Design method for solar heating systems in combination with pellet boilers/stoves

In this study an optimization method for the design of combined solar and pellet heating systems is presented and evaluated. The paper describes the steps of the method by applying it for an example of system. The objective of the optimization was to find the design parameters that give the lowest auxiliary energy (pellet fuel + auxiliary electricity) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions for a system with a typical load, a single family house in Sweden. Weighting factors have been used for the auxiliary energy use and CO emissions to give a combined target function. Different weighting factors were tested. The results show that extreme weighting factors lead to their own minima. However, it was possible to find factors that ensure low values for both auxiliary energy and CO emissions.

Combined solar and pellet heating systems for single-family houses : How to achieve decreased electricity usage, increased system efficiency and increased solar gains

In Sweden, there are about 0.5 million single-family houses that are heated by electricity alone, and rising electricity costs force the conversion to other heating sources such as heat pumps and wood pellet heating systems. Pellet heating systems for single-family houses are currently a strongly growing market. Future lack of wood fuels is possible even in Sweden, and combining wood pellet heating with solar heating will help to save the bio-fuel resources. The objectives of this thesis are to investigate how the electrically heated single-family houses can be converted to pellet and solar heating systems, and how the annual efficiency and solar gains can be increased in such systems. The possible reduction of CO-emissions by combining pellet heating with solar heating has also been investigated. Systems with pellet stoves (both with and without a water jacket), pellet boilers and solar heating have been simulated. Different system concepts have been compared in order to investigate the most promising solutions. Modifications in system design and control strategies have been carried out in order to increase the system efficiency and the solar gains. Possibilities for increasing the solar gains have been limited to investigation of DHW-units for hot water production and the use of hot water for heating of dishwashers and washing machines via a heat exchanger instead of electricity (heat-fed appliances). Computer models of pellet stoves, boilers, DHW-units and heat-fed appliances have been developed and the parameters for the models have been identified from measurements on real components. The conformity between the models and the measurements has been checked. The systems with wood pellet stoves have been simulated in three different multi-zone buildings, simulated in detail with heat distribution through door openings between the zones. For the other simulations, either a single-zone house model or a load file has been used. Simulations were carried out for Stockholm, Sweden, but for the simulations with heat-fed machines also for Miami, USA. The foremost result of this thesis is the increased understanding of the dynamic operation of combined pellet and solar heating systems for single-family houses. The results show that electricity savings and annual system efficiency is strongly affected by the system design and the control strategy. Large reductions in pellet consumption are possible by combining pellet boilers with solar heating (a reduction larger than the solar gains if the system is properly designed). In addition, large reductions in carbon monoxide emissions are possible. To achieve these reductions it is required that the hot water production and the connection of the radiator circuit is moved to a well insulated, solar heated buffer store so that the boiler can be turned off during the periods when the solar collectors cover the heating demand. The amount of electricity replaced using systems with pellet stoves is very dependant on the house plan, the system design, if internal doors are open or closed and the comfort requirements. Proper system design and control strategies are crucial to obtain high electricity savings and high comfort with pellet stove systems. The investigated technologies for increasing the solar gains (DHW-units and heat-fed appliances) significantly increase the solar gains, but for the heat-fed appliances the market introduction is difficult due to the limited financial savings and the need for a new heat distribution system. The applications closest to market introduction could be for communal laundries and for use in sunny climates where the dominating part of the heat can be covered by solar heating. The DHW-unit is economical but competes with the internal finned-tube heat exchanger which is the totally dominating technology for hot water preparation in solar combisystems for single-family houses.

