Reduce CO2 Emissions Research Articles

An evaluation method for synergistic effect of air pollutants and CO2 emission reduction in the Chinese petroleum refining technology

The screening and evaluation of co-control technologies for pollution reduction and carbon mitigation represent a crucial prerequisite for researching pathways toward pollution and carbon reduction within petroleum refining industry. A systematic assessment method for technology synergies in pollution reduction and carbon mitigation remains deficient in China. In this study, we propose a method for evaluating the synergistic effects of technologies in pollution reduction and carbon mitigation in the petroleum refining industry. This model evaluates the synergistic control efficacy of technologies from multiple perspectives, including pollution-carbon synergy, synergistic reduction of pollutant-carbon emissions, cost-benefit analysis, and environmental benefits. The developed methodology is validated through its application to typical petroleum refining technology. The results confirm the synergistic benefits of pollution and carbon reduction through five petroleum refining technologies. With the increase in carbon trading prices, bio-jet fuels (T1) and microalgae carbon sequestration (T5) technologies have greater application potential. This study provides a scientific basis and theoretical support for the realization of collaborative control of carbon pollution in the petroleum refining industry.

Sustainable polyurethane biocomposite foams by improved microstructure, acoustic characteristics, thermoregulation performance and reduced CO2 emission through phase change material integration

In this research, phase change material (PCM) comprised of energy storage biocomposite materials were improved with raw materials obtained from renewable resources. Modified raw material was synthesized by epoxy castor oil (ECO). After mixing the obtained modified castor oil (MCO) and polyether polyol, PCM of capric acid (CA) was supplemented. To initiate the chemical reaction, a certain amount of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) was added to the mixture to provide cross-linking. The physical and chemical properties of the resulting biocomposite foams (BCF) were characterized. According to the results obtained, mixing MCO into polyether raw material increased the number of closed pores in BCF resulting in more CA stored in BCF cells produced. The use of MCO in BCF materials increased the CA integration ratio to 68 wt%. The melting enthalpy value of the novel BCF-PCM composites has been determined as 121.43 J/g. In a warm environment, the PCM additive creates a temperature difference exceeding 6 °C, while in a cold environment, it provides a cooling effect close to 6 °C. A more than 50 % improvement in thermal conductivity was achieved with 68 wt% PCM addition compared to pure BCF. The addition of PCM caused a reduction in tensile stress and strain values to an acceptable level. BCFs with PCM additives exhibit a sound absorption coefficient of 0.9 in narrow frequency ranges, whereas, in broad frequency ranges, this value was more than 0.7. In cold weather conditions, employing BCF-PCM material instead of traditional EPS material with a thickness of 0.1 m has led to at least a 30 % drop in CO2 emissions, no matter the type of fuel used for heating. When opting for BCF-PCM materials, the necessary heat demand was approximately 33 % less compared to using the same thickness of EPS in cold climates.

Offshore carbon storage from power plants based on real option and multi‐period source‐sink matching: A case study in the eastern coastal China

Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) emerges as a pivotal strategy for CO2 reduction in the power sector, particularly focusing on the overlooked domain of offshore storage along China's east coast. In spite of the potential high costs, irreversible investments, and lengthy development, offshore storage can still be prospective. Considering autonomous decision-making among emission sources, this study pioneers a CO2 offshore storage investment decision model tailored for coal-fired and gas-fired power plants. Innovating an offshore storage source-sink matching model with a real options model and introducing a pipeline network optimization model allows a realistic source-sink matching strategy to be explored under optimal investment timing. According to the results, among 154 large stationary emission sources in Zhejiang Province, offshore storage could reduce CO2 emissions by 4.59 Gt, utilizing the Qiantang, Minjiang, and Fuzhou depressions. It is economically feasible to implement offshore storage with a whole-process unit cost of 368.8 CNY/tCO2, mainly dominated by capture costs. A hybrid carbon tax-subsidy policy promotes carbon reduction and economic benefits, offering a more effective incentive for emission sources to invest in offshore storage than a single policy. At a hybrid policy price of 250 CNY/tCO2, all 27 selected emission sources are projected to invest in offshore storage by 2048, with a preference for the Qiantang depression as the storage site. Practically, this study provides important technical support and guidance for the large-scale deployment of offshore storage.

