Zero Carbon Emissions Research Articles

Recent Novel Fabrication Techniques for Proton-Conducting Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Research has been conducted on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for their fuel flexibility, modularity, high efficiency, and power density. However, the high working temperature leads to the deterioration of materials and increased operating costs. Considering the high protonic conductivity and low activation energy, the proton conducting SOFC, i.e., the protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC), working at a low temperature, has been wildly investigated. The PCFC is a promising state-of-the-art electrochemical energy conversion system for ecological energy; it is characterized by near zero carbon emissions and high efficiency, and it is environment-friendly. The PCFC can be applied for the direct conversion of various renewable fuels into electricity at intermediate temperatures (400–650 °C). The construction of the PCFC directly affect its properties; therefore, manufacturing technology is the crucial factor that determines the performance. As a thinner electrolyte layer will lead to a lower polarization resistance, a uniformly constructed and crack-free layer which can perfectly bond to electrodes with a large effective area is challenging to achieve. In this work, different fabrication methods are investigated, and their effect on the overall performance of PCFCs is evaluated. This article reviews the recent preparation methods of PCFCs, including common methods, 3D printing methods, and other advanced methods, with summarized respective features, and their testing and characterization results.

Zero-carbon inertization processes of hazardous mine tailings: Mineral physicochemical properties, transformation mechanism, and long-term stability

Hazardous mine tailings (HMTs) dam failures can cause devastation to the ecology environment, people's lives and property, which require expensive and complicated remediation engineering systematacially. A cheap and sustainable inertization disposal is proposed for de-risking HMTs without any carbon emissions, stabilizing hazardous heavy metal cations within safety minerals and also sequestering CO2 in the process, simultaneously. Herein, lead-zinc tailings as target HMTs were inertized by using waste rice husk ashes (RHAs) and carbide slag (CS) with a certain ratio, and lead-zinc tailings hardened pastes (LZTHPs) were investigated based on the experimental performance, analytical characteristics, and simulation diffusion methods, to deeply unveil the minerals transformation mechanisms and long-term stability from the cation perspectives. Results revealed that LZTHPs’ compressive strength ranged from 1.04–4.73 MPa and leaching toxicity concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cd reached 0.03 mg/L, 1.78 mg/L, 0.01 mg/L, and 0.01 mg/L, respectively. C-S-H gels (Type I and II), cation hydroxides and CO2 mineralization carbonates were the hydrates in LZTHPs. Pb (86%), Zn (78%), Cr (76%), and Cd (65%) were immobilized as residual state, and CO2 mineralization capacity was 0.16 kg/kg. The diffusion coefficient of Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cd below 4.48 × 10−10 cm2/s, 1.39 × 10−10 cm2/s, 4.72 × 10−10 cm2/s, and 0.30 × 10−12 cm2/s, which would be sufficient in most scenarios to adequately stabilize tailings. Diffusion control is the leaching mechanism of cations. After 100 years of simulation diffusion, the diffusion areas of Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cd are 1.33 × 10−3∼1.49 cm2, 2.47 × 10−4∼0.48 cm2, 2.47–8.61 × 10−4 cm2, and 1.49 cm2, respectively, and the environmental impact of LZTHPs was negligible. This study provides promising solutions for alleviating hazardous tailings dangerous, achieving sustainable development with zero-carbon emission, implying the concept of eliminating waste by waste, synchronously.

The Exponential-based Carbon Credit Cap in Carbon Cap-and-Trade Markets

The concept of carbon markets as developed in 1997 by the Kyoto Protocol was a good idea whose adoption and implementation by all counties and states would have significantly reduced the rate of emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The Carbon markets were proposed to be based on cap-and-trade whose forces of supply and demand would discourage the increase or steady emission of greenhouse gases and force companies to, gradually, revert to the use of clean energy in production. This would promote the net zero carbon emission target. The carbon markets were designed to have a cap whose nature is a specific number for all entities. The number represents the carbon quantity whose regulator would keep reducing until the net zero carbon is achieved. This nature of the cap encourages large emitters of greenhouse gases to shift to other jurisdictions that have soft regulations. It also encourages restructuring into smaller companies whose net emissions could be almost the same or more than before. In this paper, we have proposed an exponential-based cap that would leave little or no room for such market strategies. We have also demonstrated how the proposed cap can be implemented.