Annual CO-emissions of combined pellet and solar heating systems

Emissions are an important aspect of a pellet heating system. High carbon monoxide emissions are often caused by unnecessary cycling of the burner when the burner is operated below the lowest combustion power. Combining pellet heating systems with a solar heating system can significantly reduce cycling of the pellet heater and avoid the inefficient summer operation of the pellet heater. The aim of this paper was to study CO-emissions of the different types of systems and to compare the yearly CO-emissions obtained from simulations with the yearly CO-emissions calculated based on the values that are obtained by the standard test methods. The results showed that the yearly CO-emissions obtained from the simulations are significant higher than the yearly CO-emissions calculated based on the standard test methods. It is also shown that for the studied systems the average emissions under these realistic annual conditions were greater than the limit values of two Eco-labels. Furthermore it could be seen that is possible to almost halve the CO-emission if the pellet heater is combined with a solar heating system.

Emissions Characterisation of residential pellet boilers during start-up and stop periods

In this study, gaseous emissions and particles are measured during start-up and stop periods for an over-fed boiler and an under-fed boiler. Both gaseous and particulate matter emissions are continuously measured in the laboratory. The measurement of gaseous emissions includes oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide and (NO). The emissions rates are calculated from measured emissions concentrations and flue gas flow. The behaviours of the boilers during start-up and stop periods are analysed and the emissions are characterised in terms of CO, NO, TOC and particles (PM2.5 mass and number). The duration of the characterised periods vary between two boilers due to the difference in type of ignition and combustion control. The under-fed boiler B produces higher emissions during start-up periods than the over-fed boiler A. More hydrocarbon and particles are emitted by the under-fed boiler during stop periods. Accumulated mass of CO and TOC during start-up and stop periods contribute a major portion of the total mass emitted during whole operation. However, accumulated mass of NO and PM during start-up and stop periods are not significant as the duration of emission peak is relatively short.

EMISSIONS CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESIDENTIAL PELLET BOILER AND A STOVE

Gaseous and particulate emissions from a residential pellet boiler and a stove are measured at a realistic 6-day operation sequence and during steady state operation. The aim is to characterize the emissions during each phase in order to identify when the major part of the emissions occur to enable actions for emission reduction where the savings can be highest. The characterized emissions comprised carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO), total organic carbon (TOC) and particulate matter (PM 2.5). In this study, emissions were characterised by mass concentration and emissions during start-up and stop phases were also presented in accumulated mass. The influence of start-up and stop phases on the emissions, average emission factors for the boiler and stove were analysed using the measured data from a six-days test. The share of start-up and stop emissions are significant for CO and TOC contributing 95% and 89% respectively at the 20kW boiler and 82% and 89% respectively at the 12 kW stove. NO and particles emissions are shown to dominate during stationary operation.

Emissions from realistic operation of residential wood pellets heating systems

Emissions from residential combustion appliances vary significantly depending on the firing behaviours and combustion conditions, in addition to combustion technologies and fuel quality. Although wood pellet combustion in residential heating boilers is efficient, the combustion conditions during start-up and stop phases are not optimal and produce significantly high emissions such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon from incomplete combustion. The emissions from the start-up and stop phases of the pellet boilers are not fully taken into account in test methods for ecolabels which primarily focus on emissions during operation on full load and part load. The objective of the thesis is to investigate the emission characteristics during realistic operation of residential wood pellet boilers in order to identify when the major part of the annual emissions occur. Emissions from four residential wood pellet boilers were measured and characterized for three operating phases (start-up, steady and stop). Emissions from realistic operation of combined solar and wood pellet heating systems was continuously measured to investigate the influence of start-up and stop phases on total annual emissions. Measured emission data from the pellet devices were used to build an emission model to predict the annual emission factors from the dynamic operation of the heating system using the simulation software TRNSYS. Start-up emissions are found to vary with ignition type, supply of air and fuel, and time to complete the phase. Stop emissions are influenced by fan operation characteristics and the cleaning routine. Start-up and stop phases under realistic operation conditions contribute 80 – 95% of annual carbon monoxide (CO) emission, 60 – 90% total hydrocarbon (TOC), 10 – 20% of nitrogen oxides (NO), and 30 – 40% particles emissions. Annual emission factors from realistic operation of tested residential heating system with a top fed wood pelt boiler can be between 190 and 400 mg/MJ for the CO emissions, between 60 and 95 mg/MJ for the NO, between 6 and 25 mg/MJ for the TOC, between 30 and 116 mg/MJ for the particulate matter and between 2x10-13 /MJ and 4x10-13 /MJ for the number of particles. If the boiler has the cleaning sequence with compressed air such as in boiler B2, annual CO emission factor can be up to 550 mg/MJ. Average CO, TOC and particles emissions under realistic annual condition were greater than the limits values of two eco labels. These results highlight the importance of start-up and stop phases in annual emission factors (especially CO and TOC). Since a large or dominating part of the annual emissions in real operation arise from the start-up and stop sequences, test methods required by the ecolabels should take these emissions into account. In this way it will encourage the boiler manufacturers to minimize annual emissions. The annual emissions of residential pellet heating system can be reduced by optimizing the number of start-ups of the pellet boiler. It is possible to reduce up to 85% of the number of start-ups by optimizing the system design and its controller such as switching of the boiler pump after it stops, using two temperature sensors for boiler ON/OFF control, optimizing of the positions of the connections to the storage tank, increasing the mixing valve temperature in the boiler circuit and decreasing the pump flow rate. For 85 % reduction of start-ups, 75 % of CO and TOC emission factors were reduced while 13% increase in NO and 15 % increase in particle emissions was observed.

