[EN] The use of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) as a technique to reduce nitrogen oxides emissions (NOx) in Diesel engines started with the EURO regulations and continues to the present day. While aftertreatment systems were proposed as an alternative to replace EGR, the combination of both technologies has achieved the current strict regulations (EURO6, TIER 2). The fact that EGR reduces NOx originated into the combustion process with high effectiveness and with easy implementation in the engine, are the most important advantages which have kept EGR as one of the main techniques against NOx. Additionally, from another point of view, the use of EGR is spreading in other applications such as SI engines and HCCI, as a strategy to manage functional tasks on them. So far, the cooled high pressure EGR system (HPEGR) has been the most widespread configuration to perform EGR. Nonetheless, it is limited in achieving high EGR rates by its effects on Tintake, BSFC and particulate emissions (PM). In this context, low pressure EGR (LPEGR) was raised as an alternative to overcome these limitations. However, LPEGR has other disadvantages such as low value of Pexh-intk which prevents high EGR rates during some engine conditions or the effect on other pollutant emissions during engine warm up at the emissions cycle. Considering the new challenges that light vehicles will face in the future regulations (WLTP or TIER 3) and the aforementioned individual limitations for HPEGR and LPEGR systems, this PhD. Thesis propounds the analysis of the combination of both EGR techniques, HPEGR and LPEGR, in order to show the ability to reach high EGR rates and the effects on fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. To accomplish this objective, by means of experimental tests, two different combination strategies are evaluated: firstly, a simultaneous combination of both HPEGR and LPEGR systems and, secondly, a sequential combination of the individual systems. For simultaneous combination of HPEGR and LPEGR, a sweep of EGR rates combining the use of both systems is performed at five engine operation points within the engine operating range of EGR. For all tested points, the ability of reaching higher rates of EGR with the combination than with individual systems is analyzed from the air management point of view. The analysis is performed by studying the evolution of the properties of the trapped mass into the cylinder, the engine volumetric efficiency and the turbocharger performance. Besides analyzing the evolution of BSFC and pollutant emissions. Regarding the sequential combination of HPEGR and LPEGR, various tests of the NEDC emission cycle are performed in different ambient temperatures (20ºC, 0ºC and -7ºC). The sequential combination strategy involves starting the test cycle with HPEGR and, after a given time (600s and 800s), switching to LPEGR system. For these tests, the engine warm up evolution and pollutant emissions evolution are analyzed. Finally, as a practical contribution, an estimation technique of LPEGR mass flow is proposed by means of an energy balance into the control volume defined at the joint between the LPEGR and the fresh air ducts, just before the compressor intake. / [ES] El uso de la técnica de Recirculación de Gases de Escape (EGR) para la reducción de las emisiones de óxidos de nitrógeno (NOx) en motores Diésel se inicia con las primeras normativas EURO y se extiende hasta hoy en día. Si bien los sistemas post-tratamiento se planteaban como alternativa para sustituir al EGR, finalmente, ambas tecnologías se han complementado para lograr alcanzar las estrictas limitaciones impuestas por las actuales normativas vigentes (EURO6, TIER 2). El hecho de que el EGR actúe en la reducción de NOx desde su origen en el proceso de combustión de forma efectiva y la simplicidad de ser implementado en un motor, han sido algunas de las ventajas que han mantenido al EGR como una de las principales técnicas contra los NOx. Además, desde otro punto de vista, el uso del EGR se está extendiendo en otras aplicaciones como los MEP o HCCI para gestionar estrategias de funcionamiento propias de dichas motorizaciones. Hasta ahora el EGR de alta presión refrigerado (HPEGR) había sido la configuración más generalizada