IN SMUGGLE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, EXTRA–BUDGETARY FUND APPLICATION AS AN INSTRUMENT OF GREEN KEYNESIAN ECONOMIC POLICY

Green Keynesian Economics, which is a postmodern reflection of Keynesian economic thought, suggests that negativities, which are possible for environmental problems causing climate change to lead to, should be solved by active role public sector will undertake. As known, carbon emissions, emitted to atmosphere in global scale, may cause climate change via greenhouse effect. This case leads country economies to face to a set of problems. Green Keynesian Economics suggests a mix of simultaneous sustainable policies as a solution for a set of problems under consideration. The aim of this study is to suggest a financial instrument taking place in the scope of Green Keynesian School for Türkiye targeting to achieve net zero carbon emission as of the year 2053.

A Study on Predicting Installation Scale of Photovoltaic Panels and Hydrogen Fuel Storage Facilities to Achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions Exploiting Idle Sites of Military Bases

In this study, the scale of renewable photovoltaic(PV) panels and hydrogen fuel storage facilities required to achieve “net zero carbon emissions” in military facilities were predicted based on actual electricity consumption. It was set up to expect the appropriate installation size of PV panel and hydrogen fuel storage facility for achieving carbon neutrality, limited to the electricity consumption in the public sector, including national defense and social security administration in Yeongcheon. The experimental results of this paper are largely composed of two parts. First, representative meteorological factors were considered to predict solar power generation in the Yeongcheon area, and solar power generation was estimated through a multiple regression model using deep learning techniques. Second, the size of solar power generation facilities and hydrogen storage facilities in military bases was estimated with the amount of solar power generation and electricity consumption. As a result of this analysis, it was calculated that a site of 155.76×104 m<sup>2</sup> for PV panels was needed and a facility capable of storing 27,657 kg of hydrogen gas was required. Through these results, it is meaningful to demonstrated the prospect that military units can lead the achievement of “carbon net zero 2050” by using PV panels and hydrogen fuel storage facilities on idle sites of military bases.

Health-Damaging Climate Events Highlight the Need for Interdisciplinary, Engaged Research.

In 2023 human populations experienced multiple record-breaking climate events, with widespread impacts on human health and well-being. These events include extreme heat domes, drought, severe storms, flooding, and wildfires. Due to inherent lags in the climate system, we can expect such extremes to continue for multiple decades after reaching net zero carbon emissions. Unfortunately, despite these significant current and future impacts, funding for research in climate and health has lagged behind that for other geoscience and biomedical research. While some initial efforts from funding agencies are evident, there is still a significant need to increase the resources available for multidisciplinary research in the face of this issue. As a group of experts at this important intersection, we call for a more concerted effort to encourage interdisciplinary and policy-relevant investigations into the detrimental health effects of continued climate change.

Behind the Concept of 'Zero Carbon Emissions' in Indonesia: A Symbolic Construction Analysis

As one of the world's largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, Indonesia has set a target for zero carbon emissions by 2060. However, these targets and the derived efforts have not been accompanied by adequate understanding among the Indonesian populace. This research aims to comprehend and analyze the concept of zero carbon emissions in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative approach with content analysis methodology, the study discovered that one of the causes for this lack of understanding is the ineffective messaging concerning 'zero carbon emissions' in Indonesia. The symbolic constructs created do not align with the intended messages, in line with the recommendations for effective environmental communication concepts, encompassing aspects such as message types, functions, word choices, genres, relevance, and consistency. This research implies an enhancement in public awareness regarding the concept of zero carbon emissions in Indonesia. The outcomes of this study can also provide insights to the government and environmental organizations to formulate more effective policies in communicating the message of 'zero carbon emissions.' By implementing these recommendations, environmental communication regarding the concept of zero carbon emissions in Indonesia can become more effective, motivating individuals to actively participate in efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Flame evolution and pressure dynamics of premixed stoichiometric ammonia/hydrogen/air in a closed duct

