Recent advancement and future challenges of photothermal catalysis for VOCs elimination:From catalyst design to applications

Photothermal catalysis realizes the synergistic effect of solar energy and thermochemistry,which also has the potential to improve the reaction rate and optimize the selectivity.In this review,the research progress of photothermal catalytic removal of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)by nano-catalysts in recent years is systematically reviewed.First,the fundamentals of photothermal catalysis and the fabrication of catalysts are described,and the design strategy of optimizing photothermal catalysis performance is proposed.Second,the performance for VOC degradation with photothermal catalysis is evaluated and compared for the batch and continuous systems.Particularly,the catalytic mechanism of VOC oxidation is systematically introduced based on experimental and theoretical study.Finally,the future limitations and challenges have been discussed,and potential research directions and priorities are highlighted.A broad view of recent photothermal catalyst fabrication,applications,challenges,and prospects can be systemically provided by this review.

Mechanical properties and damage constitutive model of sandstone after acid corrosion and high temperature treatments

Aiming at the problem of temperature-mechanics-chemical(T-M-C)action encountered by rocks in underground engineering,sandstone was selected as the sample for acid corrosion treatment at pH 1,3,5 and 7,the acid corrosion treated samples were then subjected to high-temperature experiments at 25,300,600,and 900℃,and triaxial compression experiments were conducted in the laboratory.The experimental results show that the superposition of chemical damage and thermal damage has a significant impact on the quality,wave velocity,porosity and compression failure characteristics of the rock.Based on the Lemaitre strain equivalent hypothesis theory,the damage degree of rock material was described by introducing damage variables,and the spatial mobilized plane(SMP)criterion was adopted.The damage constitutive model can well reflect the stress-strain characteristics of the rock triaxial compression process,which verified the rationality and reliability of the model parameters.The experiment and constitutive model analyzed the change law of mechanical properties of rock after chemical corrosion and high temperature thermal damage,which had certain practical significance for rock engineering construction.

Fluid mechanics of ventilation system generated by buoyancy and momentum sources and experiments research

This paper presents fluid mechanics of ventilation system formed by the momentum source and the buoyancy source,which investigates inter-action between the plume and the non-isothermal air jet since buoyancy source is produced by the plume and momentum source is generated by the air jet,respectively. The interaction is discussed by a mathematical model,an idealized situation of the plume rising from a point heat source of buoyancy alone-in particular the initial momentum flux at the source is zero. Furthermore,the paper discusses the effects of the parameters such as strength of source,air-flow volume and air-flow velocity used in the mathematical-physical model. Considering the effect of the plume generated by the indoor heat source,one expression of trajectory of the non-isothermal air jet produced by jet diffuser is deduced. And field-experiment has also been carried out to illustrate the effect on flowing-action of the air jet and validate the theoretical work. It can be concluded that the heat sources do have effect on the flowing-action of the air jet,and the effect mainly depends on the interaction produced by the plume and the air jet. The results show that the thermal buoyant effect of plumes on the air jet should be taken into account if the indoor heat sources are large enough. Numerical simulation is conducted and coincides with the experimental results as well.

MoS2 nanorods with inner caves through synchronous encapsulation of sulfur for high performance Li–S cathodes

Lithium–sulfur(Li–S)batteries have become one of the most promising candidates for next-generation batteries owing to their high specific capacity,low cost,and environment-friendliness.Many efforts have been made to mitigate the"shuttle effect"through physical adsorption and chemical bonding.MoS2 has been proposed as a cathode material to provide effective anchoring sites for lithium polysulfides(Li PSs),but is still limited by its layer structure.Herein,we designed novel MoS2 nanorods with inner caves based on our previous work,and performed synchronous encapsulation of sulfur during the synthesis process.The outer MoS2 tubular shells physically inhibit the outward diffusion of polysulfide species while the inner particles chemically anchor the polysulfides to prevent shuttling.As the cathode matrix in Li–S batteries,the electrochemical results deliver a high initial discharge capacity of 1213 mAhg^-1 for sulfur at 0.1 C.After cycling at 1 C for 300 cycles,the cells exhibit a capacity decay of only 0.076%per cycle and high average coulombic efficiency over 95%.The tubular MoS2 structure is an innovative and appealing design,which could be regarded as a prospective substrate for the improved performance of Li–S batteries.

