Steel manufacturing clusters in a hydrogen economy : simulation of changes in location and vertical integration of steel production in Northwestern Europe

With the move to a hydrogen-based primary steel production envisioned for the near future in Europe, existing regional industrial clusters loose major assets. Such a restructuring of industries may result in a new geographical distribution of the steel industry and also to another quality of vertical integration at sites. Both implications could turn out as drivers or barriers to invest in new technologies and are thus important in respect to vertical integration of sites and to regional policy. This paper describes an approach to model production stock invest for the steel industries in North-Western Europe. Current spatial structures are reproduced with capacity, technical and energy efficiency data on the level of single facilities like blast furnaces. With the model developed both investments in specific technologies and at specific production sites can be modelled. The model is used to simulate different possible future scenarios. The case with a clear move to hydrogen-based production is compared to a reference scenario without technological shift. The scenarios show that existing trends like movement of production to the coast may be accelerated by the new technology but that sites in the hinterland can also adapt to a hydrogen economy. Possible effects of business cycles or a circular economy on regional value chains are explored with a Monte-Carlo analysis

Nested (inverse) binomial sums and new iterated integrals for massive Feynman diagrams

Nested sums containing binomial coefficients occur in the computation of massive operator matrix elements. Their associated iterated integrals lead to alphabets including radicals, for which we determined a suitable basis. We discuss algorithms for converting between sum and integral representations, mainly relying on the Mellin transform. To aid the conversion we worked out dedicated rewrite rules, based on which also some general patterns emerging in the process can be obtained.Comment: 13 pages LATEX, one style file, Proceedings of Loops and Legs in Quantum Field Theory -- LL2014,27 April 2014 -- 02 May 2014 Weimar, German

Electrification of industrial process heat : long-term applications, potentials and impacts

Converting electricity into heat offers the opportunity to make of use large scales of renewable (surplus) energy in the long run in order to reduce shut-downs of renewable power plants and to substitute fossil fuels. Electrification seems to be also very promising for industrial heat applications, as it enables high process temperatures to be achieved in a tailor-made and efficient way and enables the utilisation of other energy sources like waste heat, geothermal or ambient heat (via heat pumps). This article analyses theoretical and technical electrification potentials of Steam Generation and Other Process Heat Generation in the following energy-intensive branches: iron & steel, non-ferrous metal, iron foundries, refineries, base chemicals, glass, cement clinker and paper industry in Germany. Literature research, expert interviews as well as own modelling were conducted to determine potentials and their implementation barriers. Based on these methods, market potential to electrify industrial steam generation was estimated. On the basis of two climate protection scenarios, the effects of both a monovalent and a hybrid industrial power-to-heat strategy were quantified with regard to greenhouse gas reduction and energy efficiency (primary energy saving). The pathway towards electrification will be reflected by criteria such as path dependency, dependency of infrastructure and system compatibility. Recommendations for research and development as well as policies are derived from the overall analysis. The article shows that electrification can be an important option to achieving high CO2-savings in the industrial heating sector in a long-term perspective. However, the scenario calculations show that electrification does not in itself guarantee reduction of greenhouse gases or savings of primary energy. To reach these goals, it is essential to further develop industrial heat pumps and to map electrification and further development of renewable energy (including infrastructure such as power networks and storage facilities) in a concerted strategy

Deficits in Education Endanger Germany's Innovative Capacity

The innovative capacity of advanced industrial countries is their most important source of prosperity and growth. DIW Berlin has investigated Germany's innovative capacity for the fourth time in an international comparative survey. The survey evaluates the ability of countries to create and transform knowledge into marketable products and services (i.e., innovations) using a system of indicators that provides an overall composite indicator of innovative capacity as well as a detailed profile of strengths and weaknesses. Of the seventeen leading industrial nations investigated under the survey, Germany only ranked 8th, as it did in 2007, thus remaining in the broad middle range. Relative to its most important competitors Germany was unable to improve its position. Sweden, the US, Switzerland, Finland, and Denmark headed up the list. Germany is particularly successful in international markets for new products and services and in its ability to network key participants in the innovation process. Deficiencies in Germany's educational system and in the financing conditions for innovation and the founding of new companies remain the country's two greatest weaknesses. Prospects are dim for the considerable improvement needed in these areas.Innovation system,Composite indicator,Industrialized countries