Ammonia is regarded as a promising energy carrier due to its zero-carbon emissions and its suitability for long-distance, large-scale storage, and transportation. Ammonia/hydrogen mixed combustion is an important way to solve the problem of high ignition temperature and low flame speed in the process of ammonia combustion. This study systematically investigates the evolution of flames and pressure dynamics in a closed duct for ammonia/hydrogen/air mixtures with varying hydrogen blending ratio (0–100 %). Simultaneously, the study assesses the impact of flame instability and heat release on the evolution of ammonia/hydrogen/air flames and pressure dynamics. The results show that the flame tip speed and overpressure increase with the increase of hydrogen blending ratio and initial pressure, and when the hydrogen blending ratio is more than 25 %, the growth range of flame tip speed peak and overpressure peak value increases significantly. At the same time, the flame thickness decreases after hydrogen blending, the hydrodynamic instability increases, and the degree of wrinkles on the flame surface increases, which promotes flame acceleration. The Froude number increases significantly, the influence of buoyancy instability gradually weakens, and the flame core does not undergo significant displacement. In the later stage of flame propagation, both the flame front propagation velocity and pressure show significant pulsation phenomena. The heat release calculation results show that hydrogen blending significantly increases the adiabatic flame temperature. Consistent with the evolution law of overpressure, when the hydrogen blending ratio is greater than 25 %, the net heat release increases significantly. The elementary reaction with the highest heat release rate changes from the chain termination reaction R41 to the chain termination reaction R3. The research results can provide theoretical basis and experimental data support for the formulation of safety standards during the regulation and utilization of the combustion structure of ammonia/hydrogen/air mixtures.

Unwarranted variation and the goal of net zero for the NHS in England: exploring the link between efficiency working, patient outcomes and carbon footprint.

In 2020 the NHS in England set a target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. Progress has already been made towards this goal, with substantial reductions in the use of environmentally harmful anaesthetic gases, such as desflurane, in recent years. Where an effective replacement already exists, changing practice to use low carbon alternatives is relatively easy to achieve, but much greater challenges lie ahead. The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is a clinically-led, data-driven clinical improvement initiative with a focus on reducing unwarranted variation in clinical practice and patient outcomes. Reducing unwarranted variation can improve patient care and service efficiency, and can also support the drive to net zero. In this article we set out what the GIRFT programme is doing to support sustainable healthcare in England, why it is uniquely positioned to support this goal and what the future challenges, barriers, enablers and opportunities are likely to be in the drive to net zero.

Optimization of Carbon Sequestration and Carbon Displacement in Fractured Horizontal Wells in Low Permeability Reservoirs

The increasing use of fossil fuels has raised concerns about rising greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) is one of the most important technologies for achieving net zero carbon emissions. In oil reservoirs, fully understanding their geological characteristics, fluid characteristics, and pressure distribution and injecting CO2 in a reasonable scheme, some remaining oil can be recovered to improve oil recovery and even obtain certain economic benefits. In this paper, we investigate the effect of CCUS implementation in low-permeability reservoirs from both technical and economic aspects. First, based on the parameters of a low-permeability reservoir, a numerical simulation model of a reservoir with gas injection in a multi-stage fractured horizontal well at the top of the reservoir and oil recovery in a multi-stage fractured horizontal well at the bottom is established. Next, four cases of continuous CO2 injection, intermittent CO2 injection, CO2 injection after water flooding, and water alternating gas drive (WAG) are designed to evaluate their effects on CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery. Finally, an economic evaluation model is developed to evaluate these four cases. The results show that fractured horizontal wells can improve the injection capacity, increase the swept volume of injected gas, cause CO2 to fully contact the crude oil, greatly increase the contact area between the wellbore and crude oil, and greatly improve oil recovery. The WAG injection-production method can effectively inhibit gas channeling, reduce the production gas–oil ratio, improve oil recovery, and, at the same time, bury more CO2 into the reservoir. Its economic benefit evaluation is also the best among the four cases. In addition, the remaining oil distribution and CO2 buried distribution under different injection-production schemes are also analyzed. This study provides a scientific basis for the operation scheme design of CCUS in low-permeability reservoirs.

