Engineering Commons^™

Cutting Board Business Model, Austin W. Dasis

Construction Management

This paper covers a business model and investment proposal for a cutting board business. The cutting board industry is a lucrative sector where there is room to grow as a business while being profitable. There are alot of factors that go into starting a business and making it successful. The student has put this together to be able to give it to a potential investor to demonstrate what he has done and what he plans on doing upon an investment. The student enjoys woodworking and wants to be able to start his own business but has minimal knowledge of what …

A One-Dimensional Analysis Of A Microbial Fuel Cell For Efficient Acetate Removal And Power Density Output, David Rouhani

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are electrochemical devices that utilize microorganisms to convert organic matter into electrical energy. MFCs have been discussed to have potential application for sustainable wastewater treatment due to their ability to generate electricity while simultaneously treating contaminated water. To optimize MFC performance, numerical models can be used to understand the complex electrochemical and biological processes occurring in the system. In this study, a numerical model was developed to simulate the performance of MFCs under varying operating conditions and to investigate the performance of a MFC for treating wastewater fuel. More specifically, the MFC was modeled to oxidize …

Estimating Seasonal Crop Water Consumption In Irrigated Lands Using Soil Moisture And Reference Evapotranspiration, Oliver Henry Hargreaves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The increase in population and the megadrought that the American west has been experiencing for the past two decades and for the foreseeable future are the cause of great stress on the region’s water resources. In an effort to mitigate the worst effects of water shortages many public and private agencies have been pursuing ways to reduce water use while maintaining the current status quo of living standards, industrial productivity, and agricultural yield. This project aims to study water use in irrigated lands dedicated to agriculture with the objective of quantifying crop water use, often referred to as evapotranspiration (ET), …

Sensitivity Analysis Of Transportation Emissions On Near-Road Air Dispersion Using The Epa-Approved Gaussian Air Dispersion Model Aermod, Ivan Mauricio Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Departments of transportation across the United States have presented concerns over making the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regulatory Model (AERMOD) the new regulatory air dispersion model for federally funded transportations projects. Concerns arose from the lack of data presented on its use in transportation projects. AERMOD was developed to present a steady-state air dispersion model used on industrial complexes which present static emission sources unlike the dynamic sources presented by transportation projects. We used multiple analytical and statistical methods to further understand the sensitivity of the model results based on different factors and therefore …

Numerical Simulation Of Losses In Four-Way Pipe Junctions, Simon Barth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To design pipelines, engineers need to know how much energy the fluid in the pipe has at different locations in the pipe network. The energy the fluid has comes in the form of pressure, velocity, and elevation. As fluid travels through a pipe, it loses energy for many different reasons. Some of those reasons include friction between the fluid and the pipe wall, shear forces within the fluid, changes in flow direction, changes in elevation, or various pipe fittings like elbows, tee’s, valves, reducers, and expanders. Many of the causes of energy loss are well researched. One cause of energy …

Corrosion Rate Prediction In Frp-Concrete Repair, Mohammad A. Khawaja

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has proven that wrapping structural elements with fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) slows down chloride-induced corrosion rate but does not stop it. Although FRP has been used for corrosion repair for over 40 years, predictive corrosion rate models for FRP-concrete systems are limited in literature. This dissertation presents an oxygen diffusion-based predictive framework to estimate corrosion rate in FRP-concrete systems.

The dissertation has three main components. First, a core framework that is referred to as Khawaja-Sen-Bhethanabotla (KSB) model. In the KSB model, statistical methods were used to extend experimental data on oxygen permeation coefficients. These data were for one and two …

Experimental Research Methodology For The Crack Resistance Of Large-Panel Buildings In Seismic Areas, Nigmat Baxramovich Shaumarov, Ulugbek Xakimovich Abdullayev

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

The experience of the Tashkent, Spitak, Kyrgyz and Kamchatka earthquakes of recent years has led to the conclusion that there is a sufficient good seismic resistance of large-panel buildings with a narrow step of transverse load-bearing walls. One of the distinguishing structural features of buildings is considered to be the overlapping of individual multi-hollow panels with their support on special cantilevered outlets along the lateral surfaces of the transverse walls. Elements of the outer walls were made of expanded clay concrete with a compressive strength of about 200 kg / cm2. All structures were reinforced with flat welded frames made …

To The Conclusion Of The Variational Equation Of Motion Of Shell Structures Supported By Frames And Stringers, Farkhod Erkinovich Abdukadirov

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

In this article is given the construction of the variational equation of motion of the shell structure supported by frames and stringers. Using the Hamilton - Ostrogradsky variational principle, systems of differential equations of motion of shell elements are obtained.

Modelling The Addition Of Limestone In Cement Using Hydcem, Niall Holmes, Denis Kelliher, Mark Tyrer

Conference papers

Hydration models can aid in the prediction, understanding and description of hydration behaviour over time as the move towards more sustainable cements continues.

