Engineering Commons^™

Fair Fault-Tolerant Approach For Access Point Failures In Networked Control System Greenhouses, Mohammed Ali Yaslam Ba Humaish

Theses and Dissertations

Greenhouse Networked Control Systems (NCS) are popular applications in modern agriculture due to their ability to monitor and control various environmental factors that can affect crop growth and quality. However, designing and operating a greenhouse in the context of NCS could be challenging due to the need for highly available and cost-efficient systems. This thesis presents a design methodology for greenhouse NCS that addresses these challenges, offering a framework to optimize crop productivity, minimize costs, and improve system availability and reliability. It contributes several innovations to the field of greenhouse NCS design. For example, it recommends using the 2.4GHz frequency …

Characterization Of Radiotolerance In Potato And Development Of A Gamma Radiation Phytosensor., Robert Graham Sears

Doctoral Dissertations

As humans pursue space travel and nuclear energy, the risk of harm from ionizing radiation increases. On Earth or in space, plants are essential to our personal and environmental health. Plants serve as sentinels, bioremediators and food sources in areas of high ionizing radiation, therefore it is essential to understand how ionizing radiation affects plant biology. This work aimed to understand plant responses to ionizing radiation in the potato chassis and apply that knowledge to generate novel phenotypes for nuclear energy and space applications. The first gamma radiation phytosensor was developed for monitoring at standoff distances greater than three meters. …

Characterization Of Lignin Structural Variability And The Associated Application In Genome Wide Association Studies, Nathan D. Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations

Poplar (Populus sp.) is a promising biofuel feedstock due to advantageous features such as fast growth, the ability to grow on marginal land, and relatively low lignin content. However, there is tremendous variability associated with the composition of biomass. Understanding this variability, especially in lignin, is crucial to developing and implementing financially viable, integrated biorefineries. Although lignin is typically described as being comprised of three primary monolignols (syringyl, guaiacyl, p-hydroxyphenyl), it is a highly irregular biopolymer that can incorporate non-canonical monolignols. It is also connected by a variety of interunit linkages, adding to its complexity. Secondary cell wall …

Enhancing Peanut Harvesting: Evaluating Factors That Influence Yield And Developing A Web-Based Field Drying Forecast Tool, Charles Burkett

All Theses

Peanuts have one of the largest economic impacts of agronomic crops in the State of South Carolina. Peanut harvest operations involve several steps (digging, curing, combining) using equipment unique to peanut production, including peanut digger/shaker/inverters. This thesis evaluates several aspects of peanut harvest operations, including how precision agriculture technologies can enhance decision-making and enhance production. Several studies were conducted to analyze how various aspects of peanut harvesting operations contribute to decrease losses in yield and revenue. The first study evaluated the influence of operator experience on mean absolute guidance line deviation during peanut digging operations and the associated effects on …

Development Of A User-Friendly Shelf-Life Model To Evaluate The Suitability Of Sustainable Materials In Roasted And Ground Coffee Fractional Packs, Matthew Baxley

All Theses

Roasted and ground coffee is a shelf stable product yet quite sensitive to oxidative staling. A consumer acceptance-based shelf-life modeling system was proposed with intent for the rapid determination of suitable coffee packages. This model requires as input the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of the coffee, barrier values of packages, and the size of the packaging. Within the time period tested, it was shown that this model accurately predicted the oxygen uptake of coffee over time. Four bio-based packaging systems with barrier layers including mPLA, mPE, mcellophane, and paper were compared against a control (mPET). These materials displayed a range …

Representativeness Evaluation Of Delta-Flux Eddy Covariance Towers For Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Rice Fields In The Mid-South Region, Katherine Skiles

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rice grown in 5 states across the Mid-South (AR, LA, MS, TX, and MO) account for nearly 80% of all domestic U.S. rice production. Methane emissions produced during rice farming and the large seasonal water demand to maintain flooded fields have created a need for alternative irrigation research that can reduce methane emissions and conserve water. Structures called eddy covariance towers (ECTs) can observe methane and other flux responses to changing irrigation styles, and their data is shared across flux tower networks such as Delta-Flux in the Mid-South. The Delta-Flux network is relatively new, and its data-sharing capacity is not …

Non-Destructive Evaluation Of White Striping And Microbial Spoilage Of Broiler Breast Meat Using Structured-Illumination Reflectance Imaging, Ebenezer O. Olaniyi

