Digital Commons Network^™

Environmental And Socio-Economic Stress In The Mountain West, Ayda Atici, Caitlin J. Saladino, Fatma Nasoz, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet examines data on environmental and socio-economic risk metrics including which metrics pose the most risk for Nevada counties.The data are retrieved from “System for the Triage of Risks from Environmental and Socio-Economic Stressors” created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) joint program on the science and policy of global change.

Renewable Energy Legislation In Nevada: 2017 - 2021, Peter Grema, Zachary Walusek, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

The purpose of this fact sheet is to summarize legislative actions from the biennial 79th, 80th, and 81st Nevada Legislative Sessions (2017, 2019, and 2021) regarding solar energy production and state efforts to reach 50 percent energy production from renewable sources by 2030. By 2050, Nevada has a statutorily mandated obligation to be a net-zero carbon producer in fulfilling energy production needs from large scale utility services.

Applications Of Agent-Based Modeling (Abm) In Enhancing Facility Operation And Management, Ali Khodabandelu, Jee Woong Park

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Agent-based modeling (ABM), as a relatively new simulation technique, has recently gained in popularity in the civil engineering domain due to its uniquely advantageous features. Among many civil engineering applications, ABM has been applied to facility operation and management, such as energy consumption management, as well as the enhancement of maintenance and repair processes. The former studies used ABM to manage energy consumption through simulating human energy-related behaviors and their interactions with facilities, as well as electrical, heating, and cooling systems and appliances, while the latter used ABM to enhance maintenance process through facilitating coordination, negotiation, and decision making between …

Operating Solar Projects In Nevada, 2021, Kristian Thymianos, Saha Salahi, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) both provide national databases that contain comprehensive lists of active solar projects in the United States. This fact sheet provides a list of operating solar projects in the State of Nevada.

Sex, Energy, Well-Being And Low Testosterone: An Exploratory Survey Of U.S. Men’S Experiences On Prescription Testosterone, Alex A. Straftis, Peter B. Gray

Anthropology Faculty Research

Prescription testosterone sales in the United States have skyrocketed in the last two decades due to an aging population, direct-to-consumer advertising, and prescriber views of the benefits and risks to testosterone, among other factors. However, few studies have attempted to directly examine patient experiences on prescription testosterone therapy. The present exploratory study involved an online self-report survey of U.S. testosterone patients who were at least 21 years of age. The primary focus was on patient perspectives concerning motivations leading to the initiation of testosterone therapy and the perceived effects of treatment. Responses to open-ended questions drew upon a coding scheme …

Investigation Of Efficiency Loss Of Distributed Solar Power Due To Soiling And Efficiency Recovery By Rainfall, Amanda Mayumi Tanaka

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As the concern with global warming increases causing the need for CO2 reduction, renewable energy is of great interest as it has lower carbon footprint when compared to conventional sources (natural gas, coal, oil and nuclear). Solar energy has been drawing worldwide attention since it can transform sunlight directly into electricity with the use of photovoltaic (PV) cells. However, this technology has some drawbacks that need to be addressed including dust deposition on solar panels, also known as soiling. Soiling can decrease PV panel’s efficiency thereby resulting in less energy production. The soiling rates are very site specific and depend …

Applied Symmetry For Crystal Structure Prediction, Scott William Fredericks

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis presents an original open-source Python package called PyXtal (pronounced "pi-crystal") that generates random symmetric crystal structures for use in crystal structure prediction (CSP). The primary advantage of PyXtal over existing structure generation tools is its unique symmetrization method. For molecular structures, PyXtal uses an original algorithm to determine the compatibility of molecular point group symmetry with Wyckoff site symmetry. This allows the molecules in generated structures to occupy special Wyckoff positions without breaking the structure's symmetry. This is a new feature which increases the space of search-able structures and in turn improves CSP performance.

