Research

19 pages, 4496 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Volatility of a Ship’s Emissions in the Baltic Sea Using Modelling and Measurements in Real-World Conditions

by Oskari Kangasniemi, Pauli Simonen, Jana Moldanová, Hilkka Timonen, Luis M. F. Barreira, Heidi Hellén, Jukka-Pekka Jalkanen, Elisa Majamäki, Barbara D’Anna, Grazia Lanzafame, Brice Temime-Roussel, Johan Mellqvist, Jorma Keskinen and Miikka Dal Maso

Atmosphere 2023, 14(7), 1175; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071175 - 20 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1115

Abstract

Shipping emissions are a major source of particulate matter in the atmosphere. The volatility of gaseous and particulate phase ship emissions are poorly known despite their potentially significant effect on the evolution of the emissions and their secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potential. [...] Read more.

Shipping emissions are a major source of particulate matter in the atmosphere. The volatility of gaseous and particulate phase ship emissions are poorly known despite their potentially significant effect on the evolution of the emissions and their secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potential. An approach combining a genetic optimisation algorithm with volatility modelling was used on volatility measurement data to study the volatility distribution of a ship engine’s emissions in real-world conditions. The fuels used were marine gas oil (MGO) and methanol. The engine was operated with 50% and 70% loads with and without active NOx after-treatment with selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The volatility distributions were extended to higher volatilities by combining the speciation information of the gas phase volatile organic compounds with particle phase volatility distributions and organic carbon measurements. These measurements also provided the emission factors of the gas and particle phase emissions. The results for the particle phase volatility matched well with the existing results placing most of the volatile organic mass in the intermediate volatile organic compounds (IVOC). The IVOCs also dominated the speciated gas phase. Partitioning of the emissions in the gas and particle phases was affected significantly by the total organic mass concentration, underlining the importance of the effect of the dilution on the phase of the emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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23 pages, 3719 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Atmospheric Pollution in Port Cities

by Shnelle Owusu-Mfum, Malcolm D. Hudson, Patrick E. Osborne, Toby J. Roberts, Lina M. Zapata-Restrepo and Ian D. Williams

Atmosphere 2023, 14(7), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071135 - 11 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1653

Abstract

Authoritative, trustworthy, continual, automatic hourly air quality monitoring is a relatively recent innovation. The task of reliably identifying long-term trends in air quality is therefore very challenging, as well as complex. Ports are major sources of atmospheric pollution, which is linked to marine [...] Read more.

Authoritative, trustworthy, continual, automatic hourly air quality monitoring is a relatively recent innovation. The task of reliably identifying long-term trends in air quality is therefore very challenging, as well as complex. Ports are major sources of atmospheric pollution, which is linked to marine traffic and increased road traffic congestion. This study investigated the long-term trends and drivers of atmospheric pollution in the port cities of Houston, London, and Southampton in 2000–2019. Authoritative air quality and meteorological data for seven sites at these three locations were meticulously selected alongside available traffic count data. Data were acquired for sites close to the port and sites that were near the city centre to determine whether the port emissions were influencing different parts of the city. Openair software was used for plots and statistical analyses. Pollutant concentrations at Houston, Southampton and Thurrock (London) slowly reduced over time and did not exceed national limits, in contrast to NO₂ and PM₁₀ concentrations at London Marylebone Road. Drivers of atmospheric pollution include meteorology, geographical and temporal variation, and traffic flow. Statistically significant relationships (p < 0.001) between atmospheric pollution concentration and meteorology across most sites were found, but this was not seen with traffic flows in London and Southampton. However, port emissions and the other drivers of atmospheric pollution act together to govern the air quality in the city. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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14 pages, 9411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Future Impact of Shipping Emissions on Air Quality in Europe under Climate Change

by Michael Russo, David Carvalho, Jukka-Pekka Jalkanen and Alexandra Monteiro

Atmosphere 2023, 14(7), 1126; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071126 - 07 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1350

Abstract

Ship engine combustion emits several atmospheric pollutants, such as PM, SOx, and NOx, which can have adverse health effects and are significant contributors to decreased air quality. Due to the distribution of maritime transport activity routes in the EU, a large portion of [...] Read more.

