Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Benefits Of Electrification For The Mackinac Island Ferry From An Environmental And Economic Perspective, Siddharth Gopujkar, Jeremy Worm

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Ferry electrification has gained attention in the last decade as a potential path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study, conducted by APS LABS at Michigan Technological University for the Mackinac Economic Alliance (MEA) and funded by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), looked at the feasibility and potential benefits of electrification of a particular vessel that is part of a ferry service from Mackinaw City, Michigan, USA, to Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA. The study included a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility of retrofitting the current configuration of the ferry into an all-electric ferry based on the availability of components …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

National Test Facility For Fuels And Propulsion (Natef), J. Mark Thom, Purdue University Office Of Research

University Research Core Facility Boilerplate Descriptions

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Cloud Seeding, Wildfire Smoke Emissions, And Solar Geoengineering: Why Is Climate Modification Unregulated?, Karen Bradshaw, Monika U. Ehrman

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

This Article is the first to identify that companies and agencies systemically modify climatic airspaces through wildfire smoke emissions, weather modification (cloud seeding to cause rain), and solar geoengineering. Climate modification is not a conspiracy theory or a hypothetical: it is happening, and it is changing weather patterns. Yet, climate modification is almost wholly unregulated. Further, it is also not recorded or tracked in systemic ways. That is to say, even government agencies do not have comprehensive records of whether; how often; or how much climate modification is occurring. The data is simply not gathered, aggregated, or stored. As a …

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). …

Effect Of Bromoform And Linseed Oil On Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Stored Beef Manure, Andrew Ortiz Balsero, Mara Zelt, Amy Millmier Schmidt, Miguel Fudolig, Daniel N. Miller

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide – potent greenhouse gases - from stored beef feedlot manure are a significant concern relative to climate change. Research on methane reduction strategies for enteric emissions has identified the application of organic additives, such as bromoform and linseed oil, to ruminant diets as potential solutions for reducing enteric emissions and pathogenic bacteria in excreted manure. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of bromoform and linseed oil on greenhouse gas emissions from beef feedlot manure, and on E. coli concentration in beef cattle manure, during a 5-week storage period. …

Economic And Environmental Implications Of Biomass Commercialization In Agricultural Processing, Bin Li, Onur Boyabatli, Buket Avci

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Motivated by the agricultural industries, this paper studies the economic and environmental implications of biomass commercialization; that is, converting organic waste into a saleable product, from the perspective of a processor that uses a commodity input to produce both a commodity output and biomass. We characterize the economic value of biomass commercializa- tion and examine how input and output spot price uncertainties affect this value. Using a model calibration, we find that lower input spot price variability or higher output spot price variabil- ity or correlation between the two spot prices increases this value for a typical palm oil mill. …

Emissions Baseline Report For The Agriculture Sector In Western Australia, Mandy Curnow, Christophe D'Abbadie, Bob French, Jackie Bucat, Dario Stefanelli, Neil Lantzke, Valeria Almeida Lima, Jess Austen, Lee Chester, Kate Pritchett, Millie Brady, Dylan Bennett

Natural resources research reports

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report found that climate impacts are appearing earlier and are more severe than expected. The world faces multiple unavoidable climate hazards over the next two decades with global warming of 1.5ºC and accelerated action is required to avoid mortality and loss of biodiversity and infrastructure.

Achieving Climate Resilience requires both climate adaptation and mitigation of Greenhouse Gases which are accelerating climate change. Western Australia is committed to building resilience of the agriculture industry and as part of that is focussed on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at both an industry and government …

Air Pollutant Emissions From Natural Gas-Fueled Pumpjack Engines In The Uinta Basin, Seth Lyman

Browse all Datasets

We measured a comprehensive suite of pollutants emitted from 58 natural gas-fueled pumpjack engines in Utah’s Uinta Basin between January and May 2021, with repeat measurements of five engines in January 2022. We documented the emissions composition of several makes and models of commonly used engines, including Ajax E42, E565, DP60, and DP80 engines; Arrow L795, C101, and C106 engines; and GM Vortec.

