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Abstract In this paper a Dynamic Simulation Model has been used to present the likely responses of the electricity industries’ latest perturbations such as: changes in environmental regulations, international fuel market evolution, restriction on fuel supply and increase on fuel prices, liberalisation of the European Electricity Market, and the results of applying energy policies and official tools such as taxes and emission allowances. The case under study refers to the Teruel Power Plant, built after the 1970s oil crisis to ensure national electricity supply; burning domestically produced coal in order to ensure local mining activity. The Teruel Power Plant has made relevant investments in order to meet emission limits, such as a Flue Gas Desulphurisation Plant. The economic viability of the power stations has to be analysed after environmental costs have been internalised. A system is defined that studies the coal-firing Electric Power Plant selling energy to the free electricity market, whenever the generation cost is competitive. A Dynamic Simulation Model would appear to be an accurate tool to optimise power station management within different frameworks.

This paper presents an original short-term forecasting model of the hourly electric power production for aggregated regional hydropower generation. The inputs of the model are previously recorded values of the aggregated hourly production of hydropower plants and hourly water precipitation forecasts using Numerical Weather Prediction tools, as well as other hourly data (load demand and wind generation). This model is composed of three modules: the first one gives the prediction of the “monthly” hourly power production of the hydropower plants; the second module gives the prediction of hourly power deviation values, which are added to that obtained by the first module to achieve the final forecast of the hourly hydropower generation; the third module allows a periodic adjustment of the prediction of the first module to improve its BIAS error. The model has been applied successfully to the real-life case study of the short-term forecasting of the aggregated hydropower generation in Spain and Portugal (Iberian Peninsula Power System), achieving satisfactory results for the next-day forecasts. The model can be valuable for agents involved in electricity markets and useful for power system operations.

We have carried out three case-control studies on the relative risk of head and neck cancer in association with indoor air pollution. The studies performed at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the University of Heidelberg comprised 369 male patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx and 1476 healthy control subjects matched for sex, age, and residential area. The OR of laryngeal cancer related to daily exposure to fossil fuels due to stove-heating with oil, coal, gas, and wood for longer than 40 years was 2.5 (CI = 1.51 to 4.05). After adjustment for tobacco and alcohol, the OR declined slightly to 2.0 (CI = 1.10 to 3.46) but still was significant. Elevated ORs were also found for daily presence in a kitchen with an oil, coal, or wood oven for longer than 40 years (OR = 1.7, CI = 1.01 to 2.71; after tobacco and alcohol adjustment, OR = 1.4, CI = 0.76 to 2.41). The OR of pharyngeal cancer related to daily exposure to fossil fuels due to stove-heating with oil, coal, gas, and wood for longer than 40 years was 3.6 (CI = 2.04 to 6.41). After adjustment for tobacco and alcohol the OR declined slightly to 3.3 (CI = 1.43 to 7.55) but still was significant. Elevated ORs were also found for daily presence in a kitchen with an oil, coal, or wood oven for longer than 40 years (OR = 1.6, CI = 0.89 to 2.77; after tobacco and alcohol adjustment, OR = 2.5, CI = 1.03 to 6.30).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The emergence of globalization and human capital has played a crucial role in the economic integration of countries, leading to the growth of the economies and a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This study highlights the importance of investing in human capital development to control ecological degradation and promote sustainable economic growth. This paper employs the PSTR method to investigate the threshold impact of GDP, globalization, information communication technology, and energy consumption on CO2 emissions. The study examines two regimes, with a single threshold to analyze the transition of human capital on these variables. The results reveal that human capital developments play a central role in controlling ecological degradation due to reduced CO2 emissions. Based on the empirical findings, this research study offers corresponding policy suggestions.

