Particulate Matter Emissions Research Articles

Human activities and increased anthropogenic emissions: A remote sensing study in Cyprus

BackgroundThe effects of human activity on the environment are widespread and widely known. Human activities on most continents can be generalized as shelters and food chains due to the basic requirements of human life. Most of these activities require Land-use Land-cover (LULC) transformations, and their effects can be seen as changes such as increases in the global Land Surface Temperature (LST) and air pollutant concentrations. The present research aims to use remote sensing to monitor LULC transformations in Cyprus. MethodThis research uses Sentinel-3 data, Python programming, geographical information systems, and remote sensing to develop a moving average research method for a case study of Cyprus. Importantly, this work eliminates all political and ethnic boundaries to produce a unified analysis. ResultBased on the research outcomes, the highest mean LST and sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter (with a diameter of 10 μm or less) emissions occur in the Limassol, Famagusta, Nicosia, and Larnaca districts. These emissions are mainly attributable to artificial surfaces, agricultural areas, and forested and semi-natural areas. These trends may relate to electric power plants, a cement factory, an airport, and intensified agricultural activities in the research area.

Investigating the Effect of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Emission Reduction on Surface-Level Ozone (O3) during Summer across the UK

Investigating the Effect of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Emission Reduction on Surface-Level Ozone (O3) during Summer across the UK

Environmental Assessment on Fabrication of Bio-composite Filament Fused Deposition Modeling Through Life Cycle Analysis

The environmental effect of a manufacturing or service method is determined by the resource and energy inputs and outputs at each point of the product’s life cycle. In Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), generally, the material used for fabrication is plastic, and the raising of interest from different backgrounds of users could increase the issue of plastic pollution. Therefore, many scholars have proposed an initiative to employ bio-composite in FDM. In this study, an environmental assessment of global warming potential and fine particulate matter emission from the fabrication of bio-composite filament FDM was performed through its life cycle analysis using GaBi Software. Initially, data on resources and energy inputs and outputs were gathered. The functional unit in this study was the 1.0 kg wood/PLA composite filament extruded using a twin-screw extruder. All wastes were collected and recycled. The fabricated composite filaments were transported by container ship with a capacity of 5000 – 200 000 dwt gross weight for 100 km within Malaysia. Based on the results from the GaBi dashboard, the FDM process of bio-composite filament has contributed as much as 138.7 kg CO2 eq on the global warming potential and 1.71e-4 kg N eq. on fine particulate matter by the electricity power generation in extrusion and printing processes. The main factor for this issue is the consumption of coal in electric power generation, which is considered a non-renewable resource. Therefore, it is recommended that natural fibers such as wood fiber be employed in the filament of FDM to reduce the environmental impact. As shown in the study, the materials contribute less to the impact. Further study is suggested to compare the FDM technology with conventional technology using similar materials.

ENHANCING AIR POLLUTION CONTROL WITH MACHINE LEARNING IN THE AUTOMATION FIELD

The integration of machine learning with real-time data collection offers a transformative approach to optimizing pollution control strategies. This study explores the application of these advanced technologies in various environments, including urban, industrial, coastal, and rural areas. Using predictive machine learning models, significant reductions in pollutants such as PM2.5, SO2, NOx, VOCs, PM10, and NH3 were achieved through targeted and timely interventions. In urban areas, air quality improved notably due to proactive measures informed by high-accuracy predictions. Industrial areas saw a 20% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions, while coastal areas effectively managed volatile organic compounds. In rural areas, optimizing agricultural practices led to substantial decreases in particulate matter and ammonia emissions. These findings validate the efficacy of machine learning in enhancing pollution control efforts, highlighting its potential to revolutionize air quality management. This study underscores the importance of continued investment in advanced, data-driven approaches to address the growing challenge of air pollution, advocating for more sophisticated, adaptive, and effective strategies to protect public health and the environment.

