Green energy : sustainable energy sources and alternative technologies

Despite the general evolution and broadening of the scope of the concept of infrastructure in many other sectors, the energy sector has maintained the same narrow boundaries for over 80 years. Energy infrastructure is still generally restricted in meaning to the transmission and distribution networks of electricity and, to some extent, gas. This is especially true in the urban development context. This early 20th century system is struggling to meet community expectations that the industry itself created and fostered for many decades. The relentless growth in demand and changing political, economic and environmental challenges require a shift from the traditional ‘predict and provide’ approach to infrastructure which is no longer economically or environmentally viable. Market deregulation and a raft of demand and supply side management strategies have failed to curb society’s addiction to the commodity of electricity. None of these responses has addressed the fundamental problem. This chapter presents an argument for the need for a new paradigm. Going beyond peripheral energy efficiency measures and the substitution of fossil fuels with renewables, it outlines a new approach to the provision of energy services in the context of 21st century urban environments.

Air quality and climate impacts of alternative bus technologies in Greater London.

The environmental impact of diesel-fueled buses can potentially be reduced by the adoption of alternative propulsion technologies such as lean-burn compressed natural gas (LB-CNG) or hybrid electric buses (HEB), and emissions control strategies such as a continuously regenerating trap (CRT), exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), or selective catalytic reduction with trap (SCRT). This study assessed the environmental costs and benefits of these bus technologies in Greater London relative to the existing fleet and characterized emissions changes due to alternative technologies. We found a >30% increase in CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions for CNG buses, a <5% change for exhaust treatment scenarios, and a 13% (90% confidence interval 3.8-20.9%) reduction for HEB relative to baseline CO2e emissions. A multiscale regional chemistry-transport model quantified the impact of alternative bus technologies on air quality, which was then related to premature mortality risk. We found the largest decrease in population exposure (about 83%) to particulate matter (PM2.5) occurred with LB-CNG buses. Monetized environmental and investment costs relative to the baseline gave estimated net present cost of LB-CNG or HEB conversion to be $187 million ($73 million to $301 million) or $36 million ($-25 million to $102 million), respectively, while EGR or SCRT estimated net present costs were $19 million ($7 million to $32 million) or $15 million ($8 million to $23 million), respectively.

Sustainable urban and regional infrastructure development : technologies, applications and management

Sustainable Urban and Regional Infrastructure Development: Technologies, Applications and Management, bridges the gap in the current literature by addressing the overall problems present in society's major infrastructures, and the technologies that may be applied to overcome these problems. It focuses on ways in which energy intensive but 'invisible' (to the general public) facilities can become green or greener. The studies presented re lessons to be learnt from our neighbors and from our own backyard, and provide an excellent general overview of the issues facing us all.

A simulation study of unified GPS and roadside ranging technologies for vehicle positioning

The future vehicle navigation for safety applications requires seamless positioning at the accuracy of sub-meter or better. However, standalone Global Positioning System (GPS) or Differential GPS (DGPS) suffer from solution outages while being used in restricted areas such as high-rise urban areas and tunnels due to the blockages of satellite signals. Smoothed DGPS can provide sub-meter positioning accuracy, but not the seamless requirement. A disadvantage of the traditional navigation aids such as Dead Reckoning and Inertial Measurement Unit onboard vehicles are either not accurate enough due to error accumulation or too expensive to be acceptable by the mass market vehicle users. One of the alternative technologies is to use the wireless infrastructure installed in roadside to locate vehicles in regions where the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals are not available (for example: inside tunnels, urban canyons and large indoor car parks). The examples of roadside infrastructure which can be potentially used for positioning purposes could include Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)/Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) based positioning systems, Ultra-wide band (UWB) based positioning systems, Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) devices, Locata’s positioning technology, and accurate road surface height information over selected road segments such as tunnels. This research reviews and compares the possible wireless technologies that could possibly be installed along roadside for positioning purposes. Models and algorithms of integrating different positioning technologies are also presented. Various simulation schemes are designed to examine the performance benefits of united GNSS and roadside infrastructure for vehicle positioning. The results from these experimental studies have shown a number of useful findings. It is clear that in the open road environment where sufficient satellite signals can be obtained, the roadside wireless measurements contribute very little to the improvement of positioning accuracy at the sub-meter level, especially in the dual constellation cases. In the restricted outdoor environments where only a few GPS satellites, such as those with 45 elevations, can be received, the roadside distance measurements can help improve both positioning accuracy and availability to the sub-meter level. When the vehicle is travelling in tunnels with known heights of tunnel surfaces and roadside distance measurements, the sub-meter horizontal positioning accuracy is also achievable. Overall, simulation results have demonstrated that roadside infrastructure indeed has the potential to provide sub-meter vehicle position solutions for certain road safety applications if the properly deployed roadside measurements are obtainable.

