An agile model for the eco-design of electric vehicle Li-ion batteries

Numerous design choices need to be made at several levels when designing high-tech products: technology, processes, architecture, components, materials… and these choices need to be made in relation to the product life cycle with the corresponding experts for each stage of the life cycle. At the same time, to ensure product sustainability, a specific focus on the future potential environmental impacts is highly recommended. In this research, an agile model is proposed to help designers make decisions while monitoring environmental performance indicators of high-tech solutions. The concept of Critical Product Life Cycle Parameters had to be introduced to facilitate the eco-design of the final product. The approach is illustrated by the Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries case study.     

Selection of metal hydrides-based thermal energy storage: Energy storage efficiency and density targets

Thermo-chemical energy storage based on metal hydrides has gained tremendous interest in solar heat storage applications such as concentrated solar power systems (CSP) and parabolic troughs. In such systems, two metal hydride beds are connected and operating in an alternative way as energy storage or hydrogen storage. However, the selection of metal hydrides is essential for a smooth operation of these CSP systems in terms of energy storage efficiency and density. In this study, thermal energy storage systems using metal hydrides are modeled and analyzed in detail using first law of thermodynamics. For these purpose, four conventional metal hydrides are selected namely LaNi₅, Mg, Mg₂Ni and Mg₂FeH₆. The comparison of performance is made in terms of volumetric energy storage and energy storage efficiency. The effects of operating conditions (temperature, hydrogen pressure and heat transfer fluid mass flow rates) and reactor design on the aforementioned performance metrics are studied and discussed in detail. The preliminary results showed that Mg-based hydrides store energy ranging from 1.3 to 2.4 GJ m^?3 while the energy storage can be as low as 30% due to their slow intrinsic kinetics. On the other hand, coupling Mg-based hydrides with LaNi₅ allow us to recover heat at a useful temperature above 330 K with low energy density ca.500 MJ m^?3 provided suitable operating conditions are selected. The results of this study will be helpful to screen out all potentially viable hydrides materials for heat storage applications.     

中国荣耀,重现世间

正为了充分认识中国当前翻天覆地的变化对制表业所产生的深远影响,我们不妨先退一步,来了解一下中国正在进行深层次的改革。不难发现,钟表购买行为正受到一股爱国浪潮的影响。我们先来看一组数据:今年全球前10大集装箱港口,中国就占了七席;而中国政府还计划在未来5年内对新「丝绸之路」沿线国家投资9000亿美元。在北京邻省,一个新的科技和经济中心正在兴起;而在中国最富有的广东省,也有不少城市搭上了这趟高速发展的快车。     

Low‐Temperature Chemical Synthesis of High‐Purity Diacylglycerols (DAG) from Monoacylglycerols (MAG)

A chemical method was developed for low‐temperature synthesis of DAG from MAG followed by an easy purification procedure in order to obtain high‐purity DAG. Solvent‐assisted and solvent‐free reaction conditions were used, combined with different catalysts (sodium methoxide, p‐toluenesulfonic acid, methanesulfonic acid, and sulfuric acid). All reactions were performed at 35 and 70 °C. By increasing both acidity and polarity of the catalyst the equilibrium shifts towards the formation of DAG. When using sulfuric acid in solvent‐assisted condition at 70 °C, 88 % conversion was obtained after 20 min of reaction (77 % w/w DAG in the reaction mixture after evaporation of the solvent). After purifying by means of column chromatography, 96 % pure DAG were obtained. The overall yield of DAG was 81 %.     

Efficient and Scalable Kinetic Resolution of Racemic 4‐Formyl[2.2]paracyclophane via Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation

Herein we wish to report a new non‐enzymatic kinetic resolution of racemic 4‐formyl[2.2]paracyclophane based on Noyori asymmetric transfer hydrogenations (KR‐ATH). Our approach, which provides an efficient access to enantiopure (R_p)‐ and (S_p)‐4‐formyl[2.2]paracyclophane (>99% ee, 39% and 41% isolated yields, respectively), is operationally simple and can be run on the gram‐scale thus confirming the practical applicability of this method.

     

Pesticides in the Rhône river delta (France): Basic data for a field-based exposure assessment

