Techno-economic Evaluation Methodology and Preliminary Comparison of an Amine-based and Advanced Solid Sorbent-based CO2 Capture Process for NGCC Power Plants

AbstractThe post combustion capture process using the traditional amine based solvent absorption process is a very mature technology that suffers from a high energy penalty being taken on the power plant and requires significant capital investment that causes us a high increase in the cost of electricity. An advanced solid-based adsorption is discussed in this work as well as a techno-economic evaluation methodology in order to compare the advantages of this novel process to the conventional process. Some indications of the expected technical and economic benefits of the process are also discussed

REDUCTION IN THE REGENERATION ENERGY OF CO2 CAPTURE PROCESS BY IMPREGNATING AMINE SOLVENT ONTO PRECIPITATED SILICA

High energy required for the regeneration of aqueous amine solution is a great challenge for conventional CO2 capture technology to be deployed on large scale. Finding novel adsorbent with low regeneration energy and cost-effectiveness for CO2 capture is an impetus for researchers. In this study, precipitated silica (PS) was synthesized and impregnated with various amines including 2-aminomethylpropanol (AMP), monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) to produce solid adsorbents. The CO2 adsorption capacity, heat capacity, and adsorption heat of adsorbents were determined. The results were used to calculate the regeneration heat of CO2 adsorption process, which then was compared with the conventional aqueous MEA 30 wt% based process. The results indicated that MEA impregnated PS (60 wt%) has the highest CO2 adsorption capacity; up to 5.3 mmole/g and PEI impregnated PS (50 wt%) has the lowest adsorption capacity among prepared solid adsorbents; 2.9 mmole/g, which is, however, higher than that of aqueous MEA 30 wt% (2.7 mmole/g). The regeneration heat required for the solid adsorbents substantially decreased in comparison with aqueous MEA 30 wt%. Regeneration heat required for PEI impregnated PS (50 wt%) was 2080 kJ/kg of CO2 that is 46.7% lower than that of aqueous MEA 30 wt%. The obtained results demonstrated that the impregnation of amine onto PS is a viable method to reduce the regeneration energy of CO2 capture process

Innovative characterization and comparative analysis of water level sensors for enhanced early detection and warning of floods

In considering projections that flooding will increase in the future years due to factors such as climate change and urbanization, the need for dependable and accurate water sensors systems is greater than ever. In this study, the performance of four different water level sensors, including ultrasonic, infrared (IR), and pressure sensors, is analyzed based on innovative characterization and comparative analysis, to determine whether or not these sensors have the ability to detect rising water levels and flash floods at an earlier stage under different conditions. During our exhaustive tests, we subjected the device to a variety of conditions, including clean and contaminated water, light and darkness, and an analogue connection to a display. When it came to monitoring water levels, the ultrasonic sensors stood out because of their remarkable precision and consistency. To address this issue, this study provides a novel and comparative examination of four water level sensors to determine which is the most effective and cost-effective in detecting floods and water level fluctuations. The IR sensor delivered accurate findings; however, it demonstrated some degree of variability throughout the course of the experiment. In addition, the results of our research show that the pressure sensor is a legitimate alternative to ultrasonic sensors. This presents a possibility that is more advantageous financially when it comes to the development of effective water level monitoring systems. The findings of this study are extremely helpful in improving the dependability and accuracy of flood detection systems and, eventually, in lessening the devastation caused by natural catastrophes

Material screening for two-step thermochemical splitting of H2S using metal sulfide

Associated with the rise in energy demand is the increase in the amount of H2S evolved to the environment. H2S is toxic and dangerous to life and the environment, thus, the need to develop efficient and costeffective ways of disposing of the H2S gas has become all-important. To this end, a two-step thermochemical H2S splitting cycle is proposed in this work which does more than just getting rid of the toxic gas but has the potential to produce valuable H2 gas as well as store the solar heat energy. Studies have proved that the type of material used, such as metal sulfides, is critical to the efficiency of this thermochemical splitting process. As follows, this study focuses on establishing a criterion to aid in selecting favorable metal sulfides for application and further development in the H2S thermochemical decomposition sphere. Using a computational approach, via the HSC Chemistry 8®, evaluations such as the equilibrium yield from the sulfurization and decomposition reaction steps, the temperature required for reaction spontaneity, and the Reversibility Index were determined. Investigations proved that sulfides of Zirconium, Niobium, and Nickel were auspicious candidates for the thermochemical decomposition

Understanding and Modelling the Effect of Dissolved Metals on Solvent Degradation in Post Combustion CO2 Capture Based on Pilot Plant Experience

