Heavy Oil Combustion Research Articles

Numerical Simulation of Heavy Crude Oil Combustion in Porous Combustion Tube

This work presents a compositional numerical model to simulate the combustion of heavy crude oil in a porous combustion tube. The combustion tube experiments replicate an enhanced oil recovery process by in-situ combustion (ISC) of crude oil in a petroleum reservoir. Due to the economic constrains associated with the combustion tube tests, numerical simulation has been identified as an efficient and economical tool in understanding the complex ISC process. In the present model, mass and energy conservations have been drawn considering an advective, diffusive, and reactive flow of multiple components in multi-phase. The model includes temperature- and pressure-dependent fluid properties and considers the effect of capillary pressure. A block-centered finite-difference-based numerical tool with an implicit quasi-Newton iterative solver scheme has been developed to solve the conservation equations. The numerical model is validated with the combustion-tube results reported by Fadaei et al. (2011). The combustion front profile predicted by the present numerical model has been found to be in good agreement with the reported results. The numerical results projected a cumulative oil recovery of about 60% of original oil in place. The combustion front has been found to propagate with an average peak temperature of 715 K.

Role of Phase and Kinetics Models in Simulation Modeling of In Situ Combustion

Based on a review of recent foreign publications, we examine the typical features in simulation modeling of in-situ combustion of high-viscosity crude oils and natural bitumens. We pay special attention to phase and kinetics models, and also examine the differences between combustion of heavy and light oils. We formulate approaches and describe important aspects on which we need to focus when comparing models.

Seasonal effect and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in PM2.5

This study aims to investigate distribution and sources of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) bound to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) captured in a semi-urban area in Malaysia during different seasons, and to assess their health risks. PM2.5 samples were collected using a high volume air sampler on quartz filter paper at a flow rate of 1m3min−1 for 24h. PAHs on the filter paper were extracted with dichloromethane (DCM) using an ultrasonic centrifuge solid-phase extraction method and measured by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. The results showed that the range of PAHs concentrations in the study period was between 0.21 and 12.08ngm−3. The concentrations of PAHs were higher during the south-west monsoon (0.21–12.08ngm−3) compared to the north-east monsoon (0.68–3.80ngm−3). The high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs (≥5 ring) are significantly prominent (>70%) compared to the low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs (≤4 ring) in PM2.5. The Spearman correlation indicates that the LMW and HMW PAHs correlate strongly among themselves. The diagnostic ratios (DRs) of I[c]P/I[c]P+BgP and B[a]P/B[g]P suggest that the HMW PAHs originated from fuel combustion sources. The source apportionment analysis of PAHs was resolved using DRs-positive matrix factorization (PMF)-multiple linear regression (MLR). The main sources identified were (a) gasoline combustion (65%), (b) diesel and heavy oil combustion (19%) and (c) natural gas and coal burning (15%). The health risk evaluation, by means of the lifetime lung cancer risk (LLCR), showed no potential carcinogenic risk from the airborne BaPeq (which represents total PAHs at the present study area in Malaysia). The seasonal LLCR showed that the carcinogenic risk of total PAHs were two fold higher during south-westerly monsoon compared to north-easterly monsoon.

Establishing a low-NOx and high-burnout performance in a large-scale, deep-air-staging laboratory furnace fired by a heavy-oil swirl burner

A combustion configuration consisting of a low-NOx heavy-oil swirl burner along with overfire air (OFA) and flue gas recirculation (FGR), was developed for the low-NOx heavy oil combustion in a lab-scale furnace. Combustion experiments were performed with various heavy-oil supply temperatures, different oil spray nozzle types, and with or without feeding FGR. The combustion configuration was found to achieve low NOx and acceptable CO emissions (levels of 240–286 mg/m3 and 45–175 mg/m3 at 3% O2, respectively), even under the conditions without FGR. Increasing the FGR ratio from 0 to 10% attained a NOx reduction of 9% without an obvious increase in CO emission. In the oil atomizing nozzle type aspect, a radial bias pattern, which was designed to lower NOx emissions and improve ignition by regulating fuel bias combustion, actually resulted in higher NOx and CO emissions than those using a uniformly atomizing pattern. Decreasing the heavy-oil supply temperature (from 154 °C to 132 °C) prolonged the fuel combustion process and reduced NOx emissions. Finally, the optimized operation with low NOx and CO emissions (240 mg/m3 and 45 mg/m3 at 3% O2, respectively) was established.