Ship engine combustion emits several atmospheric pollutants, such as PM, SOx, and NOx, which can have adverse health effects and are significant contributors to decreased air quality. Due to the distribution of maritime transport activity routes in the EU, a large portion of the population is exposed to shipping emissions throughout Europe. Therefore, in light of the European Commission long-term objective of “zero-waste, zero-emission” for maritime transport, the focus of this study was to quantify the impact of shipping emissions in the present, as well as the future, considering both emissions projection for the shipping sector and a climate change scenario. The WRF-CHIMERE modelling system was used to quantify the impact of shipping in Europe. To obtain the current and future contributions of maritime transport to the total pollutant concentrations, simulations were divided into two present (baseline and without shipping) and three future scenarios (shipping projection, climate change, and shipping projection and climate change). The results indicate that the current and future impacts of shipping emissions on pollutant concentrations are similar in some regions (NO₂ for Northern Europe and SO₂ for Southern Europe), which is due to the enforcement of emission control areas for those pollutants. However, efforts towards lowering emissions from the shipping sector are negated in the south of this domain due to the concentration changes caused by the climate change scenario. In light of these changes, the introduction of a NECA is proposed for the Mediterranean, which would help us to make great strides to reduce the impact of the shipping sector in the region and aid in counteracting the effects of climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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18 pages, 3348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Effect of International Maritime Regulations on Air Quality in the Southern North Sea

by Ward Van Roy, Jean-Baptiste Merveille, Kobe Scheldeman, Annelore Van Nieuwenhove, Ronny Schallier, Benjamin Van Roozendael and Frank Maes

Atmosphere 2023, 14(6), 969; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14060969 - 01 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1641

Abstract

Air pollution is a leading cause of death worldwide, and it has a profound impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems. A substantial portion of air pollution is attributable to Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs). In light of this, international regulations have been put [...] Read more.

Air pollution is a leading cause of death worldwide, and it has a profound impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems. A substantial portion of air pollution is attributable to Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs). In light of this, international regulations have been put in place to mitigate air pollutant emissions from OGVs. While studies have indicated that these regulations can create significant health, environmental, and economic benefits, there remains a research gap regarding their specific impact on enhancing air quality. The aim of this study is to investigate how the implemented regulations have affected air quality in the Southern North Sea. The study found that the international regulations on ship emissions have successfully led to a decline in SO₂ emissions from OGVs in the Southern North Sea, which resulted in a reduction of ambient SO₂ concentrations inland, leading to positive effects on public health and the environment. However, the proportion of shipping’s contribution to SO₂ emissions is projected to increase in the future. Moreover, the study revealed that the use of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) presents significant concerns. They were more frequently found to be non-compliant, and, more alarmingly, they emit higher mean levels of SO₂. It also emerged that international regulations in the southern North Sea have less of an impact on the reduction of NO_x emissions from OGVs than expected, which is all the more important given that NO_x emissions from OGVs are expected to account for 40% of the total domestic NO_x emissions for the northern region of Belgium by 2030. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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16 pages, 2051 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Future Ship Emission Scenarios with a Focus on Ammonia Fuel

by Daniel A. Schwarzkopf, Ronny Petrik, Josefine Hahn, Leonidas Ntziachristos, Volker Matthias and Markus Quante

Atmosphere 2023, 14(5), 879; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14050879 - 17 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2299

Abstract

Current efforts by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to decarbonize the shipping sector have gained momentum, although the exact path to achieve this goal is currently unclear. However, it can be safely assumed that alternative cleaner and zero-carbon fuels will be key components [...] Read more.

Current efforts by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to decarbonize the shipping sector have gained momentum, although the exact path to achieve this goal is currently unclear. However, it can be safely assumed that alternative cleaner and zero-carbon fuels will be key components in the strategy. In this work, three ship emission scenarios for 2025, 2040, and 2050 were developed that cover the area of the North and Baltic Seas. They aim at a fundamental transition in the usage of marine fuels towards ammonia as the mainly used fuel in 2050, via an intermediate step in 2040 with liquefied natural gas as the main fuel. Additionally, expected trends and developments for the shipping sector were implemented, i.e., a fleet growth by vessel size and number. Efficiency improvements were included that are in accordance with the Energy Efficiency Design Index of the IMO. The scenarios were created using a novel method based on modifications to a virtual shipping fleet. The vessels in this fleet were subject to decommission and renewal cycles that adapt them to the scenario’s target year. Emissions for this renewed shipping fleet were calculated with the Modular Ship Emission Modeling System (MoSES). With respect to ammonia engine technology, two cases were considered. The first case deals with compression ignition engines and marine gas oil as pilot fuel, while the second case treats spark ignition engines and hydrogen as the pilot fuel. The first case is considered more feasible until 2050. Reductions with the first case in 2050 compared to 2015 were 40% for

