Alternative Strategy for Development of Dielectric Calcium Copper Titanate‑Based Electrolytes for Low‑Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The development of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells(LT-SOFCs)is of significant importance for realizing the widespread application of SOFCs.This has stimulated a substantial materials research effort in developing high oxide-ion conductivity in the electrolyte layer of SOFCs.In this context,for the first time,a dielectric material,CaCu_(3)Ti_(4)O_(12)(CCTO)is designed for LT-SOFCs electrolyte application in this study.Both individual CCTO and its heterostructure materials with a p-type Ni_(0.8)Co_(0.15)Al_(0.05)LiO_(2−δ)(NCAL)semiconductor are evaluated as alternative electrolytes in LT-SOFC at 450–550℃.The single cell with the individual CCTO electrolyte exhibits a power output of approximately 263 mW cm^(-2) and an open-circuit voltage(OCV)of 0.95 V at 550℃,while the cell with the CCTO–NCAL heterostructure electrolyte capably delivers an improved power output of approximately 605 mW cm^(-2) along with a higher OCV over 1.0 V,which indicates the introduction of high hole-conducting NCAL into the CCTO could enhance the cell performance rather than inducing any potential short-circuiting risk.It is found that these promising outcomes are due to the interplay of the dielectric material,its structure,and overall properties that led to improve electrochemical mechanism in CCTO–NCAL.Furthermore,density functional theory calculations provide the detailed information about the electronic and structural properties of the CCTO and NCAL and their heterostructure CCTO–NCAL.Our study thus provides a new approach for developing new advanced electrolytes for LT-SOFCs.

Effect of Allelochemicals of Chinese-fir root extracted by supercritical CO_2 extraction on Chinese fir

Allelochemicals of Chinese-fir root was extracted by technology ofsupercritical CO_2 extraction under orthogonal experiment design, and it was used to analyzeallelopathic activity of Chinese-fir through bioassay of seed germination. The results showed thatas to the available rate of allelochemicals, the pressure and temperature of extraction were themost important factors. The allelochemicals of Chinese-fir root extracted by pure CO_2 and ethanolmixed with CO_2 have different allelopathic activities to seed germination, and the allelochemicalsextracted by ethanol mixed with CO_2 had stronger inhibitory effects on seed germination than thatextracted by pure CO_2.

The effect of exogenous sugar solution and high concentration of CO_2 on the contents of sugar and protein of Betula platyphylla leaves

The content of total sugar, sucrose, fructose and protein in the leaves of3-yr.-old Betula platyphylla was measured after the treatment by three exogenous sugar solutions(sucrose, fructose, glucose) and three high concentrations of CO_2 (700, 1 400, 2 100 μL/L·L^(-1))for about a month in 1998. The results showed that spraying three exogenous sugar solutionsincreased markedly the content of sugar and protein of leaves under 700 μL·L^(-1) and 1 400μL·L^(-1) CO_2 The effect of spraying exogenous sucrose solution was the best among the threeexogenous sugars. The treatment of spraying exogenous sugar solution and 2 100 μL·L^(-1) CO_2constrained the accumulation of total sugar and protein of leaves. There was no difference inprotein content of leaves when spraying glucose and fructose solutions under 700 μL·L^(-1) and 1400 μL·L^(-1) CO_2. The treatment of 2 100 μL·L^(-1) CO_2 concentration significantly increasedthe contents of total sugar, sucrose, fructose, and protein of leaves compared with that of the 700μL·L^(-1) and 1 400 μL·L^(-1) CO_2 except the plants spraying fructose solution. There waspositive correlation between the content of sugar of leaves and CO_2 concentration when sprayingsame exogenous sugar solution.

Response of seedlings of different tree species to elevated CO_2 in Changbai Mountain

Eco-physiological responses of seedlings of eight species, Pinus koraiensis, Picea koraiensis, Larix olgensis, Populus ussuriensis, Betula platyphylla, Tilia amurensis, Traxinus mandshurica and Acer mono from broadleaved/Korean pine forest, to elevated CO2 were studied by using open-top chambers under natural sunlight in Changbai Mountain, China in two growing seasons (1998-1999). Two concentrations of CO2 were designed: elevated CO2 (700 祄olmol-1) and ambient CO2 (400 祄olmol-1). The study results showed that the height growth of the tree seedlings grown at elevated CO2 increased by about 10%-40% compared to those grown at ambient CO2. And the water using efficiency of seedlings also followed the same tendency. However, the responses of seedlings in transpiration and chlorophyll content to elevated CO2 varied with tree species. The broad-leaf tree species were more sensitive to the elevated CO2 than conifer tree species. All seedlings showed a photosynthetic acclimation to long-term elevated CO2.

