A comparative study among fossil fuel power plants in PJM and California ISO by DEA environmental assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki; Goto, Mika

2013-01-01

This study compares among fossil fuel power plants in PJM and California ISO by their unified (operational and environmental) performance. DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) is used as a methodology. For comparative analysis, DEA incorporates strategic concepts such as natural and managerial disposability into the computational process. This study explores both how to measure Returns to Scale (RTS) under natural disposability and how to measure Damages to Scale (DTS) under managerial disposability. This empirical study obtains two implications on US energy policy. One of the two policy implications is that California ISO outperforms PJM in terms of the three unified efficiency measures. The result implies that strict regulation on undesirable outputs, as found in California, is important in enhancing the performance of US fossil fuel power plants. Thus, it is necessary for federal and local governments to regulate the fossil fuel power plants under the strict implementation of environmental protection. Under such a policy direction, it is possible for US fossil fuel power plants to attain economic prosperity (by enhancing their operational efficiencies) and to satisfy environmental regulation (by enhancing their environmental efficiencies). The other policy implication is that coal-fired and gas-fired power plants in PJM and California ISO need to reduce their operational sizes or introduce technology innovation on desirable and undesirable outputs and/or new management for environmental protection within their operations. Meanwhile, oil-fired power plants may increase their operational sizes if they can introduce technology innovation and new management on undesirable outputs. - Highlights: • This study compares fossil fuel power plants in PJM and California ISO. • California ISO outperforms PJM in terms of their unified efficiency measures. • Regulation by Clean Air Act is important for environmental protection. • Fossil fuel power plants need technology

Proceedings of the 1978 symposium on instrumentation and control for fossil demonstration plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-01-01

The 1978 symposium on instrumentation and control for fossil demonstration plants was held at Newport Beach, California, June 19--21, 1978. It was sponsored by Argonne National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy - Fossil Energy, and the Instrument Society of America - Orange County Section. Thirty-nine papers have been entered individually into the data base. (LTN)

Modes of fossil preservation

Science.gov (United States)

Schopf, J.M.

1975-01-01

The processes of geologic preservation are important for understanding the organisms represented by fossils. Some fossil differences are due to basic differences in organization of animals and plants, but the interpretation of fossils has also tended to be influenced by modes of preservation. Four modes of preservation generally can be distinguished: (1) Cellular permineralization ("petrifaction") preserves anatomical detail, and, occasionally, even cytologic structures. (2) Coalified compression, best illustrated by structures from coal but characteristic of many plant fossils in shale, preserves anatomical details in distorted form and produces surface replicas (impressions) on enclosing matrix. (3) Authigenic preservation replicates surface form or outline (molds and casts) prior to distortion by compression and, depending on cementation and timing, may intergrade with fossils that have been subject to compression. (4) Duripartic (hard part) preservation is characteristic of fossil skeletal remains, predominantly animal. Molds, pseudomorphs, or casts may form as bulk replacements following dissolution of the original fossil material, usually by leaching. Classification of the kinds of preservation in fossils will aid in identifying the processes responsible for modifying the fossil remains of both animals and plants. ?? 1975.

Economic analysis to compare fabrication of nuclear power and fossil fuel power plants at Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasouliye Koohi, Mojtaba

1997-01-01

Electric power due to its many advantages over other forms of energies covers most of the world's energy demands.The electric power can be produced by various energy converting systems fed by different energy resources like fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro and renewable energies, each having their own appropriate technologies. The fossil fuel not only consumes the deplete and precious sources of non conventional energies but they add pollution to environment too. The nuclear power plants has its own share of radioactive pollutions which, of course can be controlled by taking precautionary measures. The investing cost of each generated unit (KWh) in the nuclear power plants, comparing with its equivalent production by fossil fuels is investigated. The various issues of economical analysis, technical, political and environmental are the different aspects, which individually can influence the decisions for kind of power plant to be installed. Finally, it is concluded that the fossil and nuclear power generations both has its own advantages and disadvantages. Hence, from a specializing point of view, it may not be proper to prefer one over the others

Exploring the interior of cuticles and compressions of fossil plants by FIB-SEM milling and image microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sender, L M; Escapa, I; Benedetti, A; Cúneo, R; Diez, J B

2018-01-01

We present the first study of cuticles and compressions of fossil leaves by Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM). Cavities preserved inside fossil leaf compressions corresponding to substomatal chambers have been observed for the first time and several new features were identified in the cross-section cuts. These results open a new way in the investigation of the three-dimensional structures of both micro- and nanostructural features of fossil plants. Moreover, the application of the FIB-SEM technique to both fossils and extant plant remains represent a new source of taxonomical, palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic information. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

Influence of fossil-fuel power plant emissions on the surface fine particulate matter in the Seoul Capital Area, South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Byeong-Uk; Kim, Okgil; Kim, Hyun Cheol; Kim, Soontae

2016-09-01

The South Korean government plans to reduce region-wide annual PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm) concentrations in the Seoul Capital Area (SCA) from 2010 levels of 27 µg/m(3) to 20 µg/m(3) by 2024. At the same time, it is inevitable that emissions from fossil-fuel power plants will continue to increase if electricity generation expands and the generation portfolio remains the same in the future. To estimate incremental PM2.5 contributions due to projected electricity generation growth in South Korea, we utilized an ensemble forecasting member of the Integrated Multidimensional Air Quality System for Korea based on the Community Multi-scale Air Quality model. We performed sensitivity runs with across-the-board emission reductions for all fossil-fuel power plants in South Korea to estimate the contribution of PM2.5 from domestic fossil-fuel power plants. We estimated that fossil-fuel power plants are responsible for 2.4% of the annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standard in the SCA as of 2010. Based on the electricity generation and the annual contribution of fossil-fuel power plants in 2010, we estimated that annual PM2.5 concentrations may increase by 0.2 µg/m(3) per 100 TWhr due to additional electricity generation. With currently available information on future electricity demands, we estimated that the total future contribution of fossil-fuel power plants would be 0.87 µg/m(3), which is 12.4% of the target reduction amount of the annual PM2.5 concentration by 2024. We also approximated that the number of premature deaths caused by existing fossil-fuel power plants would be 736 in 2024. Since the proximity of power plants to the SCA and the types of fuel used significantly impact this estimation, further studies are warranted on the impact of physical parameters of plants, such as location and stack height, on PM2.5 concentrations in the SCA due to each precursor. Improving air quality by reducing fine particle

The effect of size-control policy on unified energy and carbon efficiency for Chinese fossil fuel power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Ning; Kong, Fanbin; Choi, Yongrok; Zhou, P.

2014-01-01

This paper examines the effect of size control policy on the energy and carbon efficiency for Chinese fossil fuel power industry. For this purpose, we propose two non-radial directional distance functions for energy/carbon efficiency analysis of fossil fuel electricity generation. One is named a total-factor directional distance function that incorporates the inefficiency of all input and output factors to measure the unified (operational and environmental) efficiency of fossil fuel power plants, and the other is called an energy–environmental directional distance function that can be used to measure the energy–environmental performance of fossil fuel electric power plants. Several standardized indicators for measuring unified efficiency and energy–environmental performance are derived from the two directional distance functions. An empirical study of 252 fossil fuel power plants in China is conducted by using the proposed approach. Our empirical results show that there exists a significant positive relationship between the plant size and unified efficiency, the five state-owned companies show lower unified efficiency and energy–environmental performance than other companies. It is suggested that Chinese government might need to consider private incentives and deregulation for its state-owned enterprises to improve their performance proactively. - Highlights: • Two non-radial directional distance functions are presented for energy/carbon efficiency analysis. • An empirical study of 252 fossil fuel power plants in China is conducted. • The five state-owned companies show lower unified efficiency and energy–environmental performance

Nuclear versus fossil power plants: evolution of economic evaluation techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thuesen, G.J.

1975-01-01

The purpose of this presentation is to document the evolution of methods used by an electric utility for comparing the economic attractiveness of nuclear versus fossil electric power generation. This process of change is examined as it took place within the Georgia Power Company (GPC), a company spending in the neighborhood of half a billion dollars annually for capital improvements. This study provides a look at the variety of richness of information that can be made available through the application of different methods of economic analysis. In addition, the varied presentations used to disclose relationships between alternatives furnish evidence as to the effectiveness of providing pertinent information in a simple, meaningful manner. It had been generally accepted throughout GPC that nuclear power was economically desirable as an alternative for the production of base-load power. With inflation increasing, its advantage over fossil power appeared to be significantly increasing as the large operating costs of fossil generation seemed to be more vulnerable to inflation than the costs of operating a nuclear facility. An early indication that the company should reevaluate this position was the experience gained with the installation of their first nuclear plant. Here, actual total costs were exceeding their original construction estimates by a factor of two. Thus the question arose ''Does the high capital cost of nuclear generation offset its operating advantages when compared to similar-sized coal-burning plants.'' To answer this question, additional analyses were undertaken

Fossil fuel power plant combustion control: Research in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasini, S.; Trebbi, G.

1991-01-01

Electric power demand forecasts for Italy to the year 2000 indicate an increase of about 50% which, due to the current moratorium on nuclear energy, should be met entirely by fossil fuel power plants. Now, there is growing public concern about possible negative health impacts due to the air pollution produced through the combustion of fossil fuels. In response to these concerns, ENEL (Italian National Electricity Board) is investing heavily in air pollution abatement technology R ampersand D. The first phase involves the investigation of pollution mechanisms in order to develop suitable mathematical models and diagnostic techniques. The validity of the models is being tested through through measurements made by sophisticated instrumentation placed directly inside the combustion chambers of steam generator systems. These are allowing engineers to develop improved combustion control methods designed to reduce air pollution at source

Diagnosis and on-line displacement monitoring for critical pipe of fossil power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heo, J. S.; Hyun, J. S. [Korea Electric Power Corporation, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Heo, J. R.; Lee, S. K.; Cho, S. Y. [Korea South-East Power Co., Ltd., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2009-07-01

High temperature steam pipes of fossil power plant are subject to a severe thermal range and usually operates well into the creep range. Cyclic operation of the plant subjects the piping system to mechanical and thermal fatigue mechanisms and poor or malfunctional support assemblies can impose massive loads or stress onto the piping system. In order to prevent the serious damage and failure of the critical pipe system, various inspection methods such as visual inspection, computational analysis and on-line piping displacement monitoring were developed. 3-Dimensional piping displacement monitoring system was developed with using he aluminum alloy rod and rotary encoder type sensors, this system was installed and operated on the 'Y' fossil power plant successfully. It is expected that this study will contribute to the safety of piping system, which could minimize stress and extend the actual life of critical piping.

Evaluation of Biodiesel Fuels to Reduce Fossil Fuel Use in Corps of Engineers Floating Plant Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2016-07-01

ER D C/ CH L TR -1 6- 11 Dredging Operations and Environmental Research Program Evaluation of Biodiesel Fuels to Reduce Fossil Fuel Use... Fuels to Reduce Fossil Fuel Use in Corps of Engineers Floating Plant Operations Michael Tubman and Timothy Welp Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory...sensitive emissions, increase use of renewable energy, and reduce the use of fossil fuels was conducted with funding from the U.S. Army Corps of

Gas separation membranes for zero-emission fossil power plants: MEM-BRAIN

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Czyperek, M.; Zapp, P.; Bouwmeester, Henricus J.M.; Modigell, M.; Ebert, K.; Voigt, I.; Meulenberg, W.A.; Singheiser, L.; Stöver, D.

2010-01-01

The objective of the “MEM-BRAIN” project is the development and integration of ceramic and polymeric gas separation membranes for zero-emission fossil power plants. This will be achieved using membranes with a high permeability and selectivity for either CO2, O2 or H2, for the three CO2 capture

New Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossils from Ecuador: Invertebrates, vertebrates, plants, and microfossils

Science.gov (United States)

Cadena, Edwin A.; Mejia-Molina, Alejandra; Brito, Carla M.; Peñafiel, Sofia; Sanmartin, Kleber J.; Sarmiento, Luis B.

2018-04-01

Ecuador is well known for its extensive extant biodiversity, however, its paleobiodiversity is still poorly explored. Here we report seven new Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossil localities from the Pacific coast, inter-Andean depression and Napo basin of Ecuador, including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and microfossils. The first of these localities is called El Refugio, located near the small town of Chota, Imbabura Province, from where we report several morphotypes of fossil leaves and a mycetopodid freshwater mussel of the Upper Miocene Chota Formation. A second site is also located near the town of Chota, corresponding to potentially Pleistocene to Holocene lake deposits from which we report the occurrence of leaves and fossil diatoms. A third locality is at the Pacific coast of the country, near Rocafuerte, a town in Esmeraldas Province, from which we report a late Miocene palm leaf. We also report the first partially articulated skull with teeth from a Miocene scombridid (Mackerels) fish from El Cruce locality, and completely preserved seeds from La Pila locality, both sites from Manabí Province. Two late Cretaceous fossil sites from the Napo Province, one near Puerto Napo showing a good record of fossil shrimps and a second near the town of Loreto shows the occurrence of granular amber and small gymnosperms seeds and cuticles. All these new sites and fossils show the high potential of the sedimentary sequences and basins of Ecuador for paleontological studies and for a better understanding of the fossil record of the country and northern South America.

Life cycle inventories for bioenergy and fossil-fuel fired cogeneration plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braennstroem-Norberg, B.M.; Dethlefsen, U.

1998-06-01

Life-cycle inventories for heat production from forest fuel, Salix, coal and oil are presented. Data from the Oerebro cogeneration plant are used for the bioenergy and coal cycles, whereas the oil-fired cycle is based on a fictive plant producing 53 MW electricity and 106 MW heat, also located in the town of Oerebro. This life cycle analysis only covers the inventory stage. A complete life cycle analysis also includes an environmental impact assessment. The methods for assessing environmental impact are still being developed and thus this phase has been omitted here. The intention is, instead, to provide an overall perspective of where in the chain the greatest environmental load for each fuel can be found. Production and energy conversion of fuel requires energy, which is often obtained from fossil fuel. This input energy corresponds to about 11% of the extracted amount of energy for oil, 9% for coal, 6% for Salix, whereas it is about 4% for forest fuel. Utilization of fossil fuel in the coal cycle amounts to production of electricity using coal condensation intended for train transports within Poland. In a life cycle perspective, biofuels show 20-30 times lower emissions of greenhouse gases in comparison with fossil fuels. The chains for biofuels also give considerably lower SO 2 emissions than the chains for coal and oil. The coal chain shows about 50% higher NO x emission than the other fuels. Finally, the study illustrates that emission of particles are similar for all sources of energy. The biofuel cycle is assessed to be generally applicable to plants of similar type and size and with similar transport distances. The oil cycle is probably applicable to small-scale cogeneration plants. However, at present there are no cogeneration plants in Sweden that are solely fired with oil. In the case of the coal cycle, deep mining and a relatively long transport distance within Poland have been assumed. If the coal mining had been from open-cast mines, and if the

Evaluation of condensate filtration technologies in fossil plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D' Angelo, Philip J. [JoDan Technologies Ltd., Glen Mills, PA (United States)

2009-09-15

Long-term protection of electric power generating station boilers depends upon the quality of their feedwater chemistry with respect to the transport and deposition of corrosion products to the boilers from various corrosion sources in the plant's condensate and feedwater cycle. It is in the utility's best interests to expand their programs to include ways to reduce the transport of corrosion products, especially those that occur during plant start-ups. Condensate filtration is a strategy employed by some utilities with demonstrable results in minimizing corrosion product transport and achieving a return on their investment. This paper provides a comparative review of available condensate filtration technologies as well as performance data from fossil plants with the new large diameter high flow filtration systems. Additionally, the paper identifies critical parameters to consider before installation as well as the necessity for agreement between utilities and suppliers on common filtration terminology definitions, to insure an ''apple-to-apple'' basis when comparing a system or technology from more than one supplier. (orig.)

Paleovegetation changes recorded by n-alkyl lipids bound in macromolecules of plant fossils and kerogens from the Cretaceous sediments in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Miyata, Y.; Sawada, K.; Nakamura, H.; Takashima, R.; Takahashi, M.

2014-12-01

Resistant macromolecules composing living plant tissues tend to be preserved through degradation and diagenesis, hence constituate major parts of sedimentary plant-derived organic matter (kerogen), and their monomer compositions vary widely among different plant taxa, organs and growth stages. Thus, analysis of such macromolecule may serve as new technique for paleobotanical evaluation distinctive from classical paleobotnical studies depends on morphological preservation of fossils. In the present study, we analyzed plant fossils and kerogens in sediments from the Cretaceous strata in Japan to examine chemotaxonomic characteristics of fossil macromolecules and to reconstruct paleovegetation change by kerogen analysis. The kerogens were separated from the powdered sediments of Cretaceous Yezo Group, Hokkaido, Japan. All kerogens have been confirmed to be mostly originated from land plant tissues by microscopic observation. Mummified angiosperm and gymnosperm fossil leaves were separated from carbonaceous sandstone of the Cretaceous Ashizawa Formation, Futaba Group. The kerogens and plant fossils were extracted with methanol and dichloromethane, and were subsequently refluxed under 110°C to remove free compounds completely. The residues are hydrolyzed by KOH/methanol under 110°C. These released compounds are analyzed by GC-MS. As main hydrolyzed products (ester-bound molecular units) from all kerogens, C10-C28 n-alkanoic acids and C10-C30 n-alkanols were detected. Recent studies on the hydrolysis products of plant tissues suggested the long chain (>C20) n-alkanols were predominantly abundant in deciduous broadleaved angiosperms. Correspondingly, the stratigraphic variation of the ratios of long chain (>C20) n-alkanols to fatty acids was concordant with the variation of angiosperm/gymnosperm ratios recorded by land plant-derived terpenoid biomarkers. In addition, we found that the long chain n-alkanols/fatty acids ratio in the angiosperm fossil leaf was

Health effects and related standards for fossil-fuel and geothermal power plants. Volume 6 of health and safety impacts of nuclear, geothermal, and fossil-fuel electric generation in California. [In California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Case, G.D.; Bertolli, T.A.; Bodington, J.C.; Choy, T.A.; Nero, A.V.

1977-01-01

This report reviews health effects and related standards for fossil-fuel and geothermal power plants, emphasizing impacts which may occur through emissions into the atmosphere, and treating other impacts briefly. Federal regulations as well as California state and local regulations are reviewed. Emissions are characterized by power plant type, including: coal-fired, oil-fired, gas-fired, combined cycle and advanced fossil-fuel plants; and liquid and vapor geothermal systems. Dispersion and transformation of emissions are treated. The state of knowledge of health effects, based on epidemiological, physiological, and biomedical studies, is reviewed.

Technology for controlling emissions from power plants fired with fossil fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Slack, A V

1981-04-01

Emission control technologies for fossil-fuel-fired power plants are examined. Acid rain, impaired visibility, and health effects of respirable particulates have combined to raise concerns from the local to the regional level. This report discusses advantages, disadvantages, and costs of technologies associated with emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Coal, oil and natural gas fuels are discussed. 7 refs.

Spanish Moss as an atmospheric tracer for trace elements from fossil fuel burning power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James, W.D.; Padaki, P.; McWilliams, E.L.

1991-01-01

Samples of Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) were analyzed by neutron activation analysis (NAA), inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectrometry (ICP), and x-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) for trace elements as atmospheric environmental monitors. In particular, certain elements thought likely to be contributed to the atmosphere by combustion of fossil fuels were studied in samples collected along two transects, an east/west transect from the Louisiana line west to Dallas and a north/south transect from the Limestone electric Generating Station north to Dallas. Plants were sampled during peak electric generating periods in the summer, as well as following planned outages during the winter months. Se, As and several other volatile species known to concentrate in fly ash particles which are likely to escape power plant collection devices were shown to correlate with downwind directions of plant plumes. Attempts to determine levels of sulfur taken up by the plants which can be attributed to fossil fuel combustion through the use of these marker elements have also be made

Base-Load and Peak Electricity from a Combined Nuclear Heat and Fossil Combined-Cycle Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conklin, Jim; Forsberg, Charles W.

2007-01-01

A combined-cycle power plant is proposed that uses heat from a high-temperature reactor and fossil fuel to meet base-load and peak electrical demands. The high-temperature gas turbine produces shaft power to turn an electric generator. The hot exhaust is then fed to a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that provides steam to a steam turbine for added electrical power production. A simplified computational model of the thermal power conversion system was developed in order to parametrically investigate two different steady-state operation conditions: base load nuclear heat only from an Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR), and combined nuclear heat with fossil heat to increase the turbine inlet temperature. These two cases bracket the expected range of power levels, where any intermediate power level can result during electrical load following. The computed results indicate that combined nuclear-fossil systems have the potential to offer both low-cost base-load electricity and lower-cost peak power relative to the existing combination of base-load nuclear plants and separate fossil-fired peak-electricity production units. In addition, electric grid stability, reduced greenhouse gases, and operational flexibility can also result with using the conventional technology presented here for the thermal power conversion system coupled with the AHTR

Petition for the Administrator to Obect to TVA's Shawnee Fossil Plant's Operating Permit

Science.gov (United States)

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Order Denying Petition to Object to Operating Permit for TVA's Shawnee Fossil Plant

Science.gov (United States)

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

'Capture ready' regulation of fossil fuel power plants - Betting the UK's carbon emissions on promises of future technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markusson, Nils; Haszeldine, Stuart

2010-01-01

Climate change legislation requires emissions reductions, but the market shows interest in investing in new fossil fuelled power plants. The question is whether capture ready policy can reconcile these interests. The term 'capture ready' has been used a few years by the UK Government when granting licences for fossil fuelled power plants, but only recently has the meaning of the term been defined. The policy has been promoted as a step towards CCS and as an insurance against carbon lock-in. This paper draws on literature on technology lock-in and on regulation of technology undergoing development. Further, versions of the capture readiness concept proposed to date are compared. Capture readiness requirements beyond the minimum criterion of space on the site for capture operations are explored. This includes integration of capture and power plant, downstream operations, overall system integration and regulation of future retrofitting. Capture readiness comes with serious uncertainties and is no guarantee that new-built fossil plants will be abatable or abated in the future. As a regulatory strategy, it has been over-promised in the UK.

The late Paleozoic ecological-evolutionary laboratory, a land-plant fossil record perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Looy, Cindy; Kerp, Hans; Duijnstee, Ivo; DiMichele, Bill

2014-01-01

In this essay we examine the fossil record of land plants, focusing on the late Paleozoic. We explore the nature of this record in terms of what is preserved, where, why and with what biases. And as a consequence, how it can be used to answer questions posed at various spatial and temporal scales,

Project management in fossil plant construction: A perspective for the Nineties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatia, N.K.

1991-01-01

The continuing growth in demand for electric power, and the reluctance of electric utility management to commit to new capacity additions has created a potential for somewhat hectic activity in the fossil power plant construction market. With the changing matrix of power plant types and ownerships, the project manager is called upon to deliver a complex product with exacting contract requirements: lump sum contracts, competitive pricing, short schedules, and performance guarantees. A shortage of experienced professionals in the ranks of the owners, engineers, contractors, and suppliers magnifies the challenge. Plant replication, automation, creative management of vendors and contractors, and participative management of the work force will be key elements of successful projects. Partnering between the clients and the engineers-constructors will be an interesting new relationship model

Can hybrid solar-fossil power plants mitigate CO2 at lower cost than PV or CSP?

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Jared; Apt, Jay

2013-03-19

Fifteen of the United States and several nations require a portion of their electricity come from solar energy. We perform an engineering-economic analysis of hybridizing concentrating solar thermal power with fossil fuel in an Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) generator. We construct a thermodynamic model of an ISCC plant in order to examine how much solar and fossil electricity is produced and how such a power plant would operate, given hourly solar resource data and hourly electricity prices. We find that the solar portion of an ISCC power plant has a lower levelized cost of electricity than stand-alone solar power plants given strong solar resource in the US southwest and market conditions that allow the capacity factor of the solar portion of the power plant to be above 21%. From a local government perspective, current federal subsidies distort the levelized cost of electricity such that photovoltaic electricity is slightly less expensive than the solar electricity produced by the ISCC. However, if the cost of variability and additional transmission lines needed for stand-alone solar power plants are taken into account, the solar portion of an ISCC power plant may be more cost-effective.

Developing the optimum boiler water and feedwater treatment for fossil plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dooley, B [Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, California (United States)

1996-12-01

Over the last two years a new set of cycle chemistry guidelines has been developed for each of the treatments used in fossil plants. These revisions have been based on research conducted over the last ten years, much at the international collaborative level. By careful selection and optimization of the boiler water and feedwater treatments, it will be possible to accrue large financial, maintenance, availability and performance improvements. (au) 14 refs.

Recognition of the Environmental Costs of Fossil Fuel Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hakkı FINDIK

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Environment that is the natural residential area of live life is among the interests of the various sciences. Within the scope of accounting science, the concept of social awareness requires a social responsibility based approach and this causes some additional environmental costs emerged when interaction of business with their environment considered. In the Uniform Accounting Plan there exists a special account relating with monitoring, controlling and managing of environmental costs. This study deals with environmental accounting for enterprises and introduces determination and recognition of the environmental costs of fossil fuel plants that use coal as a fuel

Cost and performance of fossil fuel power plants with CO2 capture and storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubin, Edward S.; Chen, Chao; Rao, Anand B.

2007-01-01

CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) is receiving considerable attention as a potential greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation option for fossil fuel power plants. Cost and performance estimates for CCS are critical factors in energy and policy analysis. CCS cost studies necessarily employ a host of technical and economic assumptions that can dramatically affect results. Thus, particular studies often are of limited value to analysts, researchers, and industry personnel seeking results for alternative cases. In this paper, we use a generalized modeling tool to estimate and compare the emissions, efficiency, resource requirements and current costs of fossil fuel power plants with CCS on a systematic basis. This plant-level analysis explores a broader range of key assumptions than found in recent studies we reviewed for three major plant types: pulverized coal (PC) plants, natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants, and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems using coal. In particular, we examine the effects of recent increases in capital costs and natural gas prices, as well as effects of differential plant utilization rates, IGCC financing and operating assumptions, variations in plant size, and differences in fuel quality, including bituminous, sub-bituminous and lignite coals. Our results show higher power plant and CCS costs than prior studies as a consequence of recent escalations in capital and operating costs. The broader range of cases also reveals differences not previously reported in the relative costs of PC, NGCC and IGCC plants with and without CCS. While CCS can significantly reduce power plant emissions of CO 2 (typically by 85-90%), the impacts of CCS energy requirements on plant-level resource requirements and multi-media environmental emissions also are found to be significant, with increases of approximately 15-30% for current CCS systems. To characterize such impacts, an alternative definition of the 'energy penalty' is proposed in lieu of the

Revisiting the origin and diversification of vascular plants through a comprehensive Bayesian analysis of the fossil record.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestro, Daniele; Cascales-Miñana, Borja; Bacon, Christine D; Antonelli, Alexandre

2015-07-01

Plants have a long evolutionary history, during which mass extinction events dramatically affected Earth's ecosystems and its biodiversity. The fossil record can shed light on the diversification dynamics of plant life and reveal how changes in the origination-extinction balance have contributed to shaping the current flora. We use a novel Bayesian approach to estimate origination and extinction rates in plants throughout their history. We focus on the effect of the 'Big Five' mass extinctions and on estimating the timing of origin of vascular plants, seed plants and angiosperms. Our analyses show that plant diversification is characterized by several shifts in origination and extinction rates, often matching the most important geological boundaries. The estimated origin of major plant clades predates the oldest macrofossils when considering the uncertainties associated with the fossil record and the preservation process. Our findings show that the commonly recognized mass extinctions have affected each plant group differently and that phases of high extinction often coincided with major floral turnovers. For instance, after the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary we infer negligible shifts in diversification of nonflowering seed plants, but find significantly decreased extinction in spore-bearing plants and increased origination rates in angiosperms, contributing to their current ecological and evolutionary dominance. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

New fossil fuel combustion technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minghetti, E.; Palazzi, G.

1995-01-01

The aim of the present article is to supply general information concerning fossil fuels that represent, today and for the near future, the main energy source of our Planet. New fossil fuel technologies are in continual development with two principal goals: to decrease environmental impact and increase transformation process efficiency. Examples of this efforts are: 1) gas-steam combined cycles integrated with coal gasification plants, or with pressurized-fluidized-bed combustors; 2) new cycles with humid air or coal direct fired turbine, now under development. In the first part of this article the international and national energy situations and trends are shown. After some brief notes on environmental problems and alternative fuels, such as bio masses and municipal wastes, technological aspects, mainly relevant to increase fossil-fueled power plant performances, are examined in greater depth. Finally the research and technological development activities of ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Environment) Engineering Branch, in order to improve fossil fuels energy and environmental use are presented

Control of SO2 and NOx emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants: Research and practice of TPRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ming-Chuan Zhang.

1993-01-01

The generation of electric power in China has been dominated by coal for many years. By the end of 1990, total installed generating capacity reached 135 GW, of which fossil fuel-fired plants accounted for 74 percent. The total electricity generated reached 615 TWh, with fossil fuels accounting for 80.5 percent. About 276 million tons of raw coal are consumed in these fossil fuel-burning units per year, accounting for about 25 percent of the total output of the country. According to the government, by the year 2000, the total installed capacity of Chinese power systems should be at least 240 GW, of which fossil fuels will account for about 77 percent. The coal required for power generation will increase to about 530 million tons per year, accounting for about 38 percent of the total coal output. So, it is obvious that coal consumed in coal-fired power plants occupies a very important place in the national fuel balance. The current environmental protection standards, which are based on ground-level concentrations of pollutants, do not effectively lead to the control of pollution emission concentrations or total SO 2 emissions. Due to the practical limitations of the Chinese economy, there is a limited capability to introduce advanced sulfur emission control technologies. Thus, except for the two 360 MW units imported from Japan for the Luohuang Power Plant in Shichuan province, all the other fossil fuel-fired units have not yet adopted any kind of SO 2 removal measures. The Luohuang units are equipped with Mitsubishi limestone flue gas desulfurization systems. Because of the lack of effective pollution control technologies, large areas of the country have been seriously polluted by SO 2 , and some of them even by acid rain

Micronized Coal Reburning Demonstration for NOx Control: A DOE Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

National Energy Technology Laboratory

2001-08-15

The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Coal Technology (CCT) program is to furnish the energy marketplace with a number of advanced, more efficient, and environmentally responsible coal utilization technologies through demonstration projects. These projects seek to establish the commercial feasibility of the most promising advanced coal technologies that have developed beyond the proof-of-concept stage. This document serves as a DOE post-project assessment of a project selected in CCT Round IV, the Micronized Coal Reburning (MCR) Demonstration for NO{sub x} Control, as described in a report to Congress (U.S. Department of Energy 1999). The need to meet strict emissions requirements at a minimum cost prompted the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in conjunction with Fuller Company, Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (EER), and Fluor Daniel, to submit the proposal for this project to be sited at TVA's Shawnee Fossil Plant. In July 1992, TVA entered into a cooperative agreement with DOE to conduct the study. However, because of operational and environmental compliance strategy changes, the Shawnee site became unavailable.

Micronized Coal Reburning Demonstration for NOx Control: A DOE Assessment; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

National Energy Technology Laboratory

2001-01-01

The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Coal Technology (CCT) program is to furnish the energy marketplace with a number of advanced, more efficient, and environmentally responsible coal utilization technologies through demonstration projects. These projects seek to establish the commercial feasibility of the most promising advanced coal technologies that have developed beyond the proof-of-concept stage. This document serves as a DOE post-project assessment of a project selected in CCT Round IV, the Micronized Coal Reburning (MCR) Demonstration for NO(sub x) Control, as described in a report to Congress (U.S. Department of Energy 1999). The need to meet strict emissions requirements at a minimum cost prompted the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in conjunction with Fuller Company, Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (EER), and Fluor Daniel, to submit the proposal for this project to be sited at TVA's Shawnee Fossil Plant. In July 1992, TVA entered into a cooperative agreement with DOE to conduct the study. However, because of operational and environmental compliance strategy changes, the Shawnee site became unavailable

The Report of Maintenance and Management Optimization for the Korean Fossil Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, J.S.; Yoo, K.B.; Chung, H.; Chang, S.H. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

2002-07-01

For the Korean fossil power plants, the main component and facillities were classified by maintainability, reliability, production, cost model to assess the cost effective performance of a power plant's maintenance. Maintenance program interacts with the generation process and estimates the leverage provided by expenditures on preventive maintenance. This optimization method is an engineering tool for tracking each asset's production and cost performance under appropriate engineering approximations. Thus, it provides useful insights into where maintenance resources can be expended most effectively to increase generation and reduce operating costs. (author). 7 refs., 3 tabs.

Chemotaxonomy in some Mediterranean plants and implications for fossil biomarker records

Science.gov (United States)

Norström, Elin; Katrantsiotis, Christos; Smittenberg, Rienk H.; Kouli, Katerina

2017-12-01

The increasing utilization of n-alkanes as plant-derived paleo-environmental proxies calls for improved chemotaxonomic control of the modern flora in order to calibrate fossil sediment records to modern analogues. Several recent studies have investigated long-chain n-alkane concentrations and chain-length distributions in species from various vegetation biomes, but up to date, the Mediterranean flora is relatively unexplored in this respect. Here, we analyse the n-alkane concentrations and chain-length distributions in some of the most common species of the modern macchia and phrygana vegetation in south western Peloponnese, Greece. We show that the drought adapted phrygana herbs and shrubs, as well as some of the sclerophyll and gymnosperm macchia components, produce high concentrations of n-alkanes, on average more than double n-alkane production in local wetland reed vegetation. Furthermore, the chain-length distribution in the analysed plants is related to plant functionality, with longer chain lengths associated with higher drought adaptive capacities, probably as a response to long-term evolutionary processes in a moisture limited environment. Furthermore, species with relatively higher average chain lengths (ACL) showed more enriched carbon isotope composition in their tissues (δ13Cplant), suggesting a dual imprint from both physiological and biochemical drought adaptation. The findings have bearings on interpretation of fossil sedimentary biomarker records in the Mediterranean region, which is discussed in relation to a case study from Agios Floros fen, Messenian plain, Peloponnese. The 6000 year long n-alkane record from Agios Floros (ACL, δ13Cwax) is linked to the modern analogue and then evaluated through a comparison with other regional-wide as well as local climate and vegetation proxy-data. The high concentration of long chain n-alkanes in phrygana vegetation suggests a dominating imprint from this vegetation type in sedimentary archives from this

The global environment effects of fossil and nuclear fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kemeny, L.G.

1981-01-01

The relative risks and environmental impacts of coal and uranium fueled power plants are dicussed. Fossil-fuel power plants are associated with a build-up of carbon dioxide levels and consequent climatic changes, release of sulphur dioxide and resultant acid rains and radioactive emissions. In comparing the discharges per megawatt year of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and radioactive Ra-226 and Ra-225 in fly ash from coal and other fossil plants with Kr-85 and I-131 from nuclear plants, the fossil plants have a much poorer performance. Estimates indicate that nuclear energy can be adopted on a large scale as an alternative to coal without any increase in hazards and with a probability of a substantial reduction

Nuclear power plant performance statistics. Comparison with fossil-fired units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabet, C.; Laue, H.J.; Qureshi, A.; Skjoeldebrand, R.; White, D.

1983-01-01

The joint UNIPEDE/World Energy Conference Committee on Availability of Thermal Generating Plants has a mandate to study the availability of thermal plants and the different factors that influence it. This has led to the collection and publication at the Congress of the World Energy Conference (WEC) every third year of availability and unavailability factors to be used in systems reliability studies and operations and maintenance planning. For nuclear power plants the joint UNIPEDE/WEC Committee relies on the IAEA to provide availability and unavailability data. The IAEA has published an annual report with operating data from nuclear plants in its Member States since 1971, covering in addition back data from the early 1960s. These reports have developed over the years and in the early 1970s the format was brought into close conformity with that used by UNIPEDE and WEC to report performance of fossil-fired generating plants. Since 1974 an annual analytical summary report has been prepared. In 1981 all information on operating experience with nuclear power plants was placed in a computer file for easier reference. The computerized Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) ensures that data are easily retrievable and at its present level it remains compatible with various national systems. The objectives for the IAEA data collection and evaluation have developed significantly since 1970. At first, the IAEA primarily wanted to enable the individual power plant operator to compare the performance of his own plant with that of others of the same type; when enough data had been collected, they provided the basis for assessment of the fundamental performance parameters used in economic project studies; now, the data base merits being used in setting availability objectives for power plant operations. (author)

Lessons learned from fossil FAC assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dooley, R. Barry; Shields, Kevin J. [Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., Oakville, ON (Canada); Shulder, Stephen J. [Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., Annapolis, MD (United States)

2010-09-15

In their work the authors have noted great diversity in the Flow-Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) Programs used at conventional fossil power plants. The results and findings of FAC Program assessments conducted at 22 conventional plants are summarized and discussed. By comparing the FAC Program characteristics and relevant unit features with damage and failure experiences, a number of common factors requiring attention from fossil utility organizations have been identified. The assessment experiences have also provided a picture of trends in specific FAC activities and general awareness within the conventional fossil fleet. One of the most important aspects of these studies is that while a few new locations of FAC have been found, there is some consolidation of the most frequently found locations. (orig.)

POWER-GEN '90 conference papers: Volume 7 (Fossil plant performance availability and improvement) and Volume 8 (Nuclear power issues)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

This is book 4 of papers presented at the Third International Exhibition and Conference for the Power Generation Industries, December 4-6, 1990. This book contains Volume 7, Fossil Plant Performance Availability and Improvement, and Volume 8, Nuclear Power Issues. The topics of the papers include computer applications in plant operations and maintenance, managing aging plants, plant improvements, plant operations and maintenance, the future of nuclear power, achieving cost effective plant operation, managing nuclear plant aging and license renewal, and the factors affecting a decision to build a new nuclear plant

Miocene fossil plants from Bukpyeong Formation of Bukpyeong Basin in Donghae City, Gangwon-do Province, Korea and their palaeoenvironmental implications

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Eun Kyoung; Kim, Hyun Joo; Uemura, Kazuhiko; Kim, Kyungsik

2016-04-01

The Tertiary sedimentary basins are distributed along the eastern coast of Korean Peninsula. The northernmost Bukpyeong Basin is located in Donghae City, Gangwon-do Province, Korea. The Bukpyeong Basin consists of Bukpyeong Formation and Dogyeongri Conglomerate in ascending order. The geologic age of Bukpyeong Formation has been suggested as from Early Miocene to Pliocene, In particular, Lee & Jacobs (2010) suggested the age of the Bukpyeong Formation as late Early Miocene to early Middle Miocene based on the fossils of rodent teeth. Sedimentary environment has been thought as mainly fresh water lake and/or swamp partly influenced by marine water. Lately, new outcrops of Bukpyeong Formation were exposed during the road construction and abundant fossil plants were yielded from the newly exposed outcrops. As a result of palaeobotanical studies 47 genera of 23 families have been found. This fossil plant assemblage is composed of gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Gymnosperms were Pinaceae (e.g., Pinus, Tsuga), Sciadopityaceae (e.g., Sciadopitys) and Cupressaceae with well-preserved Metasequoia cones. Dicotyledons were deciduous trees such as Betulaceae (e.g., Alnus, Carpinus) and Sapindaceae (e.g., Acer, Aesculus, Sapindus), and evergreen trees such as evergreen Fagaceae (e.g., Castanopsis, Cyclobalanopsis, Pasania) and Lauraceae (e.g., Cinnamomum, Machilus). In addition, fresh water plants such as Hemitrapa (Lytraceae) and Ceratophyllum (Ceratophyllaceae) were also found. The fossil plant assemblage of the Bukpyeong Formation supported the freshwater environment implied by previous studies. It can be suggested that the palaeoflora of Bukpyeong Formation was oak-laurel forest with broad-leaved evergreen and deciduous trees accompanying commonly by conifers of Pinaceae and Cupressaceae under warm-temperate climate.

Deactivation and Storage Issues Shared by Fossil and Nuclear Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas S. LaGuardia

1998-01-01

The deactivation of a power plant, be it nuclear or fossil fueled, requires that the facility be placed in a safe and stable condition to prevent unacceptable exposure of the public or the environment to hazardous materials until the facility can be decommissioned. The conditions at two Texas plants are examined. These plants are fossil fueled, but their conditions might be duplicated at a nuclear plant

Clean fossil-fuelled power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, Tony

2008-01-01

Using fossil fuels is likely to remain the dominant means of producing electricity in 2030 and even 2050, partly because power stations have long lives. There are two main ways of reducing CO 2 emissions from fossil-fuelled power plants. These are carbon capture and storage (CCS), which can produce near-zero CO 2 emissions, and increases in plant efficiency, which can give rise to significant reductions in CO 2 emissions and to reduced costs. If a typical UK coal-fired plant was replaced by today's best available technology, it would lead to reductions of around 25% in emissions of CO 2 per MW h of electricity produced. Future technologies are targeting even larger reductions in emissions, as well as providing a route, with CCS, to zero emissions. These two routes are linked and they are both essential activities on the pathway to zero emissions. This paper focuses on the second route and also covers an additional third route for reducing emissions, the use of biomass. It discusses the current status of the science and technologies for fossil-fuelled power generation and outlines likely future technologies, development targets and timescales. This is followed by a description of the scientific and technological developments that are needed to meet these challenges. Once built, a power plant can last for over 40 years, so the ability to upgrade and retrofit a plant during its lifetime is important

Challenges in estimating past plant diversity from fossil pollen data: statistical assessment, problems, and possible solutions.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weng, C.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Duivenvoorden, J.F.

2006-01-01

Fossil pollen data from sediment cores may be used as a measure for past plant diversity. According to the theory of probability, palynological richness is positively related to the pollen count. In a low pollen count, only common taxa are detected, whereas rare taxa are only detected by chance. The

A study on the boiler efficiency influenced by the boiler operation parameter in fossil power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Y. S.; Suh, J. S.

2002-01-01

The main reason to analyze the boiler operation parameter in fossil power plant is to increase boiler high efficiency and energy saving movement in the government. This study intends to have trend and analyze the boiler efficiency influenced by the boiler parameter in sub-critical and super-critical type boiler

Fossil plants from Romanian deposits of Bacles, Dolj District, Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolae T̡icleanu

2001-09-01

Full Text Available From the Middle Romanian lacustrine deposits of the Oltenia province, the authors describe the youngest fossil flora known until now in Oltenia. The inventory of the fossil flora includes the following taxa: Taxodium dubium, ?Platanus platanifolia, Ulmus laevis, Quercus roburoides, Q. cf. muehlenbergii, Carya serraefolia, Acer cf. tricuspidatum and Salix sp. In the Bâcleş fossil flora, Glyptostrobus europaeus, which is a thermophilous and shows a high frequency in all Oltenia area till the XV-th coal seam, is absent. Consequently, having in view the high frequency of Taxodium dubium, which indicate temperate climate conditions, the other consider that the fossil flora from Bâcleş is much more younger and marks an important cooling. From palaeofloristic point of view, the study of Bâcleş fossil flora is indicative for river meadow forest and, probably, flat plain forest environments.

The Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plant - from vision to reality.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stroemberg, L.; Sauthoff, M.

2007-07-01

Sufficient supply of energy without fossil fuels is not possible the next fifty years. Thus, we must find a solution to use coal, without endangering the environment. Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS, might be the answer. At a cost of about 20 Euro/ton CO{sub 2}, there exist technologies, which can be ready for commercial application in 2020. After that, even more cost effective technologies will be developed. To reduce emissions by more than half until 2050, cannot be reached without CCS. However, CCS is very powerful, but not the only tool. All ways to reduce emissions, including renewables and nuclear must be used. To put emphasis behind the words, Vattenfall has started an R and D program to develop technology for CCS in a ten year program. As part of that, Vattenfall is building a Pilot Plant including all process steps from coal input to liquid CO{sub 2}. It will be ready in 2008. In parallel, preparations for a demonstration plant are ongoing. It will be a coal fired full size plant with storage on shore. That will be ready for operation in 2015. (auth)

Availability performance of fossil-fired and nuclear power plants around the world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glorian, D.; Aye, L.; Lefeuvre, P.; Bouget, Y.H.

1996-01-01

For future thermal electricity, the electricity producer facing needs for extension or renewal of his own generating capacity can choose among a large number of proven technologies. These technologies can be nuclear or conventional (fossil-fired): steam turbines, cogeneration or gas turbines. The economic competitiveness of these different types of installations over their entire lifetime is calculated on the basis of various cost assumptions and/or scenarios, taking into account capital investment, fuel, operating and maintenance costs.. Equally important are such factors as construction duration, discount rate, service lifetime, usage mode (base load, intermediate load or peak load). In addition, costs and hypotheses in relation to the environment should be taken into account, including the cost of dismantling nuclear power plants. Hypotheses concerning the service delivered to the grid, that is to say the expected availability of the plant, is one of the main factors governing the quality of service provided. This paper deals particularly with experience feedback in the area of availability factors for nuclear and conventional power plants (steam turbines) of over 100 MW around the world. The assumptions for future (i.e. new) plants are compared against experience feedback. In the second part, assumptions for new plants are presented. (authors)

The use of PEANO for on-line monitoring of fossil power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fantoni, Paolo F.; Zanetta, Gian Antonio; Gregori, Luca

2004-01-01

This paper describes the results of the use of a combined approach of artificial neural network and fuzzy logic, implemented in the computer code PEANO, to the on-line monitoring of the steam-water cycle of a 320 MW fossil plant in Italy. First, a short review of the underlying theory is reported. Then some results are illustrated of data pre-processing, aimed at selecting the appropriate data and to address the neural networks architecture. Finally the simulation of continuous monitoring is documented and data reconciliation capability of the code is discussed in some detail. These results demonstrate that the approach provided by PEANO is very effective to validate measured signals and to track a process on-line, giving the plant operator an immediate insight of the evolution of a possible fault in sensors or system components. (Author)

POPCYCLE: a computer code for calculating nuclear and fossil plant levelized life-cycle power costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardie, R.W.

1982-02-01

POPCYCLE, a computer code designed to calculate levelized life-cycle power costs for nuclear and fossil electrical generating plants is described. Included are (1) derivations of the equations and a discussion of the methodology used by POPCYCLE, (2) a description of the input required by the code, (3) a listing of the input for a sample case, and (4) the output for a sample case

Soviet steam generator technology: fossil fuel and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosengaus, J.

1987-01-01

In the Soviet Union, particular operational requirements, coupled with a centralized planning system adopted in the 1920s, have led to a current technology which differs in significant ways from its counterparts elsewhere in the would and particularly in the United States. However, the monograph has a broader value in that it traces the development of steam generators in response to the industrial requirements of a major nation dealing with the global energy situation. Specifically, it shows how Soviet steam generator technology evolved as a result of changing industrial requirements, fuel availability, and national fuel utilization policy. The monograph begins with a brief technical introduction focusing on steam-turbine power plants, and includes a discussion of the Soviet Union's regional power supply (GRES) networks and heat and power plant (TETs) systems. TETs may be described as large central co-generating stations which, in addition to electricity, provide heat in the form of steam and hot water. Plants of this type are a common feature of the USSR today. The adoption of these cogeneration units as a matter of national policy has had a central influence on Soviet steam generator technology which can be traced throughout the monograph. The six chapters contain: a short history of steam generators in the USSR; steam generator design and manufacture in the USSR; boiler and furnace assemblies for fossil fuel-fired power stations; auxiliary components; steam generators in nuclear power plants; and the current status of the Soviet steam generator industry. Chapters have been abstracted separately. A glossary is included containing abbreviations and acronyms of USSR organizations. 26 references

Fossils and palaeontological distributions of Macaranga and Mallotus (Euphorbiaceae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nucete, M.; van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, J.H.A.; van Welzen, P.C.

2012-01-01

The correct identification of described plant fossils from the sister genera Macaranga and Mallotus (Euphorbiaceae) needs to be confirmed in order to correctly date their phylogeny and map their palaeontological distributions. Previous identifications of fossil specimens often appear to be

Development of a new generation of ion exchange resin for nuclear and fossil power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuzuki, Shintaro; Tagawa, Hidemi; Yamashita, Futoshi; Okamoto, Ryutaro

2008-01-01

It is required to maintain water quality supplied to steam generator to the water designed based on its water chemistry in order to keep the sound operation of nuclear power plants or fossil power plants. Condensate Polishing Plant (CPP) is installed for removing ions in the water which uses a mixed bed of cation exchange resin and anion exchange resin. We have developed new generation of CPP resin. The product is a unique combination of super high exchange capacity cation exchange resin and high fouling resistant anion exchange resin. The CPP resin has been used in many power plants. Amberjet 1006 was developed as a cation exchange resin with high oxidative stability, high operational capacity and New IRA900CP was developed as an anion exchange resin with high fouling resistant to leachables released out of cation exchange resin by oxidative degradation over the service period. The novel CPP resin was first used in 2000 and has now been used in many power plants in Japan. The CPP resin has been giving excellent quality of water. (author)

Economic competitiveness of seawater desalinated by nuclear and fossil energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Li; Wang Yongqing; Guo Jilin; Liu Wei

2001-01-01

The levelized discounted production water cost method and the new desalination economic evaluation program (DEEP1.1) were used to compare the economics of desalination using nuclear or fossil energy. The results indicate that nuclear desalination is more economic than fossil desalination with reverse osmosis (RO), multi-effect distillation (MED) and multi-stage flash (MSF). The desalination water cost varies depending on the desalination technology and the water plant size from 0.52-1.98 USD·m -3 with the lowest water price by RO and the highest by MSF. The sensitivity factors for the economic competitiveness increases in order of the discounted rate, desalination plant scale, fossil fuel price, specific power plant investment, seawater temperature and total dissolve solid (TDS). The highest water cost is about 22.6% more than the base case

The occurrence of p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid in fossil plant materials and their use as UV-proxy.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blokker, P.; Boelen, P.; Broekman, R.A.

2006-01-01

The applicability of p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid concentrations or ratios in (sub)fossil plant remnant as UV-B proxies relies on various aspects, which are discussed in this paper and will be illustrated with some experimental data. A newly developed THM-micropyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass

Comparative evaluation of solar, fission, fusion, and fossil energy resources. Part 4: Energy from fossil fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, J. R.

1974-01-01

The conversion of fossil-fired power plants now burning oil or gas to burn coal is discussed along with the relaxation of air quality standards and the development of coal gasification processes to insure a continued supply of gas from coal. The location of oil fields, refining areas, natural gas fields, and pipelines in the U.S. is shown. The technologies of modern fossil-fired boilers and gas turbines are defined along with the new technologies of fluid-bed boilers and MHD generators.

Δ14C level of annual plants and fossil fuel derived CO2 distribution across different regions of China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xi, X.T.; Ding, X.F.; Fu, D.P.; Zhou, L.P.; Liu, K.X.

2013-01-01

The 14 C level in annual plants is a sensitive tracer for monitoring fossil fuel derived CO 2 in the atmosphere. Corn leave samples were selected from different regions of China, including high mountains in the Tibetan Plateau, grassland in Inner Mongolia, and inland and coastal cities during the summer of 2010. The 14 C/ 12 C ratio of the samples was measured with the NEC compact AMS system at the Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, Peking University. The fossil fuel derived CO 2 was estimated by comparing the measured Δ 14 C values of corn leave samples to background atmospheric Δ 14 C level. The influences of topography, meteorological conditions and carbon cycling processes on the fossil fuel derived CO 2 concentration are considered when interpreting the data. Our results show a clear association of the low Δ 14 C values with regions where human activities are intensive.

Preservation of Plant Biomolecules and the Relevance to the Interpretation of Paleoenvironmental Signals: Tertiary Metasequoia Fossils as Examples

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, H.; Leng, Q.

2004-12-01

The degradation and preservation of biomolecules in plant tissues not only affects the inference on paleoecology of ancient plants but also bears significance in the interpretation of paleoenvironmental signals. Using a combined SEM and geochemical approach, we are able to show the source, liability, and preservation of structural biopolymers from morphologically well-preserved Metasequoia tissues from three Tertiary deposits. We detected a continuum of biomolecular preservation in this evolutionarily-conserved conifer. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) was applied to solvent-extracted residues from both fossil leaf and wood remains in comparison with tissues from their living counterparts. The late Paleocene-early Eocene leaves from Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, exhibit the best quality of biochemical preservation and show pyrolysis products derived from labile biomolecules characterized by large amounts of polysaccharides. These labile biomolecules are the oldest record of these kinds so far characterized by the pyrolysis technology. The middle Eocene leaf tissues from Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, yielded slightly lesser amounts of polysaccharide moieties, but the lignin products are similar to those identified from the Ellesmere Island fossils. Compared with these Arctic materials, the Metasequoia leaves from Miocene Clarkia, Idaho, USA, show the lowest quality of molecular preservation, characterized by a dramatic reduction of polysaccharides. This continuum of relative quality of biomolecular preservation is further confirmed by SEM observations of transverse sections of these fossil leaves. The investigation revealed tissue-specific degradation, and our data support the in-situ polymerization hypothesis for the origin of long-chain homologous pairs of aliphatic n-alk-1-enes/n-alkanes as leaf alteration products. The preferential degradation and selective removal of polysaccharides may be

Fossiler i Grønland. 2. del

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harper, David Alexander Taylor; Lindow, Bent Erik Kramer

2009-01-01

Dette er anden og sidste del af POST Greenlands serie om fossiler i Grønland med tre frimærker, der beretter om de mange og spændende fossilfund fra Grønland. Mærkerne fortsætter vores rejse gennem nogle af nøglebegivenhederne i livets historie, smukt illustreret af endnu flere unikke fossiler....... Disse tre fossiler, en plante, et bløddyr og et hvirveldyr, er fra de yngre aflejringer i Grønland med aldre spændende fra for 200 millioner og indtil kun 8.000 år siden....