HYDCEM is a new model to predict the phase assemblage, degree of hydration and heat release over time for cements undergoing hydration for any w/c ratio and curing temperatures up to 450C. HYDCEM, written in MATLAB, complements more sophisticated thermodynamic models by predicting these properties over time using user-friendly inputs within one code. A number of functions and methods based on up to date cement hydration behaviour from the literature are hard-wired into the code along with …

Hydcem: A New Cement Hydration Model, Niall Holmes, Denis Kelliher, Mark Tyrer

Conference papers

Hydration models are useful to predict, understand and describe the behaviour of different cementitious-based systems. They are indispensable for undertaking long-term performance and service life predictions for existing and new products for generating quantitative data in the move towards more sustainable cements while optimising natural resources. One such application is the development of cement-based thermoelectric applications.

HYDCEM is a new model to predict the phase assemblage, degree of hydration, heat release and changes in pore solution chemistry over time for cements undergoing hydration for any w/c ratio and curing temperatures up to 450C. HYDCEM, written in MATLAB, is aimed at …

Using A Balloon-Launched Unmanned Glider To Validate Real-Time Wrf Modeling, Travis J. Schuyler, S. M. Iman Gohari, Gary Pundsack, Donald Berchoff, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The use of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for meteorological measurements has expanded significantly in recent years. SUAS are efficient platforms for collecting data with high resolution in both space and time, providing opportunities for enhanced atmospheric sampling. Furthermore, advances in mesoscale weather research and forecasting (WRF) modeling and graphical processing unit (GPU) computing have enabled high resolution weather modeling. In this manuscript, a balloon-launched unmanned glider, complete with a suite of sensors to measure atmospheric temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, is deployed for validation of real-time weather models. This work demonstrates the usefulness of sUAS for validating and improving …

Energy Consumption And Routing Model For First Responder Vehicles, Alex Rodriguez

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The ongoing research and prototyping of electric vehicles (EVs) offers numerous opportunities to investigate their performance in various service contexts. As EVs are integrated into society, the reliable prediction of fuel consumption and routing time becomes particularly important in emergency response services. This project develops a preliminary stochastic model that can route and predict the energy consumption and travel time for hypothetical emergency vehicles operating on an electric battery cell. Using a Monte-Carlo framework, we constructed a routing model designed to minimize travel time and resource consumption under various simulated conditions. In doing so, we establish the foundation for balancing …

Optimization Of Pv Powered Spd Switchable Glazing To Minimise Probability Of Loss Of Power Supply, Aritra Ghosh, Brian Norton

Articles

Suspended particle device (SPD) glazing is an electrically actuated switchable glazing. It requires alternate current (AC) power supply to switch from opaque to transparent state. To power this glazing using PV device requires inverter. Optimization of AC powered switchable SPD glazing using photovoltaic (PV) device has been evaluated using loss of power supply probability (LPSP). Electrically switchable direct current (DC) powered electrochromic glazing was also considered in this investigation as it doesn't need any inverter to couple with PV. It is concluded that behaviour of these glazings is the dominant factor in performance optimization outweighting than azimuthal orientation and inclination …

Experimental Testing And Modeling Of Partial Nitrification At Different Temperatures, Xiaoguang Liu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Nitrogen in wastewater treatment plant effluents has adverse environmental effects on aquatic systems. Excessive concentrations of nitrogen in water bodies can result in the depletion of dissolved oxygen, deterioration of water quality, and shifts of biotic community. Conventional biological nitrogen removal (BNR) processes consume high energy for nitrification and require external carbon for denitrification. Alternatively, partial nitrification is of interest as an emerging technology for its lower need of organic carbon addition and cost savings in aeration. In this study, the main objectives are: 1- developing a mathematical model involving operational parameters for the determination of successful partial nitrification conditions; …

Physical Modeling Of Flow Nets In Groundwater And Determination Of Hydraulic Conductivity, Hannah Nicholas, Moses Karakouzian

AANAPISI Poster Presentations

The goal of this study is to physically model the paths that water particles take through soil, and estimate hydraulic conductivity for several soil configurations. Water paths, or flow lines, are shown by injecting dye into sand contained in a rectangular acrylic glass tank with a vertical barrier in the center; water is poured on one side of the tank and a pump is used to maintain constant head loss. If flow lines are formed, a flow net is to be drawn using photos of the tank and hydraulic conductivity is to be calculated.

