• Energy Research

AbstractParticulate matter (PM) accounts for millions of premature deaths in the human population every year. Due to social and economic inequality, growing human dissatisfaction manifests in waves of strikes and protests all over the world, causing paralysis of institutions, services and circulation of transport. In this study, we aim to investigate air quality in Ecuador during the national protest of 2019, by studying the evolution of PM2.5 (PM ≤ 2.5 µm) concentrations in Ecuador and its capital city Quito using ground based and satellite data. Apart from analyzing the PM2.5 evolution over time to trace the pollution changes, we employ machine learning techniques to estimate these changes relative to the business-as-usual pollution scenario. In addition, we present a chemical analysis of plant samples from an urban park housing the strike. Positive impact on regional air quality was detected for Ecuador, and an overall − 10.75 ± 17.74% reduction of particulate pollution in the capital during the protest. However, barricade burning PM peaks may contribute to a release of harmful heavy metals (tire manufacture components such as Co, Cr, Zn, Al, Fe, Pb, Mg, Ba and Cu), which might be of short- and long-term health concerns.

Abstract In order to contribute to the study of the behavior of 2,5-dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF), a promising biofuel to be used as fuel or additive in automotive applications, an experimental and kinetic modeling study of the pyrolysis and oxidation of 2,5-DMF has been carried out using well controlled flow reactor installations. The influence of temperature, stoichiometry, 2,5-DMF concentration, and pressure has been analyzed. A detailed chemical kinetic mechanism built from different literature sources was used to describe the pyrolysis and oxidation of 2,5-DMF under the experimental conditions studied. Results attained extend the existing experimental database on 2,5-DMF and, for the first time, its tendency to form soot is analyzed. Additionally, the effect of pressure, which would be of interest for the use of this compound as a part of diesel fuels, has been evaluated.

Alkylated furan derivatives, such as 2,5-dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF) and 2-methylfuran (2-MF), have shown, at laboratory scale, a relatively high tendency to form soot. However, soot emissions from die...

In the present work, the interaction between 2,5-dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF) and NO has been investigated. The study includes experimental and modeling data on the evaluation of the influence of the temperature, stoichiometry, and 2,5-DMF concentration on the NO conversion as well as on the 2,5-DMF conversion in the presence of NO. The experiments were performed in an isothermal quartz flow reactor at atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 800–1400 K. Some of the results of the present work were compared to the experimental and modeling data from an earlier study on 2,5-DMF conversion under similar conditions but in the absence of NO. The results reveal that the temperature, stoichiometry, and 2,5-DMF concentration play an important role on the conversion of NO. Likewise, these variables also influence the 2,5-DMF conversion regime in the presence of NO.

2,5-Dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF) and 2-methylfuran (2-MF) are furan derivatives that are shown to be able to reduce soot emissions from diesel engines. However, their capacity to form soot is high due t...

The sooting tendency of 2,5-dimethylfuran (2,5-DMF), as a proposed fuel or fuel additive, has been studied in a flow reactor at different reaction temperatures (975, 1075, 1175, 1275, 1375, and 1475 K) and inlet 2,5-DMF concentrations (5000, 7500, and 15,000 ppm) under pyrolytic conditions. The quantification of soot and light gases has been done. Additionally, the experimental results of the light gases have been simulated with a detailed gas-phase chemical kinetic model. The experimental results indicate that the temperature has a great influence on both the soot and gas yields, as well as on the concentration of the light gases of pyrolysis. The inlet 2,5-DMF con- centration influences the soot yield, whereas no significant effect is observed on the gas yield.