Numerical study on carbon emissions and economics of a high temperature heat pump system for an industrial process

Research to achieve net-zero is actively being carried out. In industrial processes, large amounts of carbon are emitted to product thermal energy, and there is a growing interest in electrification technologies to reduce this. While electric heaters and heat pumps are representative technologies for electrification, research to determine which technologies can economically contribute to carbon reduction is necessary. In this study, transient model for a heat pump and thermal energy storage (TES) was developed, and the CO2 emissions and economic feasibility were analyzed. When coupled with photovoltaic power and battery energy storage (BESS), it was found that the heat pump can reduce CO2 emissions more economically than electric heater. Transient analysis was performed for the case of coupling TES with heat pump instead of BESS and it was found that CO2 emissions vary from 276 to 231 g/kWhth with and without the TES, respectively. When combining the heat pump and photovoltaic system with TES or BESS, the nominal levelized cost of heat to reach the same level of CO2 emissions is 11.6 % higher for the BESS-coupled system. Up to certain level of CO2 emissions, the TES-coupled system is economically viable, but minimum emissions can be achieved with the BESS-coupled system.

A novel cascade heat design for a geothermal energy-based combined power plant in integration with water electrolysis and ammonia synthesis processes: Comprehensive thermo-environ-economic analyses

The present paper introduces an innovative integrated system for simultaneous cooling, heating, power, and ammonia production utilizing geothermal energy. The novel configuration incorporates a geothermal-based single-flash power plant, a modified Kalina cycle, an organic Rankine cycle, an electrochemical unit, and an ammonia synthesis process. The Kalian cycle has undergone modifications aimed at enhancing its production capacity, while the electrochemical unit provides hydrogen for the ammonia synthesis process. The research encompasses a thorough assessment of the proposed system's potential with regard to thermodynamic, environmental impact, and economic considerations. Additionally, a parametric assessment is conducted using the flash pressure of the geothermal fluid and the proportion of unreacted gases to the ammonia synthesis reactor in order to analyze the performance variables of the system. The proposed system demonstrates a power generation capacity of 15513.18 kW, a heating load of 24880 kW, a cooling load of 11540 kW, and an ammonia production capacity of 0.282 kg/s. Moreover, the process exhibits irreversibility with a total value of 16977 kW. Consequently, the energy and exergy efficiencies amount to 34.55% and 57.17%, correspondingly. Besides, geothermal energy offers environmental benefits, as its non-polluting nature results in reduced CO2 emissions in comparison to biomass, coal-based, and hybrid energy systems. Eventually, the economic analysis demonstrates that the total cost rate and sum unit cost of products are 825 $/h and 9.57 $/GJ, respectively.

Regional and seasonal impact of hydrogen propulsion systems on potential contrail cirrus cover

The decarbonization of air transportation requires novel propulsion concepts in order to replace fossil kerosene powered gas turbines. Within various options, H2 based propulsion is one of the most promising candidates, at least for regional and short haul routes. However, despite the potential to reduce CO2 emissions to zero, those aircraft can still have a significant climate impact due to increased contrail formation caused by higher water emission when using H2 as a propellant. In order to understand potential changes in the climate impact of H2 powered air traffic, it is crucial to evaluate how the potential for contrail formation and the potential contrail cirrus cover would change under representative atmospheric conditions. To this end, we developed a tool which uses several years of meteorological reanalysis data (ERA-5 and MERRA-2) in combination with contrail formation conditions adjusted to H2 gas turbine and H2 Fuel Cell propulsion in order to investigate their regional and seasonal variation. Contrail formation conditions for three different propulsion settings (kerosene gas turbine, H2 gas turbine and H2 fuel cell) are calculated to obtain global statistics of potential contrail cover and potential contrail cirrus cover over 12 years. For H2 based propulsion contrails are more likely to form due to the increased water vapor emission. However, this does not necessarily translate into the climatically relevant potential for contrail cirrus formation. Focusing on three hot spots of regional air traffic, we find that the difference between kerosene and H2 scenarios has a strong systematic dependency on season, altitude and latitude. Maximum differences in potential contrail cirrus cover are found in the transition region from typically no-contrail to contrail forming conditions at a potential contrail cover around 50%. In contrast, less to no difference in potential contrail cirrus cover is found at very high (close to 100%) or rather low potential contrail cover. This study demonstrates, that the question whether H2 powered air traffic produces more climate relevant contrail cirrus can not be parameterized by a simple factor but rather strongly depends on the propulsion type, season, region and flight altitude.