{CO}_{2}

emissions. However,

{CO}_{2}

equivalents were only reduced by 22%, with the difference mainly resulting from increased

N_{2} O

emissions.

{NO}_{X}

emissions were reduced by 39%, and different

PM

components and

{SO}_{2}

were between 73% and 84% for the same target year. The estimated

{NH}_{3}

slip from ammonia-fueled ships in the North and Baltic Seas was calculated to be 930

Gg

in 2050. For the second ammonia engine technology that is considered more advanced, emission reductions were generally stronger and ammonia emissions smaller. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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15 pages, 2053 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Remote Detection of Different Marine Fuels in Exhaust Plumes by Onboard Measurements in the Baltic Sea Using Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry

by Ellen Iva Rosewig, Julian Schade, Johannes Passig, Helena Osterholz, Robert Irsig, Dominik Smok, Nadine Gawlitta, Jürgen Schnelle-Kreis, Jan Hovorka, Detlef Schulz-Bull, Ralf Zimmermann and Thomas W. Adam

Atmosphere 2023, 14(5), 849; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14050849 - 10 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1773

Abstract

Ship emissions are a major cause of global air pollution, and in particular, emissions from the combustion of bunker fuels, such as heavy fuel oil (HFO), show strong impacts on the environment and human health. Therefore, sophisticated measurement techniques are needed for monitoring. [...] Read more.

Ship emissions are a major cause of global air pollution, and in particular, emissions from the combustion of bunker fuels, such as heavy fuel oil (HFO), show strong impacts on the environment and human health. Therefore, sophisticated measurement techniques are needed for monitoring. We present here an approach to remotely investigating ship exhaust plumes through onboard measurements from a research vessel in the Baltic Sea. The ship exhaust plumes were detected from a distance of ~5 km by rapid changes in particle number concentration and a variation in the ambient particle size distribution utilizing a condensation particle counter (CPC) and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) instrument. Ambient single particles in the size range of 0.2–2.5 µm were qualitatively characterized with respect to their chemical signature by single-particle mass spectrometry (SPMS). In particular, the high sensitivity of the measurement method for transition metals in particulate matter (PM) was used to distinguish between the different marine fuels. Despite the high complexity of the ambient aerosol and the adverse conditions at sea, the exhaust plumes of several ships could be analyzed by means of the online instrumentation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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11 pages, 1587 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Methane Emissions from a State-of-the-Art LNG-Powered Vessel

by Kati Lehtoranta, Niina Kuittinen, Hannu Vesala and Päivi Koponen

Atmosphere 2023, 14(5), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14050825 - 04 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6033

Abstract

To meet stringent fuel sulfur limits, together with NO_x limits, ships are increasingly utilizing dual-fuel (DF) engines operating with liquified natural gas (LNG) as the primary fuel. Compared to diesel, LNG combustion produces less CO₂, which is needed in targeting [...] Read more.

To meet stringent fuel sulfur limits, together with NO_x limits, ships are increasingly utilizing dual-fuel (DF) engines operating with liquified natural gas (LNG) as the primary fuel. Compared to diesel, LNG combustion produces less CO₂, which is needed in targeting the reduction of the shipping impact on the climate; however, this could be significantly interfered with by the methane emission formation. In this study, the methane emissions, together with other emission components, were studied by measurements onboard a state-of-the-art RoPax ferry equipped with two different development-stage engines. The results from the current standard state-of-the-art DF engine showed methane levels that were, in general, lower than what has been reported earlier from onboard studies with similar sized DF engines. Meanwhile, the methane emission from the DF engine piloting the new combustion concept was even lower, 50–70% less than that of the standard DF engine setup. Although the CO₂ was found to slightly increase with the new combustion concept, the CO₂ equivalent (including both methane and CO₂) was smaller than that from the standard DF engine, indicating that the recent development in engine technology is less harmful for the climate. Additionally, lower NO_x and formaldehyde levels were recorded from the new combustion concept engine, while an increase in particle emissions compared to the standard DF engine setup was observed. These need to be considered when evaluating the overall impacts on the climate and health effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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24 pages, 5650 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Association between Vessel Departures and Air Pollution in Helsinki Port Area 2016–2021

by Mikko Heikkilä and Jukka-Pekka Jalkanen

Atmosphere 2023, 14(4), 757; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14040757 - 21 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1881