Electricity-driven rapid regeneration of ceramic paper-based soot filters with conductive potassium-supported antimony-doped tin oxide catalyst

To address short-term emission of massive particulate matter (PM) from diesel engines, rapid regeneration of catalyzed diesel particulate filters (CDPF) based on soot combustion is a considerable challenge. Herein, we employed an aluminosilicate fiber-weaved ceramic paper (CP) as a filter matrix, on which highly active potassium-supported antimony-doped tin oxides (K/ATO) were coated to fabricate a CDPF. The K/ATO/CP monolith preserves the 3D-network structure of CP while incorporating the mesopores of K/ATO, providing potential for trapping soot particles effectively. Furthermore, electricity pulses are designed to pass through the conductive K/ATO coating on the monolith for CDPF regeneration, achieving nearly complete soot conversion within less than half a minute using 1400 J of energy input. Both the reaction rate and the energy efficiency surpass previously reported those of other methods for soot combustion. Mechanism studies revealed that the electricity pulse can stimulate the release of tremendous lattice oxygen from the catalyst and in turn trigger rapid soot combustion, and boost surface sulfate decomposition to alleviate SO2 poisoning. This work presents an electrification strategy to realize rapid regeneration of CDPF for effective PM elimination utilizing onboard electricity system for hybrid powers.

Differentiated impact of low-exhaust-emission vehicles on NO2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_\ ext {2}$$\\end{document} and particle concentrations in the Paris region

Higher concentrations of air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_\ ext {2}$$\\end{document}) and particulate matter (PM), are observed in streets compared to the urban background. These concentrations could be predominantly attributed to road traffic, which remains an important source despite relentless efforts. In this study, performed over the Paris area, the impacts of the evolution of the fleet composition on urban air quality down to the street scale is assessed with two scenarios assuming the introduction of very-low-emission vehicles. Exhaust emission factors for these vehicles are based on the improvement of engine and after-treatment technologies, leading to factors lower than those proposed for the European emission standard Euro 7. Using the year 2014 as the baseline, very-low-emission vehicles are introduced up to the year 2030 for the Paris region. NO2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_\ ext {2}$$\\end{document} emissions are thus reduced by 68 % in streets, and concentrations by 53 %. However, PM concentration reduction is limited to 18 % in streets as non-exhaust emissions from tyre and brake wear and road abrasion are preponderant. PM emissions from non-exhaust sources represent 59 % of the total road-traffic emission of PM in 2014 and 89 % in 2030. Non-regulated pollutant concentrations are also reduced, by 42 % for black carbon and 30 % for organic matter. Considering only very-low-emission and electric vehicles in the fleet further reduce NO2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_\ ext {2}$$\\end{document} emissions and concentrations by 99.5 % and 80 % respectively. PM concentrations are only reduced by 22 %. This study highlights the high reduction potential of NO2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_\ ext {2}$$\\end{document} concentrations with very-low-emission and electric vehicles, because of reduction of exhaust emissions. However, difficulties remain to reduce PM concentrations in urban areas, with the large majority of PM traffic emissions coming from non-exhaust sources.

Spatiotemporal changes in fine particulate matter and ozone in the oasis city of Korla, northeastern Tarim Basin of China

Air pollution is a serious environmental health concern for humans and other living organisms. This study analyzes the spatial and temporal characteristics of air pollutant concentrations, changes in the degree of pollution, and the wavelet coherence of the air quality index (AQI) with pollutants in various monitoring stations. The analysis is based on long-term time series data (January 2016 to December 2023) of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, and O3) from Korla, an oasis city in the northeastern part of the Tarim Basin, China. The concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, and O3 in Korla showed a cyclical trend from 2016 to 2023; PM10 concentrations exhibited all-season exceedance and PM2.5 exhibited exceedance only in spring. PM2.5 and PM10 showed a seasonal distribution of spring > winter > fall > summer; O3 concentrations showed a seasonal distribution of summer > spring > fall > winter. Strong positive wavelet coherence between PM and Air Quality Index (AQI) data series suggests that the AQI data series can effectively characterize fluctuating trends in PM concentrations. Moreover, PM10 levels IV and VI were maintained at approximately 10%, indicating that sand and dust have a substantial influence on air quality and pose potential threats to the health of urban inhabitants. Based on the results of this study, future efforts must strengthen relative countermeasures for sand prevention and control, select urban greening species with anti-pollution capabilities, rationally expand urban green spaces, and restrict regulations for reducing particulate matter emissions within city areas.

