Global Environmental Regulations Research Articles

Case Study on Obstacles and Implementation Paths of Shandong Energy's Green and Low-carbon Transformation

In the context of global climate change and environmental regulations, it is worth exploring in theory and practice how coal enterprises can achieve green and low-carbon transformation and maintain sustainable development. This article takes Shandong Energy in China as an example, analyzes the obstacles faced by Shandong Energy's green and low-carbon transformation, such as resource distribution, talent structure, industrial structure, and supporting policies. From the perspectives of mergers and acquisitions, industrial structure, resource reserves, intelligent mines, technological innovation, integration of industry and finance, and resource integration, it deeply analyzes and summarizes Shandong Energy's practical paths and beneficial experiences in green and low-carbon transformation and achieving sustainable development. The research results have been found that mergers and acquisitions, as well as resource integration, have broadened the temporal and spatial boundaries and opportunity set for the green and low-carbon transformation of coal enterprises; Technological innovation is the intrinsic driving force for the green and low-carbon transformation of coal enterprises, providing technical support for their sustainable development; Financial innovation provides fund support for the green and low-carbon transformation and sustainable development of coal enterprises. The research conclusions have important practical significance and theoretical marginal contributions, provides experience reference and theoretical guidance for the green and low-carbon transformation of the other coal industry enterprises.

Numerical Simulation Research on Combustion and Emission Characteristics of Diesel/Ammonia Dual-Fuel Low-Speed Marine Engine

Amid increasingly stringent global environmental regulations, marine engines are undergoing an essential transition from conventional fossil fuels to alternative fuels to meet escalating regulatory requirements. This study evaluates the effects of injection pressure, the timing of ammonia injection, and the pre-injection of ammonia on combustion and emissions, aiming to identify optimal operational parameters for low-speed marine engines. A three-dimensional model of a large-bore, low-speed marine engine in a high-pressure diffusion mode was developed based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Simulations were conducted under 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% loads with a high ammonia energy substitution rate of 95%. The results indicate that, compared to traditional pure diesel operation, adjusting the injection pressure and the ammonia injection timing, along with employing appropriate pre-injection strategies, significantly enhances in-cylinder pressure and temperature, improves thermal efficiency, and reduces specific fuel consumption. Additionally, the dual-fuel strategy using diesel and ammonia effectively reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 37.5% and carbon dioxide emissions by 93.7%.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and ecological risk at waste disposal sites: An analysis of sanitary landfills.

This study presents an analysis of soil contamination caused by Ni, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Pb at municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, with a focus on ecological risk assessment. The approach aims to assess how different landfill practices and environmental conditions affect soil contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and associated environmental risks. Soil samples were collected from MSW landfills in Poland and the Czech Republic. The research included a comprehensive assessment of PTEs in soils in the context of global environmental regulations. The degree of soil contamination by PTEs was assessed using indices: Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Single Pollution Index (Pi), Nemerow Pollution Index (PN), and Load Capacity of a Pollutant (PLI). The ecological risk was determined using the Risk of PTEs (ERi) and Sum of Individual Potential Risk Factors (ERI). The maximum values of the indicators observed for the Radiowo landfill were as follows: Igeo = 4.04 for Cd, Pi = 24.80 for Cd, PN = 18.22 for Cd, PLI = 2.66, ERi = 744 for Cd, ERI = 771.80. The maximum values of the indicators observed for the Zdounky landfill were as follows: Igeo = 1.04 for Cu, Pi = 3.10 for Cu, PN = 2.52 for Cu, PLI = 0.27, ERi = 25 for Cd, ERI = 41.86. The soils of the tested landfills were considered to be non-saline, with electrical conductivity (EC) values less than 2,000 μS/cm. Varying levels of PTEs were observed, and geostatistical analysis highlighted hotspots indicating pollution sources. Elevated concentrations of Cd in the soil indicated potential ecological risks. Concentrations of Cu and lead Pb were well below the thresholds set by the environmental legislation in several countries. In addition, Ni concentrations in the soils of both landfills indicated that the average levels were within acceptable limits. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed common sources of PTEs. The identification of specific risk points at the Radiowo and Zdounky sites contributes to a better understanding of potential hazards in landfill environments. By establishing buffer zones and implementing regular maintenance programs, emerging environmental problems can be addressed in a timely manner.