Enhancing CO2 capture in cement-based materials with alkanolamines: A comprehensive study on efficiency, phase-specific impact, and carbonation mechanisms

The escalating issue of global warming, driven by the surge in CO2 emissions, necessitates innovative strategies for reducing CO2 emissions. A novel approach is explored in this study, where amines featuring a basic N atom with a lone pair are incorporated into cement paste to facilitate CO2 capture from the environment. Unlike conventional applications, the focus is on the collaborative effect of various amines on CO2 capture within diverse calcium-rich phases, encompassing portlandite and Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate (C-S-H). This investigation seeks to discern the most efficient amine and optimal concentration for CO2 capture, particularly within distinct phases of cement paste. Notably, 2-(methylamino) ethanol (MAE) demonstrates superior performance in promoting CO₂ mineralisation and has been selected to further evaluate its ability in cement paste under natural carbonation conditions. Importantly, this research presents an exhaustive analysis of C-S-H carbonation with varying Ca/Si ratios, revealing carbonation mechanisms and consequential microstructural alterations in the presence of amine. Additionally, the presence of amine significantly influences crystal growth and the polymerisation of C-S-H. Furthermore, natural carbonation experiments underscore the efficacy of MAE, showcasing a 2.5-fold increase in calcite formation in the cement paste compared to scenarios without MAE.

Biochar for sustainable agriculture: Improved soil carbon storage and reduced emissions on cropland

Climate change, driven by excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural land, poses a serious threat to ecological security. It is now understood that significant differences exist in the responses of soil GHG emissions and soil carbon (C) sequestration to the application of different C-based materials (i.e., straw, organic manure (OM), and biochar). Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms by which differences in the properties of these materials affect soil GHG emissions is essential to comprehensively investigate the mechanisms through which variations in material properties influence soil GHG emissions. Herein, we conducted a field experiment to evaluate the responses of soil GHG emissions to cropland application of different C-based materials and employed molecular modeling calculations to explore the mechanisms by which differences in the properties of these materials affect soil GHG emissions. The results showed that biochar demonstrated superior resistance to biochemical decomposition and soil GHG adsorption capacity, leading to a significant reduction in soil GHG emissions due to its excellent physicochemical properties. The active surface properties of straw and OM enhanced their interaction with decomposing enzymes and accelerated their biochemical decomposition. Wheat-maize rotation with biochar application reduced CO2 emissions by 1089.8 kg CO2eq ha-1 and increased soil organic carbon by 141.8% compared to the control after one year. Collectively, these results contribute to the optimization of cropland application strategies for crop residues to balance soil C sequestration and soil GHG emissions, and to ensure sustainable agriculture and ecological security.

A conceptual evaluation of the use of Ca(OH)2 for attaining carbon capture rates of 99% in the calcium looping process

Calcium looping (CaL), typically capable of reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 90%, is a technology well suited to capturing CO2 emissions from a wide array of industrial processes. An approach in which Ca(OH)2 is injected into the carbonator to increase the carbon capture efficiency of the CaL process to 99% was evaluated in this study using a one-and-a-half-dimensional reactor model. The effect of several key parameters was considered, including the injection flow rate, injection elevation, and the formation rate of CO2 in the freeboard of the carbonator due to the combustion of char particles elutriated from the calciner. The main finding was that capture rates of 99% appear attainable, given that enough Ca(OH)2 is injected and that the injection occurs at a suitable location, i.e., the sorbent is allowed sufficient residence time in the reactor.