© 2017 by the authors. Oxidative degradation is a serious concern for upscaling of amine-based carbon capture technology. Different kinetic models have been proposed based on laboratory experiments, however the kinetic parameters included are limited to those relevant for a lab-scale system and not a capture plant. Besides, most of the models fail to recognize the catalytic effect of metals. The objective of this work is to develop a representative kinetic model based on an apparent auto-catalytic reaction mechanism between solvent degradation, corrosion and ammonia emissions. Measurements from four different pilot plants: (i) EnBW's plant at Heilbronn, Germany (ii) TNO's plant at Maasvlakte, The Netherlands; (iii) CSIRO's plants at Loy Yang and Tarong, Australia and (iv) DONG Energy's plant at Esbjerg, Denmark are utilized to propose a degradation kinetic model for 30 wt % ethanolamine (MEA) as the capture solvent. The kinetic parameters of the model were regressed based on the pilot plant campaign at EnBW. The kinetic model was validated by comparing it with the measurements at the remaining pilot campaigns. The model predicted the trends of ammonia emissions and metal concentration within the same order of magnitude. This study provides a methodology to establish a quantitative approach for predicting the onset of unacceptable degradation levels which can be further used to devise counter-measure strategies such as reclaiming and metal removal

1,4-Dihydroxy­quinoxaline-2,3(1H,4H)-dione

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C8H6N2O4, contains one half-mol­ecule; a twofold rotation axis bisects the molecule. The quinoxaline ring is planar, which can be attributed to electron delocalization. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into R 2 2(10) motifs, leading to layers, which inter­act via phen­yl–phenyl inter­actions (C⋯C distances in the range 3.238–3.521 Å)

Screening of Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents for Physical CO2Absorption by Soft-SAFT Using Key Performance Indicators

RC2-2019-007 PID2019108014RB-C21 SFRH/BD/130965/2017 UID/QUI/50006/2019The efficient screening of solvents for CO2 capture requires a reliable and robust equation of state to characterize and compare their thermophysical behavior for the desired application. In this work, the potentiality of 14 ionic liquids (ILs) and 7 deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for CO2 capture was examined using soft-SAFT as a modeling tool for the screening of these solvents based on key process indicators, namely, cyclic working capacity, enthalpy of desorption, and CO2 diffusion coefficient. Once the models were assessed versus experimental data, soft-SAFT was used as a predictive tool to calculate the thermophysical properties needed for evaluating their performance. Results demonstrate that under the same operating conditions, ILs have a far superior performance than DESs primarily in terms of amount of CO2 captured, being at least two-folds more than that captured using DESs. The screening tool revealed that among all the examined solvents and conditions, [C4 py][NTf2] is the most promising solvent for physical CO2 capture. The collection of the acquired results confirms the reliability of the soft-SAFT EoS as an attractive and valuable screening tool for CO2 capture and process modeling.publishersversionpublishe

Cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 3 (CDKN3) upregulation is associated with unfavorable prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and shapes tumor immune microenvironment: A bioinformatics analysis

Cell cycle regulatory proteins plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of many human malignancies. Identification of their biological functions as well as their prognostic utility presents an active field of research. As a continuation of the ongoing efforts to elucidate the molecular characteristics of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC); we present a comprehensive bioinformatics study targeting the prognostic and mechanistic role of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 3 (CDKN3) in ccRCC. The ccRCC cohort from the Cancer Genome Atlas Program was accessed through the UCSC Xena browser to obtain CDKN3 mRNA expression data and their corresponding clinicopathological variables. The independent prognostic signature of CDKN3 was evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox logistic regression analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis and co-expression gene functional annotations were used to discern CDKN3-related altered molecular pathways. The tumor immune microenvironment was evaluated using TIMER 2.0 and gene expression profiling interactive analysis. CDKN3 upregulation is associated with shortened overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.325, 95% confident interval [CI]: 1.703–3.173, P < .0001) in the Cancer Genome Atlas Program ccRCC cohort. Univariate (HR: 0.426, 95% CI: 0.316–0.576, P < .001) and multivariate (HR: 0.560, 95% CI: 0.409–0.766, P < .001) Cox logistic regression analyses indicate that CDKN3 is an independent prognostic variable of the overall survival. High CDKN3 expression is associated with enrichment within the following pathways including allograph rejection, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, mitotic spindle, inflammatory response, IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling, spermatogenesis, TNF-α signaling via NF-kB pathway, complement activation, KRAS signaling, and INF-γ signaling. CDKN3 is also associated with significant infiltration of a wide spectrum of immune cells and correlates remarkably with immune-related genes. CDKN3 is a poor prognostic biomarker in ccRCC that alters many molecular pathways and impacts the tumor immune microenvironment.Scopu