para llevar a cabo la tasa de EGR. Sin embargo, se ve limitado para alcanzar altas tasas de EGR por su efecto en la Tadm, el incremento del gef o en las emisiones de partículas (PM). Ante esta situación, se planteaba el EGR de baja presión (LPEGR) como alternativa para superar estas limitaciones, aunque conlleva otras desventajas como el bajo valor de Pesc-adm que impide realizar altas tasas de EGR o su efecto sobre otras emisiones contaminante durante el calentamiento motor en el ciclo de homologación. En el marco de los nuevo retos a los que se enfrentan los vehículos ligeros con las futuras normativas (WLTP o TIER 3) y con las citadas limitaciones individuales de los sistemas HPEGR y LPEGR, en esta Tesis Doctoral se plantea el análisis de la combinación de las técnicas de EGR de alta y baja presión para alcanzar altas tasas de EGR y sus efectos sobre el consumo y las emisiones. Para llevar a cabo este objetivo, desde el punto de vista experimental, se plantean dos estrategias diversas de combinación: por una parte la combinación simultánea de ambos sistemas y por otra la combinación secuencial. Para la combinación simultánea de los sistemas de HPEGR y LPEGR, se realiza un barrido de combinación de ambos sistemas en cinco puntos de funcionamiento del motor dentro del área de EGR. Para todos los puntos ensayados se analiza la capacidad de realizar mayores tasas de EGR que los sistemas individuales, desde el punto de vista de la renovación de la carga. Dicho análisis se lleva a cabo mediante el estudio de la evolución de las propiedades de la masa atrapada en el cilindro, el rendimiento volumétrico y las condiciones de funcionamiento del turbocompresor. Además se analizan las evoluciones del gef y de las emisiones contaminantes. Respecto a la combinación secuencial de HPEGR y LPEGR, se realizan diversos ensayos de un ciclo de homologación NEDC a distintas temperaturas de funcionamiento (20ºC, 0ºC y -7ºC). La estrategia de combinación secuencial implica empezar el ciclo de homologación con el sistema HPEGR y en determinado instante del ciclo (600s y 800s) cambiar al sistema LPEGR. Para estos ensayos se ha realizado el estudio de la evolución del calentamiento motor y el efecto en las emisiones de NOx. / [CA] L'ús de la tècnica de Recirculació de Gasos d'Escapament (EGR) per a la reducció de les emissions d'òxids de nitrogen en motors Dièsel s'inicia amb les primeres normatives EURO i s'ha anat utilitzant fins l'actualitat. Si bé els sistemes post-tractament es plantejaven com a alternativa per a substituir al EGR, finalment ambdós tecnologies s'han complementat per a aconseguir les estrictes limitacions imposades a hores d'ara (EURO6, TIER 2). El fet de que l'EGR actua en la reducció de NOx des del seu origen en el procés de combustió de forma efectiva i la simplicitat per a ser implementat en un motor, han sigut alguns dels avantatges que han mantingut al EGR com una de les principals tècniques contra els NOx. A més, des d'un altre punt de vista, s'està estenent l'ús del EGR en altres aplicacions com en els MEP o HCCI per a gestionar estratègies de funcionament pròpies de dites motoritzacions. Fins ara l'EGR d'alta pressió refrigerat (HPEGR) havia sigut la configuració més generalitzada per a dur a terme la taxa de EGR. No obstant, això es veu limitat per a aconseguir altes taxes d'EGR pel seu efecte en la Tadm, l'increment del gef o en les emissions de partícules (PM). Davant d'aquesta situació, es planteja l'EGR de baixa pressió (LPEGR) com a alternativa per a superar estes limitacions, encara que comporta altres desavantatges com el seu efecte a les altres emissions en condicions de funcionament de motor fred o el baix valor de Pesc-adm que impedix realitzar altes taxes de EGR. En el marc dels nous reptes als què s'enfronten els vehicles lleugers amb les futures normatives (WLTP o TIER 3) i de les esmentades limitacions individuals dels sistemes HPEGR i LPEGR, en esta Tesi Doctoral es planteja l'anàlisi de la combinació de les tècniques de EGR d'alta i baixa pressió per a aconseguir altes taxes de EGR, des del punt de vista del procés de renovació de la càrrega, i els seus efectes sobre el consum i les emissions. Per a dur a terme este objectiu es plantegen dos estratègies diverses de combinació: d'una banda la combinació