Durability of Steel-Reinforced Concrete Structures Under Effect of Climatic Temporality and Aggressive Agents (CO2, SO2) in Boca del Rio, Veracruz

The development of sustainable infrastructure is essential to address the challenges of climate change and reduce CO2 emissions. The use of alternative materials, such as agro-industrial ashes and silica fume, emerges as a promising option to enhance the durability of concrete and diminish its environmental impact. These materials can partially replace conventional cement, contributing to the construction of more sustainable infrastructure without compromising performance, even under adverse environmental conditions. In this study, we present an analysis of the use of sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) and silica fume (SF) as a 15% cement replacement. The behavior of these materials was investigated under coastal conditions, analyzing climatic variables and degrading gases such as CO2, CH4, and N2O. Electrochemical techniques were employed to measure corrosion rate and potential, in addition to conducting carbonation and compressive strength tests. The mixtures with a 15% addition of SBA and SF showed improvements compared to conventional mixes. SBA reduced the corrosion rate by 25% and increased compressive strength by 12% after 150 days, while SF enhanced carbonation resistance by 20% and compressive strength by 25%. The incorporation of SBA and SF provides significant durability in coastal environments, contributing to the sustainability of infrastructure exposed to adverse weather conditions.

Historical Analysis of Resilience in Spanish Desalination Companies: Period 1980–2024

This article analyzes the evolution and resilience of the Spanish desalination industry in response to shifting market conditions and technological challenges. Initially focused on domestic projects, Spanish companies leveraged the AGUA Program (Actions for the Management and Use of Water; the acronym does not correspond exactly in English, as it is translated from Spanish) to build expertise, which later facilitated their successful international expansion as local demand declined. The industry has adapted to diverse international regulations and local conditions, demonstrating both flexibility and competitiveness. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on integrating renewable energy into desalination processes to mitigate rising energy costs and address environmental concerns. This shift not only reduces CO2 emissions but also stabilizes operational costs, underscoring the sector’s ongoing innovation and adaptability.

Towards Carbon Neutrality: The Impact of Private AI Investment and Financial Development in the United States – An Empirical Study Using the STIRPAT Model

This investigation analyses the influence of private AI investment and financial development (FD) on CO2 emissions in the United States, using the STIRPAT framework to account for the functions of GDP, population, and foreign direct investment (FDI). The data's robustness was verified through the application of a variety of unit root tests, which confirmed that the variables are free of unit root issues and exhibit a varied order of integration. The ARDL bound test was used to investigate the cointegration among the variables and it found a long-run equilibrium relationship. The ARDL model results show that income, FDI, FD, and population significantly increase CO2 emissions in both the short and long term. In contrast, we found that private investment in AI led to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions over these time frames. Additional estimations were conducted using FMOLS, DOLS, and CCR methods to verify the ARDL results, all of which attested to the initial findings' robustness. In addition, the study implemented a pairwise Granger causality test to illustrate the directional relationships between the variables. There is a unidirectional causal link between GDP, private AI investment, FDI, population, and CO2 emissions, according to the findings. Most notably, we observed bidirectional causality between CO2 emissions and FD. Diagnostic tests further corroborated the validity of the study's conclusions, confirming that the model is free from specification errors, serial correlation, and heteroscedasticity.

Dynamic linkages between element input structure, global value chain, and carbon emissions: evidence from a heterogeneous panel cointegration model

ABSTRACT Industrial CO2 constitutes a dominant component of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, modifications in industrial production processes are crucial. We analyse global cross-national panel datasets from 1995 to 2018 using the panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to provide comprehensive evidence of the combined effects of input-side element structures and production-side global value chain (GVC) divisions on output-side CO2 emissions. The results show that: (i) Renewable energy and service elements in production factors can reduce CO2 emissions, though their abatement effects vary. Both can produce sustained carbon mitigation effects in the long term, but only renewable energy is effective in the short term. (ii) The GVC division pattern can induce a CO2 emission increase in both the short and long term, though these effects are heterogeneous depending on the differences in forward-backward GVC divisions. (iii) A path dependence analysis shows that input-side element structures can change production-side GVC divisions, thereby affecting output-side emissions. This study extends our understanding of the environmental effects of various production links and helps coordinate high-quality economic development and impending environmental constraints.

