State-of-the-art of small-scale biomass gasification systems: An extensive and unique monitoring review

Abstract During the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in small-scale biomass gasification in Central and Northern Europe. Since 2011, almost fifty small-scale biomass gasification plants have been authorized and built in the South Tyrolean region (Italy), and most of them are currently operating. Within this framework, an extensive survey was performed by means of questionnaires to the plant owners for assessing the biomass and char flows in the region. Moreover, a comprehensive monitoring campaign was carried out onsite on representative plants of almost all the available operating technologies. For each of the monitored plants, the feedstock and the gasification products were characterized and their fluxes quantified, leading to energy and mass balances. This allowed collecting an extended set of data and drawing up a unique overview of the reference values for the ranges of operation of small-scale biomass gasification systems currently available in the European market, in terms of equivalence ratio, dry gas composition and heating value, specific electricity production, and conversion efficiencies. Moreover, samples of chars were deeply characterized, providing an insight into possible utilization pathways for the valorization of this by-product that is currently disposed of, representing an economical and environmental burden

Kyle Magee: Ad-busting, exclusion and the urban environment

Bird, SP ORCiD: 0000-0002-9591-7932This is an article about freedom of communication, and how it is essential to democracy and the inclusive city.2 This struggle for democratic speech is highlighted by the case of Kyle Magee, a Melbourne activist. Australia is a liberal democracy that prides itself on its ability to protect citizens without a formal Bill of Rights embedded in its Constitution.3 Citizens rely principally on common law freedoms developed over hundreds of years by the judiciary. In recent times the High Court has recognised some implied constitutional rights to political freedoms. Among the implied rights is a right to political communication, which covers actions as well as speech. 4 Political communication generally takes place in the public sphere. The ‘public sphere’ includes both physical public spaces and the media. 5 However, the public sphere is crowded with commercial messages. Therefore, although there may be a right to speak within these spaces, the ability to do so is virtually non-existent without large financial resources

Kyle Magee: Ad-busting, exclusion and the urban environment

This is an article about freedom of communication, and how it is essential to democracy and the inclusive city.2 This struggle for democratic speech is highlighted by the case of Kyle Magee, a Melbourne activist. Australia is a liberal democracy that prides itself on its ability to protect citizens without a formal Bill of Rights embedded in its Constitution.3 Citizens rely principally on common law freedoms developed over hundreds of years by the judiciary. In recent times the High Court has recognised some implied constitutional rights to political freedoms. Among the implied rights is a right to political communication, which covers actions as well as speech. 4 Political communication generally takes place in the public sphere. The ‘public sphere’ includes both physical public spaces and the media. 5 However, the public sphere is crowded with commercial messages. Therefore, although there may be a right to speak within these spaces, the ability to do so is virtually non-existent without large financial resources