Engineering Commons^™

Should Tortuosity Still Be Used In Upscaling?, Francisco J. Valdes-Parada, Mark L. Porter, Brian D. Wood

Francisco J. Valdes-Parada

The concept of tortuosity is an integral part of models that describe trans- port in multiscale systems. Traditionally, tortuosity is de#12;ned as the ratio of an e#11;ective path length to the shortest path length in a representative sample of the porous medium microstructure. While the latter can be unambiguously speci#12;ed, the same is not true for the e#11;ective path length, since it changes from one type of transport to another. Consequently, it is possible to have di#11;erent tortuosity values for di#11;erent transport processes taking place in the same system. In order to avoid running into unclear interpretations, we pro- pose …

Development Of The Mask Scentometer, A Comparison Of Ambient Odor Assessment Methods, And Their Application In Ground Truthing Atmospheric Dispersion Models, Christopher G. Henry

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This dissertation is organized as four stand-alone papers. Paper No. 1 describes the development of the Mask Scentometer and reports dilution ratios measured during use by twelve different people. Dilution ratios at the Mask Scentometer’s five dilution-to-threshold (D/T) settings were found to be 0.35, 1, 2, 4.5 and 18. In Paper No.’s 2 and 4, ambient odor assessment methods were compared in both controlled laboratory conditions and in the field. Laboratory analysis of ambient air samples using dynamic triangular forced-choice olfactometry (DTFCO) did not correlate well with any of the ambient odor assessment methods. Average intensity-predicted D/T was roughly five …

Biological Treatment To Remove Color And Toxicity Of Effluent From The Manufacturing Of Navipol Yellow Gr, Larry French

All Theses

Navipol Yellow GR is an organic solvent azo dye manufactured by Sunbelt Corp. in Rock Hill, SC. The effluent generated from the manufacturing of this dye is highly colored, toxic, and contains trace solvents consisting of mixed xylene isomers and ethyl benzene. Traditional wastewater treatment systems are unable to remove the color and toxicity from the effluent. This study investigated using a sequential anaerobic / aerobic treatment system to decrease color and toxicity of the dye effluent. The anaerobic phase used bacteria cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, or Enterobacter aerogenes to decrease the color of the dye. …

The Formation And Control Of Iodinated Trihalomethanes In Drinking Water Treatment, Darryl Jones

All Theses

Ever since toxic disinfection by-products (DBPs) were discovered in the 1970s drinking water utilities have had to continue to develop treatment strategies to reduce the acute health risk from infectious pathogens in water, and at the same time limit the formation of disinfection by-products. The recent two stage (1998, 2006) D/DBP rule enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which sets limits of 80 µg/L for trihalomethanes (THMs) and 60 µg/L for haloacetic acids (HAAs) will likely put more pressure on utilities in the future to decrease their chorine contact time and follow that with ammonia addition to form monochloramine …

An Assessment Of Indoor Infiltration Parameters For Black Carbon From Residential Wood Combustion And The Spectral Dependence Of Light Absorption For Organic Carbon, Christopher John Malejan

Master's Theses

Black carbon, a proxy for woodsmoke was measured indoors and outdoors for an occupied residence in Cambria, CA during the winter months of 2009. The purpose was to investigate the infiltration parameters: air exchange rate, deposition rate, and penetration factor. The second part of this study investigated the light absorption properties of organic carbon from residential wood combustion, the dominant fraction of woodsmoke.

To assess woodsmoke variation, a study conducted parallel to the one presented in this thesis (Ward, 2009), a grid array of personal emission monitors (PEMS) and aethalometers were placed in a small area, approximately one square kilometer, …

Extraction And Characterization Of Lipids From Microalgae Grown On Municipal Wastewater, Matthew W. Hutton

Master's Theses

Based on results of its Aquatic Species Program (1978-1996), which sought to develop algae-to-liquid fuel technology, the U.S. Department of Energy has suggested that algal wastewater treatment may be incorporated into biodiesel production schemes to reduce the operating costs of both processes. the purpose of the current research was to evaluate the triglycerides produced by wastewater-grown algae for their suitability as a fuel feedstock and to investigate the effectiveness of several solvent mixtures and extraction procedures at recovering lipids from fresh algae. The research involved two separate experiments. The first determined the quantity and quality of lipids produced over the …

