Dual Loop Line-Focusing Solar Power Plants with Supercritical Brayton Power cycles

Most of the deployed commercial line-focusing solar power plants with Parabolic Troughs (PTC) or Linear Fresnel (LF) solar collectors and Rankine power cycles use a Single Loop Solar Field (SF), Configuration 1 illustrated in Fig. 2, with synthetic oil as Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) [1, 2]. However, thermal oils maximum operating temperature should be below ~400ºC for assuring no oil degradation, hence limiting the power cycle gross efficiency up to ~38%. For overcoming this limitation Molten Salts (MS) as HTF in linear solar collectors (PTC and LF) were recently experimented in pilot facilities [3, 4]. Direct MS main drawbacks are the equipments and components material corrosion and the salts freezing temperature, requiring heat tracing to avoid any sald solidification, hence increasing the Solar Field (SF) capital investment cost and parasitic energy looses. Concentrated Solar Power plants (CSP) with Dual Loop SF are being studied since 2012 [5] for gaining the synergies between thermal oils and MS properties. In the Dual Loop SF the HTF in the primary loop is thermal oil (Dowtherm A) [6] for heating the Balance Of Plant (BOP) working fluid from ~300ºC up to ~400ºC, and a secondary loop with Solar Salt (60% NaNO3, 40% KNO3) as HTF, for boosting the working fluid temperature from ~400ºC up to 550ºC [7, 8, 9]. The CSP Dual Loop state of the art technology includes Rankine power cycles, the main innovation of this paper is the integration between Dual Loop SF and the supercritical Carbon Dioxide (s-CO2) Brayton power cycles [10], see Configurations 2 and 3 illustrated in Fig. 3a, Fig 3b. A secondary innovation studied in this paper is the integration between thermal oil HTF (Dowtherm A) in linear solar collectors, a widely validated and mature technology, with the s-CO2 Brayton power cycles. This technical solution is very cost competitive with carbon steel receiver pipes, low SF operating pressure, and no requiring any heat tracing. Two main conclusions are deducted from this researching study. Firstly we demonstrated the higher gross plant efficiency ~44.4%, with 550ºC Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT), provided by the Dual Loop with the Simple recuperated s-CO2 Brayton cycle with reheating, in comparison with 41.8% obtained from the Dual Loop SF and subcritical water Rankine power cycle. And finally the second conclusion obtained is the selection of the most cost competitive plant configuration with a Single loop SF with Dowtherma A and a s-CO2 Brayton power cycle due to the receiver material low cost and no heat tracing for the thermal oil

Pesticide risk assessment and management in a globally changing world—report from a European interdisciplinary workshop

[Departement_IRSTEA]Eaux [TR1_IRSTEA]BELCA [Axe_IRSTEA]DTAM-QT2-ADAPTATION [TR2_IRSTEA]ARCEAU [TR2_IRSTEA]DTAMGlobal climate change will affect worldwide agriculture in many ways. The anticipated or already occurring changes raise concerns about the sustainability of production and the ability of agriculture to feed human populations. This appeals to sustainable agriculture providing ecosystem services more efficiently than today, and accordingly to substantial evolutions of pesticide risk assessment (RA) and risk management (RM). The RA/RM issues were discussed by two European research networks in a 2011 workshop. The RA-RM-monitoring conceptual cycle tends to be virtual, with poor connections between certain steps. The design of more comprehensive emissions scenarios could improve the accuracy of predicted runoff transport, while the microcosm/mesocosm approach could help establish causal relationships between fate / exposure and populations / communities. Combined with ecological modelling, effects can be extrapolated to higher spatial and temporal scales. Risk management of diffuse sources should be designed simultaneously at the watershed and individual plot scales. Monitoring is key to assessing the effectiveness of risk reduction measures reduce and evaluate the overall quality of the aquatic compartment. More flexible monitoring strategies clearly linked to RM decisions are therefore needed. Although some technical questions remain, it is time to apply passive samplers more routinely. A set of research and development needs covering the whole RA/RM cycle is listed in conclusion

Habitatrichtlijnrapportage 2019: Annex D Habitattypen : Achtergronddocument

This document describes the concepts, data and methods used in the 2019 report (under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive) on the conservation status of habitat types for the parameters range, area, structure and functions, and future prospects. The ranges of nearly all habitat types have not changed. No reliable, updated data on area were available for most habitat types. The methodology for assessing structure and functions has been thoroughly revised to accommodate long-term monitoring data and meet the new reporting formats. The European Commission has also introduced a new method for assessing future prospects. The report presents the results and indicates where the methods and data can be improved

Bridging between ecology and ecotoxicology: what are suitable endpoints or response variables to detect effects on plants at different ecological levels?

International audienc

Is the tier-1 effect assessment for herbicides protective for aquatic algae and vascular plant communities?

