An Investigation on Aldehyde and Ammonia Emissions from a 4-Stroke Gasoline-Fueled Motorcycle.

Ammonia Emission Reduction by using a SCR Catalyst

Article in SAE Technical Papers 13 · October 2013 with 11 Reads

DOI: 10.4271/2013-36-0181

Abstract

In order to comply with the introduction of new emission limits, motorcycles have been equipped with
electronic injection systems and three-way catalytic converters for emissions abatement. However, these
converters produce unwanted reactions, such as the formation of ammonia. This paper was focused on
ammonia emission reduction in motorcycles. To provide ammonia abatement, one SCR (Selective
Catalytic Reduction) catalyst has been developed and installed in a fourstroke motorcycle in addition to
the original one, a three way catalyst (TWC). SCR systems work by chemically reducing NOx (NO and NO
2) to nitrogen (N2). This is an experimental research work conducted by the Research and Development
Institute (Lactec) and the Umicore Automotive Catalysts. Regulated and unregulated emissions have
been measured in a chassis dynamometer test cell. The results show that it is possible to reduce
ammonia emissions, but the SCR catalyst performance has to be improved by optimizing the SCR
technology and position, increasing the temperature inside the SCR, and promoting proper chemical
reaction to reduce NOx.

Source:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286294974_An_Investigation_on_Aldehyde_and_Ammonia_
Emissions_from_a_4-Stroke_Gasoline-
Fueled_Motorcycle_Ammonia_Emission_Reduction_by_using_a_SCR_Catalyst#downloadCitation

How Does a Sponge Filter Work?

A sponge filter uses bubbles of air from an external air pump, or an integral water pump to draw water
through the sponge. As water is drawn out through the lift tube or pump, it is replaced by water Sponge
Filter Diagram entering the sponge. The sponge is a mechanical filter and the surface of all the bubbles
or pockets in the sponge provide a bed for the bacteria of a biological filter. Sponge filters provide both
mechanical and biological filtration.

What Maintenance Does a Sponge Filter Require?

The sponge will need to be rinsed or replaced every time it becomes dirty, about once every 1 to 4
weeks, depending on tank load, kind of fish, feeding schedule, type of food, cleaning schedule, and what
other filtration is available and in use on the fish tank. Some sponge filters have small carbon cartridges
which need to be replaced regularly - and frequently, possibly as often as daily - or can be left off
entirely. Remember that carbon cartridges that become saturated with waste chemicals could potentially
release other toxins into your tank.

What Should I Be Aware Of with Sponge Filters?

Most sponge filters are reasonably efficient filters for small volume tanks. These filters, especially the air
driven ones, are excellent for hatcheries, maternity tanks, nursery tanks, and fry tanks, as the filter
produces minimal current and has almost no way to suck the fry through the filter.

As the filter ages, the sponge will begin to deteriorate. When this happens, it is important to replace the
sponge with a new one. Though these sponges may last several years or more, when they are replaced,
remember you are replacing your entire biological filter unless there is another filter on the aquarium.
When the biological filter is replaced, the tank will go through the cycling process again.

If you have a sponge filter in a display tank, you should consider getting a second filter so that you do not
remove all of your bacteria bed every time you replace the filter sponge. Having the aquarium cycle
again can be fatal to your fish due to 'new tank syndrome' and ammonia poisoning.

Source: https://www.firsttankguide.net/sponge.php

Sponge Filtration Overview

Quality Sponge filters are a much better choice for bio filtration for planted aquariums over popular
canister or HOB filters as they strip less CO2.

Only a fluidized sand bed filter exceeds the sponge filter for aerobic bio filtration without as much CO2
stripping for planted aquariums.

A lack of CO2 is one of the limiting factors in a planted tank so it is a huge advantage to have more
available for your plants to utilize for photosynthesis!

Quality Sponge filters are the clear choice for shrimp aquariums, especially where shrimp are breeding.

The reason is that you can get a much more gentle current, when the filter sponge is mated with an air
pump and diffuser.

More importantly, there is no way a baby shrimp can get sucked into the filter as they can with most
other filters. The only safer option would be an under gravel filter, but this is a poor choice for other
reasons.
Quality Sponge Filters are probably the best choice for Betta bowls or tanks due to their bio efficiency,
lack of turbidity, and low risk of fin damage.

Sponge Filters are also the filter of choice among breeders (including use in their display aquariums),
especially high value discus breeders.

In both cases, this is because of the safety they provide to the fish as well as their huge capacity for
biological filtration which results in fantastic water quality that is so important for discus as well as other
achieving viable fry.

Source: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/sponge_filtration.html

Outside of urban areas, motorcycles and scooters are worse for global warming than cars

Emissions from Driving

On current.com, someone asked if driving motorcycles is better for the environment than driving cars. I
looked it up and was surprised to learn that motorcycles & scooters often have worse emissions than
cars, even though they get better gas mileage. The reason is motorcycles and scooters have worse
pollution control standards, so even though they emmit less CO2, the emissions of more potent
greenhouse gases count for more than the CO2 emissions. The nuanced answer (given in the table
below) is that 2-wheelers are better than single-driver cars in urban areas and worse in rural or highway
settings. If you are comparing a two-wheeler to carpooling, then the motorcycles are worse even in
urban areas. Another factor is that carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous oxides (NOx), and unburnt gas (HC's)
have bad human health impacts. So heavy emissions of those in a city is bad news.