Hydrogen production and utilization in oil and gas facilities

The transition to hydrogen as a cleaner energy carrier within oil and gas facilities presents a promising opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable energy practices. This review investigates the potential for hydrogen production and utilization in oil and gas operations, focusing on hydrogen-powered equipment and fuel cells as alternatives to conventional carbon-intensive technologies. The research explores the feasibility of integrating hydrogen into oil and gas processes, examining its role in decarbonizing operations through the replacement of diesel generators, compressors, and other machinery. Hydrogen production methods such as steam methane reforming (SMR) with carbon capture and storage (CCS) and electrolysis using renewable energy are analyzed to assess their viability in large-scale industrial applications. Additionally, the use of hydrogen fuel cells is explored as a means to provide reliable, low-emission energy for various on-site applications, including power generation, transportation, and heating. The review highlights both the technical and economic challenges associated with hydrogen adoption in oil and gas facilities, such as infrastructure development, hydrogen storage, and distribution. However, it also emphasizes the long-term benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, compliance with global environmental regulations, and improved operational efficiency. By investigating hydrogen’s role as a cleaner energy carrier, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on transitioning the oil and gas industry towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.

Component-based transfer path analysis on agricultural tractor

Agricultural tractors are special purpose machines that perform agricultural operation in harsh environments such as unpaved roads and farmlands, and generate high levels of noise and vibration. Eco-friendly tractors using electric drivetrains and hydrogen fuel cells are being developed to reduce exhaust gas in accordance with global environmental regulations. Unlike traditional tractor structures, these electrified tractors are being developed as modular and shared platforms. Therefore, it is changing into a system that is easy to apply component-based transfer path analysis (C-TPA) to reduce noise and vibration of tractors. In this paper, the noise and vibration contributions of an agricultural tractor were analyzed using C-TPA, and the blocked force usable as the excitation force of the virtual model was derived. The accuracy of transfer path analysis was improved by applying transfer functions including the rotational directions using virtual point transformation technique. The prediction result of developed experimental model were similar to the vibration response of the actual tractor, and the contribution of structure-borne noise could be quantitatively evaluated.

Design and Characteristic Analysis of an Axial Flux High-Temperature Superconducting Motor for Aircraft Propulsion.

In line with global environmental regulations, the demand for eco-friendly and highly efficient aircraft propulsion systems is increasing. The combination of axial flux motors and superconductors could be a key technology used to address these needs. In this paper, an axial flux high temperature superconducting (HTS) motor for aircraft propulsion was designed and its characteristics were analyzed. A 2G HTS wire with high magnetic flux characteristic was used for the field winding of the 120 kW axial flux HTS motor, and the rotational speed and rated voltage of the motor were 2000 rpm and 220 V, respectively. The axial flux HTS motor implements a revolving armature type for solid cooling of the HTS field coil. The electromagnetic and thermal features of the motor were analyzed and designed utilizing a 3D finite element method program. The HTS coil was maintained at the target temperature by effectively designing the current lead and cooling system to minimize heat loss. These results can be effectively used in the design of propulsion systems for large commercial aircraft in the future as well as for the design of small aircraft with less than 4 seats.

미래 모빌리티 전략

With the advent of the next-generation mobility concept, the automotive industry is undergoing a major paradigm shift. As a first step towards releasing novel and innovative solutions to the challenge of “mobility,” it is necessary to move away from the physical concept of automobiles centered on internal combustion engines. Electrification is rapidly progressing along with global environmental regulations to achieve the carbon neutrality goal by 2050. Despite this, automakers are experiencing profitability declines due to soaring battery and oil prices, as well as an inability to secure semiconductor supplies. The purpose of this study is to address the major future mobility trend, focusing on technology and policy aspects. It also aims to suggest ways of dealing with them in an effective manner. Finally, this study suggests that OEMs can secure their future outlook by actively leading the mobility trend amid the paradigm shift in the automobile industry.