simultània d'ambdós sistemes i per una altra la combinació seqüencial. Per a la combinació simultània dels sistemes de HPEGR i LPEGR, es realitza un mostreig de combinació d'ambdós sistemes en cinc punts dins de l'àrea de EGR del motor. Per a tots els punts assajats es realitza una anàlisi de la capacitat de realitzar majors taxes de EGR que els sistemes individuals, des del punt de vista de la renovació de la càrrega. Aquest anàlisi es du a terme per mitjà de l'estudi de l'evolució de les propietats de la massa atrapada en el cilindre, el rendiment volumètric i les condicions de funcionament del turbocompressor. A més es realitza l'anàlisi de les evolucions del gef i de les emissions contaminants. Respecte a la combinació seqüencial de HPEGR i LPEGR, es realitzen diversos assajos d'un cicle d'homologació NEDC a distintes temperatures de funcionament (20ºC, 0ºC i -7ºC). L'estratègia de combinació seqüencial implica comen car el cicle d'homologació amb el sistema HPEGR i en determinat instant del cicle (600s i 800s) canviar al sistema LPEGR. Per a estos assajos s'ha realitzat l'estudi de l'evolució del calfament del motor i l'efecte en les emissions de NOx. Finalment, com a aportació pràctica, es planteja una tècnica d'estimació de gast màsic de LPEGR. per mitjà del balanç energètic en el volum de control definit en la unió del sistema de LPEGR amb el conducte d'aire fresc abans del compressor. / Soler Muniesa, JA. (2016). Análisis de la combinación de los sistemas de recirculación de gases de Alta y Baja presión sobre el comportamiento de un motor Diesel sobrealimentado [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/62198

The subject of this study is the effect of in-cylinder selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) of NOx emissions in diesel exhaust gas by means of direct injection of aqueous urea ((NH2)2CO) into the combustion chamber. A single cylinder diesel test engine was modified to accept an electronically controlled secondary common rail injection system to deliver the aqueous urea directly into the cylinder during engine operation. Direct in-cylinder injection was chosen in order to ensure precise delivery of the reducing agent without the risk of any premature reactions taking place. Unlike direct in-cylinder injection of neat water, aqueous urea also works as a reducing agent by breaking down into ammonia (NH3) and Cyanuric Acid ((HOCN)3). These compounds serve as the primary reducing agents in the NOx reduction mechanism explored here. The main reducing agent, aqueous urea, was admixed with glycerol (C3H8O3) in an 80-20 ratio, by weight, to function as a lubricant for the secondary injector. The aqueous urea injection timing and duration is critical to the reduction of NOx emissions due to the dependence of SNCR NOx reduction on critical factors such as temperature, pressure, reducing agent to NOx ratio, Oxygen and radical content, residence time and NH3 slip. From scoping engine tests at loads of 40 percent and 80 percent at 1500 rpm, an aqueous urea injection strategy was developed. The final injection strategy chosen was four molar ratios, 4.0, 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5 with five varying injection timings of 60, 20, 10, 0, and -30 degrees after top dead center (ATDC). In addition to the base line and aqueous urea tests, water injection and an 80-20 water-glycerol solution reduction agent tests were also conducted to compare the effects of said additives as well. The comparison of baseline and SNCR operation was expected to show that the urea acted as a reducing agent, lowering NOx emissions up to 100% (based on exhaust stream studies) in the diesel exhaust gas without the aid of a catalyst. The data collected from the engine tests showed that the aqueous urea-glycerol solution secondary had no effect on the reduction of NOx and even resulted in an increase of up to 5% in some tests. This was due to the low average in-cylinder temperature as well as a short residence time, prohibiting the reduction reaction from taking place. The neat water and water-glycerol solution secondary injection was found to have a reduction effect of up to 59% on NOx production in the emissions due to the evaporative cooling effect and increased heat capacity of the water.