An experimentally-based in-situ combustion model with adaptive meshing

This work considers a detailed model for compositional flow in porous media, applied to the modelling of in-situ combustion of heavy oil. An experimentally-derived phase and chemical equilibrium model is used, and the combined fluid-reaction system validated against combustion tube experiments. Several one-dimensional simulation studies are carried out. An ignition mode via low-temperature oxidation, and an unsteady propagation mode, are demonstrated by perturbing the reaction parameters governing fuel formation and combustion. An adaptive mesh refinement method is successfully applied to this problem, and detailed simulations in two dimensions demonstrate multi-dimensional dynamics of a propagating combustion front. These include a viscous instability, non-uniform propagation, and local extinction of the front.

Estimate of Regional and Broad-based Sources for PM2.5Collected in an Industrial Area of Japan

In order to estimate the influence of sources on PM 2.5 in the industrial area of Japan, we carried out a source analysis using chemical component data of PM 2.5 . PM 2.5 samples were collected intermittently at an industrial area in Japan from July 2010 to November 2012. Water soluble ions (Cl-, NO₃-, SO₄ 2- , Na+, NH₄+, K+, Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ ), elements (Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sb, Pb), and carbonaceous species (OC, EC) of the PM 2.5 (a total of 198 samples) were analyzed. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model was applied to the data of those chemical components to identify the source of PM 2.5 . At this observation site, nine factors were extracted. The major contributors of PM 2.5 were secondary sulfate 1, in which loading factors of SO₄ 2- and NH₄+ were large (percentage source contribution: 20.9%), traffic, in which loading factors of OC (organic carbon) and EC (elemental carbon) were large (20.8%), secondary sulfate 2, in which loading factors of K and SO₄ 2- were large (8.0%), steel mills (7.8%), secondary chloride and nitrate (7.0%), soil (5.0%), heavy oil combustion (3.8%), sea salt (3.8%), and coal combustion (2.3%). The conditional probability function (CPF) and the potential source contribution function (PSCF) were carried out to examine the influence of a regional source and a broad-based source, respectively. CPF results supported local source influences such as steel mills, sea salt, traffic, coal combustion, and heavy oil combustion. PSCF results suggested that ships in the East China Sea, an industrial area of the east coastal region of China, and an active volcano in the Kyushu region of Japan were potential regional sources of secondary sulfate 1. Secondary sulfate 2 was affected by the burning of biomass fields and by coal combustion in Chinese urban areas such as Beijing, Hebei, and western Inner Mongolia. Source characterization using continuous data from one site showed a potential source representing fossil fuel combustion is affected both by regional and broad-based sources.

Sources and geographical origins of fine aerosols in Paris (France)

Abstract. The present study aims at identifying and apportioning fine aerosols to their major sources in Paris (France) – the second most populated "larger urban zone" in Europe – and determining their geographical origins. It is based on the daily chemical composition of PM2.5 examined over 1 year at an urban background site of Paris (Bressi et al., 2013). Positive matrix factorization (EPA PMF3.0) was used to identify and apportion fine aerosols to their sources; bootstrapping was performed to determine the adequate number of PMF factors, and statistics (root mean square error, coefficient of determination, etc.) were examined to better model PM2.5 mass and chemical components. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) and conditional probability function (CPF) allowed the geographical origins of the sources to be assessed; special attention was paid to implement suitable weighting functions. Seven factors, namely ammonium sulfate (A.S.)-rich factor, ammonium nitrate (A.N.)-rich factor, heavy oil combustion, road traffic, biomass burning, marine aerosols and metal industry, were identified; a detailed discussion of their chemical characteristics is reported. They contribute 27, 24, 17, 14, 12, 6 and 1% of PM2.5 mass (14.7 μg m−3) respectively on the annual average; their seasonal variability is discussed. The A.S.- and A.N.-rich factors have undergone mid- or long-range transport from continental Europe; heavy oil combustion mainly stems from northern France and the English Channel, whereas road traffic and biomass burning are primarily locally emitted. Therefore, on average more than half of PM2.5 mass measured in the city of Paris is due to mid- or long-range transport of secondary aerosols stemming from continental Europe, whereas local sources only contribute a quarter of the annual averaged mass. These results imply that fine-aerosol abatement policies conducted at the local scale may not be sufficient to notably reduce PM2.5 levels at urban background sites in Paris, suggesting instead more coordinated strategies amongst neighbouring countries. Similar conclusions might be drawn in other continental urban background sites given the transboundary nature of PM2.5 pollution.