Avaliação da genotoxicidade induzida por emissões de veículos automotores - Ctenomys minutus como organismo bioindicador

Existe um número crescente de componentes químicos lançados ao meio ambiente, muitos dos quais são capazes de induzir efeitos danosos adversos à saúde de animais e humanos, representando uma causa importante de preocupação por seus possíveis efeitos a longo prazo. O impacto ecológico e os riscos a saúde dos organismos associados com a exposição a poluentes ambientais são extremamente difíceis de se avaliar devido a muitos desses componentes serem parte de misturas complexas. Os gases produzidos pelos motores dos veículos à combustão contém diversos poluentes sabidamente genotóxicos, como óxidos de nitrogênio (NOX), monóxido de carbono (CO), óxidos de enxofre (SOx), hidrocarbonetos (HC) e seus derivados, bem como particulados, e metais (cádmio, cromo, cobre, níquel, vanádio, zinco e chumbo). Todos esses compostos isolados ou associados a outros elementos são tóxicos ou de efeito danoso aos organismos, de forma não totalmente esclarecida. Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar o possível efeito genotóxico das emissões dos automóveis em roedor nativo Ctenomys minutus cronicamente exposto, através do Ensaio Cometa (EC), comparando os resultados com o Teste de Micronúcleos (MN), ambos em sangue periférico. Levando em consideração alguns fatores que pudessem influenciar os resultados dos testes de genotoxicidade, este trabalho ainda teve como objetivos: identificar a presença de alguns agentes envolvidos na poluição gerada pelos veículos; verificar possíveis diferenças sazonais, como temperatura e ventos; e se existe influência da idade e sexo dos roedores. Os C. minutus (Octodontidae-Rodentia), foram capturados em dois campos diferentes, ambos ao lado da estrada RS/030, na cidade de Osório, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (RS): (a) Amaral, e (b) Weber. Animais para controle externo foram capturados no Campo Maribo à cerca de 3 km de distância de outra estrada (RS/389-Osório/RS), conseqüentemente afastada das emissões dos veículos. No final do período desse estudo, foram capturados 123 animais (73 fêmeas e 50 machos).

Qualidade do ar interior e conforto térmico : um estudo em espaços de estacionamento em Natal/RN