Thermal stratification level of low sidewall air supply with air-conditioning system in large space

The thermal stratification level of low sidewall air supply system in large space was defined. Depending on the experiment of low sidewall air supply in summer 2008,the thermal stratification level was studied by simulation. Based on the simulation of experiment condition,the air velocity and vertical temperature distribution in a large space were simulated at different air-outlet velocities,and then the thermal stratification level line was obtained. The simulation results well match with the experimental ones and the average relative error is 3.4%. The thermal stratification level is heightened by increasing the air-outlet velocity with low sidewall air supply mode. It is concluded that when air-outlet velocity is 0.29 m/s,which is the experimental case,a uniform thermal environment in the higher occupied zone and a stable stratification level are formed. When the air-outlet velocity is low,such as 0.05 m/s,the thermal stratification level is too low and the air velocity is too small to meet the human thermal comfort in the occupied zone. So,it would be reasonable that the air-outlet velocity may be designed as 0.31 m/s if the height of the occupied zone is 2 m.

Energy consumption of large space atrium under nozzle outlet during winter season

Based on the thermal and velocity layer's theory,the experimental setup was established on large space atrium under nozzle outlet. A series of winter experiments were accomplished and the following conclusions could be drawn. At the sunny day of winter in Shanghai,the thermal and velocity layer are similar. The height of the both layer is 10-30 mm,and the temperature gratitude is 5-10 ℃ /m. Decreasing the angle of the nozzle outlet can increase the layer height dramatically. The maximum temperature difference of the occupant zone has relation with the angle of the nozzle outlet. The less the angle of the nozzle outlet is set,the greater the temperature difference is. The occupant temperature differences at these angles of the nozzle outlet are 5.1-4.4 ℃. The velocity of the wind is 0.02 and 0.17 m/s and they can accord with design demand. So,it can decrease the temperature gratitude by about 30% and it can save 10%-15% energy consumption.

Hydration Kinetics of Municipal Solid Wastes Incineration(MSWI) Fly Ash-Cement

Hydration heat behavior and kinetics of blended cement containing up to 20% MSWI fly ash were investigated based on its hydration heat evolution rate measured by isothermal calorimeter. Kinetics parameters, N and K, and hydration degree, Ca(OH)2 content, were also calculated and analyzed. According to the experimental results, the induction period was elongated, the second heat evolution peak was in advance, and the third hydration heat peak could be detected due to MSWI fly ash pozzolanic reaction. The hydration reaction rate was controlled by nucleation kinetics in the acceleration period and then by diffusion in the decay period, but in the deceleration period, the hydration experienced a dual controlling reaction of autocatalytic chemical reaction and diffusion. The hydration rate of blended cement was faster. Ca(OH)2 content increased before 14 days.

Interaction analyses between tunnel and landslide in mountain area

This paper focuses on the analytical derivation and the numerical simulation analyses to predict the interaction influences between a landslide and a new tunnel in mountain areas. Based on the slip-line theory, the disturbance range induced by tunneling and the minimum safe distance between the tunnel vault and the sliding belt are obtained in consideration of the mechanical analyses of relaxed rocks over the tunnel opening. The influence factors for the minimum safe crossing distance are conducted,including the tunnel radius, the friction angle of surrounding rocks, the inclination angle of sliding belt,and the friction coefficient of surrounding rocks. Secondly, taking account of the compressive zone and relaxed rocks caused by tunneling, the Sarma method is employed to calculate the safety factor of landslide. Finally, the analytical solutions for interaction between the tunnel and the landslide are compared with a series of numerical simulations, considering the cases for different perpendicular distances between the tunnel vault and the sliding belt. Resultsshow that the distance between the tunnel vault and the slip zone has significant influence on the rock stress and strain. For the case of the minimum crossing distance, a plastic zone in the landslide traversed by tunneling would be formed with rather large range, which seriously threatens the stability of landslide. This work demonstrates that the minimum safe crossing distance obtained from numerical simulation is in a good agreement with that calculated by the proposed analytical solutions.

