Development and deployment of integrated air pollution control, CO2 capture and product utilization via a high-gravity process: comprehensive performance evaluation.

In this study, a proposed integrated high-gravity technology for air pollution control, CO2 capture, and alkaline waste utilization was comprehensively evaluated from engineering, environmental, and economic perspectives. After high-gravity technology and coal fly ash (CFA) leaching processes were integrated, flue gas air emissions removal (e.g., sulfate dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), total suspended particulates (TSP)) and CO2 capture were studied. The CFA, which contains calcium oxide and thus, had high alkalinity, was used as an absorbent in removing air pollution residues. To elucidate the availability of technology for pilot-scale high-gravity processes, the engineering performance, environmental impact, and economic cost were simultaneously investigated. The results indicated that the maximal CO2, SO2, NOx, and TSP removal efficiencies of 96.3 ±â€¯2.1%, 99.4 ±â€¯0.3%, 95.9 ±â€¯2.1%, and 83.4 ±â€¯2.6% were respectively achieved. Moreover, a 112 kWh/t-CO2 energy consumption for a high-gravity process was evaluated, with capture capacities of 510 kg CO2 and 0.468 kg NOx per day. In addition, the fresh, water-treated, acid-treated, and carbonated CFA was utilized as supplementary cementitious materials in the blended cement mortar. The workability, durability, and compressive strength of 5% carbonated CFA blended into cement mortar showed superior performance, i.e., 53 MPa ±2.5 MPa at 56 days. Furthermore, a higher engineering performance with a lower environmental impact and lower economic cost could potentially be evaluated to determine the best available operating condition of the high-gravity process for air pollution reduction, CO2 capture, and waste utilization.

Environmental Benefit Assessment for the Carbonation Process of Petroleum Coke Fly Ash in a Rotating Packed Bed.

A high-gravity carbonation process was deployed at a petrochemical plant using petroleum coke fly ash and blowdown wastewater to simultaneously mineralized CO2 and remove nitrogen oxides and particulate matters from the flue gas. With a high-gravity carbonation process, the CO2 removal efficiency was found to be 95.6%, corresponding to a capture capacity of 600 kg CO2 per day, at a gas flow rate of 1.47 m3/min under ambient temperature and pressure. Moreover, the removal efficiency of nitrogen oxides and particulate matters was 99.1% and 83.2%, respectively. After carbonation, the reacted fly ash was further utilized as supplementary cementitious materials in the blended cement mortar. The results indicated that cement with carbonated fly ash exhibited superior compressive strength (38.1 ± 2.5 MPa at 28 days in 5% substitution ratio) compared to the cement with fresh fly ash. Furthermore, the environmental benefits for the high-gravity carbonation process using fly ash were critically assessed. The energy consumption of the entire high-gravity carbonation ranged from 80 to 169 kWh/t-CO2 (0.29-0.61 GJ/t-CO2). Compared with the scenarios of business-as-usual and conventional carbon capture and storage plant, the economic benefit from the high-gravity carbonation process was approximately 90 and 74 USD per ton of CO2 fixation, respectively.

Efficacy observation on traumatic nerve injury treated with different acupuncture therapies / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the difference in the efficacy on traumatic nerve injury among electroacupuncture, warm needling therapy and electroacupuncture plus warm needling therapy and explore the better therapeutic method.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The electromyography (EMG) and electroneurography (ENG) of 93 cases showed traumatic nerve injury of moderate damage. According to the single blind randomization principle, they were divided into an electroacupuncture (EA) group, a warm needling therapy (WN) group and an EA plus WN group, 31 cases in each one. The main acupoints were selected from Yangming Meridian and Shaoyang Meridian corresponding to the distribution of damaged nerves. EA, WN and EA plus WN were applied separately. The treatment was given once every day, 15 treatments made one session. After 3 sessions of treatment (45 treatments in total), EMG and ENG were re-checked and the results were analyzed statistically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Regarding the total effective rate and effective rate, it was 96. 8% (30/31) in the EA plus WN group, which was better than 74.2% (23/31) in the EA group and 77. 4% (24/31) in the WN group (P<0. 05). Concerning to the improvements of EMG, the result in the EA plus WN group was 96.8% (30/31), which was better than the other two groups [74. 2%(23/31),74. 2%(23/31)] (P<0. 05). In terms of the recovery of nerve conduction and amplitude, the results in EA plus WN group [(50.9+/-4. 6)m/s,(8. 8+/-2. 9),microVx1 000] were better than the other two groups [(43.7+/-3.1)m/s,(4. 2+/-1. 9)microV X 1 000,(43. 8+/-3. 3)m/s,(4. 5+/-2. 2)microV X 1 000] (P<0. 05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA combined with WN is a better therapy of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of traumatic nerve injury.</p>