Integration of Energy Management and Efficiency System for Buildings With Zero Carbon Emissions: A Case of Study

Integration of Energy Management and Efficiency System for Buildings With Zero Carbon Emissions: A Case of Study

Assessing China's Path to Carbon Neutrality: Analyzing Historical and Projected Electricity-Related Carbon Emissions in the Context of the Dual Carbon Plan

Carbon emissions have become a hot topic in the energy sector. China has proposed the "Dual Carbon Plan," aiming to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, whereby carbon emissions will be completely offset or absorbed, resulting in a net zero or negative carbon emission balance. However, China's heavy reliance on coal for electricity generation, coupled with issues of overcapacity and relatively backward technology, not only leads to significant carbon emissions but also poses challenges for a rapid transition to clean energy. This paper analyses historical data on China's total carbon emissions and carbon emissions from electricity generation. Additionally, it predicts future electricity-related carbon emissions based on policy and technological scenarios proposed by existing scholars, discussing the feasibility of achieving the goals set forth in the Dual Carbon Plan.

Analysing the long run relationship between CO2 emissions and Energy use of United Kingdom

In this study, the time series data of the United Kingdom from 1965 to 2021 for energy usage, total reserves, manufacturing, GDP and total carbon emission have been examined using autoregressive distribution lag (ARDL) model. The results revealed that energy usage, manufacturing and GDP have a positive relation with CO2 emission both in the short run and long run raising environmental concerns on the contrary only total reserves have a negative relation in the short and long run. United Kingdom increasing energy efficiency have been a top priority in the recent era, in order to achieve the target of net zero carbon emission by 2050, government need to promote policies for energy mix which would increase the usage of other renewable energy as the challenges remain for manufacturing and transportation industry because the overall emission from these sector remains largely unchanged despite advancements in fuel efficiency because the results indicates that a percentage increase in energy usage increase the CO2 emission by 0.23% whereas 1% increase in manufacturing leads to 0.25% increase in the CO2 emission.

Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) Approach in Achieving Zero Carbon Emission in North Sumatra

Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) Approach in Achieving Zero Carbon Emission in North Sumatra

Circular economy in Singapore: waste management, food and agriculture, energy, and transportation

<abstract> <p>Singapore, as a small but advanced urban economy, has achieved a high-quality living environment and has become an example of a high-density and sustainable city. To maintain that status, Singapore has set a goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by mid-century and reducing waste sent to landfills by 30% by 2030. To achieve this goal, the Government has laid out a comprehensive plan for implementing a circular economy model across all economic sectors. It includes a set of measures tailored to its unique city-state conditions that will necessarily require the joint effort of authorities, industry, companies, academia, and citizens. This article reviewed and analyzed the strategies and policies that Singapore has devised to implement such a model in four sectors identified as the highest priority by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community: waste management, food and agriculture, energy, and transportation. The analysis aimed to provide information to close the gap between aspirations and reality by identifying factors that allow progress toward planned objectives, as well as externalities and barriers that act in the opposite direction. For this endeavor, a gap analysis was carried out to look into the interconnections between the natural environment, regulatory framework and policies, governance, infrastructure, technology and innovation, and societal habits. In general, the institutional framework necessary for the transition into a resilient and resource-efficient nation is already in place, while enforcement and monitoring mechanisms to assess progress are under construction. Singapore has learned how to develop policies that are flexible and can adapt to technological, economic, and social changes, as well as threats posed by climate change, and unexpected challenges. Still, success will be determined by Singaporeans' ability to change their work-life balance paradigm for their own sake and happiness.</p> </abstract>

Towards to Zero Carbon Emission at YTU Davutpasa Campus

Towards to Zero Carbon Emission at YTU Davutpasa Campus

Can Air Transportation Reach to Zero Carbon Emissions: Comparative Econometric Analysis Between Transportation Modes in US

Can Air Transportation Reach to Zero Carbon Emissions: Comparative Econometric Analysis Between Transportation Modes in US