Fossil energy savings potential of sugar cane bio-energy systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, Thu Lan T; Hermansen, John Erik; Sagisaka, Masayuki

2009-01-01

One important rationale for bio-energy systems is their potential to save fossil energy. Converting a conventional sugar mill into a bio-energy process plant would contribute to fossil energy savings via the extraction of renewable electricity and ethanol substituting for fossil electricity...... and gasoline, respectively. This paper takes a closer look at the Thai sugar industry and examines two practical approaches that will enhance fossil energy savings. The first one addresses an efficient extraction of energy in the form of electricity from the excess bagasse and cane trash. The second while...... proposing to convert molasses or sugar cane to ethanol stresses the use of bagasse as well as distillery spent wash to replace coal in meeting ethanol plants' energy needs. The savings potential achieved with extracting ethanol from surplus sugar versus current practice in sugar industry in Thailand amounts...

Fossil Energy Advanced Research and Technology Development (AR&TD) Materials Program semiannual progress report for the period ending September 30, 1991. Fossil Energy Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judkins, R.R.; Cole, N.C. [comps.

1992-04-01

The objective of the Fossil Energy Advanced Research and Technology Development Materials Program is to conduct research and development on materials for fossil energy applications with a focus on the longer-term and generic needs of the various fossil fuel technologies. The Program includes research aimed toward a better understanding of materials behavior in fossil energy environments and the development of new materials capable of substantial enhancement of plant operations and reliability. Research is outlined in four areas: Ceramics, New Alloys, Corrosion and Erosion Research, and Technology Development and Transfer. (VC)

Business aspects and cost advantages of partnering for fossil engineering services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Featham, M.D.; Sensenig, R.G.

1995-01-01

In today's environment where utility companies are attempting to reduce costs, alternative cost competitive approaches are being adopted to traditional fossil power plant engineering. One approach is to utilize Partnering of multiple organizations to provide cost competitive and quality engineering services. An approach to Partnering that involves Florida Power Corporation Partnering with multiple architect/engineers to provide the fossil plant engineering services is described in this paper

CAP--a combined codes, alarms and paging system--effective in nuclear and fossil-fueled power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, W.M.; Anderson, M.E.

1981-01-01

The CAP system now employed in two TVA power generating facilities has proven to be effective in both operational and emergency alerting and voice communications. Alternatives to emergency signalling point to advantages of a distributed amplifier/speaker system providing multi-signal and voice capabilities. Inclusion of a CAP-type system in all nuclear and fossil-fueled power plants is recommended, particularly in view of new NCR emergency alerting guidelines recently published. Outdoor-area warning is also included. Paper No. 80 JPGC 803-7

Nuclear versus fossil weighing up the safety issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gittus, Dzh.

1992-01-01

The problems of nuclear power plant safety are discussed as compared with those for the plants based on fossil fuel utilization. The conclusion is made that merits of nuclear power are much greater than its disadvantages as far as the environmental impacts are concerned

Determination of fossil carbon content in Swedish waste fuel by four different methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Frida C; Blomqvist, Evalena W; Bisaillon, Mattias; Lindberg, Daniel K; Hupa, Mikko

2013-10-01

This study aimed to determine the content of fossil carbon in waste combusted in Sweden by using four different methods at seven geographically spread combustion plants. In total, the measurement campaign included 42 solid samples, 21 flue gas samples, 3 sorting analyses and 2 investigations using the balance method. The fossil carbon content in the solid samples and in the flue gas samples was determined using (14)C-analysis. From the analyses it was concluded that about a third of the carbon in mixed Swedish waste (municipal solid waste and industrial waste collected at Swedish industry sites) is fossil. The two other methods (the balance method and calculations from sorting analyses), based on assumptions and calculations, gave similar results in the plants in which they were used. Furthermore, the results indicate that the difference between samples containing as much as 80% industrial waste and samples consisting of solely municipal solid waste was not as large as expected. Besides investigating the fossil content of the waste, the project was also established to investigate the usability of various methods. However, it is difficult to directly compare the different methods used in this project because besides the estimation of emitted fossil carbon the methods provide other information, which is valuable to the plant owner. Therefore, the choice of method can also be controlled by factors other than direct determination of the fossil fuel emissions when considering implementation in the combustion plants.

Electrochemical techniques application in corrosion problems of fossil power plants; Aplicacion de tecnicas electroquimicas en problemas de corrosion en centrales termoelectricas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cano Castillo, Ulises; Garcia Ochoa, Esteban Miguel; Martinez Villafane, Alberto; Mariaca Rodriguez, Liboria; Malo Tamayo, Jose Maria; Uruchurtu Chavarin, Jorge [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca (Mexico)

1991-12-31

Some aspects of the electrochemical techniques employed to evaluate the corrosion at low temperature in fossil power plants are commented, as well as the results obtained with the application of them in three power plants of this type. [Espanol] Se comentan algunos aspectos de tecnicas electroquimicas utilizadas para evaluar la corrosion en baja temperatura en centrales termoelectricas, asi como los resultados de la aplicacion de las mismas en tres centrales de este tipo.

Electrochemical techniques application in corrosion problems of fossil power plants; Aplicacion de tecnicas electroquimicas en problemas de corrosion en centrales termoelectricas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cano Castillo, Ulises; Garcia Ochoa, Esteban Miguel; Martinez Villafane, Alberto; Mariaca Rodriguez, Liboria; Malo Tamayo, Jose Maria; Uruchurtu Chavarin, Jorge [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca (Mexico)

1990-12-31

Some aspects of the electrochemical techniques employed to evaluate the corrosion at low temperature in fossil power plants are commented, as well as the results obtained with the application of them in three power plants of this type. [Espanol] Se comentan algunos aspectos de tecnicas electroquimicas utilizadas para evaluar la corrosion en baja temperatura en centrales termoelectricas, asi como los resultados de la aplicacion de las mismas en tres centrales de este tipo.

Prudence in a fossil generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruschak, R.R.; Yost, R.E.

1991-01-01

During the last decade, regulatory agencies have increasingly required that to be reimbursed for an investment in facilities, utilities must first prove their generating facility construction projects were prudently managed. The proof was almost always solicited when the plants were nearing completion. Utilities failing this retrospective prudence test have often suffered severe financial penalties. Thus far fossil plants have been spared the brunt of the prudence challenge. However, this situation may change. Regulatory agencies are honing the prudence concept into a broad tool. Application of this regulatory method is not likely to wane but rather just change its focus - from that of nuclear to other large utility expenditures. The primary ones being fossil construction, fuel purchases, and transmission facilities. For new plant construction to begin again and successfully pass the prudence challenge, the industry must learn from the troubles of the nuclear era, and change the way that decisions are made, documented and archived. Major decisions resulting in the commitment of millions of dollars over extended time periods (and governmental administrations) must be appropriately structured, packaged, collated to key issues and stored for ease of retrieval when the Prudence questions are asked. This paper describes how utilities can anticipate fossil-related prudence and shield themselves from extensive retrospective reconstruction of decisions made years ago. Through the establishment of a formal program of prudence safeguards, utility management can reduce its exposure to potentially adverse prudence reviews. In many cases, the resulting focus on, and improvements in, the decision making process can have beneficial side effects - such as better decisions that lead to lower project costs

Implications for global energy markets: implications for non-fossil energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grubb, Michael

1998-01-01

This paper highlights the recent developments concerning non-fossil energy and examines the impact of the Kyoto Protocol on non-fossil energy sources, and the implications for non-fossil sources in the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. The current contributions of fossil and non-fossil fuels to electricity production, prospects for expansion of the established non-fossil sources, new renewables in Europe to date, renewables in Europe to 2010, and policy integration in the EU are discussed. Charts illustrating the generating capacity of renewable energy plant in Britain (1992-1966), wind energy capacity in Europe (1990-2000), and projected renewable energy contributions in the EU (wind, small hydro, photovoltaic, biomass and geothermal) are provided. (UK)

Natural product terpenoids in Eocene and Miocene conifer fossils.

Science.gov (United States)

Otto, Angelika; White, James D; Simoneit, Bernd R T

2002-08-30

Numerous saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, but not polar compounds, originating from plants and microorganisms (biomarkers) have been reported in sediments, coals, and petroleum. Here we describe natural product terpenoids found in two fossil conifers, Taxodium balticum (Eocene) and Glyptostrobus oregonensis (Miocene). A similar terpenoid pattern is also observed in extant Taxodium distichum. The preservation of characteristic terpenoids (unaltered natural products) in the fossil conifers supports their systematic assignment to the Cypress family (Cupressaceae sensu lato). The results also show that fossil conifers can contain polar terpenoids, which are valuable markers for (paleo)chemosystematics and phylogeny.

Results of aerosol and SO/sub 2/ measurements at Neurath fossil-fuel power plant in November 1974

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paffrath, D; Peters, W

1975-11-01

The structure of cooling tower plumes depends on meteorological conditions, especially on wind, temperature gradients, and turbulence. This influence of meteorological atmospheric conditions on the plumes may be quantitatively described by so-called diffusion parameters. These parameters may be determined with the aid of tracer measurements by determining tracer diffusion and, from the distribution of the tracers, calculating the diffusion parameters. At the Neurath power plant, there were three of these tracers. First, the vertical concentration distribution of the atmospheric background aerosol may yield information on the vertical stratification. Secondly, pollutants from anthropogenic sources, e.g., from the stacks of Neurath fossil-fuel power plant itself, may be used for investigation. In the present study, particle concentrations and SO/sub 2/ content of the air due to the waste gases from the power plant stacks were used for measurement.

The physico-chemistry of SO2 in the smoke plumes of fossil-fueled power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabroux, Jean-Christophe

1974-01-01

An experimental determination was made of the type and speed of chemical-physical transformations occurring in the stack effluents of fossil-fueled power-plants, from their emission into the atmosphere. The homogeneous chemical reactions were taken into consideration, as well as the heterogeneous reactions in the presence of a metal, oxide aerosol or water droplets owed to condensation. The results gave a general indication that the quantitatively important transformations of SO 2 , in a stack plume produced by fuel combustion, took place at the moment of water-vapor condensation; in these conditions the oxidising role of NO 2 became prevailing. (author) [fr

X-ray micro-CT and neutron CT as complementary imaging tools for non-destructive 3D imaging of rare silicified fossil plants

Science.gov (United States)

Karch, J.; Dudák, J.; Žemlička, J.; Vavřík, D.; Kumpová, I.; Kvaček, J.; Heřmanová, Z.; Šoltés, J.; Viererbl, L.; Morgano, M.; Kaestner, A.; Trtík, P.

2017-12-01

Computed tomography provides 3D information of inner structures of investigated objects. The obtained information is, however, strongly dependent on the used radiation type. It is known that as X-rays interact with electron cloud and neutrons with atomic nucleus, the obtained data often provide different contrast of sample structures. In this work we present a set of comparative radiographic and CT measurements of rare fossil plant samples using X-rays and thermal neutrons. The X-ray measurements were performed using large area photon counting detectors Timepix at IEAP CTU in Prague and Perkin Elmer flat-panel detector at Center of Excellence Telč. The neutron CT measurement was carried out at Paul Scherrer Institute using BOA beam-line. Furthermore, neutron radiography of fossil samples, provided by National Museum, were performed using a large-area Timepix detector with a neutron-sensitive converting 6LiF layer at Research Centre Rez, Czech Republic. The obtained results show different capabilities of both imaging approaches. While X-ray micro-CT provides very high resolution and enables visualization of fine cracks or small cavities in the samples neutron imaging provides high contrast of morphological structures of fossil plant samples, where X-ray imaging provides insufficient contrast.

Paleovegetation reconstruction of fossil forests dominated by Metasequoia and Glyptostrobus from the late Pliocene Kobiwako Group, central Japan

OpenAIRE

CHIYOMI, YAMAKAWA; ARATA, MOMOHARA; TOMOO, NUNOTANI; MIDORI, MATSUMOTO; YASUYUKI, WATANO; Lake Biwa Museum; Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University; Lake Biwa Museum; Graduate School of Science, Chiba University; Graduate School of Science, Chiba University

2008-01-01

A late Pliocene (1.8-1.9 Ma) wetland fossil forest community that was dominated by Metasequoia and Glyptostrobus was reconstructed based on the species composition of the stumps and other plant macrofossil assemblages. The plant fossils were recovered from a fossil forest preserved in deposits of the Kobiwako Group that are exposed in the Echi River, Shiga Prefecture, central Japan. Fossil wood of Metasequoia and Glyptostrobus was distinguished based on anatomical characteristics. Apportionme...

Methodology for calculation of carbon emission and energy generation efficiency by fossil coal thermal power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Licks, Leticia A.; Pires, Marcal

2008-01-01

This work intends to evaluate the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emitted by the burning of fossil coal in Brazil. So, a detailed methodology is proposed for calculation of CO 2 emissions from the carbon emission coefficients specific for the Brazilian carbons. Also, the using of secondary fuels (fuel oil and diesel oil) were considered and the power generation for the calculation of emissions and efficiencies of each power plant as well. The obtained results indicate carbon emissions for the year 2002 approximately of the order of 1,794 Gg, with 20% less than the obtained by the official methodology (MCT). Such differences are related to the non consideration of the humidity containment of the coals as well as the using of generic coefficients not adapted to the Brazilian coals. The obtained results indicate the necessity to review the emission inventories and the modernization of the burning systems aiming the increase the efficiency and reduction of the CO 2 and other pollutants, as an alternative for maintaining the sustainable form of using the fossil coal in the country

A long-term view of fossil-fuelled power generation in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzimas, Evangelos; Georgakaki, Aliki

2010-01-01

The paper presents a view into the long term future of fossil-fuelled power generation in the European Union, based on a number of alternative scenarios for the development of the coal, natural gas and CO 2 markets, and the penetration of renewable and nuclear technologies. The new fossil fuelled capacity needed and the likely technology mix are estimated using a cost optimisation model based on the screening curve method, taking into consideration the rate of retirement of the current power plant fleet, the capacity already planned or under construction and the role of carbon capture and storage technologies. This analysis shows that measures to increase both non-fossil-fuel-based power generation and the price of CO 2 are necessary to drive the composition of the European power generation capacity so that the European policy goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions is achieved. Meeting this goal will however require a high capital investment for the creation of an optimal fossil fuel power plant technology mix.

Reliability estimation for multiunit nuclear and fossil-fired industrial energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, W.G.; Wilson, J.V.; Klepper, O.H.

1977-01-01

As petroleum-based fuels grow increasingly scarce and costly, nuclear energy may become an important alternative source of industrial energy. Initial applications would most likely include a mix of fossil-fired and nuclear sources of process energy. A means for determining the overall reliability of these mixed systems is a fundamental aspect of demonstrating their feasibility to potential industrial users. Reliability data from nuclear and fossil-fired plants are presented, and several methods of applying these data for calculating the reliability of reasonably complex industrial energy supply systems are given. Reliability estimates made under a number of simplifying assumptions indicate that multiple nuclear units or a combination of nuclear and fossil-fired plants could provide adequate reliability to meet industrial requirements for continuity of service

{Delta}{sup 14}C level of annual plants and fossil fuel derived CO{sub 2} distribution across different regions of China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xi, X.T.; Ding, X.F.; Fu, D.P. [State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology and Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Zhou, L.P. [Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Department of Geography, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Liu, K.X., E-mail: kxliu@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology and Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2013-01-15

The {sup 14}C level in annual plants is a sensitive tracer for monitoring fossil fuel derived CO{sub 2} in the atmosphere. Corn leave samples were selected from different regions of China, including high mountains in the Tibetan Plateau, grassland in Inner Mongolia, and inland and coastal cities during the summer of 2010. The {sup 14}C/{sup 12}C ratio of the samples was measured with the NEC compact AMS system at the Institute of Heavy Ion Physics, Peking University. The fossil fuel derived CO{sub 2} was estimated by comparing the measured {Delta}{sup 14}C values of corn leave samples to background atmospheric {Delta}{sup 14}C level. The influences of topography, meteorological conditions and carbon cycling processes on the fossil fuel derived CO{sub 2} concentration are considered when interpreting the data. Our results show a clear association of the low {Delta}{sup 14}C values with regions where human activities are intensive.

Perspectives of new fossil-fuelled power plants with CO2 capture in the liberalised European electricity market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kober, Tom

2014-01-01

Against the background of an increasing importance of climate change mitigation and the liberalization of the European energy supply this study assesses the perspectives of power plants with Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS power plants represent one option to reduce CO 2 emissions of fossil energy based electricity production significantly. In this study the deployment of CCS power plants is investigated for the European electricity market until 2050 taking different energy and climate policy framework conditions into consideration. By applying an integrated model-based approach, structural changes of the whole energy system are incorporated, including their implications on costs and emissions. The study addresses uncertainties concerning future CCS power plant invest costs and efficiencies explicitly, and analyses the effects of changes of these parameters with respect to the perspectives of CCS power plants in Europe. Thereby, interdependencies on horizontal level related to competition of different technologies within the electricity sector are examined, but also vertical interdependencies resulting from effects between the upstream and energy demand sectors. In order to reflect the heterogeneity among the national energy systems in Europe, country specific particularities on technical aspects and energy policy are taken into account, such as potentials and costs of CO 2 storage, and national regulations on the use of nuclear power and renewable energy. The results of the analysis reveal a strong influence of the stringency of the EU greenhouse gas reduction target and the policy on the use of nuclear energy on the perspectives of CCS power plants in the European electricity market. Comparing the influence of different policy frameworks analysed in this study with the influences of the variation of the technical and economic CCS power plant parameters shows, that uncertainties concerning energy policy measures can have a stronger influence on the

Fossil fuel furnace reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Parkinson, William J.

1987-01-01

A fossil fuel furnace reactor is provided for simulating a continuous processing plant with a batch reactor. An internal reaction vessel contains a batch of shale oil, with the vessel having a relatively thin wall thickness for a heat transfer rate effective to simulate a process temperature history in the selected continuous processing plant. A heater jacket is disposed about the reactor vessel and defines a number of independent controllable temperature zones axially spaced along the reaction vessel. Each temperature zone can be energized to simulate a time-temperature history of process material through the continuous plant. A pressure vessel contains both the heater jacket and the reaction vessel at an operating pressure functionally selected to simulate the continuous processing plant. The process yield from the oil shale may be used as feedback information to software simulating operation of the continuous plant to provide operating parameters, i.e., temperature profiles, ambient atmosphere, operating pressure, material feed rates, etc., for simulation in the batch reactor.

The Clean Coal Technology Program 100 MWe demonstration of gas suspension absorption for flue gas desulfurization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsu, F.E.; Hedenhag, J.G. [AirPol Inc., Teterboro, NJ (United States); Marchant, S.K.; Pukanic, G.W. [Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center; Norwood, V.M.; Burnett, T.A. [Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, TN (United States)

1997-12-31

AirPol Inc., with the cooperation of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under a Cooperative Agreement with the United States Department of Energy, installed and tested a 10 MWe Gas Suspension Absorption (GSA) Demonstration system at TVA`s Shawnee Fossil Plant near Paducah, Kentucky. This low-cost retrofit project demonstrated that the GSA system can remove more than 90% of the sulfur dioxide from high-sulfur coal-fired flue gas, while achieving a relatively high utilization of reagent lime. This paper presents a detailed technical description of the Clean Coal Technology demonstration project. Test results and data analysis from the preliminary testing, factorial tests, air toxics texts, 28-day continuous demonstration run of GSA/electrostatic precipitator (ESP), and 14-day continuous demonstration run of GSA/pulse jet baghouse (PJBH) are also discussed within this paper.

Advances in processing technologies for titanium heat exchanger tubes of fossil and nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Likhareva, T P; Tchizhik, A A; Chavchanidze, N N [Polzanov Central Boiler and Turbine Institute, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)

1999-12-31

The advances in processing technologies for titanium heat exchangers with rolled and welded tubes of fossil and nuclear power plants in Russia are presented. The special methodology of investigations with constant small strain rate have been used to study the effects of mixed corrosion and creep processes in condensers cooled by sea or synthetic sea waters. The results of corrosion creep tests and K1scc calculations are given. The Russian science activities concerning condensers manufactured from titanium show the possibilities for designing structures with very high level service reliability in different corrosion aggressive mediums with high total salt, Cl-ion and oxygen contents. (orig.)

Advances in processing technologies for titanium heat exchanger tubes of fossil and nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Likhareva, T.P.; Tchizhik, A.A.; Chavchanidze, N.N. [Polzanov Central Boiler and Turbine Institute, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation)

1998-12-31

The advances in processing technologies for titanium heat exchangers with rolled and welded tubes of fossil and nuclear power plants in Russia are presented. The special methodology of investigations with constant small strain rate have been used to study the effects of mixed corrosion and creep processes in condensers cooled by sea or synthetic sea waters. The results of corrosion creep tests and K1scc calculations are given. The Russian science activities concerning condensers manufactured from titanium show the possibilities for designing structures with very high level service reliability in different corrosion aggressive mediums with high total salt, Cl-ion and oxygen contents. (orig.)

Instrumentation and process control for fossil demonstration plants. Quarterly technical progress report, April--June 1977

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LeSage, L.G.

1977-07-01

Work has been performed on updating the study of the state-of-the-art of instrumentation for Fossil Demonstration Plants (FDP), development of mass-flow and other on-line instruments for FDP, process control analysis for FDP, and organization of a symposium on instrumentation and control for FDP. A Solids/Gas Flow Test Facility (S/GFTF) under construction for instrument development, testing, evaluation, and calibration is described. The development work for several mass-flow and other on-line instruments is described: acoustic flowmeter, capacitive density flowmeter, neutron activation flowmeter and composition analysis system, gamma ray correlation flowmeter, optical flowmeter, and capacitive liquid interface level meter.

Δ14CO2 from dark respiration in plants and its impact on the estimation of atmospheric fossil fuel CO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Xiaohu; Zhou, Weijian; Cheng, Peng; Wu, Shugang; Niu, Zhenchuan; Du, Hua; Lu, Xuefeng; Fu, Yunchong; Burr, George S

2017-04-01

Radiocarbon ( 14 C) has been widely used for quantification of fossil fuel CO 2 (CO 2ff ) in the atmosphere and for ecosystem source partitioning studies. The strength of the technique lies in the intrinsic differences between the 14 C signature of fossil fuels and other sources. In past studies, the 14 C content of CO 2 derived from plants has been equated with the 14 C content of the atmosphere. Carbon isotopic fractionation mechanisms vary among plants however, and experimental study on fractionation associated with dark respiration is lacking. Here we present accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon results of CO 2 respired from 21 plants using a lab-incubation method and associated bulk organic matter. From the respired CO 2 we determine Δ 14 C res values, and from the bulk organic matter we determine Δ 14 C bom values. A significant difference between Δ 14 C res and Δ 14 C bom (P < 0.01) was observed for all investigated plants, ranging from -42.3‰ to 10.1‰. The results show that Δ 14 C res values are in agreement with mean atmospheric Δ 14 CO 2 for several days leading up to the sampling date, but are significantly different from corresponding bulk organic Δ 14 C values. We find that although dark respiration is unlikely to significantly influence the estimation of CO 2ff , an additional bias associated with the respiration rate during a plant's growth period should be considered when using Δ 14 C in plants to quantify atmospheric CO 2ff . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New methods reveal oldest known fossil epiphyllous moss: Bryiidites utahensis gen. et sp. nov. (Bryidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Barclay, Richard S; McElwain, Jennifer C; Duckett, Jeffrey G; van Es, Maarten H; Mostaert, Anika S; Pressel, Silvia; Sageman, Bradley B

2013-12-01

Epiphyllous bryophytes are a highly characteristic feature of many humid tropical forest ecosystems. In contrast to the extensive fossil record for the leaves of their host plants, the record is virtually nonexistent for the epiphylls themselves, despite a fossil record for mosses that begins in the Middle Carboniferous Period, 330 million years ago. Epifluorescence optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were employed to investigate an intimate association between a newly discovered epiphyllous moss and a Lauraceae plant host from the middle Cretaceous. We describe the oldest fossil specimen of an epiphyllous moss, Bryiidites utahensis gen. et sp. nov., identified from an individual specimen only 450 µm long, situated on an approximately one millimeter square fossil leaf fragment. The moss epiphyll is exquisitely preserved as germinating spores and short-celled protonemata with transverse and oblique cross-walls closely matching those of extant epiphyllous mosses on the surface of the plant-leaf hosts. The extension of the epiphyll record back to the middle Cretaceous provides fossil evidence for the appearance of epiphyllous mosses during the diversification of flowering plants, at least 95 million years ago. It also provides substantive evidence for a tropical maritime climate in central North America during the middle Cretaceous.

Responses of high-elevation herbaceous plant assemblages to low glacial CO₂ concentrations revealed by fossil marmot (Marmota) teeth.

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, Bryan S; Ward, Joy K; Polito, Michael J; Emslie, Steven D

2014-08-01

Atmospheric CO2 cycles of the Quaternary likely imposed major constraints on the physiology and growth of C3 plants worldwide. However, the measured record of this remains both geographically and taxonomically sparse. We present the first reconstruction of physiological responses in a late Quaternary high-elevation herbaceous plant community from the Southern Rocky Mountains, USA. We used a novel proxy-fossilized tooth enamel of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris)-which we developed using detailed isotopic analysis of modern individuals. Calculated C isotopic discrimination (Δ) of alpine plants was nearly 2 ‰ lower prior to the Last Glacial Maximum than at present, a response almost identical to that of nonherbaceous taxa from lower elevations. However, initial shifts in Δ aligned most closely with the onset of the late Pleistocene bipolar temperature "seesaw" rather than CO2 increase, indicating unique limitations on glacial-age high-elevation plants may have existed due to both low temperatures and low CO2. Further development of system-specific faunal proxies can help to clarify this and other plant- and ecosystem-level responses to past environmental change.

Comparison of manual and automated pretreatment methods for AMS radiocarbon dating of plant fossils

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, L.A.; Stafford, Thomas W.

1994-01-01

A new automated pretreatment system for the preparation of materials submitted for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) analysis is less time-consuming and results in a higher sample yield. The new procedure was tested using two groups of plant fossils: one group was pretreated using the traditional method, and the second, using the automated pretreatment apparatus. The time it took to complete the procedure and the amount of sample material remaining were compared. The automated pretreatment apparatus proved to be more than three times faster and, in most cases, produced a higher yield. A darker discoloration of the KOH solutions was observed indicating that the automated system is more thorough in removing humates from the specimen compared to the manual method. -Authors

Fossil energy savings potential of sugar cane bio-energy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Thu Lan T. [Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele (Denmark); The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok (Thailand); Hermansen, John E. [Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele (Denmark); Sagisaka, Masayuki [Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba (Japan)

2009-11-15

One important rationale for bio-energy systems is their potential to save fossil energy. Converting a conventional sugar mill into a bio-energy process plant would contribute to fossil energy savings via the extraction of renewable electricity and ethanol substituting for fossil electricity and gasoline, respectively. This paper takes a closer look at the Thai sugar industry and examines two practical approaches that will enhance fossil energy savings. The first one addresses an efficient extraction of energy in the form of electricity from the excess bagasse and cane trash. The second while proposing to convert molasses or sugar cane to ethanol stresses the use of bagasse as well as distillery spent wash to replace coal in meeting ethanol plants' energy needs. The savings potential achieved with extracting ethanol from surplus sugar versus current practice in sugar industry in Thailand amounts to 15 million barrels of oil a year. Whether the saving benefits could be fully realized, however, depends on how well the potential land use change resulting from an expansion of ethanol production is managed. The results presented serve as a useful guidance to formulate strategies that enable optimum utilization of biomass as an energy source. (author)

Power plant engineering for the use of fossil, regenerative and nuclear energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strauss, K.

1992-01-01

Electrical power is the motor for technical advance and for the development of the standard of living in industrial countries. It has been provided for about 110 years on the industrial scale for general use by energy conversion in powerstations. This book gives the present state of technology for this and points out possible future developments. The author deals with the following aspects: Survey of available energy sources (fossil, regenerative, nuclear) the principles for the conversion of primary energy into electricity contamination of the environment resulting from energy conversion statements on the efficiency, availability of plant and costs. The reader can estimate the order of magnitude of energy and material flows and the dimensions of components and units from examples with answers. The book is intended for students and practical engineers in energy and powerstation technology. (orig.) With 210 figs [de

Reconstructing Middle Eocene Climate and Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration: Application of a mechanistic theoretical approach to fossil plants from the Messel Pit (Germany)

Science.gov (United States)

Grein, M.; Roth-Nebelsick, A.; Wilde, V.; Konrad, W.; Utescher, T.

2009-12-01

It is assumed that changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations (from now on expressed as Ca) strongly influenced the development of global temperatures during parts of the Cenozoic. Thus, detailed knowledge of ancient Ca and its variations is of utmost importance for exploring the coupling of atmospheric CO2 and global climate change. Numerous techniques (such as carbon and boron isotopes) were applied in order to obtain Ca, with varying and sometimes even conflicting results. Stomatal density (number of stomata per leaf area) represents another promising proxy for the calculation of ancient Ca since many plants reduce the number of stomata (pores on the leaf surface used for gas exchange) under increasing Ca. As a reason it is assumed that plants try to adjust stomatal conductance in order to optimize their gas exchange (which means maximal assimilation at minimal transpiration). The common technique for calculating Ca from fossil stomatal frequency is to create empirical transfer functions of living plants derived from herbar material or greenhouse experiments. In the presented project, Ca of the Middle Eocene is calculated by applying a different approach which utilizes a mechanistic-theoretical calibration. It couples the processes of a) C3-photosynthesis, b) diffusion and c) transpiration with palaeoclimatic and leaf-anatomical data. The model also includes an optimisation principle supported by ecophysiological data. According to this optimisation principle, plants adjust their stomatal conductance in such a way that photosynthesis rates are constrained by optimal water use (transpiration). This model was applied in the present study to fossil plants from the Messel Pit near Darmstadt (Germany). In order to reconstruct Ca by using fossil plant taxa from Messel, numerous parameters which represent model input have to be estimated from measurements of living representatives. Furthermore, since climate parameters are also required by the model, quantitative

Survey of population health in towns with nuclear and fossil fuel power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, E.; Shubik, V. M.

2004-01-01

Comparative assessment of population health in Sosnovy Bor with nuclear power plant and Kirovsk with fossil fuel power station was made for public and administration information. Both towns are located in Leningrad administrative region at 150 km distance from each other. In nuclear power town radiological situation was assessed as normal and in Kirovsk up to 1995 yr. with coal fuel, maximum permissible levels of suspended particle of sulfur oxide in atmosphere were exceeded in 6-9% of samples. After 1995 yr. the natural gas was used as fuel. Demographic data for 1991-2000 yrs indicate that mortality including infants mortality and stillborns was lower in Sosnovy Bor (NOS) then in Kirovsk (fossil fuel) and on average Leningrad administrative region. Birth rate and population growth was higher in Sosnovy Bor at the same time surprisingly the recorded morbidity was higher in Sosnovy Bor which might be explained by extensive medical supervision and improved diagnostics. However, cancer and tuberculosis morbidity was lower in Sosnovy Bor. In Kirovsk in 1997-2000 yrs. oncological morbidity was higher on average comparing to Leningrad administrative region. Oncological mortality in Sosnovy Bor in 1997-2000 yrs. was lower than in Kirovsk and Leningrad region Standardized annual mortality in Sosnovy Bor, Kirovsk and Leningrad administrative region was 128.3, 209.6 and 211.7 on 100 000 respectively. Health state of pregnant women, deliveries, new-born condition were all in normal range in Sosnovy Bor, contrary to higher increased abortion rate and pregnancy complications in Kirovsk. These findings need further studies. (Author)

Survey of population health in towns with nuclear and fossil fuel power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivanov, E.; Shubik, V. M.

2004-07-01

Comparative assessment of population health in Sosnovy Bor with nuclear power plant and Kirovsk with fossil fuel power station was made for public and administration information. Both towns are located in Leningrad administrative region at 150 km distance from each other. In nuclear power town radiological situation was assessed as normal and in Kirovsk up to 1995 yr. with coal fuel, maximum permissible levels of suspended particle of sulfur oxide in atmosphere were exceeded in 6-9% of samples. After 1995 yr. the natural gas was used as fuel. Demographic data for 1991-2000 yrs indicate that mortality including infants mortality and stillborns was lower in Sosnovy Bor (NOS) then in Kirovsk (fossil fuel) and on average Leningrad administrative region. Birth rate and population growth was higher in Sosnovy Bor at the same time surprisingly the recorded morbidity was higher in Sosnovy Bor which might be explained by extensive medical supervision and improved diagnostics. However, cancer and tuberculosis morbidity was lower in Sosnovy Bor. In Kirovsk in 1997-2000 yrs. oncological morbidity was higher on average comparing to Leningrad administrative region. Oncological mortality in Sosnovy Bor in 1997-2000 yrs. was lower than in Kirovsk and Leningrad region Standardized annual mortality in Sosnovy Bor, Kirovsk and Leningrad administrative region was 128.3, 209.6 and 211.7 on 100 000 respectively. Health state of pregnant women, deliveries, new-born condition were all in normal range in Sosnovy Bor, contrary to higher increased abortion rate and pregnancy complications in Kirovsk. These findings need further studies. (Author)

The Panama fossil power plants generation system: Atmospheric pollution, general and legal aspects; El sistema de generacion termoelectrico en Panama: Contaminacion atmosferica, aspectos generales y legales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milciades, Concepcion [Instituto de Recursos Hidraulicos y Electrificacion, (Panama)

1997-12-31

The Thermal electric energy resource of Panama is administered by four Regional Managements and a group of Regional Systems comprising the fossil power plants supplying electric energy to the country`s marginal areas. The characteristics of the different fuels used in these fossil power plants, the results of the assessment of the polluting particles and sulfur and nitrogen oxides are presented. Finally, the alleviation measures and the environmental legislation implanted in these power plants are also presented [Espanol] El parque termico de Panama es administrado por cuatro Gerencias Regionales y un conjunto de Sistemas Regionales que comprenden las plantas termicas de menor capacidad destinadas a suplir de energia a las areas marginadas del pais. Se presentan las caracteristicas de los diferentes combustibles utilizados en estas unidades termicas; los resultados de las mediciones de particulas contaminantes y de oxidos de azufre y oxidos de nitrogeno. Por ultimo se presentan las medidas de mitigacion y legislacion ambiental implantadas en estas centrales termoelectricas

The Panama fossil power plants generation system: Atmospheric pollution, general and legal aspects; El sistema de generacion termoelectrico en Panama: Contaminacion atmosferica, aspectos generales y legales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milciades, Concepcion [Instituto de Recursos Hidraulicos y Electrificacion, (Panama)

1996-12-31

The Thermal electric energy resource of Panama is administered by four Regional Managements and a group of Regional Systems comprising the fossil power plants supplying electric energy to the country`s marginal areas. The characteristics of the different fuels used in these fossil power plants, the results of the assessment of the polluting particles and sulfur and nitrogen oxides are presented. Finally, the alleviation measures and the environmental legislation implanted in these power plants are also presented [Espanol] El parque termico de Panama es administrado por cuatro Gerencias Regionales y un conjunto de Sistemas Regionales que comprenden las plantas termicas de menor capacidad destinadas a suplir de energia a las areas marginadas del pais. Se presentan las caracteristicas de los diferentes combustibles utilizados en estas unidades termicas; los resultados de las mediciones de particulas contaminantes y de oxidos de azufre y oxidos de nitrogeno. Por ultimo se presentan las medidas de mitigacion y legislacion ambiental implantadas en estas centrales termoelectricas

Reconciling fossil fuel power generation development and climate issues: CCS and CCS-Ready

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paelinck, Philippe; Sonnois, Louis; Leandri, Jean-Francois

2010-09-15

This paper intends to analyse how CCS can contribute to reduce CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel power plants and to describe what is its current overall status. Its potential future development is assessed, in both developed and developing countries, and an economical assessment of different investment options highlight the importance of CCS retrofit. The paper analyses then the challenges of the development of fossil fuelled power plants and details case examples to illustrate some technical challenges related to CCS and what are the technical solutions available today to ease and address them: CCS-Ready power plants.

Life extension for fossil power plants: The EPRI [Electric Power Research Institute] strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byron, J.; Dooley, B.

1988-01-01

Fossil fuel-fired generating plants have traditionally been built under the assumption of an economic life of 20-30 years. Due to low load growth, escalating interest rates and costs of construction, and increasing regulation, great interest is expressed in retaining these units in service for 50-60 years or longer. Life extension activities are part of an ongoing process that continues throughout the extended lives of a utility's units. The process begins with an initial evaluation of life extension as a generation alternative, resulting in a ranking of units for life extension and a prioritization of components for evaluation. As the process continues, more detailed inspection data are created by a three-level approach, as well as a means for collecting, organizing and scheduling the information. This is implemented through the Integrated Life Extension Management (ILEM) model. This model provides information needed for management decision making such as component performance on unit power rating, availability of components on unit availability, component performance on unit availability and overall costs of the life extension tasks. Risks involved in life extension include the initial unavailability of capacity credits, uncertainty as to the level of availability that can be achieved by the life-extended plant, and uncertainties in environmental compliance. 8 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

Life cycle GHG assessment of fossil fuel power plants with carbon capture and storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odeh, Naser A.; Cockerill, Timothy T.

2008-01-01

The evaluation of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from power generation with carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a critical factor in energy and policy analysis. The current paper examines life cycle emissions from three types of fossil-fuel-based power plants, namely supercritical pulverized coal (super-PC), natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), with and without CCS. Results show that, for a 90% CO 2 capture efficiency, life cycle GHG emissions are reduced by 75-84% depending on what technology is used. With GHG emissions less than 170 g/kWh, IGCC technology is found to be favorable to NGCC with CCS. Sensitivity analysis reveals that, for coal power plants, varying the CO 2 capture efficiency and the coal transport distance has a more pronounced effect on life cycle GHG emissions than changing the length of CO 2 transport pipeline. Finally, it is concluded from the current study that while the global warming potential is reduced when MEA-based CO 2 capture is employed, the increase in other air pollutants such as NO x and NH 3 leads to higher eutrophication and acidification potentials

Fossil Explorers

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Sean; McLaughlin, Cheryl; MacFadden, Bruce; Jacobbe, Elizabeth; Poole, Michael

2015-01-01

Many young learners are fascinated with fossils, particularly charismatic forms such as dinosaurs and giant sharks. Fossils provide tangible, objective evidence of life that lived millions of years ago. They also provide a timescale of evolution not typically appreciated by young learners. Fossils and the science of paleontology can, therefore,…

Total energy analysis of nuclear and fossil fueled power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklin, W.D.; Mutsakis, M.; Ort, R.G.

1971-01-01

The overall thermal efficiencies of electrical power generation were determined for Liquid Metal Fast Breeder, High Temperature Gas Cooled, Boiling Water, and Pressurized Water Reactors and for coal-, oil-, and gas-fired systems. All important energy consuming steps from mining through processing, transporting, and reprocessing the fuels were included in the energy balance along with electrical transmission and thermal losses and energy expenditures for pollution abatement. The results of these studies show that the overall fuel cycle efficiency of the light water nuclear fueled reactors is less than the efficiency of modern fossil fuel cycles. However, the nuclear fuel cycle based on the fast breeder reactors should produce power more efficiently than the most modern supercritical fossil fuel cycles. The high temperature gas cooled reactor has a cycle efficiency comparable to the supercritical coal fuel cycle

Analysis of river Jiu water pollution due to operation of Rovinari, Turceni and Paroseni fossil fuel power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Constantin, Aurel Ilie; Mitoiu, Corneliu; Constantinescu, Ana Maria; Ghigiu, Nicolae

1995-01-01

Important quantities of ash and breeze resulting from combustion of fossil fuels used in Rovinari, Turceni and Paroseni power plants were evacuated by hydraulic transport into decant ponds for the primary treatment. Waste waters resulting from hydrotransport have large suspension concentrations and, occasionally, strong alkaline pH values. Periodically, accidental pollutions affected the river Jiu and large areas of agricultural lands. The paper presents the analysis results of waste water pH, suspensions and fixed residue. The causes of river Jiu pollution are discussed and measures to reduce its effects are suggested. (authors)

Physical model of a floating trash boom to control aquatic weeds at the TVA Widows Creek Fossil Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopping, P.N.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Widows Creek Fossil plant seasonally encounters adverse accumulations of aquatic weeds at the intakes of the condenser cooling water pumps. To reduce the accumulations, a floating trash boom has been proposed for the intakes. To evaluate the hydraulic feasibility of a boom, a physical model of the intakes has been built at the TVA Engineering Laboratory. The model was used to determine the boom alignment and depth of skimming needed to successfully deflect weeds away from the intakes and provide self-cleaning

Radioactivity in fossils at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument.

Science.gov (United States)

Farmer, C Neal; Kathren, Ronald L; Christensen, Craig

2008-08-01

Since 1996, higher than background levels of naturally occurring radioactivity have been documented in both fossil and mineral deposits at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument in south-central Idaho. Radioactive fossil sites occur primarily within an elevation zone of 900-1000 m above sea level and are most commonly found associated with ancient river channels filled with sand. Fossils found in clay rich deposits do not exhibit discernable levels of radioactivity. Out of 300 randomly selected fossils, approximately three-fourths exhibit detectable levels of natural radioactivity ranging from 1 to 2 orders of magnitude above ambient background levels when surveyed with a portable hand held Geiger-Muller survey instrument. Mineral deposits in geologic strata also show above ambient background levels of radioactivity. Radiochemical lab analysis has documented the presence of numerous natural radioactive isotopes. It is postulated that ancient groundwater transported radioactive elements through sand bodies containing fossils which precipitated out of solution during the fossilization process. The elevated levels of natural radioactivity in fossils may require special precautions to ensure that exposures to personnel from stored or displayed items are kept as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).

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Reducing the CO2 emissions from fossil fuel power plans by exhaust gas treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, Elena

2007-01-01

The emission of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and other pollutants which result from burning fossil fuels has been identified as the major contributor to global warming and climate change. However, for the short term, at least for the next 10-20 years, the world will continue to rely on fossil fuels as the source of primary energy. The challenge for the fossil the fuel industry is to find cost-effective solutions that will reduce the release of CO 2 and other pollutants into the atmosphere. The focus of this paper is on the ability to treat the exhaust gas from fossil fuel power plants in order to capture and store the CO 2 and remove the other pollutants such as SO x and NO x which are released into the atmosphere. In summary, capture/separation costs represent the largest financial impediment for this type of plants. Hence, efficient, cost-effective capture/separation technologies need to be developed to allow their large-scale use. (author)

Fossil Crinoids

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Hans; Ausich, William I.; Brett, Carlton E.; Simms, Michael J.

2003-01-01

Crinoids have graced the oceans for more than 500 million years. Among the most attractive fossils, crinoids had a key role in the ecology of marine communities through much of the fossil record, and their remains are prominent rock forming constituents of many limestones. This is the first comprehensive volume to bring together their form and function, classification, evolutionary history, occurrence, preservation and ecology. The main part of the book is devoted to assemblages of intact fossil crinoids, which are described in their geological setting in twenty-three chapters ranging from the Ordovician to the Tertiary. The final chapter deals with living sea lilies and feather stars. The volume is exquisitely illustrated with abundant photographs and line drawings of crinoids from sites around the world. This authoritative account recreates a fascinating picture of fossil crinoids for paleontologists, geologists, evolutionary and marine biologists, ecologists and amateur fossil collectors.

Economic evaluation of methods to substitute consumption of fossil fuel for nuclear one in power generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veretennikov, G.A.; Boldyrev, V.M.; Sigal, M.V.

1986-01-01

Technical-and-economic indices of separate and combind processes of thermal and electric power production are compared for different energy sources (heat-only nuclear stations power and heat nuclear stations condensation nuclear power plants, fossil-fuel condensation power plants, fossil-fuel power and heat nuclear stations and fossil-fuel boiler houses). The data on capital outlays, fuel expenses and total reduced costs are presented. The analysis has shown that all versions of nuclear energy development with the use of heat-only nuclear stations in different combinations prove to be less preferable than the version of cogeneration of heat and electric power at power and heat nuclear stations

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Modelling turbulent fluid flows in nuclear and fossil-fired power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viollet, P.L.

1995-06-01

The turbulent flows encountered in nuclear reactor thermal hydraulic studies or fossil-fired plant thermo-aerodynamic analyses feature widely varying characteristics, frequently entailing heat transfers and two-phase flows so that modelling these phenomena tends more and more to involve coupling between several branches of engineering. Multi-scale geometries are often encountered, with complex wall shapes, such as a PWR vessel, a reactor coolant pump impeller or a circulating fluidized bed combustion chamber. When it comes to validating physical models of these flows, the analytical process highlights the main descriptive parameters of local flow conditions: tensor characterizing the turbulence anisotropy, characteristic time scales for turbulent flow particle dynamics. Cooperative procedures implemented between national or international working parties can accelerate validation by sharing and exchanging results obtained by the various organizations involved. With this principle accepted, we still have to validate the products themselves, i.e. the software used for the studies. In this context, the ESTET, ASTRID and N3S codes have been subjected to a battery of test cases covering their respective fields of application. These test cases are re-run for each new version, so that the sets of test cases systematically benefit from the gradually upgraded functionalities of the codes. (author). refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs

Perspectives of new fossil-fuelled power plants with CO{sub 2} capture in the liberalised European electricity market; Energiewirtschaftliche Anforderungen an neue fossil befeuerte Kraftwerke mit CO{sub 2}-Abscheidung im liberalisierten europaeischen Elektrizitaetsmarkt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kober, Tom

2014-03-15

Against the background of an increasing importance of climate change mitigation and the liberalization of the European energy supply this study assesses the perspectives of power plants with Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS power plants represent one option to reduce CO{sub 2} emissions of fossil energy based electricity production significantly. In this study the deployment of CCS power plants is investigated for the European electricity market until 2050 taking different energy and climate policy framework conditions into consideration. By applying an integrated model-based approach, structural changes of the whole energy system are incorporated, including their implications on costs and emissions. The study addresses uncertainties concerning future CCS power plant invest costs and efficiencies explicitly, and analyses the effects of changes of these parameters with respect to the perspectives of CCS power plants in Europe. Thereby, interdependencies on horizontal level related to competition of different technologies within the electricity sector are examined, but also vertical interdependencies resulting from effects between the upstream and energy demand sectors. In order to reflect the heterogeneity among the national energy systems in Europe, country specific particularities on technical aspects and energy policy are taken into account, such as potentials and costs of CO{sub 2} storage, and national regulations on the use of nuclear power and renewable energy. The results of the analysis reveal a strong influence of the stringency of the EU greenhouse gas reduction target and the policy on the use of nuclear energy on the perspectives of CCS power plants in the European electricity market. Comparing the influence of different policy frameworks analysed in this study with the influences of the variation of the technical and economic CCS power plant parameters shows, that uncertainties concerning energy policy measures can have a stronger

Investigation of Fossil Insect Systematics of Specimens Collected at the Clare Quarry Site in the Florissant Fossil Beds, Florissant, Colorado from 1996 to Present

Science.gov (United States)

Cancellare, J. A.; Villalobos, J. I.; Lemone, D.

2012-12-01

The Clare Quarry is located in the town of Florissant, Teller County, Colorado, approximately 30 miles west of Colorado Springs on State Highway 27. The elevation at the quarry face is 2500 meters ASL. Ar40/Ar39 dating of the upper beds of the Florissant Formation indicates an age of 34.07 +/- 0.10 Ma.An Oreodont fossil jaw and other mammalian fossils place the formation in the Chadronian Age.The basin in which the formation lies is undergirded by Wall Mountain Tuff dated at 37Ma, which sits on Pike's Peak Granite, which is dated at1080 Ma. In the Late Eocene the Florissant region was lacustrine in nature due to the damning of the river valley which runs north into Florissant. The ash and lahars from volcanic eruptions from the Thirty-nine Mile Volcano Field formed impoundments that produced shallow lakes for what is thought to been a period for 5000 years. Repeated ash falls placed plant matter and insect material in the lakes and streams that were formed intermittently during the period. The ash layers in the Florissant Formation are very fine grained, and contain diatomaceous mats that formed on the lake deposited ash layers aiding in the preservation of plant and insects material. Previous work on Florissant Fossils has been done by Lesquereaux (plants) 1878, Scudder (insects) 1890, and Mc Ginitie (plants) 1953. This project began 17 years ago and has consisted of collection trips ranging from one to eight days in the summers at a proprietary quarry owned land adjacent to The Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. The collection consists of 2700 catalogued plants, insects, and fish fossils. Of this number, 513 are insect fossils (19% of the total collection). Quality of preservation ranges from very poor to very good with the average qualitative evaluation between poor to fair. The largest series identied to family are Tipulids (Craneflies) with 23 specimens in the series. In this series wing venation is often incomplete and smaller characters including

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The status and prospects for the fossil-fired and nuclear power industry in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyahara, S.

1994-01-01

Power plant capacity in Japan amounts to about 200 GW, of which 180 GW belong to the electricity supply industry. 60% are installed in fossil-fired power stations, 19% in nuclear power stations and 21% in hydro-electric power stations. Key engineering techniques for power production from fossil fuels are supercritical steam conditions and combined cycle power plant technology. Crucial points for nuclear power generation are the development of the advanced light water reactor, the commericialization of the fast breeder reactor and the installation of a closed nuclear fuel cycle. (orig.) [de

Fossil fuel power generation within the European Research Area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-12-10

The report is the first in a series of three produced by the PowerClean Thematic Network that looks at and defines future requirements for research and development of fossil fuel power generation in the European Union. It makes the case for fossil fuel R & D with emphasis on the need for clean coal technologies (to increased efficiency and other CO{sub 2} capture and storage) For satisfying future energy demands of the enlarged European Union between now and 2030. The report concludes that affirmative R, D and D action is needed to support the EU power industry, working together on a Europe-wide basis, to establish the use of coal and other fossil fuels in near-zero emissions power plant. The role model would be the European Research Area, as in the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), but with a more comprehensive range of technical objectives recognising the importance of fossil fuels. Section headings are: introduction; current energy use; future needs and requirements; the future for clean fossil fuel energy in Europe; comparison with approaches adopted elsewhere (USA Vision 21 and FutureGen programmes, Japan); and responsibilities for EU coal R, D & D. 14 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs.

The Fossile Episode

OpenAIRE

Hassler, John; Sinn, Hans-Werner

2012-01-01

We build a two-sector dynamic general equilibrium model with one-sided substitutability between fossil carbon and biocarbon. One shock only, the discovery of the technology to use fossil fuels, leads to a transition from an inital pre-industrial phase to three following phases: a pure fossil carbon phase, a mixed fossil and biocarbon phase and an absorbing biocarbon phase. The increased competition for biocarbon during phase 3 and 4 leads to increasing food prices. We provide closed form expr...

The Fossil Episode

OpenAIRE

John Hassler; Hans-Werner Sinn

2012-01-01

We build a two-sector dynamic general equilibrium model with one-sided substitutability between fossil carbon and biocarbon. One shock only, the discovery of the technology to use fossil fuels, leads to a transition from an initial pre-industrial phase to three following phases: a pure fossil carbon phase, a mixed fossil and biocarbon phase and an absorbing biocarbon phase. The increased competition for biocarbon during phase 3 and 4 leads to increasing food prices. We provide closed form exp...

Computerized optimum distribution of loads among the turbogenerators of fossil-fuel electric power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foshko, L S; Zusmanovich, L B; Flos, S L; Pal' chik, V A; Konevskii, B I

1979-04-01

The problem of determining the optimum distribution of loads among turbogenerators in a fossil-fuel power plant is considered based on satisfying the following requirements: distribution of electrical and thermal loads to minimize the heat expended on the turbine unit; calculation based on turbogenerator characteristics that most completely describe operating conditions; no constraints on the configuration of turbogenerator performance characteristics; calculation of load distribution based on net characteristics including the internal needs of the turbogenerators; consideration of all operational limitations in turbogenerator working conditions; results should be applicable to any predetermined differential of the load change. A flowchart is given showing the organization of the Optim-76 program complex for solution of this problem. An example is given showing application of the Optim-76 program implemented by a Minsk-32 computer in the case of a heat and electric power station with three turbogenerators. The results show that a dynamic programming method has considerable advantages for this applicaton on third-generation computers.

Say no to fossil fuels and yes to nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghava Chari, S.

2011-01-01

Mistaken notion and wrongful fear of nuclear energy based on the horrors of the second world war bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and accidents at Chernobyl and Three mile island and lately the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown to earthquake and and tsunami have developed antagonism to nuclear energy (NE) and clouded its usefulness as a practical, clean, environment friendly and affordable alternate source of energy. Such antagonism has slowed down research on NE and its adoption on a much wider scale, the crying need of the day. There is a motivated disinformation campaign against nuclear energy in India as witnessed from the ongoing agitation at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and Jaitapur in Maharashtra. In fact nuclear energy is the only practical alternative energy source to meet the ever increasing energy needs of the world particularly the developing nations, and to save the world from the greenhouse ill effects of massive carbon dioxide and other emissions from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. Emissions from fossil fuel burning including radioactive emissions are hundreds of times more in weight and volume and far more hazardous than from an equal capacity nuclear plant. In fact there are no greenhouse gases (CO 2 ), acid rain gases (SO 2 ) or carcinogen emissions (NO x ) from nuclear plants. The accident rates and severity of accidents owing to nuclear plants is much lower as compared to fossil fuel power generation. Last but not the least NE offers economic freedom from the clutches of the few monopolistic oil producing countries, which charge exorbitant oil prices and cripple the finances of developing nations. (author)

Uranium concentration in fossils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okano, J.; Uyeda, C.

1988-01-01

Recently it is known that fossil bones tend to accumulate uranium. The uranium concentration, C u in fossils has been measured so far by γ ray spectroscopy or by fission track method. The authors applied secondary ion mass spectrometry, SIMS, to detect the uranium in fossil samples. The purpose of this work is to investigate the possibility of semi-quantitative analyses of uranium in fossils, and to study the correlation between C u and the age of fossil bones. The further purpose of this work is to apply SIMS to measure the distribution of C u in fossil teeth

Potential of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for reduction of CO2 emission and role of non-fossil power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiwatari, R.; Okano, K.; Yamamoto, H.