Theses and Dissertations

Manual inspection is a prevailing practice for quality assessment of poultry meat, but it is labor-intensive, tedious, and subjective. This thesis aims to assess the efficacy of an emerging structured illumination reflectance imaging (SIRI) technique with machine learning approaches for assessing WS and microbial spoilage in broiler breast meat. Broiler breast meat samples were imaged by an in house-assembled SIRI platform under sinusoidal illumination. In first experiment, handcrafted texture features were extracted from direct component (DC, corresponding to conventional uniform illumination) and amplitude component (AC, unique to the use of sinusoidal illumination) images retrieved from raw SIRI pattern images build …

Examining The Relationship Between Lignocellulosic Biomass Structural Constituents And Its Flow Behavior, Ekramul Haque Ehite

Doctoral Dissertations

Lignocellulosic biomass material sourced from plants and herbaceous sources is a promising substrate of inexpensive, abundant, and potentially carbon-neutral energy. One of the leading limitations of using lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock for bioenergy products is the flow issues encountered during biomass conveyance in biorefineries. In the biorefining process, the biomass feedstock undergoes flow through a variety of conveyance systems. The inherent variability of the feedstock materials, as evidenced by their complex microstructural composition and non-uniform morphology, coupled with the varying flow conditions in the conveyance systems, gives rise to flow issues such as bridging, ratholing, and clogging. These issues …

Understanding Lignin’S Fast Pyrolysis Through Examination Of The Thermolysis Mechanisms Of Model Oligomers, Ross Wesley Houston

Doctoral Dissertations

The lignocellulosic biorefinery is a visionary concept that endeavors to provide an alternative to fossil-based refineries by producing biobased fungible fuels and specialty chemicals almost exclusively derived currently from petroleum refineries. This vision of the lignocellulosic biorefinery can only be realized if all fractions of lignocellulosic biomass are efficiently deconstructed and valorized to generate a diverse portfolio of products to sustain it against market vicissitudes. Of the three main structural constituents of lignocellulosic biomass (i.e., cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin), lignin is underutilized despite being the most abundant renewable source of aromatic platform chemicals, representing a growing 250 billion dollar market. …

Development Of Mass Transfer Coefficient Correlations Between Carbon Dioxide And Oxygen For Air-Lift Devices, John Walker

All Theses

An experimental method for measurement and determination of carbon dioxide volumetric mass transfer coefficients (k_La) in high pH water was developed. The goal of this research was to develop a relationship between CO₂ and O₂ volumetric mass transfer coefficients for accurate k_La values in order to meet the needs of carbon capture systems and other industries. Results included dissolved oxygen (DO) and total inorganic carbon (TIC) k_La comparisons, as well as polarographic DO (mg/L) and galvanic DO (mV) k_La correlation. CO₂ k_La estimation based on O_{2 …}

Non-Energy Circular Economy Potential Of Rice Husks: A Techno-Eco-Environmental Assessment, Winfred Oppong Yeboah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The non-energy circular bioeconomy potential of rice husks was examined via sustainability assessments, namely life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle impact cost assessment (LCICA), and techno-economic assessment (TEA). The study was conducted with three objectives. The first objective was to review previous studies on the non-energy utilization potential of rice husks by the method of meta-analysis. This review followed a systematic approach where research papers were collected following a defined set of criteria. The study revealed 16 key utilization pathways, all of which showed promising results. However, a comprehensive sustainability assessment was lacking in all of the pathways. The second …

Hydrothermal Liquefaction (Htl) Of Lignocellulosic Biomass For Biocrude Production: Reaction Kinetics And Corrosion-Resistance Performance Of Candidate Alloys For Reactors, Haoyu Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In recent years, the rapid increase in the demand for clean energy and green chemicals as well as concerns over the supply and environmental impacts associated with fossil. resources have stimulated intensive research on conversion of bioresources, such as lignocellulosic biomass and biowaste, into energy, fuels, chemicals, and materials.

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a unique thermochemical conversion process, particularly applicable for the conversion of wet biomass and biowaste feedstocks. Most of the biomass HTL studies are conducted in batch reactor and focus on the effects of catalysts, reaction temperature and time on production efficiency and chemical properties of the products. …

Soil Respiration Measurements Reveal High Retention Of Organic Carbon From Corn Residue Derived High-Lignin Fermentation Byproduct Enabling Sustainable Lignocellulosic Biofuel Production, Michelle Sun Wang

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

While 2G biofuel production can utilize non-edible, lignocellulosic feedstocks such as agricultural residues to produce liquid fuel, harvesting crop residues is unsustainable without careful management of the soil underneath. By harvesting a fraction of the crop residues left in the field after harvest, soil health can diminish and critically, the soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in agricultural fields can decrease. Currently, in the most popular 2G process models published, the issue of soil degradation remains unresolved with residue harvest strategies receiving considerable attention in the literature and other SOC management strategies receiving far less. Specifically, the strategy of returning the …