Correction to Optical and Chemical Characterization of Aerosols Emitted from Coal, Heavy and Light Fuel Oil and Small-Scale Wood Combustion

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVAddition/CorrectionNEXTORIGINAL ARTICLEThis notice is a correctionCorrection to Optical and Chemical Characterization of Aerosols Emitted from Coal, Heavy and Light Fuel Oil and Small-Scale Wood CombustionAnna K. Frey*, Karri Saarnio, Heikki Lamberg, Fanni Mylläri, Panu Karjalainen, Kimmo Teinilä, Samara Carbone, Jarkko Tissari, Ville Niemelä, Anna Häyrinen, Jani Rautiainen, Jorma Kytömäki, Paulo Artaxo, Aki Virkkula, Liisa Pirjola, Topi Rönkkö, Jorma Keskinen, Jorma Jokiniemi, and Risto HillamoCite this: Environ. Sci. Technol. 2014, 48, 14, 8283Publication Date (Web):June 20, 2014Publication History Published online20 June 2014Published inissue 15 July 2014https://doi.org/10.1021/es502892yCopyright © 2014 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views316Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (119 KB) Get e-Alerts Get e-Alerts

Source apportionment of PM<sub>10</sub> in a north-western Europe regional urban background site (Lens, France) using positive matrix factorization and including primary biogenic emissions

Abstract. In this work, the source of ambient particulate matter (PM10) collected over a one-year period at an urban background site in Lens (France) was determined and investigated using a positive matrix factorization receptor model (US EPA PMF v3.0). In addition, a potential source contribution function (PSCF) was performed by means of the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (Hysplit) v4.9 model to assess prevailing geographical origins of the identified sources. A selective iteration process was followed for the qualification of the more robust and meaningful PMF solution. Components measured and used in the PMF included inorganic and organic species: soluble ionic species, trace elements, elemental carbon (EC), sugar alcohols, sugar anhydride, and organic carbon (OC). The mean PM10 concentration measured from March 2011 to March 2012 was about 21 μg m−3 with typically OM, nitrate and sulfate contributing to most of the mass and accounting respectively for 5.8, 4.5 and 2.3 μg m−3 on a yearly basis. Accordingly, PMF outputs showed that the main emission sources were (in decreasing order of contribution) secondary inorganic aerosols (28% of the total PM10 mass), aged marine emissions (19%), with probably predominant contribution of shipping activities, biomass burning (13%), mineral dust (13%), primary biogenic emissions (9%), fresh sea salts (8%), primary traffic emissions (6%) and heavy oil combustion (4%). Significant temporal variations were observed for most of the identified sources. In particular, biomass burning emissions were negligible in summer but responsible for about 25% of total PM10 and 50% of total OC in wintertime. Conversely, primary biogenic emissions were found to be negligible in winter but to represent about 20% of total PM10 and 40% of total OC in summer. The latter result calls for more investigations of primary biogenic aerosols using source apportionment studies, which quite usually disregard this type of source. This study further underlines the major influence of secondary processes during daily threshold exceedances. Finally, apparent discrepancies that could be generally observed between filter-based studies (such as the present one) and aerosol mass spectrometer-based PMF analyses (organic fractions) are also discussed.

