A Technological Overview of Biogas Production from Biowaste

The current irrational use of fossil fuels and the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment are driving research into renewable energy production from organic resources and waste. The global energy demand is high, and most of this energy is produced from fossil resources. Recent studies report that anaerobic di- gestion （AD） is an efficient alternative technology that combines biofuel production with sustainable waste management, and various technological trends exist in the biogas industry that enhance the production and quality of biogas. Further investments in AD are expected to meet with increasing success due to the low cost of available feedstocks and the wide range of uses for biogas （i.e., for heating, electricity, and fuel）. Bio- gas production is growing in the European energy market and offers an economical alternative for bioenergy production. The objective of this work is to provide an overview of biogas production from lignocellulosic waste, thus providing information toward crucial issues in the biogas economy.

Impulse force reductions and their effects on WBV exposures in high impact shovel loading operations

When shovels load the dump trucks with over 100-ton passes under gravity dumping conditions, they will create a large impact force on the dump truck body which generates high frequency shock waves which expose the operators to whole body vibrations （WBV）. The main cause of such truck vibrations is the large impact force due to the gravity dumping of large tonnage passes. Therefore a rigorous mathematical model has been developed for the impact force containing all the necessary factors upon which it depends. Latter, a thorough analysis shows that percentage reduction of 7.19%, 9.40%, 13.27%, 14.8%, 17.30% and 18.13% can he achieved by reducing the dumping distance to 6.33 m, 6.0 m, 5.5 m, 5.33 m, 5.0 m and 4.9 m, respectively, as compared to when the dumping distance was 7.33 m. Even more reduction in the magnitude of impact force can he observed if the shovel pass gets divided into more than two sub-passes. Therefore, these models can he used to figure out the number of sub-passes into which a single ore pass can he divided and/or the extent to which the dumping distance can he reduced which would reduce the impact force significantly enough to obtain safer yet economic operations.

Feasibility analysis of remedial scheme of Qilongcun landfill

Based on hydro-geological of Qilongcun landfill, the transportation mathematical model of leachat was established. The boundaries conditions and replenishment ofmodel were determined. The leachate COD density and the water level were simulated, and the model was identified, and then the right model was defined. The right model was used to simulate leachate COD density in the interior, exterior, and peripheral of landfill. The results show that the COD densities are not high. The pollution is slight in the interior of landfill and is little in the exterior of landfill. They are proving the overburden on top of landfill and drain around the landfill is right. The max. density on the south of landfill shows it is scientific that the cisterns are building on the south of landfill. The paper shows the remediation scheme is feasible.

Sci-Tech

China Launches Space Junk Monitoring Center China,on June 8,launched a space junk monitoring center to protect its spacecraft in orbit.The center,which is managed by the State Administration of Science,Technology and Industry for National Defense（SASTIND）and the Chinese Academy of Sciences（CAS）,will track and monitor nearearth objects and space debris.

Analysis of the Per Capita Generation of Municipal Solid Waste by Socioeconomic Strata in Veracruz, Mexico, Using a Statistical Experimental Design

The management of municipal solid waste （MSW） is currently one of the major environmental concerns in Mexico. Therefore, municipalities must develop local programs for prevention and integrated management of MSW based on the data of MSW generation; however, these are scarce and diffuse. It is known that the MSW generation is affected by many factors, including life level. Given the importance of having reliable data, the objective of this study was to determine the per capita MSW generation of a small urban locality in the state of Veracruz and test whether there were significant statistic differences of per capita M SW generation among the life levels. The households were randomly sampled according to the Mexican standard of reference and were classified as popular, middle and residential. The per capita MSW generation determined was 0.355 kg·inhab^-1.day^-1. This value was lower than the value estimated by the national reference, suggesting that it might be overestimated and consequently lead to errors in estimating installations costs for the MSW treatment. The result of the experimental design revealed that there were significant statistic differences in the per capita MSW generation among the three socioeconomic strata. This study will allow the municipality to establish better strategies within the municipal program and differential rate for the provision of public clean service and it also provides a solid basis for future research under similar conditions.

Incinerability Index of Municipal Solid Waste and Its Correlation with Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Oxides Emissions

The main objective of this study was to establish optimal incineration conditions through the analysis of pollutant formation mechanisms involved in the combustion process of a retort incinerator. Calorific values of several types of municipal solid wastes were determined and related to specific incinerability indexes. The incinerability testing concerning this study was conducted on residues with an incinerability index （II） of 123. The samples were tested under different conditions： with and without chamber preheating, varying the percentage of inlet air （25, 50 and 75% of the system capacity）, measuring the temperatures of the primary and secondary chambers, and gauging the CO and NO stack emissions with an electrochemical cell. With comparative purposes in mind, samples with indexes ofI = 112, I = 123, I = 130 and I = 132 were also tested to assess the influence of the II on pollutant emissions.

Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste for Power Generation in Brazil, a Review of Available Technologies and Their Environmental Benefits

This article reviews the literature on thermochemical processing of municipal solid waste as the final disposal in Brazil, explores recent publications in the field of solid waste generated, its origin, characteristics and removal mechanisms currently employed, in the same way, available technologies for the thermochemical treatment of MSW with an emphasis on gasification and clean technology are evaluated, highlighting the current technical and reported in the literature in order to identify indicators of efficiency and flexibility of the technology. From the review it is concluded that gasification is a technically feasible option for the thermochemical conversion of municipal solid waste and subsequent power generation, besides being a technology that meets the applicable emission limits. Some of the main advantages of gasification of municipal solid waste are： （a） the sharp reduction in the waste mass （about 70-80%） and volume （approximately 80-90%）; （b） the drastic reduction in land use, 1：3000; （c） destruction of organic pollutants and other halogenated hydrocarbons; （d） concentration and immobilisation of inorganic contaminants so that they can be used effectively and safely removed; （e） use recyclables, such as ferrous metals, ferrous ash and slag materials; （f） reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by anaerobic decomposition of organic waste and （g） power generation.

Measurement of aerosol effective density by single particle mass spectrometry

Single particle mass spectrometry has been widely used to determine the size and chemical compositions of at- mospheric aerosols; however, it is still rarely used for the microphysical properties measurement. In this study, two methods were developed for determining aerosol effective density by a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer （SPAMS）. Method I retrieved effective density through comparison between measured light scattering intensities and Mie theoretical modelled par- tial scattering cross section. Method Ⅱ coupled a differential mobility analyzer （DMA） with SPAMS to simultaneously deter- mine the electric mobility and vacuum aerodynamic diameter, and thus the effective density. Polystyrene latex spheres, ammo- nium sulfate and sodium nitrate were tested by these methods to help validate their effectiveness for determining the aerosol effective density. This study effectively extends SPAMS measurements to include particle size, chemical composition, light scattering, and effective density, and thus helps us better understand the environment and climate effects of aerosols.