Dans un contexte environnemental fort, la législation Européenne actuelle impose aux centrales thermiques à gaz des limites d'émission à 25 ppmvd pour le monoxyde de carbone (CO) et les oxydes d'azote (NOx). L'exploitant est alors contraint de régler finement ses machines pour éviter l'imposition de pénalités financières. Afin d'orienter les opérateurs vers les réglages optimaux, un outil numérique est développé. Il a pour but de prédire les émissions polluantes avec précision (quelques ppmvd), rapidité (utilisation sur site) et pour toutes sortes de configurations (géométrie, conditions de fonctionnement). Toutefois, modéliser et simuler la formation d'espèces minoritaires dans un écoulement turbulent réactif reste, aujourd'hui encore, un challenge scientifique et numérique en raison des larges spectres spatiaux et temporels mis en jeu. La solution proposée dans cette thèse consiste à réaliser un calcul CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) basé sur un mécanisme réactionnel simple en vue de construire un réseau de réacteurs 0D incluant une cinétique chimique détaillée. Une méthodologie générale est présentée pour le découpage de l'écoulement en zones statistiquement homogènes qui, une fois connectées, forment un réseau de réacteurs. Deux modèles de réseaux de réacteurs sont définis et prennent ou non en compte les fluctuations turbulentes (densité de probabilité) et une distribution des temps de séjour dans chaque réacteur. Des études de sensibilité des émissions de NOx à l'hygrométrie, à la variabilité combustible et aux changements de charge sont menées. La comparaison aux mesures sur site souligne la représentativité des modèles proposés. Enfin, une nouvelle modélisation du terme source chimique moyen est introduite (méthode de tabulation du terme source chimique et nouvelle densité de probabilité) pour permettre une prédiction affinée des émissions de NOx dès le calcul CFD.

This report describes a 3 year study carried out to determine the effects of modern coal power generation technologies on the properties of fly ash and how these may affect the use of the material in concrete. A total of 18 fly ashes, from 11 different sources, produced under a range of conditions and technologies were investigated. These primarily included co-combustion, low NOx, supercritical and oxy-fuel technologies, although other available materials (run-of-station, air-classified, processed and stockpiled fly ashes) were included for comparison. The initial experimental work involved physical and chemical characterization of the fly ash samples. Thereafter, tests covering fresh properties, strength development and durability were carried out on selected concretes. A fly ash level of 30% was used with w/c ratios covering the practical range considered (0.35 to 0.65). Equal strength comparisons were also made where appropriate. Finally, granular (unbound fly ash) and monolithic (fly ash concrete) leaching tests were carried out to assess the environmental implications of using the fly ashes. The results from the physical and chemical characterization tests suggest that modern technologies used for coal fired power generation can have an influence on the properties of fly ash produced. The co-combustion, oxy-fuel and in-combustion low NOx fly ashes had reduced fineness and greater LOI, which had a negative effect on foam index and water requirement of the materials. However reactivity was largely unaffected. The post-combustion low NOx and supercritical fly ashes appeared to be unaffected by their production methods compared to that produced by conventional/establish means. Tests on fresh concrete properties showed that fly ashes with high LOI and low fineness required higher SP doses than the reference PC concrete. However, fly ashes with high fineness and low surface area were found to require a lower SP dose than the PC concrete. The concrete compressive strength tests indicate that, in general, finer fly ash concretes tended to have higher strengths than those containing coarser material. However, there did not appear to be any significant difference in performance between fly ash concretes, which suggests that, although modern technologies can have an impact on fly ash properties, if account is taken of these they should not have any significant influence on strength development. Comparison with an earlier study from the 1990s considering BS EN 450-1 fly ashes showed general agreement between the data. The durability study showed that finer, low LOI fly ashes had higher chloride resistance and at equal strength fly ash concretes performed better than those with PC. Equal strength fly ash concretes covering the modern technologies were found to have similar levels of durability for sulfate attack, abrasion and carbonation. High alkali concrete (following the BS 812-123 method) gave similar expansion levels and good resistance with respect to AAR. With air-entrainment, it was found that the fly ash concretes required high doses of AEA (relative to the PC concrete), with high LOI/BET fly ashes requiring greatest quantities. At equal strength, the fly ash concretes had poorer freeze-thaw scaling resistance than PC concrete. However, the majority of the fly ashes did manage to achieve acceptable scaling resistance according to the Swedish criteria. In general, the findings of the durability study are in agreement with the earlier study from the 1990s. Overall, no effect of production technology on the durability of concrete was observed. The leaching studies showed that, in general, in both granular and concrete form, modern fly ashes met the non-hazardous waste requirements in the WAC for all components tested except chromium. For the granular test, there were instances where elevated chromium levels were observed. Similarly, the fly ash concretes failed to meet the non-hazardous limit for chromium. However, chromium from the cement may have contributed to this, since the PC reference also failed to meet this requirement. Based on the results, there is no effect of production technology on the leaching characteristics of fly ash or concrete and the materials do not appear to pose a significant environmental risk. The practical implications of the study have been considered and overall, it has been shown that modern fly ashes behave in much the same way as traditional materials, and therefore, if these materials meet the requirements of BS EN 450-1, and their properties are taken into account in the proportioning of concrete, they should give satisfactory performance.