The pesticide concentration levels flowing into paddy fields and surrounding lagoons of the Rhône river delta were investigated over a period of 6 months in 2004. Water samples were collected at the outlets of the major ditches and in the lagoons in order to study the seasonal variation in pesticide concentrations and the spatial contamination profile. Twenty four pesticides were monitored, mainly herbicides and insecticides. Rice pesticides accounted for 90% of the detection rates while the pesticides transported by the Rhône river water dissolved phase only accounted for 10%. Pretilachlor, oxadiazon, MCPA and bentazone herbicides were found at the highest frequencies into the effluent waters of ditches with maximum concentration levels of 1.2, 0.8, 2.5 and 1.6 μg/L, respectively. Only one insecticide, tebufenozide, was sporadically detected at a maximum concentration level of 0.12 μg/L. There were two main peaks of contamination. The first one in April corresponded to the use of pre-emergence herbicides (oxadiazon and pretilachlor) and the second one in June was related to the post-emergence herbicides (MCPA and bentazone). These concentration peaks were well correlated with the pesticide application period time and rapid pesticide transfer (1–2 weeks) from fields to lagoons were observed. Increased loads of the pre-emergence herbicides were induced by the specific management of paddy fields which includes water emptying of fields before and after rice seeding. Pesticide dissipation into the lagoons occurred very quickly and the duration of the exposure of non-target aquatic organisms to high pesticide concentrations (in total a few μg/L level) was no longer than 2 weeks. According to the physico-chemical properties of the chemicals, contrasting results were observed when studying the spatial variation in pesticide concentrations through the lagoons. The concentrations of bentazone and MCPA, two substances with high phototransformation abilities, quickly decreased between the ditches and the lagoons while the oxadiazon and pretilachlor concentrations were more homogeneous.     

Mercury and methylmercury concentrations in high altitude lakes and fish (Arctic charr) from the French Alps related to watershed characteristics

Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were measured in the muscle of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and in the water column of 4 lakes that are located in the French Alps. Watershed characteristics were determined (6 coverage classes) for each lake in order to evaluate the influence of watershed composition on mercury and methylmercury concentrations in fish muscle and in the water column. THg and MeHg concentrations in surface water were relatively low and similar among lakes and watershed characteristics play a major role in determining water column Hg and MeHg levels. THg muscle concentrations for fish with either a standardized length of 220 mm, a standardized age of 5 years or for individualuals did not exceed the 0.5 mg kg^− 1 fish consumption advisory limit established for Hg by the World Health Organization (WHO, 1990). These relatively low THg concentrations can be explained by watershed characteristics, which lead to short Hg residence time in the water column, and also by the short trophic chain that is characteristic of mountain lakes. Growth rate did not seem to influence THg concentrations in fish muscles of these lakes and we observed no relationship between fish Hg concentrations and altitude. This study shows that in the French Alps, high altitude lakes have relatively low THg and MeHg concentrations in both the water column and in Arctic charr populations. Therefore, Hg does not appear to present a danger for local populations and the fishermen of these lakes.     

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of the Flexible Iron-based MIL-88B Metal–Organic Framework for Advanced Energetic Systems

The 3D metal–organic framework (MOF), MIL-88B, built from the trivalent metal ions and the ditopic 1,4-Benzene dicarboxylic acid linker (H₂BDC), distinguishes itself from the other MOFs for its flexibility and high thermal stability. MIL-88B was synthesized by a rapid microwave-assisted solvothermal method at high power (850 W). The iron-based MIL-88B [Fe₃.O.Cl.(O₂C–C₆H₄–CO₂)₃] exposed oxygen and iron content of 29% and 24%, respectively, which offers unique properties as an oxygen-rich catalyst for energetic systems. Upon dispersion in an organic solvent and integration into ammonium perchlorate (AP) (the universal oxidizer for energetic systems), the dispersion of the MOF particles into the AP energetic matrix was uniform (investigated via elemental mapping using an EDX detector). Therefore, MIL-88B(Fe) could probe AP decomposition with the exclusive formation of mono-dispersed Fe₂O₃ nanocatalyst during the AP decomposition. The evolved nanocatalyst can offer superior combustion characteristics. XRD pattern for the MIL-88B(Fe) framework TGA residuals confirmed the formation of α-Fe₂O₃ nanocatalyst as a final product. The catalytic efficiency of MIL-88B(Fe) on AP thermal behavior was assessed via DSC and TGA. AP solely demonstrated a decomposition enthalpy of 733 J g^?1, while AP/MIL-88B(Fe) showed a 66% higher decomposition enthalpy of 1218 J g^?1; the main exothermic decomposition temperature was decreased by 71 °C. Besides, MIL-88B(Fe) resulted in a decrease in AP decomposition activation energy by 23% and 25% using Kissinger and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) models, respectively.

     

Factors responsible for rapid dissipation of acidic herbicides in the coastal lagoons of the Camargue (Rhône River Delta, France)

This study was aimed at investigating which processes cause acidic herbicides (e.g., bentazone, MCPA and dichlorprop) to rapidly disappear in the lagoons of the Rhône delta, which are peculiar brackish and shallow aquatic environments. The use of the model MASAS (Modeling of Anthropogenic Substances in Aquatic Systems) revealed that sorption, sedimentation, volatilization, flushing and abiotic hydrolysis had a minor role in the attenuation of the investigated herbicides. Laboratory scale biodegradation and photodegradation studies were conducted to better assess the significance of these two processes in the natural attenuation of herbicides in brackish (lagoons) waters with respect to fresh waters (canals draining paddy fields). Herbicide biodegradation rates were significantly lower in lagoon water than in canal water. Consequently, photodegradation was the main dissipation route of all investigated herbicides. The contribution of indirect photolysis was relevant for MCPA and dichlorprop while direct photolysis dominated for bentazone removal. There is a need to further investigate the identity of phototransformation products of herbicides in lagoons.