It is shown that …

Morphological And Energy Transport Optimization Of Spectrally-Selective Solar Absorber Coatings At Mesoscale, Dale Karas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A special class of cuprous-based inorganic oxide materials, synthesized as nanoparticles via hydrothermal and co-precipitation methods, are portable to spectrally-selective absorber coatings with high solar-thermal energy conversion efficiency. Operating reliably at elevated temperatures when used in tandem with solar concentrators, these materials enable cost-competitive solar energy conversion technology that can be incorporated with thermal energy storage systems, supporting the viability of novel renewable power generation; notably, optimizing absorptive performance while mitigating thermal losses through re-radiated waste heat motivates sustainable energy production particular to desert climates, where water conservation and ecological sensitivity needs are paramount.

This work targets the chemical synthesis …

Design Guidelines And Strategies For Thermal Solar Management Of Fenestration In The Desert Climate, David Mccredo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research evaluates the effects of varying thermal properties of windows in

residential energy use for the moderate altitude and 36'N latitude climate of southern

Nevada, which has a distinct cooling season. A selection of windows across different

shading conditions and total window areas were studied using BEopt energy simulation.

Findings demonstrate that for the specific climate, latitude, and altitude of Las Vegas,

Nevada, the most expensive “high performance” windows are not always the best

option in terms of total site energy use, and can be outperformed by properly shaded

less advanced windows. Under certain conditions, shading was found to …

Architectural Form, Orientation, And Energy For Residential Design In The Southern Nevada Region., Ludwing Vaca

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

With the population increase, the high demand of energy from the residential sector, as well as the harsh weather conditions of the Las Vegas region, there needs to be careful consideration in the design of new homes. Energy efficiency in a single family residential building can be augmented early in the design process by careful consideration of the building form and orientation. A systematic investigation and analysis was taken to study the effects of five building forms and different orientations along the cardinal points using the software BEopt version 2.4.0.1. To connect the study to real world circumstances, a residential …

A Case Study Of Zero Energy Home Built For Solar Decathlon Competition 2013, Sanjib Mulepati

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Energy consumption in residential homes has been a subject of research related to sustainability. Reduction in the consumption of energy is a goal of sustainable construction. The Department of Energy (DOE) started a Solar Decathlon competition in 2002 in which the students from different universities around the globe build an energy efficient and affordable home suitable for their climate and location. The main goal of this competition is to select the best home that is designed and built in a sustainable way. In this study, the home designed and constructed for participation in the competition by the students at University …

The Impact Of Advanced Wastewater Treatment Technologies And Wastewater Strength On The Energy Consumption Of Large Wastewater Treatment Plants, Timothy Stephen Newell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Wastewater treatment is an energy intensive process often requiring the use of advanced treatment technologies. Stricter effluent standards have resulted in an increase in the number of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with advanced treatment over time. Accordingly, associated energy consumption has also increased. Concerns about lowering operating costs for WWTPs and reducing associated greenhouse gas generation present an incentive to investigate energy use in WWTPs. This research investigated the impact of wastewater strength and the introduction of advanced treatment technologies, to replace traditional technologies on energy use to treat wastewater in WWTPs. Major unit processes were designed for a 100 …

Location Of Processor Allocator And Job Scheduler And Its Impact On Cmp Performance, Dawid Zydek, Grzegorz Chmaj, Alaa Shawky, Henry Selvaraj

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

High Performance Computing (HPC) architectures are being developed continually with an aim of achieving exascale capability by 2020. Processors that are being developed and used as nodes in HPC systems are Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs) with a number of cores. In this paper, we continue our effort towards a better processor allocation process. The Processor Allocator (PA) and Job Scheduler (JS) proposed and implemented in our previous works are explored in the context of its best location on the chip. We propose a system, where all locations on a chip can be analyzed, considering energy used by Network-on-Chip (NoC), PA and …

The Carbon Footprint Associated With Water Management Policy Options In The Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Eleeja Shrestha, Sajjad Ahmad, Walter Johnson, Jacimaria R. Batista

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

A system dynamics model was developed to estimate the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions associated with conveyance of water from the water source to the distribution laterals of the Las Vegas Valley. In addition, the impact of several water management policies, including water conservation, reuse, and population growth rate change was evaluated. The results show that, at present, nearly 0.53 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions per year are released due to energy use for water conveyance in distribution laterals of the Valley from Lake Mead, located 32.2 km (20 miles) southeast of the Las Vegas at an …

Algal Biofuel, Mar. 5, 2010, Harry Reid Center, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Biofuels