RELATIONSHIPS OF STARCH CONCENTRATION WITH SPECIFIC LEAF WEIGHT AND MINERAL CONCENTRATIONS IN POTATO LEAVES UNDER VARIED CO_2 AND TEMPERATURE

Foliar concentrations of starch and major nutrients N, P, K, Ca, and Mg along with specific leaf weight (SLW) were determined in the potato (Solanun tuberosum L.) cvs "Denali", "Norland "'and "Russet Burbank" grown for 35 days under the CO2 concentrations of 500, 1 000, 1 500 and 2 000 mol mol-1 at both 16 and 20℃ air temperature. The starch concentration, pooled from the three cultivars, increased with increasing CO2 concentration at both 16 and 20℃,, and was consistently higher at 16℃ than at 20℃. The SLW (g m-2) was positively related to the foliar starch concentration on the basis of leaf area or dry weight. The concentrations of N, P, Ca, and Mg in leaves were negatively related to starch concentration under 14% starch on a dry weight basis. Above 14%, there was no significant relationship between nutrient and starch concentrations . The similar patterns were seen when the SLW and nutrient concentrations were expressed on a starch-free basis. In contrast, the leaf concentration of K was not closely related to the starch concentration. The results indicated that the changes in SLW and concentrations of N, P, Ca, and Mg in potato leaves only partially resulted from the changed starch concentration.

Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂对半焦基DC-SOFC性能的影响

半焦与CO_(2)的气化反应速率是影响半焦燃料基DC-SOFC电池性能的关键。为提高半焦的CO_(2)气化反应性,采用柠檬酸溶胶-凝胶法制备了具有钙钛矿结构的Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂,用SEM、XRD、XPS、低温氮气吸脱附等分析手段研究了Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂的形貌和结构,采用热重分析实验研究Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂对半焦燃料的CO_(2)气化反应催化活性;在Ag-GDC|YSZ|GDC-Ag电解质支撑电池系统上,研究了添加Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂对半焦燃料基DC-SOFC输出性能的影响。结果表明,随着催化剂焙烧温度的提高,Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂晶粒尺寸逐渐增大、比表面积降低,750℃焙烧的催化剂具有良好的分散性、颗粒尺寸约为0.1μm,在半焦的CO_(2)气化反应中催化作用最好;相较于CaO和Fe2O3,Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂结构中吸附氧浓度更高,在半焦的CO_(2)气化反应中表现出更为优异的催化活性;Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂的循环稳定性取决于催化剂结构的热稳定性,其循环使用时活性降低主要归因于半焦燃料中无机灰分的包裹。催化剂对DC-SOFC输出性能影响表明,当半焦中添加10%的Ca_(2)Fe_(2)O_(5)催化剂时,电池的峰值功率密度从15.3 mW/cm^(2)增大到23.7 mW/cm^(2);EIS分析表明阳极传质阻力是影响DC-SOFC输出性能和燃料利用率的主要因素,降低灰分、催化剂累积带来的传质阻力可有效提高电池寿命和燃料利用率。

CFD simulation of ammonia-based CO_2 absorption in a spray column

A comprehensive computational fluid dynamics（CFD） model is developed based on the gas-liquid two-phase hydrodynamics,gas-liquid mass-transfer theory and chemical reaction kinetics,and the ammonia-based CO2 absorption in a spray column is numerically studied.The Euler-Lagrange model is applied to describe the behavior of gas-liquid twophase flowand heat transfer.The dual-film theory and related correlations are adopted to model the gas-liquid mass transfer and chemical absorption process.The volatilization model of multi-component droplet is utilized to account for ammonia slippage.The effect of operation parameters on CO2 removal efficiency is numerically studied.The results showa good agreement with the previous experimental data,proving the validity of the proposed model.The profile studies of gasphase velocity and CO2 concentration suggest that the flowfield has a significant impact on the CO2 concentration field.Also,the local CO2 absorption rate is influenced by both local turbulence and the local liquid-gas ratio.Furthermore,the velocity field of gas phase is optimized by the method of adjusting the orifice plate,and the results showthat the CO2 removal efficiency is improved by approximately 4%.