Spatial Mapping of On-road Traffic Emission for Air Quality Management: A Case of Vinh Phuc Province

Vinh Phuc province is in the northern key economic region of Vietnam. The province has been facing challenges in air quality management as the number of vehicles has rapidly increased to meet the rising demand for transportation resources. This research was aimed to conduct an emission inventory and to build a spatial emission map for traffic activities in an attempt to improve air quality management in Vinh Phuc province. The vehicles were categorized into 5 groups: motorcycles, cars, light-duty vehicles (LDVs), heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) and buses. Meanwhile, the streets were also categorized into 5 groups: highways, rural roads, urban streets, suburban streets and industrial streets. The results showed that motorcycles were the main means of transportation (93% of total vehicles) and they were also the major contributors to total emissions of NOx, CO, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), CH4, NMVOCs (non-methane volatile organic compounds) and especially in the cases of CO, CH4, VOC and NMVOC emissions which contributed more than 90% of emissions. Cars were the main source of SO2 emissions, contributing 51% of total SO2 road traffic emissions. The emissions of TSP (total suspended particulate), PM10 and PM2.5 were mostly generated from buses (about 32%), followed by motorcycles (about 18%). LDVs and HDVs contributed 18% and 15% to total particulate matter emissions, respectively. Spatial distribution analysis of CO, NOx, SO2, TSP, NMVOC and PM2.5 which involved visual identification in polluted areas, showing that high emissions were in the southeast part of the province and the most polluted areas were Vinh Yen city, followed by Binh Xuyen district and Phuc Yen city. These results provide suggestions for local governments on how to design effective air quality control strategies.

Comparative thermal assessment and emission analysis of various green biodiesel from novel feedstocks for CI engines: a sustainable approach towards emission reduction.

In order to replace conventional diesel, biodiesel from various feedstocks is being researched for diesel engines. This study explores novel biodiesel blends produced from unconventional resources such as mentha piperita (peppermint), pontederia crassipes (water hyacinth), tamarindus indica (tamarind), and trichosanthes cucumerina (snake gourd) to assess the outcomes of a diesel engine. The fuel samples are designated as MP20, PC20, TC20, and TI20, which consist of 80% biodiesel and 20% diesel. The assessment is carried out on a four-stroke, one-cylinder diesel engine that is water-cooled and set to operate at 1500rpm with a 17.5 compression ratio under various engine loading scenarios with quarter-incremental loading from one-fourth to full loading conditions. The fuel samples are injected with 220bar injection pressure into the combustion chamber 23° before TDC. An extensive analysis of engine parameters is performed using engine configuration, fuel characteristics, and applied boundary conditions. This comprises brake-specific energy consumption (BSEC), fuel consumption (BSFC), thermal efficiency (BTE), cylinder pressure (CP), heat release rate (HRR), particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. At 100% load, the biodiesel blends show an increase in BSFC (2.8-12.6%) and BSEC (1.1-7.1%) but a minor decrease in CP (0.9-6.9%), HRR (0.8-16.2%), and BTE (1.2-2.9%). For biodiesel blends at full engine load, the emissions of PM (8.9-21.4%), NOx (1.4-16.2%) and CO2 (2.4-7.9%) are all significantly reduced. The results emphasize the distinct benefits of biodiesel blends, demonstrating enhanced engine performance and substantial decreases in emissions, which supports the aim of providing sustainable energy solutions.

Particulate Matter (PM) and Parent, Nitrated and Oxygenated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Emissions of Emulsified Heavy Fuel Oil in Marine Low-Speed Main Engine.

To understand the influences of emulsified fuel on ship exhaust emissions more comprehensively, the emissions of particulate matter (PM), nitrated, oxygenated and parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied on a ship main engine burning emulsified heavy fuel oil (EHFO) and heavy fuel oil (HFO) as a reference. The results demonstrate that EHFO (emulsified heavy fuel oil) exhibits notable abilities to significantly reduce emissions of particulate matter (PM) and low molecular weight PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in the gas phase, particularly showcasing maximum reductions of 13.99% and 40.5%, respectively. Nevertheless, burning EHFO could increase the emission of high molecular weight PAHs in fine particles and pose a consequent higher carcinogenic risk for individual particles. The total average (gaseous plus particulate) ΣBEQ of EHFO exhausts (41.5 μg/m3) was generally higher than that of HFO exhausts (18.7 μg/m3). Additionally, the combustion of EHFO (extra-heavy fuel oil) can significantly alter the emission quantity, composition, and particle-size distribution of PAH derivatives. These changes may be linked to molecular structures, such as zigzag configurations in C=O bonds. Our findings may favor the comprehensive environmental assessments on the onboard application of EHFO.

