• Energy Research
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Available methods for measuring the impact of ocean acidification (OA) and leakage from carbon capture and storage (CCS) on marine sedimentary pH profiles are unsuitable for replicated experimental setups. To overcome this issue, a novel optical sensor application is presented, using off-the-shelf optode technology (MOPP). The application is validated using microprofiling, during a CCS leakage experiment, where the impact and recovery from a high CO2 plume was investigated in two types of natural marine sediment. MOPP offered user-friendliness, speed of data acquisition, robustness to sediment type, and large sediment depth range. This ensemble of characteristics overcomes many of the challenges found with other pH measuring methods, in OA and CCS research. The impact varied greatly between sediment types, depending on baseline pH variability and sediment permeability. Sedimentary pH profile recovery was quick, with profiles close to control conditions 24 h after the cessation of the leak. However, variability of pH within the finer sediment was still apparent 4 days into the recovery phase. Habitat characteristics need therefore to be considered, to truly disentangle high CO2 perturbation impacts on benthic systems. Impacts on natural communities depend not only on the pH gradient caused by perturbation, but also on other processes that outlive the perturbation, adding complexity to recovery.

This article outlines issues to be tackled when considering increases in biofuel usage in the European Union (EU) and examines a potential scheme to increase the use of biofuels in the road transport sector; the development of biofuels corridors. An EU biofuels corridor is defined as a long-distance and cross-border route on the Trans-European Transport (TEN-T) Network roads on which blends with a high biofuel content (referred to as high blends) are offered at regular intervals along the entire route. The article first defines the current framework of EU biofuels development. A case study on the feasibility of one possible EU biofuels corridor, from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Constanta, Romania, is analyzed along four potential biofuels corridor designs (under different future scenarios). The case study includes interviews with key stakeholders, transport flows analysis, refueling infrastructure, and biofuels policy in the relevant member states. The results are extrapolated to the complete EU level in order to assess the potential effect of the biofuels corridor approach as a measure of stimulating the use of biofuels. It is concluded that EU biofuels corridors can increase the use of biofuels. However, if applied as a stand-alone measure a maximum contribution is limited. The effectiveness of biofuels corridors is not larger mainly due to the fact that the transport flows on the TEN-T Network roads are not representative of actual fuel sales at stations on this network (i.e., motorway stations). In addition, various recommendations are made for further research. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.

An integrated software tool environment is presented, and a methodology is proposed for the operational support of the local authority, for analysis of the impact of transport measures in terms of network energy consumption and pollutant emissions. It is based on work done by the European Union within the save program (speci®c actions for vigorous energy eciency)ÐSlam project (supporting local authorities methodology). As background, the Slam project is described, with the principal aspects and needs of environmental and trac network management. The central section de®nes a methodology able to support technicians in recognizing the trac asset and decision makers in evaluating interventions on urban transport infrastructures or technological systems. The role of the di€erent models and their interactions with the transport telematics services currently active on the Florence (Italy) network is discussed. Finally, the procedure for calculating the trac impacts on energy consumption is described with the help of a test case, the evaluation of a dedicated bus corridor in Florence. # 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

To meet the targets of sustainable development and greenhouse emission reduction of the future vehicles fleet, the automotive industry needs to deploy cost-competitive and efficient advanced energy conversion systems for the future commercial personal vehicles. The efficiency improvement needs induce to search new structured methodologies allowing the integration of the efficiency/cost vision for different vehicle energy technologies, in the earlier design stage of the new vehicles and their propulsion systems. The assessment of environmental impacts is also needed. In this context, the aim of this thesis is to develop a generic methodology for the design of the vehicle energy systems, which can consider on a holistic way, the â environomicâ criteria. To design and evaluate the competitiveness of energy integrated systems for vehicles, a systematic comparison including thermodynamic, economic and environmental considerations is required. This thesis presents the development of a systematic environomic optimization for vehicle energy systems. The efficiency, economic and environmental performances are assessed for different energy technology options and their integration in advanced vehicles powertrains. The performances indicators are compared and the trade-off are assessed to support decision making and to identify optimal energy systems configurations. The results from the energy integration studies reveal the potential of the combinations of different options of energy recovery and the integration of the energy services on the vehicle efficiency. The additional cost of the ORC installation is estimated to be 40 -55 â ¬/kW. The competitiveness and the trade-off of different advanced powertrains (electric, hybrid electric and hybrid pneumatic) are assessed and optimal design configurations are pointed out. It appears that different powertrain configurations are in competition for optimal mobility service depending on the selected environomic criteria.