Effects of Atmospheric CO_2 Enrichment, Applied Nitrogen and Soil Moisture on Dry Matter Accumulation and Nitrogen Uptake in Spring Wheat

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Dingxi No. 8654) was treated with twoconcentrations of atmospheric CO_2 (350 and 700 μmol mol^(-1)), two levels of soil moisture(well-watered and drought) and five rates of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mgkg^(-1) soil) to study the atmospheric CO_2 concentration effect on dry matter accumulation and Nuptake of spring wheat. The effects of CO_2 enrichment on the shoot and total mass depended largelyon soil nitrogen level, and the shoot and total mass increased significantly in the moderate to highN treatments but did not increase significantly in the low N treatment. Enriched CO_2 concentrationdid not increase more shoot and total mass in the drought treatment than in the well-wateredtreatment. Thus, elevated CO_2 did not ameliorate the depressive effects of drought and nitrogenstress. In addition, root mass decreased slightly and root/shoot ratio decreased significantly dueto CO_2 enrichment in no N treatment under well-watered condition. Enriched CO_2 decreased shoot Ncontent and shoot and total N uptake; but it reduced root N content and uptake slightly. Shootcritical N concentration was lower for spring wheat grown at 700 μmol mol^(-1) CO_2 than at 350μmol mol^(-1) CO_2 in both well-watered and drought treatments. The critical N concentrations were16 and 19 g kg^(-1) for the well-watered treatment and drought treatment at elevated CO_2 and 21 and26 g kg^(-1) at ambient CO_2, respectively. The reductions in the movement of nutrients to theplant roots through mass flow due to the enhancement in WUE (water use efficiency) and the increasein N use efficiency at elevated CO_2 could elucidate the reduction of shoot and root Nconcentrations.

Comparative study on CO_2 emissions from different types of alpine meadows during grass exuberance period

Potentilla fruticosascrub, Kobresia humilismeadow and Kobresia tibeticameadow are widely distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. During the grass exuberance period from 3 July to 4 September, based on close chamber-GC method, a study on CO 2 emissions from different treatments was conducted in these meadows at Haibei research station, CAS. Results indicated that mean CO 2 emission rates from various treatments were 672.09±152.37 mgm -2 h -1 for FC (grass treatment); 425.41±191.99 mgm -2 h -1 for FJ (grass exclusion treatment); 280.36±174.83 mgm -2 h -1 for FL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); 838.95±237.02 mgm -2 h -1 for GG (scrub+grass treatment); 528.48±205.67 mgm -2 h -1 for GC (grass treatment); 268.97±99.72 mgm -2 h -1 for GL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); and 659.20±94.83 mgm -2 h -1 for LC (grass treatment), respectively (FC, FJ, FL, GG, GC, GL, LC were the Chinese abbreviation for various treatments). Furthermore, Kobresia humilismeadow, Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow and Kobresia tibeticameadow differed greatly in average CO 2 emission rate of soil-plant system, in the order of GG>FC>LC>GC. Moreover, in Kobresia humilismeadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 42% and 58% of the total respiration of soil-plant system respectively, whereas, in Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 32% and 68% of total system respiration from GG; 49% and 51% from GC. In addition, root respiration from Kobresia humilismeadow approximated 145 mgCO 2 m -2 h -1 , contributed 34% to soil respiration. During the experiment period, Kobresia humilismeadow and Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow had a net carbon fixation of 111.11 gm -2 and 243.89 gm -2 , respectively. Results also showed that soil temperature was the main factor which influenced CO 2 emission from alpine meadow ecosystem, significant correlations were found between soil temperature at 5 cm depth and CO 2 emission from GG, GC, FC and FJ treatments. In addition, soil moisture may be the inhibitory factor of CO 2 emission from Kobresia tibeticameadow, and more detailed analyses should be done in further research.

Estimation of Pore Size Distribution by CO_2 Adsorption and Its Application in Physical Activation of Precursors

The CO2 adsorption data may show more than one section in the Dubinin-Radushkevich-Kaganer(DRK) plot if samples had been over-activated. Each section in the plot represents a range of pore size. The whole DRK plot provided information on the pore size distribution(PSD) of a sample, which may be used to monitor the effect of activation conditions in activation processes.