Characterizing Episodic Stream Acidification Using A Concentration-Duration-Frequency Methodology In Watersheds Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, John Leland Mauney Iii

Masters Theses

Episodic stream acidification occurs as storm events temporarily reduce acid neutralizing capacity and pH. Stream acidification is suspected to have damaging effects on the health of aquatic ecosystems and biota and is dependent on various watershed characteristics such as drainage area, elevation, slope, and surficial geology. Here, a stochastic modeling approach is applied to continuous pH data for multiple stream monitoring sites within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in order to characterize episodic acidification responses during stormflows for different streams. The approach summarizes voluminous pH data recorded by water quality sondes at 15-minute intervals into concentration-duration-frequency relationships. Unique to …

Probabilistic Remediation Evaluation Model For Chlorinated Solvents Considering Uncertainty, Hailian Liang

All Dissertations

The complex processes and expensive costs of source and plume remediation of dense, non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) complicate the decision-making process for site remediation. Selection of remediation alternatives has been a big challenge due to the lack of tools that simultaneously evaluate the effectiveness of source and plume remediation and access the uncertainties in all major parameters. In this research, a new probabilistic remediation model, Probabilistic Remediation Evaluation Model for Chlorinated solvents sites (PREMChlor), has been developed. This is achieved through linking the analytical model REMChlor to a Monte Carlo modeling simulation package GoldSim via a FORTRAN Dynamic Link Library …

Removal And Utilization Of Wastewater Nutrients For Algae Biomass And Biofuels, Erick W. Griffiths

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Logan City Environmental Department operates a facility that consists of 460 acres of fairly shallow lagoons (~ 5'deep) for biological wastewater treatment that meets targets for primary and secondary treatments (solids, biological oxygen demand (BOD), and pathogen removal). Significant natural algal growth occurs in these lagoons, which improves BOD removal through oxygenation and also facilitates N removal through volatilization as ammonia under high pH conditions created by algal growth. Phosphorus, however, is non-volatile and stays in the water and likely cycles in and out of algal cells as they grow and die in the lagoons. In the near future, …

Quantifying Surface Water And Groundwater Interactions In A High-Gradient Mountain Stream For Solute Transport, Noah M. Schmadel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A study reach in a mountain stream highly influenced by groundwater was selected to test common data collection strategies used to characterize and quantify groundwater exchange processes necessary to predict solute transport. The data types collected include: high frequency discharge estimates with the use of rating curves, dilution gauging techniques with instantaneous tracer experiments, groundwater table and stream water surface elevations, vertical head gradients, and hydraulic conductivity estimates. The first two data types were categorized as stream gauging and the remaining three data types as site characterization. The stream gauging data were used to quantify net changes in stream discharge …

Nutrient And Bacterial Transport In Runoff From Soil And Pond Ash Amended Feedlot Surfaces, John E. Gilley, Jason R. Vogel, Elaine D. Berry, Roger Eigenberg, David B. Marx, Brian L. Woodbury

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

The addition of pond ash (fly ash that has been placed in evaporative ponds and subsequently dewatered) to feedlot surfaces provides a healthier environment for livestock and economic advantages for the feedlot operator. However, the water quality effects of pond ash amended surfaces are not well understood. The objectives of this field investigation were to: (1) compare feedlot soil properties, and nutrient and bacterial transport in runoff, from pond ash amended surfaces and soil surfaces; (2) compare the effects of unconsolidated surface materials (USM) (loose manure pack) and consolidated subsurface materials (CSM) (compacted manure and underlying layers) on nutrient and …

An Integrated Flow And Transport Model To Study The Impact Of Mercury Remediation Strategies For East Fork Poplar Creek Watershed, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Stephanie Long

