1 filter samples were collected by a low-volume sampler (‘Partisol 2000’, Rupprecht and Patashnik) on Teflon filters at the IfT research station Melpitz (12°56′E, 51°32′N) located in the downwind plume of the Leipzig conurbation in central Europe. The resulting time series were compared based on weekly means (particle mass r=0.90, NO3− mass r=0.94, SO42− mass r=0.92 and NH4+ mass r=0.90) and integrated in a historical mass trend (since 1983) for Saxony. In the data (1983–1990) the total particle mass concentration (TSP) shows big scatter with a mean of about 75 μg m−3. Since the re-unification of Germany in 1990 a decrease in PM10-concentration to a mean of 20–30 μg m−3 is observed. The mass concentration of PM10 shows a decreasing trend from a yearly maximum value in 1996 (39 μg m−3) to a mean value for 1999–2002 of about 23 μg m−3. The highest values were observed just before the winter of 1997/1998. No pronounced concentration peaks were found in the following winters. Reasons are the rapid modernization of power plants and the decreasing number of coal heating systems in the Leipzig conurbation and its surroundings as well as a lack of strong inversion situations. The NO3−/SO42−-ratio shows a typical increasing trend caused by the decreasing SO42−-mass concentration in PM10 which originates in the dramatic decrease of SO2 concentrations. From the weekly low-volume samples the mass contributions of PM1, PM2.5–PM1 and PM10–PM2.5 to PM10 (100%) for 1999–2002 were about 61%, 20% and 19% for winter and 42%, 13% and 45% for summer, respectively. Most of the PM2.5 mass is PM1. During summers the weekly ratio of coarse particles (PM10–PM2.5) to fine particles (PM2.5) was higher (about 1.4) than the winter value (about 0.3). An additional impactor for PM1 at the low-volume sampler contains a quartz filter for the weekly determination of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) using a thermographic method. About 30% of the PM1 mass is total carbon (TC=OC+EC). The percentage of EC to TC seems to be increasing in the summer from 1999 to 2002.