An investigation of survey technologies and modeling techniques for improving deepwater surveys of nonindigenous species in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Nonindigenous species (NIS) are a major threat to marine ecosystems, with possible dramatic effects on biodiversity, biological productivity, habitat structure and fisheries. The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) has taken active steps to mitigate the threats of NIS in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Of particular concern are the 13 NIS already detected in NWHI and two invasive species found among the main Hawaiian Islands, snowflake coral (Carijoa riseii) and a red alga (Hypnea musciformis). Much of the information regarding NIS in NWHI has been collected or informed by surveys using conventional SCUBA or fishing gear. These technologies have significant drawbacks. SCUBA is generally constrained to depths shallower than 40 m and several NIS of concern have been detected well below this limit (e.g., L. kasmira – 256 m) and fishing gear is highly selective. Consequently, not all habitats or species can be properly represented. Effective management of NIS requires knowledge of their spatial distribution and abundance over their entire range. Surveys which provide this requisite information can be expensive, especially in the marine environment and even more so in deepwater. Technologies which minimize costs, increase the probability of detection and are capable of satisfying multiple objectives simultaneously are desired. This report examines survey technologies, with a focus on towed camera systems (TCSs), and modeling techniques which can increase NIS detection and sampling efficiency in deepwater habitats of NWHI; thus filling a critical data gap in present datasets. A pilot study conducted in 2008 at French Frigate Shoals and Brooks Banks was used to investigate the application of TCSs for surveying NIS in habitats deeper than 40 m. Cost and data quality were assessed. Over 100 hours of video was collected, in which 124 sightings of NIS were made among benthic habitats from 20 to 250 m. Most sightings were of a single cosmopolitan species, Lutjanus kasmira, but Cephalopholis argus, and Lutjanus fulvus, were also detected. The data expand the spatial distributions of observed NIS into deepwater habitats, identify algal plain as an important habitat and complement existing data collected using SCUBA and fishing gear. The technology’s principal drawback was its inability to identify organisms of particular concern, such as Carijoa riseii and Hypnea musciformis due to inadequate camera resolution and inability to thoroughly inspect sites. To solve this issue we recommend incorporating high-resolution cameras into TCSs, or using alternative technologies, such as technical SCUBA diving or remotely operated vehicles, in place of TCSs. We compared several different survey technologies by cost and their ability to detect NIS and these results are summarized in Table 3.

Methodological aspects of a mathematical programming model to evaluate soil tillage technologies in a risky environment

In this work we develop a methodology for the economic evaluation of soil tillage technologies, in a risky environment, and to capture the influence of farmer behaviour on his technology choice. The model has short-term activities, that change with the type of year, and long-term activities, in which sets of traction investment activities are included. Although these activities do not change with the type of year, they lead to different availability of resources for each type of year, since the same tractor has different available fieldwork days under different weather conditions. We prove that the model is sensitive to the greater income variability resulting from the use of alternative technologies and to the balance between income and risk, accounting for the probability of occurrence of each state of nature and giving an investment solution that considers the best production plan for each type of year. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low cost railway level crossings

The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Rail Innovation is conducting a tranche of industry-led research projects looking into safer rail level crossings. This paper will provide an overview of the Affordable Level Crossings project, a project that is performing research in both engineering and human factors aspects of low-cost level crossing warning devices (LCLCWDs), and is facilitating a comparative trial of these devices over a period of 12 months in several jurisdictions. Low-cost level crossing warning devices (LCLCWDs) are characterised by the use of alternative technologies for high cost components including train detection and connectivity (e.g. radar, acoustic, magnetic induction train detection systems and wireless connectivity replacing traditional track circuits and wiring). These devices often make use of solar power where mains power is not available, and aim to make substantial savings in lifecycle costs. The project involves trialling low-cost level crossing warning devices in shadow-mode, where devices are installed without the road-user interface at a number of existing level crossing sites that are already equipped with conventional active warning systems. It may be possible that the deployment of lower-cost devices can provide a significantly larger safety benefit over the network than a deployment of expensive conventional devices, as the lower cost would allow more passive level crossing sites to be upgraded with the same capital investment. The project will investigate reliability and safety integrity issues of the low-cost devices, as well as evaluate lifecycle costs and investigate human factors issues related to warning reliability. This paper will focus on the requirements and safety issues of LCLCWDs, and will provide an overview of the Rail CRC projects.