2009-01-01

A method to analyze the demand of electricity and the reduction of CO 2 emission and oil consumption by PHEV is established. Using the performance of PHEV optimized by EPRI and an estimation on the pattern of driving and charging in Japan, the following results are obtained. The electric demand for PHEV60(which has 60mile EV range) and PHEV20(which has 20mile EV range) is evaluated at 79.3 billion kWh and 41.2 billion kWh, respectively, in case that all vehicles in Japan (80 million cars) would be replaced by PHEV. The load leveling effect on the Japanese grid, which is hypothetically considered as one electric grid system, is evaluated at about 30 million kW, in case that all vehicles in Japan are replaced by PHEV60 and charged in the midnight. However, when the charge of PHEVs starts in the evening, that effect is not obtained. The reduction of CO 2 emission results in 64 million ton by the averaged CO 2 emissions intensity (emissions per unit of user end electricity) in Japan, and 98 million ton by electricity from the non-fossil power plant such as nuclear energy or renewable one. Those values are equivalent to 25% and 38% of CO 2 emission from the transport sector in Japan in 2003. Hence, non-fossil power plant enhances the reduction of CO 2 emission by the PHEV introduction. (author)

Developing fossil fuel based technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manzoori, A.R.; Lindner, E.R.

1991-01-01

Some of the undesirable effects of burning fossil fuels in the conventional power generating systems have resulted in increasing demand for alternative technologies for power generation. This paper describes a number of new technologies and their potential to reduce the level of atmospheric emissions associated with coal based power generation, such as atmospheric and pressurized fluid bed combustion systems and fuel cells. The status of their development is given and their efficiency is compared with that of conventional pc fired power plants. 1 tab., 7 figs

Comparative analysis of structural concrete Quality Assurance practices on nine nuclear and three fossil fuel power plant construction projects. Final summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willenbrock, J.H.; Thomas, H.R. Jr.; Burati, J.J. Jr.

1978-12-01

A summary of two reports, COO/4120-1 and COO/4120-2, is given. A comparative analysis was made of the Quality Assurance practices related to the structural concrete phase on nine nuclear and three fossil fuel power plant projects which are (or have been) under construction in the United States in the past ten years. For the nuclear projects the analysis identified the response of each Quality Assurance program to the applicable criteria of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B as well as to the pertinent regulatory requirements and industry standards. For the fossil projects the analysis identified the response of each Quality Assurance program to criteria similar to those which were applicable in the nuclear situation. The major emphasis was placed on the construction aspects of the structural concrete phase of each project. The engineering and design aspects were examined whenever they interfaced with the construction aspects

Trade-off in emissions of acid gas pollutants and of carbon dioxide in fossil fuel power plants with carbon capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzimas, Evangelos; Mercier, Arnaud; Cormos, Calin-Cristian; Peteves, Stathis D.

2007-01-01

This paper investigates the impact of capture of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from fossil fuel power plants on the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO X ) and sulphur oxides (SO X ), which are acid gas pollutants. This was done by estimating the emissions of these chemical compounds from natural gas combined cycle and pulverized coal plants, equipped with post-combustion carbon capture technology for the removal of CO 2 from their flue gases, and comparing them with the emissions of similar plants without CO 2 capture. The capture of CO 2 is not likely to increase the emissions of acid gas pollutants from individual power plants; on the contrary, some NO X and SO X will also be removed during the capture of CO 2 . The large-scale implementation of carbon capture is however likely to increase the emission levels of NO X from the power sector due to the reduced efficiency of power plants equipped with capture technologies. Furthermore, SO X emissions from coal plants should be decreased to avoid significant losses of the chemicals that are used to capture CO 2 . The increase in the quantity of NO X emissions will be however low, estimated at 5% for the natural gas power plant park and 24% for the coal plants, while the emissions of SO X from coal fired plants will be reduced by as much as 99% when at least 80% of the CO 2 generated will be captured

Small global effect on terrestrial net primary production due to increased fossil fuel aerosol emissions from East Asia during the last decade.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sullivan, Michael; Rap, Alex; Reddington, Carly; Spracklen, Dominick; Buermann, Wolfgang

2016-04-01

The global terrestrial carbon sink has increased since the start of this century at a time of rapidly growing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning. Here we test the hypothesis that increases in atmospheric aerosols from fossil fuel burning have increased the diffuse fraction of incoming solar radiation and the efficiency of photosynthesis leading to increased plant carbon uptake. Using a combination of atmospheric and biospheric models, we find that changes in diffuse light associated with fossil fuel aerosol emission accounts for only 2.8% of the increase in global net primary production (1.221 PgC/yr) over the study period 1998 to 2007. This relatively small global signal is however a result of large regional compensations. Over East Asia, the strong increase in fossil fuel emissions contributed nearly 70% of the increased plant carbon uptake (21 TgC/yr), whereas the declining fossil fuel aerosol emissions in Europe and North America contributed negatively (-16% and -54%, respectively) to increased plant carbon uptake. At global scale, we also find the CO2 fertilization effect on photosynthesis to be the dominant driver of increased plant carbon uptake, in line with previous studies. These results suggest that further research into alternative mechanisms by which fossil fuel emissions could increase carbon uptake, such as nitrogen deposition and carbon-nitrogen interactions, is required to better understand a potential link between the recent changes in fossil fuel emissions and terrestrial carbon uptake.

Accident prevention in power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steyrer, H.

Large thermal power plants are insured to a great extent at the Industrial Injuries Insurance Institute of Instrument and Electric Engineering. Approximately 4800 employees are registered. The accident frequency according to an evaluation over 12 months lies around 79.8 per year and 1000 employees in fossil-fired power plants, around 34.1 per year and 1000 employees in nuclear power plants, as in nuclear power plants coal handling and ash removal are excluded. Injuries due to radiation were not registered. The crucial points of accidents are mechanical injuries received on solid, sharp-edged and pointed objects (fossil-fired power plants 28.6%, nuclear power plants 41.5%), stumbling, twisting or slipping (fossil-fired power plants 21.8%, nuclear power plants 19.5%) and injuries due to moving machine parts (only nuclear power plants 12.2%). However, accidents due to burns or scalds obtain with 4.2% and less a lower portion than expected. The accident statistics can explain this fact in a way that the typical power plant accident does not exist. (orig./GL) [de

Fossil Flora of the John Day Basin, Oregon

Science.gov (United States)

Knowlton, Frank Hall

1902-01-01

For a number of years I have been gradually accumulating material for a thorough revision of the Tertiary floras of the Pacific slope. Fossil plants are known to occur at numerous points within this area, and their study and identification has already furnished valuable data bearing on the geological history of the region, and when still further exploited it is confidently expected that they will afford more exact data for the use of geologists. This investigation is progressing satisfactorily, and at no distant day it is hoped to have it in form for final publication. From time to time various members of the United States Geological Survey, as well as others not connected with this organization, have sent in small collections of fossil plants for determination. These have been studied and reported upon as fully as the condition of the problem permitted, so that the determinations could be immediately available to geologists, but with the reservation that none of the questions could be fully settled until all known material had been studied and properly correlated. The rich fossil plant deposits in the John Day Basin, as set forth more fully in the historical account which follows, have been known for a period of nearly fifty years, but their study has been carried on in a more or less desultory manner. There has also been considerable confusion as to the horizons whence these plants came. As various species of plants described originally from the John Day region were detected in various other localities in Oregon, and in surrounding areas, as central Washington, western Idaho, and northern California, it became more than ever apparent that a thorough study of all material obtainable from this type area would be necessary before any definite or satisfactory conclusions could be reached. The immediate incentive for this revision was furnished by the receipt of a considerable collection of plants, made by Dr. John C. Merriam in 1900 while he was in charge of an

Microalgal and Terrestrial Transport Biofuels to Displace Fossil Fuels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas Reijnders

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Terrestrial transport biofuels differ in their ability to replace fossil fuels. When both the conversion of solar energy into biomass and the life cycle inputs of fossil fuels are considered, ethanol from sugarcane and biodiesel from palm oil do relatively well, if compared with ethanol from corn, sugar beet or wheat and biodiesel from rapeseed. When terrestrial biofuels are to replace mineral oil-derived transport fuels, large areas of good agricultural land are needed: about 5x108 ha in the case of biofuels from sugarcane or oil palm, and at least 1.8-3.6x109 ha in the case of ethanol from wheat, corn or sugar beet, as produced in industrialized countries. Biofuels from microalgae which are commercially produced with current technologies do not appear to outperform terrestrial plants such as sugarcane in their ability to displace fossil fuels. Whether they will able to do so on a commercial scale in the future, is uncertain.

Exploring the Relationship of Organizational Culture and Implicit Leadership Theory to Performance Differences in the Nuclear and Fossil Energy Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Cravey, Kristopher J.

Notable performance differences exist between nuclear and fossil power generation plants in areas such as safety, outage duration efficiency, and capacity factor. This study explored the relationship of organizational culture and implicit leadership theory to these performance differences. A mixed methods approach consisting of quantitative instruments, namely the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument and the GLOBE Leadership Scales, and qualitative interviews were used in this study. Subjects were operations middle managers in a U.S. energy company that serves nuclear or fossil power plants. Results from the quantitative instruments revealed no differences between nuclear and fossil groups in regards to organizational culture types and implicit leadership theories. However, the qualitative results did reveal divergence between the two groups in regards to what is valued in the organization and how that drives behaviors and decision making. These organizational phenomenological differences seem to explain why performance differences exist between nuclear and fossil plants because, ultimately, they affect how the organization functions.

Evaluation of conventional power systems. [emphasizing fossil fuels and nuclear energy

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, K. R.; Weyant, J.; Holdren, J. P.

1975-01-01

The technical, economic, and environmental characteristics of (thermal, nonsolar) electric power plants are reviewed. The fuel cycle, from extraction of new fuel to final waste management, is included. Emphasis is placed on the fossil fuel and nuclear technologies.

An early Oligocene fossil demonstrates treeshrews are slowly evolving "living fossils".

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qiang; Ni, Xijun

2016-01-14

Treeshrews are widely considered a "living model" of an ancestral primate, and have long been called "living fossils". Actual fossils of treeshrews, however, are extremely rare. We report a new fossil species of Ptilocercus treeshrew recovered from the early Oligocene (~34 Ma) of China that represents the oldest definitive fossil record of the crown group of treeshrews and nearly doubles the temporal length of their fossil record. The fossil species is strikingly similar to the living Ptilocercus lowii, a species generally recognized as the most plesiomorphic extant treeshrew. It demonstrates that Ptilocercus treeshrews have undergone little evolutionary change in their morphology since the early Oligocene. Morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analysis support the long-standing idea that Ptilocercus treeshrews are morphologically conservative and have probably retained many characters present in the common stock that gave rise to archontans, which include primates, flying lemurs, plesiadapiforms and treeshrews. This discovery provides an exceptional example of slow morphological evolution in a mammalian group over a period of 34 million years. The persistent and stable tropical environment in Southeast Asia through the Cenozoic likely played a critical role in the survival of such a morphologically conservative lineage.

FOSSIL2 energy policy model documentation: FOSSIL2 documentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1980-10-01

This report discusses the structure, derivations, assumptions, and mathematical formulation of the FOSSIL2 model. Each major facet of the model - supply/demand interactions, industry financing, and production - has been designed to parallel closely the actual cause/effect relationships determining the behavior of the United States energy system. The data base for the FOSSIL2 program is large, as is appropriate for a system dynamics simulation model. When possible, all data were obtained from sources well known to experts in the energy field. Cost and resource estimates are based on DOE data whenever possible. This report presents the FOSSIL2 model at several levels. Volumes II and III of this report list the equations that comprise the FOSSIL2 model, along with variable definitions and a cross-reference list of the model variables. Volume II provides the model equations with each of their variables defined, while Volume III lists the equations, and a one line definition for equations, in a shorter, more readable format.

Fossil Fuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Crank, Ron

This instructional unit is one of 10 developed by students on various energy-related areas that deals specifically with fossil fuels. Some topics covered are historic facts, development of fuels, history of oil production, current and future trends of the oil industry, refining fossil fuels, and environmental problems. Material in each unit may…

Oldest record of Metrosideros (Myrtaceae): Fossil flowers, fruits, and leaves from Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarran, Myall; Wilson, Peter G; Hill, Robert S

2016-04-01

Myrtaceous fossil capsular fruits and flowers from the northwest of Tasmania, in the Early Oligocene-aged Little Rapid River (LRR) deposit, are described. The reproductive organs are found in association with Myrtaceous leaves previously thought to belong to a fleshy-fruited genus, Xanthomyrtus at both LRR, and an Eocene Tasmanian site at Hasties, which are reassessed with fresh morphological evidence. Standard Light Microscopy (LM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate cuticular characters and an auto-montage camera system was used to take high-resolution images of fossil and extant fruits. Fossils are identified using a nearest living relative (NLR) approach. The fossil fruits and flowers share a number of characters with genera of capsular-fruited Myrtaceae, in particular sharing several synapomorphies with species of Metrosideros subg. Metrosideros (tribe: Metrosidereae). The fossil is here described, and named Metrosideros leunigii, sp. nov. This research establishes the presence of Metrosideros (aff. subg. Metrosideros) in the Eocene-Oligocene (∼40-30 mya) of Tasmania, Australia. This is the first fossil record of Metrosideros in Australia, as well as the oldest conclusive fossil record, and may provide evidence for an Australian origin of the genus. It is also yet another example of extinction in the Tertiary of a group of plants on the Australian mainland that is only found today on nearby Pacific landmasses. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

Process and plant for obtaining producer gas from fossil fuels. Verfahren und Anlage zur Gewinnung von Generatorgas aus fossilen Brennstoffen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon,

1983-12-01

In a plant for generating producer gas from fossil fuels with relatively high humidity, there is predrying of the wet material in two drying chambers situated above the actual reactor shaft. The drying air required for this purpose is drawn off via blowers and heat exchangers preheated from the area of the combustion zone. The preparation of the crude gases produced first in the process is done by a socalled bypass gas system, i.e. the reintroduction of the crude gases enriched with tar oil and steam and diverting prepared hot gases via an annular pipe from the area of the reduction zone.

Water treatment for fossil fuel power generation - technology status report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

This technology status report focuses on the use of water treatment technology in fossil fuel power plants. The use of polymeric ion exchange resins for deionization of water, the currently preferred use of ion exchange for economically treating water containing low dissolved salts, the use of low pressure high-flux membranes, membrane microfiltration, and reverse osmosis are discussed. Details are given of the benefits of the technologies, water use at power plants, the current status of water treatment technologies, and the potential for future developments, along with power plant market trends and potentials, worldwide developments, and UK capabilities in water treatment plant design and manufacturing

Technological research and development of fossil fuels; Ricerca e sviluppo tecnologico per lo sfruttamento ottimale dei combustibili fossili

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minghetti, E; Palazzi, G [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Rome (Italy). Dip. Energia

1995-05-01

The aim of the present document is to supply general information concerning fossil fuels that represent, today and for the near future, the main energy source of our planet. New fossil fuel technologies are in continual development with two principal goals: to decrease environmental impact and increase transformation process efficiency. Examples of this effort are: (1) gas-steam combined cycles integrated with coal gasification plants, or with pressurized-fluidized-bed combustors; (2) new cycles with humid air or coal direct fired turbine, now under development. In the first part of this document the international and national energy situations and trends are shown. After some brief notes on environment problems and alternative fuels, such as biomasses and municipal wastes, technological aspects, mainly relevant to increasing fossil-fueled power plant performances, are examined in greater depth. Finally the research and technological development activities of ENEA (National Agency for New technologies, Energy and the Environment) Engineering Branch in order to improve fossil fuels energy and environmental use are presented.

Computer optimization of dry and wet/dry cooling tower systems for large fossil and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, M.; Glicksman, L.R.

1979-02-01

This study determined the cost of dry cooling compared to the conventional cooling methods. Also, the savings by using wet/dry instead of all-dry cooling were determined. A total optimization was performed for power plants with dry cooling tower systems using metal-finned-tube heat exchangers and surface condensers. The optimization minimizes the power production cost. The program optimizes the design of the heat exchanger and its air and water flow rates. In the base case study, the method of replacing lost capacity assumes the use of gas turbines. As a result of using dry cooling towers in an 800 MWe fossil plant, the incremental costs with the use of high back pressure turbine and conventional turbine over all-wet cooling are 11 and 15%, respectively. For a 1200 MWe nuclear plant, these are 22 and 25%, respectively. Since the method of making up lost capacity depends on the situation of a utility, considerable effort has been placed on testing the effects of using different methods of replacing lost capacity at high ambient temperatures by purchased energy. The results indicate that the optimization is very sensitive to the method of making up lost capacity. It is, therefore, important to do an accurate representation of all possible methods of making up capacity loss when optimizating power plants with dry cooling towers. A solution for the problem of losing generation capability by a power plant due to the use of a dry cooling tower is to supplement the dry tower during the hours of peak ambient temperatures by a wet tower. A separate wet/dry cooling tower system with series tower arrangement was considered in this study, and proved to be an economic choice over all-dry cooling where some water is available but supplies are insufficient for a totally evaporative cooling tower

Nuclear and thermal power plants and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejstrik, V.

1978-01-01

The growth is briefly outlined of world daily power consumption and the possibilities are discussed of meeting this demand. Coal and nuclear power are of primary importance as energy resources for the present and the near future. Production costs per 1 kWh of electric power in nuclear power plants are already lower in fossil fuel power plants and both types of power plants have an environmental impact. Activities are presented of radioisotopes resulting from nuclear reactor operation and their release and environmental impact are discussed. An analysis is made of emissions from combustion processes and of wastes from fossil-fuel power plant operation. The environmental impacts of nuclear and fossil fuel power plants are compared. (Z.M.)

Nuclear and thermal power plants and the environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mejstrik, V [Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved, Pruhonice. Ustav Krajinne Ekologie

1978-01-01

The growth is briefly outlined of world daily power consumption and the possibilities are discussed of meeting this demand. Coal and nuclear power are of primary importance as energy resources for the present and the near future. Production costs per 1 kWh of electric power in nuclear power plants are already lower than in fossil fuel power plants and both types of power plants have an environmental impact. Activities are presented of radioisotopes resulting from nuclear reactor operation and their release and environmental impact are discussed. An analysis is made of emissions from combustion processes and of wastes from fossil-fuel power plant operation. The environmental impacts of nuclear and fossil fuel power plants are compared.

Creep-fatigue monitoring system for header ligaments of fossil power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, K.L.; Deardorf, A.F.; Copeland, J.F.; Pflasterer, R.; Beckerdite, G.

1993-01-01

The cracking of headers (primary and secondary superheater outlet, and reheater outlet headers) at ligament locations is an important issue for fossil power plants. A model for crack initiation and growth has been developed, based on creep-fatigue damage mechanisms. This cracking model is included in a creep-fatigue monitoring system to assess header structural integrity under high temperature operating conditions. The following principal activities are required to achieve this goal: (1) the development of transfer functions and (2) the development of a ligament cracking model. The first task is to develop stress transfer functions to convert measured (monitored) temperatures, pressures and flow rates into stresses to be used to compute damage. Elastic three-dimensional finite element analyses were performed to study transient thermal stress behavior. The sustained pressure stress redistribution due to high temperature creep was studied by nonlinear finite element analyses. The preceding results are used to derive Green's functions and pressure stress gradient transfer functions for monitoring at the juncture of the tube with the header inner surface, and for crack growth at the ligaments. The virtual crack closure method is applied to derive a stress intensity factor K solution for a corner crack at the tube/header juncture. Similarly, using the reference stress method, the steady state creep crack growth parameter C * is derived for a header corner crack. The C * solution for a small corner crack in a header can be inserted directed into the available C t solution, along with K to provide the complete transient creep solution

Digital viscosity controller for fossil power plants; Controlador digital de viscosidad para plantas termoelectricas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bautista B, Amberto; Ocampo P, Carlos; Gutierrez A, Ruben; Madinaveitia V, Miguel [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca (Mexico)

1990-12-31

Upon the need of increasing the efficiency of the existing fossil power plants in Mexico, the Instrumentation and Control Department of the Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas (IIE) designed and built a viscosity controller to enhance the fuel oil heating process. The system strategy, that allows the control either by temperature or viscosity considers, as an important element, the changing characteristics of the supplied fuels. The equipment that is utilized forms apart of the line Acquisition and Control System (ACS) developed at the same Institute, that has been successfully applied in other systems. [Espanol] Ante la necesidad de aumentar la eficiencia de las plantas termoelectricas existentes en Mexico, el Departamento de Instrumentacion y Control, del Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas (IIE), diseno y construyo un controlador de viscosidad para mejorar el proceso de calentamiento del aceite combustible. La estrategia del sistema, que permite controlar ya sea por viscosidad o por temperatura, considera como elemento importante las caracteristicas cambiantes de los combustibles suministrados. El equipo que se utiliza forma parte de la linea SAC (sistema de adquisicion y control), desarrollada en el mismo Instituto, que se ha aplicado satisfactoriamente en otros sistemas.

Digital viscosity controller for fossil power plants; Controlador digital de viscosidad para plantas termoelectricas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bautista B, Amberto; Ocampo P, Carlos; Gutierrez A, Ruben; Madinaveitia V, Miguel [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca (Mexico)

1989-12-31

Upon the need of increasing the efficiency of the existing fossil power plants in Mexico, the Instrumentation and Control Department of the Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas (IIE) designed and built a viscosity controller to enhance the fuel oil heating process. The system strategy, that allows the control either by temperature or viscosity considers, as an important element, the changing characteristics of the supplied fuels. The equipment that is utilized forms apart of the line Acquisition and Control System (ACS) developed at the same Institute, that has been successfully applied in other systems. [Espanol] Ante la necesidad de aumentar la eficiencia de las plantas termoelectricas existentes en Mexico, el Departamento de Instrumentacion y Control, del Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas (IIE), diseno y construyo un controlador de viscosidad para mejorar el proceso de calentamiento del aceite combustible. La estrategia del sistema, que permite controlar ya sea por viscosidad o por temperatura, considera como elemento importante las caracteristicas cambiantes de los combustibles suministrados. El equipo que se utiliza forma parte de la linea SAC (sistema de adquisicion y control), desarrollada en el mismo Instituto, que se ha aplicado satisfactoriamente en otros sistemas.

Gas power plants heat the public mind

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chauveau, L.

2009-01-01

Nuclear energy provides most part of the electricity produced in France but fossil thermal plants remain necessary to face peaking demand. The French government has planned to replace all the fossil plants by combined cycle gas plants that release far less CO 2 than classic coal or oil plants. 31 new gas plants have been authorized and among them 2 are operating, 10 are being built and 8 are at the project stage. In some projects like in the little town of Verberie (Oise department) these projects are facing a strong local opposition. The objection of the opponents is two-fold: -) the plant will have a strong negative impact on the wild life particularly the population of boars and stags and -) this huge program of 31 gas plants contradict the government that committed itself to reduce the consumption of fossil energies and to favor renewable energies through its Grenelle environmental policy. (A.C.)

International comparison of fossil power efficiency and CO2 intensity. Update 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klaassen, E.

2011-08-15

This study is an update of the 2010 study and aims to compare fossil-fired power generation efficiency and CO2-intensity (coal, oil and gas) for Australia, China (including Hong Kong), France, Germany, India, Japan, Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway aggregated), South Korea, United Kingdom and Ireland, and United States. This selection of countries and regions is based on discussions with the client. United Kingdom and Ireland, and the Nordic countries are aggregated, because of the interconnection between their electricity grids. Although all electricity grids in Europe are interconnected, there are a number of markets that operate fairly independent. These are the Nordic market (Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway), the Iberian market (Spain and Portugal), Central (Eastern European countries) and United Kingdom and Ireland. Only public power plants are taken into account, including public CHP plants. For the latter a correction for heat extraction has been applied. This chapter gives an overview of the fuel mix for power generation for the included countries and of the amount of fossil-fired power generation. The methodology for this study is described in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 gives an overview of the efficiency of fossil-fired power generation by fuel source. Chapter 4 gives the conclusions.

Retrofitting for fossil fuel flexibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newell, J.; Trueblood, R.C.; Lukas, R.W.; Worster, C.M.; Marx, P.D.

1991-01-01

Described in this paper are two fossil plant retrofits recently completed by the Public Service Company of New Hampshire that demonstrate the type of planning and execution required for a successful project under the current regulatory and budget constraints. Merrimack Units 1 and 2 are 120 MW and 338 MW nominal cyclone-fired coal units in Bow, New Hampshire. The retrofits recently completed at these plants have resulted in improved particulate emissions compliance, and the fuel flexibility to allow switching to lower sulphur coals to meet current and future SO 2 emission limits. Included in this discussion are the features of each project including the unique precipitator procurement approach for the Unit 1 Retrofit, and methods used to accomplish both retrofits within existing scheduled maintenance outages through careful planning and scheduling, effective use of pre-outage construction, 3-D CADD modeling, modular construction and early procurement. Operating experience while firing various coals in the cyclone fired boilers is also discussed

Are viroids molecular fossils of the RNA world?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chela Flores, J.

1993-07-01

We discuss a difficulty that may be raised against the Diener hypothesis that viroids may be interpreted as molecular fossils of the RNA world. We provide a possible way of removing such a difficulty (hence supporting the Diener hypothesis). Our reasoning entails further work by plant pathologists on a proposed search for a well defined molecular process. It is shown that such process would be of biological and evolutionary significance. (author). 23 refs

Contextualizing avian mortality: A preliminary appraisal of bird and bat fatalities from wind, fossil-fuel, and nuclear electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sovacool, Benjamin K.

2009-01-01

This article explores the threats that wind farms pose to birds and bats before briefly surveying the recent literature on avian mortality and summarizing some of the problems with it. Based on operating performance in the United States and Europe, this study offers an approximate calculation for the number of birds killed per kWh generated for wind electricity, fossil-fuel, and nuclear power systems. The study estimates that wind farms and nuclear power stations are responsible each for between 0.3 and 0.4 fatalities per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity while fossil-fueled power stations are responsible for about 5.2 fatalities per GWh. While this paper should be respected as a preliminary assessment, the estimate means that wind farms killed approximately seven thousand birds in the United States in 2006 but nuclear plants killed about 327,000 and fossil-fueled power plants 14.5 million. The paper concludes that further study is needed, but also that fossil-fueled power stations appear to pose a much greater threat to avian wildlife than wind and nuclear power technologies.

Contextualizing avian mortality: A preliminary appraisal of bird and bat fatalities from wind, fossil-fuel, and nuclear electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sovacool, Benjamin K. [Energy Governance Program, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 259772 (Singapore)], E-mail: bsovacool@nus.edu.sg

2009-06-15

This article explores the threats that wind farms pose to birds and bats before briefly surveying the recent literature on avian mortality and summarizing some of the problems with it. Based on operating performance in the United States and Europe, this study offers an approximate calculation for the number of birds killed per kWh generated for wind electricity, fossil-fuel, and nuclear power systems. The study estimates that wind farms and nuclear power stations are responsible each for between 0.3 and 0.4 fatalities per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity while fossil-fueled power stations are responsible for about 5.2 fatalities per GWh. While this paper should be respected as a preliminary assessment, the estimate means that wind farms killed approximately seven thousand birds in the United States in 2006 but nuclear plants killed about 327,000 and fossil-fueled power plants 14.5 million. The paper concludes that further study is needed, but also that fossil-fueled power stations appear to pose a much greater threat to avian wildlife than wind and nuclear power technologies.

Contextualizing avian mortality. A preliminary appraisal of bird and bat fatalities from wind, fossil-fuel, and nuclear electricity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sovacool, Benjamin K. [Energy Governance Program, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore 259772 (Singapore)

2009-06-15

This article explores the threats that wind farms pose to birds and bats before briefly surveying the recent literature on avian mortality and summarizing some of the problems with it. Based on operating performance in the United States and Europe, this study offers an approximate calculation for the number of birds killed per kWh generated for wind electricity, fossil-fuel, and nuclear power systems. The study estimates that wind farms and nuclear power stations are responsible each for between 0.3 and 0.4 fatalities per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity while fossil-fueled power stations are responsible for about 5.2 fatalities per GWh. While this paper should be respected as a preliminary assessment, the estimate means that wind farms killed approximately seven thousand birds in the United States in 2006 but nuclear plants killed about 327,000 and fossil-fueled power plants 14.5 million. The paper concludes that further study is needed, but also that fossil-fueled power stations appear to pose a much greater threat to avian wildlife than wind and nuclear power technologies. (author)

Nitrogen-fixing symbiosis inferred from stable isotope analysis of fossil tree rings from the Oligocene of Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Erik L. Gulbranson; Bonnie F. Jacobs; William C. Hockaday; Michael C. Wiemann; Lauren A. Michel; Kaylee Richards; John W. Kappelman

2017-01-01

The acquisition of reduced nitrogen (N) is essential for plant life, and plants have developed numerous strategies and symbioses with soil microorganisms to acquire this form of N. The evolutionary history of specific symbiotic relationships of plants with soil bacteria, however, lacks evidence from the fossil record confirming these mutualistic relationships. Here we...

Status of fossil fuel reserves; Etat des reserves des combustibles fossiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laherrere, J

2005-07-01

Reserves represent the sum of past and future productions up to the end of production. In most countries the reserve data of fields are confidential. Therefore, fossil fuel reserves are badly known because the published data are more political than technical and many countries make a confusion between resources and reserves. The cumulated production of fossil fuels represents only between a third and a fifth of the ultimate reserves. The production peak will take place between 2020 and 2050. In the ultimate reserves, which extrapolate the past, the fossil fuels represent three thirds of the overall energy. This document analyses the uncertainties linked with fossil fuel reserves: reliability of published data, modeling of future production, comparison with other energy sources, energy consumption forecasts, reserves/production ratio, exploitation of non-conventional hydrocarbons (tar sands, extra-heavy oils, bituminous shales, coal gas, gas shales, methane in overpressure aquifers, methane hydrates), technology impacts, prices impact, and reserves growth. (J.S.)

Fossil biogeography: a new model to infer dispersal, extinction and sampling from palaeontological data.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestro, Daniele; Zizka, Alexander; Bacon, Christine D; Cascales-Miñana, Borja; Salamin, Nicolas; Antonelli, Alexandre

2016-04-05

Methods in historical biogeography have revolutionized our ability to infer the evolution of ancestral geographical ranges from phylogenies of extant taxa, the rates of dispersals, and biotic connectivity among areas. However, extant taxa are likely to provide limited and potentially biased information about past biogeographic processes, due to extinction, asymmetrical dispersals and variable connectivity among areas. Fossil data hold considerable information about past distribution of lineages, but suffer from largely incomplete sampling. Here we present a new dispersal-extinction-sampling (DES) model, which estimates biogeographic parameters using fossil occurrences instead of phylogenetic trees. The model estimates dispersal and extinction rates while explicitly accounting for the incompleteness of the fossil record. Rates can vary between areas and through time, thus providing the opportunity to assess complex scenarios of biogeographic evolution. We implement the DES model in a Bayesian framework and demonstrate through simulations that it can accurately infer all the relevant parameters. We demonstrate the use of our model by analysing the Cenozoic fossil record of land plants and inferring dispersal and extinction rates across Eurasia and North America. Our results show that biogeographic range evolution is not a time-homogeneous process, as assumed in most phylogenetic analyses, but varies through time and between areas. In our empirical assessment, this is shown by the striking predominance of plant dispersals from Eurasia into North America during the Eocene climatic cooling, followed by a shift in the opposite direction, and finally, a balance in biotic interchange since the middle Miocene. We conclude by discussing the potential of fossil-based analyses to test biogeographic hypotheses and improve phylogenetic methods in historical biogeography. © 2016 The Author(s).

Beyond fossil calibrations: Realities of molecular clock practices in evolutionary biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christy Anna Hipsley

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Molecular-based divergence dating methods, or molecular clocks, are the primary neontological tool for estimating the temporal origins of clades. While the appropriate use of vertebrate fossils as external clock calibrations has stimulated heated discussions in the paleontological community, less attention has been given to the quality and implementation of other calibration types. In lieu of appropriate fossils, many studies rely on alternative sources of age constraints based on geological events, substitution rates and heterochronous sampling, as well as dates secondarily derived from previous analyses. To illustrate the breadth and frequency of calibration types currently employed, we conducted a literature survey of over 600 articles published from 2007 to 2013. Over half of all analyses implemented one or more fossil dates as constraints, followed by geological events and secondary calibrations (15% each. Vertebrate taxa were subjects of nearly half of all studies, while invertebrates and plants together accounted for 43%, followed by viruses, protists and fungi (3% each. Current patterns in calibration practices were disproportionate to the number of discussions on their proper use, particularly regarding plants and secondarily derived dates, which are both relatively neglected. Based on our survey, we provide a comprehensive overview of the latest approaches in clock calibration, and outline strengths and weaknesses associated with each. This critique should serve as a call to action for researchers across multiple communities, particularly those working on clades for which fossil records are poor, to develop their own guidelines regarding selection and implementation of alternative calibration types. This issue is particularly relevant now, as time-calibrated phylogenies are used for more than dating evolutionary origins, but often serve as the backbone of investigations into biogeography, diversity dynamics and rates of phenotypic

Fossil Energy Advanced Research and Technology Development (AR TD) Materials Program semiannual progress report for the period ending September 30, 1991

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judkins, R.R.; Cole, N.C. (comps.)

1992-04-01

The objective of the Fossil Energy Advanced Research and Technology Development Materials Program is to conduct research and development on materials for fossil energy applications with a focus on the longer-term and generic needs of the various fossil fuel technologies. The Program includes research aimed toward a better understanding of materials behavior in fossil energy environments and the development of new materials capable of substantial enhancement of plant operations and reliability. Research is outlined in four areas: Ceramics, New Alloys, Corrosion and Erosion Research, and Technology Development and Transfer. (VC)

Children's Ideas about Fossils and Foundational Concepts Related to Fossils

Science.gov (United States)

Borgerding, Lisa A.; Raven, Sara

2018-01-01

Many standards documents and learning progressions recommend evolution learning in elementary grades. Given young children's interest in dinosaurs and other fossils, fossil investigations can provide a rich entry into evolutionary biology for young learners. Educational psychology literature has addressed children's reasoning about foundational…

Boiler tube failure prevention in fossil fired boilers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Townsend, R.D.

1993-01-01

It is the common experience of power generating companies worldwide that the main causes of forced outages on power plant are those due to boiler tube failures on fossil units. The main reason for the large number of failures are the severe environmental conditions in fossil boilers as the effects of stress, temperature, temperature gradients, corrosion, erosion and vibration combine to produce degradation of the tube steel. Corrosion by oxidation, by combustion products and by impure boiler water can significantly reduce the tube wall thickness and result in failure of a tube many years before its designed service life. Errors can also occur in the design manufacturer, storage, operation, and maintenance of boiler tubing and the wrong material installed in a critical location can lead to premature failure. Altogether, experts in the US and UK, from many different disciplines, have identified seven broad categories of boiler tube failure mechanisms. 1 tab., 2 figs

Nuclear Power Plants (Rev.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyerly, Ray L.; Mitchell III, Walter [Southern Nuclear Engineering, Inc.

1973-01-01

Projected energy requirements for the future suggest that we must employ atomic energy to generate electric power or face depletion of our fossil-fuel resources—coal, oil, and gas. In short, both conservation and economic considerations will require us to use nuclear energy to generate the electricity that supports our civilization. Until we reach the time when nuclear power plants are as common as fossil-fueled or hydroelectric plants, many people will wonder how the nuclear plants work, how much they cost, where they are located, and what kinds of reactors they use. The purpose of this booklet is to answer these questions. In doing so, it will consider only central station plants, which are those that provide electric power for established utility systems.

Introduction of nuclear power plant for mitigating the impact of global warming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ida Nuryatin Finahari

2008-01-01

Energy utilization for power plants in Indonesia is still highly depending on the burning of fossil fuel like coal, oil, and gas. From the combustion of fossil fuel, greenhouse gases such as CO 2 and N 2 O are produced. An increase of CO 2 gas emission to the atmosphere can block the heat loss from the earth surface and will increase the greenhouse effect that results in the temperature increase of the earth surface (global warming). Global warming can cause a very extreme climate change on earth. One of the solutions to reduce CO 2 gas emission produced by fossil fuel power plants is to utilize the plants with flue gas treatment facility. At such facility, CO 2 gas is reacted with certain mineral based substances thus can be used as base material in food-, pharmaceutical-, construction-, and cosmetic industry. Another alternative to reduce CO 2 gas emission is by replacing fossil fuel power plants with nuclear power plants. Considering the environmental and economic aspects, the nuclear power plant does not emit CO 2 gas, so that the use of nuclear power plant can mitigate the impact of global warming. Based on the operational experience of nuclear power plants in advanced countries, the cost of generating electricity from nuclear power plants is more competitive than that of fossil fuel power plant. (author)

Planning of the district heating system in copenhagen from an economic perspective comparing energy-savings versus fossil-free supply

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrestrup, Maria; Svendsen, Svend

geothermal heating plants, may lead to oversized heating plants that are too expensive to build compared to implementing energy savings. Therefore reducing heat demand of existing buildings before investing in supply capacity will save society half the investment, indicating the importance of carrying out......The Danish government has adopted a long-term energy policy of being independent of fossil fuels by 2050, and that the energy supply for buildings should be independent of fossil fuels by 2035. Therefore, urgent action is needed to meet the requirements for the future energy system. One way...... of becoming independent of fossil fuels is to energy upgrade the existing building stock and change the energy supply to renewable energy sources. A sustainable way of providing space heating (SH) and domestic hot water (DHW) to buildings in densely populated areas is through the use of district heating (DH...

Right-handed fossil humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Lozano, Marina; Estalrrich, Almudena; Bondioli, Luca; Fiore, Ivana; Bermúdez de Castro, José-Maria; Arsuaga, Juan Luis; Carbonell, Eudald; Rosas, Antonio; Frayer, David W

2017-11-01

Fossil hominids often processed material held between their upper and lower teeth. Pulling with one hand and cutting with the other, they occasionally left impact cut marks on the lip (labial) surface of their incisors and canines. From these actions, it possible to determine the dominant hand used. The frequency of these oblique striations in an array of fossil hominins documents the typically modern pattern of 9 right- to 1 left-hander. This ratio among living Homo sapiens differs from that among chimpanzees and bonobos and more distant primate relatives. Together, all studies of living people affirm that dominant right-handedness is a uniquely modern human trait. The same pattern extends deep into our past. Thus far, the majority of inferred right-handed fossils come from Europe, but a single maxilla from a Homo habilis, OH-65, shows a predominance of right oblique scratches, thus extending right-handedness into the early Pleistocene of Africa. Other studies show right-handedness in more recent African, Chinese, and Levantine fossils, but the sample compiled for non-European fossil specimens remains small. Fossil specimens from Sima del los Huesos and a variety of European Neandertal sites are predominately right-handed. We argue the 9:1 handedness ratio in Neandertals and the earlier inhabitants of Europe constitutes evidence for a modern pattern of handedness well before the appearance of modern Homo sapiens. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two fossil species of Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) from the Oligo-Miocene Golden Fleece locality in Tasmania, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarran, Myall; Wilson, Peter G; Macphail, Michael K; Jordan, Greg J; Hill, Robert S

2017-06-01

The capsular-fruited genus Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) is one of the most widely distributed flowering plant genera in the Pacific but is extinct in Australia today. The center of geographic origin for the genus and the reason for and timing of its extinction in Australia remain uncertain. We identify fossil Metrosideros fruits from the newly discovered Golden Fleece fossil flora in the Oligo-Miocene of Tasmania, Australia, shedding further light on these problems. Standard paleopalynological techniques were used to date the fossil-bearing sediments. Scanning electron microscopy and an auto-montage camera system were used to take high-resolution images of fossil and extant fruits taken from herbarium specimens. Fossils are identified using a nearest-living-relative approach. The fossil-bearing sediments are palynostratigraphically dated as being Proteacidites tuberculatus Zone Equivalent (ca. 33-16 Ma) in age and provide a confident Oligo-Miocene age for the macrofossils. Two new fossil species of Metrosideros are described and are here named Metrosideros dawsonii sp. nov. and Metrosideros wrightii sp. nov. These newly described fossil species of Metrosideros provide a second record of the genus in the Cenozoic of Australia, placing them in the late Early Oligocene to late Early Miocene. It is now apparent not only that Metrosideros was present in Australia, where the genus is now extinct, but that at least several Metrosideros species were present during the Cenozoic. These fossils further strengthen the case for an Australian origin of the genus. © 2017 Botanical Society of America.

Geologic History of Eocene Stonerose Fossil Beds, Republic, Washington, USA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George E. Mustoe

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Eocene lakebed sediments at Stonerose Interpretive Center in Republic, Washington, USA are one of the most important Cenozoic fossil sites in North America, having gained international attention because of the abundance and diversity of plant, insect, and fish fossils. This report describes the first detailed geologic investigation of this unusual lagerstätten. Strata are gradationally divided into three units: Siliceous shale that originated as diatomite, overlain by laminated mudstone, which is in turn overlain by massive beds of lithic sandstone. The sedimentary sequence records topographic and hydrologic changes that caused a deep lake to become progressively filled with volcaniclastic detritus from earlier volcanic episodes. The location of the ancient lake within an active graben suggests that displacements along the boundary faults were the most likely trigger for changes in depositional processes.

Fossil wood flora from the Siwalik Group of Arunachal Pradesh, India and its climatic and phytogeographic significance

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Gaurav; Mehrotra, R. C.; Srikarni, C.

2018-02-01

The plant fossil records from the Siwalik Group of Arunachal Pradesh, India are far from satisfactory due to remoteness and dense vegetation of the area. We report seven fossil woods of which three belong to the Middle Siwalik (Subansiri Formation), while the rest are from the Upper Siwalik (Kimin Formation). The modern analogues of the fossils from the Middle Siwalik are Lophopetalum littorale (Celastraceae), Afzelia-Intsia and Sindora siamensis (Fabaceae) and from the Upper Siwalik are Miliusa velutina (Annonaceae), Calophyllum tomentosum and Kayea (Calophyllaceae) and Diospyros melanoxylon (Ebenaceae). The dominance of diffuse porosity in the fossil woods indicates a tropical climate with low seasonality (little variation) in temperature, while a high proportion of large vessels and simple perforation plates in the assemblage infer high precipitation during the deposition of the sediments. The aforesaid inference is in strong agreement with the previous quantitative reconstruction based on fossil leaves. Several modern analogues of the fossil taxa are now growing in low latitudes possibly due to an increase in seasonality (increased variation) in temperature caused by the rising Himalaya.

Fossil fuel savings, carbon emission reduction and economic attractiveness of medium-scale integrated biomass gasification combined cycle cogeneration plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalina Jacek

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper theoretically investigates the system made up of fluidized bed gasifier, SGT-100 gas turbine and bottoming steam cycle. Different configurations of the combined cycle plant are examined. A comparison is made between systems with producer gas (PG and natural gas (NG fired turbine. Supplementary firing of the PG in a heat recovery steam generator is also taken into account. The performance of the gas turbine is investigated using in-house built Engineering Equation Solver model. Steam cycle is modeled using GateCycleTM simulation software. The results are compared in terms of electric energy generation efficiency, CO2 emission and fossil fuel energy savings. Finally there is performed an economic analysis of a sample project. The results show relatively good performance in the both alternative configurations at different rates of supplementary firing. Furthermore, positive values of economic indices were obtained. [Acknowledgements. This work was carried out within the frame of research project no. N N513 004036, titled: Analysis and optimization of distributed energy conversion plants integrated with gasification of biomass. The project is financed by the Polish Ministry of Science.

Mechanistic modelling of Middle Eocene atmospheric carbon dioxide using fossil plant material

Science.gov (United States)

Grein, Michaela; Roth-Nebelsick, Anita; Wilde, Volker; Konrad, Wilfried; Utescher, Torsten

2010-05-01

Various proxies (such as pedogenic carbonates, boron isotopes or phytoplankton) and geochemical models were applied in order to reconstruct palaeoatmospheric carbon dioxide, partially providing conflicting results. Another promising proxy is the frequency of stomata (pores on the leaf surface used for gaseous exchange). In this project, fossil plant material from the Messel Pit (Hesse, Germany) is used to reconstruct atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration in the Middle Eocene by analyzing stomatal density. We applied the novel mechanistic-theoretical approach of Konrad et al. (2008) which provides a quantitative derivation of the stomatal density response (number of stomata per leaf area) to varying atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. The model couples 1) C3-photosynthesis, 2) the process of diffusion and 3) an optimisation principle providing maximum photosynthesis (via carbon dioxide uptake) and minimum water loss (via stomatal transpiration). These three sub-models also include data of the palaeoenvironment (temperature, water availability, wind velocity, atmospheric humidity, precipitation) and anatomy of leaf and stoma (depth, length and width of stomatal porus, thickness of assimilation tissue, leaf length). In order to calculate curves of stomatal density as a function of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, various biochemical parameters have to be borrowed from extant representatives. The necessary palaeoclimate data are reconstructed from the whole Messel flora using Leaf Margin Analysis (LMA) and the Coexistence Approach (CA). In order to obtain a significant result, we selected three species from which a large number of well-preserved leaves is available (at least 20 leaves per species). Palaeoclimate calculations for the Middle Eocene Messel Pit indicate a warm and humid climate with mean annual temperature of approximately 22°C, up to 2540 mm mean annual precipitation and the absence of extended periods of drought. Mean relative air

Miocene Fossils Reveal Ancient Roots for New Zealand's Endemic Mystacina (Chiroptera and Its Rainforest Habitat.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzanne J Hand

Full Text Available The New Zealand endemic bat family Mystacinidae comprises just two Recent species referred to a single genus, Mystacina. The family was once more diverse and widespread, with an additional six extinct taxa recorded from Australia and New Zealand. Here, a new mystacinid is described from the early Miocene (19-16 Ma St Bathans Fauna of Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand. It is the first pre-Pleistocene record of the modern genus and it extends the evolutionary history of Mystacina back at least 16 million years. Extant Mystacina species occupy old-growth rainforest and are semi-terrestrial with an exceptionally broad omnivorous diet. The majority of the plants inhabited, pollinated, dispersed or eaten by modern Mystacina were well-established in southern New Zealand in the early Miocene, based on the fossil record from sites at or near where the bat fossils are found. Similarly, many of the arthropod prey of living Mystacina are recorded as fossils in the same area. Although none of the Miocene plant and arthropod species is extant, most are closely related to modern taxa, demonstrating potentially long-standing ecological associations with Mystacina.

The original colours of fossil beetles.

Science.gov (United States)

McNamara, Maria E; Briggs, Derek E G; Orr, Patrick J; Noh, Heeso; Cao, Hui

2012-03-22

Structural colours, the most intense, reflective and pure colours in nature, are generated when light is scattered by complex nanostructures. Metallic structural colours are widespread among modern insects and can be preserved in their fossil counterparts, but it is unclear whether the colours have been altered during fossilization, and whether the absence of colours is always real. To resolve these issues, we investigated fossil beetles from five Cenozoic biotas. Metallic colours in these specimens are generated by an epicuticular multi-layer reflector; the fidelity of its preservation correlates with that of other key cuticular ultrastructures. Where these other ultrastructures are well preserved in non-metallic fossil specimens, we can infer that the original cuticle lacked a multi-layer reflector; its absence in the fossil is not a preservational artefact. Reconstructions of the original colours of the fossils based on the structure of the multi-layer reflector show that the preserved colours are offset systematically to longer wavelengths; this probably reflects alteration of the refractive index of the epicuticle during fossilization. These findings will allow the former presence, and original hue, of metallic structural colours to be identified in diverse fossil insects, thus providing critical evidence of the evolution of structural colour in this group.

Radiation exposures due to fossil fuel combustion

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Harold L.

The current consensus regarding the potential radiation exposures resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels is examined. Sources, releases and potential doses to humans are discussed, both for power plants and waste materials. It is concluded that the radiation exposure to most individuals from any pathway is probably insignificant, i.e. only a tiny fraction of the dose received from natural sources in soil and building materials. Any small dose that may result from power-plant emissions will most likely be from inhalation of the small insoluble ash particles from the more poorly controlled plants burning higher than average activity fuel, rather than from direct or indirect ingestion of food grown on contaminated soil. One potentially significant pathway for exposure to humans that requires further evaluation is the effect on indoor external γ-radiation levels resulting from the use of flyash in building materials. The combustion of natural gas in private dwellings is also discussed, and the radiological consequences are concluded to be generally insignificant, except under certain extraordinary circumstances.

The legacy of fossil fuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Armaroli, Nicola; Balzani, Vincenzo

2011-03-01

Currently, over 80% of the energy used by mankind comes from fossil fuels. Harnessing coal, oil and gas, the energy resources contained in the store of our spaceship, Earth, has prompted a dramatic expansion in energy use and a substantial improvement in the quality of life of billions of individuals in some regions of the world. Powering our civilization with fossil fuels has been very convenient, but now we know that it entails severe consequences. We treat fossil fuels as a resource that anyone anywhere can extract and use in any fashion, and Earth's atmosphere, soil and oceans as a dump for their waste products, including more than 30 Gt/y of carbon dioxide. At present, environmental legacy rather than consistence of exploitable reserves, is the most dramatic problem posed by the relentless increase of fossil fuel global demand. Harmful effects on the environment and human health, usually not incorporated into the pricing of fossil fuels, include immediate and short-term impacts related to their discovery, extraction, transportation, distribution, and burning as well as climate change that are spread over time to future generations or over space to the entire planet. In this essay, several aspects of the fossil fuel legacy are discussed, such as alteration of the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide rise and its measurement, greenhouse effect, anthropogenic climate change, air pollution and human health, geoengineering proposals, land and water degradation, economic problems, indirect effects on the society, and the urgent need of regulatory efforts and related actions to promote a gradual transition out of the fossil fuel era. While manufacturing sustainable solar fuels appears to be a longer-time perspective, alternatives energy sources already exist that have the potential to replace fossil fuels as feedstocks for electricity production. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The legacy of fossil fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armaroli, N.; Balzani, V. [CNR, Bologna (Italy)

2011-03-01

Currently, over 80% of the energy used by mankind comes from fossil fuels. Harnessing coal, oil and gas, the energy resources contained in the store of our spaceship, Earth, has prompted a dramatic expansion in energy use and a substantial improvement in the quality of life of billions of individuals in some regions of the world. Powering our civilization with fossil fuels has been very convenient, but now we know that it entails severe consequences. We treat fossil fuels as a resource that anyone anywhere can extract and use in any fashion, and Earth's atmosphere, soil and oceans as a dump for their waste products, including more than 30 Gt/y of carbon dioxide. At present, environmental legacy rather than consistence of exploitable reserves, is the most dramatic problem posed by the relentless increase of fossil fuel global demand. Harmful effects on the environment and human health, usually not incorporated into the pricing of fossil fuels, include immediate and short-term impacts related to their discovery, extraction, transportation, distribution, and burning as well as climate change that are spread over time to future generations or over space to the entire planet. In this essay, several aspects of the fossil fuel legacy are discussed, such as alteration of the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide rise and its measurement, greenhouse effect, anthropogenic climate change, air pollution and human health, geoengineering proposals, land and water degradation, economic problems, indirect effects on the society, and the urgent need of regulatory efforts and related actions to promote a gradual transition out of the fossil fuel era. While manufacturing sustainable solar fuels appears to be a longer-time perspective, alternatives energy sources already exist that have the potential to replace fossil fuels as feedstocks for electricity production.

Relative economic incentives for hydrogen from nuclear, renewable, and fossil energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorensek, Maximilian B.; Forsberg, Charles W.

2009-01-01

The specific hydrogen market determines the value of hydrogen from different sources. Each hydrogen production technology has its own distinct characteristics. For example, steam reforming of natural gas produces only hydrogen. In contrast, nuclear and solar hydrogen production facilities produce hydrogen together with oxygen as a by-product or co-product. For a user who needs both oxygen and hydrogen, the value of hydrogen from nuclear and solar plants is higher than that from a fossil plant because ''free'' oxygen is produced as a by-product. Six factors that impact the relative economics of fossil, nuclear, and solar hydrogen production to the customer are identified: oxygen by-product, avoidance of carbon dioxide emissions, hydrogen transport costs, storage costs, availability of low-cost heat, and institutional factors. These factors imply that different hydrogen production technologies will be competitive in different markets and that the first markets for nuclear and solar hydrogen will be those markets in which they have a unique competitive advantage. These secondary economic factors are described and quantified in terms of dollars per kilogram of hydrogen. (author)

Fossil evidence for open, Proteaceae-dominated heathlands and fire in the Late Cretaceous of Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, Raymond J; Macphail, Michael K; Jordan, Gregory J; Hill, Robert S

2015-12-01

The origin of biomes is of great interest globally. Molecular phylogenetic and pollen evidence suggest that several plant lineages that now characterize open, burnt habitats of the sclerophyll biome, became established during the Late Cretaceous of Australia. However, whether this biome itself dates to that time is problematic, fundamentally because of the near-absence of relevant, appropriately aged, terrestrial plant macro- or mesofossils. We recovered, identified, and interpreted the ecological significance of fossil pollen, foliar and other remains from a section of core drilled in central Australia, which we dated as Late Campanian-Maastrichtian. The sediments contain plant fossils that indicate nutrient-limited, open, sclerophyllous vegetation and abundant charcoal as evidence of fire. Most interestingly, >30 pollen taxa and at least 12 foliage taxa are attributable to the important Gondwanan family Proteaceae, including several minute, amphistomatic, and sclerophyllous foliage forms consistent with subfamily Proteoideae. Microfossils, including an abundance of Sphagnales and other wetland taxa, provided strong evidence of a fenland setting. The local vegetation also included diverse Ericaceae and Liliales, as well as a range of ferns and gymnosperms. The fossils provide strong evidence in support of hypotheses of great antiquity for fire and open vegetation in Australia, point to extraordinary persistence of Proteaceae that are now emblematic of the Mediterranean-type climate southwestern Australian biodiversity hotspot and raise the profile of open habitats as centers of ancient lineages. © 2015 Botanical Society of America.

