Transcript No Slide Title

Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Energy
Hierarchy
Calculating specific emergy of materials
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Energy
Hierarchy...
When self organization converges and
concentrates high quality energy in centers,
materials are also concentrated by the
production functions.
Because available energy has to be used up to
concentrate materials, the quantity of material
flow also has to decrease in each successive step
in a series of energy transformations.
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Consumption of available energy
is necessary to increase
material concentration
(a) Concentration of materials
indicated by density of dots;
(b) use of available energy to
increase concentration and energy
storage;
(c) emergy per mass increases with
concentration;
(d) autocatalytic production process
utilizing available energy to
concentrate dispersed materials.
Dotted lines = energy flow only;
solid lines = material flow.
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Coupling of a trace material to energy flow
and transformations...showing two stages.
On the left there is
non-specific
transport of trace
concentrations by a
carrier material. On
the right there is a
specific use of the
trace material in an
autocatalytic
production process
that accelerates
energy use and
material
concentration.
Trace
Material at
Background
Concentration
Trace Material
Embedded
in Carrier
Autocatalytic
Process
Requiring
Trace Material
Cycle of Carrier
Energy &
Emergy
Increasing Emergy/Mass
Energy Flow
Carrier Fluid
Trace Material:
Dispersal
Recycle
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Spatial convergence of
materials to centers
because of their
coupling to the
convergence of energy.
(a) Materials Combined w ith Energy Flow s
Dispersed Materials
Recycle
Energy
Sources
= Energy
= Materials
(b) Spatial Convergence of Materials
(a) Materials and
energy transformation
hierarchy on an energy
systems diagram;
(b) spatial pattern of
material circulation.
Dispersed
Materials
CENTER =
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Inverse relation of material
flow and emergy per mass.
(a) Inverse plot of rate of
material concentration and
emergy per mass where
emergy flow is constant;
(b) systems diagram of the
circulation of material (dark
shading driven by a flow of
empower Jemp;
(c) rate of materials
concentration as a function
of emergy per mass on double
logarithmic coordinates.
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Energy
Hierarchy...
The coupling of biogeochemical cycles to the
energy transformation hierarchy explains
the skewed distribution of materials with
concentration.
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Energy hierarchy concepts
(a) Web of energy transformation
processes (rectangles) arranged in
series with energy decreasing from
left to right;
(b) energy system diagram of
energy webs aggregated into a
linear chain.
(c) energy spectrum: energy flow
plotted as a function of
transformity on logarithmic scales
increasing from left to right
(d) sizes of unit centers and
territories increasing with scale
from left to right;
(e) periods and intensities of
energy accumulation, pulsing, and
turnover time increasing from left
to right.
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Distribution of materials in
the biosphere follows a log
normal distribution
Example: Distribution of lead
in granites as a function of
concentrations from Ahrens
(1954). (a) Linear plot;
(b) log normal plot.
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
(a)Energy hierarchical
spectrum showing the
cycles of different
materials in different
zones;
(b) log-log plot of mass
flow as a function of
emergy per mass.
Biogeochemical Cycles
Zone of money
Circulation
Log Material Flow
Zones of material
cycles in the
hierarchical energy
spectrum.
(a) Material Spectrum
Log Emergy per Mass
(b) Examples
10 7
Vapor
10 6
Log Material Flow, g/m2/yr
.
Rain
Runoff
10 5
10 4
Photosyn.
Water
Carbon
Glaciers
10 3
Leaves
Trunks
10 2
10
1
1
10 2
10 4
10 6
10 8
Log Emergy per Mass, sej/g
10 10
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
The principle of universal material distribution
and processing was proposed by H.T. Odum as
a 6th energy law.
“Materials of biogeochemical cycles are
hierarchically organized because of the
necessary coupling of matter to the
universal energy transformation hierarchy.”
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Two approaches for calculating Specific Emergy
of elements based on abundance
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Crustal Abundance of
Elements
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Reserves verses Crustal
Abundance
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
A Global Enrichment
Hierarchy
Background Concentration= 0.003%
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Emergy Evaluation of Metals and Minerals
Generally to determine the emergy required to
make something, we would evaluate the process,
summing all the input energies….
However, the enrichment process for metals and
minerals is most complex….
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Enrichment Processes