Elemental characterization, sources and wind dependence of PM1 near Venice, Italy

In this paper, PM1 elemental composition and relative sources have been investigated near Venice (Eastern Po Valley, Italy). Considering the lack of information on PM1 composition in this area and the general poor knowledge of emission profiles, this study can give useful information to better understand the source profile and the dispersion of finer particles. A sampling campaign was carried out in two sampling sites located inside the “Marco Polo” international airport of Venice. Elemental composition on PM1 samples was characterized by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Five sources were identified and quantified by using the positive matrix factorization receptor model: heavy oil combustion, road traffic, airplane tire-wear, glassmaking and mixed combustions. The role of local atmospheric circulation was investigated by studying the source contributions as a function of wind velocity. Days characterized by low dispersion (lower wind speed and higher wind calm with respect to full period rose) showed a higher contribution for all sources, and a glassmaking contribution increase linked to wind blowing from South, where the artistic glass district of Venice is located.

Identification of sources of lead in the atmosphere by chemical speciation using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy

Sources of Pb pollution in the local atmosphere together with Pb species, major ions, and heavy metal concentrations in a size-fractionated aerosol sample from Higashi-Hiroshima (Japan) have been determined by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, ion chromatography, and ICP-MS/AES, respectively. About 80% of total Pb was concentrated in fine aerosol particles. Lead species in the coarse aerosol particles were PbC2O4, 2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2, and Pb(NO3)2, whereas Pb species in the fine aerosol particles were PbC2O4, PbSO4, and Pb(NO3)2. Chemical speciation and abundance data suggested that the source of Pb in the fine aerosol particles was different from that of the coarse ones. The dominant sources of Pb in the fine aerosol particles were judged to be fly ash from a municipal solid waste incinerator and heavy oil combustion. For the coarse aerosol particles, road dust was considered to be the main Pb source. In addition to Pb species, elemental concentrations in the aerosols were also determined. The results suggested that Pb species in size-fractionated aerosols can be used to identify the origin of aerosol particles in the atmosphere as an alternative to Pb isotope ratio measurement.

Source apportionment and secondary organic aerosol estimation of PM2.5 in an urban atmosphere in China

PM2.5 is the key pollutant in atmospheric pollution in China. With new national air quality standards taking effect, PM2.5 has become a major issue for future pollution control. To effectively prevent and control PM2.5, its emission sources must be precisely and thoroughly understood. However, there are few publications reporting comprehensive and systematic results of PM2.5 source apportionment in the country. Based on PM2.5 sampling during 2009 in Shenzhen and follow-up investigation, positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis has been carried out to understand the major sources and their temporal and spatial variations. The results show that in urban Shenzhen (University Town site), annual mean PM2.5 concentration was 42.2 μg m−3, with secondary sulfate, vehicular emission, biomass burning and secondary nitrate as major sources; these contributed 30.0%, 26.9%, 9.8% and 9.3% to total PM2.5, respectively. Other sources included high chloride, heavy oil combustion, sea salt, dust and the metallurgical industry, with contributions between 2%–4%. Spatiotemporal variations of various sources show that vehicular emission was mainly a local source, whereas secondary sulfate and biomass burning were mostly regional. Secondary nitrate had both local and regional sources. Identification of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) has always been difficult in aerosol source apportionment. In this study, the PMF model and organic carbon/elemental carbon (OC/EC) ratio method were combined to estimate SOA in PM2.5. The results show that in urban Shenzhen, annual SOA mass concentration was 7.5 μg m−3, accounting for 57% of total organic matter, with precursors emitted from vehicles as the major source. This work can serve as a case study for further in-depth research on PM2.5 pollution and source apportionment in China.

Combustion Characteristics of a Hot Water Boiler System Convertibly Fueled by Rice Husk and Heavy Oil - Heavy Oil Combustion Characteristics -

