Production costs for synthetic methane in 2030 and 2050 of an optimized Power-to-Gas plant with intermediate hydrogen storage

The publication gives an overview of the production costs of synthetic methane in a Power-to-Gas process. The production costs depend in particularly on the electricity price and the full load hours of the plant sub-systems electrolysis and methanation. The full-load hours of electrolysis are given by the electricity supply concept. In order to increase the full-load hours of methanation, the size of the intermediate hydrogen storage tank and the size of the methanation are optimised on the basis of the availability of hydrogen. The calculation of the production costs for synthetic methane are done with economics for 2030 and 2050 and the expenditures are calculated for one year of operation. The sources of volume of purchased electricity are the short-term market, long-term contracts, direct-coupled renewable energy sources or seasonal use of surpluses. Gas sales are either traded on the short-term market or guaranteed by long-term contracts. The calculations show, that an intermediate storage tank for hydrogen, adjustment of the methanation size and operating electrolysis and methanation separately, increase the workload of the sub-system methanation. The gas production costs can be significantly reduced. With the future expected development of capital expenditures, operational expenditure, electricity prices, gas costs and efficiencies, an economic production of synthetic natural gas for the years 2030, especially for 2050, is feasible. The results show that Power-to-Gas is an option for long-term, large-scale seasonal storage of renewable energy. Especially the cases with high operating hours for the sub-system methanation and low electricity prices show gas production costs below the expected market prices for synthetic gas and biogas

Domain Wall Spin Dynamics in Kagome Antiferromagnets

We report magnetization and neutron scattering measurements down to 60 mK on a new family of Fe based kagome antiferromagnets, in which a strong local spin anisotropy combined with a low exchange path network connectivity lead to domain walls intersecting the kagome planes through strings of free spins. These produce unfamiliar slow spin dynamics in the ordered phase, evolving from exchange-released spin-flips towards a cooperative behavior on decreasing the temperature, probably due to the onset of long-range dipolar interaction. A domain structure of independent magnetic grains is obtained that could be generic to other frustrated magnets.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Tamoxifen induces apoptotic neutrophil efferocytosis in horses

Macrophages and neutrophils are important cellular components in the process of acute inflammation and its subsequent resolution, and evidence increasingly suggests that they play important functions during the resolution of chronic, adaptive inflammatory processes. Exacerbated neutrophil activity can be harmful to surrounding tissues; this is important in a range of diseases, including allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in humans, and equine asthma (also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Tamoxifen (TX) is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor modulator with effects on cell growth and survival. Previous studies showed that TX treatment in horses with induced acute pulmonary inflammation promoted early apoptosis of blood and BALF neutrophils, reduction of BALF neutrophils, and improvement in animals’ clinical status. The aim of this study was to describe if TX induces in vitro efferocytosis of neutrophils by alveolar macrophages. Efferocytosis assay, myeloperoxidase (MPO) detection and translocation phosphatidylserine (PS) were performed on neutrophils isolated from peripheral blood samples from five healthy horses. In in vitro samples from heathy horses, TX treatment increases the phenomenon of efferocytosis of peripheral neutrophils by alveolar macrophages. Similar increases in supernatant MPO concentration and PS translocation were observed in TX-treated neutrophils, compared to control cells. In conclusion, these results confirm that tamoxifen has a direct effect on equine peripheral blood neutrophils, through stimulation of the engulfment of apoptotic neutrophils by alveolar macrophage

Biological CO2-methanation: An approach to standardization

Power-to-Methane as one part of Power-to-Gas has been recognized globally as one of the key elements for the transition towards a sustainable energy system. While plants that produce methane catalytically have been in operation for a long time, biological methanation has just reached industrial pilot scale and near-term commercial application. The growing importance of the biological method is reflected by an increasing number of scientific articles describing novel approaches to improve this technology. However, these studies are diffcult to compare because they lack a coherent nomenclature. In this article, we present a comprehensive set of parameters allowing the characterization and comparison of various biological methanation processes. To identify relevant parameters needed for a proper description of this technology, we summarized existing literature and defined system boundaries for Power-to-Methane process steps. On this basis, we derive system parameters providing information on the methanation system, its performance, the biology and cost aspects. As a result, three different standards are provided as a blueprint matrix for use in academia and industry applicable to both, biological and catalytic methanation. Hence, this review attempts to set the standards for a comprehensive description of biological and chemical methanation processes

Converging Currents in Climate-Relevant Conservation: Water, Infrastructure, and Institutions

Ecologists and economists have long talked past each other, but climate change presents similar threats to both groups. Water may serve as the best means of finding a common cause and building a new vision of ecological and economic sustainability, especially in the developing world

Reaginic antibodies from horses with Recurrent Airway Obstruction produce mast cell stimulation

Reaginic antibodies (IgE and some IgG subclasses) and mast cells play important roles in the induction of type I immediate hypersensitivity reactions. These antibodies bind through their Fc fragment to high affinity receptors (Fc epsilon RI) present in the membrane of mast cells and basophils. The cross-linking of the receptor initiates a coordinated sequence of biochemical and morphological events that results in exocytosis of secretory granules containing preformed inflammatory mediators, secretion of newly formed lipidmediators, and secretion of cytokines. Previously, several studies have investigated the role of reaginic antibodies in the pathogenesis of Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO). However, whereas the immunological aspects of RAO have been extensively studied, the precise sequence of events involved in the pathogenesis remains not completely understood, and the role of IgE in this disease remains controversial. Therefore, in this study, several bioassays were conducted to determine whether reaginic antibodies from RAO-affected horses have the ability to activate mast cells. These bioassays involved measuring degranulation of rat peritoneal mast cells, activation of NF-kappa B and morphological changes in basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3) following incubation with horse serum from RAO-affected horses that were sensitive and insensitive to Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) or from unaffected horses. Our results show that reaginic antibodies from horses sensitive to A. fumigatus were able to degranulate rat peritoneal mast cells. In additon, there was an increase in the activity of the transcription factor NF-kappa B in RBL-2H3 cells, and morphological changes were observed in these cells once cross-linking was produced. These findings were not found in horses not sensitive to A. fumigatus and healthy horses. These bioassays demonstrate the ability of reaginic antibodies to stimulate mast cells and indicate that these antibodies could be involved in the immunological mechanisms leading to RAO