Site-specific analysis of hybrid geothermal/fossil power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1977-06-01

A preliminary economic analysis of a hybrid geothermal/coal power plant was completed for four geothermal resource areas: Roosevelt Hot Springs, Coso Hot Springs, East Mesa, and Long Valley. A hybrid plant would be economically viable at Roosevelt Hot Springs and somewhat less so at Coso Hot Springs. East Mesa and Long Valley show no economic promise. A well-designed hybrid plant could use geothermal energy for boiler feedwater heating, auxiliary power, auxiliary heating, and cooling water. Construction and operation of a hybrid plant at either Roosevelt Hot Springs or Coso Hot Springs is recommended. A modified version of the Lawrence Berkeley Livermore GEOTHM Program is the major analytical tool used in the analysis. The Intermountain Power Project is the reference all coal-fired plant.

Fossil mega- and microflora from the Březno Beds s.s. (Bohemian Cretaceous Basin, Coniacian)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Halamski, A. T.; Kvaček, J.; Svobodová, Marcela

2018-01-01

Roč. 253, June 2018 (2018), s. 123-138 ISSN 0034-6667 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : fossil plant * Cretaceous * taxonomy * paleobotany * Coniacian * Czech Republic Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy OBOR OECD: Paleontology Impact factor: 1.817, year: 2016

Soft-Bodied Fossils Are Not Simply Rotten Carcasses - Toward a Holistic Understanding of Exceptional Fossil Preservation: Exceptional Fossil Preservation Is Complex and Involves the Interplay of Numerous Biological and Geological Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Parry, Luke A; Smithwick, Fiann; Nordén, Klara K; Saitta, Evan T; Lozano-Fernandez, Jesus; Tanner, Alastair R; Caron, Jean-Bernard; Edgecombe, Gregory D; Briggs, Derek E G; Vinther, Jakob

2018-01-01

Exceptionally preserved fossils are the product of complex interplays of biological and geological processes including burial, autolysis and microbial decay, authigenic mineralization, diagenesis, metamorphism, and finally weathering and exhumation. Determining which tissues are preserved and how biases affect their preservation pathways is important for interpreting fossils in phylogenetic, ecological, and evolutionary frameworks. Although laboratory decay experiments reveal important aspects of fossilization, applying the results directly to the interpretation of exceptionally preserved fossils may overlook the impact of other key processes that remove or preserve morphological information. Investigations of fossils preserving non-biomineralized tissues suggest that certain structures that are decay resistant (e.g., the notochord) are rarely preserved (even where carbonaceous components survive), and decay-prone structures (e.g., nervous systems) can fossilize, albeit rarely. As we review here, decay resistance is an imperfect indicator of fossilization potential, and a suite of biological and geological processes account for the features preserved in exceptional fossils. © 2017 The Authors. BioEssays Published by WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Uranium concentrations in fossils measured by SIMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uyeda, Chiaki; Okano, Jun

1988-01-01

Semiquantitative analyses of uranium in fossil bones and teeth were carried out by SIMS. The results show a tendency that uranium concentrations in the fossils increase with the ages of the fossils. It is noticed that fossil bones and teeth having uranium concentration of more than several hundred ppm are not rare. (author)

Robust optimisation for self-scheduling and bidding strategies of hybrid CSP-fossil power plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pousinho, H.M.I.; Contreras, J.; Pinson, P.

2015-01-01

between the molten-salt thermal energy storage (TES) and a fossil-fuel backup to overcome solar irradiation insufficiency, but with emission allowances constrained in the backup system to mitigate carbon footprint. A robust optimisation-based approach is proposed to provide the day-ahead self...

Elucidating the consumption and CO_2 emissions of fossil fuels and low-carbon energy in the United States using Lotka–Volterra models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Bi-Huei; Chang, Chih-Jen; Chang, Chun-Hsien

2016-01-01

By using the Lotka–Volterra model, this work examines for the first time the feasibility of using low-carbon energy to reduce fossil fuel consumption in the United States and, ultimately, to decrease CO_2 emissions. The research sample in this work consists of data on energy consumption and CO_2 emissions in the United States. Parameter estimation results reveal that although the consumption of low-carbon energy increases the consumption of fossil fuels, the latter does not affect the former. Low-carbon energy usage, including nuclear energy and solar photovoltaic power, increases fossil fuel consumption because the entire lifetime of a nuclear or solar energy facility, from the construction of electricity plants to decommissioning, consumes tremendous amounts of fossil fuels. This result verifies the infeasibility of low-carbon energy to replace fossil fuels under the current mining technology, electricity generation skills and governmental policy in the United States and explains why the United States refused to become a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol. Equilibrium analysis results indicate that the annual consumption of fossil fuels will ultimately exceed that of low-carbon energy by 461%. Since our proposed Lotka–Volterra model accurately predicts the consumption and CO_2 emission of different energy sources, this work contributes to the energy policies. - Highlights: • Our Lotka–Volterra model accurately predicts consumption of different energy sources. • We find the current infeasibility of using low-carbon energy to reduce fossil fuels. • The set-up of nuclear and solar plants increases fossil fuel usage in the U.S. • The consumption of fossil fuels will exceed that of low-carbon energy by 435%. • United States government prefers economic development over environmental protection.

Carbon Capture and Water Emissions Treatment System (CCWESTRS) at Fossil-Fueled Electric Generating Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

P. Alan Mays; Bert R. Bock; Gregory A. Brodie; L. Suzanne Fisher; J. Devereux Joslin; Donald L. Kachelman; Jimmy J. Maddox; N. S. Nicholas; Larry E. Shelton; Nick Taylor; Mark H. Wolfe; Dennis H. Yankee; John Goodrich-Mahoney

2005-08-30

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and the Department of Energy-National Energy Technologies Laboratory (DOE-NETL) are evaluating and demonstrating integration of terrestrial carbon sequestration techniques at a coal-fired electric power plant through the use of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) system gypsum as a soil amendment and mulch, and coal fly ash pond process water for periodic irrigation. From January to March 2002, the Project Team initiated the construction of a 40 ha Carbon Capture and Water Emissions Treatment System (CCWESTRS) near TVA's Paradise Fossil Plant on marginally reclaimed surface coal mine lands in Kentucky. The CCWESTRS is growing commercial grade trees and cover crops and is expected to sequester 1.5-2.0 MT/ha carbon per year over a 20-year period. The concept could be used to meet a portion of the timber industry's needs while simultaneously sequestering carbon in lands which would otherwise remain non-productive. The CCWESTRS includes a constructed wetland to enhance the ability to sequester carbon and to remove any nutrients and metals present in the coal fly ash process water runoff. The CCWESTRS project is a cooperative effort between TVA, EPRI, and DOE-NETL, with a total budget of $1,574,000. The proposed demonstration project began in October 2000 and has continued through December 2005. Additional funding is being sought in order to extend the project. The primary goal of the project is to determine if integrating power plant processes with carbon sequestration techniques will enhance carbon sequestration cost-effectively. This goal is consistent with DOE objectives to provide economically competitive and environmentally safe options to offset projected growth in U.S. baseline emissions of greenhouse gases after 2010, achieve the long-term goal of $10/ton of avoided net costs for carbon sequestration, and provide half of the required reductions in global greenhouse gases by

New Optical Sensor Suite for Ultrahigh Temperature Fossil Fuel Application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John Coggin; Tom Flynn; Jonas Ivasauskas; Daniel Kominsky; Carrie Kozikowski; Russell May; Michael Miller; Tony Peng; Gary Pickrell; Raymond Rumpf; Kelly Stinson-Bagby; Dan Thorsen; Rena Wilson

2007-12-31

Accomplishments of a program to develop and demonstrate photonic sensor technology for the instrumentation of advanced powerplants and solid oxide fuel cells are described. The goal of this project is the research and development of advanced, robust photonic sensors based on improved sapphire optical waveguides, and the identification and demonstration of applications of the new sensors in advanced fossil fuel power plants, where the new technology will contribute to improvements in process control and monitoring.

Bayesian phylogenetic estimation of fossil ages.

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, Alexei J; Stadler, Tanja

2016-07-19

Recent advances have allowed for both morphological fossil evidence and molecular sequences to be integrated into a single combined inference of divergence dates under the rule of Bayesian probability. In particular, the fossilized birth-death tree prior and the Lewis-Mk model of discrete morphological evolution allow for the estimation of both divergence times and phylogenetic relationships between fossil and extant taxa. We exploit this statistical framework to investigate the internal consistency of these models by producing phylogenetic estimates of the age of each fossil in turn, within two rich and well-characterized datasets of fossil and extant species (penguins and canids). We find that the estimation accuracy of fossil ages is generally high with credible intervals seldom excluding the true age and median relative error in the two datasets of 5.7% and 13.2%, respectively. The median relative standard error (RSD) was 9.2% and 7.2%, respectively, suggesting good precision, although with some outliers. In fact, in the two datasets we analyse, the phylogenetic estimate of fossil age is on average less than 2 Myr from the mid-point age of the geological strata from which it was excavated. The high level of internal consistency found in our analyses suggests that the Bayesian statistical model employed is an adequate fit for both the geological and morphological data, and provides evidence from real data that the framework used can accurately model the evolution of discrete morphological traits coded from fossil and extant taxa. We anticipate that this approach will have diverse applications beyond divergence time dating, including dating fossils that are temporally unconstrained, testing of the 'morphological clock', and for uncovering potential model misspecification and/or data errors when controversial phylogenetic hypotheses are obtained based on combined divergence dating analyses.This article is part of the themed issue 'Dating species divergences using

Determination of a CO sub 2 rating formula for fossil-fired, electricity-generating power plants. Zur Festlegung einer CO sub 2 -Steuerformel fuer fossil-befeuerte, stromerzeugende Kraftwerke

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seifritz, W [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Energiewirtschaft und Rationelle Energieanwendung

1991-12-01

Dr. Martin Proske was right in Ref (1) to point to the fact that a CO{sub 2}-tax has to take into account the quality of the secondary energy carrier, too. In the opinion of the author, however, the tax-formula of M. Proske has still to be modified if CO{sub 2}-free fossil power stations were introduced. Failing this, the development of CO{sub 2}-free power stations with the necessary removal and disposal of CO{sub 2} would be not attractive although this future type of a power station could substantially contribute to the climate-neutrality of fossil fuels. A corresponding modification of the tax-formula is proposed. (orig.).

Greenhouse gas emissions reduction from fossil fuels: options and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDonald, M.M.

1999-01-01

If levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are to be stabilized over the next 50 years, net emissions from the use of fossil fuels have to be reduced. One concept worth exploring is the removal of carbon dioxide from plant flue gases and disposing of it in a manner that sequesters it from the atmosphere. A number of technologies, which are either commercially available or under development, promise to make this concept viable. The question of where to dispose of the carbon dioxide removed is not the limiting factor, given the potential for use in enhanced hydrocarbon production as well as other geological disposal options. In the longer term, fossil fuel use will significantly decline, but these extraction and sequestration technologies can provide the time for the transition to take place in a manner which causes least impact to the economies of the world. (author)

Sustainability of Fossil Fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Lackner, K. S.

2002-05-01

For a sustainable world economy, energy is a bottleneck. Energy is at the basis of a modern, technological society, but unlike materials it cannot be recycled. Energy or more precisely "negentropy" (the opposite of entropy) is always consumed. Thus, one either accepts the use of large but finite resources or must stay within the limits imposed by dilute but self-renewing resources like sunlight. The challenge of sustainable energy is exacerbated by likely growth in world energy demand due to increased population and increased wealth. Most of the world still has to undergo the transition to a wealthy, stable society with the near zero population growth that characterizes a modern industrial society. This represents a huge unmet demand. If ten billion people were to consume energy like North Americans do today, world energy demand would be ten times higher. In addition, technological advances while often improving energy efficiency tend to raise energy demand by offering more opportunity for consumption. Energy consumption still increases at close to the 2.3% per year that would lead to a tenfold increase over the course of the next century. Meeting future energy demands while phasing out fossil fuels appears extremely difficult. Instead, the world needs sustainable or nearly sustainable fossil fuels. I propose the following definition of sustainable under which fossil fuels would well qualify: The use of a technology or resource is sustainable if the intended and unintended consequences will not force its abandonment within a reasonable planning horizon. Of course sustainable technologies must not be limited by resource depletion but this is only one of many concerns. Environmental impacts, excessive land use, and other constraints can equally limit the use of a technology and thus render it unsustainable. In the foreseeable future, fossil fuels are not limited by resource depletion. However, environmental concerns based on climate change and other environmental

Extending the fossil record of Polytrichaceae: Early Cretaceous Meantoinea alophosioides gen. et sp. nov., permineralized gametophytes with gemma cups from Vancouver Island.

Science.gov (United States)

Bippus, Alexander C; Stockey, Ruth A; Rothwell, Gar W; Tomescu, Alexandru M F

2017-04-01

Diverse in modern ecosystems, mosses are dramatically underrepresented in the fossil record. Furthermore, most pre-Cenozoic mosses are known only from compression fossils, lacking detailed anatomical information. When preserved, anatomy vastly improves resolution in the systematic placement of fossils. Lower Cretaceous deposits at Apple Bay (Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada) contain a diverse anatomically preserved flora that includes numerous bryophytes, many of which have yet to be characterized. Among them is a polytrichaceous moss that is described here. Fossil moss gametophytes preserved in four carbonate concretions were studied in serial sections prepared using the cellulose acetate peel technique. We describe Meantoinea alophosioides gen. et sp. nov., a polytrichaceous moss with terminal gemma cups containing stalked, lenticular gemmae. Leaves with characteristic costal anatomy, differentiated into sheathing base and free lamina and bearing photosynthetic lamellae, along with a conducting strand in the stem, place Meantoinea in family Polytrichaceae. The bistratose leaf lamina with an adaxial layer of mamillose cells, short photosynthetic lamellae restricted to the costa, and presence of gemma cups indicate affinities with basal members of the Polytrichaceae, such as Lyellia , Bartramiopsis , and Alophosia . Meantoinea alophosioides enriches the documented moss diversity of an already-diverse Early Cretaceous plant fossil assemblage. This is the third moss described from the Apple Bay plant fossil assemblage and represents the first occurrence of gemma cups in a fossil moss. It is also the oldest unequivocal record of Polytrichaceae, providing a hard minimum age for the group of 136 million years. © 2017 Botanical Society of America.

Power plant chemical technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-01

17 contributions covering topies of fossil fuel combustion, flue gas cleaning, power plant materials, corrosion, water/steam cycle chemistry, monitoring and control were presented at the annual meeting devoted to Power Plant Chemical Technology 1996 at Kolding (Denmark) 4-6 September 1996. (EG)

Direct and indirect fossil records of megachilid bees from the Paleogene of Central Europe (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Wedmann, Sonja; Wappler, Torsten; Engel, Michael S.

2009-06-01

Aside from pollen and nectar, bees of the subfamily Megachilinae are closely associated with plants as a source of materials for nest construction. Megachilines use resins, masticated leaves, trichomes and other plant materials sometimes along with mud to construct nests in cavities or in soil. Among these, the leafcutter bees ( Megachile s.l.) are the most famous for their behaviour to line their brood cells with discs cut from various plants. We report on fossil records of one body fossil of a new non-leafcutting megachiline and of 12 leafcuttings from three European sites—Eckfeld and Messel, both in Germany (Eocene), and Menat, France (Paleocene). The excisions include the currently earliest record of probable Megachile activity and suggest the presence of such bees in the Paleocene European fauna. Comparison with extant leafcuttings permits the interpretation of a minimal number of species that produced these excisions. The wide range of size for the leafcuttings indirectly might suggest at least two species of Megachile for the fauna of Messel in addition to the other megachiline bee described here. The presence of several cuttings on most leaves from Eckfeld implies that the preferential foraging behaviour of extant Megachile arose early in megachiline evolution. These results demonstrate that combined investigation of body and trace fossils complement each other in understanding past biodiversity, the latter permitting the detection of taxa not otherwise directly sampled and inferences on behavioural evolution.

Advanced Researech and Technology Development fossil energy materials program: Semiannual progress report for the period ending September 30, 1988

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1989-01-01

The objective of the ARandTD Fossil Energy Materials Program is to conduct research and development on materials for fossil energy applications with a focus on the longer-term and generic needs of the various fossil fuel technologies. The program includes research aimed toward a better understanding of materials behavior in fossil energy environments and the development of new materials capable of substantial enhancement of plant operations and reliability. The ORNL Fossil Energy Materials Program Office compiles and issues this combined semiannual progress report from camera-ready copies submitted by each of the participating subcontractor organizations. This report of activities on the program is organized in accordance with a work breakdown structure in which projects are organized according to materials research thrust areas. These areas are (1) Structural Ceramics, (2) Alloy Development and Mechanical Properties, (3) Corrosion and Erosion of Alloys, and (4) Assessments and Technology Transfer. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases.

A new commelinid monocot seed fossil from the early Eocene previously identified as Solanaceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Särkinen, Tiina; Kottner, Sören; Stuppy, Wolfgang; Ahmed, Farah; Knapp, Sandra

2018-01-01

Fossils provide minimum age estimates for extant lineages. Here we critically evaluate Cantisolanum daturoides Reid & Chandler and two other early putative seed fossils of Solanaceae, an economically important plant family in the Asteridae. Three earliest seed fossil taxa of Solanaceae from the London Clay Formation (Cantisolanum daturoides) and the Poole and Branksome Sand Formations (Solanum arnense Chandler and Solanispermum reniforme Chandler) were studied using x-ray microcomputed tomography (MCT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The MCT scans of Cantisolanum daturoides revealed a high level of pyrite preservation at the cellular level. Cantisolanum daturoides can be clearly excluded from Solanaceae and has more affinities to the commelinid monocots based on a straight longitudinal axis, a prominent single layer of relatively thin-walled cells in the testa, and a clearly differentiated micropyle surrounded by radially elongated and inwardly curved testal cells. While the MCT scans show no internal preservation in Solanum arnense and Solanispermum reniforme, SEM images show the presence of several characteristics that allow the placement of these taxa at the stem node of Solanaceae. Cantisolanum daturoides is likely a member of commelinid monocots and not Solanaceae as previously suggested. The earliest fossil record of Solanaceae is revised to consist of fruit fossil with inflated calyces from the early Eocene of Patagonia (52 Ma) and fossilized seeds from the early to mid-Eocene of Europe (48-46 Ma). The new identity for Cantisolanum daturoides does not alter a late Cretaceous minimum age for commelinids. © 2018 Botanical Society of America.

Modernization of turbines in fossil and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harig, T.; Oeynhausen, H.

2004-01-01

Steam turbine power plants have a big share in power generation world-wide. In view of their age structure, they offer the biggest potential for increasing power plant performance, availability and environmental protection. Modernisation and replacement of key components by improved components will reduce fuel consumption and improve power plant performance by higher capacity, higher power, shorter start-up and shutdown times, and reduced standstill times. Modern steam turbine bladings will result in further improvements without additional fuel consumption. (orig.)

Progress in ESR dating of fossils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeya, M.

1983-01-01

In this review the progress of ESR dating is briefly described together with its historical development. Examples of fossil dating include shells and corals in geological sediments, fossil bones and teeth in anthropology and fossil woods in geology. The total dose of natural radiation (TD) equivalent to the archaeological dose in TL dating was obtained by the additive dose method. Initially, the TDs were plotted against the known ages; using the apparent annual dose-rate thus obtained gives the ESR age within a factor of 2 or 3 for a fossil. Precise assessment of the radiation environment was made later taking the disequilibrium of uranium series disintegration into account. ESR ages of corals agreed well with those obtained by radiocarbon and uranium-thorium methods. The time-independent accumulation rate or a linear accumulation or uranium was adopted as a first sensible model for the opensystem fossil bones: the relation between the TD and the age explains the ages of anthropologically important bones. Lastly, geological assessment of fossil woods was made by ESR based on the organic radicals and electron traps in the silicified part. (author)

The fossil history of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Harms

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Pseudoscorpions, given their resemblance to scorpions, have attracted human attention since the time of Aristotle, although they are much smaller and lack the sting and elongated tail. These arachnids have a long evolutionary history but their origins and phylogenetic affinities are still being debated. Here, we summarise their fossil record based on a comprehensive review of the literature and data contained in other sources. Pseudoscorpions are one of the oldest colonisers of the land, with fossils known since the Middle Devonian (ca. 390 Ma. The only arachnid orders with an older fossil record are scorpions, harvestmen and acariform mites, plus two extinct groups. Pseudoscorpions do not fossilise easily, and records from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic consist almost exclusively of amber inclusions. Most Mesozoic fossils come from Archingeay and Burmese ambers (Late Cretaceous and those from the Cenozoic are primarily from Eocene Baltic amber, although additional fossils from, for example, Miocene Dominican and Mexican ambers, are known. Overall, 16 of the 26 families of living pseudoscorpions have been documented from fossils and 49 currently valid species are recognised in the literature. Pseudoscorpions represent a case of morphological stasis and even the Devonian fossils look rather modern. Indeed, most amber fossils are comparable to Recent groups despite a major gap in the fossil record of almost 250 Myr. Baltic amber inclusions indicate palaeofauna inhabiting much warmer climates than today and point to climatic shifts in central Europe since the Eocene. They also indicate that some groups (e.g. Feaellidae and Pseudogarypidae had much wider Eocene distributions. Their present-day occurrence is relictual and highlights past extinction events. Faunas from younger tropical amber deposits (e.g. Dominican and Mexican amber are comparable to Recent ones. Generally, there is a strong bias in the amber record towards groups that live under tree

Advanced research and technology development fossil energy materials program. Quarterly progress report for the period ending September 30, 1981

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bradley, R.A. (comp.)

1981-12-01

This is the fourth combined quarterly progress report for those projects that are part of the Advanced Research and Technology Development Fossil Energy Materials Program. The objective is to conduct a program of research and development on materials for fossil energy applications with a focus on the longer-term and generic needs of the various fossil fuel technologies. The program includes research aimed toward a better understanding of materials behavior in fossil energy environments and the development of new materials capable of substantial enhancement of plant operations and reliability. Work performed on the program generally falls into the Applied Research and Exploratory Development categories as defined in the DOE Technology Base Review, although basic research and engineering development are also conducted. A substantial portion of the work on the AR and TD Fossil Energy Materials Program is performed by participating cntractor organizations. All subcontractor work is monitored by Program staff members at ORNL and Argonne National Laboratory. This report is organized in accordance with a work breakdown structure defined in the AR and TD Fossil Energy Materials Program Plan for FY 1981 in which projects are organized according to fossil energy technologies. We hope this series of AR and TD Fossil Energy Materials Program quarterly progress reports will aid in the dissemination of information developed on the program.

Evaluation of hard fossil fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zivkovic, S.; Nuic, J.

1999-01-01

Because of its inexhaustible supplies hard fossil fuel will represent the pillar of the power systems of the 21st century. Only high-calorie fossil fuels have the market value and participate in the world trade. Low-calorie fossil fuels ((brown coal and lignite) are fuels spent on the spot and their value is indirectly expressed through manufactured kWh. For the purpose of determining the real value of a tonne of low-calorie coal, the criteria that help in establishing the value of a tonne of hard coal have to be corrected and thus evaluated and assessed at the market. (author)

Fossil energy use and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sage, P.W.

1994-01-01

Energy demand projections indicate that fossil energy will provide some ninety per cent of global primary energy demand for the foreseeable future. This paper considers the principal environmental impacts associated with fossil energy use and describes approaches to minimise them. Technologies are now available to reduce significantly pollutant emissions from fossil fuel use. Emerging technologies offer higher conversion efficiencies to reduce still further specific emissions per unit of energy output. It is essential, particularly in those areas of rapid growth in energy use, that best practice and technology are deployed. Technology transfer and training will help to achieve this and enable fossil energy use to be fully compatible with increasingly stringent environmental requirements. (author) 4 figs., 12 refs

Biomass - alternative renewable energy source to the fossil fuels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koruba Dorota

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the fossil fuels combustion effects in terms of the dangers of increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Based on the bibliography review the negative impact of increased carbon dioxide concentration on the human population is shown in the area of the external environment, particularly in terms of the air pollution and especially the impact on human health. The paper presents biomass as the renewable energy alternative source to fossil fuels which combustion gives a neutral CO2 emissions and therefore should be the main carrier of primary energy in Poland. The paper presents the combustion heat results and humidity of selected dry wood pellets (pellets straw, energy-crop willow pellets, sawdust pellets, dried sewage sludge from two sewage treatment plants of the Holly Cross province pointing their energy potential. In connection with the results analysis of these studies the standard requirements were discussed (EN 14918:2010 “Solid bio-fuels-determination of calorific value” regarding the basic parameters determining the biomass energy value (combustion heat, humidity.

Late Palaeozoic plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Zhuo

2017-09-11

Land plants are one of the major constituents of terrestrial ecosystems on Earth, and play an irreplaceable role in human activities today. If we are to understand the extant plants, it is imperative that we have some understanding of the fossil plants from the deep geological past, particularly those that occurred during their early evolutionary history, in the late Palaeozoic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status of fossil fuel reserves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laherrere, J.

2005-01-01

Reserves represent the sum of past and future productions up to the end of production. In most countries the reserve data of fields are confidential. Therefore, fossil fuel reserves are badly known because the published data are more political than technical and many countries make a confusion between resources and reserves. The cumulated production of fossil fuels represents only between a third and a fifth of the ultimate reserves. The production peak will take place between 2020 and 2050. In the ultimate reserves, which extrapolate the past, the fossil fuels represent three thirds of the overall energy. This document analyses the uncertainties linked with fossil fuel reserves: reliability of published data, modeling of future production, comparison with other energy sources, energy consumption forecasts, reserves/production ratio, exploitation of non-conventional hydrocarbons (tar sands, extra-heavy oils, bituminous shales, coal gas, gas shales, methane in overpressure aquifers, methane hydrates), technology impacts, prices impact, and reserves growth. (J.S.)

First fossil insectivores from Flores

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoek Ostende, van den L.W.; Berch, van der G.; Awe Due, R.

2006-01-01

The hominid bearing strata from the Liang Bua cave on Flores have yielded a large amount of microvertebrate remains. Among these are three mandibles of shrews, the first record of fossil insectivores from the island. The fossils, representing two different species, are not referable to any of the

Uranium in fossil bones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koul, S.L.

1978-01-01

An attempt has been made to determine the uranium content and thus the age of certain fossil bones Haritalyangarh (Himachal Pradesh), India. The results indicate that bones rich in apatite are also rich in uranium, and that the radioactivity is due to radionuclides in the uranium series. The larger animals apparently have a higher concentration of uranium than the small. The dating of a fossil jaw (elephant) places it in the Pleistocene. (Auth.)

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Fusion Surgery for Relief of Chronic Lower Back Pain (Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Shawnee Mission, KS, 3/05/2014) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release (Bon Secours ...

Fire-Side Corrosion: A Case Study of Failed Tubes of a Fossil Fuel Boiler

OpenAIRE

Asnavandi, Majid; Kahram, Mohaddeseh; Rezaei, Milad; Rezakhani, Davar

2017-01-01

The failures of superheater and reheater boiler tubes operating in a power plant utilizing natural gas or mazut as a fuel have been analysed and the fire-side corrosion has been suggested as the main reason for the failure in boiler tubes. The tubes have been provided by a fossil fuel power plant in Iran and optical and electron microscopy investigations have been performed on the tubes as well as the corrosion products on their surfaces. The results showed that the thickness of the failed tu...

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Norfolk, VA, 5/08/2008) Colonic Polyps Laparoscopic Right Colectomy (Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Merriam, KS, 05/04/2012) Colorectal Cancer Laparoscopic Right Colectomy (Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Merriam, KS, 05/ ...

Fossil and non-fossil source contributions to atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols during extreme spring grassland fires in Eastern Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Ulevicius, Vidmantas; Byčenkienė, Steigvilė; Bozzetti, Carlo; Vlachou, Athanasia; Plauškaitė, Kristina; Mordas, Genrik; Dudoitis, Vadimas; Abbaszade, Gülcin; Remeikis, Vidmantas; Garbaras, Andrius; Masalaite, Agne; Blees, Jan; Fröhlich, Roman; Dällenbach, Kaspar R.; Canonaco, Francesco; Slowik, Jay G.; Dommen, Josef; Zimmermann, Ralf; Schnelle-Kreis, Jürgen; Salazar, Gary A.; Agrios, Konstantinos; Szidat, Sönke; El Haddad, Imad; Prévôt, André S. H.

2016-05-01

In early spring the Baltic region is frequently affected by high-pollution events due to biomass burning in that area. Here we present a comprehensive study to investigate the impact of biomass/grass burning (BB) on the evolution and composition of aerosol in Preila, Lithuania, during springtime open fires. Non-refractory submicron particulate matter (NR-PM1) was measured by an Aerodyne aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM) and a source apportionment with the multilinear engine (ME-2) running the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was applied to the organic aerosol fraction to investigate the impact of biomass/grass burning. Satellite observations over regions of biomass burning activity supported the results and identification of air mass transport to the area of investigation. Sharp increases in biomass burning tracers, such as levoglucosan up to 683 ng m-3 and black carbon (BC) up to 17 µg m-3 were observed during this period. A further separation between fossil and non-fossil primary and secondary contributions was obtained by coupling ACSM PMF results and radiocarbon (14C) measurements of the elemental (EC) and organic (OC) carbon fractions. Non-fossil organic carbon (OCnf) was the dominant fraction of PM1, with the primary (POCnf) and secondary (SOCnf) fractions contributing 26-44 % and 13-23 % to the total carbon (TC), respectively. 5-8 % of the TC had a primary fossil origin (POCf), whereas the contribution of fossil secondary organic carbon (SOCf) was 4-13 %. Non-fossil EC (ECnf) and fossil EC (ECf) ranged from 13-24 and 7-13 %, respectively. Isotope ratios of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were used to distinguish aerosol particles associated with solid and liquid fossil fuel burning.

Fossil Groups as Cosmological Labs

Science.gov (United States)

D'Onghia, Elena

Optical and X-ray measurements of fossil groups (FGs) suggest that they are old and relaxed systems. If FGs are assembled at higher redshift, there is enough time for intermediate-luminosity galaxies to merge, resulting in the formation of the brightest group galaxy (BGG). We carry out the first, systematic study of a large sample of FGs, the "FOssil Group Origins'' (FOGO) based on an International Time Project at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory. For ten FOGO FGs we have been awarded time at SUZAKU Telescope to measure the temperature of the hot intragroup gas (IGM). For these systems we plan to evaluate and correlate their X-ray luminosity and X-ray temperature, Lx-Tx, optical luminosity and X-ray temperature, Lopt-Tx, and group velocity dispersion with their X-ray temperature, sigma V-Tx, as compared to the non fossil systems. By combining these observations with state-of-art cosmological hydrodynamical simulations we will open a new window into the study of the IGM and the nature of fossil systems. Our proposed work will be of direct relevance for the understanding and interpretation of data from several NASA science missions. Specifically, the scaling relations obtained from these data combined with our predictions obtained using state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulation numerical adopting a new hydrodynamical scheme will motivate new proposal on CHANDRA X-ray telescope for fossil groups and clusters. We will additionally create a public Online Planetarium Show. This will be an educational site, containing an interactive program called: "A Voyage to our Universe''. In the show we will provide observed images of fossil groups and similar images and movies obtained from the numerical simulations showing their evolution. The online planetarium show will be a useful reference and an interactive educational tool for both students and the public.

Concept of a HTR modular plant for generation of process heat in a chemical plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-07-01

This final report summarizes the results of a preliminary study on behalf of Buna AG and Leunawerke AG. With regard to the individual situations the study investigated the conditions for modular HTR-2 reactors to cover on-site process heat and electric power demands. HTR-2 reactor erection and operation were analyzed for their economic efficiency compared with fossil-fuel power plants. Considering the prospective product lines, the technical and economic conditions were developed in close cooperation with Buna AG and Leunawerke AG. The study focused on the technical integration of modular HTR reactors into plants with regard to safety concepts, on planning, acceptance and erection concepts which largely exclude uncalculable scheduling and financial risks, and on comparative economic analyses with regard to fossil-fuel power plants. (orig.) [de

A novel approach for treatment of CO{sub 2} from fossil fired power plants, Part A: The integrated systems ITRPP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minutillo, M.; Perna, A. [Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Cassino, Via G. di Biasio, 43, 03043 Cassino, Frosinone (Italy)

2009-05-15

The environmental issues, due to the global warming caused by the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, require new strategies aimed to increase power plants efficiencies and to reduce CO{sub 2} emissions. This two-paper work focuses on a different approach for capture and reduction of CO{sub 2} from flue gases of fossil fired power plant, with respect to conventional post-combustion technologies. This approach consists of flue gases utilization as co-reactants in a catalytic process, the tri-reforming process, to generate a synthesis gas suitable in chemical and energy industries (methanol, DME, etc.). In fact, the further conversion of syngas to a transportation fuel, such as methanol, is an attractive solution to introduce near zero-emission technologies (i.e. fuel cells) in vehicular applications. In this Part A, integrated systems for co-generation of electrical power and synthesis gas useful for methanol production have been defined and their performance has been investigated considering different flue gases compositions. In Part B, in order to verify the environmental advantages and energy suitability of these systems, their comparison with conventional technology for methanol production is carried out. The integrated systems (ITRPP, Integrated Tri-Reforming Power Plant) consist of a power island, based on a thermal power plant, and a methane tri-reforming island in which the power plants' exhausts react with methane to produce a synthesis gas used for methanol synthesis. As power island, a steam turbine power plant fuelled with coal and a gas turbine combined cycle fuelled with natural gas have been considered. The energy and environmental analysis of ITRPP systems (ITRPP-SC and ITRPP-CC) has been carried out by using thermochemical and thermodynamic models which have allowed to calculate the syngas composition, to define the energy and mass balances and to estimate the CO{sub 2} emissions for each ITRPP configuration. The

Alectorioid Morphologies in Paleogene Lichens: New Evidence and Re-Evaluation of the Fossil Alectoria succini Mägdefrau

Science.gov (United States)

Kaasalainen, Ulla; Heinrichs, Jochen; Krings, Michael; Myllys, Leena; Grabenhorst, Heinrich; Rikkinen, Jouko; Schmidt, Alexander R.

2015-01-01

One of the most important issues in molecular dating studies concerns the incorporation of reliable fossil taxa into the phylogenies reconstructed from DNA sequence variation in extant taxa. Lichens are symbiotic associations between fungi and algae and/or cyanobacteria. Several lichen fossils have been used as minimum age constraints in recent studies concerning the diversification of the Ascomycota. Recent evolutionary studies of Lecanoromycetes, an almost exclusively lichen-forming class in the Ascomycota, have utilized the Eocene amber inclusion Alectoria succinic as a minimum age constraint. However, a re-investigation of the type material revealed that this inclusion in fact represents poorly preserved plant remains, most probably of a root. Consequently, this fossil cannot be used as evidence of the presence of the genus Alectoria (Parmeliaceae, Lecanorales) or any other lichens in the Paleogene. However, newly discovered inclusions from Paleogene Baltic and Bitterfeld amber verify that alectorioid morphologies in lichens were in existence by the Paleogene. The new fossils represent either a lineage within the alectorioid group or belong to the genus Oropogon. PMID:26053106

Fossil and non-fossil sources of organic carbon (OC and elemental carbon (EC in Göteborg, Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Szidat

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Particulate matter was collected at an urban site in Göteborg (Sweden in February/March 2005 and in June/July 2006. Additional samples were collected at a rural site for the winter period. Total carbon (TC concentrations were 2.1–3.6 μg m⁻³, 1.8–1.9 μg m⁻³, and 2.2–3.0 μg m⁻³ for urban/winter, rural/winter, and urban/summer conditions, respectively. Elemental carbon (EC, organic carbon (OC, water-insoluble OC (WINSOC, and water-soluble OC (WSOC were analyzed for ¹⁴C in order to distinguish fossil from non-fossil emissions. As wood burning is the single major source of non-fossil EC, its contribution can be quantified directly. For non-fossil OC, the wood-burning fraction was determined independently by levoglucosan and ¹⁴C analysis and combined using Latin-hypercube sampling (LHS. For the winter period, the relative contribution of EC from wood burning to the total EC was >3 times higher at the rural site compared to the urban site, whereas the absolute concentrations of EC from wood burning were elevated only moderately at the rural compared to the urban site. Thus, the urban site is substantially more influenced by fossil EC emissions. For summer, biogenic emissions dominated OC concentrations most likely due to secondary organic aerosol (SOA formation. During both seasons, a more pronounced fossil signal was observed for Göteborg than has previously been reported for Zurich, Switzerland. Analysis of air mass origin using back trajectories suggests that the fossil impact was larger when local sources dominated, whereas long-range transport caused an enhanced non-fossil signal. In comparison to other European locations, concentrations of levoglucosan and other monosaccharide anhydrides were low for the urban and the rural site in the area of Göteborg during winter.

Environmental costs of fossil fuel energy production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riva, A.; Trebeschi, C.

1997-01-01

The costs of environmental impacts caused by fossil fuel energy production are external to the energy economy and normally they are not reflected in energy prices. To determine the environmental costs associated with an energy source a detailed analysis of all environmental impacts of the complete energy cycle is required. The economic evaluation of environmental damages is presented caused by atmospheric emissions produced by fossil fuel combustion for different uses. Considering the emission factors of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, dust and carbon dioxide and the economic evaluation of their environmental damages reported in literature, a range of environmental costs associated with different fossil fuels and technologies is presented. A comparison of environmental costs resulting from atmospheric emissions produced by fossil-fuel combustion for energy production shows that natural gas has a significantly higher environmental value than other fossil fuels. (R.P.)

Molecular fossils in Cretaceous condensate from western India

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Sharmila; Dutta, Suryendu; Dutta, Ratul

2014-06-01

The present study reports the biomarker distribution of condensate belonging to the early Cretaceous time frame using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The early Cretaceous palaeoenvironment was inscribed into these molecular fossils which reflected the source and conditions of deposition of the condensate. The saturate fraction of the condensate is characterized by normal alkanes ranging from n-C9 to n-C29 (CPI-1.13), cycloalkanes and C14 and C15 sesquiterpanes. The aromatic fraction comprises of naphthalene, phenanthrene, their methylated derivatives and cyclohexylbenzenes. Isohexylalkylnaphthalenes, a product of rearrangement process of terpenoids, is detected in the condensate. Several aromatic sesquiterpenoids and diterpenoids have been recorded. Dihydro- ar-curcumene, cadalene and ionene form the assemblage of sesquiterpenoids which are indicative of higher plant input. Aromatic diterpenoid fraction comprises of simonellite and retene. These compounds are also indicative of higher plants, particularly conifer source which had been a predominant flora during the Cretaceous time.

Fossil and non-fossil source contributions to atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols during extreme spring grassland fires in Eastern Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Ulevicius

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In early spring the Baltic region is frequently affected by high-pollution events due to biomass burning in that area. Here we present a comprehensive study to investigate the impact of biomass/grass burning (BB on the evolution and composition of aerosol in Preila, Lithuania, during springtime open fires. Non-refractory submicron particulate matter (NR-PM1 was measured by an Aerodyne aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM and a source apportionment with the multilinear engine (ME-2 running the positive matrix factorization (PMF model was applied to the organic aerosol fraction to investigate the impact of biomass/grass burning. Satellite observations over regions of biomass burning activity supported the results and identification of air mass transport to the area of investigation. Sharp increases in biomass burning tracers, such as levoglucosan up to 683 ng m−3 and black carbon (BC up to 17 µg m−3 were observed during this period. A further separation between fossil and non-fossil primary and secondary contributions was obtained by coupling ACSM PMF results and radiocarbon (14C measurements of the elemental (EC and organic (OC carbon fractions. Non-fossil organic carbon (OCnf was the dominant fraction of PM1, with the primary (POCnf and secondary (SOCnf fractions contributing 26–44 % and 13–23 % to the total carbon (TC, respectively. 5–8 % of the TC had a primary fossil origin (POCf, whereas the contribution of fossil secondary organic carbon (SOCf was 4–13 %. Non-fossil EC (ECnf and fossil EC (ECf ranged from 13–24 and 7–13 %, respectively. Isotope ratios of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were used to distinguish aerosol particles associated with solid and liquid fossil fuel burning.

Traversing the mountaintop: world fossil fuel production to 2050.

Science.gov (United States)

Nehring, Richard

2009-10-27

During the past century, fossil fuels--petroleum liquids, natural gas and coal--were the dominant source of world energy production. From 1950 to 2005, fossil fuels provided 85-93% of all energy production. All fossil fuels grew substantially during this period, their combined growth exceeding the increase in world population. This growth, however, was irregular, providing for rapidly growing per capita production from 1950 to 1980, stable per capita production from 1980 to 2000 and rising per capita production again after 2000. During the past half century, growth in fossil fuel production was essentially limited by energy demand. During the next half century, fossil fuel production will be limited primarily by the amount and characteristics of remaining fossil fuel resources. Three possible scenarios--low, medium and high--are developed for the production of each of the fossil fuels to 2050. These scenarios differ primarily by the amount of ultimate resources estimated for each fossil fuel. Total fossil fuel production will continue to grow, but only slowly for the next 15-30 years. The subsequent peak plateau will last for 10-15 years. These production peaks are robust; none of the fossil fuels, even with highly optimistic resource estimates, is projected to keep growing beyond 2050. World fossil fuel production per capita will thus begin an irreversible decline between 2020 and 2030.

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Fossil fuel support mechanisms in Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lampinen, Ari

2013-10-15

Fossil fuel subsidies and other state support for fossil fuels are forbidden by the Kyoto Protocol and other international treaties. However, they are still commonly used. This publication presents and analyses diverse state support mechanisms for fossil fuels in Finland in 2003-2010. Total of 38 support mechanisms are covered in quantitative analysis and some other mechanisms are mentioned qualitatively only. For some mechanisms the study includes a longer historical perspective. This is the case for tax subsidies for crude oil based traffic fuels that have been maintained in Finland since 1965.

Synergistic production of hydrogen using fossil fuels and nuclear energy application of nuclear-heated membrane reformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hori, M.; Matsui, K.; Tashimo, M.; Yasuda, I.

2004-01-01

Processes and technologies to produce hydrogen synergistically by the steam reforming reaction using fossil fuels and nuclear heat are reviewed. Formulas of chemical reactions, required heats for reactions, saving of fuel consumption or reduction of carbon dioxide emission, possible processes and other prospects are examined for such fossil fuels as natural gas, petroleum and coal. The 'membrane reformer' steam reforming with recirculation of reaction products in a closed loop configuration is considered to be the most advantageous among various synergistic hydrogen production methods. Typical merits of this method are: nuclear heat supply at medium temperature below 600 deg. C, compact plant size and membrane area for hydrogen production, efficient conversion of feed fuel, appreciable reduction of carbon dioxide emission, high purity hydrogen without any additional process, and ease of separating carbon dioxide for future sequestration requirements. With all these benefits, the synergistic production of hydrogen by membrane reformer using fossil fuels and nuclear energy can be an effective solution in this century for the world which has to use. fossil fuels any way to some extent while reducing carbon dioxide emission. For both the fossil fuels industry and the nuclear industry, which are under constraint of resource, environment and economy, this production method will be a viable symbiosis strategy for the coming hydrogen economy era. (author)

Availability of thermal power plants 1981-1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitsch, D.; Schmitz, H.

1991-01-01

The present volume covers the period of 1981 to 1990 and contains availability data of power plants in Germany and abroad. Data are presented on fossil-fuelled units, units with a combined gas/steam cycle, nuclear power plants and gas turbines. The fossil-fuelled units are broken down by unit size, years of operation, fuel, type of combustion (dry, melt) and type (mono, duo units, subcritical and supercritical systems). Nuclear power stations are arranged by type of reactor (PWR, BWR), unit size and years of operation. Combined cycle power plants are listed separately due to their different technical concepts. Apart from availability and utilisation values of gas turbines there are data on reliability and the number of successful and unsuccessful starts. In general the data are first given for all plants and then for the German plants in particular. Performance values are gross values measured at generator terminals and, as the number of plants, they are end-of-the-year figures [de

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Fruits and wood of Parinari from the early Miocene of Panama and the fossil record of Chrysobalanaceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Jud, Nathan A; Nelson, Chris W; Herrera, Fabiany

2016-02-01

Chrysobalanaceae are woody plants with over 500 species in 20 genera. They are among the most common trees in tropical forests, but a sparse fossil record has limited our ability to test evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses, and several previous reports of Chrysobalanaceae megafossils are doubtful. We prepared fossil endocarps and wood collected from the lower Miocene beds along the Panama Canal using the cellulose acetate peel technique and examined them using light microscopy. We compared the fossil endocarps with previously published fossils and with fruits from herbarium specimens. We compared the fossil wood with photographs and descriptions of extant species. Parinari endocarps can be distinguished from other genera within Chrysobalanaceae by a suite of features, i.e., thick wall, a secondary septum, seminal cavities lined with dense, woolly trichomes, and two ovate to lingulate basal germination plugs. Fossil endocarps from the Cucaracha, Culebra, and La Boca Formations confirm that Parinari was present in the neotropics by the early Miocene. The earliest unequivocal evidence of crown-group Chrysobalanaceae is late Oligocene-early Miocene, and the genus Parinari was distinct by at least 19 million years ago. Parinari and other Chrysobalanaceae likely reached the neotropics via long-distance dispersal rather than vicariance. The presence of Parinari in the Cucaracha flora supports the interpretation of a riparian, moist tropical forest environment. Parinari was probably a canopy-dominant tree in the Cucaracha forest and took advantage of the local megafauna for seed dispersal. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

Guide for decontamination in P.W.R. power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herisson, J.; Glorennec, C.

1992-01-01

Nuclear power plant components or equipment often need to be more ore less decontaminated before maintenance. In order to coordinate the activities of the various maintenance specialists belonging to the corporate or Site Organizations, the Management of EDF/Nuclear and Fossil Division has created a 'Decontamination Task Force'. The first objective of this Task Force was to prepare this 'Decontamination Guide for Nuclear Power Plants'. This document is the result of a close collaboration, within a specific working group, between representatives of Nuclear Fossil Division (from Nuclear Power Plants and Corporate Departments) and EDF Project and Construction Group. It will provide assistance to Nuclear Plants Operators in the very specific field of decontamination. (author)

Progress of fossil fuel science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demirbas, M.F.

2007-07-01

Coal is the most abundant and widely distributed fossil fuel. More than 45% of the world's electricity is generated from coal, and it is the major fuel for generating electricity worldwide. The known coal reserves in the world are enough for more than 215 years of consumption, while the known oil reserves are only about 39 times of the world's consumption and the known natural gas reserves are about 63 times of the world's consumption level in 1998. In recent years, there have been effective scientific investigations on Turkish fossil fuels, which are considerable focused on coal resources. Coal is a major fossil fuel source for Turkey. Turkish coal consumption has been stable over the past decade and currently accounts for about 24% of the country's total energy consumption. Lignite coal has had the biggest share in total fossil fuel production, at 43%, in Turkey. Turkish researchers may investigate ten broad pathways of coal species upgrading, such as desulfurization and oxydesulfurization, pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis, liquefaction and hydroliquefaction, extraction and supercritical fluid extraction, gasification, oxidation, briquetting, flotation, and structure identification.

Fossil energy and food security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Folke, G.

2001-01-01

To fulfil the basic goal of delivering food for the tables of the citizens, modern Western agriculture is extremely dependent on supporting material flows, infrastructure, and fossil energy. According to several observers, fossil fuel production is about to peak, i.e., oil extraction is no longer capable of keeping pace with the increasing demand. This situation may trigger an unprecedented increase in fossil energy prices, which may make the current highly energy dependent food production-distribution system highly vulnerable. The paper starts with a survey of this vulnerability. Also, the supply of phosphorus, a key factor in agriculture, may be at stake under such circumstances. The paper analyses this situation and discusses settlement structures integrated with agriculture that might increase food security by reducing energy demands. In the proposed ideal societal structure, agriculture is integrated with settlements and most of the food needed by the population is produced locally, and the nutrients for food production are recycled from households and animals by means of biological processes demanding considerably less mechanical investment and fossil support energy than the conventional type of agriculture. The vulnerability of this structure would be considerably lower, than that of the current system. (author)

Hawaii energy strategy project 2: Fossil energy review. Task 1: World and regional fossil energy dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breazeale, K. [ed.; Isaak, D.T.; Yamaguchi, N.; Fridley, D.; Johnson, C.; Long, S.

1993-12-01

This report in the Hawaii Energy Strategy Project examines world and regional fossil energy dynamics. The topics of the report include fossil energy characteristics, the world oil industry including reserves, production, consumption, exporters, importers, refining, products and their uses, history and trends in the global oil market and the Asia-Pacific market; world gas industry including reserves, production, consumption, exporters, importers, processing, gas-based products, international gas market and the emerging Asia-Pacific gas market; the world coal industry including reserves, classification and quality, utilization, transportation, pricing, world coal market, Asia-Pacific coal outlook, trends in Europe and the Americas; and environmental trends affecting fossil fuels. 132 figs., 46 tabs.

Fossil and nonfossil carbon in fine particulate matter: A study of five European cities

Science.gov (United States)

Glasius, Marianne; La Cour, Agnete; Lohse, Christian

2011-06-01

Fossil carbon in particulate matter comes from anthropogenic use and combustion of fossil fuels, while nonfossil carbon may originate from both biogenic (e.g., pollen, plant debris, fungal spores, and biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA)) and anthropogenic sources (e.g., cooking and residential wood combustion). We investigated the relative contributions of fossil and nonfossil sources to fine carbonaceous aerosols in five European cities by radiocarbon analysis of aerosol samples collected at four types of sites in 2002-2004. The average fraction of nonfossil carbon was 43 ± 11%, with the lowest fraction, 36 ± 7%, at urban curbside sites and the highest fraction, 54 ± 11%, at rural background sites, farthest away from the impact of man-made emissions. Generally, fossil carbon concentrations at urban curbside sites are elevated in comparison to background sites, which is expected because of their proximity to vehicular emissions. Contrary to what might be expected, the concentration of nonfossil carbon is also higher at curbside than at background sites. This may be attributable to differences between site categories in levels of primary biological aerosols, brake and tire wear in resuspended road dust, biofuels, emissions from cooking and residential wood combustion, or processes such as anthropogenic enhancement of biogenic SOA and increased partitioning of semivolatile compounds into the aerosol phase at urban sites. The exact causes should be investigated by future detailed source analyses.

Supply of fossil heating and motor fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaegi, W.; Siegrist, S.; Schaefli, M.; Eichenberger, U.

2003-01-01

This comprehensive study made for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) within the framework of the Energy Economics Fundamentals research programme examines if it can be guaranteed that Swiss industry can be supplied with fossil fuels for heating and transport purposes over the next few decades. The results of a comprehensive survey of literature on the subject are presented, with a major focus being placed on oil. The study examines both pessimistic and optimistic views and also presents an overview of fossil energy carriers and the possibilities of substituting them. Scenarios and prognoses on the availability of fossil fuels and their reserves for the future are presented. Also, new technologies for exploration and the extraction of fossil fuels are discussed, as are international interdependencies that influence supply. Market and price scenarios are presented that take account of a possible increasing scarcity of fossil fuels. The implications for industry and investment planning are examined

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Management of fossil natural resources: the impossible challenge?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loubens, Audrey

2013-10-01

A set of articles addresses various issues related to fossil energies and resources. A first set addresses the general context of fossil resources: the forced wedding between fossil energies and the environment (discussion of an annual report by the IEA on coal reserves), the availability of fossil fuels (discussion about the high share of fossil fuel in an always more renewable world). A second set addresses how to transform resources into reserves: discussion of the annual IEA report on conventional oil and gas reserves, on unconventional oil and gas reserves, and on coal reserves. The next set is a prospective one, and addresses the question of a scenario by 2040: the extremely high tension between fossil resources and geopolitical reality, and the question of the possibility of a world energy transition (discussions of the World Energy Outlook published by the IEA). Other issues are addressed by the last set of articles: the abundance of fossil energies obscures the potential of renewable energies, the evolution of the chemical industry towards alternative solutions in order to limit the use of hydrocarbons, and the territorial claims by Russia in the Arctic region

Fossil evidence of the zygomycetous fungi

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krings, M.; Taylor, T.N.; Dotzler, N.

2013-01-01

Molecular clock data indicate that the first zygomycetous fungi occurred on Earth during the Precambrian, however, fossil evidence of these organisms has been slow to accumulate. In this paper, the fossil record of the zygomycetous fungi is compiled, with a focus on structurally preserved

Combining phylogenomics and fossils in higher-level squamate reptile phylogeny: molecular data change the placement of fossil taxa.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiens, John J; Kuczynski, Caitlin A; Townsend, Ted; Reeder, Tod W; Mulcahy, Daniel G; Sites, Jack W

2010-12-01

Molecular data offer great potential to resolve the phylogeny of living taxa but can molecular data improve our understanding of relationships of fossil taxa? Simulations suggest that this is possible, but few empirical examples have demonstrated the ability of molecular data to change the placement of fossil taxa. We offer such an example here. We analyze the placement of snakes among squamate reptiles, combining published morphological data (363 characters) and new DNA sequence data (15,794 characters, 22 nuclear loci) for 45 living and 19 fossil taxa. We find several intriguing results. First, some fossil taxa undergo major changes in their phylogenetic position when molecular data are added. Second, most fossil taxa are placed with strong support in the expected clades by the combined data Bayesian analyses, despite each having >98% missing cells and despite recent suggestions that extensive missing data are problematic for Bayesian phylogenetics. Third, morphological data can change the placement of living taxa in combined analyses, even when there is an overwhelming majority of molecular characters. Finally, we find strong but apparently misleading signal in the morphological data, seemingly associated with a burrowing lifestyle in snakes, amphisbaenians, and dibamids. Overall, our results suggest promise for an integrated and comprehensive Tree of Life by combining molecular and morphological data for living and fossil taxa.

Fossil fuel usage and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klass, D.L.