Vapor-liquid equilibrium of light hydrocarbon multicomponent systems by solving the Rachford-Rice equation

Mixed-refrigerants are required for cryogenic cooling systems, as well as for refrigeration systems, in order to provide enhanced cooling performances and to comply with new global environmental protection regulations. Thus, the vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) of light hydrocarbon (LHC) multicomponent systems is studied numerically by solving the Rachford-Rice flash equations using the Peng-Robinson equation of state and the van der Waals mixing rules. Among many other methods for calculating VLE of mixtures, the presented method does not involve numerical iterations, there aren’t any convergence problems, and it is a fast responding method, which allows extensive investigations of many compositions at various conditions. VLE results are presented for binary systems of nitrogen, methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, and carbon dioxide at temperatures between 240 K and 330 K; and ternary systems of nitrogen, methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, and carbon dioxide at temperatures between 220 K and 330 K and pressures between 5 bar and 40 bar. All the computational results are validated against experimental results, which are taken from literature, and the maximum obtained deviation between calculated and experimental results is 4.03 %, while most of the deviations are less than 2.0 %. As the number of components in the system increases, the deviations between calculated and experimental results increase, although the liquid and the vapor line trends are maintained. In the current research, seven different alpha functions are examined, and the results show that they all provide similar accuracies. The presented numerical method may be used by any equation of state, it is numerically stable, and successfully validated against reported experimental results; consequently, it is recommended for the development of future mixed-refrigerants.

Examination of Using Aluminum-Foam/Finned-Tube Beds Packed with Maxsorb III for Adsorption Ice Production System

Producing ice using adsorption systems can represent a sustainable solution and meet the recent global environmental regulations as they use natural refrigerants and can be driven by solar energy. However, the beds used in these systems still have low thermal and adsorption characteristics. This study investigates numerically the use of an emerging aluminum foamed bed packed with advanced Maxsorb adsorbent in a two-bed adsorption system and reports cases of performance improvements compared to the classical finned-tube based system used to produce ice. A comprehensive 2-D transient pressure distribution model for the two beds was developed and validated. The model considers the temporal and spatial variations of the two beds’ parameters, while the effect of the thermal mass and heat transfer effectiveness of the condenser and evaporator components are imitated at the boundary conditions for bed openings using two zero-dimensional models. The results show the interrelated effects of varying the cycle times from 400 s to 1200 s with 2, 5, and 10 mm foam thicknesses/fin heights on the overall performance of both systems. The Al-foam based system demonstrated the performance superiority at a 2 mm foam thickness with maximum ice production of 49 kgice/kgads in 8 h, an increase of 26.6% over the counterpart finned-tube based system at a 400 s cycle time. The best COP of 0.366 was attained at a 5 mm foam thickness and 1200 s with an increase of 26.7%. The effective uptake of the Al-foam based system was reduced dramatically at a 10 mm foam thickness, which deteriorated the system performance.

Going with the flow

The oil and gas sector is always challenging due to extreme operating conditions and hydrocarbons’ natural volatility. Those challenges are increasing with spiralling global demand, unstable prices and stringent environmental regulations. Here we examine the role of pumps as the industry adapts.

Becoming a building suitable for participation in peer-to-peer energy trading

• The building energy performance level suitable for a prosumer was analyzed. • The potential trading amount was evaluated according to the energy-saving strategies. • We determined the appropriate tilt angle of a PV system for peer-to-peer energy trading. With the recent reinforcement of global environmental regulations and the spread of smart grids, the energy industry is changing from centralized energy systems to distributed energy systems. In peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading, consumers actively produce energy by using distributed energy resources (DERs) and trade surplus energy to neighbors. The amount of energy produced through DERs is the main consideration in the formulation of strategies for increasing the potential of P2P energy trading, with the energy consumed by buildings also being an important factor. Here, we propose installation guidelines for photovoltaic (PV) systems and the energy performance level required for buildings to be suitable for P2P energy trading. Lighting density, cooling equipment efficiency, plug load density, and natural ventilation were identified as the main factors to be considered for saving electric energy in residential buildings, and the electric energy saving performance was evaluated. We determined the appropriate tilt angle of a PV system on the basis of the monthly electricity demand along with the capacity of the system required for continuous transactions. A strategy that facilitated significant energy saving was reducing lighting density and plug load density, and it is applicable to both new and existing buildings. Thus, existing buildings can also acquire the capability to participate in P2P energy trading. The energy performance level proposed here can be used to identify buildings capable of participating in P2P energy trading.

