Journal of Natural Gas Chemistry will be published bimonthly in 2010

Natural gas occupies an increasingly important position in the structure of global energy resources.In order to adapt to the fast developments in natural gas chemistry and hydrogen energy,and to accelerate further the reporting of research and development information in natural gas chemistry and related areas,the publication duration of Journal of Natural Gas Chemistry (JNGC)will be shortened to issue bimonthly instead of quarterly in 2010.     

A Letter from the Editorial Board

It has been 15 years that the Journal of Natural Gas Chemistry, an international, academic Journal focusing on the publication of worldwide research in the field of natural gas chemistry, has been published. Five years ago, the Editorial Board of the Journal was reorganized and moved to the Dalian Institute of Chemistry Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Journal has concentrated on the reporting of fundamental research and development information in the field of natural gas     

基于量子化学计算方法的天然气水合物稳定性研究进展

天然气水合物以资源丰富、优质、洁净等特点,被视为21世纪新能源。天然气水合物稳定性的研究对天然气水合物资源勘探开发具有重要意义。本文简述了微观、介观、宏观、矿藏四个尺度天然气水合物稳定性的研究,重点从微观量子尺度介绍了量子化学计算方法对水合物晶体结构及其稳定性以及水合物宏观物理特性微观表征的计算研究。应用量子化学计算方法可以对天然气水合物的晶体结构、电子轨道分布、振动光谱、成键特性及主客体相互作用进行计算研究,其结果能够为天然气水合物在油气储运、水合物成藏、开采及其综合利用等方面的研究提供理论支持。目前,量子化学计算方法的优化与分子动力学模拟、分子力学模拟等方法的结合将有助于水合物形成和分解微观机理研究的发展,提升计算精度和扩大研究体系,为矿场尺度的天然气水合物资源开采利用提供理论支持。     

天然气化学转化新途径

21世纪初将迎来天然气能源时代,作为石油的替代资源,由天然气间接转化(经由合成气)和直接转化为液体燃料或重要化工品原料已成为人们关注的热点。本文简要介绍了80年代以来世界各国和我国有关天然气转化的各种新过程。     

Forecasting China's natural gas consumption based on a combination model

Ensuring a sufficient energy supply is essential to a country. Natural gas constitutes a vital part in energy supply and therefore forecasting natural gas consumption reliably and accurately is an essential part of a country's energy policy. Over the years, studies have shown that a combinative model gives better projected results compared to a single model. In this study, we used Polynomial Curve and Moving Average Combination Projection (PCMACP) model to estimate the future natural gas consumption in China from 2009 to 2015. The new proposed PCMACP model shows more reliable and accurate results: its Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) is less than those of any previous models within the investigated range. According to the PCMACP model, the average annual growth rate will increase for the next 7 years and the amount of natural gas consumption will reach 171600 million cubic meters in 2015 in China.     

Forecasting China’s natural gas consumption based on a combination model

Ensuring a sufficient energy supply is essential to a country. Natural gas constitutes a vital part in energy supply and therefore forecasting natural gas consumption reliably and accurately is an essential part of a country's energy policy. Over the years, studies have shown that a combinative model gives better projected results compared to a single model. In this study, we used Polynomial Curve and Moving Average Combination Projection (PCMACP) model to estimate the future natural gas consumption in China from 2009 to 2015. The new proposed PCMACP model shows more reliable and accurate results: its Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) is less than those of any previous models within the investigated range. According to the PCMACP model, the average annual growth rate will increase for the next 7 years and the amount of natural gas consumption will reach 171600 million cubic meters in 2015 in China.     

天然气水合物研究进展

本文介绍了天然气水合物研究的历史和现状, 天然气水合物的结构, 它在冻土地带和海洋底部地表层的形成过程, 它对石油天然气工业的影响以及抑制生成天然气水合物的方法。介绍了天然气水合物作为潜在能源的巨大优势以及它对地球气候变化--温室效应的潜在危险性。     

The role of natural gas as a primary fuel in the near future, including comparisons of acquisition, transmission and waste handling costs of as with competitive alternatives

Natural gas comprises about a quarter of the United States' energy use. It is more environmentally friendly than oil and coal due to lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per unit, less costly per unit of energy and more readily available domestically in abundant supply. However, due to a number of barriers in the political, infrastructural, pricing and other arenas, the use of natural gas as a significant energy source in the United States has been limited. In our paper, we highlight the favorable qualities of natural gas and its benefits for the consumer, producer, and environment, having compared the costs of the various components of the natural gas business such as drilling and transport to that of coal and oil. Moreover, we touch upon the major issues that have prevented a more prevalent use of the gas, such as the fact that the infrastructure of natural gas is more costly since it is transported though pipelines whereas other energy sources such as oil and coal have flexible systems that use trains, trucks and ships. In addition, the powerful lobbies of the coal and oil businesses, along with the inertia in the congress to pass a national climate change bill further dampens incentives for these industries to invest in natural gas, despite its various attractive qualities. We also include discussions of policy proposals to incentive greater use of natural gas in the future.     

