Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Climatological-Hydrodynamic Modeling And Paleohurricane Records To Assess Storm Surge Risk, Amirhosein Begmohammadi, Christine Y. Blackshaw, Ning Lin, Avantika Gori, Elizabeth Wallace, Kerry Emanuel, Jeffrey P. Donnelly

OES Faculty Publications

Sediment cores from blue holes have emerged as a promising tool for extending the record of long-term tropical cyclone (TC) activity. However, interpreting this archive is challenging because storm surge depends on many parameters including TC intensity, track, and size. In this study, we use climatological-hydrodynamic modeling to interpret paleohurricane sediment records between 1851 and 2016 and assess the storm surge risk for Long Island in The Bahamas. As the historical TC data from 1988 to 2016 is too limited to estimate the surge risk for this area, we use historical event attribution in paleorecords paired with synthetic storm modeling …

Accounting Firms’ Concerns With The Sec's Proposal To Report Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Julia Ellerbruch

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Cap-And-Trade And Air Quality: Which Communities Benefit The Most?, Nicole Bobbs

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Air Quality significantly impacts public health, particularly for individuals with respiratory issues. Cap-and-trade (CAT) programs aim to mitigate emissions, focusing on greenhouse gases to improve air quality. This paper evaluated the long-run effectiveness of CAT programs, comparing multi-sector and single-sector initiatives, and their impact on air quality across counties with varying economic statuses. Using a difference-in-difference approach, comprehensive data spanning recent years up to 2023 is analyzed. The dataset includes air quality measures, population, personal income, average temperature, precipitation, and vehicle registrations enabling a thorough examination of the programs’ effects. Results reveal a complex relationship. Both programs’ initiatives create a …

Renovating The Ipmu Via Internet Of Things For Pollutant Emission Estimations In Poultry Facilities, Joshua Dotto

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

The emissions of ammonia (NH₃), particulate matter (PM_2.5), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) are major concerns in poultry facilities. They can pose environmental concerns and nuances. Robust and affordable measurement systems are needed to accurately measure in-barn concentrations and quantify the emissions.

The Intelligent Portable Monitoring Unit (iPMU or PMU3) developed in 2016 was reconstructed into PMU4 to include upgraded NH₃ and PM_2.5 sensors and wireless connectivity for a low-cost, robust, and accurate air quality monitoring device with contactless data transfer using the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, a user-friendly …

Tracking Emissions In Power Systems, Kenji Santacruz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Greenhouse gas emissions have been increasing in concentration in the atmosphere, which poses risks to the environment. Since 2011, the 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶2 emissions reached an average of 410 parts per million (ppm). The burning of fossil fuels for energy production was identified as the primary source of these emissions, making up 25% of global emissions by sector in 2010. To promote sustainable practices, there is an increasing need to accurately track greenhouse gas emissions in power systems. To accomplish this, an emission tracking method that can provide emission information for each load point in real-time is needed. In addition, certain indices …

Effect Of Cuo Nanoparticles On Performance And Emissions Behaviors Of Ci Engine Fueled With Biodiesel-Diesel Fuel Blends, Medhat Elkelawy, Elshenawy Abd Elhamid, Hagar Alm Eldin Mohamad, Ibham Abd-Elhay Elshennawy

Journal of Engineering Research

Recently the world has a very important need for replacement fossil fuel with renewable sources of energy. Greenhouse effect is considered one of bad effects of fossil fuels. In this study diesel fuel will be replaced with blends of diesel and biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil(WCO) is created using a catalytic transesterification reaction (CTR). With the addition of a low concentration of alcohol over the period of an hour at a reaction temperature of 65 °C, (CTR) converts (WCO) to methyl esters. Blends consisting of (40 % diesel, 60 % biodiesel and CuO nano- martial with different concentration) will …

Experimental Investigation On The Effect Of Using Oxy-‎Hydrogen Gas On Spark Ignition Engines ‎Performances, And Emissions Characteristic, , Osama Hendawi

Journal of Engineering Research

The target of this work was to study the effect of adding HHO to gasoline fuel on engine performance and emissions. HHO gas production per input power was achieved by designing, manufacturing, and optimizing the HHO cell. The optimized parameters were the amount of HOH added to the Gasoline as the experimental Study is done by measuring the thermal efficiency and exhaust emission effect in many cases. First case Neat Gasoline and the remaining cases after adding HOH in different percentages of 5, 10, and 15 L/ min and then repeating the experimental tests with three different commercial Octane Boosters. …

The Carbon Footprint Of Tourist Transportation In Gettysburg National Military Park, Charlie T. Cross, Justin P. Sawina