This thesis concerns catalytic combustion for gas turbineapplication using a low heating-value (LHV) gas, derived fromgasified waste. The main research in catalytic combustionfocuses on methane as fuel, but an increasing interest isdirected towards catalytic combustion of LHV fuels. This thesisshows that it is possible to catalytically combust a LHV gasand to oxidize fuel-bound nitrogen (NH3) directly into N2without forming NOX. The first part of the thesis gives abackground to the system. It defines waste, shortly describesgasification and more thoroughly catalytic combustion. The second part of the present thesis, paper I, concerns thedevelopment and testing of potential catalysts for catalyticcombustion of LHV gases. The objective of this work was toinvestigate the possibility to use a stable metal oxide insteadof noble metals as ignition catalyst and at the same timereduce the formation of NOX. In paper II pilot-scale tests werecarried out to prove the potential of catalytic combustionusing real gasified waste and to compare with the resultsobtained in laboratory scale using a synthetic gas simulatinggasified waste. In paper III, selective catalytic oxidation fordecreasing the NOX formation from fuel-bound nitrogen wasexamined using two different approaches: fuel-lean andfuel-rich conditions. Finally, the last part of the thesis deals with deactivationof catalysts. The various deactivation processes which mayaffect high-temperature catalytic combustion are reviewed inpaper IV. In paper V the poisoning effect of low amounts ofsulfur was studied; various metal oxides as well as supportedpalladium and platinum catalysts were used as catalysts forcombustion of a synthetic gas. In conclusion, with the results obtained in this thesis itwould be possible to compose a working catalytic system for gasturbine application using a LHV gas. <b>Keywords:</b>Catalytic combustion; Gasified waste; LHVfuel; RDF; Biomass; Selective catalytic oxidation; NH3; NOX;Palladium; Platinum; Hexaaluminate; Garnet; Spinel;Deactivation; Sulfur; Poisoning

Increased knowledge into the physics and chemistrycontrolling emissions from flame-surface interactions shouldhelp in the design of combustion engines featuring improvedfuel economy and reduced emissions. The overall aim of this work has been to obtain afundamental understanding of wall-related, premixed combustionusing numerical modeling with detailed chemical kinetics. Thiswork has utilized CHEMKIN®, one of the leading softwarepackages for modeling combustion kinetics. The simple fuels hydrogen and methane as well as the morecomplex fuels propane and gasified biomass have been used inthe model. The main emphasis has been on lean combustion, andthe principal flow field studied is a laminar boundary layerflow in two-dimensional channels. The assumption has been madethat the wall effects may at least in principle be the same forlaminar and turbulent flames. Different flame geometries have been investigated, includingfor example autoignition flames (Papers I and II) and premixedflame fronts propagating toward a wall (Papers III and IV).Analysis of the results has shown that the wall effects arisingdue to the surface chemistry are strongly affected by changesin flame geometry. When a wall material promoting catalyticcombustion (Pt) is used, the homogeneous reactions in theboundary layer are inhibited (Papers I, II and IV). This isexplained by a process whereby water produced by catalyticcombustion increases the rate of the third-body recombinationreaction: H+O2+M ⇔ HO2+M. In addition, the water produced at higherpressures increases the rate of the 2CH3(+M) ⇔ C2H6(+M) reaction, giving rise to increased unburnedhydrocarbon emissions (Paper IV). The thermal coupling between the flame and the wall (theheat transfer and development of the boundary layers) issignificant in lean combustion. This leads to a sloweroxidation rate of the fuel than of the intermediatehydrocarbons (Paper III). Finally in Paper V, a well-known problem in the combustionof gasified biomass has been addressed, being the formation offuel-NOx due to the presence of NH3 in the biogas. A hybridcatalytic gas-turbine combustor has been designed, which cansignificantly reduce fuel-NOx formation. Keywords:wall effects, premixed flames, flamequenching, numerical modeling, CHEMKIN, boundarylayerapproximation, gasified biomass, fuel-NOx, hybrid catalytic combustor. / QC 20100504

