Understanding Combustion-Generated Soot and its Morphology

燃烧提供了全球约85%的能源。国际能源署预测，到2040年，全球能源需求将继续增长25%，其中石油和天然气的需求预计将分别增长11%和43%。这表明，在未来几十年，燃烧仍将是主要的能源供应方式。燃烧排放的最有害的污染物之一是烟尘气溶胶，在大气科学中也被称为“颗粒物”或“黑碳”。煤烟排放加剧了人为的气候变化，并导致了一些健康问题。例如，据估计，大气气溶胶造成的死亡占全世界死亡总数的4.5%。政府间气候变化专门委员会承认，烟尘气溶胶是造成人为气候变化的第三大因素。然而，与二氧化碳不同的是，大气烟尘的寿命只有几周，因此控制烟尘排放是缓解全球变暖的一项可行的短期策略。由于工程改进而减少煤烟排放可能非常有效，到2030年，每年有可能防止约170万人过早死亡，每年可获得1.9亿美元的气候净效益和50亿美元的健康净效益。这项研究计划旨在通过提高我们对烟灰如何产生、其成分和其成分的理解，帮助减少/减轻大气中的烟尘气溶胶。该研究项目包括多个精心策划的实验，使用实验室规模的燃烧器和瑞尔森大学提供的光学和物理测量技术。许多传统燃料和生物燃料的烟尘特性将被研究。生物燃料中烟灰形成过程的知识仍然不确定，在大规模采用生物燃料之前，需要将生物燃料的燃烧特性与传统燃料的燃烧特性进行比较。该研究项目的研究结果将有助于业界开发烟尘颗粒模型（从定性到定量预测），这些模型可用于发动机开发计划，并提高加拿大发动机制造商的竞争力。在这个研究计划中概述的项目将为几名研究生提供最先进的气溶胶诊断方法的培训。研究学生将获得在行业中非常受欢迎的技能，并对加拿大的劳动力有利，包括图像处理，数据分析和非侵入性测试。这个研究项目将产生关于烟尘形成和氧化过程以及烟尘形态和化学的新的基础知识。除其他好处外，这些领域的进展将产生减少工业排放、改善政策制定、改进医疗干预和减缓全球变暖等好处。拟议的研究将有利于加拿大保护我们的环境和减缓气候变化的承诺。

Combustion supplies about 85% global energy. The International Energy Agency forecasts that global energy demand will continue to grow by 25% until 2040, with the demand for oil and natural gas expected to increase by 11% and 43%, respectively. This suggests combustion will remain a mainstay supply of energy for decades. One of the most harmful pollutant emissions from combustion is soot aerosol, also known as `particulate matter' or `black carbon' in atmospheric sciences. Soot emission contributes to human-made climate change and leads to several health problems. For example, atmospheric aerosol is estimated to cause 4.5% of all deaths worldwide. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recognizes soot aerosol as the third largest contributor to human-made climate change. Unlike CO2, however, atmospheric soot has a life span in the order of only weeks, making soot emission control a viable short-term strategy to mitigate global warming. Soot emission reductions due to better engineering can be very effective, with the potential to prevent an estimated 1.7 million premature deaths annually and accrue a net annual climate benefit of $190 million and annual health benefit of $5 billion by 2030. This research program aims to help reduce/mitigate atmospheric soot aerosol by advancing our understanding of how soot is generated, its composition and what its constituents are. This research program consists of multiple carefully planned experiments using laboratory-scale burners and optical and physical measurement techniques available at Ryerson University. Sooting characteristics of many traditional- and bio-fuels will be studied. Knowledge of soot formation processes in bio-fuels remains uncertain, and there is a need for comparison of the combustion characteristics of bio-fuels with those of traditional fuels, before large-scale adoption of bio-fuels can take place. Findings of this research program will help industry develop soot particle models (from qualitative to quantitative prediction) that can be implemented into engine development programs and enhance the competitiveness of Canadian engine manufacturers. Projects outlined in this research program will provide training for several graduate students on state-of-the-art aerosol diagnostic methods. Research students will acquire skills highly sought-after in industry and of benefit to Canada's workforce including image processing, data analysis, and non-intrusive testing. This research program will generate new fundamental knowledge on soot formation and oxidation processes and soot morphology and chemistry. Advances in these areas will yield, among other benefits, reduced emissions from industry, better-policy making, improved medical interventions, and a slowdown of global warming. The proposed research will benefit Canada's commitment to preserve our environment and mitigate climate change.