天然产物化学研究的挑战和机遇

本文论述了目前我国天然产物化学研究中所存在的问题以及面临的挑战和机遇,同时就如何促进我国天然产物的新结构、新功能及其合成化学等方面的原始性创新研究和相应的对策进行了评述。     

Metrological issues in energy measurement on biogas

The use of biogas as regenerative energy can be achieved more efficiently by injecting the treated biogas into natural gas grids since the localisation of the biogas CHP (combined heat and power) plant is made independent from the site of the biogas production. Thus, the utilisation of the heat generated in the CHP plant may be optimised. For that reason, the National and European regulations support injection into the natural gas grid. This paper deals with the general metrological issues concerning injection from the specific aspects of measurement technology. The issues discussed include the adjustment of biogas to the characteristics of natural gas (treatment to produce biomethane) and the measurement of biomethane calorific value. Measuring the calorific value of natural gas today is almost always based on the use of process gas chromatographs specifically designed for the analysis of typical natural gases. Natural gas chromatographs are only suitable under minted conditions for use with biomethane due to differences in the composition of natural gas and biomethane. This paper explains the specific issues and solutions for the measurement of the calorific value of biomethane and their implementation in current plants equipped with injection facilities.     

Towards a fundamental understanding of natural gas hydrates

Gas clathrate hydrates were first identified in 1810 by Sir Humphrey Davy. However, it is believed that other scientists, including Priestley, may have observed their existence before this date. They are solid crystalline inclusion compounds consisting of polyhedral water cavities which enclathrate small gas molecules. Natural gas hydrates are important industrially because the occurrence of these solids in subsea gas pipelines presents high economic loss and ecological risks, as well as potential safety hazards to exploration and transmission personnel. On the other hand, they also have technological importance in separation processes, fuel transportation and storage. They are also a potential fuel resource because natural deposits of predominantly methane hydrate are found in permafrost and continental margins. To progress with understanding and tackling some of the technological challenges relating to natural gas hydrate formation, inhibition and decomposition one needs to develop a fundamental understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in these processes. This fundamental understanding is also important to the broader field of inclusion chemistry. The present article focuses on the application of a range of physico-chemical techniques and approaches for gaining a fundamental understanding of natural gas hydrate formation, decomposition and inhibition. This article is complementary to other reviews in this field, which have focused more on the applied, engineering and technological aspects of clathrate hydrates.     

有机天然产物化学实验的教学改革与实践

Natural product chemistry experiments, which train the students to master the basic skills for extraction, separation and identification of the active components of natural products, and acquaint with the research methods of natural product chemistry, are an important part of organic chemistry laboratory. This paper analyzes the common problems related to the current natural products chemistry laboratories in domestic universities. In recent years, we carried out the reforms of the teaching contents, teaching conditions, and teaching methods. The teaching practices show that the students' learning interest and efficiency, the abilities to analyze and solve problems, and the scientific research abilities have been trained and strengthened. The teachers' experimental teaching level and teaching quality have been greatly improved.     

天然产物衍生物化学库的组合合成

天然产物在药物化学和化学生物学中发挥着重要作用。目前,组合化学技术在合成天然产物衍生物化学库中的应用也越来越受到重视。本文综述了近5年来报道的组合合成天然产物衍生物化学库的一些例子。     

Natural Product Synthesis at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology

Nature has evolved to produce unique and diverse natural products that possess high target affinity and specificity. Natural products have been the richest sources for novel modulators of biomolecular function. Since the chemical synthesis of urea by Wöhler, organic chemists have been intrigued by natural products, leading to the evolution of the field of natural product synthesis over the past two centuries. Natural product synthesis has enabled natural products to play an essential role in drug discovery and chemical biology. With the introduction of novel, innovative concepts and strategies for synthetic efficiency, natural product synthesis in the 21st century is well poised to address the challenges and complexities faced by natural product chemistry and will remain essential to progress in biomedical sciences.     

Methane Clear Combustion at High Temperature over NiO/ZrO2 Series Catalysts

Natural gas would play a predominant role in the energy structure in this new century. However, only at high temperature natural gas could combust with high efficiency, resulting in some pollution gases such as NO_x and CO produced if air was employed as oxygen resource. Catalytic combustion was considered as a prospective route to solve this problem. Noble metals shown good performance but with limited resources^[1], so that many attentions were focused on the development of non-noble metals materials with good high temperature properties, among which ZrO₂ supported series might be the first choice^[2]. Therefore, methane (over 95% of natural gas) combustion performance on this types of catalysts should be investigated in detail.