1991-01-01

The Greenhouse Effect and global warming, ozone formation in the troposphere, ozone destruction in the stratosphere, and acid rain are important environmental issues. The relationship of fossil fuel usage to some of these issues is discussed. Data on fossil fuel consumption and the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, and ozone indicate that natural gas provides lower emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen and sulfur oxides than other fossil fuels. Global emissions of methane from the gas industry are significantly less than those from other anthropogenic activities and natural sources, and methane plays an important role along with carbon monoxide and nitric oxide in tropospheric ozone formation. Reductions in any or all of these air pollutants would reduce ozone in the lower atmosphere. Several remedial measures have been or are being implemented in certain countries to reduce fossil fuel emissions. These include removal of emissions from the atmosphere by new biomass growth, fuel substitution by use of cleaner burning fuels for stationary and mobile sources, and fossil fuel combustion at higher efficiencies. It is unlikely that concerted environmental action by all governments of the world will occur soon, but much progress has been made to achieve clean air

Wildfire Activity Across the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary in the Polish Basin: Evidence from New Fossil Charcoal & Carbon-isotope Data

Science.gov (United States)

Pointer, R.; Belcher, C.; Hesselbo, S. P.; Hodbod, M.; Pieńkowski, G.

2017-12-01

New fossil charcoal abundance and carbon-isotope data from two sedimentary cores provide new evidence of extreme environmental conditions in the Polish Basin during the Latest Triassic to Earliest Jurassic. Sedimentary cores from the Polish Basin provide an excellent record of terrestrial environmental conditions across the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary, a time of climatic extremes. Previous work has shown that the marine realm was affected by a large perturbation to the carbon cycle across the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary (manifested by large negative and positive carbon-isotope excursions) and limited records of charcoal abundance and organic geochemistry have indicated important changes in fire regime in the coeval ecosystems. Here we present two new carbon-isotope records generated from fossil plant matter across the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, and present new charcoal records. The charcoal abundance data confirm that there was variation in wildfire activity during the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic in the Polish Basin. Peaks in the number of fossil charcoal fragments present occur in both sedimentary cores, and increases in fossil charcoal abundance are linked to wildfires, signalling a short-lived rise in wildfire activity. Fossil charcoal abundance does not appear to be fully controlled by total organic matter content, depositional environment or bioturbation. We argue that increased wildfire activity is likely caused by an increase in ignition of plant material as a result of an elevated number of lightning strikes. Global warming (caused by a massive input of carbon into the atmosphere, as indicated by carbon-isotope data) can increase storm activity, leading to increased numbers of lightning strikes. Previous Triassic-Jurassic Boundary wildfire studies have found fossil charcoal abundance peaks at other northern hemisphere sites (Denmark & Greenland), and concluded that they represent increases in wildfire activity in the earliest Jurassic. Our new charcoal and

Nuclear heat generating plants - technical concepts and market potentials. Chapter 8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thoene, E.

1988-01-01

To determine the advantages and disadvantages of different heat generating systems, a comparison is made between nuclear heat generating plants and competing heat generating systems. Nuclear heat generating plant concepts in practice have to compete with a wide range of existing and new fossil heat generating technologies of the most different capacities, ranging from combined heat and power generation to individual heating in one-family houses. Heat generation costs are calculated by means of a dynamic annuity method from an economic point of view. The development of real prices of fossil energy sources is based on two scenarios characterized as follows: scenario I - insignificant price increase by the year 2000, then stagnant; scenario II - moderate price increase by the year 2010, then stagnant. As a result of that systems comparison it can be stated that the considered nuclear heat generating plants may be an interesting competitive heat generation option, provided the assumptions on which the study is based can be implemented. This applies especially to investment costs. At the same time those plants contribute to a diversification of energy source options on the heat market. Their use leads to a reduction of fossil fuel imports, increasing at the same time short- and long-term supply guarantees. If nuclear heat generating plants substitute fossil heat generating plants, or render the construction of new ones superfluous, they contribute to avoiding chemical air pollutants. (orig./UA) [de

Primate diversification inferred from phylogenies and fossils.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, James P

2017-12-01

Biodiversity arises from the balance between speciation and extinction. Fossils record the origins and disappearance of organisms, and the branching patterns of molecular phylogenies allow estimation of speciation and extinction rates, but the patterns of diversification are frequently incongruent between these two data sources. I tested two hypotheses about the diversification of primates based on ∼600 fossil species and 90% complete phylogenies of living species: (1) diversification rates increased through time; (2) a significant extinction event occurred in the Oligocene. Consistent with the first hypothesis, analyses of phylogenies supported increasing speciation rates and negligible extinction rates. In contrast, fossils showed that while speciation rates increased, speciation and extinction rates tended to be nearly equal, resulting in zero net diversification. Partially supporting the second hypothesis, the fossil data recorded a clear pattern of diversity decline in the Oligocene, although diversification rates were near zero. The phylogeny supported increased extinction ∼34 Ma, but also elevated extinction ∼10 Ma, coinciding with diversity declines in some fossil clades. The results demonstrated that estimates of speciation and extinction ignoring fossils are insufficient to infer diversification and information on extinct lineages should be incorporated into phylogenetic analyses. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Using Strong Gravitational Lensing to Identify Fossil Group Progenitors

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Lucas E.; Irwin, Jimmy A.; White, Raymond E., III; Wong, Ka-Wah; Maksym, W. Peter; Dupke, Renato A.; Miller, Eric D.; Carrasco, Eleazar R.

2018-04-01

Fossil galaxy systems are classically thought to be the end result of galaxy group/cluster evolution, as galaxies experiencing dynamical friction sink to the center of the group potential and merge into a single, giant elliptical that dominates the rest of the members in both mass and luminosity. Most fossil systems discovered lie within z fossil criteria within the look forward time. Since strong gravitational lensing preferentially selects groups merging along the line of sight, or systems with a high mass concentration like fossil systems, we searched the CASSOWARY survey of strong-lensing events with the goal of determining whether lensing systems have any predisposition to being fossil systems or progenitors. We find that ∼13% of lensing groups are identified as traditional fossils while only ∼3% of nonlensing control groups are. We also find that ∼23% of lensing systems are traditional fossil progenitors compared to ∼17% for the control sample. Our findings show that strong-lensing systems are more likely to be fossil/pre-fossil systems than comparable nonlensing systems. Cumulative galaxy luminosity functions of the lensing and nonlensing groups also indicate a possible, fundamental difference between strong-lensing and nonlensing systems’ galaxy populations, with lensing systems housing a greater number of bright galaxies even in the outskirts of groups.

Simulation of gaseous emissions from electricity generating plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellhouse, G.M.; Whittington, H.W.

1996-01-01

In electricity supply networks, traditional dispatch algorithms are based on features such as economics and plant availability. Annual limits on emissions from fossil-fuelled stations are regarded as a restriction and set a ceiling on generation from particular stations. With the impending introduction of financial penalties on emissions, for example cal bon taxation, algorithms will have to be developed which allow the dispatch engineer to assess the cost in real-time of different generation options involving fossil-fuelled plants. Such an algorithm is described in this paper. (UK)

Developments in fossil fuel electricity generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, A.; Argiri, M.

1993-01-01

A major part of the world's electricity is generated by the combustion of fossil fuels, and there is a significant environmental impact due to the production of fossil fuels and their combustion. Coal is responsible for 63% of the electricity generated from fossil fuels; natural gas accounts for about 20% and fuel oils for 17%. Because of developments in supply and improvements in generating efficiencies there is apparently a considerable shift towards a greater use of natural gas, and by the year 2000 it could provide 25% of the world electricity output. At the same time the amount of fuel oil burned will have decreased. The means to minimize the environmental impact of the use of fossil fuels, particularly coal, in electricity production are considered, together with the methods of emission control. Cleaner coal technologies, which include fluidized bed combustion and an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), can reduce the emissions of NO x , SO 2 and CO 2 . (author)

Publications of the Fossil Energy Advanced Research and Technology Development Materials Program: April 1, 1993--March 31, 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlson, P.T. [comp.

1995-04-01

The objective of the Fossil Energy Advanced Research and Technology Development (AR and TD) Materials Program is to conduct research and development on materials for fossil energy applications, with a focus on the longer-term needs for materials with general applicability to the various fossil fuel technologies. The Program includes research aimed at a better understanding of materials behavior in fossil energy environments and on the development of new materials capable of substantial improvement in plant operations and reliability. The scope of the Program addresses materials requirements for all fossil energy systems, including materials for coal preparation, coal liquefaction, coal gasification, heat engines and heat recovery, combustion systems, and fuel cells. Work on the Program is conducted at national and government laboratories, universities, and industrial research facilities. This bibliography covers the period of April 1, 1993, through March 31, 1995, and is a supplement to previous bibliographies in this series. It is the intent of this series of bibliographies to list only those publications that can be conveniently obtained by a researcher through relatively normal channels. The publications listed in this document have been limited to topical reports, open literature publications in refereed journals, full-length papers in published proceedings of conferences, full-length papers in unrefereed journals, and books and book articles. 159 refs.

Input price risk and optimal timing of energy investment: choice between fossil- and biofuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murto, Pauli; Nese, Gjermund

2002-05-01

We consider energy investment, when a choice has to be made between fossil fuel and biomass fired production technologies. A dynamic model is presented to illustrate the effect of the different degrees of input price uncertainty on the choice of technology and the timing of the investment. It is shown that when the choice of technology is irreversible, it may be optimal to postpone the investment even if it would otherwise be optimal to invest in one or both of the plant types. We provide a numerical example based on cost, estimates of two different power plant types. (author)

Input price risk and optimal timing of energy investment: choice between fossil- and biofuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murto, Pauli; Nese, Gjermund

2002-01-01

We consider energy investment, when a choice has to be made between fossil fuel and biomass fired production technologies. A dynamic model is presented to illustrate the effect of the different degrees of input price uncertainty on the choice of technology and the timing of the investment. It is shown that when the choice of technology is irreversible, it may be optimal to postpone the investment even if it would otherwise be optimal to invest in one or both of the plant types. We provide a numerical example based on cost, estimates of two different power plant types. (author)

OKLO: fossil reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naudet, R.

Events leading up to the discovery during the summer of 1972 of the Oklo fossil reactor in Gabon and its subsequent exploration are reviewed. Results of studies are summarized; future investigations are outlined

Organic preservation of fossil musculature with ultracellular detail.

Science.gov (United States)

McNamara, Maria; Orr, Patrick J; Kearns, Stuart L; Alcalá, Luis; Anadón, Pere; Peñalver-Mollá, Enrique

2010-02-07

The very labile (decay-prone), non-biomineralized, tissues of organisms are rarely fossilized. Occurrences thereof are invaluable supplements to a body fossil record dominated by biomineralized tissues, which alone are extremely unrepresentative of diversity in modern and ancient ecosystems. Fossil examples of extremely labile tissues (e.g. muscle) that exhibit a high degree of morphological fidelity are almost invariably replicated by inorganic compounds such as calcium phosphate. There is no consensus as to whether such tissues can be preserved with similar morphological fidelity as organic remains, except when enclosed inside amber. Here, we report fossilized musculature from an approximately 18 Myr old salamander from lacustrine sediments of Ribesalbes, Spain. The muscle is preserved organically, in three dimensions, and with the highest fidelity of morphological preservation yet documented from the fossil record. Preserved ultrastructural details include myofilaments, endomysium, layering within the sarcolemma, and endomysial circulatory vessels infilled with blood. Slight differences between the fossil tissues and their counterparts in extant amphibians reflect limited degradation during fossilization. Our results provide unequivocal evidence that high-fidelity organic preservation of extremely labile tissues is not only feasible, but likely to be common. This is supported by the discovery of similarly preserved tissues in the Eocene Grube Messel biota.

Criteria for solid recovered fuels as a substitute for fossil fuels--a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Beckmann, Michael; Pohl, Martin; Bernhardt, Daniel; Gebauer, Kathrin

2012-04-01

The waste treatment, particularly the thermal treatment of waste has changed fundamentally in the last 20 years, i.e. from facilities solely dedicated to the thermal treatment of waste to facilities, which in addition to that ensure the safe plant operation and fulfill very ambitious criteria regarding emission reduction, resource recovery and energy efficiency as well. Therefore this contributes to the economic use of raw materials and due to the energy recovered from waste also to the energy provision. The development described had the consequence that waste and solid recovered fuels (SRF) has to be evaluated based on fuel criteria as well. Fossil fuels - coal, crude oil, natural gas etc. have been extensively investigated due to their application in plants for energy conversion and also due to their use in the primary industry. Thereby depending on the respective processes, criteria on fuel technical properties can be derived. The methods for engineering analysis of regular fuels (fossil fuels) can be transferred only partially to SRF. For this reason methods are being developed or adapted to current analytical methods for the characterization of SRF. In this paper the possibilities of the energetic utilization of SRF and the characterization of SRF before and during the energetic utilization will be discussed.

Reconstructing Carotenoid-Based and Structural Coloration in Fossil Skin.

Science.gov (United States)

McNamara, Maria E; Orr, Patrick J; Kearns, Stuart L; Alcalá, Luis; Anadón, Pere; Peñalver, Enrique

2016-04-25

Evidence of original coloration in fossils provides insights into the visual communication strategies used by ancient animals and the functional evolution of coloration over time [1-7]. Hitherto, all reconstructions of the colors of reptile integument and the plumage of fossil birds and feathered dinosaurs have been of melanin-based coloration [1-6]. Extant animals also use other mechanisms for producing color [8], but these have not been identified in fossils. Here we report the first examples of carotenoid-based coloration in the fossil record, and of structural coloration in fossil integument. The fossil skin, from a 10 million-year-old colubrid snake from the Late Miocene Libros Lagerstätte (Teruel, Spain) [9, 10], preserves dermal pigment cells (chromatophores)-xanthophores, iridophores, and melanophores-in calcium phosphate. Comparison with chromatophore abundance and position in extant reptiles [11-15] indicates that the fossil snake was pale-colored in ventral regions; dorsal and lateral regions were green with brown-black and yellow-green transverse blotches. Such coloration most likely functioned in substrate matching and intraspecific signaling. Skin replicated in authigenic minerals is not uncommon in exceptionally preserved fossils [16, 17], and dermal pigment cells generate coloration in numerous reptile, amphibian, and fish taxa today [18]. Our discovery thus represents a new means by which to reconstruct the original coloration of exceptionally preserved fossil vertebrates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early Oligocene plant diversity along the Upper Rhine Graben: The fossil flora of Rauenberg, Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kovar-Eder Johanna

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The macroflora of Rauenberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is treated monographically. The plant-bearing sediments are marine, mainly well-bedded clay- to siltstones, the so-called Fischschiefer, which are part of the Bodenheim Formation. Based on nannoplankton they are dated to nannoplankton zone NP 23 (Rupelian, Lower Oligocene. The plant remains, mainly leaves and some fructifications, are preserved as compressions. The taxonomic assignment is based on gross morphology and cuticle characteristics. The flora yields marine algae and remains of the very diverse terrestrial flora. A total of 68 taxa, including three types of algae, one cycad, 12 conifers, and 49 dicots, among them 5 palms, are described. The following fossil species are described for the first time: Laurophyllum rauenbergense, Myrica obliquifolia, Distylium metzleri, ? Berchemia altorhenana, ? Ternstroemites maritiae, Trachelospermum kelleri, Oleinites altorhenana, O. rauenbergensis, Dicotylophyllum badense, D. oechsleri, D. vesiculaeferens, D. ziegleri, ? Viscophyllum hendriksiae, and Cladites vesiculaeferens. Dicotylophyllum vesiculaeferens and Cladites vesiculaeferens bear peculiar, complex cuticular structures presumably representing salt-secreting glands. Both taxa are interpreted to derive from one plant species of yet uncertain systematic affinity. The flora bears a high proportion of broad-leaved, presumably evergreen taxa, whereas the diversity of modern Arcto-Tertiary taxa (sensu Kvaček 1994 is rather low. Most abundant are Platanus neptuni, Daphnogene cinnamomifolia, and Tetraclinis salicornioides. On the family level, Lauraceae (10 species and Pinaceae (8 are most diverse, followed by Arecaceae (4-5, Cupressaceae, and Myricaceae (4 species each. Surprisingly, Fagaceae are documented solely by a single leaf of Eotrigonobalanus furcinervis f. haselbachensis, and the record of Pentaphyllaceae remains ambiguous (? Ternstroemites maritiae. Sloanea olmediaefolia is recorded

Taxing fossil fuels under speculative storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tumen, Semih; Unalmis, Deren; Unalmis, Ibrahim; Unsal, D. Filiz

2016-01-01

Long-term environmental consequences of taxing fossil fuel usage have been extensively studied in the literature. However, these taxes may also impose several short-run macroeconomic policy challenges, the nature of which remains underexplored. This paper investigates the mechanisms through which environmental taxes on fossil fuel usage can affect the main macroeconomic variables in the short-run. We concentrate on a particular mechanism: speculative storage. Formulating and using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model, calibrated for the United States, with an explicit storage facility and nominal rigidities, we show that in designing environmental tax policies it is crucial to account for the fact that fossil fuel prices are subject to speculation. The existence of forward-looking speculators in the model improves the effectiveness of tax policies in reducing fossil fuel usage. Improved policy effectiveness, however, is costly: it drives inflation and interest rates up, while impeding output. Based on this tradeoff, we seek an answer to the question how monetary policy should interact with environmental tax policies in our DSGE model of fossil fuel storage. We show that, in an environment with no speculative storers, monetary policy should respond to output along with CPI inflation in order to minimize the welfare losses brought by taxes. However, when the storage facility is activated, responding to output in the monetary policy rule becomes less desirable.

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Center, Merriam, KS, 05/04/2012) Kidney Cancer Robot Assisted Partial Nephrectomy Using Fluorescence (Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Merriam, KS, 10/ ... 17/2015) Kidneys and Urinary System ... Cancer Robot Assisted Partial Nephrectomy Using Fluorescence (Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Merriam, KS, 10/ ...

Buried piping integrity management at fossil power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shulder, Stephen J. [Structural Integrity Associates, Annapolis, MD (United States); Biagiotti, Steve [Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., Centennial, CO (United States)

2011-07-15

In the last decade several industries (oil and gas pipelines, nuclear power, and municipal water) have experienced an increase in the frequency and public scrutiny of leaks and failures associated with buried piping and tank assets. In several industries, regulatory pressure has resulted in the mandated need for databases and inspection programs to document and ensure the continued integrity of these assets. Power plants are being extended beyond their design life and the condition of below grade assets is essential toward continued operation. This article shares the latest advances in managing design, operation, process, inspection, and historical data for power plant piping. Applications have also been developed to help with risk prioritization, inspection method selection, managing cathodic protection data for external corrosion control, and a wide variety of other information. This data can be managed in a GIS environment allowing two and three dimensional (2D and 3D) access to the database information. (orig.)

Divergence time estimates of mammals from molecular clocks and fossils: relevance of new fossil finds from India.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, G V R

2009-11-01

This paper presents a brief review of recent advances in the classification of mammals at higher levels using fossils and molecular clocks. It also discusses latest fossil discoveries from the Cretaceous - Eocene (66-55 m.y.) rocks of India and their relevance to our current understanding of placental mammal origins and diversifications.

Engineering management of gas turbine power plant co2 for microalgae biofuel production

OpenAIRE

Mathew, Domoyi; Pilidis, Pericles; Di Lorenzo, Giuseppina

2013-01-01

Fossil fuel accounts for over 80% of the world`s primary energy, particularly in areas of transportation, manufacturing and domestic heating. However, depletion of fossil reserves, frequent threats to the security of fossil fuel supply, coupled with concerns over emissions of greenhouse gases associated with fossil fuel use has motivated research towards developing renewable and sustainable sources for energy fuels. Consequently, the use of microalgae culture to convert CO2 from power plants ...

A rich fossil record yields calibrated phylogeny for Acanthaceae (Lamiales) and evidence for marked biases in timing and directionality of intercontinental disjunctions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripp, Erin A; McDade, Lucinda A

2014-09-01

More than a decade of phylogenetic research has yielded a well-sampled, strongly supported hypothesis of relationships within the large ( > 4000 species) plant family Acanthaceae. This hypothesis points to intriguing biogeographic patterns and asymmetries in sister clade diversity but, absent a time-calibrated estimate for this evolutionary history, these patterns have remained unexplored. Here, we reconstruct divergence times within Acanthaceae using fossils as calibration points and experimenting with both fossil selection and effects of invoking a maximum age prior related to the origin of Eudicots. Contrary to earlier reports of a paucity of fossils of Lamiales (an order of ∼ 23,000 species that includes Acanthaceae) and to the expectation that a largely herbaceous to soft-wooded and tropical lineage would have few fossils, we recovered 51 reports of fossil Acanthaceae. Rigorous evaluation of these for accurate identification, quality of age assessment and utility in dating yielded eight fossils judged to merit inclusion in analyses. With nearly 10 kb of DNA sequence data, we used two sets of fossils as constraints to reconstruct divergence times. We demonstrate differences in age estimates depending on fossil selection and that enforcement of maximum age priors substantially alters estimated clade ages, especially in analyses that utilize a smaller rather than larger set of fossils. Our results suggest that long-distance dispersal events explain present-day distributions better than do Gondwanan or northern land bridge hypotheses. This biogeographical conclusion is for the most part robust to alternative calibration schemes. Our data support a minimum of 13 Old World (OW) to New World (NW) dispersal events but, intriguingly, only one in the reverse direction. Eleven of these 13 were among Acanthaceae s.s., which comprises > 90% of species diversity in the family. Remarkably, if minimum age estimates approximate true history, these 11 events occurred within

Dental development in living and fossil orangutans.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Tanya M

2016-05-01

Numerous studies have investigated molar development in extant and fossil hominoids, yet relatively little is known about orangutans, the only great ape with an extensive fossil record. This study characterizes aspects of dental development, including cuspal enamel daily secretion rate, long-period line periodicities, cusp-specific molar crown formation times and extension rates, and initiation and completion ages in living and fossil orangutan postcanine teeth. Daily secretion rate and periodicities in living orangutans are similar to previous reports, while crown formation times often exceed published values, although direct comparisons are limited. One wild Bornean individual died at 4.5 years of age with fully erupted first molars (M1s), while a captive individual and a wild Sumatran individual likely erupted their M1s around five or six years of age. These data underscore the need for additional samples of orangutans of known sex, species, and developmental environment to explore potential sources of variation in molar emergence and their relationship to life history variables. Fossil orangutans possess larger crowns than living orangutans, show similarities in periodicities, and have faster daily secretion rate, longer crown formation times, and slower extension rates. Molar crown formation times exceed reported values for other fossil apes, including Gigantopithecus blacki. When compared to African apes, both living and fossil orangutans show greater cuspal enamel thickness values and periodicities, resulting in longer crown formation times and slower extension rates. Several of these variables are similar to modern humans, representing examples of convergent evolution. Molar crown formation does not appear to be equivalent among extant great apes or consistent within living and fossil members of Pongo or Homo. Copyright © 2016 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Integral power evaluation in fossil fuel power plants; Evaluacion energetica integral en unidades de centrales termoelectricas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueroa I, Luis R; Sanchez H, Laura E; Rodriguez M, Jose H [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas, Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico); Nebradt G, Jesus [Unidad de Investigacion y Desarrollo de la Subdireccion de Generacion de la Comision Federal de Electricidad, (Mexico)

2006-07-01

In this occasion, a methodology is presented that carries out an integral energy evaluation of fossil fuel power plants units (FFPPU) with the purpose of determining the root of the significant decrements of power produced soon after the annual maintenance service. This proposal, besides identifying the origin of the energy efficiency problems, offers information about the contributions of each one of the involved equipment in the total decrement of the unit. With this methodology, the maintenance focuses in the equipment that contributes to the greater energy loss. This document presents such methodology along with its application in a real case, results and necessary remedial actions, demonstrating that its application offers bases for the investment in corrective measures. [Spanish] En esta ocasion se presenta una metodologia que efectua una evaluacion energetica integral de las unidades de centrales termoelectricas (UCT) con el fin de determinar la raiz de los decrementos de potencia significativos producidos luego del servicio anual de mantenimiento. Dicha propuesta, ademas de identificar el origen de los problemas de eficiencia energetica, brinda informacion acerca de las aportaciones de cada uno de los equipos involucrados al decremento total de la unidad. Con esta metodologia, el mantenimiento se enfoca a los equipos que contribuyen a la mayor perdida de potencia. Este documento exhibe tal metodologia junto con su aplicacion en un caso real, resultados y las acciones correctivas necesarias, demostrando que su aplicacion ofrece bases para una inversion futura en medidas correctivas.

Spatiotemporal patterns of the fossil-fuel CO2 signal in central Europe: results from a high-resolution atmospheric transport model

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yu; Gruber, Nicolas; Brunner, Dominik

2017-11-01

The emission of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuel is a prime determinant of variations in atmospheric CO2. Here, we simulate this fossil-fuel signal together with the natural and background components with a regional high-resolution atmospheric transport model for central and southern Europe considering separately the emissions from different sectors and countries on the basis of emission inventories and hourly emission time functions. The simulated variations in atmospheric CO2 agree very well with observation-based estimates, although the observed variance is slightly underestimated, particularly for the fossil-fuel component. Despite relatively rapid atmospheric mixing, the simulated fossil-fuel signal reveals distinct annual mean structures deep into the troposphere, reflecting the spatially dense aggregation of most emissions. The fossil-fuel signal accounts for more than half of the total (fossil fuel + biospheric + background) temporal variations in atmospheric CO2 in most areas of northern and western central Europe, with the largest variations occurring on diurnal timescales owing to the combination of diurnal variations in emissions and atmospheric mixing and transport out of the surface layer. The covariance of the fossil-fuel emissions and atmospheric transport on diurnal timescales leads to a diurnal fossil-fuel rectifier effect of up to 9 ppm compared to a case with time-constant emissions. The spatial pattern of CO2 from the different sectors largely reflects the distribution and relative magnitude of the corresponding emissions, with power plant emissions leaving the most distinguished mark. An exception is southern and western Europe, where the emissions from the transportation sector dominate the fossil-fuel signal. Most of the fossil-fuel CO2 remains within the country responsible for the emission, although in smaller countries up to 80 % of the fossil-fuel signal can come from abroad. A fossil-fuel emission reduction of 30 % is clearly

Security of supply: a neglected fossil fuel externality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavallo, A.J.

1995-01-01

Various groups have attempted to set a monetary value on the externalities of fossil fuel usage based on damages caused by emissions of particulates, sulfur dioxide, and oxides of nitrogen and carbon. One externality that has been neglected in this type of analysis, however, is the cost of maintaining a secure supply of fossil fuels. Military expenditures for this purpose are relatively easy to quantify based on US Department of Defense and Office of Management and Budget figures, and amount to between $1 and more than $3 per million Btu, based on total fossil fuel consumption in the US. Open acknowledgment of such expenses would, at the very least, have a profound effect on the perceived competitiveness of all non-fossil fuel technologies. It should also provide a simple and easily comprehended rationale for an energy content (Btu) charge on all fossil fuels. (Author)

Fossil energy biotechnology: A research needs assessment. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-11-01

The Office of Program Analysis of the US Department of Energy commissioned this study to evaluate and prioritize research needs in fossil energy biotechnology. The objectives were to identify research initiatives in biotechnology that offer timely and strategic options for the more efficient and effective uses of the Nation`s fossil resource base, particularly the early identification of new and novel applications of biotechnology for the use or conversion of domestic fossil fuels. Fossil energy biotechnology consists of a number of diverse and distinct technologies, all related by the common denominator -- biocatalysis. The expert panel organized 14 technical subjects into three interrelated biotechnology programs: (1) upgrading the fuel value of fossil fuels; (2) bioconversion of fossil feedstocks and refined products to added value chemicals; and, (3) the development of environmental management strategies to minimize and mitigate the release of toxic and hazardous petrochemical wastes.

Fossil energy: From laboratory to marketplace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-03-01

The purpose of this work is to provide a summary description of the role of advanced research in the overall Fossil Energy R ampersand D program successes. It presents the specific Fossil Energy advanced research products that have been adopted commercially or fed into other R ampersand D programs as part of the crosscutting enabling technology base upon which advanced systems are based

FOSSIL SYSTEMS IN THE 400d CLUSTER CATALOG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voevodkin, Alexey; Borozdin, Konstantin; Heitmann, Katrin; Habib, Salman; Vikhlinin, Alexey; Mescheryakov, Alexander; Burenin, Rodion; Hornstrup, Allan

2010-01-01

We report the discovery of seven new fossil systems in the 400d cluster survey. Our search targets nearby, z ≤ 0.2, and X-ray bright, L X ≥ 10 43 erg s -1 , clusters of galaxies. Where available, we measure the optical luminosities from Sloan Digital Sky Survey images, thereby obtaining uniform sets of both X-ray and optical data. Our selection criteria identify 12 fossil systems, out of which five are known from previous studies. While in general agreement with earlier results, our larger sample size allows us to put tighter constraints on the number density of fossil clusters. It has been previously reported that fossil groups are more X-ray bright than other X-ray groups of galaxies for the same optical luminosity. We find, however, that the X-ray brightness of massive fossil systems is consistent with that of the general population of galaxy clusters and follows the same L X -L opt scaling relation.

Fossil Fuels, Backstop Technologies, and Imperfect Substitution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Meijden, G.C.; Pittel, Karen; van der Ploeg, Frederick; Withagen, Cees

2014-01-01

This chapter studies the transition from fossil fuels to backstop technologies in a general equilibrium model in which growth is driven by research and development. The analysis generalizes the existing literature by allowing for imperfect substitution between fossil fuels and the new energy

Fossil Energy Materials Program conference proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judkins, R.R. (comp.)

1987-08-01

The US Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy has recognized the need for materials research and development to assure the adequacy of materials of construction for advanced fossil energy systems. The principal responsibility for identifying needed materials research and for establishing a program to address these needs resides within the Office of Technical Coordination. That office has established the Advanced Research and Technology Development (AR and TD) Fossil Energy Materials Program to fulfill that responsibility. In addition to the AR and TD Materials Program, which is designed to address in a generic way the materials needs of fossil energy systems, specific materials support activities are also sponsored by the various line organizations such as the Office of Coal Gasification. A conference was held at Oak Ridge, Tennessee on May 19-21, 1987, to present and discuss the results of program activities during the past year. The conference program was organized in accordance with the research thrust areas we have established. These research thrust areas include structural ceramics (particularly fiber-reinforced ceramic composites), corrosion and erosion, and alloy development and mechanical properties. Eighty-six people attended the conference. Papers have been entered individually into EDB and ERA. (LTN)

Fossil Energy Program semiannual progress report for October 1991--March 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judkins, R.R.

1992-11-01

This report covers progress made during the period October 1, 1991, through March 31, 1992, for research and development projects that contribute to the advancement of various fossil energy technologies. Projects on the Fossil Energy Program are supported by the DOE Office of Fossil Energy, the DOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center, the DOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, the DOE Fossil Energy Clean Coal Technology Program, the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, the DOE Fossil Energy Office of Petroleum Reserves, the DOE Fossil Energy Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves, and the US Agency for International Development. The Fossil Energy Program organization chart is shown in the appendix. Topics discussed are under the following projects: materials research and developments; environmental analysis support; coal conversion development; coal combustion research; and fossil fuels supplies modeling and research.

Model-Based Sensor Placement for Component Condition Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis in Fossil Energy Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mobed, Parham [Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States); Pednekar, Pratik [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States); Bhattacharyya, Debangsu [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States); Turton, Richard [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States); Rengaswamy, Raghunathan [Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX (United States)

2016-01-29

Design and operation of energy producing, near “zero-emission” coal plants has become a national imperative. This report on model-based sensor placement describes a transformative two-tier approach to identify the optimum placement, number, and type of sensors for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis in fossil energy system operations. The algorithms are tested on a high fidelity model of the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant. For a condition monitoring network, whether equipment should be considered at a unit level or a systems level depends upon the criticality of the process equipment, its likeliness to fail, and the level of resolution desired for any specific failure. Because of the presence of a high fidelity model at the unit level, a sensor network can be designed to monitor the spatial profile of the states and estimate fault severity levels. In an IGCC plant, besides the gasifier, the sour water gas shift (WGS) reactor plays an important role. In view of this, condition monitoring of the sour WGS reactor is considered at the unit level, while a detailed plant-wide model of gasification island, including sour WGS reactor and the Selexol process, is considered for fault diagnosis at the system-level. Finally, the developed algorithms unify the two levels and identifies an optimal sensor network that maximizes the effectiveness of the overall system-level fault diagnosis and component-level condition monitoring. This work could have a major impact on the design and operation of future fossil energy plants, particularly at the grassroots level where the sensor network is yet to be identified. In addition, the same algorithms developed in this report can be further enhanced to be used in retrofits, where the objectives could be upgrade (addition of more sensors) and relocation of existing sensors.

Chemistry indices for long term plant health management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galt, K.J.; Cerisier, S.D.M.; Caris, N.B.

1998-01-01

Eskom's Koeberg Nuclear Power Station has maintained and reported on the WANO Chemistry Performance Index for a number of years. Because of the masking effects of multiple averaging, the value of the Index was questionable. The modified WANO Chemistry Performance Indicator, introduced recently, was considered an improvement. However, it was felt that it is too general to adequately address the long-term plant health management needs of a specific plant; a more tailored, plant-specific indicator is needed. A system of indices for measuring and managing long-term plant health at Eskom's 10 large fossil-fired power stations had been developed in 1996. The major success of these indices in improving plant performance management lay in their inclusion in station performance contracts. The Fossil Chemistry Index was based on the original WANO Chemistry Performance Index and suffered from the same shortcomings. Consequently, a major revision of this index was initiated to address these deficiencies. The objectives set for the revised common indicator were that target and limit values from Eskom Chemistry Standards should be incorporated, that the masking effect of multiple averaging be minimised or eliminated, that weighting factors be introduced to reflect the relative importance of selected parameters, that conditioning chemical effectiveness be monitored, and that ranges of values be accommodated. In tandem with this revision, there was requirement to include Koeberg in the reporting of long term plant health indicators. Instead of developing completely separate chemistry indicators for fossil and nuclear plant. A commonality of approach to Long Term Plant Health indicators was sought. This has resulted in a single indicator determination, with parameter selection, limit values, and target values providing the required plant specificity. (J.P.N.)

First fossil record of Alphonsea Hk. f. & T. (Annonaceae from the Late Oligocene sediments of Assam, India and comments on its phytogeography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gaurav Srivastava

Full Text Available A new fossil leaf impression of Alphonsea Hk. f. & T. of the family Annonaceae is described from the Late Oligocene sediments of Makum Coalfield, Assam, India. This is the first authentic record of the fossil of Alphonsea from the Tertiary rocks of South Asia. The Late Oligocene was the time of the last significant globally warm climate and the fossil locality was at 10°-15°N palaeolatitude. The known palaeoflora and sedimentological studies indicate a fluvio-marine deltaic environment with a mosaic of mangrove, fluvial, mire and lacustrine depositional environments. During the depositional period the suturing between the Indian and Eurasian plates was not complete to facilitate the plant migration. The suturing was over by the end of the Late Oligocene/beginning of Early Miocene resulting in the migration of the genus to Southeast Asia where it is growing profusely at present. The present study is in congruence with the earlier published palaeofloral and molecular phylogenetic data. The study also suggests that the Indian plate was not only a biotic ferry during its northward voyage from Gondwana to Asia but also a place for the origin of several plant taxa.

Fossil avian eggshell preserves ancient DNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oskam, Charlotte L; Haile, James Seymour; McLay, Emma

2010-01-01

Owing to exceptional biomolecule preservation, fossil avian eggshell has been used extensively in geochronology and palaeodietary studies. Here, we show, to our knowledge, for the first time that fossil eggshell is a previously unrecognized source of ancient DNA (aDNA). We describe the successful...... isolation and amplification of DNA from fossil eggshell up to 19 ka old. aDNA was successfully characterized from eggshell obtained from New Zealand (extinct moa and ducks), Madagascar (extinct elephant birds) and Australia (emu and owl). Our data demonstrate excellent preservation of the nucleic acids......, evidenced by retrieval of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA from many of the samples. Using confocal microscopy and quantitative PCR, this study critically evaluates approaches to maximize DNA recovery from powdered eggshell. Our quantitative PCR experiments also demonstrate that moa eggshell has...

Intelligent emissions controller for substance injection in the post-primary combustion zone of fossil-fired boilers

Science.gov (United States)

Reifman, Jaques; Feldman, Earl E.; Wei, Thomas Y. C.; Glickert, Roger W.

2003-01-01

The control of emissions from fossil-fired boilers wherein an injection of substances above the primary combustion zone employs multi-layer feedforward artificial neural networks for modeling static nonlinear relationships between the distribution of injected substances into the upper region of the furnace and the emissions exiting the furnace. Multivariable nonlinear constrained optimization algorithms use the mathematical expressions from the artificial neural networks to provide the optimal substance distribution that minimizes emission levels for a given total substance injection rate. Based upon the optimal operating conditions from the optimization algorithms, the incremental substance cost per unit of emissions reduction, and the open-market price per unit of emissions reduction, the intelligent emissions controller allows for the determination of whether it is more cost-effective to achieve additional increments in emission reduction through the injection of additional substance or through the purchase of emission credits on the open market. This is of particular interest to fossil-fired electrical power plant operators. The intelligent emission controller is particularly adapted for determining the economical control of such pollutants as oxides of nitrogen (NO.sub.x) and carbon monoxide (CO) emitted by fossil-fired boilers by the selective introduction of multiple inputs of substances (such as natural gas, ammonia, oil, water-oil emulsion, coal-water slurry and/or urea, and combinations of these substances) above the primary combustion zone of fossil-fired boilers.

Worldwide nuclear-plant performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surrey, J.; Thomas, S.

1980-01-01

The authors compare the performance of different reactor systems to identify the determinants of plant performance, to examine the evidence of technological maturation, and to discover the principal causes of outage or unavailability. In the light of the findings, they discuss the implications for the UK regarding reactor choice and technology development. They make no judgements about the relative merits of nuclear and fossil-fuel plants, or about safety. (author)

The fossil record of the sixth extinction.

Science.gov (United States)

Plotnick, Roy E; Smith, Felisa A; Lyons, S Kathleen

2016-05-01

Comparing the magnitude of the current biodiversity crisis with those in the fossil record is difficult without an understanding of differential preservation. Integrating data from palaeontological databases with information on IUCN status, ecology and life history characteristics of contemporary mammals, we demonstrate that only a small and biased fraction of threatened species (fossil record, compared with 20% of non-threatened species. We find strong taphonomic biases related to body size and geographic range. Modern species with a fossil record tend to be large and widespread and were described in the 19(th) century. The expected magnitude of the current extinction based only on species with a fossil record is about half of that of one based on all modern species; values for genera are similar. The record of ancient extinctions may be similarly biased, with many species having originated and gone extinct without leaving a tangible record. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Power plant instrumentation and control handbook a guide to thermal power plants

CERN Document Server

Basu, Swapan

2014-01-01

The book discusses instrumentation and control in modern fossil fuel power plants, with an emphasis on selecting the most appropriate systems subject to constraints engineers have for their projects. It provides all the plant process and design details, including specification sheets and standards currently followed in the plant. Among the unique features of the book are the inclusion of control loop strategies and BMS/FSSS step by step logic, coverage of analytical instruments and technologies for pollution and energy savings, and coverage of the trends toward filed bus systems and integratio

Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Conference on Fossil Energy Materials. Fossil Energy AR and TD Materials Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, N.C.; Judkins, R.R. [comps.

1993-07-01

Objective of the AR&TD Materials Program is to conduct research and development on materials for longer-term fossil energy applications as well as for generic needs of various fossil fuel technologies. The 37 papers are arranged into 3 sessions: ceramics, new alloys/intermetallics, and new alloys/advanced austenitics. Selected papers have been indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

Coastal Microstructure: From Active Overturn to Fossil Turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Tau Leung, Pak

2011-11-01

The Remote Anthropogenic Sensing Program was a five year effort (2001- 2005) to examine subsurface phenomena related to a sewage outfall off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. This research has implications for basic ocean hydrodynamics, particularly for a greatly improved understanding of the evolution of turbulent patches. It was the first time a microstructure measurement was used to study such a buoyancy-driven turbulence generated by a sea-floor diffuser. In 2004, two stations were selected to represent the near field and ambient conditions. They have nearly identical bathymetrical and hydrographical features and provide an ideal environment for a control experiment. Repeated vertical microstructure measurements were performed at both stations for 20 days. A time series of physical parameters was collected and used for statistical analysis. After comparing the data from both stations, it can be concluded that the turbulent mixing generated by the diffuser contributes to the elevated dissipation rate observed in the pycnocline and bottom boundary layer. To further understand the mixing processes in both regions, data were plotted on a Hydrodynamic Phase Diagram. The overturning stages of the turbulent patches are identified by Hydrodynamic Phase Diagram. This technique provides detailed information on the evolution of the turbulent patches from active overturns to fossilized scalar microstructures in the water column. Results from this study offer new evidence to support the fossil turbulence theory. This study concluded that: 1. Field Data collected near a sea-floor outfall diffuser show that turbulent patches evolve from active (overturning) to fossil (buoyancy-inhibited) stages, consistent with the process of turbulent patch evolution proposed by fossil turbulence theory. 2. The data show that active (overturning) and fossil (buoyancy-inhibited) patches have smaller length scales than the active+fossil (intermediate) stage of patch evolution, consistent with fossil

Fossil isotope records of seasonal climate and ecology: Straight from the horse's mouth

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Z. D.; Cerling, T. E.

1998-03-01

Isotope analysis of a bulk fossil tooth gives a “snapshot” impression of paleoclimatic conditions—a single point in time. However, hypsodont teeth grow over a period of a year or more, so that stable carbon and oxygen isotope variations along their length are a “tape recorder” of short-term seasonal variations from the distant past. We have used a new in situ micro-laser sampling method to determine submillimeter carbon and oxygen isotope variations in the enamel of individual fossil horse teeth to assess ancient annual meteoric water variations and feeding patterns. The δ18O values from a 6.8 Ma fossil horse tooth (Astrohippus ansae) from Texas vary cyclically along the 6 cm length of the tooth with a smoothed amplitude of >4‰, similar to the monthly averaged amplitude measured in modern meteoric waters from the region. The seasonal δ18O values are ˜3‰ to 4‰ higher than those calculated from modern meteoric water data, suggesting either a higher local meteoric water value in the Miocene of Texas, or that the animal received a high proportion of its dietary water from plants or highly evaporated water. A Holocene horse tooth from the shores of Glacial Lake Agassiz, North Dakota (Equus sp.), also has isotopic variations with the same 35 mm periodicity, but a smoothed amplitude of only 2‰. This horse most likely had a buffered drinking supply. The calculated δ18O of the water in equilibrium with this tooth is the same as the modern measured annual average. The variations within a single tooth can be as large as those generally observed in entire stratigraphic sections of fossil teeth analyzed by bulk methods. The new method provides an important technique for evaluating fossil diagenesis; conventional bulk analyses of teeth fragments may not be representative of the whole tooth, thus explaining analytical scatter that has been previously attributed to diagenesis.

Contemporaneous trace and body fossils from a late Pleistocene Lakebed in Victoria, Australia, allow assessment of bias in the fossil record.

Science.gov (United States)

Camens, Aaron Bruce; Carey, Stephen Paul

2013-01-01

The co-occurrence of vertebrate trace and body fossils within a single geological formation is rare and the probability of these parallel records being contemporaneous (i.e. on or near the same bedding plane) is extremely low. We report here a late Pleistocene locality from the Victorian Volcanic Plains in south-eastern Australia in which demonstrably contemporaneous, but independently accumulated vertebrate trace and body fossils occur. Bite marks from a variety of taxa are also present on the bones. This site provides a unique opportunity to examine the biases of these divergent fossil records (skeletal, footprints and bite marks) that sampled a single fauna. The skeletal record produced the most complete fauna, with the footprint record indicating a markedly different faunal composition with less diversity and the feeding traces suggesting the presence, amongst others, of a predator not represented by either the skeletal or footprint records. We found that the large extinct marsupial predator Thylacoleo was the only taxon apparently represented by all three records, suggesting that the behavioral characteristics of large carnivores may increase the likelihood of their presence being detected within a fossil fauna. In contrast, Diprotodon (the largest-ever marsupial) was represented only by trace fossils at this site and was absent from the site's skeletal record, despite its being a common and easily detected presence in late Pleistocene skeletal fossil faunas elsewhere in Australia. Small mammals absent from the footprint record for the site were represented by skeletal fossils and bite marks on bones.

The first evidence of trace fossils and pseudo-fossils in the continental interlava volcaniclastic sediments on the Faroe Islands

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pokorný, R.; Krmíček, Lukáš; Árting, U. E.

2015-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 1 (2015), s. 45-57 ISSN 2245-7070 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : Faroe Islands * trace fossils * pseudo- fossils * volcaniclastic sediments Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 0.889, year: 2015 http://2dgf.dk/xpdf/bull63-45-57.pdf

First North American fossil monkey and early Miocene tropical biotic interchange

Science.gov (United States)

Bloch, Jonathan I.; Woodruff, Emily D.; Wood, Aaron R.; Rincon, Aldo F.; Harrington, Arianna R.; Morgan, Gary S.; Foster, David A.; Montes, Camilo; Jaramillo, Carlos A.; Jud, Nathan A.; Jones, Douglas S.; MacFadden, Bruce J.

2016-05-01

New World monkeys (platyrrhines) are a diverse part of modern tropical ecosystems in North and South America, yet their early evolutionary history in the tropics is largely unknown. Molecular divergence estimates suggest that primates arrived in tropical Central America, the southern-most extent of the North American landmass, with several dispersals from South America starting with the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama 3-4 million years ago (Ma). The complete absence of primate fossils from Central America has, however, limited our understanding of their history in the New World. Here we present the first description of a fossil monkey recovered from the North American landmass, the oldest known crown platyrrhine, from a precisely dated 20.9-Ma layer in the Las Cascadas Formation in the Panama Canal Basin, Panama. This discovery suggests that family-level diversification of extant New World monkeys occurred in the tropics, with new divergence estimates for Cebidae between 22 and 25 Ma, and provides the oldest fossil evidence for mammalian interchange between South and North America. The timing is consistent with recent tectonic reconstructions of a relatively narrow Central American Seaway in the early Miocene epoch, coincident with over-water dispersals inferred for many other groups of animals and plants. Discovery of an early Miocene primate in Panama provides evidence for a circum-Caribbean tropical distribution of New World monkeys by this time, with ocean barriers not wholly restricting their northward movements, requiring a complex set of ecological factors to explain their absence in well-sampled similarly aged localities at higher latitudes of North America.

Fate of As, Se, and Hg in a Passive Integrated System for Treatment of Fossil Plant Wastewater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terry Yost; Paul Pier; Gregory Brodie

2007-12-31

TVA is collaborating with EPRI and DOE to demonstrate a passive treatment system for removing SCR-derived ammonia and trace elements from a coal-fired power plant wastewater stream. The components of the integrated system consist of trickling filters for ammonia oxidation, reaction cells containing zero-valent iron (ZVI) for trace contaminant removal, a settling basin for storage of iron hydroxide floc, and anaerobic vertical-flow wetlands for biological denitrification. The passive integrated treatment system will treat up to 0.25 million gallons per day (gpd) of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) pond effluent, with a configuration requiring only gravity flow to obviate the need for pumps. The design of the system will enable a comparative evaluation of two parallel treatment trains, with and without the ZVI extraction trench and settling/oxidation basin components. One of the main objectives is to gain a better understanding of the chemical transformations that species of trace elements such as arsenic, selenium, and mercury undergo as they are treated in passive treatment system components with differing environmental conditions. This progress report details the design criteria for the passive integrated system for treating fossil power plant wastewater as well as performance results from the first several months of operation. Engineering work on the project has been completed, and construction took place during the summer of 2005. Monitoring of the passive treatment system was initiated in October 2005 and continued until May 18 2006. The results to date indicate that the treatment system is effective in reducing levels of nitrogen compounds and trace metals. Concentrations of both ammonia and trace metals were lower than expected in the influent FGD water, and additions to increase these concentrations will be done in the future to further test the removal efficiency of the treatment system. In May 2006, the wetland cells were drained of FGD water, refilled with

Fossil Energy Program semiannual progress report for April 1992-- September 1992

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judkins, R.R.

1992-12-01

This report covers progress made during the period April 1, 1992, through September 30, 1992, for research and development projects that contribute to the advancement of various fossil energy technologies. Projects on the Fossil Energy Program are supported by the DOE Office of Fossil Energy, the DOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center, the DOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, the DOE Fossil Energy Clean Coal Technology Program, the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences, the DOE Fossil Energy Office of Petroleum Reserves, the DOE Fossil Energy Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves, and the US Agency for International Development.

Constraints of fossil fuels depletion on global warming projections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiari, Luca; Zecca, Antonio

2011-01-01

A scientific debate is in progress about the intersection of climate change with the new field of fossil fuels depletion geology. Here, new projections of atmospheric CO 2 concentration and global-mean temperature change are presented, should fossil fuels be exploited at a rate limited by geological availability only. The present work starts from the projections of fossil energy use, as obtained from ten independent sources. From such projections an upper bound, a lower bound and an ensemble mean profile for fossil CO 2 emissions until 2200 are derived. Using the coupled gas-cycle/climate model MAGICC, the corresponding climatic projections out to 2200 are obtained. We find that CO 2 concentration might increase up to about 480 ppm (445-540 ppm), while the global-mean temperature increase w.r.t. 2000 might reach 1.2 deg. C (0.9-1.6 deg. C). However, future improvements of fossil fuels recovery and discoveries of new resources might lead to higher emissions; hence our climatic projections are likely to be underestimated. In the absence of actions of emissions reduction, a level of dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system might be already experienced toward the middle of the 21st century, despite the constraints imposed by the exhaustion of fossil fuels. - Highlights: → CO 2 and global temperature are projected under fossil fuels exhaustion scenarios. → Temperature is projected to reach a minimum of 2 deg. C above pre-industrial. → Temperature projections are possibly lower than the IPCC ones. → Fossil fuels exhaustion will not avoid dangerous global warming.

Constraints of fossil fuels depletion on global warming projections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiari, Luca, E-mail: chiari@science.unitn.it [Department of Physics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38123 Povo (Italy); Zecca, Antonio, E-mail: zecca@science.unitn.it [Department of Physics, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38123 Povo (Italy)

2011-09-15

A scientific debate is in progress about the intersection of climate change with the new field of fossil fuels depletion geology. Here, new projections of atmospheric CO{sub 2} concentration and global-mean temperature change are presented, should fossil fuels be exploited at a rate limited by geological availability only. The present work starts from the projections of fossil energy use, as obtained from ten independent sources. From such projections an upper bound, a lower bound and an ensemble mean profile for fossil CO{sub 2} emissions until 2200 are derived. Using the coupled gas-cycle/climate model MAGICC, the corresponding climatic projections out to 2200 are obtained. We find that CO{sub 2} concentration might increase up to about 480 ppm (445-540 ppm), while the global-mean temperature increase w.r.t. 2000 might reach 1.2 deg. C (0.9-1.6 deg. C). However, future improvements of fossil fuels recovery and discoveries of new resources might lead to higher emissions; hence our climatic projections are likely to be underestimated. In the absence of actions of emissions reduction, a level of dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system might be already experienced toward the middle of the 21st century, despite the constraints imposed by the exhaustion of fossil fuels. - Highlights: > CO{sub 2} and global temperature are projected under fossil fuels exhaustion scenarios. > Temperature is projected to reach a minimum of 2 deg. C above pre-industrial. > Temperature projections are possibly lower than the IPCC ones. > Fossil fuels exhaustion will not avoid dangerous global warming.

Finding fossils in new ways: an artificial neural network approach to predicting the location of productive fossil localities.

Science.gov (United States)

Anemone, Robert; Emerson, Charles; Conroy, Glenn

2011-01-01

Chance and serendipity have long played a role in the location of productive fossil localities by vertebrate paleontologists and paleoanthropologists. We offer an alternative approach, informed by methods borrowed from the geographic information sciences and using recent advances in computer science, to more efficiently predict where fossil localities might be found. Our model uses an artificial neural network (ANN) that is trained to recognize the spectral characteristics of known productive localities and other land cover classes, such as forest, wetlands, and scrubland, within a study area based on the analysis of remotely sensed (RS) imagery. Using these spectral signatures, the model then classifies other pixels throughout the study area. The results of the neural network classification can be examined and further manipulated within a geographic information systems (GIS) software package. While we have developed and tested this model on fossil mammal localities in deposits of Paleocene and Eocene age in the Great Divide Basin of southwestern Wyoming, a similar analytical approach can be easily applied to fossil-bearing sedimentary deposits of any age in any part of the world. We suggest that new analytical tools and methods of the geographic sciences, including remote sensing and geographic information systems, are poised to greatly enrich paleoanthropological investigations, and that these new methods should be embraced by field workers in the search for, and geospatial analysis of, fossil primates and hominins. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Energy properties of solid fossil fuels and solid biofuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holubcik, Michal; Jandacka, Jozef; Kolkova, Zuzana

2016-01-01

The paper deals about the problematic of energy properties of solid biofuels in comparison with solid fossil fuels. Biofuels are alternative to fossil fuels and their properties are very similar. During the experiments were done in detail experiments to obtain various properties of spruce wood pellets and wheat straw pellets like biofuels in comparison with brown coal and black coal like fossil fuels. There were tested moisture content, volatile content, fixed carbon content, ash content, elementary analysis (C, H, N, S content) and ash fusion temperatures. The results show that biofuels have some advantages and also disadvantages in comparison with solid fossil fuels.