<p>This thesis concerns catalytic combustion for gas turbineapplication using a low heating-value (LHV) gas, derived fromgasified waste. The main research in catalytic combustionfocuses on methane as fuel, but an increasing interest isdirected towards catalytic combustion of LHV fuels. This thesisshows that it is possible to catalytically combust a LHV gasand to oxidize fuel-bound nitrogen (NH3) directly into N2without forming NOX. The first part of the thesis gives abackground to the system. It defines waste, shortly describesgasification and more thoroughly catalytic combustion.</p><p>The second part of the present thesis, paper I, concerns thedevelopment and testing of potential catalysts for catalyticcombustion of LHV gases. The objective of this work was toinvestigate the possibility to use a stable metal oxide insteadof noble metals as ignition catalyst and at the same timereduce the formation of NOX. In paper II pilot-scale tests werecarried out to prove the potential of catalytic combustionusing real gasified waste and to compare with the resultsobtained in laboratory scale using a synthetic gas simulatinggasified waste. In paper III, selective catalytic oxidation fordecreasing the NOX formation from fuel-bound nitrogen wasexamined using two different approaches: fuel-lean andfuel-rich conditions.</p><p>Finally, the last part of the thesis deals with deactivationof catalysts. The various deactivation processes which mayaffect high-temperature catalytic combustion are reviewed inpaper IV. In paper V the poisoning effect of low amounts ofsulfur was studied; various metal oxides as well as supportedpalladium and platinum catalysts were used as catalysts forcombustion of a synthetic gas.</p><p>In conclusion, with the results obtained in this thesis itwould be possible to compose a working catalytic system for gasturbine application using a LHV gas.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>Catalytic combustion; Gasified waste; LHVfuel; RDF; Biomass; Selective catalytic oxidation; NH3; NOX;Palladium; Platinum; Hexaaluminate; Garnet; Spinel;Deactivation; Sulfur; Poisoning</p>

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 105 pages. / Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen has been implicated in the destruction of seagrass beds and in the decline of water quality of Tampa Bay, Florida. The objective of this research was to determine the tendency for air masses of different origins to wet-deposit nitrate and ammonium species to the bay. Precipitation chemistry data was obtained via the NADP AIRMoN Gandy Bridge monitoring site for the period of 1 August 1996 through 31 December 2000. Rainfall events were classified by using the NOAA HYSPLIT trajectory model, precipitation chemistry data, and tropical storm history data. Average nitrate and ammonium concentrations and nitrogen fluxes were calculated based upon the chosen categories. The average annual nitrogen flux for nitrate and ammonium were 2.1 kg/ha/yr and 1.4 kg/ha/yr, respectively. For trajectory-classified data, the lowest nitrate and ammonium nitrogen fluxes were observed with air masses from the west and south, over the Gulf of Mexico. / ABSTRACT: The highest ammonium nitrogen flux was seen from trajectories from the east, while local trajectories demonstrated the highest average nitrate nitrogen flux. For chemically-classified data, the highest nitrate and ammonium fluxes were associated with the local combustion classification. Rainfall from tropical weather systems deposited lower average nitrate nitrogen fluxes than non-tropical events, but ammonium nitrogen fluxes were the same between tropical and non-tropical precipitation. Even the events representing the cleanest air masses contributing precipitation to Tampa Bay had nitrate and ammonium concentrations more than two times the background concentrations associated with the northern hemisphere. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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Increasing atmospheric reactive nitrogen (Nr), as consequence of human activities, has generated accumulation of nitrate (NO3-) in Arctic regions. The Arctic has fragile nitrogen limited ecosystems that can be altered by increases of dry or wet deposition of Nr. Ice cores have shown increments of twofold in nitrogen deposition over Greenland and Svalbard during the 20th century. Ice core NO3- stable isotopes, (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-), have the potential to serve as proxy of nitrogen oxides (NOx) sources and atmospheric oxidation pathways. NO3- is difficult to interpret in ice since it has several sources and experiences