Student Publications

National Parks have a contradictory mandate to preserve the environment while providing resources for recreation. We studied the emissions of Gettysburg National Military Park (GNMP), specifically: What are the annual and per capita emissions caused by the various forms of transportation within the park? How does the annual and per capita emissions of GNMP compare with other national parks? To study this we compiled visitor statistics from the National Parks Service of vehicle and visitor count. We then observed 165 vehicles at Pickett’s Charge to find a breakdown of tourist vehicle types. These proportions were then used to find the …

Recovering Lost Exposure From The Majorana Demonstrator And Testing Data Selection Assumptions, Thomas Lannen

Theses and Dissertations

The Majorana Demonstrator recently concluded its search for neutrinoless double beta decay using an array of up to 40.4kg of germanium detectors, 27kg of which were enriched in ⁷⁶Ge and housed inside a copper and lead compact shield located at the 4850 foot level in a clean room in the Davis Campus of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota. This search proceeded from June 26, 2015 until March 3, 2021 and 64.5 kg yr of enriched active exposure was acquired while achieving a world leading energy resolution of 0.12% FWHM at 2039 keV, one of …

Acoustic-Emission Monitoring Of Lap Joint Fatigue Cracks, Siddharth Kannan

Theses and Dissertations

Structural integrity is a pivotal consideration in the field of engineering applications, and understanding the behavior of materials and joints under various loading conditions is critical. This thesis presents a novel approach to detect and analyze fatigue induced cracks in various test specimens using Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors. This approach is widely used in Structural Health Monitoring applications involving acoustic emissions that can be captured using PWAS which in turn gives the surface response to applied stresses. The ultimate goal of the research is to identify the length of a fatigue crack originating from lap joints and to develop a …

Managing Fires And Ecosystems Indigenous Fire Ecologies Session_Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Wildland Fires Workshop, Cynthia Twyford Fowler

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Enhanced Uv Light-Emission Of Zinc-Phosphate-Hydrate Hydrothermally-Grown On Cu Metal Substrates For Opto-Electronic Applications, Yuting Spiegelhoff, Filip Zemajtis, Elaheh Kheirandish, Oliver Grauby, Daniel Ferry, Roland J.-M. Pellenq, Konstantin Sobolev, Nikolai Kouklin

Electrical Engineering Faculty Articles

In the present study, polycrystalline films of layered zinc phosphate hydrate are produced by a facile, low-temperature single-step hydrothermal fabrication method on top of Cu metal substrates. Despite containing structural water, the as-grown films remain crystalline, chemically stable, and electrically conductive. The photoluminescence spectrum obtained at room-temperature reveals the presence of a spectrally narrow, high-intensity ultraviolet band that consists of two Gaussian peaks at ≈377 and 383 nm and a UV-to-visible peak emission intensity ratio of ≈5.3. The electrical charge-transport properties remain Ohmic for electric fields of up to ≈2 kV m−1 and temperature (T) range of ≈223–368 K. The …

Design And Simulation Of A Utility Oilfield Flare In Iraq/Kurdistan Region Using Cfd And Api-521 Methodology, Ahmed A. Maaroof, Joseph D. Smith, Mohammed H.S. Zangana

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper aims at reviewing and analyzing the operation and design of a utility flare in an oilfield in the Iraq/Kurdistan region. The flare supports a gas separation unit that separates 100 MMSCFD of natural gas from other liquid compounds in petroleum refining. The actual flare dimensions are 50 m high and 0.6 m diameter and works in summer where the crosswind speed is 9 m/s and a flow of 1.2 MMSCFD of treated natural gas is flaring through it. At the beginning, the flare design was performed using the API-521 recommended approach based on full operating capacity of the …

What’S Scope 3 Good For?, Madison Condon

Faculty Scholarship

Opposition to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) new rule on updated climate risk reporting has focused on one category of disclosures as particularly objectionable: Scope 3 emissions.⁷ Otherwise known as “supply chain emissions,” Scope 3 emissions have been voluntarily reported by a growing number of companies since the term was invented as part of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol in 2001.⁸ They include all the emissions both up and downstream of a corporations’ own activities: the emissions of the privately-owned factory that produced the shoes Target sells, as well as the emissions you burn while driving to the …

Transferred Emissions Are Still Emissions: Why Fossil Fuel Asset Sales Need Enhanced Transparency And Carbon Accounting, Jack Arnold, Martin Lockman, Perrine Toledano, Martin Dietrich Brauch, Shraman Sen, Michael Burger

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

In a widely reported trend, the “Oil Supermajors” — BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies — are selling off many upstream fossil fuel assets.