Development Of Food Packaging Films Based On Cellulose Nanocrystals (Cncs), Cong Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Food packaging provides means to mitigate food spoilage caused by microbes and environmental exposure, as well as prolonging the shelf life of food products in a cost-effective manner that industry and consumers desire while minimizing environmental impact. However, conventional plastics are unsustainable, nonrenewable, as well as nondegradable, and coupled with single-use culture can cause serious environmental pollution and the loss of resources. Taking the above issues into consideration, bio-based materials with the required properties are desirable to address the end-of-life issues for packaging.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), as a major type of cellulose nanomaterials are directly extracted from renewable biomass resources …

Characterization Of Lignin And Cellulose Biopolymers Structure – Function Relationships, Zachariah Pittman

All Dissertations

Biomass is vital to ongoing efforts to secure a sustainable future. While many of our efforts focus on finding alternative forms of energy, biomass among them, only biomass has the potential to serve as a sustainable materials feedstock. However, biomass is heterogenous, complicating the upgrading processes needed to manufacture commodity and performance products. For example, plant biomass consists largely of cellulose, a crystalline polysaccharide, and lignin, a highly stable polyaromatic. The specific properties of cellulose and lignin depend greatly on the plant, harvesting conditions, and isolation procedures. Thus, accurate and reliable determination of the fundamental properties of biomass is crucial …

The Influence Of Pesticides On Us Corn Production Environmental Impact: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Dominant Production Practices, Kyle Marinoni Lawrence

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been increasing interest in reducing agricultural environmental footprints in the United States, particularly for commodity crops like corn grain. Pest management is one aspect of agricultural production that is often identified as having potential for improvement with regard to environmental impact, but there is not a robust body of literature to identify the wide-scale influence of pesticides on yield and environmental impact. In this study, we hypothesized that the use of different classifications of pesticides has a significant impact on the overall environmental impact. To test this, agricultural models were created to represent the dominant …

Tomato Flower Detection And Three-Dimensional Mapping For Precision Pollination, Kaitlyn Mckensie Nelms

Masters Theses

It is estimated that nearly 75% of major crops have some level of reliance on pollination. Humans are reliant on fruit and vegetable crops for many vital nutrients. With the intensification of agricultural production in response to human demand, native pollinator species are not able to provide sufficient pollination services, and managed bee colonies are in decline due to colony collapse disorder, among other issues. Previous work addresses a few of these issues by designing pollination systems for greenhouse operations or other controlled production systems but fails to address the larger need for development in other agricultural settings with less …

Analyzing Energy Use From Arkansas Public School Buildings, Oscar Morton

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Energy is a key global resource in society and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the consumption of energy have detrimental effects on the planet. With energy consumption increasing, exponential population growth, and diminishing natural resources necessary for energy production, the relevance of energy efficiency is dramatically increasing. In this project, I analyzed energy usage data from a set of public school buildings from one school district in northwest Arkansas from 2018, before targeted energy efficiency practices were implemented, through 2022 to see if energy usage changed over this short period. The objectives of analyzing energy data were to determine …

Fate And Transport Of Emerging Contaminants Entering, Leaving, And Flowing Past Wastewater Treatment Plants In Central Kentucky, Kyra Sigler

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and neonicotinoid insecticides are two classes of emerging contaminants that have been recently detected in many environmental compartments. Both have been associated with negative impacts on humans and the environment. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as likely hotspots for introduction of these contaminants into the environment. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of PFAS and neonicotinoids in two WWTPs in Central Kentucky. Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were deployed in WWTP influent and effluent and placed upstream and downstream of the effluent mixing zone (EMZ) for two …

Fate And Transport Of Nanopesticides In Agricultural Field Plots In Central Kentucky, William D. Rud

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Due to a growing world population, pesticide applications are necessary part to increasing agricultural production on the same arable land, but this has created environmental contamination, human toxicity, and endangerment to non-target species (i.e, honeybees, monarch butterflies) from bulk pesticide application. Nanoengineered particles or ENP are a potential solution with increased efficiency, longer duration, and enhanced stability of pesticides due to their unique formulations at smaller sizes. However, the potential long-term impact to agroecosystems is still unknown. Therefore, the goal of this project was to evaluate the fate, transport, impact, and persistence of two commercially available nanopesticides (copper hydroxide and …

