Digital Commons Network^™

Case Study: Diesel Powered Loaders Compared To Electric Loaders In Heavy Civil Construction, Jayson Downs

Construction Management

As the construction sector evolves, the environmental consequences of greenhouse gasses have become a significant issue. Numerous contractors are transitioning to electric-powered systems, which offer more energy-efficient methods for heavy machinery, enhanced productivity, and construction equipment that meets new and improved emission standards. This paper aims to examine the viability of heavy civil construction firms transitioning from traditional diesel-powered wheel loaders to electric wheel loaders. Given the competitive and saturated market in road construction, many contractors have already started investing in electric systems. This results in cost savings in terms of fuel efficiency and operating expenses compared to conventionally fueled …

Existing Methods For Monitoring Power Autotransformers, Nurali Berdiyorovich Pyrmatov, Dilafruz Rustamjon Qizi Abdullabekova

Technical science and innovation

autotransformers, methods, diagnostics, efficiency, monitoring.Particular attention is given to analyzing the gas composition of transformer oil, which is a sensitive indicator of various defects such as thermal breakdown and heating. In addition, methods based on the measurement of external magnetic field strength are discussed. This technique provides a unique opportunity to detect magnetic anomalies associated with possible defects in the structural components of the transformer. The article emphasizes that successful monitoring requires an integrated approach, combining different techniques. The authors analyze the advantages and limitations of each method and offer practical recommendations for integrating these methods into maintenance systems. In …

Performance Evaluation Of E-Ticketing Technologies On Asphalt Paving Projects In New Mexico, Gena C. Robertson

Civil Engineering ETDs

The collection and processing of paper tickets for construction material delivery is an inefficient and antiquated practice that exposes inspectors on highway paving projects to substantial safety risks. An alternative to the collection of paper tickets is e-Ticketing, which uses web-based systems to deliver similar information. This research documented a current paper ticketing process and compared it to an e-Ticketing process that was implemented on several pilot projects. Data were obtained using stakeholder meetings, personnel interviews, and surveys. When compared to a paper ticketing system, e-Ticketing was shown to have fewer opportunities for error, require fewer decision points, and provide …

Conceptual Framework To Integrate Economic Drivers Of Decision Making For Technology Adoption In Agriculture, Thiago L. Romanelli, Francisco Muñoz-Arriola, Andre F. Colaço

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

This study evaluates how much technology adoption could cost in a variety of crop-production scenarios. Cost-reduction simulations consider scenarios of higher input use efficiency such as reducing the usage of diesel, labor, irrigation, fertilizer, herbicide, and seed, among others. The scenarios aim to increase yields by integrating the effect of each input-reduction on the total operating costs. Agricultural production estimates for Nebraska in the US indicates that a technology that saves 1% of diesel is cost-effective, costing between USD 0.15/ha and USD 0.32/ha (for corn). Improvements on input use efficiency should be prioritized to incentivize technology development and adoption. This …

Mathematical Model Of The Efficiency Of Investments Aimed In The Implementation Of Water-Saving Technologies

Irrigation and Melioration

In Uzbekistan, research work is being carried out aimed at improving the economic mechanisms for the introduction of water-saving technologies for irrigating agricultural crops. At the same time, the issues related to the analysis of the effectiveness of the use of water-saving technologies when irrigating cotton, the development of mathematical methods for assessing the effectiveness of investments, as well as their introduction into practice have not been sufficiently studied. This article provides a mathematical model of the efficiency of investments aimed at introducing water-saving technologies. The results of a numerical experiment of a mathematical model show that the introduction of …

The Benefits Of Utilizing Qr Codes On Construction Jobsites To Conduct Punch, Jack Richard Stryker

Construction Management

The punch process of construction is an important task that a construction project team is faced with before a project reaches final completion. A punch list documents and tracks items that need to be corrected, repaired, or are incomplete. If not closely managed, open punch items can drag out the completion of a project, and is often seen as a tedious task for project engineers. The industry has not seen much change as to how this process is conducted until recent advancements in construction software. This paper will take a deeper look into the benefits seen from utilizing Procore’s location-based …

Improving Logistics Efficiency Through Collaborative Truck Routing, Patrick Dougherty

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The logistics industry is among the world’s largest and most essential. Specifically, trucking is a massive component of the modern logistics system. In 2012, truck transportation carried 68% of all freight tonnage in the U.S. However, trucking currently faces significant problems with efficiency and sustainability. Of all miles driven by trucks yearly in the U.S., 25% are driven with empty loads and 36% are driven with underutilized loads. In addition to this economic inefficiency, the industry faces social and environmental challenges. Driver turnover rates are near 100%, and trucking accounts for a significant level of greenhouse gas emissions. One potential …