Experimental Research on Regulated and Unregulated Emissions from E20-Fuelled Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Ethanol as a renewable fuel has been applied in fuel vehicles (FVs), and it is promising in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). This work aims to investigate the emission characteristics of ethanol applied in both FVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The paper conducted a real-road test of an internal combustion FV and PHEV, respectively, based on the world light vehicle test cycle (WLTC) by using gasoline and regular gasoline under different temperature conditions. The use of E10 and E20 in FVs has been effective in reducing the conventional emissions of the vehicles. At 23 °C, E10 and E20 reduced the conventional emissions including carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbon compound (THC), non-methane hydrocarbon compound (NMHC), particulate matter (PM), and particulate number (PN) by 15.40–31.11% and 11.00–44.13% respectively. At 6 °C, E10 and E20 reduced conventional emissions including THC, CO, and PM by 2.15–8.61% and 11.02–13.34%, respectively. However, nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions increased to varying degrees. The reduction trend of non-conventional emissions including methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) from FVs fueled with E10 and E20 is not significant for vehicles. Overall, the emission reduction effect of E20 is better than that of E10, and the emission reduction effect of ethanol gasoline on vehicle emissions is reduced at low temperatures. Lower ambient temperatures increase vehicle emissions in the low-speed segment but decrease vehicle emissions in the ultra-high-speed segment. HEV emissions of THC, CO, PN, and PM are reduced by 25.28%, 12.72%, 77.34%, and 64.59%, respectively, for E20 compared to gasoline, and the use of E20 in HEVs contributes to the reduction of overall vehicle emissions.

Effects of fuel and driving conditions on particle number emissions of China-VI gasoline vehicles: based on corrections to test results.

The increasing number of vehicles are emitting a large amount of particles into the atmosphere, causing serious harm to the ecological environment and human health. This study conducted the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC) to investigate the emission characteristics of particle number (PN) of China-VI gasoline vehicles with different gasoline. The gasoline with lower aromatic hydrocarbons and olefins reduced particulate matter (PM) and PN emissions by 24% and 52% respectively. The average PN emission rate of the four vehicles during the first 300s (the cold start period) was 7.2 times that of the 300s-1800s. Additionally, because the particle transmission time and instrument response time, the test results of instantaneous emissions of PN were not synchronized with vehicle specific power (VSP). By calculating the Spearman correlation coefficient between pre-average vehicle specific power (PAVSP) and the test results of PN instantaneous emissions, the delay time was determined as 10s. After the PN emissions results were corrected, the PN emissions were found to be more related to VSP. By analyzing the influence of driving status on emission, this study found that vehicles in acceleration mode increased PN emissions by 76% compared to those in constant speed mode.

Multi-Criteria Optimization of a Laboratory Top-Lit Updraft Gasifier in Order to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Particulate Matter Emissions

Air pollution from combustion processes is harming human health and the environment. To mitigate this, one needs to adopt cleaner energy production methods, in particular, to optimize combustion systems in order to minimize pollutants and increase efficiency. Flue gas analysis and particulate matter (PM) monitoring, starting from the prototype phase, is crucial to minimize and regulate pollutant emissions. This article analyses the emissions of pollutants and particulate matter from a combustion test gasifier working on the Top-Lit Updraft (TLUD) principle in order to optimize functionality and reduce exhaust emissions. Three experiments were performed in which the primary (gasification) air flow rate (GA) was kept constant at 25 L/min, and the secondary (combustion) air flow rate (CA) was adjusted to obtain a CA/GA ratio of 2 (50 L/min), 3 (75 L/min), and 4 (100 L/min) respectively. Based on a multi-criterial analysis, the optimal CA/GA ratio for TLUD combustion is 3, offering a well-rounded performance in output temperatures, PM and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, and efficiency, while the CA/GA ratio of 4 has good PM and GHG emissions performance but lower efficiency, and the CA/GA ratio of 2 is the least favorable due to its poor performance in output temperatures, PM and GHG emissions.