Abstract

European ports are struggling to install enough shore power connections to follow the European Commission initiative, which insists ships that lie alongside to be plugged in and have their auxiliary engines off in EU ports by 2030. The port of Helsinki is one [...] Read more.

European ports are struggling to install enough shore power connections to follow the European Commission initiative, which insists ships that lie alongside to be plugged in and have their auxiliary engines off in EU ports by 2030. The port of Helsinki is one of the busiest passenger ports in the world handling on average more than 10 million international passengers per year. As passenger ships consume more fuel than other vessel types, the shore power regulation poses additional challenges for the port of Helsinki. Passenger ferry and cruise ship terminals are in the middle of the city meaning that their air emissions carry a public health burden in the urban areas. Using port arrivals and departures combined with the EU Monitoring, Reporting and Verifying (MRV), this study estimates that 75–80% of the fuel combusted by ship auxiliary engines falls under the upcoming regulation. However, using statistical methods to find the association and effects between vessel movements and port air quality measurements, ship departures were found to have noticeable increases in the hourly mean NO₂ concentration measured at the port terminals. This is most likely caused by starting cold main engines for departure and will not be solved by connecting ships to shore power. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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27 pages, 2847 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Belgian Airborne Sniffer Measurements in the MARPOL Annex VI Enforcement Chain

by Ward Van Roy, Jean-Baptiste Merveille, Kobe Scheldeman, Annelore Van Nieuwenhove, Benjamin Van Roozendael, Ronny Schallier and Frank Maes

Atmosphere 2023, 14(4), 623; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14040623 - 25 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2064

Abstract

The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences launched its airborne sniffer program in 2015 whereby a custom-built sniffer sensor was installed onboard the Belgian coastguard aircraft enabling the measurement of SO₂ and NO_x emitted by ocean-going vessels (OGVs). The data gathered [...] Read more.

The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences launched its airborne sniffer program in 2015 whereby a custom-built sniffer sensor was installed onboard the Belgian coastguard aircraft enabling the measurement of SO₂ and NO_x emitted by ocean-going vessels (OGVs). The data gathered on non-compliant OGVs were subsequently sent to port inspection authorities, who were then able to trigger inspections more rapidly than had they not had the data from the aircraft. This study reveals the added value of airborne alerts on port inspection effectiveness, a subject that had not been previously documented. This article demonstrates that airborne alerts have not only led to increased sanctions but have also drastically improved the efficiency of port inspection authorities, leading to a 50% reduction in the enforcement cost per confirmed violation. Port inspection authorities were able to follow up on 46% of the generated Fuel Sulphur Content (FSC) alerts. Of the alerts that were followed up, 43% were confirmed as non-compliant after inspection. This means that 20% of the total number of generated airborne alerts, which includes those that were not able to be followed up, met conditions for legal sanctioning. In contrast, for NO_x alerts, only limited follow-ups were conducted by port inspection authorities. None of the alerts were confirmed with those inspections, mainly due to the lack of inspection mechanisms for real-world NO_x emissions under IMO and EU regulations. In addition, for this study, a large-scale remote FSC measurement validation analysis was conducted for the first time, comparing airborne FSC measurements and FSC reference data. In order to obtain FSC reference data, onboard measurements from exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCSs) were collected, together with fuel samples from Belgian port inspection authorities. The validation analysis revealed that the empiric deviation in the airborne FSC measurements with the FSC reference data was 9%, which was significantly lower than the 25% uncertainty used in the reporting of the alerts. This study helps pave the way for an increased role of airborne monitoring in the MARPOL Annex VI enforcement chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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16 pages, 7425 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Faster, Better, Cheaper: Solutions to the Atmospheric Shipping Emission Compliance and Attribution Conundrum

by Tim Smyth, Anthony Deakin, Jani Pewter, Darren Snee, Richard Proud, Ruud Verbeek, Vincent Verhagen, Pierre Paschinger, Thomas Bell, James Fishwick and Mingxi Yang

Atmosphere 2023, 14(3), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14030500 - 04 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1446

Abstract

Global concerns regarding air quality have over the past decade led to the introduction of regulations by the International Maritime Organisation curbing the emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides (SO_x, NO_x). These limits were implemented initially in so-called “emission [...] Read more.

