Design and control of methyl acetate-methanol separation via heat-integrated pressure-swing distillation

Design and control of pressure-swing distillation(PSD) with different heat integration modes for the separation of methyl acetate/methanol azeotrope are explored using Aspen Plus and Aspen Dynamics. First, an optimum steady-state separation configuration conditions are obtained via taking the total annual cost(TAC) or total reboiler heat duty as the objective functions. The results show that about 27.68% and 25.40% saving in TAC can be achieved by the PSD with full and partial heat integration compared to PSD without heat integration. Second,temperature control tray locations are obtained according to the sensitivity criterion and singular value decomposition(SVD) analysis and the single-end control structure is effective based on the feed composition sensitivity analysis. Finally, the comparison of dynamic controllability is made among various control structures for PSD with partial and full heat integration. It is shown that both control structures of composition/temperature cascade and pressure-compensated temperature have a good dynamic response performance for PSD with heat integration facing feed flowrate and composition disturbances. However, PSD with full heat integration performs the poor controllability despite of a little bit of economy.

Carbon fixation and influencing factors of biological soil crusts in a revegetated area of the Tengger Desert,northern China

Biological soil crusts （BSCs） are an important type of land cover in arid desert landscapes and play an important role in the carbon source-sink exchange within a desert system. In this study, two typical BSCs, moss crusts and algae crusts, were selected from a revegetated sandy area of the Tengger Desert in northern China, and the experiment was carried out over a 3-year period from January 2010 to November 2012. We obtained the effec- tive active wetting time to maintain the physiological activity of BSCs basing on continuous field measurements and previous laboratory studies on BSCs photosynthesis and respiration rates. And then we developed a BSCs carbon fixation model that is driven by soil moisture. The results indicated that moss crusts and algae crusts had significant effects on soil moisture and temperature dynamics by decreasing rainfall infiltration. The mean carbon fixation rates of moss and algae crusts were 0.21 and 0.13 g C/（m2.d）, respectively. The annual carbon fixations of moss crusts and algae crusts were 64.9 and 38.6 g C/（m2.a）, respectively, and the carbon fixation of non-rainfall water reached 11.6 g C/（m2.a） （30.2% of the total） and 8.8 g C/（m2.a） （43.6% of the total）, respectively. Finally, the model was tested and verified with continuous field observations. The data of the modeled and measured CO2 fluxes matched notably well. In desert regions, the carbon fixation is higher with high-frequency rainfall even the total amount of seasonal rainfall was the same.

Rainfall interception by sand-stabilizing shrubs related to crown structure

On the edge of the Tengger Desert in northern China,revegetation has changed the landscape from moving dunes to stabilized dunes covered by shrubs,which further modifies the pattern of rainfall redistribution.To study rainfall interception loss by shrubs and its relationship to rainfall properties and crown structure,throughfalls passing through crowns of Artemisia ordosica Krash.and Caragana korshinskii Kom.were measured using nine PVC cups under the canopy of each of the two shrubs during 73 rain events over a three-year period,with total rainfall of 260.9 mm.Interception losses of gross rainfall by A.ordosica and C.korshinskii account for 15% and 27% of the total on a crown area basis,and 6% and 11% on a ground area basis,respectively.Individual throughfall(T) and interception(I) were significantly related to rainfall amount(Pg),duration(D),and intensity(R).Ratios of throughfall to rainfall(T/Pg) and interception to rainfall(I/Pg) were not only significantly related to Pg,D,and R,but also to shrub species,and interactions of species with crown volume(CV) and leaf area index(LAI).Under most rain events,interceptions by C.korshinskii with greater CV and LAI were significantly higher than those by A.ordosica,and more rainfall interception occurred at locations closer to the stems of the two shrubs.For C.korshinskii,I/Pg had a significant positive linear relation with CV and LAI,while T/Pg had a significant negative linear relation with them.CV has a greater influence on T/Pg and I/Pg than does LAI.Using a regression method,canopy water storage capacities are estimated to be 0.52 and 0.68 mm,and free throughfall coefficient to be 0.62 and 0.47 for A.ordosica and C.korshinskii,respectively.