Energy efficiency quo vadis? : The role of energy efficiency in a 100 % renewable future

Following the decisions of the Paris climate conference at the end of 2015 as well as similar announcements e.g. from the G7 in Elmau (Germany) in the summer of 2015, long-term strategies aiming at (almost) full decarbonisation of the energy systems increasingly move into the focus of climate and energy policy. Deep decarbonisation obviously requires a complete switch of energy supply towards zero GHG emission sources, such as renewable energy. A large number of both global as well as national climate change mitigation scenarios emphasize that energy efficiency will likewise play a key role in achieving deep decarbonization. However, the interdependencies between a transformation of energy supply on the one hand and the role of and prospects for energy efficiency on the other hand are rarely explored in detail. This article explores these interdependencies based on a scenario for Germany that describes a future energy system relying entirely on renewable energy sources. Our analysis emphasizes that generally, considerable energy efficiency improvements on the demand side are required in order to have a realistic chance of transforming the German energy system towards 100 % renewables. Efficiency improvements are especially important if energy demand sectors will continue to require large amounts of liquid and gaseous fuels, as the production of these fuels are associated with considerable energy losses in a 100 % renewables future. Energy efficiency on the supply side will therefore differ considerably depending on how strongly the use of liquid and gaseous fuels in the various demand sectors can be substituted through the direct use of electricity. Apart from a general discussion of the role of energy efficiency in a 100 % renewable future, we also look at the role of and prospects for energy efficiency in each individual demand sector

Numerical assessment of the impact of climate change on the sediment yield in alpine catchments

Water Qualit

Deep decarbonisation pathways for the industrial cluster of the Port of Rotterdam

The Port of Rotterdam is an important industrial cluster mainly comprising of oil refining, chemical manufacturing and power and steam generation. In 2015, the area accounted for 18 % of the Netherlands' total CO2 emissions. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is aware that the port's economy is heavily exposed to future global and EU decarbonization policies, as the bulk of its activities focuses on trading, handling, converting and using fossil fuels. Based on a study for the Port Authority, our paper explores possible pathways of how the industrial cluster can keep its strong market position in Europe and still reduce its CO2 emissions by 98 % by 2050. The "Biomass and CCS" scenario assumes that large amounts of biomass can be supplied sustainably and will be used in the port for power generation as well as for feedstock for refineries and the chemical industry. Fischer-Tropsch fuel generation plays an important role in this scenario, allowing the port to become a key cluster for the production of synthetic fuels and feedstocks in Western Europe. The "Closed Carbon Cycle" scenario assumes that renewables-based electricity will be used at the port to supply heat and hydrogen for the synthetic generation of feedstock for the chemical industry. The carbon required for the chemicals will stem from recycled waste. Technologies particularly needed in this scenario are water electrolysis and gasification or pyrolysis to capture carbon from waste, as well as technologies for the production of base chemicals from syngas. The paper compares both scenarios with regard to their respective technological choices and infrastructural changes. The scenarios’ particular opportunities and challenges are also discussed. Using possible future pathways of a major European petrochemical cluster as an example, the paper illustrates options for deep decarbonisation of energy intensive industries in the EU and beyond

Non-planar Feynman integrals, Mellin-Barnes representations, multiple sums

The construction of Mellin-Barnes (MB) representations for non-planar Feynman diagrams and the summation of multiple series derived from general MB representations are discussed. A basic version of a new package AMBREv.3.0 is supplemented. The ultimate goal of this project is the automatic evaluation of MB representations for multiloop scalar and tensor Feynman integrals through infinite sums, preferably with analytic solutions. We shortly describe a strategy of further algebraic summation.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of the Loops and Legs 2014 conferenc

Experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Blasensieden bei unterkühlten Strömungen: Experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Blasensieden bei unterkühlten Strömungen

Die vorliegende Dissertationsschrift beinhaltet die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung von loka-len und globalen Prozessen der Wärmeübertragung beim unterkühlten Strömungssieden. Sie ist an der Schnittstelle zwischen Reaktorsicherheitsforschung und der experimentellen Thermofluiddynamik für Phasenübergänge einzuordnen. In technischen Anwendungen zur effizienten Übertragung großer Wärmemengen spielt der Prozess des Siedens eine wichtige Rolle. Dieser Vorgang bewirkt einen starken Anstieg des Wärmetransportes von der beizten Wand an das Fluid bei vergleichsweise geringem Anstieg der Wandtemperatur. Der maximal übertragbare Wärmestrom beim Sieden wird begrenzt durch die sogenannte kritische Wärmestromdichte, deren Überschreitung zum thermomechanischen Versagen der beheizten Komponente führen kann. Aufgrund der Komplexität dieser Prozesse ist es trotz intensiver Arbeiten in den letzten Jahrzehnten noch nicht gelungen, diese Vorgänge detailliert zu modellieren. Eine Weiter-entwicklung der Modelle zur realistischen Beschreibung des unterkühlten Strömungssie-dens erfordert neuartige Untersuchungen, welche eine genaue Klassifizierung der partiellen Wärmeübergänge des Blasensiedens ermöglichen. Die Analyse partieller Wärmetransportgrößen beim unterkühlten Strömungssieden sowie der Einfluss variierender thermohydraulischer Randbedingungen ist Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit. In der entwickelten Versuchsanlage erfolgt die Erfassung der Siedevorgänge bei Strömungsgeschwindigkeiten von 0,1 – 2 m/s und Eintrittstemperaturen von 60 - 98 °C. Mit Hilfe empfindlicher Temperaturmessungen in einem elektrisch beheizten Kapillarrohr innerhalb des Strömungskanals werden die globalen Vorgänge beim Übergang von Kon-vektion zum Sieden erfasst. Durch eine modellbasierte Bestimmung der Oberflächentem-peratur lassen sich Phänomene nachweisen, welche bisher weitestgehend unbeachtet ge-blieben sind. Die transparente Versuchsstrecke ermöglicht eine Erfassung der lokalen Sie-devorgänge mit optisch und zeitlich hochauflösenden Messverfahren. Durch die Entwick-lung neuer Algorithmen der digitalen Bildverarbeitung wurde eine umfangreiche, kenngrö-ßenorientierte Auswertung der in großem Umfang entstandenen Datenmengen realisiert. Der Einsatz transparenter und elektrisch leitfähiger Beschichtungen ermöglicht die mikro-skopische Erfassung des Blasenwachstums in weiten thermohydraulischen Parameterberei-chen. Mit erweiterten Bildverarbeitungsalgorithmen erfolgt die detaillierte und dynamische Bewertung des Blasenwachstumsverhaltens. Die statistische Auswertung der Verläufe er-möglicht die Ableitung eines Blasenwachstumsmodells für unterkühltes Strömungssieden. In einer weiteren Versuchsanordnung werden die lokalen Wärmetransportvorgänge bei der Ablösung quasistatisch gewachsener Blasen mit Hilfe der Infrarot-Thermographie be-stimmt. Dadurch können erstmalig die aus der lokalen Abkühlung der beheizten Oberfläche durch Blasenablösung resultierenden Wärmeströme unter Vernachlässigung der Bla-senbildung experimentell quantifiziert werden. Weiterhin können die bisher theoretisch beschriebenen Driftströmungen beim Aufstieg der Blase experimentell nachgewiesen wer-den. Die ermittelten Größen und Zusammenhänge tragen zur Weiterentwicklung und zum Abbau von Unsicherheiten bei der Modellierung von Wärmetransportvorgängen beim unterkühlten Strömungssieden bei