Purpose: With the ever-rising energy prices, thermal energy heavily consuming facilities of the agricultural sector such as commercialized greenhouses and large-scale Rice Processing Complexes (RPCs) need to cut down their energy cost if they must run profitable businesses continually. One possible way to reduce their energy cost is to utilize combustible agricultural by-products or low-price oil instead of light oil as the fuel for their boiler systems. This study aims to analyze the heavy oil combustion characteristics of a newly developed hot water boiler system that can use both rice husk and heavy oil as its fuel convertibly. Methods: Heavy oil combustion experiments were conducted in this study employing four fuel feed rates (7.6, 8.5, 9.5, 11.4 ) at a combustion furnace vacuum pressure of 500 Pa and with four combustion furnace vacuum pressures (375, 500, 625, 750 Pa) at fuel feed rates of 9.5 and 11.4 . Temperatures at five locations inside the combustion furnace and 20 additional locations throughout the whole hot water boiler system were measured to ascertain the combustion characteristics of the heavy oil. From the temperature measurement data, the thermal efficiency of the system was calculated. Flue gas smoke density and concentrations of air-polluting components in the flue gas were also measured by a gas analyzer. Results: As the fuel feed rate or combustion furnace vacuum pressure increased, the average temperature in the combustion furnace decreased but the thermal efficiency of the system showed no distinctive change. On the other hand, the thermal efficiency of the system was inversely proportionally to the vacuum level in the furnace. For all experimental conditions, the thermal efficiency remained in the range of 80.1-89.6%. The CO concentration in the flue gas was negligibly low. The NO and concentration as well as the smoke density met the legal requirements. Conclusions: Considering the combustion temperature characteristics, thermal efficiency, and flue gas composition, the optimal combustion condition of the system seemed to be either the fuel feed rate of 9.5 with a combustion furnace vacuum pressure of 375 Pa or a fuel feed rate of 11.4 with a furnace vacuum pressure between 500 Pa and 625 Pa.

Investigating SO3 Formation from the Combustion of Heavy Fuel Oil in a Four-Stroke Medium-Speed Test Engine

The validation of detailed models, in terms of SO3 formation in large marine engines operating on sulfur-containing heavy fuel oils (HFOs), relies on experimental work. The requisite is addressed i...

Thermoanalysis and reaction kinetics of heavy oil combustion

The present study deals with fingerprinting the oxidation behavior of a Brazilian crude (12° API) oil. It focuses on the determination of reaction kinetic parameters through classical thermal analysis techniques such as thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTG) and scanning calorimetry (DSC). The required experimental data are collected from oil and oil–sand samples. The reaction data are treated following distinct conventional and isoconversional non-isothermal models, using integral and differential approaches based on Arrhenius’ model. The thermoanalytical study is successful in identifying three oxidation temperature ranges: the low-temperature (LTO) range, a transition zone, and the high-temperature (HTO) range. TG and DSC analyses show that the highest variation of mass and the highest level of energy generation occur at the HTO range. At the high end of the LTO range, a mass transfer resistance (skin effect) was evident. Values of activation energy obtained for oil samples are 103 kJ mol−1 for LTO and 278 kJ mol−1 for HTO oxidation reactions by the most straightforward method used—the unity model. By all kinetic models, HTO’s values are higher than those for LTO, observation also valid for the results of oil–sand samples. Results also evidence that the presence of sand contributes to the so-called skin effect.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils from a multi-industrial city, South Korea

We collected soil samples at 25 sites in Ulsan, Korea to investigate the levels, patterns, spatial distribution, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the summer 2010. The target compounds were the 16 US-EPA priority PAHs. For the source identification of PAHs, diagnostic ratios and the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model were used. The total concentrations of PAHs ranged from 65ng/g to 12,000ng/g (mean: 960ng/g, median 330ng/g). The levels and distribution of PAHs indicated that industrial areas were more polluted than rural and urban areas. The diagnostic ratios suggested that the soil samples were contaminated by pyrogenic sources and traffic emission. According to the result of PMF, four factors were identified: gasoline and heavy oil combustion (14%), diesel combustion (54%), coke oven (23%), and coal/biomass burning (9%). Therefore, it was concluded that vehicles and industrial complexes were major sources of PAHs in Ulsan.

Research on the impact of CeO2-based solid solution metal oxide on combustion performance of diesel engine and emissions

This paper mainly studies on the performance of high-speed diesel engines and emission reduction when the engine uses heavy oil mixed with nanometer-sized additives Ce0.9Cu0.1O2 and Ce0.9Zr0.1O2. During the test, Indiset 620 combustion analyzer made by AVL, was used to make a real-time survey on the cylinder pressure, the fuel ignition moment, and establish a relation between the change trend of temperature in cylinder and the crank angle. For the engine burning heavy oil and heavy oil mixed with additives, combustion analysis software Indicom and Concerto were used to analyze its combustion process and emission conditions. Experimental investigation shows that nano-sized complex oxide can improve the performance of diesel engine fueled with heavy oil, and reduce the emission of pollutants like NOx and CO, comparing it with the pure heavy oil. According to the consequences of this experiment, the additives improve the overall performance in the use of heavy oil.