post-depositional processes, e.g. photolysis, relocation, evaporation and diffusion. The present work shows the results of NO3- and NO3- stable isotopes analyses of ice cores, snow and precipitation from Svalbard, in order to obtain records of natural and anthropogenic sources of NO3-. In addition, meltwater percolation effects on the snowpack ion content were also studied. A comparison between NO3- records from different Svalbard ice cores and NOx and SOx emission profiles from different regions shows that the major source regions affecting Svalbard are Western Europe and North America, followed by Central Europe and former USSR. Post-1950s δ15N-NO3- measured at Lomonosovfonna is influenced mainly by fossil fuel combustion, soil emissions, and forest fires. There is an east-west gradient in snow NO3- stable isotopes during 2010/2011, with lower δ15N-NO3- and higher δ18O-NO3- values at eastern sites; the results evidence differences in the origin of air masses arriving at Svalbard sites, mainly Eurasia, to the eastern sites, and Northern Europe to the western sites. The effects of post-depositional change on the ice core chemistry were studied, finding that 45% of annual snowpack suffers melt at Lomonosovfonna during the last 60 years. Percolation lengths were estimated as ≈1 m for most of ions; therefore, it is expected that the atmospheric ionic signal is preserved at annual or bi-annual resolution within the last 60 years at the Lomonosovfonna summit. The results presented here suggest that NO3- stable isotopes from Svalbard ice cores are useful to describe different sources and source regions of NOx, contributing to the assessment of nitrogen enrichment for this region. / Halten av reaktivt kväve (Nr) har ökat i atmosfären som en följd av mänskliga aktiviteter och har lett till en anrikning av nitrat (NO3-) nedfallet i Arktis. Ekosystemen i de Arktiska områdena är mycket sköra och extremt anpassade till den låga tillgången på tillgängligt kväve, ett förhållande som drastiskt kan ändras genom en ökad våt och torr deposition av Nr. Studier av iskärnor från både Grönland och Svalbard har visat på en fördubbling av kvävenedfallet under de senaste hundra åren. Potentiellt så kan analyser av kvävets och syrets stabila isotoper (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-) i nitrat från iskärnor ge information om de kväveoxidkällor, oxidations- och transportvägar som påverkar nitrat halten i Arktis. Dock är nitrat sammansättningen i is svårtolkat eftersom det nitrat som återfinns i isen kan härstamma från flera olika källor och där även flera post-depositionsprocesser har beskrivits, t.ex. fotolys, evaporation, diffusion och omlokalisering som följd av snösmältning. Denna doktorsavhandling använder såväl nitrat halter som des stabila isotoper från iskärnor, snö- och nederbördsprover från Svalbard, för att fastställa de naturliga och antropogena källor av nitrat som influerar denna del av Arktis. I tillägg till detta så har även snösmältningsförsök gjorts för att undersöka hur nitratet påverkas av perkolationsprocesser. En jämförelse av nitratkompositionen mellan iskärnor och snöprofiler från olika delar av Svalbard visar att de huvudsakliga källregionerna för Nr till denna del av Arktis är Västeuropa och Nordamerika, följt av Centraleuropa och forna Sovjetunionen. För perioden 1950 och fram till i dag så påvisar δ15N-NO3- värden mätt från en Lomonosovfonna (centrala Svalbard) iskärna en stark influens från förbränning av fossila bränslen följt av utsläpp från åkermarker samt för de sista tio åren en influens av Ryska skogsbränder. Generellt så finns det även en öst-västlig gradient bland de stabila isotoperna av nitrat, med lägre δ15N-NO3- och högre δ18O-NO3- värden på Svalbards östsida i 2010/2011. Resultaten visar på en skillnad i ursprungskällan av luftmassor, där östra Svalbard påverkas mest av luft från Eurasien medan västra Svalbard påverkas med av Nordeuropa. När det gäller perkolationens effekt på jonkoncentrationen, så påvisar 60 års iskärnedata att 45% av den årliga vinterackumulationen smälts bort under sommaren på Lomonosovfonna. Detta medför en förflyttning av de flesta joner nedåt i snön, med en perkolationslängd på ca 1 m, och den ursprungliga nitrat sammansättningen förväntas därför bevaras på årlig eller vartannat års basis. Resultaten som presenteras här tyder på att iskärnedata, vad gäller nitrat och dess stabila isotoper, från Svalbard är representativa för att beskriva de olika källor och regioner som bidrar till kvävetillförseln i denna del av Arktis.