Global concerns regarding air quality have over the past decade led to the introduction of regulations by the International Maritime Organisation curbing the emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides (SO_x, NO_x). These limits were implemented initially in so-called “emission control areas”, defined where the density of shipping activity combines with large coastal population centres such as northwest Europe or eastern USA. However, any legislation requires a scientifically robust and rigorous monitoring program to ensure compliance and prove attribution to an individual vessel. We argue the case for adherence to the mantra “faster, better, cheaper”, where widespread adoption of independent low-cost solutions of onboard, in-stack sensors, combined with existing, globally ubiquitous satellite-based “automatic identification system” (AIS) data telemetry, provides an excellent solution to the affordable compliance and attribution conundrum for shipping companies and enforcement agencies alike. We present data from three field-campaigns which have significantly advanced the concept of onboard real-time monitoring of atmospheric ship emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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10 pages, 2085 KiB

Open AccessArticle

UAV Inspection of Compliance of Fuel Sulfur Content of Sailing Ships in the Pearl River Delta, China

by Jianbo Hu, Mengtao Deng, Shitao Peng and Zhaoyu Qi

Atmosphere 2022, 13(11), 1894; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13111894 - 12 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1687

Abstract

Air pollutants emitted by ships are one of the major causes of global environmental and human health problems, especially for sulfur oxides (SO₂). In this study, a mini-sniffing sensor was mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to monitor the concentration [...] Read more.

Air pollutants emitted by ships are one of the major causes of global environmental and human health problems, especially for sulfur oxides (SO₂). In this study, a mini-sniffing sensor was mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to monitor the concentration relationship between CO₂ and SO₂ in the exhaust gas of sailing ships, then the sulfur content of the ship’s fuel oil was estimated to evaluate the compliance of the fuel sulfur content (FSC) with IMO regulations. In the experiment, the measurement results of the exhaust gas of sailing ships in the Pearl River Delta were presented, the data set from February to April 2022 was provided, and 445 ships were comprehensively analyzed from the perspectives of ship length and ship type. From the experimental results, considering the error of the sensor, the compliance rate of the FSC of sailing ships entering and leaving the Pearl River reached 93.7%. To some extent, the current situation for meeting the 0.5% (m/m) limit is basically optimistic. The results represent the effectiveness of DECA policy implementation. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness and reliability of the UAV monitoring method in monitoring emissions from ships, and in more effectively monitoring the impact of shipping on air quality. Furthermore, an accurate and non-contact monitoring method is proposed, which can allow law enforcement officers to judge in advance whether the ships sailing is suspected of illegally using high-sulfur fuels. It can improve the efficiency of law enforcement and reduce the cost of supervision. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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17 pages, 2579 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of Air Pollution from Ships in Port Area: A Case Study of Yeosu and Gwangyang Ports in Korea

by Hwayoung Kim, Hai-Dang Bui and Sung-sam Hong

Atmosphere 2022, 13(11), 1890; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13111890 - 11 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2785

Abstract

With the rapid development of global trade and maritime transportation, a comprehensive emission inventory is necessary to control air pollution from ships as well as to comply with international environmental standards. The purpose of this study is to calculate the volume of emissions [...] Read more.