hydrothermal processes: hydrothermal circulation cells,
important factors = rock chemistry, water chemistry, P
and T conditions, flux and time.
sedimentary sorting and placer deposits: panning for gold
as one example.
intense chemical weathering: aluminum as an important
example.
magmatic differentiation: e.g. the Bushveld complex in S.
Africa.
many others processes. This forms the basis for the
classification of types of ore deposits.
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
An Inferential Approach
 Each element, at its background crustal
concentration, is part of the global earth
cycle
 Elements at higher than their average crustal
concentration represent
bio/geo/hydro/chemical work.
 The transformity scales linearly with
enrichment factor (a hypothesis?)
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Minimum % wt for metals to
be mined profitably
Element
Aluminum
Iron
Titanium
Phosphorus*
Manganses
Chromium
Nickel
Copper
Lead
Uranium
Silver
Mercury
G old
* estimate
Minimum %
% of crust by
profitably
wieght
extracted
8. 070%
30.00%
5. 050%
30.00%
0. 620%
40.30%
0. 130%
30.00%
0. 090%
35.00%
0. 035%
30.00%
0. 01 9%
1 .50%
0. 0068%
1 .00%
0. 001 0%
0. 04%
0. 00018%
0. 01 %
0. 000008%
0. 008%
0. 0000067%
0. 17%
0. 00000031 %
0. 001 4%
Enrichment
Factor
3. 7
5. 9
65.0
230.8
388.9
857.1
78.9
1 47. 1
40.0
55.6
1 000.0
25000.0
4500. 0
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Material Cycle of Lead ~
Specific Emergy of Ore Body
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Specific emergy of minerals
Minimum %
Specific emergy of
metals based on
crustal abundance
and enrichment
factor…
Element
Total Crust
Silicon
Aluminum
% of crust by
wieght
1 00%
27.690%
8.070%
Weight (g)
2.82E+25
7.81 E+24
2.28E+24
30.00%
5.22E+08
Iron
Calcium
Sodium
Potassium
Magnesium
5.050%
3.650%
2.750%
2.580%
2.080%
1 .42E+24
1 .03E+24
7.76E+23
7.28E+23
5.87E+23
30.00%
8.34E+08
Titanium
Phosphorus
Manganses
Sulfer
Barium
0.620%
0.1 30%
0.090%
0.052%
0.050%
1 .75E+23
3.67E+22
2.54E+22
1 .47E+22
1 .41 E+22
40.30%
9.1 2E+09
35.00%
5.46E+1 0
Chlorine
Chromium
Flourine
Z irconium
Nickel
0.045%
0.035%
0.029%
0.025%
0.01 9%
1 .27E+22
9.87E+21
8.1 8E+21
7.05E+21
5.36E+21
30.00%
1 .20E+1 1
1 .50%
1 .1 1 E+1 0
copper
lead
uranium
0.0068%
0.001 0%
0.0001 8%
1 .92E+21
2.82E+20
5.08E+1 9
1 .00%
0.04%
0.01 %
2.06E+1 0
5.61 E+09
7.80E+09
0.00008
0.001675
0.00001395
3.51 E+1 2
silver
0.000008%
2.26E+1 8
mercury
0.0000067%
1 .89E+1 8
G old
0.00000031 %
8.74E+1 6
profitably
extracted
W eight of crust:
Contienetal
Oceanic
Annual emergy
crust turnover time
total
2.23E+22Kg
5.90E+21kg
2.82E+25g
1 .58E+25sej
2.50E+08yrs
3.96E+33
Specific Emergy
(sej/g)
1 .40E+08
1 .40E+1 1
6.32E+1 1
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
A second approach somewhat related….
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Energy costs of mining &
refining
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Energy costs of mining &
refining
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Price is
somewhat
proportional
to
consumption
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Global reserves of important
metals…
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Crustal
abundance,
ore cutoff
factor, and
price/ton
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Estimating Ore Grade Cut-Off

Cutoff Concentration not available for all mined
materials

Data readily available
– Crustal abundance
– Price per ton
So… develop an empirical relationship between Cutoff
Concentration and abundance/Price.

Log(Cutoff Conc) = f(Abundance, Price)
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Ln(Conc) = a + b1*Ln(Abundance)+b2*Ln(Price)
+b3*Ln(Abundance)*Ln(Price)
a = 2.9, b1 = -0.50, b2 = -0.18, b3 = 0.045
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Predicted Specific Emergy of
Elements
Two Different Earth Cycle Baselines (1.69E9, 1.4E8 sej/g)
Emergy & Complex Systems
Day 2, Lecture 3a….
Material Cycles and Emergy
Using 1.68E9 sej/g
Earth Cycle Baseline