The strategic value of fossil fuels: challenges and responses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

Several speeches of the conference concerning the strategic value of fossil fuels that was held on May 8 to 11, 1995 in Houston, Texas are presented. The current and future importance of fossil fuels in energy consumption throughout the world is highlighted. The role of developing countries in the fossil fuels market is increasing, and these countries need some assistance from developed countries to develop. International and regional cooperation seems to be a good way to ensure economic growth. The importance of fossil fuels is shown by the growth of international coal and natural gas trade. (TEC)

Energy properties of solid fossil fuels and solid biofuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holubcik, Michal, E-mail: michal.holubcik@fstroj.uniza.sk; Jandacka, Jozef, E-mail: jozef.jandacka@fstroj.uniza.sk [University of Žilina, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Power Engineering, Univerzitná 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina (Slovakia); Kolkova, Zuzana, E-mail: zuzana.kolkova@rc.uniza.sk [Research centre, University of Žilina, Univerzitna 8215/1, 010 26 Žilina (Slovakia)

2016-06-30

The paper deals about the problematic of energy properties of solid biofuels in comparison with solid fossil fuels. Biofuels are alternative to fossil fuels and their properties are very similar. During the experiments were done in detail experiments to obtain various properties of spruce wood pellets and wheat straw pellets like biofuels in comparison with brown coal and black coal like fossil fuels. There were tested moisture content, volatile content, fixed carbon content, ash content, elementary analysis (C, H, N, S content) and ash fusion temperatures. The results show that biofuels have some advantages and also disadvantages in comparison with solid fossil fuels.

Microelements in fossil bones and the estimation of age

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Besliu, C.; Olariu, A.; Popescu, I.; Badica, Th.

1993-01-01

Neutron activation analysis was used to determine microelements fossil bones and the correlation was found between some elements and the C-14 estimated age of the bones. Fluorine, uranium and manganese content in the bones structure increases with the time elapsed, during fossilization. This means that measurable concentrations of these elements and known environmental conditions could provide a relative dating tool of bones beyond the 70 ky radiocarbon limit, for paleolithic archaeology. Sodium, scandium, iron, and zinc have been also determined in fossil bones, but a relation with the increasing antiquity of the fossil has been observed. (Author)

What about improving the productivity of electric power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawroski, H.; Knecht, P.D.; Prideaux, D.L.; Zahner, R.R.

1976-01-01

The FEA in April of 1974 established an Interagency Task Group on Power Plant Reliability, which was charged with the broad objective of improving the productivity of existing and planned large fossil-fueled and nuclear power plants. It took approximately 11 months for the task force to publish a report, ''Report on Improving the Productivity of Electrical Power Plants'' (FEA-263-G), a detailed analysis and comparison of successful and below-average-performance power plants. The Nuclear Service Corp. portion of this study examined four large central-station power plants: two fossil (coal) and two nuclear plants. Only plants with electrical generation capacities greater than 400 MWe were considered. The study included the following: staff technical skill, engineering support, QA program, plant/corporate coordination, operation philosophy, maintenance programs, federal/state regulations, network control, and equipment problems. Personnel were interviewed, and checklists providing input from some 21 or more plant and corporate personnel of each utility were utilized. Reports and other documentation were also reviewed. It was recognized early that productivity is closely allied to technical skills and positive motivation. For this reason, considerable attention was given to people in this study

Global exergetic dimension of hydrogen use in reducing fossil fuel consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adnan Midilli; Ibrahim Dincer

2009-01-01

In this paper, hydrogen is considered as a renewable and sustainable solution for minimizing the fossil fuel based-global irreversibility coefficient of global fossil fuel consumption and combating global warming and studied exergetically through a parametric performance analysis. The environmental impact results are then compared with the ones obtained for fossil fuels. In this regard, some exergetic expressions such as global waste exergy factor, global irreversibility coefficient and hydrogen based-global exergetic indicator. In order to investigate the role of hydrogen use at minimizing the fossil fuel based global irreversibility, the actual fossil fuel consumption data are taken from the literature. Due to the unavailability of appropriate hydrogen data for analysis, it is assumed that the utilization ratios of hydrogen are ranged between 0 and 1. Consequently, if exergetic utilization ratio of hydrogen from non-fossil fuel sources at a certain exergetic utilization ratio of fossil fuels increases, the fossil fuel based-global irreversibility coefficient will decrease. (author)

The first fossil cyphophthalmid harvestman from Baltic amber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dunlop, Jason A.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The first fossil cyphophthalmid harvestman (Opiliones: Cyphophthalmi from Palaeogene (Eocene Baltic amber is described. This is only the third fossil example of this basal harvestman lineage; the others being from the probably slightly younger Bitterfeld amber and the much older, early Cretaceous, Myanmar (Burmese amber. Although incomplete and lacking most of the appendages, the new Baltic amber fossil can be identified as a female. The somatic characters preserved, especially spiracle morphology and the coxo-genital region, allow it to be assigned with some confidence to the extant genus Siro Latreille, 1796 (Sironidae. This fossil is formally described here as Siro balticus sp. nov. It resembles modern North American Siro species more than modern European ones, and can be distinguished principally on its relatively large size and the outline form of the body.

Magnetohydrodynamic dynamos in the presence of fossil magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, D.W.

1982-01-01

A fossil magnetic field embedded in the radiative core of the Sun has been thought possible for some time now. However, such a fossil magnetic field has, a priori, not been considered a visible phenomenon due to the effects of turbulence in the solar convection zone. Since a well developed theory (referred to herein as magnetohydrodynamic dynamo theory) exists for describing the regeneration of magnetic fields in astrophysical objects like the Sun, it is possible to quantitatively evaluate the interaction of a fossil magnetic field with the magnetohydrodynamic dynamo operating in the solar convection zone. In this work, after a brief description of the basic dynamo equations, a spherical model calculation of the solar dynamo is introduced. First, the interaction of a fossil magnetic field with a dynamo in which the regeneration mechanisms of cyclonic convection and large-scale, nonuniform rotation are confined to spherical shells is calculated. It is argued that the amount of amplification or suppression of a fossil magnetic field will be smallest for a uniform distribution of cyclonic convection and nonuniform rotation, as expected in the Sun. Secondly, the interaction of a fossil magnetic field with a dynamo having a uniform distribution of cyclonic convection and large-scale, nonuniform rotation is calculated. It is found that the dipole or quadrupole moments of a fossil magnetic field are suppressed by factors of -0.35 and -0.37, respectively

Potential high temperature corrosion problems due to co-firing of biomass and fossil fuels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Montgomery, Melanie; Vilhelmsen, T.; Jensen, S.A.

2007-01-01

Over the past years, considerable high temperature corrosion problems have been encountered when firing biomass in power plants due to the high content of potassium chloride in the deposits. Therefore to combat chloride corrosion problems co-firing of biomass with a fossil fuel has been undertaken....... This results in potassium chloride being converted to potassium sulphate in the combustion chamber and it is sulphate rich deposits that are deposited on the vulnerable metallic surfaces such as high temperature superheaters. Although this removes the problem of chloride corrosion, other corrosion mechanisms...... appear such as sulphidation and hot corrosion due to sulphate deposits. At Studstrup power plant Unit 4, based on trials with exposure times of 3000 hours using 0-20% straw co-firing with coal, the plant now runs with a fuel of 10% straw + coal. After three years exposure in this environment...

Danmarks Største Fossiler

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindow, Bent Erik Kramer; Cuny, Gilles Guy Roger

2008-01-01

For 8 millioner år siden myldrede Nordsøen af en mangfoldighed af hajer, hvaler, havskildpadder og sæler, mange flere end i dag. Blandt dem finder man Danmarks største fossiler som er udstillet på Museum Sønderjylland - Naturhistorie og Palæontologi i Gram.......For 8 millioner år siden myldrede Nordsøen af en mangfoldighed af hajer, hvaler, havskildpadder og sæler, mange flere end i dag. Blandt dem finder man Danmarks største fossiler som er udstillet på Museum Sønderjylland - Naturhistorie og Palæontologi i Gram....

Proceedings of the sixth annual conference on fossil energy materials. Fossil Energy AR and TD Mateials Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, N.C.; Judkins, R.R. [comps.

1992-07-01

The Sixth Annual Conference on Fossil Energy Materials was held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on May 12--14, 1992. The meeting was sponsored by the US Department of Energy`s Office of Fossil Energy through the Advanced Research and Technology Development (AR&TD) Materials Program, and ASM International. The objective of the AR&TD Materials Program is to conduct research and development on materials for longer-term fossil energy applications as well as for generic needs of various fossil fuel technologies. The management of the Program has been decentralized to the DOE Field Office, Oak Ridge with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) as the technical support contractor. The research is performed by staff members at ORNL and by a substantial number of researchers at other national laboratories, universities, and in private industry. The work is divided into the following categories: (1) ceramics, (2) development and corrosion resistance of iron aluminide, advanced austenitic and chromium-niobium alloys, and (3) technology assessment and technology transfer. This conference is held each year to review the work on all of the projects of the Program. The agenda for the meeting is given in Appendix A, and a list of attendees is presented in Appendix B. ASM International cosponsored the conference, for which we are especially grateful.

Gas cooled solar tower power plant (GAST) KWU approach to a 20 MW hybrid system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayer, Martin

1980-07-01

The gas cooled solar tower powerplant with a hybrid solar-fossil heating system in the form given here represents a significant step towards the industrial use of solar energy. The transition from fossil fuels to solar energy can be facilitated for the power plant operators if the transition is gradual and if conventional technology is used. Using solar energy and with a turbine inlet temperature of 800/sup 0/C the GAST power plant reaches an output of approximately 20 MW and a thermal efficiency of approximately 40% reference to the heat supplied by the receiver. In the absence of solar radiation the plant can be operated exclusively on fossil fuel. Increasing the turbine inlet temperature to 1000/sup 0/C enables an efficiency of about 47% to be reached in the GUD cycle.

China's INDC and non-fossil energy development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian-Kun He

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Global climate change promotes the energy system reform. Achieving a high proportion of renewable energy becomes the major countries' energy strategy. As proposed in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC, China intends to raise the proportion of non-fossil energy in primary energy consumption to about 20% by 2030. That ambitious goal means the non-fossil energy supplies by 2030 will be 7–8 times that of 2005, and the annual increase rate is more than 8% within the 25 years. Besides, the capacity of wind power, solar power, hydropower and nuclear power reaches 400 GW, 350 GW, 450 GW, and 150 GW respectively, and China's non-fossil power capacity is even greater than the U.S.'s total power capacity. In addition, the scale of natural gas increases. Consequently, by 2030, the proportion of coal falls from the current 70% to below 50%, and the CO2 intensity of energy consumption decreases by 20% compared with the level of 2005, which play important roles in significantly reducing the CO2 intensity of GDP. Since China has confirmed to achieve the CO2 emissions peak around 2030, at that time, the newly added energy demand will be satisfied by non-fossil energy, and the consumption of fossil fuel will stop growing. By 2030, non-fossil energy accounts for 20%, and the large scale and sound momentum of new and renewable energy industry will support the growth of total energy demand, which plays a key role in CO2 emissions peaking and beginning to decline, and lays the foundation for establishing a new energy system dominated by new and renewable energy in the second half of the 21st century as well as finally achieving the CO2 zero-emission.

Giving the early fossil record of sponges a squeeze.

Science.gov (United States)

Antcliffe, Jonathan B; Callow, Richard H T; Brasier, Martin D

2014-11-01

Twenty candidate fossils with claim to be the oldest representative of the Phylum Porifera have been re-analysed. Three criteria are used to assess each candidate: (i) the diagnostic criteria needed to categorize sponges in the fossil record; (ii) the presence, or absence, of such diagnostic features in the putative poriferan fossils; and (iii) the age constraints for the candidate fossils. All three criteria are critical to the correct interpretation of any fossil and its placement within an evolutionary context. Our analysis shows that no Precambrian fossil candidate yet satisfies all three of these criteria to be a reliable sponge fossil. The oldest widely accepted candidate, Mongolian silica hexacts from c. 545 million years ago (Ma), are here shown to be cruciform arsenopyrite crystals. The oldest reliable sponge remains are siliceous spicules from the basal Cambrian (Protohertzina anabarica Zone) Soltanieh Formation, Iran, which are described and analysed here in detail for the first time. Extensive archaeocyathan sponge reefs emerge and radiate as late as the middle of the Fortunian Stage of the Cambrian and demonstrate a gradual assembly of their skeletal structure through this time coincident with the evolution of other metazoan groups. Since the Porifera are basal in the Metazoa, their presence within the late Proterozoic has been widely anticipated. Molecular clock calibration for the earliest Porifera and Metazoa should now be based on the Iranian hexactinellid material dated to c. 535 Ma. The earliest convincing fossil sponge remains appeared at around the time of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary, associated with the great radiation events of that interval. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2014 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

The Fossil Calibration Database-A New Resource for Divergence Dating.

Science.gov (United States)

Ksepka, Daniel T; Parham, James F; Allman, James F; Benton, Michael J; Carrano, Matthew T; Cranston, Karen A; Donoghue, Philip C J; Head, Jason J; Hermsen, Elizabeth J; Irmis, Randall B; Joyce, Walter G; Kohli, Manpreet; Lamm, Kristin D; Leehr, Dan; Patané, Josés L; Polly, P David; Phillips, Matthew J; Smith, N Adam; Smith, Nathan D; Van Tuinen, Marcel; Ware, Jessica L; Warnock, Rachel C M

2015-09-01

Fossils provide the principal basis for temporal calibrations, which are critical to the accuracy of divergence dating analyses. Translating fossil data into minimum and maximum bounds for calibrations is the most important-often least appreciated-step of divergence dating. Properly justified calibrations require the synthesis of phylogenetic, paleontological, and geological evidence and can be difficult for nonspecialists to formulate. The dynamic nature of the fossil record (e.g., new discoveries, taxonomic revisions, updates of global or local stratigraphy) requires that calibration data be updated continually lest they become obsolete. Here, we announce the Fossil Calibration Database (http://fossilcalibrations.org), a new open-access resource providing vetted fossil calibrations to the scientific community. Calibrations accessioned into this database are based on individual fossil specimens and follow best practices for phylogenetic justification and geochronological constraint. The associated Fossil Calibration Series, a calibration-themed publication series at Palaeontologia Electronica, will serve as a key pipeline for peer-reviewed calibrations to enter the database. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The energy challenge of a post-fossil world: Seasonal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, C.

2009-01-01

Fossil fuels are an energy source and an energy storage system. The demand for electricity and heat varies daily, weekly, and seasonally with seasonal variations often varying by a factor of two or more. The variable demand is met by fossil fuels because 1) fossil fuels are inexpensive to store in coal piles, oil tanks, and underground natural gas storage facilities and 2) the capital cost of the equipment to burn fossil fuels and convert the energy to heat or electricity is small relative to the cost of the fossil fuels. Concerns about climate change may limit the conventional use of fossil fuels. The alternative low-carbon energy production systems (nuclear, fossil fuels with carbon dioxide sequestration, wind, and solar) are capital-intensive energy sources with low operating costs. To obtain favorable economics these technologies must operate at full capacity; but, their output does not match energy demand. We have energy alternatives to fossil fuels but no replacements for the energy storage capabilities or fossil fuels. Proposed strategies and technologies to address the grand storage challenge (including seasonal storage of electricity) are described. The options suggest a nuclear-renewable future to address seasonal energy storage needs in a low-carbon world.

When will fossil fuel reserves be diminished?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafiee, Shahriar; Topal, Erkan

2009-01-01

Crude oil, coal and gas are the main resources for world energy supply. The size of fossil fuel reserves and the dilemma that 'when non-renewable energy will be diminished' is a fundamental and doubtful question that needs to be answered. This paper presents a new formula for calculating when fossil fuel reserves are likely to be depleted and develops an econometrics model to demonstrate the relationship between fossil fuel reserves and some main variables. The new formula is modified from the Klass model and thus assumes a continuous compound rate and computes fossil fuel reserve depletion times for oil, coal and gas of approximately 35, 107 and 37 years, respectively. This means that coal reserves are available up to 2112, and will be the only fossil fuel remaining after 2042. In the Econometrics model, the main exogenous variables affecting oil, coal and gas reserve trends are their consumption and respective prices between 1980 and 2006. The models for oil and gas reserves unexpectedly show a positive and significant relationship with consumption, while presenting a negative and significant relationship with price. The econometrics model for coal reserves, however, expectedly illustrates a negative and significant relationship with consumption and a positive and significant relationship with price. Consequently, huge reserves of coal and low-level coal prices in comparison to oil and gas make coal one of the main energy substitutions for oil and gas in the future, under the assumption of coal as a clean energy source

Microbe-like inclusions in tree resins and implications for the fossil record of protists in amber.

Science.gov (United States)

Thiel, V; Lausmaa, J; Sjövall, P; Ragazzi, E; Seyfullah, L J; Schmidt, A R

2016-07-01

During the past two decades, a plethora of fossil micro-organisms have been described from various Triassic to Miocene ambers. However, in addition to entrapped microbes, ambers commonly contain microscopic inclusions that sometimes resemble amoebae, ciliates, microfungi, and unicellular algae in size and shape, but do not provide further diagnostic features thereof. For a better assessment of the actual fossil record of unicellular eukaryotes in amber, we studied equivalent inclusions in modern resin of the Araucariaceae; this conifer family comprises important amber-producers in Earth history. Using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), we investigated the chemical nature of the inclusion matter and the resin matrix. Whereas the matrix, as expected, showed a more hydrocarbon/aromatic-dominated composition, the inclusions contain abundant salt ions and polar organics. However, the absence of signals characteristic for cellular biomass, namely distinctive proteinaceous amino acids and lipid moieties, indicates that the inclusions do not contain microbial cellular matter but salts and hydrophilic organic substances that probably derived from the plant itself. Rather than representing protists or their remains, these microbe-like inclusions, for which we propose the term 'pseudoinclusions', consist of compounds that are immiscible with the terpenoid resin matrix and were probably secreted in small amounts together with the actual resin by the plant tissue. Consequently, reports of protists from amber that are only based on the similarity of the overall shape and size to extant taxa, but do not provide relevant features at light-microscopical and ultrastructural level, cannot be accepted as unambiguous fossil evidence for these particular groups. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A comprehensive economic evaluation of integrated desalination systems using fossil fuelled and nuclear energies and including their environmental costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nisan, S.; Benzarti, N.

2008-01-01

Seawater desalination is now widely accepted as an attractive alternative source of freshwater for domestic and industrial uses. Despite the considerable progress made in the relevant technologies desalination, however, remains an energy intensive process in which the energy cost is the paramount factor. This Study is a first of a kind in that we have integrated the environmental costs into the power and desalination costs. The study has focused on the seawater desalination cost evaluation of the following systems. It is supposed that they will be operating in the co-generation mode (Simultaneous production of electrical power and desalted water) in 2015: Fossil fuelled based systems such as the coal and oil fired plants and the gas turbine combined cycle plant, coupled to MED, and RO; Pressurised water reactors such as the PWR-900 and the AP-600, coupled to MED, and RO; High temperature reactors such as the GT-MHR, the PBMR, coupled to MED, with the utilisation of virtually free waste-heat provided by these reactors. The study is made in real site-specific conditions of a site In Southern Europe. Sensitivity studies for different parameters such as the fossil fuel prices, interest and discount rates, power costs etc., have also been undertaken. The results obtained are then used to evaluate the financial interest of selected integrated desalination systems in terms of a detailed cash flow analysis, providing the net present values, pay back periods and the internal rate of returns. Analysis of the results shows that among the fossil fuelled systems the power and desalination costs by circulating fluidized bed coal fired plant would be the lowest with current coal prices. Those by oil fired plants would be highest. In all cases, integrated nuclear energy systems would lead to considerably lower power and water costs than the corresponding coal based systems. When external costs for different energies are internalized in power and water costs, the relative cost

Effects of an enhanced promotion of renewable energies on the investment dynamics in a conventional power plant plant. Interim report; Auswirkung einer verstaerkten Foerderung erneuerbarer Energien auf die Investitionsdynamik im konventionellen Kraftwerkspark. Teilbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harthan, Ralph Oliver; Seebach, Dominik [Oeko-Institut e.V. - Institut fuer Angewandte Oekologie, Berlin (Germany); Boettger, Diana; Bruckner, Thomas [Leipzig Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Infrastruktur und Ressourcenmanagement

2012-03-26

A core component of the German government's Energy Concept is the expansion of electricity production from renewable energies. The German government also decided to decommission or not reactivate eight nuclear power plants following the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima. For the outstanding reactors in Germany it determined shorter remaining lifetimes. As a result electricity production in Germany is facing extensive transformation. The feed-in of renewable energies influence power plant dispatch and thereby also the electricity price. Since renewable energies are supported by a set price for their feed-in, their production occurs independently of demand with the result that the electricity price on the spot markets falls. Similarly the electricity price on the spot markets is lower in the case of the lifetime extension of nuclear power plants than without such an extension as a result of the low marginal costs of such plants. Moreover an increased feed-in of renewable energies or the lifetime extension of nuclear power plants leads to a lower electricity production in other conventional (fossil) power plants. This has an impact on the dispatch of power plants and the long-term development of the power plant fleet (arising from decommissioned plants and new investments). A lower electricity price, fewer operating hours for fossil power plants and a lifetime extension for nuclear power plants can lead to the profitable operation of fossil power plants no longer being possible and such plants being either decommissioned or mothballed. Similarly, comparatively higher electricity prices resulting from a quicker phase-out of nuclear energy can lead to an improvement in profitability and thereby also a reactivation of mothballed power plants or the retrofitting of fossil power plants. In this research project an iterative consideration of the short-term dispatch of power plants in a dispatch model and of the long-term decommissioning and investment effects in a power

A long-term view of worldwide fossil fuel prices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafiee, Shahriar; Topal, Erkan

2010-01-01

This paper reviews a long-term trend of worldwide fossil fuel prices in the future by introducing a new method to forecast oil, natural gas and coal prices. The first section of this study analyses the global fossil fuel market and the historical trend of real and nominal fossil fuel prices from 1950 to 2008. Historical fossil fuel price analysis shows that coal prices are decreasing, while natural gas prices are increasing. The second section reviews previously available price modelling techniques and proposes a new comprehensive version of the long-term trend reverting jump and dip diffusion model. The third section uses the new model to forecast fossil fuel prices in nominal and real terms from 2009 to 2018. The new model follows the extrapolation of the historical sinusoidal trend of nominal and real fossil fuel prices. The historical trends show an increase in nominal/real oil and natural gas prices plus nominal coal prices, as well as a decrease in real coal prices. Furthermore, the new model forecasts that oil, natural gas and coal will stay in jump for the next couple of years and after that they will revert back to the long-term trend until 2018. (author)

Depletion of fossil fuels and anthropogenic climate change—A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Höök, Mikael; Tang, Xu

2013-01-01

Future scenarios with significant anthropogenic climate change also display large increases in world production of fossil fuels, the principal CO 2 emission source. Meanwhile, fossil fuel depletion has also been identified as a future challenge. This chapter reviews the connection between these two issues and concludes that limits to availability of fossil fuels will set a limit for mankind's ability to affect the climate. However, this limit is unclear as various studies have reached quite different conclusions regarding future atmospheric CO 2 concentrations caused by fossil fuel limitations. It is concluded that the current set of emission scenarios used by the IPCC and others is perforated by optimistic expectations on future fossil fuel production that are improbable or even unrealistic. The current situation, where climate models largely rely on emission scenarios detached from the reality of supply and its inherent problems are problematic. In fact, it may even mislead planners and politicians into making decisions that mitigate one problem but make the other one worse. It is important to understand that the fossil energy problem and the anthropogenic climate change problem are tightly connected and need to be treated as two interwoven challenges necessitating a holistic solution. - Highlights: ► Review of the development of emission scenarios. ► Survey of future fossil fuel trajectories used by the IPCC emission scenarios. ► Discussions on energy transitions in the light of oil depletion. ► Review of earlier studies of future climate change and fossil fuel limitations.

A research needs assessment for the capture, utilization and disposal of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-fired power plants. Volume 2, Topical reports: Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-07-01

This study, identifies and assesses system approaches in order to prioritize research needs for the capture and non-atmospheric sequestering of a significant portion of the carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emitted from fossil fuel-fired electric power plants (US power plants presently produce about 7% of the world`s CO{sub 2} emissions). The study considers capture technologies applicable either to existing plants or to those that optimistically might be demonstrated on a commercial scale over the next twenty years. The research needs that have high priority in establishing the technical, environmental, and economic feasibility of large-scale capture and disposal of CO{sub 2} from electric power plants are:(1) survey and assess the capacity, cost, and location of potential depleted gas and oil wells that are suitable CO{sub 2} repositories (with the cooperation of the oil and gas industry); (2) conduct research on the feasibility of ocean disposal, with objectives of determining the cost, residence time, and environmental effects for different methods of CO{sub 2} injection; (3) perform an in-depth survey of knowledge concerning the feasibility of using deep, confined aquifers for disposal and, if feasible, identify potential disposal locations (with the cooperation of the oil and gas industry); (4) evaluate, on a common basis, system and design alternatives for integration of CO{sub 2} capture systems with emerging and advanced technologies for power generation; and prepare a conceptual design, an analysis of barrier issues, and a preliminary cost estimate for pipeline networks necessary to transport a significant portion of the CO{sub 2} to potentially feasible disposal locations.

Renewables vs fossil fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, K. (Energy Research and Development Corporation (Australia))

1992-01-01

The paper examines some of the factors which will influence the future mix of energy from fossil fuels and renewable sources in Australia. Aspects covered include: the present energy situation; impact of environmental issues; potential for renewable energy; motivators for change; and research and development. It is concluded that the future for fossil fuels and renewable energy is dependent on a number of complex factors, many of which are currently unknown. The key factor is economic viability and that will be influenced by a range of factors such as policies of the Australian and overseas governments in relation to pollution and environment protection (reflected in the cost of meeting such requirements), exploration and production costs (also influenced by government policies), availability of supply, rate of technological development and the size of export markets. 8 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

Potential high temperature corrosion problems due to co-firing of biomass and fossil fuels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Montgomery, Melanie; Vilhelmsen, T.; Jensen, S.A.

2008-01-01

Over the past few years, considerable high temperature corrosion problems have been encountered when firing biomass in power plants due to the high content of potassium chloride in the deposits. Therefore, to combat chloride corrosion problems cofiring of biomass with a fossil fuel has been...... undertaken. This results in potassium chloride being converted to potassium sulphate in the combustion chamber and it is sulphate rich deposits that are deposited on the vulnerable metallic surfaces such as high temperature superheaters. Although this removes the problem of chloride corrosion, other...... corrosion mechanisms appear such as sulphidation and hot corrosion due to sulphate deposits. At Studstrup power plant Unit 4, based on trials with exposure times of 3000 h using 0–20% straw co-firing with coal, the plant now runs with a fuel mix of 10% strawþcoal. Based on results from a 3 years exposure...

The financial impact of divestment from fossil fuels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Plantinga, Auke; Scholtens, Bert

2016-01-01

Divesting from fossil companies has been put forward as a means to address climate change. We study the impact of such divesting on investment portfolio performance. To this extent, we systematically investigate the investment performance of portfolios with and without fossil fuel company stocks. We

Risk assessment of atmospheric contamination due to combustion of fossil-fuels in Japan and possible application of fuzzy set

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiwaki, Y.; Shah, S.M.; Kanoh, E.

1983-01-01

For risk assessment of atmospheric contamination due to fossil-fuel combustion in Japan, epidemiological studies have been conducted since 1961. Health effects of sulfur dioxide in industrial areas of Japan where fossil-fuel power stations are located have been investigated. The dose-response relationship between prevalence rates of chronic bronchitis and sulphur dioxide was established. Various efforts have been made to reduce the concentrations of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere. However, the average concentration of NO 2 tended to increase gradually. It was therefore considered important to study the health effects of nitrogen dioxide. In different areas of Japan with varying atmospheric concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, an extensive epidemiological survey was conducted with over 10,000 school-children. The results of the survey indicate that the prevalence rates of asthma and wheezing were higher with the higher degree of air pollution, and that the indoor pollution is important. It is also attempted to compare hazard indices of the air-borne wastes from fossil-fuel power plants and those from nuclear power plants. The conventional pollutants seem to be much more important as compared with the radioactive releases under normal conditions of operation. The survey of stochastic effects with very small chances of occurrence was not attempted because of the great uncertainties and difficulties in identifying a small signal within a large noise. The possible application of the theory of Fuzzy Set for risk analysis is suggested

Methane emissions and climate compatibility of fossil fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, B.

1992-01-01

Methane contributes directly and indirectly to the additional greenhouse effect caused by human activities. The vast majority of the anthropogenic methane release occurs worldwide in non-fossil sources such as rice cultivation, livestock operations, sanitary landfills and combustion of bio-mass. Methane emissions also occur during production, distribution and utilisation of fossil fuels. Also when considering the methane release and CO 2 -emissions of processes upstream of combustion, the ranking of environmental compatibility of natural gas, fuel oil and cool remains unchanged. Of all fossil fuels, natural gas contributes the least to the greenhouse effect. (orig.) [de

Electricity supply. Older plants' impact on reliability and air quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

England-Joseph, Judy A.; Adams, Charles M.; Wood, David G.; Feehan, Daniel J.; Veal, Howard F.; Skeen, John H. III; Koenigs, Melvin J.; Lichtenfeld, David I.; Seretakis, Pauline J.

1990-09-01

Life extension of fossil fuel plants is a relatively recent phenomenon; thus, utilities have little experience to demonstrate the longer-term operating reliability of plants with an extended service life. While utility industry officials and government and industry studies express optimism that these plants will continue to operate reliably, the officials and the studies also caution that it is too soon to determine how pursuing life extension will affect the reliability of the nation's electricity supply. According to DOE, the number of fossil fuel generating units' 30 years old or older is expected to increase from about 2,500 in 1989 to roughly 3,700 in 1998, increasing such plants' share of overall generating capacity from 13 percent in 1989 to 27 percent in 1998. EPA estimates that with existing air quality requirements, fossil fuel plant emissions will increase steadily during the coming decade. Proposed acid rain control legislation, which would affect many plants that may have their service life extended, would require utilities to significantly reduce emissions by the year 2000 but would allow utilities flexibility in deciding how and where to achieve the reductions. If such legislation is enacted, utilities generally are expected to find reducing emissions from existing plants more cost-effective than replacing them and to continue extending plants' service life. Officials of DOE and utility organizations expressed concern, however, that EPA could decide, as it did for one plant in 1988, that alterations made in extending the service life of plants exempted from the Clean Air Act would result in increased emissions and thus cause the altered plants to lose their exemption. According to the officials, the additional costs of achieving the Clean Air Act's standards could discourage some life extension projects. However, such decisions by EPA could also reduce the nation's total power plant emissions by eliminating an existing incentive to retain exempt

Plant water use efficiency over geological time--evolution of leaf stomata configurations affecting plant gas exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Assouline, Shmuel; Or, Dani

2013-01-01

Plant gas exchange is a key process shaping global hydrological and carbon cycles and is often characterized by plant water use efficiency (WUE - the ratio of CO2 gain to water vapor loss). Plant fossil record suggests that plant adaptation to changing atmospheric CO2 involved correlated evolution of stomata density (d) and size (s), and related maximal aperture, amax . We interpreted the fossil record of s and d correlated evolution during the Phanerozoic to quantify impacts on gas conductance affecting plant transpiration, E, and CO2 uptake, A, independently, and consequently, on plant WUE. A shift in stomata configuration from large s-low d to small s-high d in response to decreasing atmospheric CO2 resulted in large changes in plant gas exchange characteristics. The relationships between gas conductance, gws , A and E and maximal relative transpiring leaf area, (amax ⋅d), exhibited hysteretic-like behavior. The new WUE trend derived from independent estimates of A and E differs from established WUE-CO2 trends for atmospheric CO2 concentrations exceeding 1,200 ppm. In contrast with a nearly-linear decrease in WUE with decreasing CO2 obtained by standard methods, the newly estimated WUE trend exhibits remarkably stable values for an extended geologic period during which atmospheric CO2 dropped from 3,500 to 1,200 ppm. Pending additional tests, the findings may affect projected impacts of increased atmospheric CO2 on components of the global hydrological cycle.

Phylogenetic investigation of the complex evolutionary history of dispersal mode and diversification rates across living and fossil Fagales.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson-Johnson, Kathryn

2016-01-01

As a primary determinant of spatial structure in angiosperm populations, fruit dispersal may impact large-scale ecological and evolutionary processes. Essential to understanding these mechanisms is an accurate reconstruction of dispersal mode over the entire history of an angiosperm lineage. A total-evidence phylogeny is presented for most fossil fruit and all extant genera in Fagales over its c. 95 million yr history. This phylogeny - the largest of its kind to include plant fossils - was used to reconstruct an evolutionary history directly informed by fossil morphologies and to assess relationships among dispersal mode, biogeographic range size, and diversification rate. Reconstructions indicate four transitions to wind dispersal and seven to biotic dispersal, with the phylogenetic integration of fossils crucial to understanding these patterns. Complexity further increased when more specialized behaviors were considered, with fluttering, gliding, autorotating, and scatter-hoarding evolving multiple times across the order. Preliminary biogeographic analyses suggest larger range sizes in biotically dispersed lineages, especially when pollination mode was held constant. Biotically dispersed lineages had significantly higher diversification rates than abiotically dispersed lineages, although transitions in dispersal mode alone cannot explain all detected diversification rate shifts across Fagales. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Challenges of efficient and clean use of fossil fuels for power production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vortmeyer, Nicolas; Zimmermann, Gerhard

2010-09-15

Constantly increasing resource efficiency together with the broad introduction of CCS technologies is fundamental for a continuous use of fossil fuels in power generation against the background of up-coming requirements for CO2 emission reduction. In principle, CCS means up-grading conventional power plant technology with proven CO2 removal processes. However, this leads to additional losses, auxiliary power demand and cost. System integration, development or at least adaption of components and processes are the main requirements in this context. Different technology solutions and recent developments will be addressed as well as challenges when implementing in demonstration projects.

Nitrogen Isotope Composition of Thermally Produced NOx from Various Fossil-Fuel Combustion Sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, Wendell W; Tharp, Bruce D; Fang, Huan; Kozak, Brian J; Michalski, Greg

2015-10-06

The nitrogen stable isotope composition of NOx (δ(15)N-NOx) may be a useful indicator for NOx source partitioning, which would help constrain NOx source contributions in nitrogen deposition studies. However, there is large uncertainty in the δ(15)N-NOx values for anthropogenic sources other than on-road vehicles and coal-fired energy generating units. To this end, this study presents a broad analysis of δ(15)N-NOx from several fossil-fuel combustion sources that includes: airplanes, gasoline-powered vehicles not equipped with a three-way catalytic converter, lawn equipment, utility vehicles, urban buses, semitrucks, residential gas furnaces, and natural-gas-fired power plants. A relatively large range of δ(15)N-NOx values was measured from -28.1‰ to 8.5‰ for individual exhaust/flue samples that generally tended to be negative due to the kinetic isotope effect associated with thermal NOx production. A negative correlation between NOx concentrations and δ(15)N-NOx for fossil-fuel combustion sources equipped with selective catalytic reducers was observed, suggesting that the catalytic reduction of NOx increases δ(15)N-NOx values relative to the NOx produced through fossil-fuel combustion processes. Combining the δ(15)N-NOx measured in this study with previous published values, a δ(15)N-NOx regional and seasonal isoscape was constructed for the contiguous U.S., which demonstrates seasonal and regional importance of various NOx sources.

{sup 14}C AMS measurements in tree rings to estimate local fossil CO{sub 2} in Bosco Fontana forest (Mantova, Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Capano, Manuela, E-mail: capanomanuela@tiscali.i [CIRCE, Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Seconda Universita di Napoli, and INNOVA, Via Vivaldi, 43 81100 Caserta (Italy); Marzaioli, Fabio; Sirignano, Carmina; Altieri, Simona; Lubritto, Carmine; D' Onofrio, Antonio; Terrasi, Filippo [CIRCE, Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Seconda Universita di Napoli, and INNOVA, Via Vivaldi, 43 81100 Caserta (Italy)

2010-04-15

Radiocarbon concentration in atmosphere changes overtime due to anthropogenic and natural factors. Species growth preserves the local atmospheric radiocarbon signature over their life span in the annual tree rings and make it possible to use tree rings for the monitoring of changes in fossil-fuel emissions due to an increase of traffic exhaust, during the last decades. In this paper, the CIRCE AMS system has been used to measure the {sup 14}C concentration in tree rings of plants grown near an industrial area and a very busy State Road, in a forest in north Italy. Preliminary results related to tree rings of several years of plants respectively near and far the emitting sources are displayed, in order to estimate the local pollution effect. It is possible to find a dilution in years 2000 and 2006 in both the trees analysed, but not enough data have been analysed yet in order to distinguish the fossil dilution derived from the street vehicular traffic or that from the industries.

Problems related to fossil fuels utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rota, R.

1999-01-01

Fossil fuels still present the main energy source in the world since about 90% of the energy produced comes from combustion. This paper, based on the lectures given at the conference of Energy and Environment hold at the Accademia dei Lincei in 1998, presents a short review of some of the problems related to the utilization of fossil fuels, such as their availability in the medium period, the effect of pollutant dispersion in the atmosphere as well as the available technologies to deal with such problems [it

Integrated production of sugarcane ethanol and soybean biodiesel: Environmental and economic implications of fossil diesel displacement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Simone P.; Seabra, Joaquim E.A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Sugarcane sector is responsible for around 4% of the diesel consumption in Brazil. • Soybean biodiesel can reduce the fossil diesel demand in the sugarcane sector. • The local use of biodiesel could reduce logistic problems and environmental burdens. • The sugarcane–soybean integration is likely to improve ethanol life cycle performance. • Fiscal incentives could reduce the economic uncertainties of the integration. - Abstract: The sugarcane industry in Brazil has been considered promising for the production of advanced fuels and bio-based products. However, the sugarcane crop requires high volumes of fossil fuel for cultivation and transport. The use of biodiesel as a diesel substitute could reduce the environmental burdens associated with this high consumption. This work performed a stochastic evaluation of the environmental and economic implications of the integrated production of sugarcane bioethanol and soybean biodiesel, in comparison with the traditional sugarcane-to-ethanol process. The analysis was focused on the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso and São Paulo, where this integration would be particularly attractive. The environmental aspects addressed were the fossil energy use and the GHG emissions in a cradle-to-gate approach. The economic analysis comprised the evaluation of the net present value of an incremental cash flow generated by the soybean production and by the adjacent plants of oil extraction and biodiesel. Results indicate that the integrated system is likely to improve the ethanol environmental performance, especially with regard to the fossil energy use. The integration is economically feasible but highly uncertain; however, it could be significantly improved through fiscal incentives to biodiesel producers, founded on the reduction of fossil energy use and on improvements in logistics. In addition, the proposed model may also assist in the design of other integrated systems applied to the sugarcane sector in Brazil

Flow-accelerated corrosion in power plants. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chexal, B.; Horowitz, J.; Dooley, B.

1998-07-01

Flow-Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) is a phenomenon that results in metal loss from piping, vessels, and equipment made of carbon steel. FAC occurs only under certain conditions of flow, chemistry, geometry, and material. Unfortunately, those conditions are common in much of the high-energy piping in nuclear and fossil-fueled power plants. Undetected, FAC will cause leaks and ruptures. Consequently, FAC has become a major issue, particularly for nuclear plants. Although major failures are rare, the consequences can be severe. In 1986, four men in the area of an FAC-induced pipe rupture were killed. Fossil plants too, are subject to FAC. In 1995, a failure at a fossil-fired plant caused two fatalities. In addition to concerns about personnel safety, FAC failures can pose challenges to plant safety. Regulatory agencies have therefore required nuclear utilities to institute formal programs to address FAC. Finally, a major FAC failure (like the one that happened in 1997 at a US nuclear power plant) can force a plant to shutdown and purchase replacement power at a price approaching a million dollars per day depending upon the MWe rating of the plant. A great deal of time and money has been spent to develop the technology to predict, detect, and mitigate FAC in order to prevent catastrophic failures. Over time, substantial progress has been made towards understanding and preventing FAC. The results of these efforts include dozens of papers, reports, calculations, and manuals, as well as computer programs and other tools. This book is written to provide a detailed treatment of the entire subject in a single document. Any complex issue requires balancing know-how, the risk of decision making, and a pragmatic engineering solution. This book addresses these by carrying out the necessary R and D and engineering along with plant knowledge to cover all quadrants of Chexal's four quadrant known-unknown diagram, as seen in Figure i

Water regime of steam power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oesz, Janos

2011-01-01

The water regime of water-steam thermal power plants (secondary side of pressurized water reactors (PWR); fossil-fired thermal power plants - referred to as steam power plants) has changed in the past 30 years, due to a shift from water chemistry to water regime approach. The article summarizes measures (that have been realised by chemists of NPP Paks) on which the secondary side of NPP Paks has become a high purity water-steam power plant and by which the water chemistry stress corrosion risk of heat transfer tubes in the VVER-440 steam generators was minimized. The measures can also be applied to the water regime of fossil-fired thermal power plants with super- and subcritical steam pressure. Based on the reliability analogue of PWR steam generators, water regime can be defined as the harmony of construction, material(s) and water chemistry, which needs to be provided in not only the steam generators (boiler) but in each heat exchanger of steam power plant: - Construction determines the processes of flow, heat and mass transfer and their local inequalities; - Material(s) determines the minimal rate of general corrosion and the sensitivity for local corrosion damage; - Water chemistry influences the general corrosion of material(s) and the corrosion products transport, as well as the formation of local corrosion environment. (orig.)

New record of a fossil haplotilapiine cichlid from Central Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefanie B. R. Penk

2015-11-01

Full Text Available African freshwater cichlids (Cichlidae: Pseudocrenilabrinae are well known for their exceptionally great diversity and their capability of rapid speciation as well as diverse adaptations. The extant Pseudocrenilabrinae can be grouped into 27 tribes, with more than 2000 species harbored in the Great Lakes and surrounding water bodies of the East African Rift System. However, this unique diversity is not reflected in the fossil record because fossil cichlids were predominantly reported based on isolated teeth and bones. Moreover, the few articulated specimens that are known have not been analyzed sufficiently with regard to their systematic position due to lack of comparative material. Here we present a new extraordinarily well-preserved cichlid fish fossil from the Middle Miocene (c. 12.5 Ma Lagerstaette Kabchore, which was recovered during recent fieldwork in the Tugen Hills (Baringo County, Central Kenya Rift. Based on the evidence of tricuspid teeth, the Kabchore fossil can be assigned to the subclade of the Haplotilapiines within the Pseudocrenilabrinae. The multivariate analysis of a large meristic data set, derived from 1014 extant specimens (encompassing all main lineages of Haplotilapiines and usage of available osteological data suggest that this fossil is most likely related to one of the three haplotilapiine tribes Tilapiini, Haplochromini or Oreochromini. Moreover, the fossil specimen closely resembles the extinct cichlid Oreochromis martyni (Van Couvering, 1982, previously described as species of Sarotherodon from the Middle Miocene alkaline Kapkiamu Lake in the Tugen Hills. The analysis of the greatly preserved fossil fish specimen from Kabchore definitely supplements the fragmentary fossil record of Africa’s Cichlidae and will afford new insights into its evolutionary history. We also expect that this fossil will be useful as calibration point for new divergence-time estimates.

Hydrogen as a renewable and sustainable solution in reducing global fossil fuel consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Midilli, Adnan; Dincer, Ibrahim

2008-01-01

In this paper, hydrogen is considered as a renewable and sustainable solution for reducing global fossil fuel consumption and combating global warming and studied exergetically through a parametric performance analysis. The environmental impact results are then compared with the ones obtained for fossil fuels. In this regard, some exergetic expressions are derived depending primarily upon the exergetic utilization ratios of fossil fuels and hydrogen: the fossil fuel based global waste exergy factor, hydrogen based global exergetic efficiency, fossil fuel based global irreversibility coefficient and hydrogen based global exergetic indicator. These relations incorporate predicted exergetic utilization ratios for hydrogen energy from non-fossil fuel resources such as water, etc., and are used to investigate whether or not exergetic utilization of hydrogen can significantly reduce the fossil fuel based global irreversibility coefficient (ranging from 1 to +∞) indicating the fossil fuel consumption and contribute to increase the hydrogen based global exergetic indicator (ranging from 0 to 1) indicating the hydrogen utilization at a certain ratio of fossil fuel utilization. In order to verify all these exergetic expressions, the actual fossil fuel consumption and production data are taken from the literature. Due to the unavailability of appropriate hydrogen data for analysis, it is assumed that the utilization ratios of hydrogen are ranged between 0 and 1. For the verification of these parameters, the variations of fossil fuel based global irreversibility coefficient and hydrogen based global exergetic indicator as the functions of fossil fuel based global waste exergy factor, hydrogen based global exergetic efficiency and exergetic utilization of hydrogen from non-fossil fuels are analyzed and discussed in detail. Consequently, if exergetic utilization ratio of hydrogen from non-fossil fuel sources at a certain exergetic utilization ratio of fossil fuels increases

Fossil-Fuel C02 Emissions Database and Exploration System

Science.gov (United States)

Krassovski, M.; Boden, T.

2012-04-01

Fossil-Fuel C02 Emissions Database and Exploration System Misha Krassovski and Tom Boden Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center Oak Ridge National Laboratory The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) quantifies the release of carbon from fossil-fuel use and cement production each year at global, regional, and national spatial scales. These estimates are vital to climate change research given the strong evidence suggesting fossil-fuel emissions are responsible for unprecedented levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The CDIAC fossil-fuel emissions time series are based largely on annual energy statistics published for all nations by the United Nations (UN). Publications containing historical energy statistics make it possible to estimate fossil-fuel CO2 emissions back to 1751 before the Industrial Revolution. From these core fossil-fuel CO2 emission time series, CDIAC has developed a number of additional data products to satisfy modeling needs and to address other questions aimed at improving our understanding of the global carbon cycle budget. For example, CDIAC also produces a time series of gridded fossil-fuel CO2 emission estimates and isotopic (e.g., C13) emissions estimates. The gridded data are generated using the methodology described in Andres et al. (2011) and provide monthly and annual estimates for 1751-2008 at 1° latitude by 1° longitude resolution. These gridded emission estimates are being used in the latest IPCC Scientific Assessment (AR4). Isotopic estimates are possible thanks to detailed information for individual nations regarding the carbon content of select fuels (e.g., the carbon signature of natural gas from Russia). CDIAC has recently developed a relational database to house these baseline emissions estimates and associated derived products and a web-based interface to help users worldwide query these data holdings. Users can identify, explore and download desired CDIAC

Financial subsidies to the Australian fossil fuel industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riedy, Chris; Diesendorf, Mark

2003-01-01

A common claim during international greenhouse gas reduction negotiations has been that domestic emissions cuts will harm national economies. This argument fails to consider the distorting effect of existing financial subsidies and associated incentives to fossil fuel production and consumption provided by governments in most developed countries. These subsidies support a fossil fuel energy sector that is the major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and conflict with attempts to expand the role of sustainable energy technologies. Reform of these types of subsidies has the potential to provide substantial gains in economic efficiency as well as reductions in carbon dioxide emissions--a 'no regrets' outcome for the economy and the environment. This paper examines financial subsidies to fossil fuel production and consumption in Australia and estimates the magnitude of the subsidies. Subsidies and associated incentives to fossil fuel production and consumption in Australia are similar to those in the United States and the other countries that have pushed for increased 'flexibility' during international negotiations

Impact of nuclear power plant construction relative to decommissioning fossil fuel plants in order to reduce CO{sub 2} emissions using a modified Nordhaus Vensim DICE model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tokuhiro, A.; Colpetzer, J., E-mail: tokuhio@uidaho.edu, E-mail: colp8921@vandals.uidaho.edu [Univ. of Idaho, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2014-07-01

The current levels of CO{sub 2} emissions and high levels accumulating in the atmosphere have climate scientists concerned. The Dynamic Integrated Climate Economy Model or 'DICE' is a model that is used to simulate climate change and evaluate factors to address global warming. The model was developed by Nordhaus and collaborators. The DICE model uses current economic and environmental data to predict potential climate change as a result of an increase in CO{sub 2} in the atmosphere. The authors recreated the Fiddaman DICE model using Vensim and modified it to evaluate the use of nuclear power plants (NPPs) as a means to counter climate change, as characterize by temperature increases in the atmosphere and oceans and the associated cost of damages. The amount of GHG emissions from a NPP are about 6% per MWe, as that from a fossil-fueled power plant (FFPP). Based on this fact, a model was developed to simulate construction of NPPs with subsequent decommissioning of FFPPs with an equivalent power output. The study looked at extended periods into the future; that is, up to year 2300. Based on the results produced from this study it can be concluded that using NPPs in the U.S. to address climate change will provide a small benefit, but ultimately will not be enough to reduce CO{sub 2} emissions nor atmospheric CO{sub 2} to mitigate global warming. The amount of CO{sub 2} in the atmosphere is predicted to be 1055 parts per million even in the best case scenario by year 2300. This far exceeds the often quoted 350 ppm concentration. The results may have policy ramifications as well as significance with respect to the seriousness of continuing increase in CO{sub 2} concentration. The paper will discuss results and implications. (author)

Phylogeny of Marsileaceous Ferns and Relationships of the Fossil Hydropteris pinnata Reconsidered.

Science.gov (United States)

Pryer

1999-09-01

Recent phylogenetic studies have provided compelling evidence that confirms the once disputed hypothesis of monophyly for heterosporous leptosporangiate ferns (Marsileaceae and Salviniaceae). Hypotheses for relationships among the three genera of Marsileaceae (Marsilea, Regnellidium, and Pilularia), however, have continued to be in conflict. The phylogeny of Marsileaceae is investigated here using information from morphology and rbcL sequence data. In addition, relationships among all heterosporous ferns, including the whole-plant fossil Hydropteris pinnata are reconsidered. Data sets of 71 morphological and 1239 rbcL characters for 23 leptosporangiate ferns, including eight heterosporous ingroup taxa and 15 homosporous outgroup taxa, were subjected to maximum parsimony analysis. Morphological analyses were carried out both with and without the fossil Hydropteris, and it was excluded from all analyses with rbcL data. An annotated list of the 71 morphological characters is provided in the appendix. For comparative purposes, the Rothwell and Stockey (1994) data set was also reanalyzed here. The best estimate of phylogenetic relationships for Marsileaceae in all analyses is that Pilularia and Regnellidium are sister taxa and Marsilea is sister to that clade. Morphological synapomorphies for various nodes are discussed. Analyses that included Hydropteris resulted in two most-parsimonious trees that differ only in the placement of the fossil. One topology is identical to the relationship found by Rothwell and Stockey (1994), placing the fossil sister to the Azolla plus Salvinia clade. The alternative topology places Hydropteris as the most basal member of the heterosporous fern clade. Equivocal interpretations for character evolution in heterosporous ferns are discussed in the context of these two most-parsimonious trees. Because of the observed degree of character ambiguity, the phylogenetic placement of Hydropteris is best viewed as unresolved, and recognition of the

An artificial intelligence (AI) NOx/heat rate optimization system for Ontario Hydro`s fossil generating stations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luk, J.; Frank, A.; Bodach, P. [Ontario Hydro, Toronto, ON (Canada); Warriner, G. [Radian International, Tucker, GA (United States); Noblett, J. [Radian International, Austin, TX (United States); Slatsky, M. [Southern Company, Birmingham, AL (United States)

1999-08-01

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based software packages which can optimize power plant operations that improves heat rate and also reduces nitrogen oxide emissions are now commonly available for commercial use. This paper discusses the implementation of the AI-based NOx and Heat Rate Optimization System at Ontario Hydro`s generation stations, emphasizing the current AI Optimization Project at Units 5 and 6 of the Lakeview Generating Station. These demonstration programs are showing promising results in NOx reduction and plant performance improvement. The availability of the plant Digital Control System (DCS) in implementing AI optimization in a closed-loop system was shown to be an important criterion for success. Implementation of AI technology at other Ontario Hydro fossil generating units as part of the overall NOx emission reduction system is envisaged to coincide with the retrofit of the original plant control system with the latest DCS systems. 14 refs., 3 figs.

Cofiring biomass and coal for fossil fuel reduction and other benefits–Status of North American facilities in 2010

Science.gov (United States)

David Nicholls; John. Zerbe

2012-01-01

Cofiring of biomass and coal at electrical generation facilities is gaining in importance as a means of reducing fossil fuel consumption, and more than 40 facilities in the United States have conducted test burns. Given the large size of many coal plants, cofiring at even low rates has the potential to utilize relatively large volumes of biomass. This could have...

Optimization of Jatropha curcas pure plant oil production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Subroto, Erna

2015-01-01

The use of pure plant oils as fuel, either directly or after conversion of the oil to bio-diesel, is considered to be one of the potential contributions to the transformation of the current fossil oil based economy to a sustainable bio-based one. The production of oil producing seeds using plants

Water-use responses of 'living fossil' conifers to CO2 enrichment in a simulated Cretaceous polar environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Llorens, Laura; Osborne, Colin P; Beerling, David J

2009-07-01

During the Mesozoic, the polar regions supported coniferous forests that experienced warm climates, a CO(2)-rich atmosphere and extreme seasonal variations in daylight. How the interaction between the last two factors might have influenced water use of these conifers was investigated. An experimental approach was used to test the following hypotheses: (1) the expected beneficial effects of elevated [CO(2)] on water-use efficiency (WUE) are reduced or lost during the 24-h light of the high-latitude summer; and (2) elevated [CO(2)] reduces plant water use over the growing season. Measurements of leaf and whole-plant gas exchange, and leaf-stable carbon isotope composition were made on one evergreen (Sequoia sempervirens) and two deciduous (Metasequoia glyptostroboides and Taxodium distichum) 'living fossil' coniferous species after 3 years' growth in controlled-environment simulated Cretaceous Arctic (69 degrees N) conditions at either ambient (400 micromol mol(-1)) or elevated (800 micromol mol(-1)) [CO(2)]. Stimulation of whole-plant WUE (WUE(P)) by CO(2) enrichment was maintained over the growing season for the three studied species but this pattern was not reflected in patterns of WUE inferred from leaf-scale gas exchange measurements (iWUE(L)) and delta(13)C of foliage (tWUE(L)). This response was driven largely by increased rates of carbon uptake, because there was no overall CO(2) effect on daily whole-plant transpiration or whole-plant water loss integrated over the study period. Seasonal patterns of tWUE(L) differed from those measured for iWUE(L). The results suggest caution against over simplistic interpretations of WUE(P) based on leaf isotopic composition. The data suggest that the efficiency of whole-tree water use may be improved by CO(2) enrichment in a simulated high-latitude environment, but that transpiration is relatively insensitive to atmospheric CO(2) in the living fossil species investigated.