Three-dimensional consolidation deformation analysis of porous layered soft soils considering asymmetric effects

Long-term settlements for underground structures, such as tunnels and pipelines, are generally observed after the completion of construction in soft clay. The soil consolidation characteristic has great influences on the long-term deformation for underground structures. A three-dimensional consolidation analysis method under the asymmetric loads is developed for porous layered soil based on Biot's classical theory. Time-displacement effects can be fully considered in this work and the analytical solutions are obtained by the state space approach in the Cartesian coordinate. The Laplace and double Fourier integral transform are applied to the state variables in order to reduce the partial differential equations into algebraic differential equations and easily obtain the state space solution. Starting from the governing equations of saturated porous soil, the basic relationship of state space variables is established between the ground surface and the arbitrary depth in the integral transform domain. Based on the continuity conditions and boundary conditions of the multi-layered pore soil model, the multi-layered pore half-space solutions are obtained by means of the transfer matrix method and the inverse integral transforms. The accuracy of proposed method is demonstrated with existing classical solutions. The results indicate that the porous homogenous soils as well as the porous non-homogenous layered soils can be considered in this proposed method. When the consolidation time factor is 0.01, the value of immediate consolidation settlement coefficient calculated by the weighted homogenous solution is 27.4% bigger than the one calculated by the non-homogeneity solution. When the consolidation time factor is 0.05, the value of excess pore water pressure for the weighted homogenous solution is 27.2% bigger than the one for the non-homogeneity solution. It is shown that the material non-homogeneity has a great influence on the long-term settlements and the dissipation process of excess pore water pressure.

Function of Palm Fiber in Stabilization of Alluvial Clayey Soil in Yangtze River Estuary

Palm fiber is one of the favorable materials used in stabilization of soft soil in geotechnical engineering projects in recent years due to its nature of sustainability,no harm to the environment,biodegradability,availability and costeffectiveness in the context of widespread appeal from the world for returning to nature and protecting the earth our homestead.This paper is aimed at exploring the mechanical performance of Shanghai clayey soil reinforced with palm fiber.The unconfined compressive tests are carried out on samples treated with palm fibers of different lengths and contents,and the unconfined compressive strength(UCS),ductility rate(DR),secant modulus(SM),energy absorption capacity(EAC)and failure pattern(FP)of the reinforced and unreinforced samples have been analyzed with regard to their relationship with palm fiber contents and lengths.Then multiple regression,grey correlation and general correlation relationship analysis are applied to the resultant test data so as to obtain the mathematical and statistical equation of related soil indexes.It has been concluded from the analysis that the unconfined compressive strength,ductility and energy absorption capacity of reinforced soil will increase with the increase in content and length of palm fiber,which are maximized when palm fiber content and length are 0.4%and 15 mm,respectively.On the contrary,the secant modulus of reinforced soil decreases considerably with content and length of palm fiber as a whole.Additionally,the failure pattern also changes from brittle to ductile gradually with the content and length of palm fiber.The data provided by the analysis of reinforced soil can be referred to and used for the related geotechnical engineering in the future.And the mathematical model obtained from the statistical regression is significantly meaningful because it can be used to predict the soil performance without the need for doing the additional tests,with saving in cost and time.What’s more,the application of palm fiber to soft soil is completely in accordance to the concept of sustainable development and environment protection.