The effects of extreme rainfall events on carbon release from biological soil crusts covered soil in fixed sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, northern China

In May to August of 2011, we assessed the effects of extreme rainfall （quantity and intensity） events on the carbon release from soils covered by different types of biological soil crusts （BSCs） in fixed sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, northern China. A Li-6400-09 Soil Chamber was used to measure the respiration rates of the BSCs immediately after the rainfall stopped, and continued until the respiration rates of the BSCs returned to the pre-rainfall basal rate. Our results showed that almost immediately after extreme rainfall events the respiration rates of algae crust and mixed crust were significantly inhibited, but moss crust was not significantly affected. The respiration rates of algae crust, mixed crust, and moss crust in extreme rainfall quantity and intensity events were, respectively, 0.12 and 0.41 μmolCO2/（m2.s）, 0.10 and 0.45 gmolCO2/（m2·s）, 0.83 and 1.69 gmolCO2/（m2.s）. Our study indicated that moss crust in the advanced succession stage can well adaot to extreme rainfall events in the short term.

Probabilistic modeling of soil moisture dynamics in a revegetated desert area

Soil moisture is the key link between land hydrological and ecological processes which plays an important role in the terrestrial water cycle. As extreme weather events have increased in recent years, the stochastic simulation of soil moisture has gradually become the focus of ecohydrology research. Based on continuous monitoring of soil moisture data from 2008 to 2011, and histor- ical precipitation data from 199l to 2011, combined with the Rodriguez-Iturbe soil moisture dynamic stochastic model, soil mois- ture dynamics and its probability density fimction in a revegetated desert area was simulated. Results show that annual soil mois- ture dynamic changes of the revegetated desert area during the growing season complied with rainfall distribution; soil moisture probability presents a single-peak distribution in the plant rhizosphere layer （0-60 cm）. The peak width in the 20 cm topsoil was wider than in other soils, and the distribution presented the strong fluctuations and multiple aggregates. The peak widths of 40 cm and 60 cm soil moisture probability distribution were small, which are in accordance with simulated results of the Rodri- guez-lturbe model. This confrms that the Rodriguez-Imrbe model has good applicability and can well simulate the statistical characteristics of soil moisture in an arid revegetated desert area.

Simulated annealing-based optimal design of energy efficient ternary extractive dividing wall distillation process for separating benzene-isopropanol-water mixtures

This article investigates the performances of different extractive distillation processes intensified with dividing-wall column for separating benzene-isopropanol-water ternary mixtures.All the processes with ethylene glycol as solvent are optimized with the minimal total annual cost(TAC)as target.In order to get the global optimal solution intelligently,an improved simulated annealing algorithm is adopted,which is programmed in MATLAB and linked to Aspen Plus.The results show that the extractive dividing wall column-solvent(EDWC-S)process consisting of an extractive dividing wall column and a solvent recovery column is the best scheme.It can reduce the TAC by 28.65%and CO_(2) emissions by 32.84% compared to the conventional triple-column extractive distillation process.

The weak effects of fencing on ecosystem respiration,CH4,and N2O fluxes in a Tibetan alpine meadow during the growing season

Fencing is the most common land-management practice to protect grassland degradation from livestock overgrazing on the Tibetan Plateau. However, it is unclear whether fencing reduces CO_2, CH_4, and N_2O emission. Here, we selected four vegetation types of alpine meadow(graminoid, shrub, forb, and sparse vegetation) to determine fencing effects on ecosystem respiration(Re), CH_4, and N_2O fluxes during the growing season. Despite increased average monthly ecosystem respiration(Re) for fenced graminoid vegetation at the end of the growing season, there was no significant difference between grazing and fencing across all vegetation types. Fencing significantly reduced average CH_4 uptake by about 50% in 2008 only for forb vegetation and increased average N_2O release for graminoid vegetation by 38% and 48% in 2008 and 2009,respectively. Temperature, moisture, total organic carbon, C/N, nitrate, ammonia, and/or bulk density of soil, as well as above-and belowground biomass, explained 19%~71% and 6%~33% of variation in daily and average Re and CH_4 fluxes across all vegetation types, while soil-bulk density explained 27% of variation in average N_2O fluxes. Stepwise regression showed that soil temperature and soil moisture controlled average Re, while soil moisture and bulk density controlled average CH_4 fluxes. These results indicate that abiotic factors control Re, CH_4, and N_2O fluxes; and grazing exclusion has little effect on reducing their emission—implying that climatic change rather than grazing may have a more important influence on the budgets of Re and CH_4 for the Tibetan alpine meadow during the growing season.