Empirical Assessment Of Climate Change Impacts On Agriculture In Samarkand Region, Sh.B. Babakholov

Irrigation and Melioration

Agricultural production is highly sensitive to climate factors like other endogenous factors, and the expected climate change projections may have a negative impact on the efficiency and income of agricultural producers. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the impact of changes in climatic factors (average air temperature and precipitation) on the technical efficiency of cotton growing farmers as its determinants in Samarkand region. Empirical analyzes were performed on the cases of 1141 cotton-growing farms using panel-based Time-Invariant Inefficiency model. According to the results of the analysis, cotton farms in the region have an average technical efficiency of 76%, which in …

Log Truck Value Analysis From Increased Rail Usage, Sangpil Ko, Pasi Lautala, Kuilin Zhang

Michigan Tech Publications

Over the past several decades, the transportation of raw materials (logs) has increasingly shifted from the railway to trucks. However, the long-term sustainability of this shift is being questioned due to the shortage of truck drivers, fluctuation of fuel prices, and changes in hours of service laws. The industry is interested in the possibility to shift more logs back to the railway but the impact of such a shift on truckers has not been investigated. This study attempted to quantify the impact of such a change on the operations of log truckers by calculating time efficiency (percentage of daily hours …

Development Of Production Technology Of Foreign Resource-Saving Induction Motors, S.N. Kayumov

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

In the paper of work on the topic "Of Ethnology construction and work of asynchronous engines", in the laboratory class, the control task, conclusions and annexes. In accordance with the curriculum in the discipline "Electric and basis electronics", the fundamentals of the theory of asynchronous squirrel-cage rotors are developed ethnologic. A training module is developed, and a method for performing laboratory work, innovations and foreign experience, in the same place, a brief description of the curriculum of the program, in the laboratory class, the control task, conclusions and annexes.

Process Of Adopting And Implementing Bim Technology: A Case Study, Andy J. Stone

Construction Management

On any relatively large construction project, coordination between stakeholders, project managers, superintendents, subcontractors or any other entity becomes vitally important to the project’s success. Building Information Modeling (BIM) creates a virtual design model of a building, which helps construction managers increase efficiency in terms of cost, schedule and overall quality. By connecting 3-D models to coordination and clash detection software’s, construction managers can solve issues quicker or prevent them from happening in the first place. This case study aims to analyze the implementation and use of BIM technology by Shawmut Design and Construction. This study will also focus on the …

Analysis Of The Effects Of Adaptive Ramp Metering On Measures Of Efficiency With A Proposed Framework For Safety Evaluation, Jacky Loh

Master's Theses

Adaptive ramp metering (ARM) is a widely popular intelligent transportation system (ITS) tool that boasts the ability to reduce congestion and streamline traffic flow during peak hour periods while maintaining a lower implementation cost than traditional methods such as freeway widening. This thesis explores the effectiveness of ARM implementation on an 18 mile segment of the Interstate 80 (I-80) corridor in the Bay Area residing in northern California. Smaller segments of this particular segment were analyzed to determine the effective length of ARM on efficiency at various lengths originating from a known bottleneck location. Efficiency values were also compared against …

Study Of Zno Nanospheres Fabricated Via Thermal Evaporation For Solar Cell Application, Fatin Farisha Alia Azmi, Bouchta Sahraoui, Saifful Kamaluddin Muzakir

Makara Journal of Technology

A solar cell is a device that absorbs light energy to generate electrical energy. A typical example of a solar cell is the quantum dot solar cell (QDSC), which consists of three main components: (i) fluorophore: the component that absorbs light and generates excited state electrons and holes, (ii) photoelectrode: the component that transports the excited state electron and prevents recombination of excited state electrons and holes, and (iii) electrolyte: the component that re-plenishes the vacancy left by the excited electron in the hole. Despite the increasing number of research in the QDSC field, to date, a device with significant …

Grain Yield, Crop And Basal Evapotranspiration, Production Functions And Water Productivity Response Of Drought-Tolerant And Non-Drought-Tolerant Maize Hybrids Under Different Irrigation Levels, Population Densities And Environments: Part Ii. In South-Central And Northeast Nebraska's Transition Zone And Sub-Humid Environments, Suat Irmak, Ali T. Mohammed, William Kranz

