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Ostrava in the Moravian-Silesian region (Czech Republic) is a European air pollution hot spot for airborne particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and ultrafine particles (UFPs). Air pollution source apportionment is essential for implementation of successful abatement strategies. UFPs or nanoparticles of diameter <100 nm exhibit the highest deposition efficiency in human lungs. To permit apportionment of PM sources at the hot-spot including nanoparticles, Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) was applied to highly time resolved particle number size distributions (NSD, 14 nm-10 μm) and PM0.09-1.15 chemical composition. Diurnal patterns, meteorological variables, gaseous pollutants, organic markers, and associations between the NSD factors and chemical composition factors were used to identify the pollution sources. The PMF on the NSD reveals two factors in the ultrafine size range: industrial UFPs (28%, number mode diameter - NMD 45 nm), industrial/fresh road traffic nanoparticles (26%, NMD 26 nm); three factors in the accumulation size range: urban background (24%, NMD 93 nm), coal burning (14%, volume mode diameter - VMD 0.5 μm), regional pollution (3%, VMD 0.8 μm) and one factor in the coarse size range: industrial coarse particles/road dust (2%, VMD 5 μm). The PMF analysis of PM0.09-1.15 revealed four factors: SIA/CC/BB (52%), road dust (18%), sinter/steel (16%), iron production (16%). The factors in the ultrafine size range resolved with NSD have a positive correlation with sinter/steel production and iron production factors resolved with chemical composition. Coal combustion factor resolved with NSD has moderate correlation with SIA/CC/BB factor. The organic markers homohopanes correlate with coal combustion and the levoglucosan correlates with urban background. The PMF applications to NSD and chemical composition datasets are complementary. PAHs in PM1 were found to be associated with coal combustion factor.

In themediumtolongterm,lowfossilfuelavailabilitywillmakeitnecessarytofindalternatives.Mass productionofbiofuelswillnotbeapracticalsolutionbecauseitrequiresstrongcompetitionforland that isusedforgrowingfood.Therefore,itwillbenecessarytorevisetheframeoftransportation energy sources.Thenumberofpurelight-andheavy-dutyelectricvehiclescouldincreaseinurban areas.Instead,itwillbehardtofindaviablealternativetotheinternalcombustionengineforextra- urban transportvehicles,thereforealternativesyntheticfuelscouldbeusedtocompensateforfossil fuel depletion.Asidefromasmallshareobtainablefrombiomass,mostsyntheticfuelsareexpectedto be obtainedfromcoal.Amongthese,syntheticnaturalgasrepresentsaverygoodsolution.Infact, syntheticnaturalgaswillbeadvantageouswithrespecttohydrogen,whoseon-boardstoragewillbean unsolvedprobleminthemediumterm,andwithrespecttosyntheticliquidfuels,whichrequiremore energy intheproductionphase.Moreover,thecarboncontentofliquidfuels,whichishigherthanthat of gaseousfuels,willberesponsibleforhigherCO2 emissionsfromvehicles.Currently,naturalgashas poor diffusioninthetransportsector,andthispaperhighlightsthemotivationsforfavouringapolicy aimedatincreasingtheshareofgaseousfuel-poweredvehicles.Inadditiontothelowenvironmental impact,syntheticnaturalgasalsooffersthepossibilityofoptimisingtheutilisationoffutureresources

Artículos en revistas This paper proposes an approach to calibrate incentives for continuity of supply in electricity distribution in Spain. This approach consists on the estimation of the impact of continuity of supply improvements on distribution network costs. For this purpose, distribution costs resulting from different continuity of supply requirements are computed by a Reference Network Model (RNM). The results obtained from the RNM are used to estimate a cost-function that considers continuity of supply a cost driver for distribution costs. This methodology is applied to three Spanish areas of service (an urban one, a semi-urban one and a rural one) in such a way that differences in distribution costs caused by the characteristics of the area type can be taken into account. The analysis indicated that distribution costs are more sensitive to continuity of supply improvements in rural areas of service. It also demonstrated that the incentive for reducing number of service interruptions should be higher than the incentive for reducing duration of service interruptions. Finally, the current Spanish incentive scheme for continuity of supply was analyzed under the perspective of the proposed approach. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Capítulos en libros The smart city is a sustainable and efficient urban center that provides high quality of life to its inhabitants with an optimal management of its resources, where clean and cost effective energy generation is a key issue. Under this setting, distributed generation can provide an adequate tool to deal with energy reliability and to successfully implement renewable sources; nevertheless, selection and scaling of energy systems, considering location, is not a trivial task. Frequently, the stakeholders analyze only one or two "popular" generation systems, and then calculate the output and return of investment in a simplified and approximated approach. This practice could lead the stakeholder to an inadequate technology mix. To tackle this problem, this paper reviews and models most common energy sources for distributed generation in a smart city context. Then, a technical economic analysis is developed for 2 cases, a household and a district, considering not only renewable sources but also efficient non-renewable technologies. The results of the numerical analysis help to assess the more adequate generation systems for a given application, energetic demand, and geographical characteristics. A well-developed analysis is essential for a better understanding of the available technologies and their synergies; as a result, the investors can choose the appropriate solutions, maximizing overall benefits. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Abstract An augmented measurement uncertainty approach for CO 2 emissions from coal-fired power plants with a focus on the often forgotten contributions from sampling errors occurring over the entire fuel-to-emission pathway is presented. Current methods for CO 2 emission determination are evaluated in detail, from which a general matrix scheme is developed that includes all factors and stages needed for total CO 2 determination, which is applied to the monitoring plan of a representative medium-sized coal-fired power plant. In particular sampling involved significant potential errors, as identified and assessed by the Theory of Sampling (TOS), which also shows how these can be eliminated and/or minimised. Since coal-related CO 2 emission calculations not only require analytical results of the carbon content of coal itself but also of the by-products fly ash and bottom ash, sampling procedures of these three materials were also given full attention. A systematic error (bias) is present in the current sampling approach, which increases the present uncertainty estimate unnecessarily. For both primary sampling and analytical sample extraction steps, random variations, which hitherto only have been considered to a minor extent, have now also been fully quantified and included in the overall uncertainty. Elimination of all identified sampling errors lead to modified CO 2 determination procedures, which indicate that the actual CO 2 emission is approximately 20,000 t higher than the present estimate. Based on extensive empirical sampling experiments, a fully comprehensive uncertainty estimate procedure has been devised. Even though uncertainties increased (indeed one particular factor is substantially higher, the so-called “emission factor”), the revised CO 2 emission budget for the case plant complies with the official pre-determined uncertainty levels maxima in the EU guidelines.