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An integrated flow and transport model using MIKE SHE/MIKE 11 software was developed to predict the flow and transport of mercury, Hg(II), under varying environmental conditions. The model analyzed the impact of remediation scenarios within the East Fork Poplar Creek watershed of the Oak Ridge Reservation with respect to downstream concentration of mercury. The numerical simulations included the entire hydrological cycle: flow in rivers, overland flow, groundwater flow in the saturated and unsaturated zones, and evapotranspiration and precipitation time series. Stochastic parameters and hydrologic conditions over a five year period of historical hydrological data were used to analyze the hydrological …

Intelligent Controller For Smart Base Isolation Of Masonry Structures, Simon Laflamme, T.Y. Yu, Jerome J. Connor

Simon Laflamme

In this paper, an intelligent controller to control a smart base-isolated masonry structure is proposed. The smart base isolation consists of rubber bearings and a magnetorheological damper. This semi-active scheme takes advantage of the low power requirement of magnetorheological devices to achieve structural control. The controller is capable of mapping the behaviour of the controlled structure sequentially, using a self-organizing neural network which has time-varying learning rates. This neurocontroller is augmented by a sliding mode controller to account for the uncertainty on the semi-active damping forces. Wavelets are used as functions in the single hidden layer for their capability of …

Career: The Role Of Microorganisms In Arsenic Contamination Of Groundwater, Jean D. Macrae

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Arsenic is the only contaminant for which exposure through drinking water has been proven to cause cancer in humans. The US Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that the present drinking water limit of 50 ug/L arsenic is not sufficiently protective and proposes a new limit of 10 ug/L. In most cases, the arsenic originates in the geologic materials of the aquifer. While correlations with bedrock types have been made, the factors that affect arsenic concentrations and speciation in drinking water are poorly understood. As(III), the reduced inorganic form, is more mobile and more toxic than As(V), thus speciation affects both …

Stormwater Irrigation Volume Iii: Transport Of The Cyanotoxin Microcystin In Groundwater Beneath Stormwater Ponds: Results Of Soil Column Experiments, Martin Wanielista

BMP Trains Research and Publications

As the demand for fresh water increases in central Florida to meet both public supply and irrigation needs, stormwater is increasingly being managed as a resource to help offset possible future declines in aquifer water levels. Water quality is an important consideration when using stormwater for recharge or harvesting. A constituent of recent concern is cyanobacteria (popularly known as blue-green algae) because some of these can produce toxins (cyanotoxins) that are detrimental to animal and human health. Microcystins are the most commonly found type of cyanotoxin in Florida and have been detected in a variety of rivers, natural lakes, and …

Characterization Of Proteins In Effluents From Three Wastewater Treatment Plants That Discharge To The Connecticut River, Pamela J. Westgate

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

This research characterizes the proteins in domestic wastewater treatment plant effluents in order to understand the organic fraction of effluent nitrogen. Domestic wastewater treatment plants have been identified as a major source of excess nitrogen that leads to eutrophication in marine environments in general, and the Long Island Sound, in particular. Initiatives to reduce the nitrogen load into Long Island Sound are underway. In Connecticut, regulators have instituted a cap and trade program for nitrogen releases from wastewater treatment plants, and in western Massachusetts new NPDES permits are requiring facilities that release into receiving waters that flow into the sound …

Minimizing Energy Use In Large Groundwater Supply Systems, Mikaela Martin

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Two optimization formulations have been developed. The first formulation minimizes the energy required to pump water from an aquifer. This formulation is non- linear, requiring the use of quadratic terms in the objective function. The second formulation minimizes the maximum lift in an aquifer and is called the MINIMAX formulation. This formulation is linear and may be an acceptable substitution for the minimize energy formulation under conditions where there are small differences in initial lifts at the wells and where the demand is sufficient to require pumping at all wells such that the lifts at all wells are equal.