Prediction of CO2 emissions to achieve net-zero objectives in the iron and steel sectors of North America

ABSTRACT Predictive models are widely used to create effective plans for reducing CO2 emissions in manufacturing. The Iron and Steel (I&S) industries play a crucial role in meeting international commitments to achieve Net-zero emissions by 2050. The objective of this study is to forecast carbon dioxide emissions from the I&S industries in North America through the utilization of a Multi-Objective Mathematical model. The proposed data-driven approach is integrated with various machine learning algorithms capable of accurately predicting future values with a small dataset. Additionally, sensitivity analyses under different scenarios are conducted to evaluate the impact of implementing proposed solutions by the research community. Results show a significant improvement in accuracy through the employment of the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA). Forecasts reveal a sustained increment of 0.7 MtCO2 every year spanning between 2022 and 2050. This study provides valuable information for stakeholders and policymakers as it allows a more precise evaluation to integrate new technologies to abate forthcoming CO2 emissions.

Synergistic Impact of Magnets and Fins in Solar Desalination: Energetic, Exergetic, Economic, and Environmental Analysis

This study investigates the effectiveness of combining magnets with parabolic and truncated fins in enhancing the distillation process of solar stills. The integration of magnets accelerated evaporation rates, while the fins increased the heat absorption area, resulting in improved output, vis-à-vis traditional solar stills. A comparative assessment revealed that the parabolic fin solar still (PFS) with magnets outperformed the truncated fin solar still (TCFS), producing 20%, 15%, and 16% more distillate at three different depths (1, 2, and 3 cm). The superior performance of the PFS is attributed to the magnetism of the water and the fins’ more extensive surface area for heat absorption. Efficiency measurements at a water depth of 1 cm showed that the PFS achieved the maximum energy and exergy efficiencies at 30.49% and 8.85%, respectively, compared with TCFS’s 25.23% and 6.22%. Economically, the PFS setup proved more feasible, with a 20.9% lower cost per liter of distilled water than TCFS. Additionally, the environmental impact assessment indicated a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, potentially generating revenues of approximately USD 1242.32 through carbon credits. These results reflect a considerable margin to enhance the efficiency of solar desalination through well-planned adjustments, which bodes well for the future of optimized solar distillation systems from an economic and environmental perspective.

Anticorrelation of net uptake of atmospheric CO2 by the world ocean and terrestrial biosphere in current carbon cycle models

Abstract. The rate at which atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) would decrease in response to a decrease in anthropogenic emissions or cessation (net zero emissions) is of great scientific and societal interest. Such a decrease in atmospheric CO2 on the centennial scale would be due essentially entirely to transfer of carbon into the world ocean (WO) and the terrestrial biosphere (TB), which are sink compartments on this timescale. The rate of decrease in excess atmospheric CO2 and the apportionment of this decrease into the two sink compartments have been examined in two prior model intercomparison studies, subsequent either to a pulse emission of CO2 or to abrupt cessation of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The present study examines and quantifies inter-model anticorrelation in those studies in the net rate and extent of uptake of CO2 into the two sink compartments. Specifically, in each study the time-dependent coefficients characterizing the net transfer rate into the two sink compartments (evaluated as the net transfer rate normalized to excess atmospheric CO2 above the pre-pulse amount for the pulse experiment or as the net transfer rate divided by excess atmospheric CO2 above the preindustrial amount for the abrupt cessation experiment) were found to exhibit strong anticorrelation across the participating models. That is, models for which the normalized rate of uptake into the WO was high exhibited low uptake rate into the TB and vice versa. This anticorrelation in net transfer rate results in anticorrelation in net uptake extent into the two compartments that is substantially greater than would be expected simply from competition for excess CO2 between the two sink compartments. This anticorrelation, which is manifested in diminished inter-model diversity, can lead to artificially enhanced confidence in current understanding of the consequences of potential future reductions of CO2 emissions and in the global warming potentials of non-CO2 greenhouse gases relative to that of CO2.