News technology utilization fossil fuel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blišanová Monika

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Fossil fuel – “alternative energy“ is coal, petroleum, natural gas. Petroleum and natural gas are scarce resources, but they are delimited. Reserves petroleum will be depleted after 39 years and reserves natural gas after 60 years.World reserves coal are good for another 240 years. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel. It is the least expensive energy source for generating electricity. Many environmental problems associated with use of coal:in coal production, mining creates environmental problems.On Slovakia representative coal only important internal fuel – power of source and coal is produced in 5 locality. Nowadays, oneself invest to new technology on utilization coal. Perspective solution onself shows UCG, IGCC.

Water Use of Fossil Energy Production and Supply in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Lin

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Fossil energy and water resources are both important for economic and social development in China, and they are tightly interlinked. Fossil energy production consumes large amounts of water, and it is essential to investigate the water footprint of fossil energy production (WFEP in China. In addition, fossil energy is supplied to consumers in China by both domestic and foreign producers, and understanding the water footprint of fossil energy supply (WFES is also highly significant for water and energy development programs in the long-term. The objectives of this paper were to provide an estimation of the blue component of WFEP and WFES in China for the period from 2001 to 2014, and to evaluate the impact on water resources from energy production, the contribution of internal and external WFES, and water-energy related issues of the international energy trade by applying water footprint analysis based on the bottom-up approach. The results indicate that generally, the WFEP and WFES in China both maintained steady growth before 2013, with the WFEP increasing from approximately 3900 million m3/year to 10,400 million m3/year, while the WFES grew from 3900 million m3/year to 11,600 million m3/year. The fossil energy production caps of the 13th Five Year Plan can bring the water consumed for fossil energy production back to a sustainable level. Over the long-term, China’s energy trade plan should also consider the water and energy resources of the countries from which fossil energy is imported.

Melvin Calvin: Fuels from Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, S.E.; Otvos, J.W.

1998-11-24

A logical extension of his early work on the path of carbon during photosynthesis, Calvin's studies on the production of hydrocarbons by plants introduced many in the scientific and agricultural worlds to the potential of renewable fuel and chemical feedstocks. He and his co-workers identified numerous candidate compounds from plants found in tropical and temperate climates from around the world. His travels and lectures concerning the development of alternative fuel supplies inspired laboratories worldwide to take up the investigation of plant-derived energy sources as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Oxygen and Hydrogen Stable Isotope Composition of Eocene ( ~45 million year old) Fossil Tree Cellulose

Science.gov (United States)

Jahren, H.

2001-05-01

I report on \\delta18O and \\deltaD values gained from unusually old tree fossils, collected on Axel Heiberg Island of the Canadian High Arctic. A variety of workers have measured the δ ^{18}O value of cellulose and the δ D value of cellulose nitrate isolated from modern trees and compared it to various environmental parameters (esp. Epstein et al., 1977: 14 tree species sampled at 16 sites ranging from 18 \\deg to 62 \\deg North latitude; \\delta18O of cellulose ranged from +20 to +33 \\permil; \\deltaD of cellulose nitrate ranged from -181 to +18). To date the paleoenvironmental interpretations resulting from these studies have been restricted to application in recent and Quaternary earth history due to the lack of sufficiently preserved cellulose and tree ring structure in older tree fossils. An exception to this generalization are the middle Eocene (\\sim45 my old) fossil forests of Axel Heiberg Island, which contain abundant stumps, branches, twigs, cones and leaves of Metasequoia trees in exquisite preservational condition. These deciduous trees grew at a paleolatitude of 80 ° North, and endured prolonged periods of continuous daylight in the summer and continuous darkness in the winter, making the ecosystem completely unlike any forest community existing today. Fossil wood samples from the site have been slightly compressed, but otherwise exhibit minimal alteration: %C and % cellulose (by mass) are similar to modern Metasequoia wood. δ ^{18}O analyses on cellulose isolated from 14 fossil individuals has yielded the following results: range = +17 to +20 ‰ ; mean = +19 ‰ ; variability within an individual = 0.5 to 1.0 ‰ . In presentation, I will complement these results with δ D determinations on cellulose nitrate isolated from the same individuals, as well as from small plants presently growing in the arctic. I will also discuss the surprising result that Axel Heiberg fossil trees appear to have stable isotope composition as low or lower than trees

THE GB/3D Fossil Types Online Database

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, M. P.; McCormick, T.

2012-12-01

The ICZN and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants require that every species or subspecies of organism (living & fossil), should have a type or reference specimen to define its characteristic features. These specimens are held in collections around the world and must be available for study. Over time, type specimens can deteriorate or become lost. The British Geological Survey, the National Museum of Wales, the Sedgwick Museum Cambridge and the Oxford Museum of Natural History are working together to create an online database of the type fossils they hold. The web portal provides data about each specimen, searchable on taxonomic, stratigraphic and spatial criteria. For each specimen it is possible to view and download high resolution photographs, and for many of them, 'anaglyph' stereo pairs and 3D scans are available. The portal also provides educational resources (OERs). The rise to prominence of the Web has transformed expectations in accessing information and the Web is now usually the first port of call. However, while many geological museums are providing web-searchable text catalogues, few have undertaken a large-scale program of providing images and 3D models. This project has tackled the issues of merging four distinct data holdings, and setting up workflows to image and scan large numbers of disparate fossils, ranging from small invertebrate macrofossils to large vertebrate skeletal elements. There are three advantages in providing such resources: (1) All users can exploit the collections more efficiently. End-users can view specimens remotely and assess their nature, preservation quality and completeness - in some cases this may be sufficient. It will reduce the need for institutions to send specimens (which are often fragile and always irreplaceable) to researchers by post, or for researchers to make possibly long, expensive and environmentally damaging journeys. (2) A public outreach and education dividend - the ability to

Fossils and decapod phylogeny

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schram, Frederick R.; Dixon, Christopher

2003-01-01

An expanded series of morphological characters developed for a cladistic analysis of extant decapods has yielded a new hypothesis for the phylogeny of the group. Application of this database to selected fossil genera produces some interesting results and demonstrates the feasibility of treating

Availability of thermal power plants 1980-1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitsch, D.; Schmitz, H.

1990-01-01

The evaluation submitted here is the 19th annual evaluation since 1970. It covers the period from 1980 to 1989 and contains availability data of 324 power stations (domestic and international) with roundabout 94000 MW and 3800 plant years. Data relate to fossil-fuelled cogeneration plants, combined cycle plants (gas-steam combined process), nuclear power stations and gas turbines. The fossil-fuelled blocks are broken down by size, time of operation, fuel, type of combustion (dry, melt) and type mono-, duoblocks, subcritical and supercritical systems, nuclear power stations are organised by type of reactor heavy-water/pressurized water reactor and type of operation. Combined cycle power plants are listed separately due to their different technical concept. Gas turbines are sub-divided by type of operation (time). Apart from availability and utilisation values of gas turbines there are data on reliability and the number of successful and unsuccessful starts. In general the values are first given for all plants of one particular type and then for the German plants in particular. Performance values are gross values measured at generator and like the number of plants they are end-of-the-year figures. In order to increase the usefulness of the VGB-availability studies various items in the recording and evaluation were improved and extended as of 1987. (orig./HS) [de

Innovative fossil fuel fired vitrification technology for soil remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-08-01

Vortex has successfully completed Phase 1 of the ''Innovative Fossil Fuel Fired Vitrification Technology for Soil Remediation'' program with the Department of Energy (DOE) Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC). The Combustion and Melting System (CMS) has processed 7000 pounds of material representative of contaminated soil that is found at DOE sites. The soil was spiked with Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals surrogates, an organic contaminant, and a surrogate radionuclide. The samples taken during the tests confirmed that virtually all of the radionuclide was retained in the glass and that it did not leach to the environment. The organic contaminant, anthracene, was destroyed during the test with a Destruction and Removal Efficiency (DRE) of at least 99.99%. RCRA metal surrogates, that were in the vitrified product, were retained and will not leach to the environment--as confirmed by the TCLP testing. Semi-volatile RCRA metal surrogates were captured by the Air Pollution Control (APC) system, and data on the amount of metal oxide particulate and the chemical composition of the particulate were established for use in the Phase 2 APC system design. This topical report will present a summary of the activities conducted during Phase 1 of the ''Innovative Fossil Fuel Fired Vitrification Technology for Soil Remediation'' program. The report includes the detail technical data generated during the experimental program and the design and cost data for the preliminary Phase 2 plant

Fossil resource trade balances. Emerging trends for the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papathanasopoulou, Eleni; Jackson, Tim

2008-01-01

The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which the UK can be classified as a net importer of fossil resources and a creator of pollution havens abroad between 1968 and 2000. Using input-output techniques and a derived Resource Flow Classification System, both the physical trade balance (PTB) and pollution trade balance (UTB) associated with fossil resource use are computed. The PTB shows that between 1968 and the early 1980's the UK is presented as a net importer of direct fossil resource flows. Between 1984 and 2000, the UK is identified as a net exporter of direct fossil resources. These trends are primarily explained by the UK's discovery and commercial production of North Sea oil and gas fields in the late 1970s. On the other hand, the UTB shows that over the whole period the indirect used flows attributable to the UK's exports are higher than those attributable to its imports. These findings suggest that the UK did not create pollution havens abroad from the use of fossil resources between 1968 and 2000. However, it is noticeable in both cases that from 1995 the UK's position as a net exporter has been decreasing considerably. Maturing North Sea oil and gas fields set against increasing demands for fossil fuels and imported goods is signalling a return to the UK's pre-1984 dependence on direct imported fossil resources and the possible creation of pollution havens abroad. Knowledge of these trends contributes to the evidence base for the UK's changing import and export structure and the potential environmental repercussions at home and abroad. (author)

Fossil resource trade balances. Emerging trends for the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papathanasopoulou, Eleni; Jackson, Tim [Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7TH (United Kingdom)

2008-06-15

The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which the UK can be classified as a net importer of fossil resources and a creator of pollution havens abroad between 1968 and 2000. Using input-output techniques and a derived Resource Flow Classification System, both the physical trade balance (PTB) and pollution trade balance (UTB) associated with fossil resource use are computed. The PTB shows that between 1968 and the early 1980's the UK is presented as a net importer of direct fossil resource flows. Between 1984 and 2000, the UK is identified as a net exporter of direct fossil resources. These trends are primarily explained by the UK's discovery and commercial production of North Sea oil and gas fields in the late 1970s. On the other hand, the UTB shows that over the whole period the indirect used flows attributable to the UK's exports are higher than those attributable to its imports. These findings suggest that the UK did not create pollution havens abroad from the use of fossil resources between 1968 and 2000. However, it is noticeable in both cases that from 1995 the UK's position as a net exporter has been decreasing considerably. Maturing North Sea oil and gas fields set against increasing demands for fossil fuels and imported goods is signalling a return to the UK's pre-1984 dependence on direct imported fossil resources and the possible creation of pollution havens abroad. Knowledge of these trends contributes to the evidence base for the UK's changing import and export structure and the potential environmental repercussions at home and abroad. (author)

Analysis of radiation level on dinosaur fossil in Zigong

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Changshu; Liang Shuzhi; Fan Zhengnian.

1995-01-01

Study on radiation level of dinosaur fossil and environment in conservation zone in Zigong, Sichuan has been done. The results showed that the γ radiation dose and radioactivity strength of 232 Th and 40 K in dinosaur fossil, soil and rock in the conservation zone were within the limits of radioactive background value in Zigong. Radioactivity strength of 238 U, 226 Ra in dinosaur fossil were 26.6 and 29.2 times higher than the rock of same layer respectively

Total-Evidence Dating under the Fossilized Birth-Death Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chi; Stadler, Tanja; Klopfstein, Seraina; Heath, Tracy A; Ronquist, Fredrik

2016-03-01

Bayesian total-evidence dating involves the simultaneous analysis of morphological data from the fossil record and morphological and sequence data from recent organisms, and it accommodates the uncertainty in the placement of fossils while dating the phylogenetic tree. Due to the flexibility of the Bayesian approach, total-evidence dating can also incorporate additional sources of information. Here, we take advantage of this and expand the analysis to include information about fossilization and sampling processes. Our work is based on the recently described fossilized birth-death (FBD) process, which has been used to model speciation, extinction, and fossilization rates that can vary over time in a piecewise manner. So far, sampling of extant and fossil taxa has been assumed to be either complete or uniformly at random, an assumption which is only valid for a minority of data sets. We therefore extend the FBD process to accommodate diversified sampling of extant taxa, which is standard practice in studies of higher-level taxa. We verify the implementation using simulations and apply it to the early radiation of Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, and bees). Previous total-evidence dating analyses of this data set were based on a simple uniform tree prior and dated the initial radiation of extant Hymenoptera to the late Carboniferous (309 Ma). The analyses using the FBD prior under diversified sampling, however, date the radiation to the Triassic and Permian (252 Ma), slightly older than the age of the oldest hymenopteran fossils. By exploring a variety of FBD model assumptions, we show that it is mainly the accommodation of diversified sampling that causes the push toward more recent divergence times. Accounting for diversified sampling thus has the potential to close the long-discussed gap between rocks and clocks. We conclude that the explicit modeling of fossilization and sampling processes can improve divergence time estimates, but only if all important model aspects

The Quality of the Fossil Record: Populations, Species, and Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Kidwell, Susan M.; Flessa, Karl W.

Paleontologists have always been concerned about the documentary quality of the fossil record, and this has also become an important issue for biologists, who increasingly look to accumulations of bones, shells, and plant material as possible ways to extend the time-frame of observation on species and community behaviors. Quantitative data on the postmortem behavior of organic remains in modern environments are providing new insights into death and fossil assemblages as sources of biological information. Important findings include: 1. With the exception of a few circumstances, usually recognizable by independent criteria, transport out of the original life habitat affects few individuals. 2. Most species with preservable hard-parts are in fact represented in the local death assemblage, commonly in correct rank importance. Molluscs are the most durable of modern aquatic groups studied so far, and they show highest fidelity to the original community. 3. Time-averaging of remains from successive generations and communities often prevents the detection of short term (seasons, years) variability but provides an excellent record of the natural range of community composition and structure over longer periods. Thus, although a complex array of processes and circumstances influences preservation, death assemblages of resistant skeletal elements are for many major groups good to excellent records of community composition, morphological variation, and environmental and geographic distribution of species, and such assemblages can record dynamics at ecologically and evolutionarily meaningful scales.

Optimizing power plant cycling operations while reducing generating plant damage and costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lefton, S A; Besuner, P H; Grimsrud, P [Aptech Engineering Services, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (United States); Bissel, A [Electric Supply Board, Dublin (Ireland)

1999-12-31

This presentation describes a method for analyzing, quantifying, and minimizing the total cost of fossil, combined cycle, and pumped hydro power plant cycling operation. The method has been developed, refined, and applied during engineering studies at some 160 units in the United States and 8 units at the Irish Electric Supply Board (ESB) generating system. The basic premise of these studies was that utilities are underestimating the cost of cycling operation. The studies showed that the cost of cycling conventional boiler/turbine fossil power plants can range from between $2,500 and $500,000 per start-stop cycle. It was found that utilities typically estimate these costs by factors of 3 to 30 below actual costs and, thus, often significantly underestimate their true cycling costs. Knowledge of the actual, or total, cost of cycling will reduce power production costs by enabling utilities to more accurately dispatch their units to manage unit life expectancies, maintenance strategies and reliability. Utility management responses to these costs are presented and utility cost savings have been demonstrated. (orig.) 7 refs.

Optimizing power plant cycling operations while reducing generating plant damage and costs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lefton, S.A.; Besuner, P.H.; Grimsrud, P. [Aptech Engineering Services, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (United States); Bissel, A. [Electric Supply Board, Dublin (Ireland)

1998-12-31

This presentation describes a method for analyzing, quantifying, and minimizing the total cost of fossil, combined cycle, and pumped hydro power plant cycling operation. The method has been developed, refined, and applied during engineering studies at some 160 units in the United States and 8 units at the Irish Electric Supply Board (ESB) generating system. The basic premise of these studies was that utilities are underestimating the cost of cycling operation. The studies showed that the cost of cycling conventional boiler/turbine fossil power plants can range from between $2,500 and $500,000 per start-stop cycle. It was found that utilities typically estimate these costs by factors of 3 to 30 below actual costs and, thus, often significantly underestimate their true cycling costs. Knowledge of the actual, or total, cost of cycling will reduce power production costs by enabling utilities to more accurately dispatch their units to manage unit life expectancies, maintenance strategies and reliability. Utility management responses to these costs are presented and utility cost savings have been demonstrated. (orig.) 7 refs.

Caught in the act: the first record of copulating fossil vertebrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Joyce, Walter G; Micklich, Norbert; Schaal, Stephan F K; Scheyer, Torsten M

2012-10-23

The behaviour of fossil organisms can typically be inferred only indirectly, but rare fossil finds can provide surprising insights. Here, we report from the Eocene Messel Pit Fossil Site between Darmstadt and Frankfurt, Germany numerous pairs of the fossil carettochelyid turtle Allaeochelys crassesculpta that represent for the first time among fossil vertebrates couples that perished during copulation. Females of this taxon can be distinguished from males by their relatively shorter tails and development of plastral kinesis. The preservation of mating pairs has important taphonomic implications for the Messel Pit Fossil Site, as it is unlikely that the turtles would mate in poisonous surface waters. Instead, the turtles initiated copulation in habitable surface waters, but perished when their skin absorbed poisons while sinking into toxic layers. The mating pairs from Messel are therefore more consistent with a stratified, volcanic maar lake with inhabitable surface waters and a deadly abyss.

Diagnosing Homo sapiens in the fossil record.

Science.gov (United States)

Stringer, Christopher Brian; Buck, Laura Tabitha

2014-01-01

Diagnosing Homo sapiens is a critical question in the study of human evolution. Although what constitutes living members of our own species is straightforward, in the fossil record this is still a matter of much debate. The issue is complicated by questions of species diagnoses and ideas about the mode by which a new species is born, by the arguments surrounding the behavioural and cognitive separateness of the species, by the increasing appreciation of variation in the early African H. sapiens record and by new DNA evidence of hybridization with extinct species. This study synthesizes thinking on the fossils, archaeology and underlying evolutionary models of the last several decades with recent DNA results from both H. sapiens and fossil species. It is concluded that, although it may not be possible or even desirable to cleanly partition out a homogenous morphological description of recent H. sapiens in the fossil record, there are key, distinguishing morphological traits in the cranium, dentition and pelvis that can be usefully employed to diagnose the H. sapiens lineage. Increasing advances in retrieving and understanding relevant genetic data provide a complementary and perhaps potentially even more fruitful means of characterizing the differences between H. sapiens and its close relatives.

Reforming fossil fuel prices in India: Dilemma of a developing economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anand, Mukesh Kumar

2016-01-01

Over the period between 1990–1 and 2012–3, fossil fuel use on farms has risen and its indirect use in farming, particularly for non-energy purposes, is also growing. Consequently, both energy intensity and fossil fuel intensity are rising for Indian agriculture. But, these are declining for the aggregate Indian economy. Thus, revision of fossil fuel prices acquires greater significance for Indian agriculture than for rest of the economy. There are significant differences across crops. The crop-level analysis is supplemented by an alternative approach that utilizes a three-sector input–output (I–O) model for the Indian economy representing farming, fossil fuels, and rest of economy. Fossil fuels sector is assessed to portray, in general, strong forward linkages. The increase in total cost of farming, for a given change in fossil fuel prices, is estimated as a multiple of increase in direct input cost of fossil fuels in farming. From the three-sector aggregated economy this multiple was estimated at 3.99 for 1998–9. But it grew to 6.7 in 2007–8. The findings have stronger ramifications than commonly recognized, for inflation and cost of implementing the policy on food security. - Highlights: •Fossil fuels’ contribution in primary energy supply has risen from 55 to 75 per cent. •Energy intensity halved for aggregate GDP, but doubled for agricultural GDP. •Impact of fossil fuel price increase on farming costs mimics a widening spiral. •Total cost of farming may increase 6.7 times the increase in direct fuel input cost.

THE XMM CLUSTER SURVEY: THE STELLAR MASS ASSEMBLY OF FOSSIL GALAXIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harrison, Craig D.; Miller, Christopher J. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Richards, Joseph W.; Deadman, Paul-James [Center for Time Domain Informatics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Lloyd-Davies, E. J.; Kathy Romer, A.; Mehrtens, Nicola; Liddle, Andrew R. [Astronomy Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH (United Kingdom); Hoyle, Ben [Institute of Sciences of the Cosmos (ICCUB) and IEEC, Physics Department, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08024 (Spain); Hilton, Matt [Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000 (South Africa); Stott, John P.; Capozzi, Diego; Collins, Chris A. [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Twelve Quays House, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead CH41 1LD (United Kingdom); Sahlen, Martin [Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Stanford, S. Adam [Physics Department, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Viana, Pedro T. P., E-mail: craigha@umich.edu [Centro de Astrofisica da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto (Portugal)

2012-06-10

This paper presents both the result of a search for fossil systems (FSs) within the XMM Cluster Survey and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the results of a study of the stellar mass assembly and stellar populations of their fossil galaxies. In total, 17 groups and clusters are identified at z < 0.25 with large magnitude gaps between the first and fourth brightest galaxies. All the information necessary to classify these systems as fossils is provided. For both groups and clusters, the total and fractional luminosity of the brightest galaxy is positively correlated with the magnitude gap. The brightest galaxies in FSs (called fossil galaxies) have stellar populations and star formation histories which are similar to normal brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). However, at fixed group/cluster mass, the stellar masses of the fossil galaxies are larger compared to normal BCGs, a fact that holds true over a wide range of group/cluster masses. Moreover, the fossil galaxies are found to contain a significant fraction of the total optical luminosity of the group/cluster within 0.5 R{sub 200}, as much as 85%, compared to the non-fossils, which can have as little as 10%. Our results suggest that FSs formed early and in the highest density regions of the universe and that fossil galaxies represent the end products of galaxy mergers in groups and clusters.

Instrumentation and control for fossil-energy processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1982-09-01

The 1982 symposium on instrumentation and control for fossil energy processes was held June 7 through 9, 1982, at Adam's Mark Hotel, Houston, Texas. It was sponsored by the US Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy; Argonne National Laboratory; and the Society for Control and Instrumentation of Energy Processes. Fifty-two papers have been entered individually into EDB and ERA; eleven papers had been entered previously from other sources. (LTN)

Sanitary effects of fossil fuels; Effets sanitaires des combustibles fossiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nifenecker, H. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (IN2P3/CNRS), 38 - Grenoble (France)

2006-07-01

In this compilation are studied the sanitary effects of fossil fuels, behavioral and environmental sanitary risks. The risks in connection with the production, the transport and the distribution(casting) are also approached for the oil(petroleum), the gas and the coal. Accidents in the home are evoked. The risks due to the atmospheric pollution are seen through the components of the atmospheric pollution as well as the sanitary effects of this pollution. (N.C.)

Estimating Age-Dependent Extinction: Contrasting Evidence from Fossils and Phylogenies.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagen, Oskar; Andermann, Tobias; Quental, Tiago B; Antonelli, Alexandre; Silvestro, Daniele

2018-05-01

The estimation of diversification rates is one of the most vividly debated topics in modern systematics, with considerable controversy surrounding the power of phylogenetic and fossil-based approaches in estimating extinction. Van Valen's seminal work from 1973 proposed the "Law of constant extinction," which states that the probability of extinction of taxa is not dependent on their age. This assumption of age-independent extinction has prevailed for decades with its assessment based on survivorship curves, which, however, do not directly account for the incompleteness of the fossil record, and have rarely been applied at the species level. Here, we present a Bayesian framework to estimate extinction rates from the fossil record accounting for age-dependent extinction (ADE). Our approach, unlike previous implementations, explicitly models unobserved species and accounts for the effects of fossil preservation on the observed longevity of sampled lineages. We assess the performance and robustness of our method through extensive simulations and apply it to a fossil data set of terrestrial Carnivora spanning the past 40 myr. We find strong evidence of ADE, as we detect the extinction rate to be highest in young species and declining with increasing species age. For comparison, we apply a recently developed analogous ADE model to a dated phylogeny of extant Carnivora. Although the phylogeny-based analysis also infers ADE, it indicates that the extinction rate, instead, increases with increasing taxon age. The estimated mean species longevity also differs substantially, with the fossil-based analyses estimating 2.0 myr, in contrast to 9.8 myr derived from the phylogeny-based inference. Scrutinizing these discrepancies, we find that both fossil and phylogeny-based ADE models are prone to high error rates when speciation and extinction rates increase or decrease through time. However, analyses of simulated and empirical data show that fossil-based inferences are more

Towards space based verification of CO2 emissions from strong localized sources: fossil fuel power plant emissions as seen by a CarbonSat constellation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Krings

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Carbon dioxide (CO2 is the most important man-made greenhouse gas (GHG that cause global warming. With electricity generation through fossil-fuel power plants now being the economic sector with the largest source of CO2, power plant emissions monitoring has become more important than ever in the fight against global warming. In a previous study done by Bovensmann et al. (2010, random and systematic errors of power plant CO2 emissions have been quantified using a single overpass from a proposed CarbonSat instrument. In this study, we quantify errors of power plant annual emission estimates from a hypothetical CarbonSat and constellations of several CarbonSats while taking into account that power plant CO2 emissions are time-dependent. Our focus is on estimating systematic errors arising from the sparse temporal sampling as well as random errors that are primarily dependent on wind speeds. We used hourly emissions data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA combined with assimilated and re-analyzed meteorological fields from the National Centers of Environmental Prediction (NCEP. CarbonSat orbits were simulated as a sun-synchronous low-earth orbiting satellite (LEO with an 828-km orbit height, local time ascending node (LTAN of 13:30 (01:30 p.m. LT and achieves global coverage after 5 days. We show, that despite the variability of the power plant emissions and the limited satellite overpasses, one CarbonSat has the potential to verify reported US annual CO2 emissions from large power plants (≥5 Mt CO2 yr−1 with a systematic error of less than ~4.9% and a random error of less than ~6.7% for 50% of all the power plants. For 90% of all the power plants, the systematic error was less than ~12.4% and the random error was less than ~13%. We additionally investigated two different satellite configurations using a combination of 5 CarbonSats. One achieves global coverage everyday but only samples the targets at fixed local times. The other

Fossil human remains from Bolomor Cave (Valencia, Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Arsuaga, Juan Luis; Fernández Peris, Josep; Gracia-Téllez, Ana; Quam, Rolf; Carretero, José Miguel; Barciela González, Virginia; Blasco, Ruth; Cuartero, Felipe; Sañudo, Pablo

2012-05-01

Systematic excavations carried out since 1989 at Bolomor Cave have led to the recovery of four Pleistocene human fossil remains, consisting of a fibular fragment, two isolated teeth, and a nearly complete adult parietal bone. All of these specimens date to the late Middle and early Late Pleistocene (MIS 7-5e). The fibular fragment shows thick cortical bone, an archaic feature found in non-modern (i.e. non-Homo sapiens) members of the genus Homo. Among the dental remains, the lack of a midtrigonid crest in the M(1) represents a departure from the morphology reported for the majority of Neandertal specimens, while the large dimensions and pronounced shoveling of the marginal ridges in the C(1) are similar to other European Middle and late Pleistocene fossils. The parietal bone is very thick, with dimensions that generally fall above Neandertal fossils and resemble more closely the Middle Pleistocene Atapuerca (SH) adult specimens. Based on the presence of archaic features, all the fossils from Bolomor are attributed to the Neandertal evolutionary lineage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New materials for boilers in USC power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Sung Ho; Hong, Seok Joo

2003-01-01

The efficiency of boiler in fossil power plants is a strong function of steam temperature and pressure. Thus, the main technology of increasing boiler efficiency is the development of stronger high temperature materials, capable of operating under high stresses at ever increasing temperature. This paper will presents the new material relating to boiler of USC power plant

ESR dating studies on fossil of elaphurus davidianus horn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shiming; Wang Hong; Tang Jingjuan; Yan Xiaomin; Guo Shiqing

1991-01-01

On the basis of studies on elephant tooth fossil, ESR dating of elaphurus davidianus horn fossil found in Anhui Province was reported. The sample examined by TEM electron spectrum is composed of hydroxyapatite. ESR experiments showed that the solid bone sample can be chosen as dating material. According to the contents of U, Th and K in the sample determined by ICP, the annual dose of radiation was calculated by using the linear uranium accumulation model and disequilibrium decay. The age of this fossil was determined to be 2.5 x 10 4 years

Fossil Energy Program annual progress report for April 1994 through March 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-06-01

This report covers progress made during the period April 1, 1994, through March 31, 1995, for research and development projects that contribute to the advancement of various fossil energy technologies. Projects on the Fossil Energy Program are supported by the DOE Office of Fossil Energy, and DOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center, the DOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, the DOE Fossil Energy Clean Coal Technology Program, the DOE Bartlesville Project Office, and the DOE Fossil Energy Office of Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The following research areas are covered in this report: Materials research and development; Environmental analysis support; Bioprocessing research; Coal combustion research; and Fossil fuels supplies modeling and research. Selected papers have been processed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science an Technology database.

DENINT power plant cost benefit analysis code: Analysis of methane fuelled power plant/district heating system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cincotti, V.; D'Andrea, A.

1989-07-01

The DENINT power plant cost benefit analysis code takes into consideration, not only power production costs at the generator terminals, but also, in the case of cogeneration, the costs of the fuel supply and heat and power distribution systems which depend greatly on the location of the plant. The code is able to allow comparisons of alternatives with varying annual operation hours, fuel cost increases, and different types of fossil fuels and production systems. For illustrative purposes, this paper examines two methane fired cogeneration plant/district heating alternatives

A continuum of research projects to improve extraction of oil and proteins in oilseed plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miquel Martine

2011-05-01

Full Text Available A key challenge in the actual context of fossil sources rarefaction, global warming, and of increase of the world global population, is to promote the use of molecules derived from renewable sources such as plants. Among these molecules, lipids and proteins are targets of interest. Plant lipids from oilseeds are attractive substitutes to the use of fossil oil. Till the beginning of the 20th century, numerous products used in the daily life were derived from natural renewable products. For instance, plant oil was commonly used as fuel for vehicles and was entering in the composition of paintings, lubricants etc. Unfortunately, natural oils have been progressively replaced by cheaper fossil oil in the fabrication of these products. Nowadays, fossil oils are becoming increasingly expensive being a finite comodity. It is thus important to reduce our dependence from fossil oil and develop substitution industries. Oilseeds contain important amounts of proteins which are mainly used in feed. As several kilograms of plant protein are needed to obtain one kilogram of animal protein, the interest toward using plant protein in food is reinforced. The developments of the use of plant lipids, as well as proteins are a major stakes for the competitiveness of European agriculture and industry, as well as for sustainable development. Extraction of oil and proteins from rapeseed has a significant cost, in term of energy and solvent uses, and finally affects the ultimate quality of the products (protein digestibility. In order to quantitatively extract seed reserves under mild conditions, it will be necessary to limit the amount of energy needed, and avoid any use of solvents. Ideally, seeds should be processed in a bio refinery. In this paper, we will describe how oilseeds store their reserves, and roadblocks for improving actual oilseed extraction processes. A continuum of research projects aimed at answering targeted questions will be presented, with selected

The Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement: An Ethical Dilemma for the Geosciences?

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, C. H.; Kammen, D. M.

2014-12-01

For over 200 years, fossil fuels have been the basis for an industrial revolution that has delivered a level of prosperity to modern society unimaginable during the previous 5000 years of human civilization. However, society's dependence on fossil fuels is coming to an end for two reasons. The first reason is because our fossil fuel reserves are running out, oil in this century, natural gas during the next century, and coal a few centuries later. The second reason is because fossil fuels are having a devastating impact on the habitability of our planet, disrupting our climate system and acidifying our oceans. So the question is not whether we will discontinue using fossil fuels, but rather whether we will stop using them before they do irreparable damage to the Earth's life-support systems. Within our geoscience community, climate scientists have determined that a majority of existing fossil fuel reserves must remain unburned if dangerous climate change and ocean acidification are to be avoided. In contrast, Exxon-Mobil, Shell, and other members of the fossil fuel industry are pursuing a business model that assumes all of their reserves will be burned and will not become stranded assets. Since the geosciences have had a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the fossil fuel industry, this inherent conflict between climate science and industrial interests presents an ethical dilemma for many geoscientists. This conflict is further heightened by the fossil fuel divestment movement, which is underway at over 400 college and university campuses around the world. This presentation will explore some of the ethical and financial issues being raised by the divestment movement from a geoscientist's perspective.

Availability of thermal power plants 1985-1994. 24. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitsch, D.; Schmitz, H.

1995-01-01

The survey in hand is the 24th statistical report in the series commenced in 1970. It covers the ten-year period from 1985 through 1994 and presents availability data of 349 power plants in Germany and abroad, representing approx. 99.000 MW and a total of 3.500 years of operating experience. Data are presented on fossil-fuel units, units with a combined gas/steam cycle, nuclear power plants, and gas turbines. The fossil-fuel units are broken down by unit size, years of operation, fuel, type of combustion (dry, melt), and design type (monoblock and duoblock, subcritical and supercritical systems). Nuclear power plants are arranged by type of reactor (PWR, BWR), unit size, and years of operation. Combined-cycle power plants are listed separately due to their various technical design concepts. The gas turbine data are arranged by years of operation. Apart from availability and utilisation data of gas turbines, there are data on event reliability and the number of successful or unsuccessful starts. In general, data for all plants and systems included are given first whenever appropriate, the data for the German plants following in second place. Performance data are gross values measured at generator terminals and, just as the number of plants, are end-of-the-year figures. (orig./GL) [de

Power plant cycle chemistry - a currently neglected power plant chemistry discipline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bursik, A.

2005-01-01

Power plant cycle chemistry seems to be a stepchild at both utilities and universities and research organizations. It is felt that other power plant chemistry disciplines are more important. The last International Power Cycle Chemistry Conference in Prague may be cited as an example. A critical review of the papers presented at this conference seems to confirm the above-mentioned statements. This situation is very unsatisfactory and has led to an increasing number of component failures and instances of damage to major cycle components. Optimization of cycle chemistry in fossil power plants undoubtedly results in clear benefits and savings with respect to operating costs. It should be kept in mind that many seemingly important chemistry-related issues lose their importance during forced outages of units practicing faulty plant cycle chemistry. (orig.)

Proceedings of the fourth annual conference on fossil energy materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Judkins, R.R.; Braski, D.N. (comps.)

1990-08-01

The Fourth Annual Conference on Fossil Energy Materials was held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on may 15--17, 1990. The meeting was sponsored by the US Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy through the Advanced Research and Technology Development (AR TD) Materials Program, and ASM International. The objective of the AR TD Materials Program is to conduct research and development on materials for longer-term fossil energy applications as well as for generic needs of various fossil fuel technologies. The work is divided into the following categories: (1) Ceramics, (2) New Alloys, (3) Corrosion and Erosion, and (4) Technology Assessment and Technology Transfer. Individual projects are processed separately for the data bases.

Cycle water chemistry based on film forming amines at power plants: evaluation of technical guidance documents

Science.gov (United States)

Dyachenko, F. V.; Petrova, T. I.

2017-11-01

Efficiency and reliability of the equipment in fossil power plants as well as in combined cycle power plants depend on the corrosion processes and deposit formation in steam/water circuit. In order to decrease these processes different water chemistries are used. Today the great attention is being attracted to the application of film forming amines and film forming amine products. The International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) consolidated the information from all over the World, and based on the research studies and operating experience of researchers and engineers from 21 countries, developed and authorized the Technical Guidance Document: “Application of Film Forming Amines in Fossil, Combined Cycle, and Biomass Power Plants” in 2016. This article describe Russian and International technical guidance documents for the cycle water chemistries based on film forming amines at fossil and combined cycle power plants.

Cost and prices of electricity. Fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy sources in comparison; Kosten und Preise fuer Strom. Fossile, Atomstrom und Erneuerbare Energien im Vergleich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muehlenhoff, Joerg

2011-09-15

Consumers of electricity pay for production, transport and distribution as well as for taxes and dues. Electricity rates depend on various influencing factors, e.g. different fuel and capital cost of the power plants and the ratio of supply and demand in the electricity stock markets. End user electricity rats also include taxes and dues as well as the cost of power transmission. The publication presents background information on the formation of electricity rates in Germany. In a second step, the different cost factors of fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewable energy sources are compared. In particular, the external cost is gone into which often tends to be neglected in the electricity markets.

Computer Program Application Study for Newly Constructed Fossil Power Plant Performance Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyun; Park, Jong Jeng [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1996-12-31

The power plant is affected in its availability and economy significantly by the equipment degraded gradually as operation continues, which makes it quite important to evaluate the plant performance more accurately and analyze its effects to the plant economy quantitatively. The methodology thereof includes many calculation steps and requires huge man hours and efforts but would produce relatively less precise results than desired. The object of the project first aims to figure out a methodology which can analyze numerically the inherent effects of each equipment on the cycle performance as well as its performance evaluation and which further helps to determine more reasonable investment for the effective plant economy. Another aspect of the project results in the implementation of the methodology which is embodied in the sophisticated computer programs based on the conventional personal computer with the interactive graphic user interface facilities. (author). 44 refs., figs.

Computer Program Application Study for Newly Constructed Fossil Power Plant Performance Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyun; Park, Jong Jeng [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-12-31

The power plant is affected in its availability and economy significantly by the equipment degraded gradually as operation continues, which makes it quite important to evaluate the plant performance more accurately and analyze its effects to the plant economy quantitatively. The methodology thereof includes many calculation steps and requires huge man hours and efforts but would produce relatively less precise results than desired. The object of the project first aims to figure out a methodology which can analyze numerically the inherent effects of each equipment on the cycle performance as well as its performance evaluation and which further helps to determine more reasonable investment for the effective plant economy. Another aspect of the project results in the implementation of the methodology which is embodied in the sophisticated computer programs based on the conventional personal computer with the interactive graphic user interface facilities. (author). 44 refs., figs.

A fossils detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buffetaut, E.

1998-01-01

Because fossil bones are often rich in uraninite they can be detected using a portable gamma-ray detector run over the prospected site. Zones with higher radioactivity are possible accumulations of bones or skeletons. This method invented by R. Jones from the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, USA) has been successfully used in the field and led to the discovery of new dinosaur skeletons. Short paper. (J.S.)

Fossil nutlets of Boraginaceae from the continental Eocene of Hamada of Méridja (southwestern Algeria): The first fossil of the Borage family in Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammouda, Sid Ahmed; Weigend, Maximilian; Mebrouk, Fateh; Chacón, Juliana; Bensalah, Mustapha; Ensikat, Hans-Jürgen; Adaci, Mohammed

2015-12-01

The Paleogene deposits of the Hamada of Méridja, southwestern Algeria, are currently dated as lower-to-middle Eocene in age based on fossil gastropods and charophytes. Here we report the presence of fruits that can be assigned to the Boraginaceae s.str., apparently representing the first fossil record for this family in Africa, shedding new light on the historical biogeography of this group. Microscopic studies of the fossil nutlets were carried out and compared to extant Boraginaceae nutlets, and to types reported in the literature for this family. The fossils are strikingly similar in general size and morphology, particularly in the finer details of the attachment scar and ornamentation, to nutlets of extant representatives of the Boraginaceae tribe Echiochileae, and especially the genus Ogastemma. We believe that these nutlets represent an extinct member of this lineage. The Ogastemma-like fossils indicate that the Echiochileae, which are most diverse in northern Africa and southwestern Asia, have a long history in this region, dating back to the Eocene. This tribe corresponds to the basal-most clade in Boraginaceae s.str., and the fossils described here agree well with an assumed African origin of the family and the Boraginales I, providing an important additional calibration point for dating the phylogenies of this clade. © 2015 Botanical Society of America.

RX J1548.9+0851, a fossil cluster?

Science.gov (United States)

Eigenthaler, P.; Zeilinger, W. W.

2012-04-01

Context. Fossil galaxy groups are spatially extended X-ray sources with X-ray luminosities above L{X, bol ≥ 1042 h50-2} erg s-1 and a central elliptical galaxy dominating the optical, the second-brightest galaxy being at least 2 mag fainter in the R band. Whether these systems are a distinct class of objects resulting from exceptional formation and evolution histories is still unclear, mainly due to the small number of objects studied so far, mostly lacking spectroscopy of group members for group membership confirmation and a detailed kinematical analysis. Aims: To complement the scarce sample of spectroscopically studied fossils down to their faint galaxy populations, the fossil candidate RX J1548.9+0851 (z = 0.072) is studied in this work. Our results are compared with existing data from fossils in the literature. Methods: We use ESO VLT VIMOS multi-object spectroscopy to determine redshifts of the faint galaxy population and study the luminosity-weighted dynamics and luminosity function of the system. The full-spectrum fitting package ULySS is used to determine ages and metallicities of group members. VIMOS imaging data are used to study the morphology of the central elliptical. Results: We identify 40 group members spectroscopically within the central 300 kpc of the system and find 31 additional redshifts from the literature, resulting in a total number of 54 spectroscopically confirmed group members within 1 Mpc. RX J1548.9+0851 is made up of two bright ellipticals in the central region with a magnitude gap of Δm1,2 = 1.34 in the SDSS r' band leaving the definition of RX J1548.9+0851 being a fossil to the assumption of the virial radius. We find a luminosity-weighted velocity dispersion of 568 km s-1 and a mass of 2.5 × 1014 M⊙ for the system confirming previous studies that revealed fossils to be massive. An average mass-to-light ratio of M/L 400 M⊙/L⊙ is derived from the SDSS g', r', and i' bands. The central elliptical is well-fitted by a pure de

Energy analysis of nuclear power plants and their fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Held, C.; Moraw, G.; Schneeberger, M.; Szeless, A.

1977-01-01

Energy analysis has become an increasingly feasible and practical additional method for evaluating the engineering, economic and environmental aspects of power producing systems. Energy analysis compares total direct and indirect energy investment into construction and operation of power plants with their lifetime energy output. Statically we have applied this method to nuclear power producing sytems and their fuel cycles. Results were adapted to countries with various levels of industrialization and resources. With dynamic energy analysis different scenarios have been investigated. For comparison purposes fossil fueled and solar power plants have also been analyzed. By static evaluation it has been shown that for all types of power plants the energy investment for construction is shortly after plant startup being repaid by energy output. Static analyses of nuclear and fossil fuels have indicated values of fuel concentrations below which more energy is required for their utilization than can be obtained from the plants they fuel. In a further step these global results were specifically modified to the economic situations of countries with various levels of industrialization. Also the influence of energy imports upon energy analysis has been discussed. By dynamic energy analyses the cumulative energy requirements for specific power plant construction programs have been compared with their total energy output. Investigations of this sort are extremely valuable not only for economic reasons but especially for their usefulness in showing the advantages and disadvantages of a specific power program with respect to its alternatives. Naturally the impact of these investigations on the fuel requirements is of importance especially because of the today so often cited ''valuable cumulated fossil fuel savings''

Clustering fossils in solid inflation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akhshik, Mohammad, E-mail: m.akhshik@ipm.ir [Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-05-01

In solid inflation the single field non-Gaussianity consistency condition is violated. As a result, the long tenor perturbation induces observable clustering fossils in the form of quadrupole anisotropy in large scale structure power spectrum. In this work we revisit the bispectrum analysis for the scalar-scalar-scalar and tensor-scalar-scalar bispectrum for the general parameter space of solid. We consider the parameter space of the model in which the level of non-Gaussianity generated is consistent with the Planck constraints. Specializing to this allowed range of model parameter we calculate the quadrupole anisotropy induced from the long tensor perturbations on the power spectrum of the scalar perturbations. We argue that the imprints of clustering fossil from primordial gravitational waves on large scale structures can be detected from the future galaxy surveys.

Emissions Scenarios and Fossil-fuel Peaking

Science.gov (United States)

Brecha, R.

2008-12-01

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emissions scenarios are based on detailed energy system models in which demographics, technology and economics are used to generate projections of future world energy consumption, and therefore, of greenhouse gas emissions. Built into the assumptions for these scenarios are estimates for ultimately recoverable resources of various fossil fuels. There is a growing chorus of critics who believe that the true extent of recoverable fossil resources is much smaller than the amounts taken as a baseline for the IPCC scenarios. In a climate optimist camp are those who contend that "peak oil" will lead to a switch to renewable energy sources, while others point out that high prices for oil caused by supply limitations could very well lead to a transition to liquid fuels that actually increase total carbon emissions. We examine a third scenario in which high energy prices, which are correlated with increasing infrastructure, exploration and development costs, conspire to limit the potential for making a switch to coal or natural gas for liquid fuels. In addition, the same increasing costs limit the potential for expansion of tar sand and shale oil recovery. In our qualitative model of the energy system, backed by data from short- and medium-term trends, we have a useful way to gain a sense of potential carbon emission bounds. A bound for 21st century emissions is investigated based on two assumptions: first, that extractable fossil-fuel resources follow the trends assumed by "peak oil" adherents, and second, that little is done in the way of climate mitigation policies. If resources, and perhaps more importantly, extraction rates, of fossil fuels are limited compared to assumptions in the emissions scenarios, a situation can arise in which emissions are supply-driven. However, we show that even in this "peak fossil-fuel" limit, carbon emissions are high enough to surpass 550 ppm or 2°C climate protection guardrails. Some

Cost and quality of fuels for electric utility plants 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

Data for 1991 and 1990 receipts and costs for fossil fuels discussed in the Executive Summary are displayed in Tables ES1 through ES7. These data are for electric generating plants with a total steam-electric and combined-cycle nameplate capacity of 50 or more megawatts. Data presented in the Executive Summary on generation, consumption, and stocks of fossil fuels at electric utilities are based on data collected on the Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-759, ''Monthly Power Plant Report.'' These data cover all electric generating plants. The average delivered cost of coal, petroleum, and gas each decreased in 1991 from 1990 levels. Overall, the average annual cost of fossil fuels delivered to electric utilities in 1991 was $1.60 per million Btu, a decrease of $0.09 per million Btu from 1990. This was the lowest average annual cost since 1978 and was the result of the abundant supply of coal, petroleum, and gas available to electric utilities. US net generation of electricity by all electric utilities in 1991 increased by less than I percent--the smallest increase since the decline that occurred in 1982.3 Coal and gas-fired steam net generation, each, decreased by less than I percent and petroleum-fired steam net generation by nearly 5 percent. Nuclear-powered net generation, however, increased by 6 percent. Fossil fuels accounted for 68 percent of all generation; nuclear, 22 percent; and hydroelectric, 10 percent. Sales of electricity to ultimate consumers in 1991 were 2 percent higher than during 1990

Fossil fuels in the 21st century.

Science.gov (United States)

Lincoln, Stephen F

2005-12-01

An overview of the importance of fossil fuels in supplying the energy requirements of the 21st century, their future supply, and the impact of their use on global climate is presented. Current and potential alternative energy sources are considered. It is concluded that even with substantial increases in energy derived from other sources, fossil fuels will remain a major energy source for much of the 21st century and the sequestration of CO2 will be an increasingly important requirement.

Development of concepts for a zero-fossil-energy greenhouse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ooster, A. van 't; Henten, E.J. van; Janssen, E.G.O.N.; Bot, G.P.A.; Dekker, E.

2008-01-01

Dutch government and greenhouse horticultural practice aim for strongly reduced fossil energy use and of environmental loads in 2010 and energy neutral greenhouses in 2020. This research aims to design a greenhouse concept with minimal use of fossil energy and independent of nearby greenhouses. The

Material flow analysis of fossil fuels in China during 2000-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sheng; Dai, Jing; Su, Meirong

2012-01-01

Since the relationship between the supply and demand of fossil fuels is on edge in the long run, the contradiction between the economic growth and limited resources will hinder the sustainable development of the Chinese society. This paper aims to analyze the input of fossil fuels in China during 2000-2010 via the material flow analysis (MFA) that takes hidden flows into account. With coal, oil, and natural gas quantified by MFA, three indexes, consumption and supply ratio (C/S ratio), resource consumption intensity (RCI), and fossil fuels productivity (FFP), are proposed to reflect the interactions between population, GDP, and fossil fuels. The results indicated that in the past 11 years, China's requirement for fossil fuels has been increasing continuously because of the growing mine productivity in domestic areas, which also leads to a single energy consumption structure as well as excessive dependence on the domestic exploitation. It is advisable to control the fossil fuels consumption by energy recycling and new energy facilities' popularization in order to lead a sustainable access to nonrenewable resources and decrease the soaring carbon emissions.

An econometrics view of worldwide fossil fuel consumption and the role of US

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafiee, Shahriar; Topal, Erkan

2008-01-01

Crude oil, coal and gas, known as fossil fuels, play a crucial role in the global economy. This paper proposes new econometrics modelling to demonstrate the trend of fossil fuels consumption. The main variables affecting consumption trends are: world reserves, the price of fossil fuels, US production and US net imports. All variables have been analysed individually for more than half a century. The research found that while the consumption of fossil fuels worldwide has increased trends in the US production and net imports have been dependent on the type of fossil fuels. Most of the US coal and gas production has been for domestic use, which is why it does not have a strong influence on worldwide fossil fuel prices. Moreover, the reserves of fossil fuels have not shown any diminution during the last couple of decades and predictions that they were about to run out are not substantiated. The nominal and real price of fossil fuels was found to change depending on the type. Finally, estimates of three econometric models for the consumption of fossil fuels from 1949 to 2006 are presented which identify the effects of significant variables

Partially incorrect fossil data augment analyses of discrete trait evolution in living species.

Science.gov (United States)

Puttick, Mark N

2016-08-01

Ancestral state reconstruction of discrete character traits is often vital when attempting to understand the origins and homology of traits in living species. The addition of fossils has been shown to alter our understanding of trait evolution in extant taxa, but researchers may avoid using fossils alongside extant species if only few are known, or if the designation of the trait of interest is uncertain. Here, I investigate the impacts of fossils and incorrectly coded fossils in the ancestral state reconstruction of discrete morphological characters under a likelihood model. Under simulated phylogenies and data, likelihood-based models are generally accurate when estimating ancestral node values. Analyses with combined fossil and extant data always outperform analyses with extant species alone, even when around one quarter of the fossil information is incorrect. These results are especially pronounced when model assumptions are violated, such as when there is a trend away from the root value. Fossil data are of particular importance when attempting to estimate the root node character state. Attempts should be made to include fossils in analysis of discrete traits under likelihood, even if there is uncertainty in the fossil trait data. © 2016 The Authors.

PLANTS, SOURCE FOR BIOFUELS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Ramona PECINGINĂ

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The most affordable alternative energy sources to fossil plants with hydropower are some oils that accumulate in different organs other accumulating carbohydrates with high energy value. They are known worldwide and cultivated a number of plant species entering the oilseeds, which provides significant production of edible oil (soybean, sunflower, etc. Vegetable oils or their product derived biodiesel fuels are potential diesel engines, representing an alternative to fuels. The most promising suitable for the production of oil crops "with short circuit "or biodiesel are fruits and seeds, both herbaceous and tree.

Functional groups of fossil marattialeans: Chemotaxonomic implications for Pennsylvanian tree ferns and pteridophylls

Science.gov (United States)

Psenicka, J.; Zodrow, E.L.; Mastalerz, Maria; Bek, J.

2005-01-01

Marattialean-fossil foliage, assigned to Pecopteris Brongniart, was an important and widespread floral component in Late Pennsylvanian mires, with phylogenetic affinity to extant marattialean taxa in tropical regions. Marattialean fossil taxonomy is, however, still uncertain. Specimens from the Pilsen limnic Basin, Westphalian D, Czech Republic, represent fertile marattialean foliage of Pecopteris (Asterotheca) nyranensis and Pecopteris (Asterotheca) miltonii, and sterile foliage of Pecopteris aspidioides and Pecopteris polypodioides. Taxonomic parameters for their assignments included cuticle, stomatal morphologies (studied for the first time), and in situ reproductive organs and spores. Chemotaxonomic interpretations hinge on fidelity of preservation of compounds, or molecular fragments thereof, that were synthesized by the once-living plants. This preservation state was possibly due to the thermal history (maximum temperature of 130 ??C) in the Pilsen Basin, acidic preservation conditions, lithology and facies stability. Although subtle, the four pecopterid species are differentiable from one another by combined FTIR characteristics, supporting taxonomy. The ratio of CH2/CH3 is hypothesized to be a chemotaxonomic parameter for Pennsylvanian pteridophylls, both in seed and true ferns that have previously been studied. It will, however, be supplemented by additional biochemical markers. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural biomacromolecules in plants : what can be learnt from the fossil record?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Bergen, P.F. van; Blokker, P.; Collinson, M.E.

2003-01-01

The invasion of the land by plants may have forced the evolution of specific physiological adaptation to survive this hostile new environment. Two of the main problems plants had to overcome included an increase in the levels of UV radiation and water loss or desiccation. Studying the resistant

Three Essays on Renewable Energy Policy and its Effects on Fossil Fuel Generation in Electricity Markets

Science.gov (United States)

Bowen, Eric

In this dissertation, I investigate the effectiveness of renewable policies and consider their impact on electricity markets. The common thread of this research is to understand how renewable policy incentivizes renewable generation and how the increasing share of generation from renewables affects generation from fossil fuels. This type of research is crucial for understanding whether policies to promote renewables are meeting their stated goals and what the unintended effects might be. To this end, I use econometric methods to examine how electricity markets are responding to an influx of renewable energy. My dissertation is composed of three interrelated essays. In Chapter 1, I employ recent scholarship in spatial econometrics to assess the spatial dependence of Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), a prominent state-based renewable incentive. In Chapter 2, I explore the impact of the rapid rise in renewable generation on short-run generation from fossil fuels. And in Chapter 3, I assess the impact of renewable penetration on coal plant retirement decisions.