Diversificación Y Caracterización De Agroecosistemas Cafeteros Asociados Al Cultivo De Banano Gros Michael (Musa Acuminata Aaa) Como Alternativa De Desarrollo Local, Para El Municipio De Salgar, Antioquia, Santiago Cadavid González

Ingeniería Agronómica

Este proyecto recopila la diversificación y caracterización de agroecosistemas cafeteros asociados al cultivo de banano Gros Michael (Musa acuminata AAA) en el municipio de Salgar, Antioquia como alternativa productiva innovadora de desarrollo local; para ello se establecieron 550 plantas de banano en la Finca los Naipes, bajo el sistema de barreras, en asocio con café Var. Cenicafé 1 que cuenta con un dosel de sombra del 20%, con especies arbóreas de guamo (Inga codonantha), nogal cafetero (Cordia alliodora) y algunos cítricos. Se efectuó un manejo técnico, basado en una planeación previa, iniciando con la …

Modelo Productivo De Papa (Solanum Tuberosum Subsp. Andigena) Variedad Pastusa Superior, Integrando La Conservación In Situ De Papas Nativas (Solanum Phureja) En Sumapaz (Localidad 20 Del D.C.), Colombia, Ingrid Rocío Castro Carrillo

Ingeniería Agronómica

Este proyecto se desarrolló en la Localidad 20 del Distrito Capital (Sumapaz) con el fin de desarrollar un modelo productivo de papa (Solanum tuberosum) mediante prácticas agronómicas con enfoque empresarial; igualmente integró componentes que le apuestan a la implementación de prácticas sostenibles. En primer lugar, se implementó un componente agronómico con el establecimiento de un cultivo de papa (S. tuberosum) variedad Pastusa Superior bajo manejo técnico, basado en planeación previa y desarrollo de labores agrícolas como: preparación de terreno, aplicación de enmienda calcárea y fertilización con base en resultados de análisis de suelo. Igualmente, se realizó …

Establecimiento De 5000 M² De Plátano (Musa Paradisiaca) Como Modelo Productivo En Municipio De San Vicente Del Caguán, Vereda Bajo Villa Nueva - Caquetá, Luis Fernando Cardona Grajales

Ingeniería Agronómica

Se ha instalado 5000 m² de Plátano (Musa paradisiaca) como modelo productivo tradicional en el Municipio de San Vicente, Vereda Bajo, Villa Nueva - Caquetá. El proyecto se enmarcó en el desarrollo de cuatro componentes: Agronómico, Investigativo, Empresarial y Social; El Componente agronómico, buscó minimizar el impacto ambiental y social, se implementaron prácticas agrícolas sostenibles, como el uso de abonos orgánicos y el control de arvense mecánico, además, se gestionaron adecuadamente los residuos y subproductos del cultivo mediante la utilización de técnicas de compostaje, y el empleo de técnicas de control de plagas y enfermedades basadas en métodos naturales, …

Establecimiento De Un Proyecto Productivo De 5000 M² De Yuca (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Clon Sietemesina, Con Fines Comerciales En El Municipio De San Vicente Del Caguán Caquetá, Jordan Stiven Espinosa Osorio

Ingeniería Agronómica

El presente proyecto productivo es ubicado en la vereda la Tolda, perteneciente a la ruralidad del municipio de San Vicente del Caguán, en el departamento del Caquetá, contó con cuatro componentes que se describirán a continuación: un componente agronómico que incluyó un cultivo, la siembra de un cultivo de yuca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) variedad sietemesina en un área de 5000 m^², mostrando rentabilidad gracias al buen manejo del área productiva y buenas prácticas agrícolas. Como segundo componente se desarrolló el de emprezarización, donde se pudo exitosamente comercializar el producto en la plaza de mercado local, almacenes de …

Manejo Técnico De Un Sistema Productivo Tradicional De Café (Coffea Arábica) Variedad Castillo Como Modelo Empresarial Para Los Pequeños Caficultores Del Municipio De Apía - Risaralda, Natalia Andrea Rivera Ortiz

Ingeniería Agronómica

El presente trabajo se basó en el manejo técnico de un sistema productivo tradicional de café (Coffea arabica) variedad Castillo como modelo empresarial para los pequeños caficultores del municipio de Apía Risaralda, vereda San Andrés; este trabajo describe cada una de las diferentes prácticas agronómicas implementadas en el manejo técnico del cultivo de café en una parcela piloto de 6.240 m², donde se realizó un plan de manejo agronómico basado en los requerimientos nutricionales del cultivo, se implementó también un manejo integrado de plagas, enfermedades y arvenses MIPEA con su respectivo control al igual que monitoreos y registros. Mediante el …