Experimental Study on Performance of Supercritical CO_2 Heat Exchanger with Four Different Inner Tubes

The experiment was conducted to investigate the heat transfer performance of supercritical CO_2 in a casing heat exchanger by comparing their heat transfer,entropy production unit number,non-dimensional entropy production rate and field synergy factor.The results show that both heat transfer and entropy production unit number in four tubes decrease with water temperature increasing.Heat transfer and entropy production unit number in multiple tubes( i. e.,triple straight tube and double helix tube) is higher than their single counterparts; the non-dimensional entropy production rate increases with water temperature. Non-dimensional entropy production rate of triple straight tube and double helix tube is far below the single tube. Field synergy factor of double helix tube is much higher than that of the triple straight tube under the same condition. Further experiment was carried out in double helix tube,under various CO_2 pressure and inlet water temperature,the results are analyzed and reported in this paper.

Numerical simulation and analysis for indoor air quality in different ventilation

Indoor air environment includes indoor thermal environment and air quality, and a reasonable ventilation provides guarantee for a good indoor environment. A numerical study of the indoor environment in different ventilation is presented in this paper. The External Energy Saving Lab of the WenYuan Building was selected for this purpose, and its indoor air quality and thermal performance in the typical summer climate were simulated. For the numerical simulation, the techniques of Fluent Air-pak was adopted to establish the physical and numerical model of lab. A attention is given to the velocity field and the distribution of pollutant concentration, followed by a discussion of two ventilation modes (displacement ventilation and up-in and up-out ventilation). By comparison, it is found that the Displacement ventilation in improving indoor air quality is obviously superior to the traditional up-in and up-out ventilation.

Research on Energy-Saving Performance of Intermittent Heating for Rooms in Hot Summer&ColdWinter Zone

In the hot summer&cold winter zone in China,intermittent heating space for rooms is widely used.However,in comparison with continuous space heating,the energy-saving performance of intermittent space heating has not been sufficiently investigated.This paper studied the factors influencing the energy performance of intermittent heating for the representativeoffice inhot summer&coldwinter zone.Basedon theheatbalancemethod,adynamic thermalmodel of the intermittent heating roomwas built and tested by experiments.And then,it analyzed the total space heating load,the amount of energy saving and energy saving ratio of the intermittent heating under different preheating hours,occupation hours,required roomtemperatures,air change rates,overall heat transfer coefficients(U-value)of windows and wall materials.If the adjacent rooms were not heated,for a typical room occupied about 10 h a day,the energy-saving ratio of intermittent heating was about 30%compared with continuous heating.But the preheating power was higher than two times of continuous heating.The results also indicated that the occupation hours had a significant effect on energy saving amount and ratio,it should be noted that the energy saving ratio by intermittent heating was much lower than the unoccupied period ratio.Relative to other factors,the heating temperatures,room air change rates and U-value of windows,and room envelope materials had little effect on energy efficiency.If the adjacent rooms were heated in the same manner as the roomin question,the energy-saving ratio of the total load of intermittent heating was heavily reduced to 8.46%.

Associations between indoor environmental smoke and respiratory symptoms among preschool children in Shanghai, China

Whether indoor environmental smoke is harmful for preschool children’s respiratory health in a society where female smoking is rare has not been determined.This study is part of a cross-sectional study(CCHH study-phase one in Shanghai)and investigated associations between parental smoking and incense-burning and respiratory symptoms among 4–6 year old children in Shanghai,China.A number of 13335 valid questionnaires(response rate:85.3%)were analyzed.A number of 56.1%(as reported by a parent)of preschool children in Shanghai are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke(ETS).A number of 40.3%of fathers and0.9%of mothers are smokers.A number of 53.7%and 12.6%of Shanghai residents have used mosquito-repellent incense and incensation respectively.Children exposed to any parental smoking have higher prevalence of wheeze and croup than those not exposed.Current maternal smoking has a significant and positive association with wheeze(in the last 12 months,AOR,95%CI:1.83,1.11–2.99).However,paternal smoking either currently or at child’s birth had only weak associations with wheeze and croup.Incense-burning(mosquito-repellent incense and incensation)had significant and negative association with doctor-diagnosed asthma(AOR,95%CI:0.85,0.73–0.99)and hay fever(AOR,95%CI:0.80,0.70–0.93).The results indicate that maternal smoking perhaps is a stronger risk factor for children’s respiratory health than paternal smoking.