The …

Investigation Of The Geotechnical Properties Of Municipal Solid Waste As A Function Of Placement Conditions, Wilson W. Wong

Master's Theses

An investigation of the variability of engineering properties of municipal solid waste as a function of placement conditions was conducted. Limited data have been reported for the engineering properties of municipal solid waste (MSW) as a function of placement conditions. Wastes have high variability of engineering properties due to heterogeneity in composition and component size; influence from time based effects; and presence of compressible solids. Control of moisture content of MSW at the time of waste placement provides opportunity for increased capacity at a given landfill site due to higher compacted unit weight as well as for control of other …

Modeling The Wachusett Reservoir, Central Massachusetts, Tributaries For Improved Watershed Management, Erich Fiedler

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

The Wachusett Reservoir watershed is an integral component of the Metropolitan Boston water supply. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is responsible for water resource management and water quality protection and has implemented extensive environmental monitoring and modeling programs. These efforts have been used to identify and direct management priorities. Also, a long term collaborative effort with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst has focused on improving data collection and watershed modeling. From the environmental monitoring program, annual nutrient fluxes for total phosphorus (TP), nitrate (NO3-N), and total organic carbon (TOC) have been estimated. These annual nutrient fluxes have …

Leaching Of Dissolved Organic Carbon And Selected Inorganic Constituents From Scrap Tires, Meric Selbes

All Theses

An environmentally friendly method for the disposal of scrap tires is currently unavailable; as a result, ultimate disposal of used vehicle tires continues to be a major challenge around the world. In the United States (US), during the past two decades, scrap tires have been generated at the rate of approximately one tire per person per year (i.e., approximately 290 million new scrap tires every year). It is estimated that there are currently 2 billion tires stockpiled in the US. Due to various problems involved in the disposal of scrap tires, different alternatives for recycle and reuse have been examined; …

Modeling Nitrogen Loss From Regional Switchgrass Agriculture, Saumya Sarkar

All Theses

A water quality modeling study was conducted to determine and compare nitrogen loss from agricultural systems growing switchgrass and cotton in the southeastern USA. The water quality impacts were modeled at the plot scale and at the watershed scale. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to replicate field conditions observed at switchgrass research plots at Pee Dee Research and Educational Center at Florence, South Carolina. The plot scale modeling suggested that in the early years of growth there is significant nitrogen loss from switchgrass to streamflow and groundwater but they are significantly less as the switchgrass matures. …

The Characterization, Isolation, And Fractionation Of Natural Organic Matter From Three Surface Waters, Olivia Orr

All Theses

The main objective of this study was to gain insight to the principles of isolation of natural organic matter (NOM) using reverse osmosis (RO) and subsequent fractionation using resin adsorption chromatography (RAC). Specifically, this study evaluated the RO and RAC methods for NOM characterization from three surface waters with varying physiochemical characteristics. Efficiency of RO was assessed by closing mass balances for dissolve organic carbon (DOC). Mass balances were also closed for dissolved nitrogen (DN), bromide (Br-), nitrate (NO3-), total calcium (Ca), total potassium (K), total manganese (Mn), total iron (Fe), total magnesium (Mg), total aluminum (Al), total copper (Cu), …

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This presentation sets out the very basics of ‘sustainability’, although a definition of sustainability is not attempted. Some of the very basics are the context in which the Earth and humankind exist in space and time, the Earth’s climate, the Earth’s population and humankind’s options and choices. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’. The author also argues that, in addressing the challenges that humankind faces, globally concerted effort …

Removal Of Boron From Produced Water By Co-Precipitation / Adsorption For Reverse Osmosis Concentrate, Imran Yusuf Rahman, Yarrow Nelson, Tryg Lundquist

Master's Theses

Co-precipitation and absorption methods were investigated for removal of boron from produced water, which is groundwater brought to the surface during oil and natural gas extraction. Boron can be toxic to many crops and often needs to be controlled to low levels in irrigation water. The present research focused on synthetic reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate modeled on concentrate expected from a future treatment facility at the Arroyo Grande Oil Field on the central coast of California. The produced water at this site is brackish with a boron concentration of 8 mg/L and an expected temperature of 80°C. The future overall …

Assessment Of The Embodied Co2eq In Buildings Towards A Sustainable Building Design And Construction, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy, Biswajit Basu