Abstract Flow-through experiments in the laboratory were conducted to monitor the fate of CO2 using stable carbon isotope (δ13C) techniques in dynamic, pre-equilibrium conditions. Such conditions are typical, for instance in carbon capture storage (CCS), in the initial stages of CO2 injection, near injection well regions of the reservoir. For this purpose, a reactive percolation bench (ICARE 4) was used, injecting a CO2-saturated brine at supercritical conditions (pCO2 = 84 bar, T = 60 °C) through quartzitic limestone at an average flow rate of 2 × 10− 9 m3 s− 1. Calcium (Ca2 +) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration data and pH were used to aid analytical interpretations. During CO2 injection, δ13CDIC values decreased from about − 11‰ to those of the injected CO2 (− 29.3‰), indicating CO2 sourced carbon dominance over a carbonate sourced one in the system. Simultaneously DIC and Ca2 + concentrations increased from 1 mmol L− 1 to a maximum of 71 mmol L− 1 and 31 mmol L− 1, respectively. Isotope and mass balances were used to quantify the amount of DIC originating from either the injected CO2 or carbonates. At the end of the experiments, between 70 and 98% of the total DIC originated from CO2 dissolution, the remaining amount is attributed to carbonate dissolution. Furthermore, the total amount of injected CCO2 trapped as DIC ranged between 9 and 17% and between 83 and 91% was in free phase. The state of carbonate equilibrium of the host fluid, under the high pressure–temperature conditions after CO2 injection was identified, verifying pre-equilibrium conditions. Results confirm observations made in reported field data. This emphasises that the combination of CO2 monitoring, the development of a thorough understanding of carbonate equilibrium, as well as the quantification of CO2-trapping, is essential for a solid assessment of reservoir performance and safety considerations during CO2 injection. These are equally important for understanding water–rock–CO2 dynamics in natural subsurface environments.

This introduction to the special issue on past and prospective energy transitions presents some insights from research into past energy transitions of relevance for a possible transition to a low carbon economy. It also provides a synthesis of insights generated during a workshop attended by many of the leading researchers on this topic at Cardiff University in April 2011. The final section introduces the articles in the special issue. It is hoped that the workshop and this issue will help to move forwards the integration of the exciting research on past energy transitions in ways that will also offer valuable insights into the challenges of prospective low carbon transitions.

In the present work an equilibrium model (gas-solid), based on the minimization of the Gibbs energy, has been used in order to estimate the theoretical yield and the equilibrium composition of the reaction products (syngas and char) of biomass thermochemical conversion processes (pyrolysis and gasification). The data obtained from this model have also been used to calculate the heating value of the fuel gas, in order to evaluate the overall energy efficiency of the thermal conversion stage. The proposed model has been applied both to partial oxidation and steam gasification processes with varying air to biomass (ER) and steam to carbon (SC) ratio values and using different feedstocks; the obtained results have been compared with experimental data and with other model predictions obtaining a satisfactory agreement.

A central composition design was developed to study the influence of process variables (temperature, pulping time and ethanol concentration) on the properties of the pulp produced (yield and holocellulose, alpha-cellulose and lignin contents) and the pH of the resulting wastewater, in the ethanol pulping of olive tree trimmings. The proposed equations reproduce the experimental results for the dependent variables with errors less than 5% for the holocellulose and alpha-cellulose contents, yield and wastewater pH, and less than 15% for the lignin content. Obtaining pulp with acceptably high yield (37.6%), high holocellulose and alpha-cellulose contents (above 88.8% and 46.9%, respectively), and low lignin contents (below 7.2%), entails operating at a pulping temperature of 200 degrees C, using an ethanol concentration of 75% and a pulping time of 60 min.

Abstract The life cycle of a pavilion built for an international exhibition was investigated to understand the role that the design phase may play in the environmental sustainability of buildings. The limited life span of the structure allowed for a complete life cycle assessment (LCA) based on primary data to be undertaken, including the end of the first life. A methodology that considered an extension of the service life was applied to estimate the environmental impacts of distinct end-of-life scenarios. Results confirmed the paramount importance of the design phase in improving the life cycle sustainability of buildings. Accurate selection of materials allowed to markedly reduce the impact of the product stage (e.g. 37% fewer greenhouse gas emissions). Design for disassembly proved to be a necessary but not a sufficient condition to minimise the end-of-life impacts: design phase should not be limited to the appropriate selection of materials and components’ connections but must also foresee a second use for the structure or the materials at the end of the first life. Forecasting an after-life for the structure could reduce the life cycle burden up to 40% for several environmental impact categories. Conversely, if the second use is not predefined, the economic cost in the dismantling operation could become the priority rather than the salvaging of the components. Results of the present study may be used by future (temporary) building designers to improve the sustainability of their structure and to avoid the errors identified in the present case.