With the rapid development of global trade and maritime transportation, a comprehensive emission inventory is necessary to control air pollution from ships as well as to comply with international environmental standards. The purpose of this study is to calculate the volume of emissions from ships in Yeosu and Gwangyang ports in Korea based on a bottom-up approach and supported by the data from the automatic identification system (AIS) and Korean port management information system (Port-MIS). Specifically, a real set of data on specifications of all ships operating at the port in 2019 was collected and an analysis of ship movement using AIS data was conducted by the authors in this study to divide the route into cruising and maneuvering phases as well as to estimate engine’s load factor. Finally, results show that the total amount of air emissions from ships at the port area was 558 thousand tons, which is 96% from CO₂ and 66% from hoteling mode. Additionally, container and tanker ships together emitted the highest volume of air pollution accounting for a share of 73%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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11 pages, 2220 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of AIS Data Thinning on Ship Air Pollutant Emissions Inventories

by Yujun Tian, Lili Ren, Hongyan Wang, Tao Li, Yupeng Yuan and Yan Zhang

Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1135; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071135 - 18 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2031

Abstract

This article examines the impact of automatic identification system (AIS) data thinning on ship emissions inventory results. AIS data thinning is theoretically proven to lead to a smaller result for a ship’s air pollutant emissions inventory. The AIS dynamic data of six sampled [...] Read more.

This article examines the impact of automatic identification system (AIS) data thinning on ship emissions inventory results. AIS data thinning is theoretically proven to lead to a smaller result for a ship’s air pollutant emissions inventory. The AIS dynamic data of six sampled ships for 1 day and for 1 year were thinned at 1 min, 3 min, 10 min, 30 min, and 1 h time intervals, and then CO₂, NO_X, CH, PM, SO₂, and other air pollutant emissions were estimated both with and without AIS data thinning in the different time intervals. The results show that AIS data thinning affects the air pollutant emissions inventory results of the ships, and the impact is greater as the thinning interval increases. When the thinning interval is less than 10 min, the impact is less than 10%, but the impact increases to about 10–15% at a 30 min interval and about 15–20% at a 60 min interval. The impacts of thinning on the emissions of ships with acutely fluctuating speeds are more significant because the constantly changing speed is the main reason why data thinning affects the ship emissions inventory. Therefore, these data suggest that the AIS data can be thinned at intervals of 5 or 10 min when establishing a coastal or national ship air pollutant emissions inventory, the AIS data should be thinned at intervals of less than 3 min when establishing the air pollutant emissions inventory of inland river ships, and data thinning is not recommended when establishing a port or smaller-scale ship air pollutant emissions inventory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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18 pages, 11482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Sea Breeze on the Transport of Ship Emissions: A Comprehensive Study in the Bohai Rim Region, China

by Yizhe Ma, Dongsheng Chen, Xinyi Fu, Fang Shang, Xiurui Guo, Jianlei Lang and Ying Zhou

Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1094; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071094 - 11 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1816

Abstract

Air pollutants from ship exhaust have a negative impact on air quality in coastal areas, which can be greatly exacerbated by sea breeze circulation. However, our understanding of this issue is still limited, especially in coastal areas with a complex topography and winding [...] Read more.

Air pollutants from ship exhaust have a negative impact on air quality in coastal areas, which can be greatly exacerbated by sea breeze circulation. However, our understanding of this issue is still limited, especially in coastal areas with a complex topography and winding coastlines, such as the Bohai Rim region in China. In order to fill this knowledge gap, the Weather Research and Forecast model coupled with the chemistry (WRF/Chem) modeling system was employed to investigate the influence of sea breeze circulation on the transport of PM_2.5 emitted by ships from April to September in 2014. The major findings are as follows: (1) The concentration of PM_2.5 due to ship emissions was 2.94 μg/m³ on days with a sea breeze and 2.4 times higher than on days without a sea breeze in coastal cities in the region. (2) The difference in the contribution of ship emissions during days with a sea breeze and days without a sea breeze decreases with increasing distance from the coastline but remains non-negligible up to 50 km inland. (3) The shape of the coastline, the topographic height of the land area, and the latitude have a significant impact on sea breeze circulation and thus on the transport of ship emissions. (4) The differences in the contribution of ship emissions under days with a sea breeze versus days without a sea breeze were more evident than those under onshore versus alongshore and offshore winds, indicating that sea breeze circulation can cause cyclic accumulation of pollutants and thus reinforce the impact of ship emissions on coastal air quality more than by onshore winds. It should be emphasized that during the switching from sea breeze to a non-sea breeze, the pollutants that have been transported to the land area by sea breeze have not yet been carried back to sea, resulting in the ship contribution value still not significantly reduced even if the wind is a non-sea breeze at that moment. In addition, other factors e.g., emissions, precipitation, and chemistry can also play an important role in the observed trends in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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31 pages, 45942 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of the Impact of Ship Emissions in Northern Europe and Eastern China

by Daniel A. Schwarzkopf, Ronny Petrik, Volker Matthias, Markus Quante, Guangyuan Yu and Yan Zhang