A two-component heavy fuel oil evaporation model for CFD studies in marine Diesel engines

The paper presents an evaporation model for Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) combustion studies. In the present work, HFO is considered as a mixture of a heavy and a light fuel component, with the thermophysical properties of the heavy component calculated from the recently introduced model of Kyriakides et al. (2009) [1]. The model proposes a proper treatment of convective heat transfer to the evaporating fuel droplets. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of HFO spray combustion in constant volume chambers are performed, utilizing a modified characteristic time combustion model. The results are in good agreement with literature experimental data. Computational results for a two-stroke marine Diesel engine also compare favorably against experiments. The present development yields a basis for detailed CFD studies of HFO combustion in large marine Diesel engines.

Experimental Evaluation and Field Application of a Salt Method for SO3 Measurement in Flue Gases

In this study, an SO3 measurement technique was evaluated and developed. In the method, a salt is used to capture gaseous SO3/H2SO4. Various salts were tested to evaluate the suitability to measure SO3/H2SO4 without interference from SO2. Salts tested include NaCl, KCl, K2CO3, and CaCl2. The salts were tightly packed into a Teflon tube, and the gas was fed through the salt tube with subsequent reaction between SO3/H2SO4 and the salt with formation of sulfates of the respective salt. After the measurement, the salt was dissolved in water, and the solution was analyzed for sulfate ions. The SO3/H2SO4 concentration in the flue gas could then be determined because the gas volume flowing through the salt was measured together with the amount of sulfate bound in the salt. The method was tested in laboratory conditions, in a 100 kWth test unit during air-firing and oxy-fuel combustion, and in an industrial boiler. A first attempt to continuously measure SO3/H2SO4 indirectly with an FTIR, by measuring the release of HCl in the sulfation of KCl, was also made. The conversion of SO3 to H2SO4 in flue gas conditions is discussed. It was found that at the measurement conditions almost all SO3 is present as H2SO4. Therefore, the laboratory study was made with gaseous H2SO4 instead of SO3. The laboratory tests showed that all salts captured all H2SO4. The best selectivity toward H2SO4 was shown for NaCl and KCl; no significant amount of SO2 was captured in these salts. An in situ implementation of the salt method using KCl as salt was used during heavy oil combustion in a Kraft recovery boiler. The salt method showed to be an accurate, inexpensive, and easy way to measure SO3/H2SO4 in flue gases.

Source apportionment of particulate pollutants in the atmosphere over the Northern Yellow Sea

Atmospheric aerosol samples were collected over the Northern Yellow Sea of China during the years of 2006 and 2007, in which the Total Carbon (TC), Cu, Pb, Cd, V, Zn, Fe, Al, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NH4+, NO3−, SO42−, Cl−, and K+ were measured. The principle components analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor models were used to identify the sources of particulate matter. The results indicated that seven factors contributed to the atmospheric particles over the Northern Yellow Sea, i.e., two secondary aerosols (sulfate and nitrate), soil dust, biomass burning, oil combustion, sea salt, and metal smelting. When the whole database was considered, secondary aerosol formation contributed the most to the atmospheric particle content, followed by soil dust. Secondary aerosols and soil dust consisted of 65.65% of the total mass of particulate matter. The results also suggested that the aerosols over the North Yellow Sea were heavily influenced by ship emission over the local sea area and by continental agricultural activities in the northern China, indicating by high loading of V in oil combustion and high loading of K+ in biomass burning. However, the contribution of each factor varied greatly over the different seasons. In spring and autumn, soil dust and biomass burning were the dominant factors. In summer, heavy oil combustion contributed the most among these factors. In winter, secondary aerosols were major sources. Backward trajectories analysis indicated the 66% of air mass in summer was from the ocean, while the air mass is mainly from the continent in other seasons.