Quantification and Mitigation of Air Pollutant Emissions in the Upstream Oil and Gas Sector

该研究项目解决了上游能源行业污染物排放的理解、测量和缓解方面的基础研究挑战，这是对加拿大和世界至关重要的一个领域。基于重要的研究贡献和在高级期刊上发表的论文，对高素质人才的卓有成效的培训，以及向政府和行业直接传播成果的记录，本提案列出了在未来五年内最大化研究影响的短期和长期目标。我的研究计划的最终目标是了解，量化，模型，并减轻与加拿大能源使用和生产相关的空气污染物排放。发现基金将直接支持HQP研究人员开展一系列雄心勃勃的紧密集成项目，以开发和应用新的诊断方法，进行定量测量研究，了解复杂的排放源，推进基于伴随的量化技术，为政策决策和法规提供基于科学的指导，并推动必要的缓解。拟议的研究项目利用了广泛的先进实验和诊断能力，并通过与国家研究委员会、加拿大自然资源部、Clearstone工程有限公司、美国环境保护基金（EDF）和世界银行全球减少天然气燃除伙伴关系（GGFR）等一系列国家和国际合作伙伴的积极合作得到加强。从本质上讲，该研究项目是跨学科的，涵盖了燃烧理论、湍流力学、应用光学、传热传质和公共政策等方面，为合作和培养高素质人才提供了多种机会。随着全球化石燃料消费量的持续增长，在绝对单位能源基础上超过了可再生能源消费量的增长，任何改善空气质量和缓解气候变化的直接行动都必须从能源部门的工程和监管解决方案开始。我的研究项目的目标是在开发新的诊断技术、准确量化关键和难以测量的污染源、对污染物形成和排放机制的基本洞察、制定新的缓解战略以及为法规提供科学支持方面取得突破性进展的潜力最大化。这一努力的成功对我们的环境健康、对我们的经济以及确保卫生质量方案的可用性以应对这一领域未来的挑战至关重要。

This research program tackles fundamental research challenges in the understanding, measurement, and mitigation of pollutant emissions from the upstream energy industry, an area of critical importance to Canada and the World. Building on a cited record of significant research contributions and publications in high-ranking journals, fruitful training of highly-qualified personnel, and direct dissemination of results to government and industry, this proposal lays out short- and long-term objectives for maximizing research impacts over the next five years. The ultimate objectives of my research program are to understand, quantify, model, and mitigate airborne pollutant emissions associated with energy use and production in Canada. Discovery Grant funding will directly support HQP researchers working on a range of ambitious, closely integrated projects to develop and apply novel diagnostics, perform quantitative measurement studies, understand complex emission sources, advance adjoint-based quantification techniques, provide science-based guidance for policy decisions and regulations, and drive necessary mitigation. The proposed research program leverages a wide range of advanced experimental and diagnostic capabilities, and is strengthened through active collaborations with a range of national and international partners including National Research Council, Natural Resources Canada, Clearstone Engineering Ltd., United States Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the World Bank Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR). By nature the research program is interdisciplinary, covering aspects of combustion theory, turbulent fluid mechanics, applied optics, heat and mass transfer, and public policy, providing diverse opportunities for collaboration and training of highly qualified personnel. As global consumption of fossil fuels continues to rise, outpacing the increase in renewable energy consumption on an absolute unit of energy basis, any immediate actions to improve air quality and mitigate climate change must begin with engineering and regulatory solutions for the energy sector. The objectives of my research program are aligned to maximize potential for breakthrough progress in the development of novel diagnostic techniques, accurate quantification of critical and difficult to measure pollutant sources, fundamental insight into mechanisms of pollutant formation and emissions, development of new strategies for mitigation, and scientific support for regulations. Success in this endeavour is vital to the health of our environment, to our economy, and to the ensured availability of HQP to meet future challenges in this field.