Perception matters: How air pollution influences life satisfaction in China

Academic studies on environmental pollution have convincingly acknowledged the salient relevance of ambient pollutant emissions on individual life satisfaction. However, an understanding of how the different dimensions of air pollution influence public self-assessment of their living condition is required. This research investigates whether objective pollutant emissions and subjective evaluation influence individual life satisfaction. The findings were based on data from the China Environment Yearbook and China Social Survey in 2019. The multi-level linear regression model found that air pollutants emissions, including particulate matter (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), failed to explain the variations in public life satisfaction because of the lag effect of public perception. A significant nexus between perceived air pollution and public life satisfaction was observed at a significance level of 0.01. Specially, as the perceived air pollution by the public increased by one-point, life satisfaction decreased by 0.22 on a scale of 1–10, on average. Heterogeneous analysis based on income further suggested the salient negative effect of PM emissions on life satisfaction only occurred in the high-income group. The findings were robust after various methodological analyses. This study has theoretical implications for understanding the effects of air pollution on public subjective perception and provides guidance for how the government can manage the relationship between environmental governance and life satisfaction.

Numerical Investigation on Energetic, Combustion, and Emissions Parameters of a Diesel Engine Fueled With Diesel/Butanol and Diesel/Pentanol

Abstract In this article, the effect of butanol/diesel and pentanol/diesel blended fuel with different proportions on the energetic, combustion, and emissions parameters of a diesel engine was studied. First, an engine model was established using Diesel-RK software. The modeled engine was a direct injection diesel engine having a fixed compression ratio, injection timing, and speed of 17.5:1, 23 degbTDC, and 1500 rpm, respectively. After that, a set of experiments was conducted using a 5% pentanol and 95% diesel by volume fuel blend maintaining the same operating conditions as the simulation, and the results of the experiment were compared with the numerical result using the same blend. The simulated results were found to be in respectable agreement with experimental findings. The analysis of the simulated results shows that at 100% load using 15% butanol and 85% diesel by volume and 15% pentanol and 85% diesel by volume brake thermal efficiency was increased by 0.96% and 0.8%, respectively. The emission of NOx was reduced by 24.4% and 10.75% on average using butanol and pentanol blends, respectively. The instantaneous heat release rate and ignition delay increase with the higher alcohol–diesel blends, whereas the peak pressure rise and combustion temperature decrease. Smoke emissions were reduced by 3.31–8.75%, and specific particulate matter emissions decreased by 20.9% and 15.07%, respectively, on average with the addition of butanol/pentanol in neat diesel.

Particle filter performance of soot-loaded diesel particulate filter and the effect of its regeneration on the particle number and size distribution

The DPF regeneration is crucial for reducing backpressure, minimizing negative impacts on engine power and fuel economy, but the changes in particulate emission characteristics it brings are worth studying. In this study, the influence of DPFs with different soot loadings on exhaust back pressure and particle emission characteristics, as well as the particle number emission, particle size distribution, and thermal field distribution characteristics during regeneration was investigated based on engine bench test. Results reveal that the exhaust back pressure increases linearly with the engine speed, as well as the soot loading. The increase of DPF soot loading leads to a considerable increase in the reduction efficiency of particle number (PN) and particulate matter emissions, especially for the accumulation mode particles. Moreover, the performance in reducing nucleation mode particles is markedly better than that of accumulation mode ones, and this effect is greatly influenced by the engine operating conditions. At the beginning of DPF regeneration, the PN concentration increases sharply, especially the nucleation mode particles. After regeneration, the PN emissions decrease by two orders of magnitude. During regeneration, the particle size distribution exhibits a unimodal distribution, with the peak value increasing considerably and shifting toward smaller particle sizes. After regeneration, the particle size of the PN peak value slightly decreases and markedly shifts toward larger sizes, the accumulation mode particle concentration increases by 7.2 times, and the nucleation mode particle concentration increases by 2.6 times. Before the DPF regeneration, the axial temperature gradually decreases along the direction of the airflow, and the radial temperature gradually decreases from the center to the edge. During regeneration, the highest temperature occurs in the center of the DPF cross-section, whereas the temperature peak at the outlet interface occurs at the middle position of the DPF. The findings of this paper can provide scientific references to formulation and optimization of DPF regeneration strategies.