Physiological responses and adjustment mechanisms of the dominate species of natural vegetation of Eastern Tengger Desert

Reaumuria soongorica and Salsola passerina have significant differences in ecophysiological characteristics, which change with the environmental variations. Although they live together for a long period of time, their adaptive mechanisms to environmental stresses are very different. As two extreme xerophytes, Reaumuria soongorica and Salsola passerina differ significantly from other psammophytes in ecophysiological characteristics; they can survive in lower water potential, and can even grow in piedmont areas. Low water potential may be related to the existence of osmosis-regulating substance, such as praline, which can strengthen the capacity of water absorption. Compared to other psammophytes, Reaumuria soongorica and Salsola passerina have a higher degree of photo-inhibition under the same condition, and the photo-inhibition can lead to destruction of the photosynthetic pigment, nevertheless, this photo-inhibition can be repaired under suitable conditions in the morning and evening.

The adaptive significance of differences of root morphology, anatomy and physiology from three ecotypes of reed(Phragmites communis Trin.)

Reeds are widely distributed in drought and high salt conditions of northwestern China. Leaf epidermal micromorphology, anatomy, chloroplast ultrastructure and physio-chemical characteristics due to long-term adaptation in the natural habitats of common reed （Phragmites communis Trin.） contrasted considerably among three different ecotypes： dune reed （DR）, Gobi salt reed （GSR） and swamp reed （SR）. The main objective of the present study is to determine the adapting characteristics of morphology, anatomy and physiological responses of thin roots in DR, GSR and SR. The results show that root length density was higher in SR and few root hairs were observed in DR. Cross-section anatomical features show that each ecotype has an endodermis and exodermis, while cortex thickness and proportion of root cortical aerenchyma and stele in root structure varied among the three ecotypes. The stele and xylem share a larger area in DR compared to GSR and SR. GSR has a large proportion of the cortex with radialized distribution of aerenchyma cells spacing, and the cortex has a peripheral, mechanically stiff ring in the exodermis. SEM and TEM microscope images show that GSR has a scle- renchyma ring with high lignification in the exodermis. The physio-chemical parameters show that GSR had a higher level of stress tolerance than DR. These findings indicate that developed water-absorbing tissues were largely distributed in the root structure of DR, and a main framework with supporting function spacing with aerenchyma was dominant in GSR in the long term adaptation to their natural habitats, respectively.

Full-length transcriptome sequencing analysis reveals differential skin color regulation in snakeheads fish Channa argus

Albinism is a genetic disorder caused by a series of genetic abnormalities that result in a decrease in melanin.Golden yellow snakehead fish(GCAS)has been discovered while the Channa argus(CAS)breeding,but the genetic mechanism that causes its albinism is not known.Transcriptome sequencing and comparison of CAS and GCAS skin using Oxford Nanopore Technologies(ONT)technology to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of snakehead albinism.27.1 G clean reads and 26,198 full-length non-redundant sequences were generated via ONT sequencing.Overall,8079 new transcripts and 7231 genes were identified by comparing and analyzing redundant removed transcripts and known reference genome annotations.The results of DEGs analysis showed that a total of 59 transcripts were differentially expressed in the two groups,including 22 up-regulated transcripts and 37 down-regulated transcripts.Five causative genes associated with albinism have been identified,including TYR(Tyrosinase)and SOX10(SRY-box transcription factor 10)(tyrosinase synthesis and metabolism),S-100(S100 calcium binding protein A1)(melanin production),NLRC3(NLR family CARD domain containing 3)(disease immunity)are significantly down-regulated in GCAS,while RhoGEFs expression(melanin synthesis)is up-regulated.Protein interaction analysis revealed that GAPDH(Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase)is the top hub gene in the regulation of skin color in C.argus.In addition,the skin of snakehead fish is regulated by metabolic(GAPDH),immune[Tumor protein p53(TP53),C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8(CXCL8),SRC proto-oncogene,non-receptor tyrosine kinase(SRC),CD274]and neural[Notch receptor 1(NOTCH1),C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12(CXCL12)]related genes to achieve differences in skin color.These findings in understanding the process by which albinism in fish develops.