Palm frond biochar production and characterisation

Palm oil has been the world's main source of oil and fats since 2004, producing over 45 million tonnes in 2009. Malaysia alone has over 4·5 million hectares planted with oil palm and, based on common practice, ~300 palm fronds are pruned per hectare per year. This agricultural waste is currently either being used as roughage feed or, more frequently, being left between rows of palm trees to prevent soil erosion, or for nutrient recycling purposes. This paper proposes an alternative use for palm frond as a source of biochar. A traditional method commonly use by gardeners in Malaysia to improve soil fertility was used to produce the biochar. A shallow earth pit was dug in the ground for the carbonisation process. The process is described and the impact of carbonisation on the earth wall is analysed and presented. The process was later re-assessed by using TGA-FTIR. Most of the hemicelluloses had fully disintegrated, but the depolymerisation of the cellulose was still incomplete at the carbonisation temperature. Most of the lignin aromatic structure was still present in the biochar. The carbonisation process was repeated in the laboratory and biochar was characterised by using BET, SEM and FTIR. An adsorption isotherm study was conducted and the experimental data were fitted to the Langmuir model. The model predicted Pb2+ adsorption rates of 83·3 mg/g, Cu2+ 41·4 mg/g, Ni2+ 13·0 mg/g and Zn2+ 19·7 mg/g. Copyright © The Royal Society of Edinburgh 2012.

Control of lunar and martian dust - Experimental insights from artificial and natural cyanobacterial and algal crusts in the desert of Inner Mongolia, China

Studies on the colonization of environmentally extreme ground surfaces were conducted in a Mars-like desert area of Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, with microalgae and cyanobacteria. We collected and mass-cultured cyanobacterial strains from these regions and investigated their ability to form desert crusts artificially. These crusts had the capacity to resist sand wind erosion after just 15 days of growth. Similar to the surface of some Chinese deserts, the surface of Mars is characterized by a layer of fine dust, which will challenge future human exploration activities, particularly in confined spaces that will include greenhouses and habitats. We discuss the use of such crusts for the local control of desert sands in enclosed spaces on Mars. These experiments suggest innovative new directions in the applied use of microbe-mineral interactions to advance the human exploration and settlement of space.

Current research in embankment dam engineering at imperial college London

This paper gives a short introduction to two research streams in embankment dam engineering underway at Imperial College London. The first is the modelling of embankment dam behaviour during earthquakes and the second is an investigation into the susceptibility of granular filters to internal erosion. The research motivation, methods and expected outcomes of each stream are discussed.

Water droplet flow paths and droplet deposition in low pressure steam turbines

The complex three-dimensional two-phase flow in a low pressure steam turbine is investigated with comprehensive numerical flow simulations. In addition to the condensation process, which already takes place in the last stages of steam turbines, the numerical flow model is enhanced to consider the drag forces between the droplets and the vapour phase. The present paper shows the differences in the flow path of the phases and investigates the effect of an increasing droplet diameter. For the flow simulations a performance cluster is used because of the high effort for such multi-momentum two-phase flow calculations. In steam turbines the deposition of small water droplets on the stator blades or on parts of the casing is responsible for the formation of large coarse water droplets and these may cause additional dissipation as well as damage due to blade erosion. A method is presented that uses detailed CFD data to predict droplet deposition on turbine stator blades. This simulation method to detect regions of droplet deposition can help to improve the design of water removal devices. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.

The effect of carbon nanotube orientation on erosive wear resistance of CNT-epoxy based composites

Aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer composites are envisioned as the next-generation composite materials for a wide range of applications. In this work, we investigate the erosive wear behavior of epoxy matrix composites reinforced with both randomly dispersed and aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays. The aligned CNT composites are prepared in two different configurations, where the sidewalls and ends of nanotubes are exposed to the composite surface. Results have shown that the composite with vertically aligned CNT-arrays exhibits superior erosive wear resistance compared to any of the other types of composites, and the erosion rate reaches a similar performance level to that of carbon steel at 20° impingement angle. The erosive wear mechanism of this type of composite, at various impingement angles, is studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). We report that the erosive wear performance shows strong dependence on the alignment geometries of CNTs within the epoxy matrix under identical nanotube loading fractions. Correlations between the eroded surface roughness and the erosion rates of the CNT composites are studied by surface profilometry. This work demonstrates methods to fabricate CNT based polymer composites with high loading fractions of the filler, alignment control of nanotubes and optimized erosive wear properties. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationships between the biomass of algal crusts in fields and their compressive strength