News in Brief

1. State Renewable Portfolio Standards, and Nevada 25% by 2025, (March 5, 2010).

2. Energy & Environmental Research Center, University of North Dakota conduct algal biofuel project

3. Renewable Energy Market Update by Element Markets

4. Can Western Renewable Portfolio Standards be Met? - Black & Veatch

Knowledge Of Personal Energy Requirements In College Students, Aurora Maria Buffington

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This study explored whether university students enrolled in health science classes were able to estimate their energy requirements within a range of calories equal to predicted Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) +/- two standard deviations. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and a participant survey were given to a convenience sample of 63 male and 92 female undergraduate students (19-23 years) with subsequent measurements of height, weight and body fat percentage. Results from the IPAQ yielded metabolic equivalents which were converted to physical activity coefficients for use in the EER equation. Students significantly underestimated their EER by an average of 700 …

Energy Savings On Single-Phase Induction Motors Under Light Load Conditions, Fatima Bouzidi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

It is estimated that electric motors consume approximately two-third of all the electric energy generated in the United States. It is also a known fact that induction motors found in residential and commercial applications are often oversized and operate well below their rated capacity. Because the efficiency of an electric motor is reduced at lighter load, numerous studies have been conducted in the past to reduce motor losses under such load conditions by either lowering the supply voltage (and in some cases, supply frequency) by means of static power converters. But some articles reported conflicting results in terms of energy …

Monitoring Of A Zero Energy House, Sandor Ferenc Rosta

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

A comparative study is conducted to measure the actual performance of a Zero Energy House design. Ideally, a zero energy house produces as much energy as it consumes in a year's time. Two identically-sized houses (1610 ft2), constructed side-by-side in southwest Las Vegas, Nevada, are equipped with a network of sensors that measure many aspects of energy usage in each home. One house serves as a baseline (standard comparison) house and was built using conventional construction techniques. The other house, the Zero Energy House, employs many energy saving features, solar power generation, and supplemental solar water heating. Both houses are …

Application Of Computational Fluid Dynamics For High Energy Efficiency Design With Human Comfort Of Cad-Vav And Ufad Systems, Bhanu Rekha Bandhakavi

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This thesis deals with the numerical simulation of the ceiling air distribution (CAD) system and the Under Floor Air Distribution (UFAD) system based on the dimensions of BTLab at UNLV. Ceiling Air Distribution (CAD) with variable air volume (VAV) and Under Floor Air Distribution (UFAD) systems have been widely used in different countries. CAD-VAV and UFAD systems designs have been influenced by increasing emphasis on indoor air quality (IAQ), energy conservation, environmental effects, safety, and economics. So, 3-D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis technique was applied to design high energy efficiency and human comfort CAD-VAV and UFAD systems. The goal …

Scheduling Of Real Time Embedded Systems For Resource And Energy Minimization By Voltage Scaling, Naveen Babu Anne

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

The aspects of real-time embedded computing are explored with the focus on novel real-time scheduling policies, which would be appropriate for low-power devices. To consider real-time deadlines with pre-emptive scheduling policies will require the investigation of intelligent scheduling heuristics. These aspects for various other RTES models like Multiple processor system, Dynamic Voltage Scaling and Dynamic scheduling are the focus of this thesis. Deadline based scheduling of task graphs representative of real time systems is performed on a multiprocessor system; A set of aperiodic, dependent tasks in the form of a task graph are taken as the input and all the …

Evaluation Of Building Energy Simulation Software Using Residential Homes, Robert Michael Madeja

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Energy simulation software has been widely used by engineers and architects to predict the energy consumption of buildings during the design phase of new construction or remodel. Many of these programs are derived from cooling methodologies developed by ASHRAE. For this study, a widely used software package, Trace 700 was used to see how accurate it can be in predicting the energy consumption of the HVAC (Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning) system of two residential homes. One home is classified as a Zero Energy Home (ZEH) because it employs advanced construction features which allow it to consume significantly less energy …