Reinterpret the heterogeneous reaction of α-Fe_(2)O_(3) and NO_(2) with 2D-COS:The role of SDS,UV and SO_(2)

Heterogeneous reaction of mineral aerosols and atmospheric polluting gases play an important role in atmospheric chemistry.In this study,the reactions of NO_(2) with or without SO_(2) mixture gas on the surface of α-Fe_(2)O_(3) particles under dry conditions were studied.The effects of sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS)and the heterogeneous reaction under both dark and UV irradiation conditions were investigated.The infrared spectrum analyzed by the two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy(2D-COS)was used to obtain the products formation sequences.The results showed that UV irradiation can promote the production of nitrate.The 2D-COS analysis indicated SDS changed the sequence order of nitrate and nitrite species during reactions.In oxidation conditions,the final product of heterogeneous reaction of NO_(2) and α-Fe_(2)O_(3) was monodentate nitrate.Only the heterogenous reaction of NO_(2) and α-Fe_(2)O_(3) containing SDS(FOS)without UV light,the final product was bidentate nitrate.SDS was the catalysis agent supply and photoresist to the system.With surface active compounds,the environmental lifetime of heterogeneous reactions between trace gases and aerosols extends.Surfactants,ultraviolet light,and the types of gases involved in the reaction all have complex effects on the aerosol aging process.This study provided a reference for subsequent heterogeneous reaction studies and the formation of aerosols.

The Turbulent Schmidt Number for Transient Contaminant Dispersion in a Large Ventilated Room Using a Realizable k-εModel

Buildings with large open spaces in which chemicals are handled are often exposed to the risk of explosions.Computational fluid dynamics is a useful and convenient way to investigate contaminant dispersion in such large spaces.The turbulent Schmidt number(Sc_(t))concept has typically been used in this regard,and most studies have adopted a default value.We studied the concentration distribution for sulfur hexafluoride(SF_(6))assuming different emission rates and considering the effect of Sc_(t).Then we examined the same problem for a light gas by assuming hydrogen gas(H_(2))as the contaminant.When SF_(6) was considered as the contaminant gas,a variation in the emission rate completely changed the concentration distribution.When the emission rate was low,the gravitational effect did not take place.For both low and high emission rates,an increase in S_(ct) accelerated the transport rate of SF_(6).In contrast,for H_(2) as the contaminant gas,a larger S_(ct) could induce a decrease in the H_(2) transport rate.

Pet-keeping and its impact on asthma and allergies among preschool children in Shanghai, China

Whether early pet-keeping is a risk factor for children’s asthma and allergies remains controversial.To investigate associations between asthma,allergies and airway symptoms among children and the indoor environment,a cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 districts of Shanghai.A number of 13335 questionnaires(response rate:85.3%)of 4–6 year old children were analyzed.Families in urban areas have more pets except for dogs than families in suburbs.Fish are the most common pets in urban districts.The prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was 10.3%,wheeze(ever)28.3%,rhinitis(ever)54.1%,doctor-diagnosed hay fever 12.6%and eczema(ever)22.9%.In logistic regression analyses,early furred pet-keeping was positively associated with most of the symptoms and significantly with rhinitis(ever,adjusted OR=1.41,95%CI=1.14–1.76)and doctor-diagnosed hay fever(1.38,1.02–1.88).Current furred pet-keeping was significantly negatively associated with doctor-diagnosed asthma(0.57,0.39–0.83).Persistent furred pet-keeping was significantly positively associated with rhinitis on pet or pollen exposure.However,current pet-keeping is not randomly distributed in the population.Children in families with"allergy"or with"pet avoidance behavior"(due to allergies in the family)have more symptoms,but have avoided cats and dogs,leading to the conclusion that such animals are"protective",namely the"Healthy Pet-Keeping"effect.Moreover,rodents and birds are risks for children’s health.Fish-keeping is also seemingly a risk.This study indicates that early pet-keeping is a risk factor for asthma and allergies in families with a history of allergies,and part of residents in Shanghai have pet-avoidance behavior.