Selling these assets to entities that will continue producing and selling the fossil fuel resources does not necessarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the supermajors have used these asset sales to support claims that they are making progress toward reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Emissions reporting frameworks allow companies to conflate the apparent emissions reductions from asset sales with direct reductions from efficiency improvements and asset retirements. In doing so, they hinder the ability …

The Impact Of A Carbon Tax On Emissions, Jessica Creech

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

A carbon tax is an economic policy that aims to reduce various emissions to serve the protection of the environment. Versions of this policy have been implemented in multiple countries across the world to introduce a cost for contributing to environmental damage. Since climate change is prevalent in today’s world, finding an effective method to reduce emissions is essential. However, many countries hesitate to utilize a carbon tax for two reasons. First, they are unsure if the carbon tax is effective at reducing emissions. Second, there is a concern that the implementation of such a tax will be detrimental to …

Development And Evaluation Of Machine Learning Models For Fugitive Methane Detection And Intensity Prediction, Jacquan Pollard

All Theses

The environmental impacts of global warming driven by fugitive methane (CH4) emissions have catalyzed significant research initiatives in developing novel technologies that enable proactive and rapid detection of CH4 emissions. This study evaluated the performance of data-driven machine learning (ML) models using support vector machines (SVM) to detect the presence of trace CH4 emissions and the corresponding intensity amongst various meteorological conditions. The author used simulation data comprising various meteorological parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, water vapor, pressure, precipitation rate, and a parameter possessing trace concentrations of CH4 emissions. The novelty of the SVM models developed in …

Inorganic Carbon Outwelling From A Mediterranean Seagrass Meadow Using Radium Isotopes, Claudia Majtényi-Hill, Gloria Reithmaier, Yvonne Y. Y. Yau, Oscar Serrano, Nerea Piñeiro-Juncal, Isaac R. Santos

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows are ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems widely recognised for their potential role in climate change mitigation. Previous studies have focused mainly on carbon storage within meadows and sediments. However, little is known about contribution of outwelling (i.e., lateral transport) to seagrass carbon budgets. Here, radium isotopes (²²³Ra and ²²⁴Ra) were used to assess dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA) outwelling from a Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica meadow during early autumn. DIC outwelling was 114 ± 61 mmol m ^{− 2} day ^{− 1} and exceeded above-meadow CO2 outgassing (3 ± 1 mmol m ^{− 2} day …

Soot Formation And Ignition Characteristics Of Gasoline/Ethanol Fuel Blends Using A Rapid Compression Machine, Joseph Richard Keller Gross

Master's Theses (2009 -)

With the growing societal concern toward vehicle emissions, renewableforms of fuel are garnering increased interest in the fuel research world. While electrification is prevalent amongst the light duty sector, many challenges arise for such type of powerplant in heavy duty vehicles. Further, current heavy duty mixing-controlled combustion uses diesel fuel, which produces significant black carbon emissions in the exhaust. Alcohol fuels from biological sources serve as a promising source ofrenewable energy for heavy duty engines. The soot emissions and thermodynamic properties of ethanol/gasoline blended fuels must be understood and quantified in order to develop heavy duty combustion engine technology capable …

Gaseous Fuel Combustion In A Small Turbojet, Katherine A. Ashton

Theses and Dissertations

This project set out to test the suitability of natural gas as an aviation fuel by comparing how a small turbojet performed when run on traditional jet fuel versus methane. A JetCat P400, originally designed for jet fuel, was modified to run on methane. The modifications made did not succeed at getting the engine to run at normal operating speed on methane, but did get the engine to run at normal operating speeds using ethylene and ethane. It was determined a fuel and air mixing problem was hindering the engine performance when run on methane Future studies improving the fuel …

Exploring Gaps In City Climate Planning In The Mountain West, Joshua Padilla, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet explores data from the 2022 Brookings Institution report by Joseph W. Kane, Adie Tomer, Caroline George, and Jamal Russell Black called “Not according to plan: Exploring gaps in city climate planning and the need for regional action." The original report analyzes decarbonization plans for 50 of the largest U.S. cities and comparatively ranks each plan using a point system of 5 categories. This fact sheet focuses on Mountain West cities (Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Salt Lake, UT; and Albuquerque, NM) included in the original study.

Assessment Of Spatio-Temporal Variations In Pm2.5 And Associated Long-Range Air Mass Transport And Mortality In South Asia, Md Sariful Islam, Shimul Roy, Tanmoy Roy Tusher, Mizanur Rahman, Ryley C. Harris

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is associated with adverse impacts on ambient air quality and human mortality; the situation is especially dire in developing countries experiencing rapid industrialization and urban development. This study assessed the spatio-temporal variations of PM_2.5 and its health impacts in the South Asian region. Both satellite and station-based data were used to monitor the variations in PM_2.5 over time. Additionally, mortality data associated with ambient particulate matter were used to depict the overall impacts of air pollution in this region. We applied the Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope trend analysis tool to investigate the …