In the desert areas of China investigated by the authors, various biological crusts were predominately associated with three blue-green algal (cyano bacterial) species, Microcoleus vaginatus Gom., Phormidium tenue (Menegh.) Gom. and Seytonema javanicum (Mitz.) Born et Flah. Their biomass and their compressive strength were measured simultaneously in the field in this study. It was also found that the compressive strength of algal crusts was enhanced with the increasing of algal biomass from an undetectable level to a value as high as 9.6mg g(-1) dry soil. However, when the algal biomass decreased, the compressive strength did not descend immediately, but remained relatively steady. The higher the algal biomass became, the thicker were the algal crusts formed. Given the same biomass, the highest compressive strength of man-made algal crusts in fields was found at an algal ratio of 62.5% M. vaginatus, 31.25% P. tenue and 6.25% S. javanicum, and it reached 0.89kgcm(-2). When the biomass of the crusts increased above the value of 8.16 mg chl ag(-1) dry soil, the compressive strength would not ascend easily. It indicated that the compressive strength of man-made algal crusts appeared temporarily saturated in the field. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Man-made desert algal crusts as affected by environmental factors in Inner Mongolia, China

Man-made desert algal crusts were constructed on a large scale (3000m(2)) in Inner Mongolia, China. Microcoleus vaginatus was mass cultivated and inoculated directly onto unconsolidated sand dune and irrigated by automatic sprinkling micro-irrigation facilities. The crusts were formed in a short time and could resist the erosion of winds and rainfalls 22 days after inoculation. The maximum biomass in the man-made algal crusts could also reach 35 mu g Chl a/cm(2) of soil. Effects of environmental factors such as temperature, irrigation, rainfall and soil nutrients on algal biomass of man-made algal crusts were also studied. It was found that rainfalls and lower light intensity had significantly positive effects on the biomass of man-made algal crusts. The preliminary results suggested that man-made algal crusts could be formed rapidly, and thus it might be a new feasible alternative method for fixing unconsolidated sand. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular phylogenetics of Gymnocypris (Teleostei : Cyprinidae) in Lake Qinghai and adjacent drainages

149 complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b (Cyt b) genes (1140 bp) of Gymnocypris przewalskii, Gymnocypris eckloni and Gymnocyptis scolistomus from the Lake Qinghai, Yellow River and Qaidam Basin were sequenced and analyzed. Consistent dendrogram indicated that the samples collected from the same species do not constitute a separate monophyletic group and all the samples were grouped into three highly divergent lineages (A, B and C). Among them, Lineage A contained all samples of G. przewalskii from the Lake Qinghai and partial samples of the G. eckloni from the Yellow River. Lineage B contained the remaining samples of G. eckloni from the Yellow River. Lineage C was composed of a monophyletic group by G. eckloni from the Qaidam Basin. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most of genetic variations were detected within these three mtDNA lineages (93.12%), suggesting that there are three different lineages of Gymnocypris in this region. Our Cyt b sequence data showed that G. przewalskii was not a polytypic species, and G. scolistomus was neither an independent species nor a subspecies of G. eckloni. The divergent mtDNA lineages of G. eckloni from the Yellow River suggested that gene flow between the different populations was restricted to a certain extent by several gorges on the upper reach of the Yellow River. Lineage B of G. eckloni might be the genetic effect from the ancestor which was incorporated with the endemic schizothoracine fishes when the headward erosion of the Yellow River reached to its current headwaters of late. The G. eckloni from Basin Qaidam was a monophyletic group (lineage C) and F-st values within G. eckloni from the Yellow River were higher than 0.98, suggesting that the gene flow has been interrupted for a long time and the G. eckloni from Basin Qaidam might have been evolved into different species by ecology segregation. The correlation between the rakers number of Gymnocypris and population genetic variation was not significant. All Gymnocypris populations exhibited a low nucleotide diversity (pi = 0.00096-0.00485). Therefore the Gymnocyptis populations from Basin Qaidam could have experienced severe bottleneck effect in history. Our result suggested Gym-nocypris populations of Basin Qaidam should give a high priority in conservation programs.

Effect of desert soil algae on the stabilization of fine sands

Four filamentous cyanobacteria, Microcoleus vaginatus, Phormidium tenue, Scytonema javanicum (Kutz.) and Nostoc sp., and a single-celled green alga, Desmococcus olivaceus, all isolated from Shapotou (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China), were batch cultured and inoculated onto unconsolidated sand in greenhouse and field experiments. Their ability to reduce wind erosion in sands was quantified by using a wind tunnel laboratory. The major factors related to cohesion of algal crusts, such as biomass, species, species combinations, bioactivity, niche, growth phase of algae, moisture, thickness of the crusts, dust accretion (including dust content and manner of dust added) and other cryptogams (lichens, fungi and mosses) were studied. The best of the five species were M. vaginatus and P. tenue, while the best mix was a blend of 80% M. vaginatus and 5% each of P. tenue, S. javanicum, Nostoc sp. and D. olivaceus. The threshold friction velocity was significantly increased by the presence of all of the cyanobacterial species, while the threshold impact velocity was notably increased only by the filamentous species. Thick crusts were less easily eroded than thin crusts, while biomass was more effective than thickness. Dust was incorporated best into Microcoleus crust when added in small amounts over time, and appeared to increase growth of the cyanobacterium as well as strengthen the cohesion of the crust. Microbial crust cohesion was mainly attributed to algal aggregation, while lichens, fungi and mosses affected more the soil structure and physico-chemical properties.