Intervención Social Y Transferencia Tecnológica A Través De Un Sistema Productivo De Maíz (Zea Mays) Como Modelo Demostrativo En El Municipio De Vista Hermosa, Meta, Karol Dayanna Parra Castaño

Ingeniería Agronómica

El proyecto se llevó a cabo en el municipio de Vista Hermosa, Meta con el fin de transferir conocimiento tecnológico a través de un sistema productivo de maíz (Zea mays) como modelo demostrativo para los agricultores de la zona y de esta manera, mejorar la rentabilidad de sus cultivos y la sostenibilidad ambiental, por tal motivo, se estableció un cultivo de maíz híbrido amarillo con nombre comercial Status Agrisure Viptera 3 con tecnología Bt, en un área de 10.000 m² , al cual se le realizó un manejo agronómico que incluyó un plan de fertilización basado en un análisis de …

Tecnificación Del Cultivo De Cilantro (Coriandrum Sativum), Asociado A Un Aporte Al Mejoramiento De Los Mercados Campesinos En Rovira Tolima, Eyber Stiven Narváez Carrillo

Ingeniería Agronómica

Este proyecto permitió la puesta en marcha de un agronegocio como modelo productivo en respuesta a la necesidad de empresarización del campo; benefició a los acompañantes del proceso y al emprendedor, aportó al desarrollo agrícola, y a la economía del Municipio de Rovira Tolima. Se elaboró un plan de manejo técnico para la producción de seis ciclos de cilantro con 800 m^² en un sistema de siembra escalonado. En el componente agronómico se realizaron las actividades necesarias para el establecimiento y mantenimiento del cultivo. En los primeros tres ciclos se obtuvo una producción de 1264 kg y un ingreso …

Implementación De 2000 M² De Café (Coffea Arábica) Variedad Castillo Como Propuesta De Mejoramiento Productivo Al Sistema Tradicional De Los Cafeteros De La Vereda San Pedro, Municipio De Rovira - Tolima., Yefersson Campos Leonel

Ingeniería Agronómica

Teniendo en cuenta la producción tradicional y al bajo rendimiento productivo de la región, se establece la implementación de 2000 m² de café (Coffea arábica) variedad castillo, como propuesta de mejoramiento productivo al sistema tradicional de los caficultores del municipio de Rovira – Tolima, vereda San Pedro, con el fin de maximizar la producción. La ejecución se fundamentó en la finca el Acacio en una plantación ya establecida, esta contaba con 1142 árboles de café con una edad de 12 años, cabe aclarar que se encontraba en el cuarto años después de soqueo, hallándose en etapa productiva. El manejo agronómico …

Establecimiento De Un Cultivo De Plátano (Musa Paradisiaca - Aab Simmonds) Variedad Hartón Con Un Enfoque Sostenible En La Vereda Gaviotas, Del Municipio De Paz De Ariporo, Casanare, Briceyda Ibica Chavita

Ingeniería Agronómica

El desarrollo de este trabajo está segmentado en cuatro partes: la primera sección se describe todo acerca del componente agronómico, el cual es basado en el establecimiento de un cultivo de plátano (Musa paradisiaca- AAB simmonds) cultivar Hartón mediante prácticas agronómicas sostenibles en la vereda Gaviotas, del municipio de Paz de Ariporo, Casanare se describe de manera detallada las actividades que se realizaron durante el desarrollo del cultivo; en la segunda sección está el componente investigativo, en el cual se describe el desarrollo de la investigación social que busca identificar y analizar el nivel socioeconómico presente en el …

Implementación Y Manejo De 20.000 Plántulas De Café (Coffea Arábica) Con Buenas Prácticas Agronómicas Con Enfoque Comercial E Investigativo En La Vereda El Playón, Municipio San Agustín - Huila, Marolin Dayanna Ramírez Camacho

Ingeniería Agronómica

Este trabajo se realizó en la finca La Cabaña de la vereda del playón del municipio de San Agustín Huila, donde se manejó en vivero 20.000 plántulas de café (Coffea arábica) mediante técnicas agronómicas con fines comerciales, con este proyecto se buscó generar impacto positivo a la comunidad, El manejo en semillero ayuda a mitigar aquellos factores que influyen en la producción, ya que en campo la germinación de la semilla puede verse afectada por las condiciones ambientales y labores culturales, produciendo daño mecánico (Arcila et al. 2007). Como investigación se evaluaron diferentes calibres de polisombra buscando en sí …