Source identification of ultrafine particulate matter and ammonia emissions in the metropolitan area

Previous studies have estimated the sources of particulate matter in the atmosphere. Among these, studying the sources of secondary aerosols harmful to human health is important. However, there is a lack of research on ammonia (NH3), a precursor to secondary aerosol formation. This study uses positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and conditional bivariate probability function (CBPF) model to estimate the sources of particulate matter and ammonia. The results showed that about 40% of the PM2.5 mass at both sites was attributable to secondary aerosol. To estimate the emission sources of ammonia that contribute to the generation of secondary aerosols, CBPF was utilized to model and compare the emission characteristics of categorized pollution sources and ammonia, and it was found that SMA had similar emission trends to industry, road dust, oil combustion, and biomass combustion, while GRA had similar emission trends to oil combustion and vehicle (diesel). Considering the results from these two regions, ammonia in the metropolitan area is more likely to be emitted from daily activities than from long distances. The study results demonstrate the major role of secondary aerosols on ambient PM2.5 concentrations and can help develop effective management strategies and policies for air pollution mitigation.

Refining Combustion Dynamics: Dissolved Hydrogen in Diesel Fuel within Turbulent-Flow Environments

This article presents the possibility of improving combustion using the effect of releasing hydrogen from a solution with nucleation of gas bubbles. This concept consists in dissolving hydrogen in diesel fuel until the equilibrium state of the solution is reached. At a later stage, the phenomenon is reversed, and this gas is released from the solution during its injection into the combustion chamber with a strong swirl. A characteristic feature of the solution is that when lowering the pressure (opening the atomizers), there is a decrease in the equilibrium thermodynamic potential, which results in the excess, dissolved hydrogen being released spontaneously, and this process is of a volumetric nature. This article is a continuation of the work carried out at Poznan University of Technology on the development of this concept. This article presents the results of tests for the impact of hydrogen dissolved in diesel fuel on the combustion process within a turbulent-flow environment. The tests were conducted in the combustion chamber of an engine equipped with a toroidal combustion chamber and direct injection. During the tests, the following factors were measured: the main indicators of motor operation, emission of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matters.

Measuring global monetary damages from particulate matter and carbon dioxide emissions to track sustainable growth

An integrated framework that tracks global stocks and flows of natural capital is needed to assess sustainable economic growth. Here, we develop a set of globally comprehensive monetary damages from particulate matter air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in 165 countries from 1998 to 2018. Our results show that pollution intensity began to rise after a decade during which the global economy became less pollution-intensive from the late 1990s until the Great Recession. Larger economic production shares and higher pollution intensity in China and India drove this change. Deducting pollution damage from output from the late 1990s until the Great Recession yields higher growth estimates. After the Great Recession, this adjustment for pollution damage attenuated growth. We show that modeling monetary damages instead of physical measures of environmental quality affects inferences about sustainable development. Further, the monetary damages from exposure to particulate emissions peak earlier in the development path than damages due to carbon dioxide emissions. Monetary damages peak later than physical measures of both pollutants. For carbon dioxide, per capita emissions maximize at just over 60,000 dollars while monetary damages peak at nearly 80,000 dollars. In 2018, all but two countries were below this income level. Our results suggest that the global economy is likely to exhibit rising damages from particulates and carbon dioxide emissions in the years to come as nations grow and develop.

Effect of nano-graphene lubricating oil on particulate matter of a diesel engine

Nano-graphene lubricating oil with appropriate concentration shows excellent performance in reducing friction and wear under different working conditions of diesel engines, and has been widely concerned. Lubricating oil has a significant impact on particulate matter (PM) emissions. At present, there are few studies on the impact of nano-graphene lubricating oil on the physicochemical properties of PM. In order to comprehensively evaluate the impact of nano-graphene lubricating oil on diesel engines, this paper mainly focused on the effects of lubricating oil nano-graphene additives on the particle size distribution and physicochemical properties of PM. The results show that, compared with pure lubricating oil, the total number of nuclear PM and accumulated PM of nano-graphene lubricating oil is significantly increased. The fractal dimension of PM of nano-graphene lubricating oil increases and its structure becomes more compact. The average fringe separation distance of basic carbon particles decreases, the average fringe length increases. The degree of ordering and graphitization of basic carbon particles are higher. The fringe tortuosity of basic carbon particles decreases, and the fluctuation of carbon layer structure of basic carbon particles decreases. Aliphatic substances in PM are basically unchanged, aromatic components and oxygen functional groups increase. The initial PM oxidation temperature and burnout temperature increase, the maximum oxidation rate temperature and combustion characteristic index decrease, and the activation energy increases, making it more difficult to oxidize. This was mainly caused by the higher graphitization degree of PM of nano-graphene lubricating oil and the increased content of aromatic substances.