Evaluating The Impact Of Increased Cycling On Thermal Power Plants Due To Wind Energy Penetration In The Midwest: A Case Study, Joscelyne Larson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant shifts in the mix of U.S. electricity generation over the past few years has been the rapid expansion of renewable energy resources, especially solar and wind. However, fossil fuels are still necessary to fulfill the world’s energy requirements. Despite efforts to increase the use of renewable energy sources, these sources can be at times unreliable, causing countries around the world to continue to rely on base load units such as coal and natural gas. This decrease in fossil fuels and increase in renewable energy sources presents many complex issues in terms of power system planning, …

Wa Avocado Life Cycle Analysis (Lca), Christophe D'Abbadie, Saloomeh Akbari

Horticulture research reports

The Western Australian (WA) avocado industry is an important contributor to the state's economy, with a market value of 201 million Australian dollars and a production of 32,239 tonnes in 2019-20. The Shire of Manjimup is a particularly significant contributor to the state's avocado production, accounting for 67% of the total. The Busselton shire accounts for an additional 16%. The remaining 17% is produced in other shires throughout the state (Radhakrishnan et al, 2022).

This report aims to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a generic avocado producer based in Manjimup, WA, in order to evaluate the environmental impacts …

Methane Emissions Produced By Pneumatic Devices And Produced Water Tanks On Natural Gas Wellsites, Benjamin William Thornton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Abstract

Methane Emissions Produced by Pneumatic Devices and Produced Water Tanks on Natural Gas Wellsites

Benjamin W. Thornton

In recent years, more scrutiny has been placed on the release of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) by the oil and gas industry in North America as climate concerns increase. In the coming years, stricter regulations proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning the release of GHGs will further direct attention to GHG emissions quantification, modeling, and overall reduction. Active natural gas wellsites employ production equipment that routinely emits methane during normal operation. Production equipment often includes, but is not limited to, gas …

An Assessment Of "Long-Thin" Airline Routes: Network Structure And Emissions Implications For Environmental Policy, Porter Burns

All Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to define, map, and quantify the network and environmental implications of “long-thin” routes (LTRs) – a route structure that has been discussed in the aviation industry but not formally studied in literature. LTRs were defined through the use of global OAG scheduling data from 1998 to 2018 to identify trends in air traffic growth and network dynamics. Flights were separated into seven aircraft class sizes (e.g., 75–150 seats, 150–225 seats) to measure LTRs at multiple scales. Routes were considered “long” if the stage length was at or above the 75^th percentile in each …

Municipal Law—A Wedge In Climate Initiatives: How State Legislatures’ Preemption Of Local Government’S Role In Climate Change Policy And Arkansas’ Act 308 Of 2021 Are Misplaced., Travis Golliher

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, And Methane And Co2 Emissions Of Growing And Finishing Cattle Raised In Extensive Or Partial-Intensive Cow-Calf Production Systems, Zachary E. Carlson, Levi J. Mcphillips, Rick R. Stowell, Galen E. Erickson, Mary E. Drewnoski, Jim C. Macdonald

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

An experiment was conducted over 2 yr to measure performance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of weaned calves from two cow-calf production systems. Crossbred steers and heifers (n = 270, initial body weight (BW) = 207 kg, SD = 35) were used in a randomized complete block design, with treatments applied to the cow-calf system. Treatments were: 1) a traditional system consisting of April to June calving with smooth bromegrass pasture and grazed corn residue as forage resources (TRAD); 2) an alternative system consisting of July to September calving utilizing partial-drylot feeding, summer-planted oats, and corn residue grazing (ALT). …

Simulation Of A Rapid Compression Machine For Evaluation Of Ignition Chemistry And Soot Formation Using Gasoline/Ethanol Blends, Musharrat Chowdhury

Master's Theses (2009 -)

With the projected decline of demand for gasoline in light duty engines and the advent of ethanol as a green fuel, the use of gasoline-ethanol blend fuels in heavy duty applications are being investigated where the primary mode of combustion is mixing controlled combustion. In mixing controlled combustion, a wide range of mixture conditions (equivalence ratio) exist inside the engine cylinder. The sooting tendencies of light fuels at richer conditions are not well understood. The goal of this research is to model the particulate matter emissions for gasoline/ethanol fuel blends, especially at fuel rich conditions. The computational models can then …

The Effects Of Gases From Food Waste On Human Health: A Systematic Review, Paulina Rudziak

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Food waste is an everyday activity in many developed countries; however, the risks from emissions are either not acknowledged or poorly regulated in many food waste plants worldwide. The literature lacks a systematic review that gives a thorough overview of the effects of food waste emissions on human health, directly affecting physiology and indirectly affecting human health through environmental health effects. The aim of this study is to address this gap to support decision-makers in public health when inspecting food waste facilities and the surrounding areas. To inform this systematic review, the four databases, Web of Science, OVID, EMBASE, and …