Low-cost railway level crossings - breaking down the barriers

Level crossing risk continues to be a significant safety concern for the security of rail operations around the world. Over the last decade or so, a third of railway related fatalities occurred as a direct result of collisions between road and rail vehicles in Australia. Importantly, nearly half of these collisions occurred at railway level crossings with no active protection, such as flashing lights or boom barriers. Current practice is to upgrade level crossings that have no active protection. However, the total number of level crossings found across Australia exceed 23,500, and targeting the proportion of these that are considered high risk (e.g. public crossings with passive controls) would cost in excess of AU$3.25 billion based on equipment, installation and commissioning costs of warning devices that are currently type approved. Level crossing warning devices that are low-cost provide a potentially effective control for reducing risk; however, over the last decade, there have been significant barriers and legal issues in both Australia and the US that have foreshadowed their adoption. These devices are designed to have significantly lower lifecycle costs compared with traditional warning devices. They often make use of use of alternative technologies for train detection, wireless connectivity and solar energy supply. This paper describes the barriers that have been encountered for the adoption of these devices in Australia, including the challenges associated with: (1) determining requisite safety levels for such devices; (2) legal issues relating to duty of care obligations of railway operators; and (3) issues of Tort liability around the use of less than fail-safe equipment. This paper provides an overview of a comprehensive safety justification that was developed as part of a project funded by a collaborative rail research initiative established by the Australian government, and describes the conceptual framework and processes being used to justify its adoption. The paper provides a summary of key points from peer review and discusses prospective barriers that may need to be overcome for future adoption. A successful outcome from this process would result in the development of a guideline for decision-making, providing a precedence for adopting low-cost level crossing warning devices in other parts of the world. The framework described in this paper also provides relevance to the review and adoption of analogous technologies in rail and other safety critical industries.

Avaliação técnico-econômica da implementação de um sistema de cultivo de microalgas na usina termelétrica Barbosa Lima Sobrinho com vista à biofixação de CO2

Este estudo teve como finalidade levantar dados para uma avaliação das alternativas tecnológicas (cultivos de microalgas e reflorestamento) para a biofixação de CO2 da atmosfera próxima à usina termelétrica; tendo sido utilizada como referência a Usina Barbosa Lima Sobrinho. Já existe um projeto de avaliação do efeito do reflorestamento na fixação do CO2 nesta usina e, neste trabalho, foi avaliada a alternativa do cultivo de microalgas. Uma pesquisa inicial foi feita na literatura para verificar qual a espécie de microalga seria a mais adequada para ser utilizada no estudo, tendo sido a espécie Chlorella sp. a selecionada. Posteriormente os sistemas de cultivo de microalgas mais comumente empregados no mercado foram levantados e foi selecionado o cultivo em tanques abertos como referência para a modelagem do processo. Utilizando os dados da termelétrica e da literatura foi possível estimar a quantidade de CO2 que será retirada da atmosfera caso um sistema de cultivo seja efetivamente instalado na usina termelétrica. Uma análise econômica foi realizada para determinar a viabilidade do projeto. Os resultados indicam que a utilização deste tipo de tecnologia é promissora

Powder stream characteristics in cold spray nozzles

The exponential increase of industrial demand in the past two decades has led scientists to the development of alternative technologies for the fast manufacturing of engineering components, aside from standard and time consuming techniques such as casting or forging.Cold Spray (CS) is a newly developed manufacturing technique, based upon the deposition of metal powder on a substrate due to high energy particle impacts. In this process, the powder is accelerated up to considerable speed in a converging-diverging nozzle, typically using air, nitrogen or helium as a carrier gas. Recent developments have demonstrated significant process capabilities, from the building of mold-free 3D shapes made of various metals, to low porosity and corrosion resistant titanium coatings.In CS, the particle stream characteristics during the acceleration process are important in relation to the final geometry of the coating. Experimental studies have shown the tendency of particles to spread over the nozzle acceleration channel, resulting in a wide exit stream and in the difficulty of producing narrow tracks.This paper presents an investigation on the powder stream characteristics in CS supersonic nozzles. The powder insertion location was varied within the carrier gas flow, along with the geometry of the powder injector, in order to identify their relation with particle trajectories. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results by Fluent v6.3.26 are presented, along with experimental observations. Different configurations were tested and modeled, giving deposited track geometries of copper and tin ranging from 1. mm to 8. mm in width on metal and polymer substrates. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