近60年我国土壤侵蚀科学研究进展

在系统总结我国近60年土壤侵蚀科学研究取得的成就的基础上,通过分析与整合,重点介绍全国土壤侵蚀时空特征与动态变化、土壤侵蚀过程及其调控机制、黄河泥沙来源与粗泥沙集中来源区的界定、风力侵蚀机制及沙漠化防治、侵蚀环境演变与调控等5个对土壤侵蚀学科发展有重大意义的进展,提出了我国土壤侵蚀学科亟待加强的3个领域。

基于GIS和CSLE的陕西省土壤侵蚀定量评价方法研究

通过对陕西省土壤侵蚀的定量评估,探索省域尺度上土壤侵蚀定量评价制图方法,以期为第四次全国土壤侵蚀普查提供技术支撑。利用陕西省日降雨数据、土壤类型图、土地利用图、DEM、植被覆盖图,选择CSLE模型,在ArcGIS平台上计算研究区2006年土壤侵蚀量,并与水利部标准评价结果进行对比分析。探索了坡度坡长变换对土壤侵蚀的影响。定量化的评价结果能较好的反映气候、土壤及水保措施对土壤侵蚀的影响,比水利部标准评价结果更能反映实际侵蚀。坡度坡长变换后对土壤侵蚀有明显影响。在GIS支持下,通过土壤侵蚀模型进行定量评价,可高效、客观反映土壤侵蚀情况及其主要影响因子,对区域治理和有关决策有极其重要参考价值。为了准确真实的反映土壤侵蚀程度,必须进行坡度坡长变换。

黄土沟壑区小流域不同地形下土壤微量元素分布特征

研究了黄土沟壑区小流域塬面、坡地、梯田和沟道土壤微量元素的剖面分布特征,以揭示不同地形条件下微量元素的有效性及地球化学特性.结果表明,不同土层土壤全量微量元素的变异系数均小于15%,为小变异土壤性质,有效态和吸附态铁和锰的变异系数均高于36%,为高度变异土壤性质;有效态和吸附态锌和铜属于中到高度变异.全量铁、锰和铜以沟道土壤较高,全锌、有效态和吸附态微量元素含量以塬面土壤较高.不同形态微量元素的剖面分布趋势取决于地形条件.不同地形下成土过程及不同地形条件所对应的土地利用方式造成了全量微量元素的差异,而土壤有机质含量的差异是不同地形条件下有效态和吸附态微量元素剖面分布特征不同的主要原因.

黄土丘陵区土壤基础呼吸对草地植被恢复的响应及其影响因素

为探讨黄土丘陵区草地植被自然恢复过程中土壤微生物活性的变化特征及其影响因素,采用"时空互代"法采集宁夏云雾山自然保护区8个不同植被恢复年限的春、夏两季0～20cm和20～40cm的土样,用室内密闭静态培养—碱液吸收法测定了新鲜和风干土样的基础呼吸。结果表明:土壤基础呼吸随植被恢复年限增加呈增加趋势,土壤呼吸强度和累积呼吸量都表现为植被恢复73年和78年较高,而耕地和植被恢复3年最低。采样季节对呼吸强度测定有较大影响,春季土样能更好地反映土壤微生物活性的变化。风干土样可以通过预培养后测定土壤的呼吸作用,且能更加稳定地反映不同土壤之间的差异。在测定土壤基础呼吸时,利用1d或3d的培养平均值能更稳定地表现不同土壤的特性。累积呼吸量可较呼吸强度更直观地反映不同土壤的微生物活性。土壤有机质和全氮含量与土壤呼吸强度密切相关。

地面坡度对红壤坡面土壤侵蚀过程的影响研究

通过室内模拟降雨试验,研究了地面坡度对红壤坡面产流过程和侵蚀过程的影响,结果表明:坡面总径流量随坡度的增大呈减小趋势,其中25°坡面比5°坡面的径流量减小22.3%;随坡度的增加,坡面产流达到稳定的历时减少。径流含沙量和坡面侵蚀产沙量随坡度的变化在5°~20°呈增大趋势,而当坡度由20°增加到25°时,径流含沙量和侵蚀产沙量随坡度的增加呈减少的趋势,即在红壤坡面,坡度对侵蚀产沙量影响存在着临界坡度,其值变化于20°~25°之间。

黄土高原半干旱区集雨补灌生态农业研究进展

黄土高原半干旱地区在中国旱作农业生产中占有重要地位。干旱缺水与水土流失并存是制约该区域经济发展的两大瓶颈因素。水保农业和径流农业两种旱作农业生产方式已趋于成熟,但对天然降水调控利用能力低下,难于实现农业生产的优质高产高效。集雨补灌生态农业是在继承水保农业和径流农业成功技术基础上,对降雨调控利用方式的进一步发展,它能在时间和空间两个方面实现降雨径流的富集叠加,能充分发挥环境资源与水肥光热因子的协同增效作用,大幅度提高农业生产力,实现同步缓解干旱缺水与水土流失双重目标。集雨补灌是黄土高原半干旱区农业可持续发展的一种综合模式和战略性措施,对黄土高原半干旱区生态型现代农业发展具有重要推动作用。