Potential of renewable energy in large fossil-fuelled boilers; Potential erneuerbarer Energien in groesseren fossilen Feuerungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dettli, R.; Baur, M.; Philippen, D. [Econcept AG, Zuerich (Switzerland); Kernen, M. [Planair SA, La Sagne (Switzerland)

2007-01-15

This comprehensive final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the findings of a project that examined large heat generation systems used in Switzerland for the supply of heating services to several buildings via small and large district heating systems. Focus is placed on those using fossil fuels and the potential of using combined heat and power plants and renewable forms of energy such as heat-pumps and boilers fired with wood-chippings. The study was also extended to other large-scale, fossil-fuelled heating installations. The report discusses the setting up of a data base, the assessment of the potentials for fuel substitution, the economic viability of wood-fired systems and heat-pumps and the analysis of various factors that can obstruct the use of systems employing renewable forms of energy. Around 20 owners of large installations were interviewed on the subject. Strategic planning, studies, putting to tender, realisation and operation aspects are reviewed.

Mineralogy of Non-Silicified Fossil Wood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George E. Mustoe

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The best-known and most-studied petrified wood specimens are those that are mineralized with polymorphs of silica: opal-A, opal-C, chalcedony, and quartz. Less familiar are fossil woods preserved with non-silica minerals. This report reviews discoveries of woods mineralized with calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, various iron and copper minerals, manganese oxide, fluorite, barite, natrolite, and smectite clay. Regardless of composition, the processes of mineralization involve the same factors: availability of dissolved elements, pH, Eh, and burial temperature. Permeability of the wood and anatomical features also plays important roles in determining mineralization. When precipitation occurs in several episodes, fossil wood may have complex mineralogy.

Analysis of near optimum design for small and medium size nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, A.A.

1977-01-01

Market surveys in recent years have shown that a significant market would exist among the developing nations of the world for nuclear power plants that would be classified as small to medium sized, provided that these small plants could produce electricity at a unit price comparable to that of equivalent sized fossil fired plants. Nuclear plants in the range of 100 MWe to 500 MWe would fit more effectively into the relatively smaller grids of most developing nations than would the 900 MWe to 1300 MWe units now being constructed in the large industrial nations. Worldwide re-evaluation of the worth of fossil fuels has prompted a re-examination of the competitive position of small to medium sized nuclear generating units compared to comparable fossil fired units, especially in the context of units specifically optimized for the size range of interest, rather than of designs that are simply scaled down versions of the currently available larger units. Since the absolute cost of electricity is more sensitive to external factors such as cost of money, national inflation rate and time required for licensing and construction than to details of design or perhaps even to choice of fuels, and since the cost of electricity generated in small to medium sized fossil fired units is periodically compared to that of scaled down versions of conventional large nuclear units, the point of view taken here is one of comparing the relative generating costs of smaller nuclear units of optimum design with the corresponding costs of scaled down versions of current large nuclear generating units

Education Program on Fossil Resources Including Coal

Science.gov (United States)

Usami, Masahiro

Fossil fuels including coal play a key role as crucial energies in contributing to economic development in Asia. On the other hand, its limited quantity and the environmental problems causing from its usage have become a serious global issue and a countermeasure to solve such problems is very much demanded. Along with the pursuit of sustainable development, environmentally-friendly use of highly efficient fossil resources should be therefore, accompanied. Kyushu-university‧s sophisticated research through long years of accumulated experience on the fossil resources and environmental sectors together with the advanced large-scale commercial and empirical equipments will enable us to foster cooperative research and provide internship program for the future researchers. Then, this program is executed as a consignment business from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry from 2007 fiscal year to 2009 fiscal year. The lecture that uses the textbooks developed by this program is scheduled to be started a course in fiscal year 2010.

CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN JAPAN: A MULTIVARIATE APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazuki Ishida

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper explores whether Japanese economy can continue to grow without extensive dependence on fossil fuels. The paper conducts time series analysis using a multivariate model of fossil fuels, non-fossil energy, labor, stock and GDP to investigate the relationship between fossil fuel consumption and economic growth in Japan. The results of cointegration tests indicate long-run relationships among the variables. Using a vector error-correction model, the study reveals bidirectional causality between fossil fuels and GDP. The results also show that there is no causal relationship between non-fossil energy and GDP. The results of cointegration analysis, Granger causality tests, and variance decomposition analysis imply that non-fossil energy may not necessarily be able to play the role of fossil fuels. Japan cannot seem to realize both continuous economic growth and the departure from dependence on fossil fuels. Hence, growth-oriented macroeconomic policies should be re-examined.

Do fossil vertebrate biominerals hold the key to the Palaeozoic climate?

Science.gov (United States)

Žigaitė, Ž.

2012-04-01

Fossil vertebrate hard tissues - teeth and dermoskeleton - are considered among the most geochemically stable biominerals, and therefore are widely used for palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstructions. Elemental and isotopic compositions of fossil dental tissues may provide unique palaeoenvironmental information, ranging from the diet and trophic positions on a food chain, to the palaeosalinity and water temperatures of ancient seas. However, the post-mortem alteration and re-crystallisation of fossil hard tissues may hamper these interpretations. Chemical composition and isotopic equilibrium of the biomineral change readily at any time from the earliest diagenesis to the final laboratory acid treatment during the fossil preparation. This is why particular attention shall be given to the preservation of fossil tissues, evaluating carefully the level of possible alteration in the primary geochemical composition. Pre-evaluation of fossil preservation can be made by semi-quantitative spot geochemistry analyses on fine polished teeth and scale thin sections using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and help to preview the chemical composition of biomineral. The Electron Backscatter Diffractometry (EBSD) is useful to examine the cristallinity and possible structural alterations. In addition, rare earth element (REE) abundances can be measured in situ within the fine fossil tissues (such as enamel) using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass-spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), giving evidence on the selective geochemical resilience between separate vertebrate hard tissues. Therefore, in order to decipher the geochemical signal correctly, the evaluation of preservation is a necessary starting point to any further studies of fossil biomineral geochemistry.

Microalgal and terrestrial transport biofuels to displace fossil fuels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reijnders, L.

2009-01-01

Terrestrial transport biofuels differ in their ability to replace fossil fuels. When both the conversion of solar energy into biomass and the life cycle inputs of fossil fuels are considered, ethanol from sugarcane and biodiesel from palm oil do relatively well, if compared with ethanol from corn,

SOLAR POWER PLANTS IN THE EU. AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY ENGINE FOR THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mircea SAVEANU

2014-10-01

Full Text Available We establish that the European Union is facing severe ecological problems, by analysing the ecological footprint of selected member states. Many of these problems are related to carbon and carbon equivalent emissions, some of which are generated by fossil fuel power plants. It is then shown that the European Union has potential in the solar power renewable energy sector. Finally, we calculate roughly how much land would be necessary in order to replace fossil fuel power plants, as well as nuclear plants, which are largely seen as environmentally dangerous. It is concluded that developing this alternative energy sector would help improve the ecological sustainability of the Union, by diminishing a significant part of its carbon footprint.

Fossil micro-organisms evidenced by electronic microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prashnowsky, A.A.; Oberlies, F.; Burger, K.

1983-04-01

Fossil microorganisms in colonies and in the form of isolated cells (iron bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes etc.) were detected by electron microscopy of rocks containing remains of plant roots, carbonaceous substance, and strata of clay iron stone with ooids. These findings suggest an environment favourable to bacterial activity during sedimentation in the Upper Carboniferous and during the later processes of peat and coal formation. They also suggest that bacterial processes are an important factor in coal formation. Accurate data on coal formation can only be obtained by systematic biochemical studies. Analyses of the defined organic substances provide a better understanding of the conversion processes of the original substances. For example, the results of sterine analysis provide information on the mycoplancton, phytoplancton and zooplancton of the Upper Carboniferous. For some types of rock, the ratio of saponifiable to non-saponifiable constituents of the organic compounds yield information on stability under various geochemical conditions. The interactions between the various groups of microorganisms also play a major role in the solution of ecological problems.

Testing New Proxies for Photosymbiosis in the Fossil Record

Science.gov (United States)

Tornabene, C.; Martindale, R. C.; Schaller, M. F.

2015-12-01

Photosymbiosis is a mutualistic relationship that many corals have developed with dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae. The dinoflagellates, of the genus Symbiodinium, photosynthesize and provide corals with most of their energy, while in turn coral hosts live in waters where zooxanthellae have optimal exposure to sunlight. Thanks to this relationship, symbiotic corals calcify faster than non-symbiotic corals. Photosymbiosis is therefore considered the evolutionary innovation that allowed corals to become major reef-builders through geological time.This relationship is extremely difficult to study. Zooxanthellae, which are housed in the coral tissue, are not preserved in fossil coral skeletons, thus determining whether corals had symbionts requires a robust proxy. In order to address this critical question, the goal of this research is to test new proxies for ancient photosymbiosis. Currently the project is focused on assessing the nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes of corals' organic matrices, sensu Muscatine et al. (2005), as well as carbon and oxygen (δ13C, δ18O) isotopes of fossil coral skeletons. Samples from Modern, Pleistocene, Oligocene and Triassic coral skeletons were analyzed to test the validity of these proxies. Coral samples comprise both (interpreted) symbiotic and non-symbiotic fossil corals from the Oligocene and Triassic as well as symbiotic fossil corals from the Modern and Pleistocene to corroborate our findings with the results of Muscatine et al. (2005). Samples were tested for diagenesis through petrographic and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses to avoid contamination. Additionally, a novel technique that has not yet been applied to the fossil record was tested. The technique aims to recognize dinosterol, a dinoflagellate biomarker, in both modern and fossil coral samples. The premise of this proxy is that symbiotic corals should contain the dinoflagellate biomarker, whereas those lacking symbionts should lack dinosterol. Results from this

Environmental damage caused by fossil fuels consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbir, F.; Veziroglu, T.N.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that the objectives of this study is to identify the negative effects of the fossil fuels use and to evaluate their economic significance. An economic value of the damage for each of the analyzed effects has been estimated in US dollars per unit energy of the fuel used ($/GJ). This external costs of fossil fuel use should be added to their existing market price, and such real costs should be compared with the real costs of other, environmentally acceptable, energy alternatives, such as hydrogen

Divesting from Fossil Fuels Makes Sense Morally… and Financially

Science.gov (United States)

Cleveland, Cutler J.; Reibstein, Richard

2015-01-01

Should university endowments divest from fossil fuels? A public discussion of this question has seen some university presidents issuing statements that they would not divest--that investments should not be used for "political action." Many universities hold large endowments that have significant positions in fossil fuel companies or…

Fossil butterflies, calibration points and the molecular clock (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea).

Science.gov (United States)

Jong, Rienk DE

2017-05-25

Fossil butterflies are extremely rare. Yet, they are the only direct evidence of the first appearance of particular characters and as such, they are crucial for calibrating a molecular clock, from which divergence ages are estimated. In turn, these estimates, in combination with paleogeographic information, are most important in paleobiogeographic considerations. The key issue here is the correct allocation of fossils on the phylogenetic tree from which the molecular clock is calibrated.The allocation of a fossil on a tree should be based on an apomorphic character found in a tree based on extant species, similar to the allocation of a new extant species. In practice, the latter is not done, at least not explicitly, on the basis of apomorphy, but rather on overall similarity or on a phylogenetic analysis, which is not possible for most butterfly fossils since they usually are very fragmentary. Characters most often preserved are in the venation of the wings. Therefore, special attention is given to possible apomorphies in venational characters in extant butterflies. For estimation of divergence times, not only the correct allocation of the fossil on the tree is important, but also the tree itself influences the outcome as well as the correct determination of the age of the fossil. These three aspects are discussed.        All known butterfly fossils, consisting of 49 taxa, are critically reviewed and their relationship to extant taxa is discussed as an aid for correctly calibrating a molecular clock for papilionoid Lepidoptera. In this context some aspects of age estimation and biogeographic conclusions are briefly mentioned in review. Specific information has been summarized in four appendices.

Fossil energy research meeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kropschot, R. H.; Phillips, G. C.

1977-12-01

U.S. ERDA's research programs in fossil energy are reviewed with brief descriptions, budgets, etc. Of general interest are discussions related to the capabilities for such research of national laboratories, universities, energy centers, etc. Of necessity many items are treated briefly, but a general overview of the whole program is provided. (LTN)

Development of Nuclear Renewable Oil Shale Systems for Flexible Electricity and Reduced Fossil Fuel Emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daniel Curtis; Charles Forsberg; Humberto Garcia

2015-05-01

We propose the development of Nuclear Renewable Oil Shale Systems (NROSS) in northern Europe, China, and the western United States to provide large supplies of flexible, dispatchable, very-low-carbon electricity and fossil fuel production with reduced CO2 emissions. NROSS are a class of large hybrid energy systems in which base-load nuclear reactors provide the primary energy used to produce shale oil from kerogen deposits and simultaneously provide flexible, dispatchable, very-low-carbon electricity to the grid. Kerogen is solid organic matter trapped in sedimentary shale, and large reserves of this resource, called oil shale, are found in northern Europe, China, and the western United States. NROSS couples electricity generation and transportation fuel production in a single operation, reduces lifecycle carbon emissions from the fuel produced, improves revenue for the nuclear plant, and enables a major shift toward a very-low-carbon electricity grid. NROSS will require a significant development effort in the United States, where kerogen resources have never been developed on a large scale. In Europe, however, nuclear plants have been used for process heat delivery (district heating), and kerogen use is familiar in certain countries. Europe, China, and the United States all have the opportunity to use large scale NROSS development to enable major growth in renewable generation and either substantially reduce or eliminate their dependence on foreign fossil fuel supplies, accelerating their transitions to cleaner, more efficient, and more reliable energy systems.

Influence of fossil energy applications on environmental pollution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balat, M.; Ayar, G.; Oguzhan, C.; Uluduz, H.; Faiz, U. [University of Mahallesi, Trabzon (Turkey)

2007-07-01

The aim of this work is to investigate influence of fossil energy applications on the environmental pollution. Turkey's high rate of economic growth experienced during much of the 1990s, besides resulting in booming industrial production, also led to higher levels of energy consumption, imports, air and water pollution, and greater risks to the country's environment. Air pollution is a major problem in Turkey, with key pollutants including sulfur dioxide, suspended particulates, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide. In Turkey, carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels totaled about 50.07 million tons in 2001. However, fuel share of carbon emissions in 2001 was oil 44.2%, coal 38.8%, and natural gas 16.9%. Total carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are expected to be 104 million tons in 2025.

Environmental impact due to nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kellermann, O.; Balfanz, H.P.

1975-01-01

The environmental impact due to nuclear power plants is smaller than that due to fossil-fired power plants. The risks of the nuclear power plant operation are determined by the quantity and the probability of the release of radioactive materials. According to the value, the risks of normal operation can be compared to the accident risks. An attempt should be made to effectively reduce the remaining risk at unfavourable sites with the emphasis on accidents with larger effects than design basis accidents. (orig./LH) [de

Early vascular plants in the Czech Republic

OpenAIRE

Uhlířová, Monika

2017-01-01

Vascular plants are characterized as a group of plants, which are already fully adapted to live on the land. Their evolution is a result of a set of adaptations that have required the necessary changes at anatomical and morphological level. Some evidences about the rise of vascular plants appear in the fossil record from the Middle Ordovician in the form of spores and later also from the Early Silurian in the form of megafossils. The aim of the thesis is to briefly describe and discuss the mo...

Testing the molecular clock using mechanistic models of fossil preservation and molecular evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Warnock, Rachel C M; Yang, Ziheng; Donoghue, Philip C J

2017-06-28

Molecular sequence data provide information about relative times only, and fossil-based age constraints are the ultimate source of information about absolute times in molecular clock dating analyses. Thus, fossil calibrations are critical to molecular clock dating, but competing methods are difficult to evaluate empirically because the true evolutionary time scale is never known. Here, we combine mechanistic models of fossil preservation and sequence evolution in simulations to evaluate different approaches to constructing fossil calibrations and their impact on Bayesian molecular clock dating, and the relative impact of fossil versus molecular sampling. We show that divergence time estimation is impacted by the model of fossil preservation, sampling intensity and tree shape. The addition of sequence data may improve molecular clock estimates, but accuracy and precision is dominated by the quality of the fossil calibrations. Posterior means and medians are poor representatives of true divergence times; posterior intervals provide a much more accurate estimate of divergence times, though they may be wide and often do not have high coverage probability. Our results highlight the importance of increased fossil sampling and improved statistical approaches to generating calibrations, which should incorporate the non-uniform nature of ecological and temporal fossil species distributions. © 2017 The Authors.

A synthesis of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel combustion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andres, R.J.; Boden, T.A.; Bréon, F.-M.

2012-01-01

This synthesis discusses the emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel combustion and cement production. While much is known about these emissions, there is still much that is unknown about the details surrounding these emissions. This synthesis explores our knowledge of these emissions in terms......; and the uncertainties associated with these different aspects of the emissions. The magnitude of emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels has been almost continuously increasing with time since fossil fuels were first used by humans. Despite events in some nations specifically designed to reduce emissions......, or which have had emissions reduction as a byproduct of other events, global total emissions continue their general increase with time. Global total fossilfuel carbon dioxide emissions are known to within 10% uncertainty (95% confidence interval). Uncertainty on individual national total fossil-fuel carbon...

Model-based Fuel Flow Control for Fossil-fired Power Plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niemczyk, Piotr

2010-01-01

-fired power plants represent the largest reserve of such controllable power sources in several countries. However, their production take-up rates are limited, mainly due to poor fuel flow control. The thesis presents analysis of difficulties and potential improvements in the control of the coal grinding...

Atmospheric benzenoid emissions from plants rival those from fossil fuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Misztal, P K; Hewitt, C N; Wildt, J; Blande, J D; Eller, A S D; Fares, S; Gentner, D R; Gilman, J B; Graus, M; Greenberg, J; Guenther, A B; Hansel, A; Harley, P; Huang, M; Jardine, K; Karl, T; Kaser, L; Keutsch, F N; Kiendler-Scharr, A; Kleist, E; Lerner, B M; Li, T; Mak, J; Nölscher, A C; Schnitzhofer, R; Sinha, V; Thornton, B; Warneke, C; Wegener, F; Werner, C; Williams, J; Worton, D R; Yassaa, N; Goldstein, A H

2015-07-13

Despite the known biochemical production of a range of aromatic compounds by plants and the presence of benzenoids in floral scents, the emissions of only a few benzenoid compounds have been reported from the biosphere to the atmosphere. Here, using evidence from measurements at aircraft, ecosystem, tree, branch and leaf scales, with complementary isotopic labeling experiments, we show that vegetation (leaves, flowers, and phytoplankton) emits a wide variety of benzenoid compounds to the atmosphere at substantial rates. Controlled environment experiments show that plants are able to alter their metabolism to produce and release many benzenoids under stress conditions. The functions of these compounds remain unclear but may be related to chemical communication and protection against stress. We estimate the total global secondary organic aerosol potential from biogenic benzenoids to be similar to that from anthropogenic benzenoids (~10 Tg y(-1)), pointing to the importance of these natural emissions in atmospheric physics and chemistry.

The phylogeny of fossil whip spiders.

Science.gov (United States)

Garwood, Russell J; Dunlop, Jason A; Knecht, Brian J; Hegna, Thomas A

2017-04-21

Arachnids are a highly successful group of land-dwelling arthropods. They are major contributors to modern terrestrial ecosystems, and have a deep evolutionary history. Whip spiders (Arachnida, Amblypygi), are one of the smaller arachnid orders with ca. 190 living species. Here we restudy one of the oldest fossil representatives of the group, Graeophonus anglicus Pocock, 1911 from the Late Carboniferous (Duckmantian, ca. 315 Ma) British Middle Coal Measures of the West Midlands, UK. Using X-ray microtomography, our principal aim was to resolve details of the limbs and mouthparts which would allow us to test whether this fossil belongs in the extant, relict family Paracharontidae; represented today by a single, blind species Paracharon caecus Hansen, 1921. Tomography reveals several novel and significant character states for G. anglicus; most notably in the chelicerae, pedipalps and walking legs. These allowed it to be scored into a phylogenetic analysis together with the recently described Paracharonopsis cambayensis Engel & Grimaldi, 2014 from the Eocene (ca. 52 Ma) Cambay amber, and Kronocharon prendinii Engel & Grimaldi, 2014 from Cretaceous (ca. 99 Ma) Burmese amber. We recovered relationships of the form ((Graeophonus (Paracharonopsis + Paracharon)) + (Charinus (Stygophrynus (Kronocharon (Charon (Musicodamon + Paraphrynus)))))). This tree largely reflects Peter Weygoldt's 1996 classification with its basic split into Paleoamblypygi and Euamblypygi lineages; we were able to score several of his characters for the first time in fossils. Our analysis draws into question the monophyly of the family Charontidae. Our data suggest that Graeophonus is a crown group amblypygid, and falls within a monophyletic Paleoamblypgi clade, but outside the family Paracharontidae (= Paracharonopsis + Paracharon). Our results also suggest a new placement for the Burmese amber genus Kronocharon, a node further down from its original position. Overall, we offer a

The late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil record of eastern Asia: synthesis and review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Christopher J

2010-01-01

Traditionally, Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils that cannot be allocated to Homo erectus sensu lato or modern H. sapiens have been assigned to different specific taxa. For example, in eastern Asia, these hominin fossils have been classified as archaic, early, or premodern H. sapiens. An increasing number of Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils are currently being assigned to H. heidelbergensis. This is particularly the case for the African and European Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil record. There have been suggestions that perhaps the eastern Asian late Middle Pleistocene hominins can also be allocated to the H. heidelbergensis hypodigm. In this article, I review the current state of the late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil record from eastern Asia and examine the various arguments for assigning these hominins to the different specific taxa. The two primary conclusions drawn from this review are as follows: 1) little evidence currently exists in the eastern Asian Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil record to support their assignment to H. heidelbergensis; and 2) rather than add to the growing list of hominin fossil taxa by using taxonomic names like H. daliensis for northeast Asian fossils and H. mabaensis for Southeast Asian fossils, it is better to err on the side of caution and continue to use the term archaic H. sapiens to represent all of these hominin fossils. What should be evident from this review is the need for an increase in the quality and quantity of the eastern Asian hominin fossil data set. Fortunately, with the increasing number of large-scale multidisciplinary paleoanthropological field and laboratory research projects in eastern Asia, the record is quickly becoming better understood. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Improving large-scale groundwater models by considering fossil gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Stephan; Walther, Marc; Michelsen, Nils; Rausch, Randolf; Dirks, Heiko; Al-Saud, Mohammed; Merz, Ralf; Kolditz, Olaf; Schüth, Christoph

2017-05-01

Due to limited availability of surface water, many arid to semi-arid countries rely on their groundwater resources. Despite the quasi-absence of present day replenishment, some of these groundwater bodies contain large amounts of water, which was recharged during pluvial periods of the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene. These mostly fossil, non-renewable resources require different management schemes compared to those which are usually applied in renewable systems. Fossil groundwater is a finite resource and its withdrawal implies mining of aquifer storage reserves. Although they receive almost no recharge, some of them show notable hydraulic gradients and a flow towards their discharge areas, even without pumping. As a result, these systems have more discharge than recharge and hence are not in steady state, which makes their modelling, in particular the calibration, very challenging. In this study, we introduce a new calibration approach, composed of four steps: (i) estimating the fossil discharge component, (ii) determining the origin of fossil discharge, (iii) fitting the hydraulic conductivity with a pseudo steady-state model, and (iv) fitting the storage capacity with a transient model by reconstructing head drawdown induced by pumping activities. Finally, we test the relevance of our approach and evaluated the effect of considering or ignoring fossil gradients on aquifer parameterization for the Upper Mega Aquifer (UMA) on the Arabian Peninsula.

Solar central receiver reformer system for ammonia plants

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

An overview of a study to retrofit the Valley Nitrogen Producers, Inc., El Centro, California 600 ST/SD Ammonia Plant with Solar Central Receiver Technology is presented. The retrofit system consists of a solar central receiver reformer (SCRR) operating in parallel with the existing fossil fired reformer. Steam and hydrocarbon react in the catalyst filled tubes of the inner cavity receiver to form a hydrogen rich mixture which is the syngas feed for the ammonia production. The SCRR system will displace natural gas presently used in the fossil reformer combustion chamber.

Macro fossils vegetable in Palmar formation (later pleistocene) in Entre Rios - Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, R.; Brea, M.; Krohling, D.

2012-01-01

This work is about the macro fossil knowledge preserved like wood fossils in the El Palmar Formation (Late Pleistocene) from a systematic - anatomical as well as paleoecological and paleoclimate point of view.The paleo Flora comes from various fossil located in the province of Entre Rios - Argentina

Capture ready fossil fuel plants: a critical stage in tackling climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gibbins, J.; Jia Li; Xi Liang [Imperial College, London (United Kingdom). Energy Technology for Sustainable Development Group

2006-07-01

Ways in which gasification-based systems can approach the CO{sub 2} capture ready ideal is discussed, together with possible methods for assessing the optimum degree of capture readiness. A key technology choice for power plants is whether or not to incorporate a shift before capture. Financial returns for making plants capture ready are also discussed. 10 refs., 3 tabs.

Prospects for power plant technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schilling, H.D.

1993-01-01

Careful conservation of resources in the enlarged context of the rational utilization of energy, the environment and capital will determine future power plant technology. The mainstays will be the further development of power plant concepts based on fossil (predominantly coal) and nuclear fuels; world-wide, also regenerative and CO 2 -free hydro-electric power will play a role. Rapid conversion of the available potential requires clear, long-term stable and reliable political framework conditions for the release of the necessary entrepreneurial forces. (orig.) [de

An extraordinary gobioid fish fossil from Southern France.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Gierl

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The classification of gobioid fishes is still under discussion. Several lineages, including the Eleotridae and Butidae, remain difficult to characterize because synapomorphies are rare (Eleotridae or have not yet been determined (Butidae. Moreover, the fossil record of these groups is scarce. RESULTS: Exceptionally well-preserved fish fossils with otoliths in situ from uppermost Oligocene sediments (≈23-24 Mio. y. ago in Southern France provide the most in-depth description of a fossil gobioid to date. The species was initially described as Cottus aries Agassiz, then transferred to †Lepidocottus Sauvage, and subsequently assigned to Gobius. Based on a comparative analysis of meristic, osteological and otolith data, this species most likely is a member of the family Butidae. This discovery is important because it represents the first record of a fossil butid fish based on articulated skeletons from Europe. SIGNIFICANCE: The Butidae and Eleotridae are currently distributed in W-Africa, Madagascar, Asia and Australia, but they do not appear in Europe and also not in the Mediterranean Sea. The new results indicate that several species of the Butidae thrived in Europe during the Oligocene and Early Miocene. Similar to the recent Butidae and Eleotridae, these fishes were adapted to a wide range of salinities and thrived in freshwater, brackish and marginal marine habitats. The fossil Butidae disappeared from Europe and the Mediterranean and Paratethys areas during the Early Miocene, due probably to their lack of competitiveness compared to other Gobioidei that radiated during this period of time. In addition, this study documents the great value of otoliths for gobioid systematics.

A synthesis of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel combustion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. J. Andres

2012-05-01

Full Text Available This synthesis discusses the emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel combustion and cement production. While much is known about these emissions, there is still much that is unknown about the details surrounding these emissions. This synthesis explores our knowledge of these emissions in terms of why there is concern about them; how they are calculated; the major global efforts on inventorying them; their global, regional, and national totals at different spatial and temporal scales; how they are distributed on global grids (i.e., maps; how they are transported in models; and the uncertainties associated with these different aspects of the emissions. The magnitude of emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels has been almost continuously increasing with time since fossil fuels were first used by humans. Despite events in some nations specifically designed to reduce emissions, or which have had emissions reduction as a byproduct of other events, global total emissions continue their general increase with time. Global total fossil-fuel carbon dioxide emissions are known to within 10 % uncertainty (95 % confidence interval. Uncertainty on individual national total fossil-fuel carbon dioxide emissions range from a few percent to more than 50 %. This manuscript concludes that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-fuel combustion continue to increase with time and that while much is known about the overall characteristics of these emissions, much is still to be learned about the detailed characteristics of these emissions.

Fossilized Mammalian Erythrocytes Associated With a Tick Reveal Ancient Piroplasms.

Science.gov (United States)

Poinar, George

2017-07-01

Ticks transmit a variety of pathogenic organisms to vertebrates, especially mammals. The fossil record of such associations is extremely rare. An engorged nymphal tick of the genus Ambylomma in Dominican amber was surrounded by erythrocytes from its mammalian host. Some of the exposed erythrocytes contained developmental stages of a hemoprotozoan resembling members of the Order Piroplasmida. The fossil piroplasm is described, its stages compared with those of extant piroplasms, and reasons provided why the mammalian host could have been a primate. The parasites were also found in the gut epithelial cells and body cavity of the fossil tick. Aside from providing the first fossil mammalian red blood cells and the first fossil intraerythrocytic hemoparasites, the present discovery shows that tick-piroplasm associations were already well established in the Tertiary. This discovery provides a timescale that can be used in future studies on the evolution of the Piroplasmida. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com Version of Record, first published online March 20, 2017 with fixed content and layout in compliance with Art. 8.1.3.2 ICZN.

Refining of fossil resin flotation concentrate from western coal. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jensen, G.F.; Miller, J.D.

1995-02-16

During the past several years, significant research efforts have been made to develop process technology for the selective flotation of fossil resin from western coals. As a result of these efforts, several new flotation technologies have been developed. Operation of a proof-of-concept continuous flotation circuit showed the selective flotation process to be sufficiently profitable to justify the development of a fossil resin industry. However, little attention has been given to the refining of the fossil resin flotation concentrate although solvent refining is a critical step for the fossil resin to become a marketable product. In view of this situation, DOE funded this two-year project to evaluate the following aspects of the fossil resin refining technology: 1) Characterization of the fossil resin flotation concentrate and its refined products; 2) Kinetics of fossil resin extraction; 3) Effects of operating variables on solvent extraction; 4) Extraction solvents; 5) Proof-of-concept continuous refining tests; and 6) Technical and economic analysis. The results from this research effort have led to the following conclusions: Hexane- or heptane-refined fossil resin has a light-yellow color, a melting point of 140 - 142{degrees}C, a density of 1.034 gram/cm, and good solubility in nonpolar solvents. Among the four solvents evaluated (hexane, heptane, toluene and ethyl acetate), hexane is the most appropriate solvent based on overall technical and economic considerations. Batch extraction tests and kinetic studies suggest that the main interaction between the resin and the solvent is expected to be the forces associated with solvation phenomena. Temperature has the most significant effect on extraction rate. With hexane as the solvent, a recovery of 90% cam be achieved at 50{degrees}C and 10% solids concentration with moderate agitation for 1 hour.

An optimization model for carbon capture & storage/utilization vs. carbon trading: A case study of fossil-fired power plants in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Ağralı, Semra; Üçtuğ, Fehmi Görkem; Türkmen, Burçin Atılgan

2018-06-01

We consider fossil-fired power plants that operate in an environment where a cap and trade system is in operation. These plants need to choose between carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon capture and utilization (CCU), or carbon trading in order to obey emissions limits enforced by the government. We develop a mixed-integer programming model that decides on the capacities of carbon capture units, if it is optimal to install them, the transportation network that needs to be built for transporting the carbon captured, and the locations of storage sites, if they are decided to be built. Main restrictions on the system are the minimum and maximum capacities of the different parts of the pipeline network, the amount of carbon that can be sold to companies for utilization, and the capacities on the storage sites. Under these restrictions, the model aims to minimize the net present value of the sum of the costs associated with installation and operation of the carbon capture unit and the transportation of carbon, the storage cost in case of CCS, the cost (or revenue) that results from the emissions trading system, and finally the negative revenue of selling the carbon to other entities for utilization. We implement the model on General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) by using data associated with two coal-fired power plants located in different regions of Turkey. We choose enhanced oil recovery (EOR) as the process in which carbon would be utilized. The results show that CCU is preferable to CCS as long as there is sufficient demand in the EOR market. The distance between the location of emission and location of utilization/storage, and the capacity limits on the pipes are an important factor in deciding between carbon capture and carbon trading. At carbon prices over $15/ton, carbon capture becomes preferable to carbon trading. These results show that as far as Turkey is concerned, CCU should be prioritized as a means of reducing nation-wide carbon emissions in an

Experiments with the living dead: Plants as monitors and recorders of Biosphere Geosphere interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomax, Barry; Fraser, Wesley

2016-04-01

Understanding variations in the Earth's climate history will enhance our understanding of and capacity to predict future climate change. Importantly this information can then be used to reduce uncertainty around future climate change predictions. However to achieve this, it is necessary to develop well constrained and robustly tested palaeo-proxies. Plants are innately coupled to the atmosphere requiring both sunlight and CO2 to drive photosynthesis and carbon assimilation. When combined with their resilience and persistence, the study of plant responses to climate change in concert with the analysis of fossil plants offer the opportunity to monitor past atmospheric conditions and infer palaeoclimate change. In this presentation we highlight how this approach is leading to the development of mechanistic palaeoproxies tested on palaeobotanically relevant extant species showing that plant fossils can be used as both monitors and geochemical recorders of atmospheric changes.

Corrosion-related failures in power plant condensers. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beavers, J.A.; Agrawal, A.K.; Berry, W.E.

1980-08-01

A survey of the literature has been conducted for the Electric Power Research Institute on corrosion failures in surface condensers. The survey was directed toward condenser failures in pressurized water reactor (PWR) power plants but includes pertinent literature related to fossil and to other nuclear power plants. It includes literature on reported service failures and on experimental studies that impact on these failures

Dental microwear variability on buccal tooth enamel surfaces of extant Catarrhini and the Miocene fossil Dryopithecus laietanus (Hominoidea).

Science.gov (United States)

Galbany, J; Moyà-Solà, S; Pérez-Pérez, A

2005-01-01

Analyses of buccal tooth microwear have been used to trace dietary habits of modern hunter-gatherer populations. In these populations, the average density and length of striations on the buccal surfaces of teeth are significantly cor-related with the abrasive potential of food items consumed. In non-human pri-mates, tooth microwear patterns on both occlusal and buccal wear facets have been thoroughly studied and the results applied to the characterization of dietary habits of fossil species. In this paper, we present inter- and intra-specific buccal microwear variability analyses in extant Cercopithecoidea (Cercopithecus mitis, C. neglectus, Chlorocebus aethiops, Colobus spp., Papio anubis) and Hominoidea (Gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes, Pongo pygmaeus). The results are tentatively compared to buccal microwear patterns of the Miocene fossils Dryopithecus and Oreopithecus. Significant differences in striation density and length are found among the fossil taxa studied and the extant primates, suggesting that buccal microwear can be used to identify dietary differences among taxa. The Dryopithecus buccal microwear pattern most closely resembles that of abrasive, tough plant foods consumers, such as the gorilla, in contrast to stud-ies of dental morphology that suggest a softer, frugivorous diet. Results for Oreopithecus were equivocal, but suggest a more abrasive diet than that previously thought. (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Conceptual engineering design study of thermionic topping of fossil power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-02-15

Primary objectives of this study are to investigate alternative design concepts of thermal coupling of thermionic energy converters (TECs) to the steam cycle and the mechanical and electrical aspects of integrating TEC design into the steam power station. The specific tasks include: (1) evaluate design concepts of TEC topping of solvent refined liquified coal-fired steam power plants, with main emphasis devoted to thermal, mechanical, and electrical design aspects. (2) Develop preliminary conceptual design of a modular TEC assembly. (3) Develop preliminary cost estimates of the design modification to a liquified coal-fired steam power plant with TEC topping. (4) Provide support to Thermo Electron Corporation in planning TEC hardware testing. Results are presented in detail.

System design methodology of non-fossil fuel fired power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamed, J.A.; Guven, H.M.

1992-01-01

In most thermal system designs, economic and thermodynamic aspects of the design are not studied simultaneously early on in the design process. As a result, the economic ramification of thermodynamic changes to the system configuration, and vice versa, are not immediately apparent to the designer or the performance, involving both thermal and economic aspects of the plant. In this study, a rational approach is presented to formalize the design process of small power plants, typically, burning non-conventional fuel sources such as wood residues, tires, biofuels, etc. The method presented in this paper allows for handling of process information, both qualitative and quantitative, to enable the designer to change his design in an optimal manner. A two-level design structure (macro-level and micro-level), is introduced to enable the designer to adapt his design in an efficient manner to the available (or required) technology-level, type of application, economic factors, O and M requirements, etc. At the macro-level of design, economic feasibility (business) decisions are made, while at the micro-level of design, technical feasibility (engineering) decisions are made

Preservation of three-dimensional anatomy in phosphatized fossil arthropods enriches evolutionary inference.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwermann, Achim H; Dos Santos Rolo, Tomy; Caterino, Michael S; Bechly, Günter; Schmied, Heiko; Baumbach, Tilo; van de Kamp, Thomas

2016-02-05

External and internal morphological characters of extant and fossil organisms are crucial to establishing their systematic position, ecological role and evolutionary trends. The lack of internal characters and soft-tissue preservation in many arthropod fossils, however, impedes comprehensive phylogenetic analyses and species descriptions according to taxonomic standards for Recent organisms. We found well-preserved three-dimensional anatomy in mineralized arthropods from Paleogene fissure fillings and demonstrate the value of these fossils by utilizing digitally reconstructed anatomical structure of a hister beetle. The new anatomical data facilitate a refinement of the species diagnosis and allowed us to reject a previous hypothesis of close phylogenetic relationship to an extant congeneric species. Our findings suggest that mineralized fossils, even those of macroscopically poor preservation, constitute a rich but yet largely unexploited source of anatomical data for fossil arthropods.

The rise of fire: Fossil charcoal in late Devonian marine shales as an indicator of expanding terrestrial ecosystems, fire, and atmospheric change

Science.gov (United States)

Rimmer, Susan M.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Scott, Andrew C.; Cressler, Walter L.

2015-01-01

Fossil charcoal provides direct evidence for fire events that, in turn, have implications for the evolution of both terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Most of the ancient charcoal record is known from terrestrial or nearshore environments and indicates the earliest occurrences of fire in the Late Silurian. However, despite the rise in available fuel through the Devonian as vascular land plants became larger and trees and forests evolved, charcoal occurrences are very sparse until the Early Mississippian where extensive charcoal suggests well-established fire systems. We present data from the latest Devonian and Early Mississippian of North America from terrestrial and marine rocks indicating that fire became more widespread and significant at this time. This increase may be a function of rising O2 levels and the occurrence of fire itself may have contributed to this rise through positive feedback. Recent atmospheric modeling suggests an O2 low during the Middle Devonian (around 17.5%), with O2 rising steadily through the Late Devonian and Early Mississippian (to 21–22%) that allowed for widespread burning for the first time. In Devonian-Mississippian marine black shales, fossil charcoal (inertinite) steadily increases up-section suggesting the rise of widespread fire systems. There is a concomitant increase in the amount of vitrinite (preserved woody and other plant tissues) that also suggests increased sources of terrestrial organic matter. Even as end Devonian glaciation was experienced, fossil charcoal continued to be a source of organic matter being introduced into the Devonian oceans. Scanning electron and reflectance microscopy of charcoal from Late Devonian terrestrial sites indicate that the fires were moderately hot (typically 500–600 °C) and burnt mainly surface vegetation dominated by herbaceous zygopterid ferns and lycopsids, rather than being produced by forest crown fires. The occurrence and relative abundance of fossil charcoal in

Renewable vs. fossil electricity systems. A cost comparison. Power world 2050. Analysis of renewable, coal and gas-based electricity systems; Erneuerbare vs. fossile Stromsysteme. Ein Kostenvergleich. Stromwelten 2050. Analyse von Erneuerbaren, kohle- und gasbasierten Elektrizitaetssystemen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graichen, Patrick; Kleiner, Mara Martha [Agora Energiewende, Berlin (Germany); Matthes, Felix Christian; Heinemann, Christoph [Oeko-Institut e.V. - Institut fuer Angewandte Oekologie, Berlin (Germany)

2017-01-15

The decarbonisation of the energy and, above all, the power system is the core component of any consistent climate protection strategy. For the electricity sector, this means, in the final analysis, the transition from a power supply based on lignite, hard coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels to one (almost) completely based on renewable energies by 2050. The fundamental technical feasibility of such a system, more than 90 percent of which would generate electricity from renewable energies, is no longer disputable today. The explanation for this is the partly rapid technological advances made in recent years, particularly those involving wind (on- and offshore) and solar energy, as well as the foreseeable further developments of central flexibility options (including flexible demand, battery storage and power-to-gas technologies). However, the question of the costs of this new electricity system has not yet been fully resolved. These cost calculations need to take into account, on the one hand, the total costs of an electricity system based on renewable energies and, on the other hand, the comparison to a power system that remains based on fossil fuels. Against this background, the present study provides a numerical analysis of the following questions: What are the technical and cost structures for a power system when 90 percent or more of the electricity is generated from renewable energies in 2050? How do the costs for different storage strategies (batteries vs. power-to-gas) differ? What technical, cost and emission structures result for a hypothetical fossil-based power system in 2050 if the further construction of electricity production plants based on wind and solar energy is immediately abandoned? How do the costs for various fossil-based power systems differ (conventional mix of lignite/hard coal/natural gas power plants vs. an electricity system based purely on natural gas)? For this purpose, a large number of model calculations with different

Desalination demonstration plant using nuclear heat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanra, M.S.; Misra, B.M.

1998-01-01

Most of the desalination plants which are operating throughout the world utilize the energy from thermal power station which has the main disadvantage of polluting the environment due to combustion of fossil fuel and with the inevitable rise in prices of fossil fuel, nuclear driven desalination plants will become more economical. So it is proposed to set up nuclear desalination demonstration plant at the location of Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS), Kalpakkam. The desalination plant will be of a capacity 6300 m 3 /day and based on both Multi Stage Flash (MSF) and Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) processes. The MSF plant with performance ratio of 9 will produce water total dissolved solids (TDS-25 ppm) at a rate of 4500 m 3 /day from seawater of 35000 ppm. A part of this water namely 1000 m 3 /day will be used as Demineralised (DM) water after passing it through a mixed bed polishing unit. The remaining 3500 m 3 /day water will be mixed with 1800 m 3 /day water produced from the SWRO plant of TDS of 400 ppm and the same be supplied to industrial/municipal use. The sea water required for MSF and SWRO plants will be drawn from the intake/outfall system of MAPS which will also supply the required electric power pumping. There will be net 4 MW loss of power of MAPS namely 3 MW for MSF and 1 MW for SWRO desalination plants. The salient features of the project as well as the technical details of the both MSF and SWRO processes and its present status are given in this paper. It also contains comparative cost parameters of water produced by both processes. (author)

Fossilization History of Fossil Resin from Jambi Province (Sumatra, Indonesia Based on Physico-Chemical Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beata Naglik

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A unique specimen of fossil resin originating from the Dipterocarpaceae tree family found in Miocene brown coal deposits in Jambi Province (Sumatra, Indonesia was investigated via microscopic observations, microhardness testing and infrared and Raman spectroscopic methods. Its form is rare in nature, being an aggregate of three varieties of resin differing in colour, transparency and internal structure. This suggests the formation of the resins at different stages. Further alteration processes, including fossilization and maturation of the resin in a swamp environment resulted in stepwise aromatization of the cyclohexane ring in steroids and cross-linking through formation of ester bonds as well as carbon–carbon bonds between steroid molecules. The various environmental and geological conditions affecting the formation processes of the resins were recorded in their physico-chemical properties. Additionally, heating conditions accelerated by volcanism were proposed as a factor determining the maturation grade of the resin.

Material Flow Analysis of Fossil Fuels in China during 2000–2010

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Sheng; Dai, Jing; Su, Meirong

2012-01-01

Since the relationship between the supply and demand of fossil fuels is on edge in the long run, the contradiction between the economic growth and limited resources will hinder the sustainable development of the Chinese society. This paper aims to analyze the input of fossil fuels in China during 2000–2010 via the material flow analysis (MFA) that takes hidden flows into account. With coal, oil, and natural gas quantified by MFA, three indexes, consumption and supply ratio (C/S ratio), resource consumption intensity (RCI), and fossil fuels productivity (FFP), are proposed to reflect the interactions between population, GDP, and fossil fuels. The results indicated that in the past 11 years, China's requirement for fossil fuels has been increasing continuously because of the growing mine productivity in domestic areas, which also leads to a single energy consumption structure as well as excessive dependence on the domestic exploitation. It is advisable to control the fossil fuels consumption by energy recycling and new energy facilities' popularization in order to lead a sustainable access to nonrenewable resources and decrease the soaring carbon emissions. PMID:23365525

Impacts of curatorial and research practices on the preservation of fossil hominid remains.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Cabec, Adeline; Toussaint, Michel

2017-12-30

Fossil remains are the only physical evidence of past forms of life which researchers can use to study the evolutionary biology of a species, especially regarding the human lineage. We review and consider the way in which the conditions surrounding a fossil's discovery and its use for scientific research impacts its long-term preservation. The deterioration of the body starts soon after death, continues in the sediments and only a subsample of the anatomical elements will persist and may finally be unearthed by archeologists. From their recovery onwards, fossil remains are exposed to many sources of further damage: from handling, restoration, measuring to invasive sampling. On the one hand, curators are faced with the inherent challenge of balancing their responsibility to protect fossil specimens with allowing researchers to perform specific analyses or invasive sampling detrimental to the preservation of the fossil. On the other hand, scientists may find their analyses complicated by multiple factors including taphonomy, or restoration techniques (e.g., consolidants, cleaning chemicals). We provide several historical examples illustrating the complex nature of the factors acting on fossil preservation. We discuss concerns about producing and sharing (digital) data from fossils. Finally, we also suggest and support some curatorial practices which maximize the traceability of treatments underwent by a fossil.

Hydrogen production econometric studies. [hydrogen and fossil fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, J. R.; Bannerot, R. B.

1975-01-01

The current assessments of fossil fuel resources in the United States were examined, and predictions of the maximum and minimum lifetimes of recoverable resources according to these assessments are presented. In addition, current rates of production in quads/year for the fossil fuels were determined from the literature. Where possible, costs of energy, location of reserves, and remaining time before these reserves are exhausted are given. Limitations that appear to hinder complete development of each energy source are outlined.

The taphonomy of unmineralised Palaeozoic fossils preserved as siliciclastic moulds and casts, and their utility in assessing the interaction between environmental change and the fossil record

Science.gov (United States)

MacGabhann, Breandán; Schiffbauer, James; Hagadorn, James; Van Roy, Peter; Lynch, Edward; Morrsion, Liam; Murray, John

2015-04-01

The enhanced preservation potential of biomineralised tissues in fossil organisms is a key factor in their utility in the investigation of palaeoenvironmental change on fossil ecosystems. By contrast, the considerably lower preservation potential of entirely unmineralised organisms severely reduces the utility of their temporal and spatial distribution in such analyses. However, understanding the taphonomic processes which lead to the preservation of such soft-bodied fossils may be an under-appreciated source of information, particularly in the case of specimens preserved as moulds and casts in coarser siliciclastic sediments. This information potential is well demonstrated by fossil eldonids, a Cambrian to Devonian clade of unmineralised asymmetrical discoidal basal or stem deuterostomes, with an apparently conservative biology and no clear palaeoenvironmental or biogeographical controls on their distribution. We investigated the taphonomic processes involved in the preservation of fossil eldonids as moulds and casts on bedding surfaces and within event beds from sandstones of the Ordovician Tafilalt lagerstätte in south-eastern Morocco, and from siltstones of the Devonian West Falls Group of New York, USA. Laser Raman microspectroscopy, SEM BSE imaging and EDS elemental mapping of fossil specimens reveals that moulded biological surfaces are coated by a fossil surface veneer primarily consisting of mixed iron oxides and oxyhydroxides (including pseudomorphs after pyrite), and aluminosilicate clay minerals. Moreover, comparison to fossil eldonids preserved as carbonaceous compressions in the Burgess Shale reveals that the biological structures preserved in the Tafilalt and New York specimens - the dorsal surface and a coiled sac containing the digestive tract - represent only specific portions of the anatomy of the complete animal. We suggest that the preserved remains were the only parts of these eldonid organisms composed primarily of complex organic

Fossil Microorganisms in Archaean

Science.gov (United States)

Astafleva, Marina; Hoover, Richard; Rozanov, Alexei; Vrevskiy, A.

2006-01-01

Ancient Archean and Proterozoic rocks are the model objects for investigation of rocks comprising astromaterials. The first of Archean fossil microorganisms from Baltic shield have been reported at the last SPIE Conference in 2005. Since this confeence biomorphic structures have been revealed in Archean rocks of Karelia. It was determined that there are 3 types of such bion structures: 1. structures found in situ, in other words microorganisms even-aged with rock matrix, that is real Archean fossils biomorphic structures, that is to say forms inhabited early formed rocks, and 3. younger than Archean-Protherozoic minerali microorganisms, that is later contamination. We made attempt to differentiate these 3 types of findings and tried to understand of burial of microorganisms. The structures belongs (from our point of view) to the first type, or real Archean, forms were under examination. Practical investigation of ancient microorganisms from Green-Stone-Belt of Northern Karelia turns to be very perspective. It shows that even in such ancient time as Archean ancient diverse world existed. Moreover probably such relatively highly organized cyanobacteria and perhaps eukaryotic formes existed in Archean world.

The reliability of the repair weld joints of aged high temperature components in fossil power boilers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okamura, Hiroyuki [Science Univ. of Tokyo (Japan); Ohtani, Ryuichi [Kyoto Univ. (Japan); Fujii, Kazuya [Japan Power Engineering and Inspection Corp., Tokyo (Japan); Yokoyama, Tomomitsu; Nishimura, Nobuhiko [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Suzuki, Komei [Japan Steel Works Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1998-11-01

It is of fundamental engineering importance to be able to give reliable assessments of the effective service life of the critical components used within fossil power plants, particularly for those operating for prolonged periods. It is common practice for such assessments to have been estimated using destructive tests, typically the stress rupture test, this having been recognized as one of the most reliable evaluation methods available. Its only drawback is that it often does not permit the component to be in use following the sampling of the test specimen without repairing. The current piece of work focuses on the reliability of the repair welds of components for specimens taken from fossil power plants, having been in service for prolonged periods. Several such repairs to welds have been made to an old power boiler, in particular to a superheater header which is fabricated from 2.25Cr-1Mo steel. Under close examination the repairs to the girth weldment showed susceptibilities of weld cracking, similar to that observed in as-manufactured material. Within the repaired region of the welded joint the microstructure, tensile properties and toughness seemed to be unaffected. The hardness attained its minimum value within the heat affected zone, HAZ of the repair weld, overlapping that of original girth weld HAZ. Furthermore, the stress rupture strength achieved its minimum value at the same position taking on the same value as the strength associated with the aged girth welded joint. (orig.)

EDF guide book for decontamination at power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glorennec, C.; Bemer, J.P.

1988-01-01

Nuclear Power Plant components or equipment often need to be more or less decontaminated before undergoing maintenance. In order to coordinate the activities of the different maintenance specialists belonging to the corporate or site organizations, the management of EDF/Nuclear and Fossil Division has created a decontamination task force. One of the objectives of this task force was to elaborate the present Guide Book for Decontamination at Power Plants. This paper provides assistance to nuclear plants operators in the very specific field of decontamination

Fossil Polypodiaceae and their spores

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uffelen, van Gerda A.

1991-01-01

In this publication emphasis is laid on the modern definition of the family Polypodiaceae (Filicales), which is based on an extensive study of Recent material and which is much restricted with respect to older circumscriptions of the family as usually applied by palaeobotanists. Fossils of fems

Implicit CO_2 prices of fossil fuel use in Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schleiniger, Reto

2016-01-01

This study aims to assess the efficiency of the fossil fuel taxation scheme currently in effect in Switzerland. To this end, the concept of implicit CO_2 prices is introduced, based on which prices for different fossil fuel uses are derived. Implicit CO_2 prices are defined as the difference between actual prices paid by consumers and efficient domestic fuel prices. Efficient domestic fuel prices, in turn, consist of private production costs, a uniform value added tax and only local external costs, not including external costs due to CO_2 emissions and global climate change. The resulting prices differ substantially, which suggests that there is considerable cost-saving potential in reducing CO_2 emissions in Switzerland. For passenger cars and air traffic, the implicit prices are negative. For these uses, higher fuel charges would therefore be beneficial from a purely domestic perspective, i.e., without considering the negative repercussions of global warming. - Highlights: •Efficient fossil fuel policy must take into account local and global externalities. •Implicit CO_2 prices are applied as efficiency indicator of fossil energy policy. •Implicit CO_2 prices vary strongly for different fossil fuel uses in Switzerland. •There is a large cost-saving potential in terms of reducing CO_2 emissions.

Turbulence and fossil turbulence lead to life in the universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibson, Carl H

2013-01-01

Turbulence is defined as an eddy-like state of fluid motion where the inertial-vortex forces of the eddies are larger than all the other forces that tend to damp the eddies out. Fossil turbulence is a perturbation produced by turbulence that persists after the fluid ceases to be turbulent at the scale of the perturbation. Because vorticity is produced at small scales, turbulence must cascade from small scales to large, providing a consistent physical basis for Kolmogorovian universal similarity laws. Oceanic and astrophysical mixing and diffusion are dominated by fossil turbulence and fossil turbulent waves. Observations from space telescopes show turbulence and vorticity existed in the beginning of the universe and that their fossils persist. Fossils of big bang turbulence include spin and the dark matter of galaxies: clumps of ∼10 12 frozen hydrogen planets that make globular star clusters as seen by infrared and microwave space telescopes. When the planets were hot gas, they hosted the formation of life in a cosmic soup of hot-water oceans as they merged to form the first stars and chemicals. Because spontaneous life formation according to the standard cosmological model is virtually impossible, the existence of life falsifies the standard cosmological model. (paper)

How emission certificate allocations distort fossil investments: The German example