An analysis of factors improving technology roadmap credibility: A communications theory assessment of roadmapping processes

In recent years, many industrial firms have been able to use roadmapping as an effective process methodology for projecting future technology and for coordinating technology planning and strategy. Firms potentially realize a number of benefits in deploying technology roadmapping (TRM) processes. Roadmaps provide information identifying which new technologies will meet firms' future product demands, allowing companies to leverage R&D investments through choosing appropriately out of a range of alternative technologies. Moreover, the roadmapping process serves an important communication tool helping to bring about consensus among roadmap developers, as well as between participants brought in during the development process, who may communicate their understanding of shared corporate goals through the roadmap. However, there are few conceptual accounts or case studies have made the argument that roadmapping processes may be used effectively as communication tools. This paper, therefore, seeks to elaborate a theoretical foundation for identifying the factors that must be considered in setting up a roadmap and for analyzing the effect of these factors on technology roadmap credibility as perceived by its users. Based on the survey results of 120 different R&D units, this empirical study found that firms need to explore further how they can enable frequent interactions between the TRM development team and TRM participants. A high level of interaction will improve the credibility of a TRM, with communication channels selected by the organization also positively affecting TRM credibility. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.

A numerical study into the effects of Bio-synthetic Paraffinic Kerosine blends with Jet-A fuel for civil aircraft engine

Growing concerns regarding fluctuating fuel costs and pollution targets for gas emissions, have led the aviation industry to seek alternative technologies to reduce its dependency on crude oil, and its net emissions. Recently blends of bio-fuel with kerosine, have become an alternative solution as they offer "greener" aircraft and reduce demand on crude oil. Interestingly, this technique is able to be implemented in current aircraft as it does not require any modification to the engine. Therefore, the present study investigates the effect of blends of bio-synthetic paraffinic kerosine with Jet-A in a civil aircraft engine, focusing on its performance and exhaust emissions. Two bio-fuels are considered: Jatropha Bio-synthetic Paraffinic Kerosine (JSPK) and Camelina Bio-synthetic Paraffinic Kerosine (CSPK); there are evaluated as pure fuels, and as 10% and 50% blend with Jet-A. Results obtained show improvement in thrust, fuel flow and SFC as composition of bio-fuel in the blend increases. At design point condition, results on engine emissions show reduction in NO x, and CO, but increases of CO is observed at fixed fuel condition, as the composition of bio-fuel in the mixture increases. Copyright © 2012 by ASME.

A techno-economic evaluation of changing from conventional vehicles to range extended electric vehicles

Transportation accounts for 22% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, and increases to 25% in Northern Ireland. Surface transport carbon dioxide emissions, consisting of road and rail, are dominated by cars. Demand for mobility is rising rapidly and vehicle numbers are expected to more than double by 2050. Car manufacturers are working towards reducing their carbon footprint through improving fuel efficiency and controlling exhaust emissions. Fuel efficiency is now a key consideration of consumers purchasing a new vehicle. While measures have been taken to help to reduce pollutants, in the future, alternative technologies will have to be used in the transportation industry to achieve sustainability. There are currently many alternatives to the market leader, the internal combustion engine. These alternatives include hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles, a term which is widely used to cover battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles. This study draws direct comparisons measuring the differing performance in terms of fuel consumption, carbon emissions and range of a typical family saloon car using different fuel types. These comparisons will then be analysed to see what effect switching from a conventionally fuelled vehicle to a range extended electric vehicle would have not only on the end user, but also the UK government.

A Conventional Internal Combustion Engine Versus a Range Extended Electric Vehicle Under the Current Regulatory Regime in the United Kingdom

Transport accounts for 22% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United Kingdom and cars are expected tomore than double by 2050. Car manufacturers are continually aiming for a substantially reduced carbonfootprint through improved fuel efficiency and better powertrain performance due to the strict EuropeanUnion emissions standards. However, road tax, not just fuel efficiency, is a key consideration of consumerswhen purchasing a car. While measures have been taken to reduce emissions through stricter standards, infuture, alternative technologies will be used. Electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and range extended electricvehicles have been identified as some of these future technologies. In this research a virtual test bed of aconventional internal combustion engine and a range extended electric vehicle family saloon car were builtin AVL’s vehicle and powertrain system level simulation tool, CRUISE, to simulate the New EuropeanDrive Cycle and the results were then soft-linked to a techno-economic model to compare the effectivenessof current support mechanisms over the full life cycle of both cars. The key finding indicates that althoughcarbon emissions are substantially reduced, switching is still not financially the best option for either theconsumer or the government in the long run.