The Relative Impact of Regional Scale Land Cover Change and Increasing CO_2 over China

A series of 17-yr equilibrium simulations using the NCAR COM3 (T42resolution) were performed to investigate the regional scale impacts of land cover change andincreasing CO_2 over China. Simulations with natural and current land cover at CO_2 levels of 280,355, 430, and 505 ppmv were conducted. Results show statistically significant changes in majorclimate fields (e.g. temperature and surface wind speed) on a 15-yr average following land coverchange. We also found increases in the maximum temperature and in the diurnal temperature range dueto land cover change. Increases in CO_2 affect both the maximum and minimum temperature so thatchanges in the diurnal range are small. Both land cover change and CO_2 change also impact thefrequency distribution of precipitation with increasing CO_2 tending to lead to more intenseprecipitation and land cover change leading to less intense precipitation―indeed, the impact ofland cover change typically had the opposite effect versus the impacts of CO_2. Our results providesupport for the inclusion of future land cover change scenarios in long-term transitory climatemodelling experiments of the 21st Century. Our results also support the inclusion of land surfacemodels that can represent future land cover changes resulting from an ecological response to naturalclimate variability or increasing CO_2. Overall, we show that land cover change can have asignificant impact on the regional scale climate of China, and that regionally, this impact is of asimilar magnitude to increases in CO_2 of up to about 430 ppmv. This means that that the impact ofland cover change must be accounted for in detection and attribution studies over China.

Gas-phase electrocatalytic conversion of CO_2 to chemicals on sputtered Cu and Cu–C catalysts electrodes

A novel gas-phase electrocatalytic cell containing a low-temperature proton exchange membrane(PEM)was developed to electrochemically convert CO_2into organic compounds.Two different Cu-based cathode catalysts(Cu and Cu–C)were prepared by physical vapor deposition method(sputtering)and subsequently employed for the gas-phase electroreduction of CO_2at different temperatures(70–90°C).The prepared electrodes Cu and Cu–C were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray photoemission spectroscopy(XPS)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).As revealed,Cu is partially oxidized on the surface of the samples and the Cu and Cu–C cathodic catalysts were comprised of a porous,continuous,and homogeneous film with nanocrystalline Cu with a grain size of 16 and 8 nm,respectively.The influence of the applied current and temperature on the electro-catalytic activity and selectivity of these materials was investigated.Among the two investigated electrodes,the pure Cu catalyst film showed the highest CO_2specific electrocatalytic reduction rates and higher selectivity to methanol formation compared to the Cu–C electrode,which was attributed to the higher particle size of the former and lower Cu O/Cu ratio.The obtained results show potential interest for the possible use of electrical renewable energy for the transformation of CO_2into valuable products using low metal loading Cu based electrodes(0.5 mg Cu cm^(-2))prepared by sputtering.

Geomechanical effects of CO_2 storage in depleted gas reservoirs in the Netherlands:Inferences from feasibility studies and comparison with aquifer storage

In this paper,the geomechanical impact of large-scale carbon dioxide(CO) storage in depleted Dutch gas fields is compared with the impact of COstorage in saline aquifers.The geomechanical behaviour of four potential COstorage sites is examined using flow and geomechanical simulations.Many gas reservoirs in the Netherlands are found in fault blocks,one to a few kilometres wide,laterally bounded by sealing faults.Aquifer depletion or re-pressurization in the lateral direction is seldom an issue because of a lack of active aquifers.Reservoir pressure changes are therefore limited to a gas-bearing fault block,while the induced stress changes affect the gas reservoir and extend 1-3 km away into the surrounding rock.Arguments in favour of COstorage in depleted gas fields are:proven seal quality,availability of field data,no record of seal integrity failure by fault reactivation from the seismically active producing Dutch gas fields,and the potential benefits of restoring the virgin formation pressure and stress state to geomechanical stability.On the other hand,COinjection in saline aquifers causes pressure build-up that exceeds the virgin hydrostatic pressure.Stress perturbations resulting from pressure build-up affect large areas,extending tens of kilometres away from the injection wells.Induced stresses in top seals are.however,small and do not exceed a few tenths of megapascal for a pressure build-up of a few megapascals in the storage formation.Geomechanical effects on top seals are weak,but could be enhanced close to the injection zone by the thermal effects of injection.Uncertainties related to characterisation of large areas affected by pressure build-up are significant,and seal quality and continuity are more difficult to be demonstrated for aquifers than for depleted gas reservoirs that have held hydrocarbons for millions of years.

