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Methane and CO2 emissions from the two most active mud volcanoes in central Japan, Murono and Kamou (Tokamachi City, Niigata Basin), were measured in from both craters or vents (macro-seepage) and invisible exhalation from the soil (mini- and microseepage). Molecular and isotopic compositions of the released gases were also determined. Gas is thermogenic (d13CCH4 from 32.9‰ to 36.2‰), likely associated with oil, and enrichments of 13C in CO2 (d13CCO2 up to +28.3‰) and propane (d13CC3H8 up to 8.6‰) suggest subsurface petroleum biodegradation. Gas source and post-genetic alteration processes did not change from 2004 to 2010. Methane flux ranged within the orders of magnitude of 101–104 gmˉ2 dˉ1 in macro-seeps, and up to 446 g mˉ2 dˉ1 from diffuse seepage. Positive CH4 fluxes from dry soil were widespread throughout the investigated areas. Total CH4 emission from Murono and Kamou were estimated to be at least 20 and 3.7 ton aˉ1, respectively, of which more than half was from invisible seepage surrounding the mud volcano vents. At the macro-seeps, CO2 fluxes were directly proportional to CH4 fluxes, and the volumetric ratios between CH4 flux and CO2 flux were similar to the compositional CH4/CO2 volume ratio. Macro-seep flux data, in addition to those of other 13 mud volcanoes, supported the hypothesis that molecular fractionation (increase of the ‘‘Bernard ratio’’ C1/(C2 + C3)) is inversely proportional to gas migration fluxes. The CH4 ‘‘emission factor’’ (total measured output divided by investigated seepage area) was similar to that derived in other mud volcanoes of the same size and activity. The updated global ‘‘emission-factor’’ data-set, now including 27 mud volcanoes from different countries, suggests that previous estimates of global CH4 emission from mud volcanoes may be significantly underestimated.Published348-3594.5. Studi sul degassamento naturale e sui gas petroliferiJCR Journalrestricte

Bela knjiga. Smernice za pripravo čezmejne razvojne politike na področju obnovljih virov energije

Some individuals and families are time-rich and others are time-poor. The degree of time-poverty or richness is more or less objectively or subjectively experienced. Therefore, time is an important variable in market segmentation for defining the customer target groups, developing products and services and building the most efficient marketing channels

Fischer-Tropsch products from biomass-derived syngas and renewable hydrogen

Global climate change will make it necessary to transform transportation and mobility away from what we know now towards a sustainable, flexible, and dynamic sector. A severe reduction of fossil-based CO2 emissions in all energy-consuming sectors will be necessary to keep global warming below 2 °C above preindustrial levels. Thus, long-distance transportation will have to increase the share of renewable fuel consumed until alternative powertrains are ready to step in. Additionally, it is predicted that the share of renewables in the power generation sector grows worldwide. Thus, the need to store the excess electricity produced by fluctuating renewable sources is going to grow alike. The “Winddiesel” technology enables the integrative use of excess electricity combined with biomass-based fuel production. Surplus electricity can be converted to H2 via electrolysis in a first step. The fluctuating H2 source is combined with biomass-derived CO-rich syngas from gasification of lignocellulosic feedstock. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis converts the syngas to renewable hydrocarbons. This research article summarizes the experiments performed and presents new insights regarding the effects of load changes on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. Long-term campaigns were carried out, and performance-indicating parameters such as per-pass CO conversion, product distribution, and productivity were evaluated. The experiments showed that integrating renewable H2 into a biomass-to-liquid Fischer-Tropsch concept could increase the productivity while product distribution remains almost the same. Furthermore, the economic assessment performed indicates good preconditions towards commercialization of the proposed system