The recent tendency to utilize parking lots for other purposes has demonstrated that more time has been spent by visitors, mainly in great cities. Therefore, this paper investigates the thermal comfort and the air quality indoors in areas specifically used as parking lots by analyzing the direct relation between such environments and vehicular pollution. The thermal comfort and the quality of air indoors in parking lots with different architectonic typology (ground-floor and underground) are also studied, aiming to contribute to the proposition of suitable new areas designated to human usage. Field research was done, in two distinct periods within different weather conditions (January and July) in, two naturally cooled, parking lots located in Natal - RN. The internal environment agents were measured by using tools for air temperature, humidity, speed and direction; interviews with employees and visitors and chemical analysis through appropriate tools to analyze specific material, carbon monoxide and ozone. The results showed that chemical agents densely concentrate mostly in the closed parking space, aggravated by weather conditions, which dissatisfied the visitors. Still, it was shown that architectonic typology, alongside topographical aspects compromise internal environmental conditions, which increases the retention of pollution, leading to dissatisfactory thermal comfort levels and becoming less suitable for usage by visitors considering air and thermal comfort aspects. Consequently, they are not suitable for human stay due to the poor quality of the indoor air

Análise estatística das emissões de CO e HC produzidas por gases da exaustão veicular oriundos de gasolina, GNV e mistura álcool/gasolina

The vehicles are the main mobile sources of carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC) released into the atmosphere. In the last years the increment of the fleet of vehicles in the municipal district of Natal-RN it is contributing to the increase of the emissions of those pollutants. The study consisted of a statistical analysis of the emissions of CO and HC of a composed sample for 384 vehicles with mechanization Gasoline/CNG or Alcohol/Gasoline/CNG of the municipal district of Natal-RN. The tests were accomplished in vehicles submitted to Vehicular Safety's Inspection, in the facilities of INSPETRANS, Organism of Vehicular Inspection. An partial gases analyzer allowed to measure, for each vehicle, the levels of CO and HC in two conditions of rotation of the motor (900 and 2500 rpm). The statistical analysis accomplished through the STATISTICA software revealed a sensitive reduction in the efficiency of the converters catalytic after 6 years of use with emission average it is of 0,78% of CO and 156 (ppm) of HC, Which represents approximately 4 (four) times the amount of CO and the double of HC in comparison with the newest vehicles. The result of a Student s t-test, suggests strongly that the average of the emissions of HC (152 ppm), at 900 rpm, is 40% larger than at 2500 rpm, for the motor without load. This result reveals that the efficiency of the catalytic conversion is limited kinetically in low engine speeds. The Study also ends that when comparing the emissions of CO and HC considering the influence of the fuels, it was verified that although the emissions of CO starting from CNG are 62% smaller than arising from the gasoline, there are not significant differences among the emissions of HC originating from of CNG and of the gasoline. In synthesis, the results place the current criteria of vehicular inspection, for exhaust gases, in doubt, leading the creation of emission limits of pollutant more rigorous, because the efficiency of the converters catalytic is sensibly reduced starting from 6 years of use. It is also raised the possibility of modifications in the test conditions adopted by the current norms, specifically in the speed engine, have seen that in the condition without load the largest emission indexes were registered in slow march. That fact that allows to suggest the dismissal of the tests in high speed engine, reducing the time of inspection in half and generating economy of fuel