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Information and data on newer drought-tolerant maize hybrid response to water in different climates are extremely scarce. This research quantified the performance of non-drought-tolerant (NDT) (H1) and drought-tolerant (DT) (H2, H3, and H4) maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids response to grain yield, crop evapotranspiration (ETc), basal evapotranspiration (ETb), ETc-yield production functions (ETYPF), and crop water use efficiency (CWUE) at three irrigation levels and two plant population densities (PPDs) at two locations (transition zone between sub-humid and semiarid climates at Clay Center (SCAL), Nebraska, in 2010 and 2012; and in a sub-humid climate at Concord (HAL), Nebraska, in 2010, 2011, and …

A Comparative Analysis Of Regional Productivity Trends, Michael P. Foley

Construction Management

Throughout recent decades, the construction industry has suffered considerably from its inability to accurately target and measure key aspects of worker output that hinder productivity most. Much research has been conducted to analyze the factors contributing to labor productivity output at the work face, however, this dissertation is primarily focused on discovering key components of the building process that seem to hinder productivity from the perspective of the general contracting team. This paper’s literature review looks to address historical data relating to productivity difficulties specific to the construction industry, laborers’ productivity dilemma at the work face, and the resulting impact …

A Comparative Analysis Of Regional Productivity Trends, Michael P. Foley

Construction Management

Throughout recent decades, the construction industry has suffered considerably from its inability to accurately target and measure key aspects of worker output that hinder productivity most. Much research has been conducted to analyze the factors contributing to labor productivity output at the work face, however, this dissertation is primarily focused on discovering key components of the building process that seem to hinder productivity from the perspective of the general contracting team. This paper’s literature review looks to address historical data relating to productivity difficulties specific to the construction industry, laborers’ productivity dilemma at the work face, and the resulting impact …

Evaluating The Practices Of A Small Business: A Case Study, Madeleine Anne Bernadicou

Construction Management

Companies are in constant search to increase profits. The company success is dependent on its standard operational procedures, otherwise known as SOP. Golden State Irrigation and Noack Pump is a non-union merit shop contractor that performs irrigation work in the California’s central valley. This paper researches the utilized methods of the company to see if it is operating at an optimal level. The methodology used in this project is a case study, where multiple jobs, income statements, and cash flows were analyzed, along with conducted interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in the investigation of this case study. …

Remodeling Office For Growing Grounds, Kyle R. Fawley

Construction Management

This project was my first real re-condition project for a portion of an office space for Growing Grounds Farm here in San Luis Obispo. The purpose of this essay is to look back onto my experience and see how much I struggled and learned, and how I can benefit from it in the future. Throughout my project, I made sure there was constant communication between myself and Craig Wilson, program manager for Growing Grounds Farm, with clarifications and several updates. I made sure to fit and complete the project within my tight schedule and adjust it throughout the process. Throughout …

Automatic Power Management For Instructional Computers At Humboldt State University: A Calculation Of Potential Energy Savings And Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions, Nicholas F. Flenghi

Projects

Computers consume an estimated 5,610 GWh per year in California alone. Much of that energy is consumed by computers that are not being used. In this project, detailed user login data are used to estimate the energy consumption of instructional computers at Humboldt State University (HSU) over the course of one semester. The data are also used to estimate the potential energy savings from automating the shutdown process. Potential cost savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions resulting from implementing an automatic-shutdown power management plan are also calculated.

There are approximately 1,000 computers used for teaching and learning purposes at …

Factors That Impact The Co2 Mitigation Potential Of Cogeneration, Carl Bozzuto

CO2 Summit II: Technologies and Opportunities

Cogeneration systems that produce both heat and power are being promoted as a means of improving the overall energy efficiency around the world, especially in the industrial and power sectors. Claims are often made regarding dramatic improvements in efficiency for such systems. For example, a cogeneration system is advertised as being 85% efficient, while, for example, the U.S. grid is only 31% efficient. However, comparing such efficiency figures directly can be misleading. An 85% efficient cogeneration system is being evaluated at full load and on a first law of thermodynamics basis (i.e., input = output at steady state). The average …

Photovoltaics: An Investigation Into The Origins Of Efficiency On All Scales, Jeremy Alexander Bannister

Senior Projects Spring 2016

This project is comprised of a set of parallel investigations, which share the common mo- tivation of increasing the efficiency of photovoltaics. First, the reader is introduced to core concepts of photovoltaic energy conversion via a semi-classical description of the phys- ical system. Second, a key player in photovoltaic efficiency calculations, the exciton, is discussed in greater quantum mechanical detail. The reader will be taken through a nu- merical derivation of the low-energy exciton states in various geometries, including a line segment, a circle and a sphere. These numerical calculations are done using Mathematica, a computer program which, due to …

Slides: Food Production: Technical Challenges In Agricultural Water Conservation, Perry Cabot

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Dr. Perry Cabot, Research Scientist and Extension Specialist, Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University