Injury burden in individuals aged 50 years or older in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BackgroundInjury poses a major threat to health and longevity in adults aged 50 years or older. The increased life expectancy in the Eastern Mediterranean region warrants a further understanding of the ageing population's inevitable changing health demands and challenges. We aimed to examine injury-related morbidity and mortality among adults aged 50 years or older in 22 Eastern Mediterranean countries. MethodsDrawing on data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we categorised the population into adults aged 50–69 years and adults aged 70 years and older. We examined estimates for transport injuries, self-harm injuries, and unintentional injuries for both age groups, with sex differences reported, and analysed the percentage changes from 1990 to 2019. We reported injury-related mortality rates and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). The Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index were used to better understand the association of socioeconomic factors and health-care system performance, respectively, with injuries and health status in older people. Healthy life expectancy (HALE) was compared with injury-related deaths and DALYs and to the SDI and HAQ Index to understand the effect of injuries on healthy ageing. Finally, risk factors for injury deaths between 1990 and 2019 were assessed. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) are given for all estimates. FindingsEstimated injury mortality rates in the Eastern Mediterranean region exceeded the global rates in 2019, with higher injury mortality rates in males than in females for both age groups. Transport injuries were the leading cause of deaths in adults aged 50–69 years (43·0 [95% UI 31·0–51·8] per 100 000 population) and in adults aged 70 years or older (66·2 [52·5–75·5] per 100 000 population), closely followed by conflict and terrorism for both age groups (10·2 [9·3–11·3] deaths per 100 000 population for 50–69 years and 45·7 [41·5–50·3] deaths per 100 000 population for ≥70 years). The highest annual percentage change in mortality rates due to injury was observed in Afghanistan among people aged 70 years or older (400·4% increase; mortality rate 1109·7 [1017·7–1214·7] per 100 000 population). The leading cause of DALYs was transport injuries for people aged 50–69 years (1798·8 [1394·1–2116·0] per 100 000 population) and unintentional injuries for those aged 70 years or older (2013·2 [1682·2–2408·7] per 100 000 population). The estimates for HALE at 50 years and at 70 years in the Eastern Mediterranean region were lower than global estimates. Eastern Mediterranean countries with the lowest SDIs and HAQ Index values had high prevalence of injury DALYs and ranked the lowest for HALE at 50 years of age and HALE at 70 years. The leading injury mortality risk factors were occupational exposure in people aged 50–69 years and low bone mineral density in those aged 70 years or older. InterpretationInjuries still pose a real threat to people aged 50 years or older living in the Eastern Mediterranean region, mainly due to transport and violence-related injuries. Dedicated efforts should be implemented to devise injury prevention strategies that are appropriate for older adults and cost-effective injury programmes tailored to the needs and resources of local health-care systems, and to curtail injury-associated risk and promote healthy ageing. FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.We acknowledge the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for funding this study

The COVID-19 vaccination acceptance/hesitancy rate and its determinants among healthcare workers of 91 Countries: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the COVID-19 vaccination acceptance rate and its determinants among healthcare workers in a multicenter study. This was a cross-sectional multi-center survey conducted from February 5 to April 29, 2021. The questionnaire consisted of 26 items in 6 subscales. The English version of the questionnaire was translated into seven languages and distributed through Google Forms using snowball sampling; a colleague in each country was responsible for the forward and backward translation, and also the distribution of the questionnaire. A forward stepwise logistic regression was utilized to explore the variables and questionnaire factors tied to the intention to COVID-19 vaccination. 4630 participants from 91 countries completed the questionnaire. According to the United Nations Development Program 2020, 43.6 % of participants were from low Human Development Index (HDI) regions, 48.3 % high and very high, and 8.1 % from medium. The overall vaccination hesitancy rate was 37 %. Three out of six factors of the questionnaire were significantly related to intention to the vaccination. While 'Perceived benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination' (OR: 3.82, p-value<0.001) and 'Prosocial norms' (OR: 5.18, p-value<0.001) were associated with vaccination acceptance, 'The vaccine safety/cost concerns' with OR: 3.52, p-value<0.001 was tied to vaccination hesitancy. Medical doctors and pharmacists were more willing to take the vaccine in comparison to others. Importantly, HDI with OR: 12.28, 95 % CI: 6.10-24.72 was a strong positive determinant of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. This study highlighted the vaccination hesitancy rate of 37 % in our sample among HCWs. Increasing awareness regarding vaccination benefits, confronting the misinformation, and strengthening the prosocial norms would be the primary domains for maximizing the vaccination coverage. The study also showed that the HDI is strongly associated with the vaccination acceptance/hesitancy, in a way that those living in low HDI contexts are more hesitant to receive the vaccine