Utah Wintertime Measurements Of Heavy-Duty Vehicle Nitrogen Oxide Emission Factors, Gary A. Bishop, Molly J. Haugen, Brian C. Mcdonald, Adam M. Boies

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

There have only been a few wintertime studies of heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) NO_x emissions in the U.S., and while they have observed increased emissions, fleet characterization to identify the cause has been lacking. We have collected wintertime measurements of NO_x emission factors from 1,591 HDV at a Utah Port of Entry in December 2020 that includes individual vehicle identification. In general, the NO_x emission factors for 2011 & newer chassis model year HDV are significantly higher than 2017 spring measurements from California. The newest chassis model year HDV (2017 - 2021) NO_x emission factors are similar …

Law School News: The Dean Meets The Governor 01-26-2022, Michael M. Bowden

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

On-Road Vehicle Emission Measurements And Their Use In Evaluating Emission Control Effectiveness {Presentation}, Gary A. Bishop

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

The Art Of Poetry And Its Place In The History Of The Coordinating Research Councils Real World Emissions Workshop {Poster}, Gary A. Bishop

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

Role Of Primary Freeboard On Staged Combustion Of Hardwood Pellets In A Fixed Bed Combustor, Awais Junejo, Yasir Al-Abdeli, Jacobo Porteiro

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In staged fixed bed biomass combustion, primary air is supplied beneath the fuel bed with secondary air then provided above in the freeboard region. For fixed bed configurations, the freeboard is further divided into a primary freeboard length (LI), which is upstream of the secondary air and a secondary freeboard length (LII), measured from the secondary air all the way to the exhaust port. Despite extensive research into fixed bed configurations, no work has been successfully completed that resolves the effects of changing LI on fuel conversion, both in the fuel bed and within the freeboard of batch-type biomass combustors. …

Emissions, Shawn Urbanski, Susan O'Neill, Amara L. Holder, Sarah Green, Rick L. Graw

Michigan Tech Publications

This chapter assesses the current state of the science regarding the composition, intensity, and drivers of wildland fire emissions in the USA and Canada. Globally and in the USA wildland fires are a major source of gases and aerosols which have significant air quality impacts and climate interactions. Wildland fire smoke can trigger severe pollution episodes with substantial effects on public health. Fire emissions can degrade air quality at considerable distances downwind, hampering efforts by air regulators to meet air standards. Fires are a major global source of aerosols which affect the climate system by absorbing and scattering radiation and …

Questioning Complacency: An Analysis Of Sustainability To Foster Innovation, Alexandra M. Bierman

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Sustainability is a tricky subject. With a vague definition and a growing demand, we find ourselves in the midst of a world where sustainability is the goal, but there is no set route to get there. In this two-part project, I explore what it looks like to write a sustainability plan for a web-based company, as well as an in-depth essay about sustainability. I question what it means to be sustainable, its benefits, as well as its drawbacks. What can sustainability teach us, and how can we challenge its framework to better suit a growing demand for economically viable businesses.

On-Road Nox Emissions Evaluation Of The Repair Effectiveness For Recalled Volkswagen Group Light-Duty Diesel Vehicles In The United States, Gary A. Bishop

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

The admission by the Volkswagen Group in the fall of 2015 that they had duped the United States new vehicle emissions certification testing resulted in perhaps the most expensive violation of U.S. environmental vehicle emission regulations in its history. As part of the subsequent recall of more than 500,000 vehicles in the U.S., owners could sell their vehicles back to the companies or have them repaired. We have used a number of large on-road emission measurement data sets that were routinely collected before and after the recall to evaluate the fuel specific NO_x emissions benefit for the vehicles that …

Masculinity, Car Culture, And Carbon Emissions, Benjamin C. Hasenkopf, Robert F. Steiner Ii

Student Publications

Car culture is a subculture that exists in which people value the aesthetic, cultural, or historical significance of certain vehicles, and who often use their own vehicle as a means of self expression. We assumed that car culture was a dominantly male subculture and wanted to evaluate whether gender in advertising was related to fuel efficiency. We wanted to see how each decade would differ in the terms of the number of gender targeted advertisements. We also wanted to see how fuel economies and marketing strategies changed over time. We also wanted to compare fuel economies of cars that were …

Manufacturing: The Qualitative Study Of A Transition To A Green Facility, Brandon David Staves

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This qualitative study focused on answering three core questions: How have facilities reduce pollutions in regards to the quality of air, water, land, light and noise? Which Types of pollution reduction projects are more or less successful to implement? What types of pollution are facilities focusing on and why? The results of the 15 companies surveyed show a variety of projects that facilities have used to reduce pollution, it also shows that cost is a major factor in the unsuccessful projects, and that facilities are actively focused on reducing Air, Land, and Water pollution. While the data shows a variety …