Effects of Potassium and Manganese Promoters on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube-Supported Iron Catalysts for CO_2 Hydrogenation

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes （NCNTs） were used as a support for iron （Fe） nanoparticles applied in car- bon dioxide （CO_2） hydrogenation at 633 K and 25 bar （1 bar = 10-5 Pa）. The Fe/NCNT catalyst promoted with both potassium （K） and manganese （Mn） showed high performance in CO_2 hydrogenation, reaching 34.9% conversion with a gas hourly space velocity （GHSV） of 3.1 L-（g·h）-1. Product selectivities were high for olefin products and low for short-chain alkanes for the K-promoted catalysts. When Fe/NCNT catalyst was promot- ed with both K and Mn, the catalytic activity was stable for 60 h of reaction time. The structural effect of the Mn promoter was demonstrated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, temperature-programmed reduction （TPR） with molecular hydrogen （H2）, and in situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure （XANES） analysis. The Mn pro- moter stabilized wtistite （FeO） as an intermediate and lowered the TPR onset temperature. Catalytic ammo- nia （NH_3） decomposition was used as an additional probe reaction for characterizing the promoter effects. The Fe/NCNT catalyst promoted with both K and Mn had the highest catalytic activity, and the Mn-promoted Fe/NCNT catalysts had the highest thermal stability under reducing conditions.

Effects of CO_2 Compression and Decompression Rates on the Physiology of Microorganisms

The influence of compression and decompression rates of carbon dioxide on the physiology of Absidia coerufea and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated. Besides parameters such as pressure, temperature, exposure time, water content, and initial pH, the influence of either compression or decompression rate on the biological behavior of microorganisms was quite essential. For both microorganisms studied, an optimal rate for either compression or decompression process exists due to the integrated effect of pressure, exposure time as well as compression or decompression speed. The decompression rate has no significant effect on cell's viability after 180 min exposure in compressed CO_2 because almost all the microorganisms were died before decompression.

Response of seedlings growth of Pinus sylvestriformis to atmospheric CO_2 enrichment in Changbai Mountain

The biomass and ratio of root-shoot of Pinus sylvestfthermis seedlings at Co, concentration of 700 μL L-1 and 50 μL-1L-1 were measured using open-top chambers (OTCs) in Changbai Mountain during Jun. to oct. in 1999. The results showed that doubling CO2 concentration was benefit tb seedling growth of the species (500 μL- L1 was better than 700 μLL’ L-1 ) and the biomass production was increased in both aboveground and underground parts of seedlings. Carbon trans formation to roots was evident as rising of CO2 concentration.

Harnessing the Beneficial Attributes of Ceria and Titania in a Mixed-Oxide Support for Nickel-Catalyzed Photothermal CO_2 Methanation

Solar-powered carbon dioxide （CO_2）-to-fuel conversion presents itself as an ideal solution for both CO_2 mit- igation and the rapidly growing world energy demand. In this work, the heating effect of light irradiation onto a bed of supported nickel （Ni） catalyst was utilized to facilitate CO_2 conversion. Ceria （CeO_2）-titania （TiO_2） oxide supports of different compositions were employed and their effects on photothermal CO_2 conver- sion examined, Two factors are shown to be crucial for instigating photothermal CO_2 methanation activity： ① Fine nickel deposits are required for both higher active catalyst area and greater light absorption capacity for the initial heating of the catalyst bed; and ② the presence of defect sites on the support are necessary to promote adsorption of C02 for its subsequent activation, Titania inclusion within the support plays a crucial role in maintaining the oxygen vacancy defect sites on the （titanium-doped） cerium oxide. The combination of elevated light absorption and stabilized reduced states for CO_2 adsorption subsequently invokes effective Dhotothermal CO_2 methanation when the ceria and titania are blended in the ideal ratio（s）.