Motorcycle:Car emissions ratio

Urban Rural Highway

CO 39 18 8

HC 222 74 23

NOx 1.7 4 7.8

CO2 0.36 0.43 0.52

Car emissions (g/km)

Urban Rural Highway

CO 0.57 0.85 3.04

HC 0.017 0.018 0.031

NOx 0.089 0.052 0.065

CO2 278.4 160.4 192.4

GWP in CO2-e 307 179 221

Motorcycle emissions (g/km)

Urban Rural Highway

CO 22.23 15.3 24.32

HC 3.774 1.332 0.713

NOx 0.1513 0.208 0.507

CO2 100.224 68.972 100.048

GWP in CO2-e 257 192 332

Global Warming Potential over 100 yr (from http://www.aprovecho.org/web-

content/publications/assets/Global_warming_full_9-6-07.pdf )

CO 3

HC 12

NOx 296

CO2 1

Source: http://josiah.berkeley.edu/MiniProjects/MotorcyclePollution.html

What is carbon dioxide (CO2)?

Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a very common, naturally occurring molecule that contains two oxygen atoms
and one carbon atom. In everyday conditions on Earth, carbon dioxide is a commonly occurring gas that
is all around us. It is colourless, odourless, is naturally present in Earth's atmosphere and is an important
part of Earth's carbon cycle. All humans and animals exhale carbon dioxide when they breathe, and
plants absorb it during a process called photosynthesis in order to grow.

CO2 is called a greenhouse gas (GHG) because as part of Earth's atmosphere CO2 traps the energy from
the sun and keeps the world at a livable temperature. But increases in atmospheric CO2 associated with
human actvites can pose problems. For example, on the one hand, burning of fossil fuels releases extra
CO2 into the atmosphere (along with other greenhouse gases), and, on the other, destruction of forested
areas causes less CO2 to be absorbed by trees, etc. Both cases lead to too much energy or heat being
trapped in our atmosphere. This extra energy causes increasing climatic instability, which results in major
changes in weather patterns.

The CO2 injected into the Weyburn and Midale oilfields is produced by the conversion of coal into
methane from a coal gasification plant in the United States and transported to southeastern
Saskatchewan (Canada) by pipeline. The methane produced in the plant is used to heat homes and
businesses. As part of this process for turning coal into methane, CO2 is produced as a by-product. The
carbon dioxide provider – Dakota Gasification Company in Beulah, North Dakota – captures the CO2
produced during this gasification process and compresses it (puts it under great pressure) using large
compressors until it is liquid-like. It is then sent by pipeline to southeastern Saskatchewan for injection
into Weyburn and Midale oilfields, where it helps to produce more oil from the ground. For the two oil
companies operating in those fields, CO2 is, therefore, a valuable commodity used to increase the
production of oil.

Source: https://hub.globalccsinstitute.com/publications/what-happens-when-co2-stored-underground-
qa-ieaghg-weyburn-midale-co2-monitoring-and-storage-project/1-what-carbon-dioxide-co2

Observational Contrains on the Global Atmospheric Co2 Budget

Pieter P. Tans1, Inez Y. Fung2, Taro Takahashi3

See all authors and affiliations

Science 23 Mar 1990:

Vol. 247, Issue 4949, pp. 1431-1438

DOI: 10.1126/science.247.4949.1431

Abstract
Observed atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and data on the partial pressures of CO2 in surface ocean
waters are combined to identify globally significant sources and sinks of CO2. The atmospheric data are
compared with boundary layer concentrations calculated with the transport fields generated by a
general circulation model (GCM) for specified source-sink distributions. In the model the observed north-
south atmospheric concentration gradient can be maintained only if sinks for CO2 are greater in the
Northern than in the Southern Hemisphere. The observed differences between the partial pressure of
CO2 in the surface waters of the Northern Hemisphere and the atmosphere are too small for the oceans
to be the major sink of fossil fuel CO2. Therefore, a large amount of the CO2 is apparently absorbed on
the continents by terrestrial ecosystems.

Source: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/247/4949/1431

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas.

Although it has no detectable odor, CO is often mixed with other gases that do

have an odor. So, you can inhale carbon monoxide right along with gases that you can smell and not even
know that CO is present.. CO is a common industrial hazard resulting from the incomplete burning of
material containing carbon such as natural gas, gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, coal, or wood. Forges,
blast furnaces and coke ovens produce CO, but one of the most common sources of exposure in the
workplace is the internal combustion engine.

Source: Osha.gov/pdf

NITROGEN OXIDE

Nitrogen oxide (N2O). A colorless, odorless gas that is used as an anesthetic and analgesic. High
concentrations cause a narcotic effect and may replace oxygen, causing death by asphyxia. Nitrous oxide
is also used as a food aerosol in the preparation of whipping cream.

Nitrous Oxide is a naturally occurring gas that is colorless and non flammable. It can be manufactured
and used for a variety of things such as a pharmacologic agent to produce anesthesia, a food additive as
a propellant, and an additive to fuels to increase available oxygen in combustion.

Source: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/nitrous_oxide