Conference Papers

Research studies have shown that the initial energy embodied in a building can be as much as 67% of the operational energy over a 25 year period. With growing global concerns over material and resource consumption and the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, the energy embodied in buildings constructed in town and cities becomes important and one of the key issues that needs to be tackled in the design stages in order to strive towards sustainable buildings design. In this paper, a hybrid embodied carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) methodology used to assess the CO2eq embodied in buildings is presented. …

3d Numerical Modeling Of Hydrodynamic Flow, Sediment Deposition And Transport In Stormwater Ponds And Alluvial Channels, Leying Zhang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Prediction of flow and sediment transport is an important and challenging problem for stormwater management and river engineering applications. This thesis concerns primarily the computation of flow, sediment deposition and transport processes in stormwater ponds and alluvial channels based on a multiphase flow approach in modeling sediment transport. Starting from an existing hydrodynamic Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver, numerical models are developed to predict flow, sediment deposition and transport under the FLUENT software package. Two types of sediment transport models are formulated to consider quantities of present sediment phase volume fractions: a Discrete Phase Model in a Lagrangian frame where …

Land Conservation And Land Use In New England: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities, Amanda Loomis, Tom Devine, Andrea Small, Brittany Howard, Brett Richardson, Stephanie Dulac

Land Conservation

Sprawling development patterns accelerated across the New England landscape in the last three decades and consumed the region‘s forests, farms, and open spaces at an unprecedented rate. New England‘ers in all six states formed land trusts, supported statewide conservation organizations, and collaborated with state and federal partners to protect some of their most-prized recreation lands, wildlife habitats, and working lands. The current economic recession has slowed development pressures across the region and offers an opportunity to build on recent successes. The time is right to plan a coordinated New England conservation strategy that protects and links the region‘s natural assets. …

Estabilización Físico-Química De Un Suelo, Una Metodología De Laboratorio Para Su Evaluación, Caso Cd. Hermosillo, Sonora, México, Israel Miranda Pasos, Salvador Aguayo-Salinas, Jesús Leobardo Valenzuela García, Jorge Ramírez Hernández, Juan Arcadio Saíz Hernández

Épsilon

En la actualidad, en las ciudades en desarrollo, la contaminación debida al polvo por falta de pavimento vial es un problema. Existen productos de tecnología avanzada encaminados a mitigar este problema; sin embargo, la adquisición de ellos, en la mayoría de los casos, no es factible económicamente. La presente investigación propone una metodología con el fin de evaluar productos regionales comunes para su aplicación como estabilizadores de suelo: cal hidratada, zeolita natural, lignosulfonato de calcio y cal viva. La evaluación se realiza mediante los parámetros de resistencia a carga directa y prueba de saturación-inmersión; esta última con el fin de …

South Burlington Vt: New Urbanist South Village, Jack Kartez, Richard Barringer

Planning

The 220 acre master plan for South Village, the largest project in the City of South Burlington’s history, encompasses multiple housing types and innovative provisions for affordable housing. It integrates housing with open space and natural resource conservation, including a major Community Supported Agriculture project developed by a nonprofit partner, the Intervale Foundation. While not a mixed-use project (that is, commercial as well as residential development), South Village nonetheless represents a qualitative change in approach for South Burlington by incorporating large-scale open space preservation as part of development and multiple housing-types in one project. The case study recounts events leading …

Chlorine Contribution To Quantitative Structure And Activity Relationship Models Of Disinfection By-Products' Quantum Chemical Descriptors And Toxicities, Fang Wang

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) has been applied extensively in predicting toxicity of Disinfection By-Products (DBPs) in drinking water. Among many toxicological properties, acute and chronic toxicities of DBPs have been widely used in health risk assessment of DBPs. These toxicities are correlated with molecular properties, which are usually correlated with molecular descriptors. The primary goals of this thesis are: 1) to investigate the effects of molecular descriptors (e.g., chlorine number) on molecular properties such as energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (ELUMO) via QSAR modelling and analysis; 2) to validate the models by using internal and external cross-validation techniques; …