Atmosphere 2022, 13(6), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13060894 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3527

Abstract

It is well known that ship emissions contribute significantly to atmospheric pollution. However, the impact on air quality can regionally vary, as influenced by parameters such as the composition of the regional shipping fleet, state of background atmospheric pollution, and meteorological aspects. This [...] Read more.

It is well known that ship emissions contribute significantly to atmospheric pollution. However, the impact on air quality can regionally vary, as influenced by parameters such as the composition of the regional shipping fleet, state of background atmospheric pollution, and meteorological aspects. This study compared two regions with high shipping densities in 2015. These include the North and Baltic Seas in Europe and the Yellow and East China Seas in China. Here, a key focal point is an evaluation of differences and similarities of the impacts of ship emissions under different environmental conditions, particularly between regions with medium (Europe) and high air pollution (China). To assess this, two similarly performed chemical transport model runs were carried out with highly resolved bottom-up ship emission inventories for northern Europe and China, calculated with the recently developed MoSES model, publicly available emissions data for nonshipping sources (EDGAR, MEIC). The performance of the model was evaluated against measurement data recorded at coastal stations. Annual averages at affected coastal regions for

{NO}_{2}

,

{SO}_{2}

,

O_{3}

and

{PM}_{2.5}

were modeled in Europe to be 3, below

0.3

,

2.5

, 1 and in China 3, 2, 2–8,

1.5

, respectively, all given in

μ g / m^{3}

. In highly affected regions, such as large harbors, the contributions of ship-related emissions modeled in Europe were 15%,

0.3

%,

- 12.5

%,

1.25

% and in China were 15%, 6%,

- 7.5

%, 2%, respectively. Absolute pollutant concentrations from ships were modeled slightly higher in China than in Europe, albeit the relative impact was smaller in China due to higher emissions from other sectors. The different climate zones of China and the higher level of atmospheric pollution were found to seasonally alter the chemical transformation processes of ship emissions. Especially in northern China, high PM concentrations during winter were found to regionally inhibit the transformation of ship exhausts to secondary PM, and reduce the impact of ship-related aerosols, compared to Europe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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13 pages, 2188 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Marine Two-Stroke Diesel Engine Based on Air Intake Composition and Temperature Control

by Xianzhong He, Qinming Tan, Yuehong Wu and Cunfeng Wei

Atmosphere 2022, 13(2), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13020355 - 19 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3293

Abstract

The influence of gas intake temperature, composition and the volume concentration of each gas component on diesel engine combustion, emission and the output power was studied by building a calculation model of the B&W 6S35ME-B9 marine two-stroke low-speed diesel engine, followed by a [...] Read more.

The influence of gas intake temperature, composition and the volume concentration of each gas component on diesel engine combustion, emission and the output power was studied by building a calculation model of the B&W 6S35ME-B9 marine two-stroke low-speed diesel engine, followed by a comprehensive optimization exploration. The results showed that under 295 K and 18.5% O₂ of intake gas, the engine’s NOx emission is only 4.5 g/kWh and reduced to 58% from the normal air gas intake condition. Moreover, their power output is very similar. In addition, the effect of CO₂ or H₂O added into the intake of the diesel engine on the performance of the diesel engine can be compensated by reducing the intake temperature. At the intake temperature of 295 K, the engine’s NOx emission with 20.58% O₂, 77.42% N₂ and 2% H₂O is 8.62 g/kWh, and 9.06 g/kWh under 20.79% O₂, 78.21% N₂ and 2% CO₂. It is lower than 11.77 g/kWh, which is under normal intake conditions (315 K, 21%O₂ and 79%N₂). The power output is also similar to the normal intake condition. Therefore, the comprehensive optimization of gas intake temperature, composition and concentration can effectively optimize the diesel engine’s performance in terms of combustion, emission and power output. The research results have an important reference value for the optimization of diesel engine performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atmospheric Shipping Emissions and Their Environmental Impacts)

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