Renewable realities: Charting a greener course for the world's high‐emitting nations through information technology insights

AbstractCarbon dioxide (CO₂) is the most abundant gas among all greenhouse gas emissions, severely impacting global warming. This study examines the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), population dynamics, Per Capita Gross Domestic Product (PGDP), and Renewable Energy Consumption (REC) on CO₂ on a global scale, representing 38 countries selected using the Pareto principle. Results from the panel regression model indicate a significantly positive relationship between ICT, PGDP, and population on CO₂ emissions. In contrast, REC exhibits a negative relationship. The Multiple Linear Regression model shows that an increase in PGDP leads to higher CO₂ emissions, except in Uzbekistan. ICT increases emissions in the United States, Argentina, Australia, Canada, and Egypt. Population growth raises emissions, except in the United States, France, Germany, and Russia. REC reduces CO₂ emissions in most countries. Policymakers in individual countries can gain a precise understanding of how these variables impact CO₂ emissions, enabling them to mitigate the risks associated with global warming.

Measuring the Effectiveness of the ‘Batch Operations’ Energy Design Pattern to Mitigate the Carbon Footprint of Communication Peripherals on Mobile Devices

The Internet of Things (IoT) is set to play a significant role in the future development of smart cities, which are designed to be environmentally friendly. However, the proliferation of these devices, along with their frequent replacements and the energy required to power them, contributes to a significant environmental footprint. In this paper we provide scientific evidences on the advantages of using an energy design pattern named ‘Batch Operations’ (BO) to optimize energy consumption on mobile devices. Big ICT companies like Google already batch multiple API calls instead of putting the device into an active state many times. This is supposed to save tail energy consumption in communication peripherals. To confirm this, we set up an experiment where we compare energy consumption and carbon emission when BO is applied to two communication peripherals on Android mobile device: 4G and GPS. Results show that (1) BO can save up to 40% energy when sending HTTP requests, resulting in an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions. (2) no advantages for the GPS interface.

Analysis of Energy-Related-CO2-Emission Decoupling from Economic Expansion and CO2 Drivers: The Tianjin Experience in China

Cities are key areas for carbon control and reduction. The study of the decoupling between CO2 emissions and gross domestic product (GDP) and the drivers of CO2 emissions in cities facilitates the reduction of CO2 emissions to safeguard the development of the economy. This paper first calculates the CO2 emissions in Tianjin, China, from 2005 to 2022, then uses the Tapio decoupling index to quantify the decoupling status, and, finally, explores the energy-CO2-emission drivers through the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model. The findings indicate that (1) the decrease in CO2 emissions from industrial products and transport is the main reason for the decline. (2) During the period under investigation, the predominant condition observed was a state of weak decoupling. (3) Given the economic-output effect is the primary and substantial driver of energy CO2 emissions, it is essential to harmonize the interplay between economic-development approach and CO2 emissions to foster sustainable development in Tianjin. The industrial structure plays the most critical role in hindering the reduction of CO2 emissions; therefore, optimizing industrial structure can help achieve carbon reduction and control targets. These findings enrich the study of CO2 emission factors and can also interest urban policymakers.

Non‐Destructive and Mechanical Characterization of the Bond Quality of Co‐Extruded Titanium‐Aluminum Profiles

The transportation industry aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, with a focus on reducing vehicle mass. A key method involves advanced lightweight construction techniques using materials like aluminum alloys. Research is concentrated on developing processes to combine different materials into reinforced hybrid components, such as aluminum and titanium. This study focuses on the lateral angular co‐extrusion (LACE) process to produce hybrid hollow profiles of EN AW‐6082 and Ti6Al4V, investigating the impact of the thermomechanical processing during extrusion and heat treatment (HT) on the resulting bond quality and material properties. Various HT routes are tested to see their impact on intermetallic phase formation, longitudinal weld seams, and bonding strength. Mechanical testing evaluates the tensile strength of the joining zone, while nondestructive ultrasonic testing (UT) assesses joining zone integrity and poor bonding detection. Results indicate that HT parameters significantly influence the bond quality and mechanical properties of hybrid profiles. UT data shows a strong correlation with tensile strength and intermetallic phase growth, providing a nondestructive way to evaluate bond quality. This study highlights the potential of LACE processes and optimized HT strategies to improve the performance and reliability of aluminum–titanium hybrid components.