35 slides

Drip Hydraulics Program, Garret Blocher

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project report lays out the production of drip hydraulics software composed in Microsoft Excel and backed by coding in Visual Basic for Applications. The program performs 2 main functions useful in the design of irrigation systems. The first is based on performing single hose computations under three different circumstances. It can solve for the average emitter flow rate given the hose inlet pressure, the inlet pressure given the average emitter flow rate, and can model hose pressures and flow rates while flushing. The second function is to place a manifold in the hydraulically optimum location on a slope. …

Labyrinth Weirs: A Look Into Geometric Variation And Its Effect On Efficiency And Design Method Predictions, Tyler Robert Seamons

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rehabilitation of dams often requires spillway capacity upgrades. Replacing a less hydraulically efficient linear weir with a labyrinth weir can be an effective way to increase discharge efficiency (discharge at a given upstream head) for a fixed-width channel. Labyrinth weirs are linear weirs folded in plan view to increase total spillway crest length (which in turn increases discharge efficiency within a channel). Labyrinth weirs potentially have limitless geometric configurations. This study was performed to analyze the effects of varying certain geometric parameters on discharge efficiency and design method predictions.

Due to limited cross-sectional flow area near the upstream apex, …

Improving Efficiency Of Indot Traffic Data Collection Using Gps Devices, Shuo Li, Karen Zhu, Boudewijn H. W. Van Gelder, John Nagle, Carl Tuttle

John Copeland Nagle

INDOT has utilized many new technologies to reduce travel delay, mitigate traffic congestion, and enhance public and employees’ safety. Many projects are underway, including re-timing of most existing traffic signals and pavement maintenance and rehabilitation. To evaluate signal system performance, prioritize alternatives of improvement, conduct before and after studies and investigate work zone safety, it requires a large amount of traffic data such as travel time, speed and delay. Issues, such as safety, efficiency and cost, may arise associated with the current methods. For the current manual or automatic data collection, it usually requires two operators, a driver and a …

Determining The Air Gap Length Of An Axial Flux Wound Rotor Synchronous Generator, Abdul Multi, Iwa Garniwa, Uno Bintang Sudibyo

Makara Journal of Technology

The air gap length of the designed axial flux wound rotor (AFWR) synchronous generator is determined properly according to the design parameters. One of the distinct advantages of an axial flux (AF) machine is its adjustable air gap. An AF generator’s performance might be controlled by adjusting its air gap. The designed generator has a smallscale capacity that has 1 kW, 380 V, and 50 Hz. The windings are laid into slots made from laminated core. The slots are carved in the face of the stator and rotors. The generator has a single-double-sided slotted wound stator sandwiched between twin rotors. …

An Energy Survey Of The Church Lane Building At Dit, Joseph Teehan

Other resources

Within the European Union, the collective governments have introduced broad energy policies in order to increase energy efficiency and improve energy performance in new and existing buildings, within each member state. The following dissertation considers energy and how energy is used within the context of global and local consumption in an extensive literature review. Where does the future lie for Ireland and its energy sources? Policies, standards and regulations associated with energy efficiency and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) are defined and briefly explained. The status of how well the response from the commercial building market to Building …

Slides: Natural Gas: Game Changer Or Runner Left On Base? Working To Get It Right In Co!, Gary Graham

Drawing the Blueprint for a Sustainable Natural Gas Future (January 18)

Presenter: Dr. Gary Graham, Director, Lands Program, Western Resource Advocates

21 slides

Improving The Energy Efficiency Of Fero House Home Of Alpha Delta Phi, Matt S. Stankiewicz

Honors Theses

As our country continues to grow and prosper we are faced with a growing number of environmental issues. While many of these issues were ignored in the pursuit of economic growth, we are now facing the harsh realities of our unmitigated expansion. The continual mining and use of fossil fuels has scarred our landscapes, polluted our air, and contaminated our waterways. Our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are higher than ever and contributing heavily to global warming. With the United States’ population constantly on the rise and projected to hit 350 million in little over a decade1, it appears that our …

The Impacts Of Road Capacity Removal, Jason E. Billings

Master's Theses

The road infrastructure of North America is aging, and many governments are faced with a critical decision: do we repair or remove freeways from our urban centers? Freeway repair is exceptionally expensive, but removing a freeway is widely seen as a risky venture which may result in negative traffic effects. Therefore, it is necessary to gain a clearer understanding of how removing road capacity effects traffic distribution. Three freeway segments were ultimately selected for case study analysis: two in San Francisco and one in Milwaukee. This analysis consisted of identifying changes in the traffic volumes and volume-capacity (V/C) ratios in …