Ten cities cross-sectional questionnaire survey of children asthma and other allergies in China

Asthma,rhinitis and eczema(allergic or non-allergic)have increased throughout the world during the last decades,especially among children.Changes in the indoor environment are suspected to be important causes.China has experienced a dramatic change in indoor environmental exposures during the past two decades.However,such changes and their associations with children’s asthma and other health aspects have not been thoroughly studied.China,Children,Homes,Health(CCHH),Phase I,was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 48219 children 1–8 years old in 10 Chinese cities during 2010–2012.The questionnaire includes the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood(ISAAC)core health questions and additional questions regarding housing,life habits and outdoor environment.In health analyses,children aged 3–6 years old were included.The prevalences of doctor diagnosed asthma varied from 1.7%to 9.8%(mean 6.8%),a large increase from 0.91%in 1999 and 1.50%in2000.The prevalence of wheeze,rhinitis and atopic eczema(last 12 months)varied from 13.9%to 23.7%,24.0%to 50.8%and4.8%to 15.8%,respectively.Taiyuan had the lowest prevalences of all illnesses and Shanghai the highest,except for wheezewhere the highest value was for Urumqi.We found(1)no obvious association between disease prevalences and ambient PM10concentrations and(2)higher prevalences of disease in humid climates with hot summers and cold winters,but with no centrally heated buildings.Associations between the diseases and economic status as indexed by Gross Domestic Product(GDP)requires further study.

Potassium ferrate pretreatment promotes short chain fatty acids yield and antibiotics reduction in acidogenic fermentation of sewage sludge

During the acidogenic fermentation converting waste activated sludge (WAS) into shortchain fatty acids (SCFA), hydrolysis of complex organic polymers is a limiting step and the transformation of harmful substances (such as antibiotics) during acidogenic fermentation is unknown. In this study, potassium ferrate (KFeO) oxidation was used as a pretreatment strategy for WAS acidogenic fermentation to increase the hydrolysis of sludge and destruct the harmful antibiotics. Pretreatment with KFeOcan effectively increase the SCFA production during acidogenic fermentation and change the distribution of SCFA components.With the dosage of 0.2 g/g TS, the maximum SCFA yield was 4823 mg COD/L, which is 28.3times that of the control group;acetic acid accounts for more than 90% of the total SCFA. The higher dosage (0.5 g/g TS) can further increase the proportion of acetic acid, but inhibit the overall performance of SCFA production. Apart from the promotion of hydrolysis and acidogenesis, KFeOpretreatment can also simultaneously oxidizes and degrades part of the antibiotics in the sludge. When the dosage is 0.5 g/g TS, the degradation efficacy of antibiotics is the most significant, and the contents of ofloxacin, azithromycin, and tetracycline in the sludge are reduced by 69%, 42%, and 50%, respectively. In addition, KFeOpretreatment can also promote the release of antibiotics from sludge flocs, which is conducive to the simultaneous degradation of antibiotics in the subsequent biological treatment process.

Simultaneous removal of NO_(x)and chlorobenzene on V_(2)O_(5)/TiO_(2)granular catalyst:Kinetic study and performance prediction

The synergetic abatement of multi-pollutants is one of the development trends of flue gas pollution control technology,which is still in the initial stage and facing many challenges.We developed a V_(2)O_(5)/TiO_(2)granular catalyst and established the kinetic model for the simultaneous removal of NO and chlorobenzene(i.e.,an important precursor of dioxins).The granular catalyst synthesized using vanadyl acetylacetonate precursor showed good synergistic catalytic performance and stability.Although the SCR reaction of NO and the oxidation reaction of chlorobenzene mutually inhibited,the reaction order of each reaction was not considerably affected,and the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics was still followed.The performance prediction of this work is of much value to the understanding and reasonable design of a catalytic system for multi-pollutants(i.e.,NO and dioxins)emission control.