An Ab initio based OH initiated oxidation kinetics of glycerol carbonate: A promising biofuel component

The global energy demand is steadily increasing because of the population explosion and economic growth. Fossil fuels supply around 85 % of global primary energy demand. On one hand, fulfilling the increasing energy demands is a big challenge for the next few decades. On the other hand, the continued burning of fossil fuels leads to higher CO2 emissions, severely impacting global warming. Therefore, the policymakers vow to shift from conventional fuels to renewable resources for economic, environmental, and future energy security reasons. In this context, biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass and/or carbon-neutral fuels produced in the sustainable carbon cycle can close the carbon cycle and reach net zero-carbon emission. Recently, glycerol carbonate has been proposed as a promising fuel or fuel additive for future sustainability. Therefore, we investigated the hydrogen abstraction reactions of glycerol carbonate (GC) by OH radicals using high-level ab initio and variational transition state theory calculations. We mapped out the potential energy surface using the CCSD(T)/cc-pV(D, T)Z//MP2/cc-pVTZ level of theory. We used the ab initio parameters to obtain the site-specific rate coefficients by employing the variational transition state theory. We observed that every hydrogen atom in GC displays a unique reactivity with OH radicals. We derived branching ratio of each channel that are difficult to access experimentally. The overall rate coefficients exhibit a strong non-Arrhenius behaviour, which can be represented as:kovCVT/SCT(T)=3.39×10−20×T2.659×e−750.0Jmol−1RTcm3moleculesThis is the first reported rate data for the glycerol carbonate and OH radicals reaction.

What role do emission trading schemes, energy innovation, and technology transfer play in sustainable recovery? A perspective from BRICS economies

To ensure long-run sustainability, it is imperative to achieve the goal of zero-carbon emissions without compromising economic growth. Identifying whether BRICS economies, which are an attractive set of countries due to their rapid economic growth and high emissions, can shift towards sustainability with the support of policy measures, is a question which needs to be addressed. This article investigates the impact of emission trading schemes, energy innovation, technology transfer, population growth, and inflation on the economic performance of BRICS economies (2001–2020). The outcomes of the CS-ARDL and PMG estimators reveal that carbon taxes, carbon finance, energy innovation, technology transfer, population growth, and inflation have positive effects on economic performance. In light of the evidence, policy insights are recommended to achieve a win–win situation for economic and environmental performance.

Enhancing ammonia engine efficiency through pre-chamber combustion and dual-fuel compression ignition techniques

In pursuit of unleashing ammonia’s potential in internal combustion engines, an extensive computational study was conducted to explore the effects of two advanced combustion techniques: pre-chamber combustion (PCC) and dual-fuel compression ignition (DF−CI) on a heavy-duty ammonia engine. In the PCC mode, hydrogen was introduced into the pre-chamber (PC) to generate distributed reacting jets, with a small energy fraction of 0.5%. The case featuring a slightly narrower PC throat (diameter of 5.4 mm) yielded the highest indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) of 50.4%, owing to the rapid distribution of reacting jets and advanced combustion phasing. Further increase in hydrogen energy fraction and reduction in throat diameter resulted in a lower ITE because of the enhanced wall heat transfer loss. The DF−CI mode also exhibited significant potential for achieving high efficiency. Through a systemic optimization of parameters such as diesel injection timing, spray included angle, injection pressure, swirl ratio, and piston shape, a significantly enhanced ITE of 50.3% was attained, 7.2% higher than the baseline scenario. The improvement was primarily attributed to the promoted mixing of diesel with air. Among the design parameters, the swirl ratio and spray included angle exhibited the most significant impact on the engine performance. Overall, both the PCC and DF−CI modes were found to yield high ITE and low ammonia emissions. However, because 20% of the diesel energy fraction was utilized to mitigate ammonia slip in the DF−CI mode, notably higher greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide of 96 g/kW-h) were generated than in the PCC mode. In this regard, the ammonia-hydrogen PCC mode should be a more promising solution to achieve zero-carbon emissions for future ammonia engines.