In the aquatic tier-1 effect assessment for plant protection products with an herbicidal mode of action in Europe, it is usually algae and/or vascular plants that determine the environmental risks. This tier includes tests with at least 2 algae and 1 macrophyte (Lemna). Although such tests are considered to be of a chronic nature (based on the duration of the test in relation to the life cycle of the organism), the measurement endpoints derived from the laboratory tests with plants (including algae) and used in the first-tier effect assessment for herbicides are acute effect concentrations affecting 50% of the test organisms (EC50 values) and not no-observed-effect concentrations (NOECs) or effect concentrations affecting 10% of the test organisms (EC10) values. Other European legislative frameworks (e.g., the Water Framework Directive) use EC10 values. The present study contributes to a validation of the tiered herbicide risk assessment approach by comparing the standard first-tier effect assessment with results of microcosm and mesocosm studies. We evaluated EC50 and EC10 values for standard test algae and macrophytes based on either the growth rate endpoint (ErC50) or the lowest available endpoint for growth rate or biomass/yield (Er/EyC50). These values were compared with the regulatory acceptable concentrations for the threshold option as derived from microcosm and mesocosm studies. For these studies, protection is maintained if growth rate is taken as the regulatory endpoint instead of the lowest value of either growth rate or biomass/yield in conjunction with the standard assessment factor of 10. Based on a limited data set of 14 herbicides, we did not identify a need to change the current practice. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:175–183

Effects of the herbicide metsulfuron-methyl on a plant community, including seed germination success in the F1 generation

A field trial was set up to simulate a field margin environment to analyze sub-lethal effects of the herbicide metsulfuron-methyl on several endpoints of non-target terrestrial plants (NTTPs). Both vegetative and reproductive endpoints were evaluated. The experiment was conducted in an experimentally established field strip with sown species. The treatments consisted of five dosages and a control: 0, 0.0097, 0.0193, 0.058, 0.174, and 0.348 gram active ingredient per hectare (g a.i./ha). The plant cover, number of (flowering) individuals per species and fruit collection were performed and estimated weekly for a period of 4 months. At the end of the growing season, the total dry biomass per species was obtained and the collected fruits were weighed, counted, and sieved to obtain the seeds. The seeds were counted and weighed as well, before they were used in a germination experiment to test the seed emergence of the F1 generation. The herbicide only affected the biomass of Matricaria recutita at the treatment levels tested (0.058 g a.i./ha and higher). Field dosages of 0.174 and 0.348 g a.i./ha differed significantly in the endpoint "plant cover" compared to lower dosages and controls. The F1 generations of Sinapis alba, Centaurea cyanus, and Phacelia tanacetifolia were particularly affected at field dosages of 0.0193 g a.i./ha and higher, showing significantly lower seed germination rates. This would imply that spray drift of metsulfuron-methyl might lead to shifts in species compositions and succession in vegetation in off-crop areas adjacent to arable fields. Conducting germination experiments is necessary to investigate a herbicide's effect on the full life cycle of plants

Herstel en ontwikkeling van laagdynamische, aquatische systemen in het rivierengebied

Na een inleiding (Hoofdstuk 1) beschrijft het rapport achtereenvolgens de macro-evertebraten (Hoofdstuk 2); de vissen, amfibieën en reptielen (Hoofdstuk 3); en de waterplanten van het rivierengebied (Hoofdstuk 4). Hoofdstuk 5 beschrijft de uitgevoerde GIS analyse en presenteert de resultaten en de kansenkaarten. Alle gegenereerde kaarten zijn opgenomen in twee bijlagerapporten. Hoofdstuk 6 geeft een discussie van het uitgevoerde onderzoek ten aanzien van de methode, de beschikbare gegevens en de analyse en plaatst de resultaten in het licht van uitgevoerde herstelmaatregelen in het rivierengebied. Hoofdstuk 7 vat de voornaamste conclusies samen. Hoofdstuk 8 geeft een overzicht van de gebruikte literatuur

Impact Assessment Framework with Specific Protection Goals (SPGs) for Non-Target Terrestrial Plants (NTTPs)

In this report we propose a preliminary Impact Assessment (IA) Framework that may be applied to the regulation of plant protection products (PPPs) and that fulfils the requirements of the Better Regulation Guidelines. Framework development focused on the use of PPPs for weed control and the protection of non-target terrestrial plants (NTTPs). Four weed control scenarios were described as case studies including (I) a reference scenario with emphasis on herbicidal weed control, (II) a scenario with focus on in-field protection of NTTPs, (III) a scenario oriented at off-field protection of NTTPs, and (IV) a scenario with full protection of ecosystem services. Six ecosystem services were evaluated: Crop provision (food and raw materials), wild foods, fresh groundwater, fresh surface water, erosion prevention and maintenance of soil fertility and habitat for species. The framework and Specific Protection Goals (SPGs) were tested using six case studies representing a range of crops and EU Member States.---In dit rapport stellen we een voorlopig effectbeoordelingskader (IA) voor, dat kan worden toegepast op de regulering van gewasbeschermingsmiddelen (PPP's) en voldoet aan de eisen van de Better Regulation Guidelines. Kaderontwikkeling was gericht op het gebruik van gewasbeschermingsmiddelen voor onkruidbestrijding en de bescherming van niet-doelsoorten terrestrische planten (NTTP's). Vier onkruidbestrijdingsscenario's werden beschreven als casestudy's, waaronder (I) een referentiescenario met de nadruk op chemische onkruidbestrijding, (II) een scenario met focus op bescherming van NTTP's, in het perceel (III) een scenario gericht op bescherming van NTTP’s buiten het perceel, en (IV) een scenario met volledige bescherming van ecosysteemdiensten. Zes ecosysteemdiensten werden geëvalueerd: voedselproductie (voedsel en grondstoffen), wildvoeder, watervoorziening (grondwater en oppervlaktewater), erosiepreventie en instandhouding van bodemvruchtbaarheid en leefgebied voor soorten. Het kader en de specifieke beschermdoelen zijn getest aan de hand van zes casestudies die een reeks gewassen en EU-lidstaten vertegenwoordigen