Análise das emissões atmosféricas por veículos automotores em Natal-RN

The fast urban occupation of Brazil, mainly from the last decade of 50, a sensible degradation of the quality of the air generated mainly for the activities was verified human beings associates to industrialization. From the past years, the situation has gotten worst in function of the increment of the fleet of vehicles in circulation in the great cities. Being these, in the city of Natal-RN, the ones that offer the biggest contributions to the atmospheric pollution. For atmospheric air to be a finite natural resources, indispensable and essential to the maintenance of the life in the land, is necessary to the implementation of action to improve its quality and to protect the health of the population. With the objective to study relative aspects to the characteristics of vehicles in use, the present study it searchs to analyze the levels of emissions of gases generated for vehicles converted bi-fuels into the modalities: natural gas (GNV), gasoline and alcohol, inspected for ends of register and together licensing to the State Department of Transit. One used the data gotten from inspections carried through for the company System Specialized in Inspection To propagate, in the city of the Natal-RN, capital of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, between 14 of November of 2003 and 30 of December of 2004. The analyzed parameters are established in the resolution nº 07/93 CONAMA. Of a total of 1.517 inspected vehicles, a average of 15,2% of failed was gotten, or either, that they emit levels of pollution above of the limits established for the legislation, below of the national average that is of 20,0%. The analysis of the data discloses that 7.3% of the fleet are converted the GNV; the growth of vehicles converted the GNV into the city is gradual, with a average of increment in last the 4 years of 23,3%; it has a vehicle predominance that has as combustible original to the gasoline (88,2%); the inspected fleet has average age of 8 years of use, considered young for the Brazilian standards, except for the moved one to the alcohol (average of use of 15 years). Moreover, the type of fuel is not the main parameter to define the indices of emissions; the age of the fleet is the parameter most important when emission is analyzed to propagate; the gas that more generates failed in the inspections is the corrected carbon monoxide; the vehicles generate higher indices of emissions in idling for all the fuels; the presence of the catalyser was not reflected, as it expected, in the reduction of emissions of gases toxic, however when analyzed according to year of manufacture, it was observed that for the vehicles manufactured between 1997 and 2004, reduction of 46,0% in the failed of the vehicles equipped with catalyser was gotten. In conclusion, the fleet of the studied sample, in average terms, takes care of to the requirements of Resolution CONAMA nº 07/93. The results gotten for the present study can subsidize action of public administrations that aim at to the improvement and the maintenance of the quality of air in the city of Natal-RN, as, for example, to implant a net of monitoramento of the quality of air

Formulação de novos combustíveis base diesel: avaliação de desempenho e emissões

The industry, over the years, has been working to improve the efficiency of diesel engines. More recently, it was observed the need to reduce pollutant emissions to conform to the stringent environmental regulations. This has attached a great interest to develop researches in order to replace the petroleum-based fuels by several types of less polluting fuels, such as blends of diesel oil with vegetable oil esters and diesel fuel with vegetable oils and alcohol, emulsions, and also microemulsions. The main objective of this work was the development of microemulsion systems using nonionic surfactants that belong to the Nonylphenols ethoxylated group and Lauric ethoxylated alcohol group, ethanol/diesel blends, and diesel/biodiesel blends for use in diesel engines. First, in order to select the microemulsion systems, ternary phase diagrams of the used blends were obtained. The systems were composed by: nonionic surfactants, water as polar phase, and diesel fuel or diesel/biodiesel blends as apolar phase. The microemulsion systems and blends, which represent the studied fuels, were characterized by density, viscosity, cetane number and flash point. It was also evaluated the effect of temperature in the stability of microemulsion systems, the performance of the engine, and the emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, unburned hydrocarbons, and smoke for all studied blends. Tests of specific fuel consumption as a function of engine power were accomplished in a cycle diesel engine on a dynamometer bench and the emissions were evaluated using a GreenLine 8000 analyzer. The obtained results showed a slight increase in fuel consumption when microemulsion systems and diesel/biodiesel blends were burned, but it was observed a reduction in the emission of nitrogen oxides, unburned hydrocarbons, smoke index and f sulfur oxides

Short terms effects of air pollution from biomass burning in mucociliary clearance of Brazilian sugarcane cutters

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mucociliary clearance and its relation with the level of physical activity in daily life in healthy smokers and nonsmokers

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Reversibility of impaired nasal mucociliary clearance in smokers following a smoking cessation programme

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Experimental measurements of the NOx and CO concentrations operating in oscillatory and non-oscillatory burning conditions

The effects of combustion driven acoustic oscillations in carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides emission rates of a combustor operated with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were investigated. Because the fuel does not contain nitrogen, tests were also conducted with ammonia injected in the fuel, in order to study the formation of fuel NOx. The main conclusions were: (a) the pulsating combustion process is more efficient than the non-pulsating one and (b) the pulsating combustion process generates higher rates of NOx, with and without ammonia injection, as shown by CO and NO concentrations as function of the O-2 concentration. An increase in the LPG flow rate, keeping constant the air to fuel ratio, increased the acoustic pressure amplitude and the frequency of oscillation. The injection of ammonia had no influence on either pressure amplitude or frequency. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.