Natural fiber alfa/epoxy randomly reinforced composite mechanical properties identification

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the international scientific community to study natural fiber composites. Natural fibers have interesting mechanical features, such as strength, lightness, and elongation at break. Natural fibers are also bio-sourced, biodegradable and recyclable. When used with plastic or recyclable matrices, natural fiber composites, such as alfa fiber, can also be reused and recycled. The growing global environmental and new environmental regulations have encouraged research on new recyclable composites environment friendly. The recyclable composite must satisfy minimal mechanical properties to be widely used in furniture, automotive or construction industries. To produce a natural fiber composite that can be fabricated widely, in this paper, composite materials were fabricated using the Epoxy resin as matrix and the natural Alfa fiber (tipa tenacissima L.) as reinforcement. The Alfa fibers are short and randomly distributed. Molding technique is used to produce the composite. To judge the usage of the composite in structural applications, the mechanical properties of the biobased composite are identified by numerical homogenization and by experiments. The finite elements numerical homogenization technique is based on a representative cell reinforced with short fibers. Tensile tests were performed. The experimental results validate the numerical model. The results show that reinforcing with Alfa fibers with a 10% volume fraction increase the elastic modulus by about 24.16% compared to Epoxy. Composite failure stresses reached 28.01 MPa which is higher than 14.64 MPa the value of the unreinforced Epoxy failure stress experimentally determined. With better arrangement and higher concentrations, such composites can at least be used for secondary structural uses.

Lightweight design of an automotive lower control arm using topology optimization for forming process

The global environmental regulations have become very strict nowadays, thus most car manufacturers aim to fulfil such restrictions by different strategies including lightweight technologies that contain design, advanced materials and manufacturing. Hereby, optimally designed geometries of structural components needs to be conformed to their functional requirements and manufacturing process. In this work, a topology optimization (TO) was performed for weight reduction and performance improvement of a lower control arm (LCA) of vehicle suspension. First, FE simulations of the recently used LCA were performed under different load cases according to the actual application. The resulted stress distribution and overall stiffness were gathered as the baseline reference. Then, TO procedure was carried out and critical regions for load carrying were classified. In addition, the member-size constraint was applied to enable a LCA layout, which can be likely produced by metal forming process. The introduced optimization method serves as a guidance in practice for the lightweight design of other automotive stamping parts.

A study on the change of VO2 thin-film coating behavior according to the droplet size using ultrasonic spray

Global environmental regulations have accelerated the research on smart windows that can make efficient use of energy. Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a material whose crystal structure changes depending on the external environment and can reflect part of the sunlight. We manufactured smart window thin film through solution process using VO2 nanoink instead of traditional dry process such as CVD and sputtering. VO2 thin film was manufactured by ultrasonic spray coating onto PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) and the coating behavior of the thin film was studied by controlling the deflector flow rate, which is considered to have the greatest influence on thin-film formation among various process variables. The solvent contained in the droplet is affected by the air from the deflector, and as the deflector flow increases, the droplet size decreases due to the acceleration of solvent evaporation. The behavior of the thin-film formation depends on the fluidity of the droplets remaining on the substrate. If the fluidity of the droplets is high, the leveling effect will form a uniform thin film; otherwise the adjacent droplets may only combine to form a non-uniform thin film. When the deflector flow rate was 6 L/min, it was impossible to form a uniform thin film due to lack of fluidity.

Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm for Economic Energy and Emission Dispatch Consolidating Global Environmental Regulations

To a great extent, most of the power generation systems are dependant on fossil fuels, and their rapid usage is not only declining the reserves but also producing the greenhouse gasses that pollutes the ecology of planet and causes significant long haul harms to the earth habitats. The continuous dependency of hydrocarbon deposit will also cause shortage of fuel, causing excessively costly generation in future. In this article, a soft computing framework named as whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is proposed for the solution of multi-objective optimization problem known as economic/environmental dispatch problem (EEDP) among the most vibrant problem in the power system control area. Our designed architecture provides fast convergence rate, optimal generation cost, and reduction in environmental pollutants while handling complex system constraints such as valve-point loading effect (VPLE) and prohibited zones. To demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness of provided scheme, three highly nonlinear case studies are computed on MATLAB while considering all system contingencies. The statistical results demonstrate significant reduction in fuel emission costs, and the superiority and performance of suggested technique is compared with the recently published approaches in the literature.