Treball Final de Màster Universitari en Estudis Internacionals de Pau, Conflictes i Desenvolupament (Pla de 2013). Codi: SBG120. Curs acadèmic: 2016/2017 The Earth’s resources are limited and it is important that we conserve as much as possible. One way to do this is to recycle waste products. The main objective of this project is to decrease the amount of recyclable garbage that is not being recycled in the city of Castellón de la Plana. With the high number of plastic and glass bottles that are being used in restaurants, pubs, and family homes, a vast majority of these will likely be thrown in the garbage instead of recycling. Although there are a number of areas that allow easy access for recycling, the convenience of tossing something into the garbage is considered more convenient. This project will attempt to look at various options to not only provide enticement for businesses to recycle, but also potentially allow a form of income as an incentive.

The paper presents a method of analysis and design of urban landscapes called PlaceMaker. The method is intended as a key resource for assessing the identity of places and measures for its enhancement, reconstruction and design. By using different tools for analysis and interpretation of places and questionnaires administered to their users, PlaceMaker finds the identity material that the city has available and how to de-compose and re-compose it for its sustainable project transformation. Pedestrian-intensive areas, in particular urban, cultural and historical poles of attraction, increasingly bear the imprint of globalization, conveying messages which have developed in an uncontrolled manner and are aimed at conveying their users' patterns of thought and action. The presence of a dense mixture of contrasting elements and perceptions can detract from the image of a city. As regards, the paper is completed with a synopsis of the experiment carried out in an historic axe in London - Oxford Street - where globalization is in danger of levelling out the beauty of the area in favour of widespread genericity

Great efforts have been paid to improve engine efficiency as well as to reduce the pollutant emissions. The direct injection allows to improve the engine efficiency; on the other hand, the GDI combustion produces larger particle emissions. The properties of fuels play an important role both on engine performance and pollutant emissions. In particular, great attention was paid to the octane number. Oxygenated compounds allow increasing gasoline's octane number and play an important role in PM emission reduction. In this study was analyzed the effect of fuels with different RON and with ethanol and ethers content. The analysis was performed on a small GDI engine. Two operating conditions, representative of the typical EUDC cycle, were investigated. Both the engine performance and the exhaust emissions were evaluated. The gaseous emissions and particle concentration were measured at the exhaust by means of conventional instruments. Particle size distribution function was measured in the range from 5.6 nm to 560 nm by means of an Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer (EEPS). The results point out that the better result in terms of performance and emission reduction was observed for the high RON fuel. The fuels with ethanol as additive show a large fuel consumption and a not valuable effect on exhaust emissions

The objective of the present work was: (i) to enable biodiesel production from acid waste lard; (ii) to study the esterification reaction as possible pre-treatment at different temperatures, catalyst amount and reaction times; (iii) to evaluate biodiesel quality according to EN 14214 after basic transesterification of the pre-treated fat; and (iv) to predict the impact of using such waste as raw material in mixture with soybean oil. Temperature and catalyst amount were the most important reaction conditions which mostly affected biodiesel quality, namely viscosity and purity. The selected pre-treatment conditions were 65 degrees C, 2.0 wt% H(2)SO(4) and 5 h, which allowed obtaining a product with a viscosity of 4.81 mm(2) s(-1) and a purity of 99.6 wt%. The proposed pre-treatment was effective to enable acid wastes as single raw materials for biodiesel production with acceptable quality; however, low yields were obtained (65 wt%). Alkali transesterification of a mixture of waste lard and soybean oil resulted in a product with a purity of 99.8 wt% and a yield of 77.8 wt%, showing that blending might be an interesting alternative to recycle such wastes. Also, because in addition to using conventional and relatively economical processes, some biodiesel properties depending on the raw material composition (such as the iodine value) might even be improved.