ABSTRACT
This study examined the effects of a heating system using a ground source geothermal heat pump (GHP). A GHP was installed in a pig house, and a comparative analysis was performed between the GHP and the control (conventional heating system) in terms of the production performance, housing environment, noxious gas emissions, electricity consumption, and economics. The geothermal system performance index, such as the coefficient of performance (COP), inlet, and outlet temperature, were also evaluated. The outflow temperature during each period (weaning, growing, and finishing) was significantly higher than the inflow temperature in all three components of the GHP system. Similarly, the average internal temperature of the GHP-connected pig house was increased (p < 0.05) during each period. The carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, electricity usage, and cost of electricity during the 16-week experimental period were reduced significantly in the GHP system relative to the control. The concentrations of ammonia (NH3) during the growing and finishing period and the concentrations of formaldehyde during the weaning phase were also lower in the GHP-installed pig house (p < 0.05). These results indicate that the GHP system can be used as an environmentally friendly renewable energy source in pig houses for sustainable pig production without harming the growth performance.
ABSTRACT
We design a novel method for the CH4 reduction of SnO2 for the efficient recovery of Sn from SnO2 through a study combining theory and experiment. The atomic-level process of CH4-SnO2 interaction and temperature-dependent reduction behavior of SnO2 were studied with a combination of a multi-scale computational method of thermodynamic simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We found that CH4 was a highly efficient and a versatile reducing agent, as the total reducing power of CH4 originates from the carbon and hydrogen of CH4, which sequentially reduce SnO2. Moreover, as a result of the CH4 reduction of SnO2, a mixture of CO and H2 was produced as a gas-phase product (syngas). The relative molar ratio of the produced gas-phase product was controllable by the reduction temperature and the amount of supplied CH4. The laboratory-scale experimental study confirmed that CH4 actively reduces SnO2, producing 99.34% high-purity Sn and H2 and CO. Our results present a novel method for an efficient, green, and economical recycling strategy for Sn with economic value added that is held by the co-produced clean energy source (syngas).