Improving Liquefied Natural Gas Bunkering in Korea through the Chinese and Japanese Experiences

The International Maritime Organization has strengthened global environmental regulations related to sulfur and nitrogen oxides contained in ship fuel oil since the beginning of 2020. One strategy to comply with the regulations is to fuel ships with liquefied natural gas (LNG) rather than with traditional heavy fuel oil. China and Japan are both developing a business structure for the bunkering of LNG through public–private partnerships to expand their leadership in the field in Northeast Asia and secure a competitive advantage. Compared to China and Japan, Korea has relatively inadequate laws, policy support, and best practices for safe and efficient LNG bunkering for ships. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the LNG bunkering regulation systems in China and Japan and addresses how these systems can be mirrored by Korea to improve the Korean system. It compares the legislative and normative rules of China and Japan regarding the complex global scenario of maritime transportation. The results show that Korea must revise its guidelines and create the advanced institutional framework required for the LNG bunkering market to support an eco-friendly shipping industry and maintain a competitive edge against China and Japan.

Ice Core Record of Persistent Short‐Chain Fluorinated Alkyl Acids: Evidence of the Impact From Global Environmental Regulations

AbstractShort chain perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids (scPFCAs, CxF2x+1COOH, x ≤ 3) are persistent compounds formed from atmospheric oxidation of fluorotelomer compounds and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) replacements introduced as a result of the Montreal Protocol. Understanding sources and impacts of scPFCAs has been limited by observational data. We report multidecadal depositional fluxes for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), perfluoropropionic acid (PFPrA), and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) from two Arctic ice cores. Fluxes of all three scPFCAs increase starting around 1990. Through comparison with chemical transport models and assessment of temporal trends, we observe the importance of CFC replacements in the increased deposition of TFA. Fluorotelomer degradation may contribute to the deposition of PFBA but is insignificant for TFA and PFPrA. Deposition of TFA is expected to increase as new CFC replacement compounds are phased in. This work demonstrates the increased environmental burden of persistent and potentially toxic scPFCAs as a result of global regulation.

Investigation of the Tensile and Flexural Behavior of Polylactic Acid Based Jute Fiber Bio Composite

The main objective of this investigation is to reduce and eventually replace the use of non-biodegradable synthetic fiber. Bio composites have shown growth and has been used in the domestic sector, aerospace industry, circuit boards, and automotive applications over the past few years. Many types of natural fibres have been investigated to produce composite materials that are competitive with synthetic fibre composites. Jute is a natural fibre and is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly. Its properties include high tensile strength, low extensibility. This bio composite specimen has been fabricated with the help of hot press molding machine. The flexural and Tensile tests have been done according to the ASTM standards. The increasing awareness of global environmental and social concern and new environmental regulations have propelled the search for new composites that are compatible with the environment.

Catalytic oxy-cracking of petroleum coke on copper silicate for production of humic acids

Oxy-cracking has been developed recently as an effective technology for converting residual feedstocks, like petroleum coke (petcoke), into valuable commodity products. This offers a new pathway for creating valuable products from solid waste hydrocarbon via oxygen incorporation onto the aromatic edges, where the oxy-cracked petcoke becomes soluble in water as oxygenated hydrocarbons. This fact enhances the tendency of petcoke to disaggregate, crack and convert into humic acid analogs, making them a valuable product at low temperatures. For practical purposes, and to favor high conversion and selectivity towards valuable product, energy consumption and capital investment should be minimized. In addition, low selectivity to CO2 emission is required to meet the global environmental regulations. Hence, introducing suitable heterogeneous catalysts to the oxy-cracking process could enhance the process conversion and selectivity. Therefore, in this study, a copper-silicate (CaCuSi4O10) material with nanocrystalline domains was introduced to enhance the selectivity and conversion of the oxy-cracking reaction of petroleum coke. The copper-silicate was synthesized in-house and characterized using BET, SEM, FTIR and XRD analyses. The catalytic activity of the prepared material was investigated by cracking the residual feedstock in an alkaline medium. The results showed that the catalyst enables the reaction to occur at a lower temperature with higher conversion as compared with the non-catalyzed reaction. An insignificant amount of CO2 was formed in the gas and liquid phases at high temperature as confirmed by GC and TOC analyses, respectively. The triangular lump kinetic model was implemented to describe the reaction pathways. The oxy-cracked products were found to be in the form of humic acid analogs with different contribution of the functionality groups such as carboxylic, carbonyl, and sulfonic acids as confirmed by FTIR analysis.

Global Environmental Regulations: The Way Forward?

Global Environmental Regulations: The Way Forward?