Energy-Absorbing Sandwich Structures Under Blast Loading, Dong Kwan Lee

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

An experimental study at the Army Research Laboratories shows that flat panels with foam or honeycomb faceplates transferred more energy to a structure under blast loading relative to a structure without an energy absorbing faceplate. The objective of this work is to simulate non-uniform response of sandwich panels subject to blast loaDing This involves an investigation into the optimum design of a square-celled sandwich structure for energy absorption. Variables under investigation are the core and face sheet thicknesses of the sandwich structure. Results of a design of experiments study are attained, which evaluate the relative contribution of panel variables to …

Finite Element Modeling Of Energy-Absorbing Materials In Blast-Loaded Structures, Michael Jason Mullin

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Energy absorbing materials such as foam or honeycomb are of interest in blast protection because of their ability to absorb energy through plastic deformation. They absorb a considerable amount of energy relative to their low density, and are investigated to determine if their energy absorbing abilities can be used to mitigate blast damage. Ballistic pendulum experiments show that energy absorbing materials increase the energy transferred from a blast. This behavior was contrary to expected results so computational models were created in LS-DYNA to understand the phenomenon that causes an increase in transferred energy. Many models using ConWep and Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) …

Zero Energy House For The Southern Nevada Area, Elena Nikolaevna Wilkinson

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the country's most rapidly growing cities. With the high cooling loads required in this environment, the summer demand peaks for electricity are particularly severe. The main emphasis of this research was placed on the energy conservation methods for a planned zero energy residential home in the Southern Nevada area with the cost outcome being a secondary issue. The model selected for this study is reflective of the local construction practices, a single-family one story, 1610 ft2 residential house with north facing facade and an attached two-car garage. The computer simulation package Energy 10 version …

Evaluation Of Building Energy Conservation Options, Arpakorn Kumpanon

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Evaluation of building energy conservation options in Las Vegas residential buildings merits attention of architects and engineers due to the extremely large amount of home construction taking place around the valley and the anticipated continuation of this activity. With this in mind, the purpose of this work is to determine the possible optimum cost effectiveness of various energy conservation options for new buildings in the local climate areas using Energy-10. Three types of savings have been evaluated: energy savings, operating cost savings, and LCC savings. To carry out this study, a parametric analysis of LCC savings has been evaluated relative …

Energy-Efficient Design Trends And Performance For Passive Solar Commercial Buildings, Gary Byron Eddington

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

This is a study of passive and climate responsive architecture applied to commercial buildings. Commercial buildings-ncluding offices, educational facilities, civic and governmental buildings, health care and retail businesses-lay an important role in the US energy use picture. In an attempt to be more environmentally sensitive and to preserve our natural resourses the US government and the private sector have long been involved in an effort to reduce energy consumption and our dependency on non-renewable energy in new buildings through energy conservation and innovative passive solar strategies as an alternative to the energy wasting buildings that exist all around us. This …

Energy Flow In Nonlinear Circuits, Jianzhong Jiang

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Apparent power and reactive power are two critical quantities in energy flow studies in electrical power systems. Existing definitions for these terms work well when both voltages and currents are sinusoidal with respect to time. However, both apparent and reactive power have no physical meaning. When these physically unclarified quantities are applied to non-sinusoidal systems, the following questions related to power flow remain not fully answered to date. What do these quantities really mean? Is it fair to bill customers based on the measurement of physically not meaningful quantities? What is the efficient way, both economical and technical, to compensate …

Measurement Of Thermal Energy Charge Transfer Rate Of Multiply Charged Molybdenum (Molybdenum(6+)) And Argon, Ying Jiang

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

We have made the first measurement of the thermal energy charge transfer rate of Mo{dollar}\sp{6+}{dollar} and neutral argon. This measurement was carried out using a technique that combines the production of ions by laser ablation and an ion trap. The multiply charged ions produced by laser ablation are cooled by crossed beams collision. These ions are stored in a radio-frequency ion trap. The charge transfer rate is determined by measuring the rate of loss of stored ions in the trap. The charge transfer rate coefficient, k, of Mo{dollar}\sp{6+}{dollar} and Ar is 1.02(.10) {dollar}\times{dollar} 10{dollar}\sp{-10}{dollar}cm{dollar}\sp3{dollar}s{dollar}\sp{-1}{dollar}. The estimated uncertainty is {dollar}\pm{dollar}10% and …