Analysis of CO_2 emissions peak:China's objective and strategy

Establishing positive and urgent targets for CO_2 reduction and emission peak,and promoting energy conservation and energy structure adjustment are among the strategies to address global climate change and CO_2 emissions reduction.They are also means to break through the constraints of domestic resources and environment,and internal needs,to achieve sustainable development.Generally speaking,a country's CO_2 emission peak appears after achieving urbanization and industrialization.By then,connotative economic growth will appear,GDP will grow slowly,energy consumption elasticity will decrease,and energy consumption growth will slow down-dependent mainly on new and renewable energies.Fossil fuel consumption will not increase further.When CO_2 emission reaches its peak,the annual reduction rate of CO_2 intensity of GDP is greater than GDP annual growth rate;and the annual reduction rate of CO_2 intensity of energy use is greater than the annual growth rate of energy consumption.Therefore,three important approaches to promotion of CO_2 emission peak can be concluded:maintaining reasonable control of GDP growth,strengthening energy conservation to significantly reduce the GDP energy intensity,and optimizing the energy mix to reduce the CO_2 intensity of energy use.By around 2030,China will basically have completed its rapid development phase of industrialization and urbanization.Connotative economic growth will appear with the acceleration of industrial structure adjustment The target of GDP energy intensity will still be to maintain an average annual reduction of 3%or higher.The proportion of non-fossil fuels will reach 20-25%,and the aim will be to maintain an average annual growth rate of 6-8%.The total annual energy demand growth of 1.5%will be satisfied by the newly increased supply of non-fossil fuels.The annual decline in CO_2 intensity of GDP will reach 4.5%or higher,which is compatible with an average annual GDP growth rate of approximately 4.5%in order to reach CO_2 emission peak.This corresponds to the level of China's potential economic growth.Achieving CO_2 emission peak will not impose a rigid constraint on economic development,but rather promote economic development and accelerate the transformation of green,low-carbon development.The CO_2 emission peak can be controlled with a cap of 11 billion tons,which means that CO_2 emission will increase by less than 50%compared with 2010.The per capita emission peak will be controlled at a level of less than 8 tons,which is lower than the 9.5 tons in the EU and Japan and much lower than the 20 tons in the US,future economic and social development faces many uncertainties in achieving the CO_2 emission peak discussed above.It depends on current and future strategies and policies,as well as the pace and strength of economic transformation,innovation,and new energy technologies.If the economic transformation pattern fails to meet expectations,the time required to reach CO_2emission peak would be delayed and the peak level would be higher than expected.Therefore,we need to coordinate thoughts and ideas and deploy these in advance;to highlight the strategic position of low-carbon development and its priorities;to enact mid-to long-term energy development strategies;and to establish and improve a system of laws,regulations,and policies as well as an implementation mechanism for green,low-carbon development Oriented by positive and urgent CO_2 reduction and peak targets,the government would form a reversed mechanism to promote economic transformation and embark on the path of green,low-carbon development as soon as possible.

A simple approach for the estimation of CO_2 penetration depth into a caprock layer

Caprock is a water-saturated formation with a sufficient entry capillary pressure to prevent the upward migration of a buoyant fluid. When the entry capillary pressure of caprock is smaller than the pressure exerted by the buoyant CO2plume, CO2gradually penetrates into the caprock. The CO2penetration depth into a caprock layer can be used to measure the caprock sealing efficiency and becomes the key issue to the assessment of caprock sealing efficiency. On the other hand, our numerical simulations on a caprock layer have revealed that a square root law for time and pore pressure exists for the CO2penetration into the caprock layer. Based on this finding, this study proposes a simple approach to estimate the CO2penetration depth into a caprock layer. This simple approach is initially developed to consider the speed of CO2invading front. It explicitly expresses the penetration depth with pressuring time, pressure difference and pressure magnitude. This simple approach is then used to fit three sets of experimental data and good fittings are observed regardless of pressures, strengths of porous media, and pore fluids(water,hydrochloric acid, and carbonic acid). Finally, theoretical analyses are conducted to explore those factors affecting CO2penetration depth. The effects of capillary pressure, gas sorption induced swelling, and fluid property are then included in this simple approach. These results show that this simple approach can predict the penetration depth into a caprock layer with sufficient accuracy, even if complicated interactions in penetration process are not explicitly expressed in this simple formula.

Edge detection of molten pool and weld line for CO_2 welding based on B-spline wavelet

Due to the disturbances of spatters, dusts and strong arc light, it is difficult to detect the molten pool edge and the weld line location in CO_2 welding processes. The median filtering and self-multiplication was employed to preprocess the image of the CO_2 welding in order to detect effectively the edge of molten pool and the location of weld line. The B-spline wavelet algorithm has been investigated, the influence of different scales and thresholds on the results of the edge detection have been compared and analyzed. The experimental results show that better performance to extract the edge of the molten pool and the location of weld line can be obtained by using the B-spline wavelet transform. The proposed edge detection approach can be further applied to the control of molten depth and the seam tracking.