This project consists of four phases: …

High Recovery Inland Desalination: A Technical And Economic Performance Evaluation Of Zero Discharge Desalination And Other Technologies, Malynda Aragon Cappelle

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Increasing population and diminishing freshwater resources are leading to increased competition between users of freshwater, both in terms of surface water and groundwater. Desalination can augment the water supply, but conventional approaches like reverse osmosis are usually limited to 70-80% recovery. Inland brine disposal options are often limited, presenting significant technical and economic obstacles to implementing desalination technology. In comparison to conventional desalination technologies, high recovery desalination methods such as Zero Discharge Desalination (ZDD) offer substantially higher potable water yield (i.e., 95-98%) from brackish water. ZDD is a hybrid process that combines reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF) with electrodialysis …

Cloud-Based Analytic Element Groundwater Modeling, Jacob Baird Fullerton

Theses and Dissertations

Managing groundwater resources requires computer modeling software, which in turn brings its own costs in education and usage fees. Although many groundwater modeling programs can be obtained at relatively inexpensive rates the hidden costs of software training remain high in general. What has been done is to make both the software and training available online for free, but this method delegates all responsibility to the users for both accessing the software in addition to learning how to use it properly. In this research the accessibility of groundwater models has been improved upon by creating a web app of an open …

Fuel Consumption Models For Tractor Test Reports, Michael F. Kocher, Bryan J. Smith, Roger M. Hoy, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, Santosh Pitla

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Five models for estimating fuel consumption for agricultural tractors with partial drawbar loads were compared. Data were collected from eight John Deere tractors, JD 7230R (e23), 7250R (e23), 7270R (e23), 7290R (e23), 8320R (16 speed), 7290R (IVT), 8345RT (IVT), 8370R (IVT), on the drawbar test track at the Nebraska Tractor Test Lab. The tractors were tested with seven load levels per speed at three different travel speeds as close as possible to 7.5, 10, and 13 km h-1. The IVT tractors were operated in auto mode, and the geared tractors were shifted up three gears and throttled back to the …

Unsteady Flow Simulations To Develop Model Scale Discharge Hydrographs For The Expanded Small Scale Physical Model Of The Mississippi River, Ronald Joseph Rodi

LSU Master's Theses

Small-scale HEC-RAS models were used to analyze discharges used to test the Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority Expanded Small Scale Physical Model (ESSPM) of the Mississippi River. The HEC-RAS models extend from River Mile 228.4 (Baton Rouge) to the Gulf of Mexico that includes the ESSPM reach which begins at River Mile 173.5 (Donaldsonville). The model scales are 1:6000 horizontally and 1:400 vertically. Using the historic river discharges from 2008 through 2015, the small-scale numerical models proved capable of replicating observed stages along eleven sites of the lower Mississippi River within the targets of …

The Stability And Ecophysiological Realism Of Calibrated Parameters In A Detailed Vegetation Model (Waves), R. W. Vervoort, J. D. Henry, M. Gharun, M. A. Adams

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

WAVES is a daily time-step one-dimensional vegetation, water and energy transfer model that has been used extensively across Australia (and globally) to simulate ecohydrological processes. In particular it has been used extensively for assessing future recharge under climate change. A literature review suggests parameter values from the user manual are most commonly used in research. This suggests that further investigation into the stability and equifinality of the parameters might be warranted, specifically since the model is used for scenario studies. This study made use of an extensive sapflow and soil moisture data set for 7 tree vegetation sites in the …

Electrokinetics And Vacuum Combined Dewatering Of Oil Sand Tailings, Rui Zhang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

One of the challenges faced by the oil sand industry is the dewatering of mature fine oil sands tailings (MFT) due to the low permeability. Vacuum pressure or electrokinetic (EK) dewatering is effective to meet this objective. This research was focused on the experimental study and analytical modelling to explore the influence of combined vacuum and EK treatment on MFT. In this study, systematical experiments on MFT recovered from the northern Alberta were carried out. At first, the characterization and EK cell tests were conducted to measure the basic properties and the coefficient of electroosmotic permeability (ke) of MFT. Secondly, …

Ncma Groundwater Model Using Usgs Modflow-2005/Pest, Brian Matthew Wallace

Master's Theses

A numerical model for the NCMA aquifer complex is presented. The objective of the study is to develop a numerical groundwater model for the NCMA aquifer system to enhance the understanding of subsurface groundwater flow. Infiltration, streamflow, pumping, and return flows are implemented to characterize the aquifer complex over time. The numerical model is calibrated to municipal and monitoring well data, average monthly water balances, and hydraulic contours. Transient aquifer inflows and outflows are assessed in the results of the study and are compared to balance terms from previous studies. The 2007 Todd Engineers Study subsurface inflows and outflows generate …

Potential Effects Of Climate Change On Ecologically Relevant Streamflow Regimes, Sulochan Dhungel, David G. Tarboton, Jiming Jin, Charles P. Hawkins

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

We assessed the climate-driven changes in ecologically relevant flow regimes expected to occur by the year 2100 in streams across the conterminous United States. We used long-term daily flow measurements from 601 gauged streams whose watersheds were in relatively natural condition to characterize spatial variation in 16 flow regime variables selected for their ecological importance. Principal component analysis of these 16 variables produced five uncorrelated factors that described patterns of spatial covariation in flow regimes. These five factors were associated with low flow, magnitude, flashiness, timing, and constancy characteristics of the daily flow regime. We applied hierarchical clustering to the …

The Impacts Of Climate Change Policies On The Transportation Sector

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

This study examines the impact of carbon tax and its alternative, energy tax, on both the Malaysian economy and the transport sector, using a CGE (Computable General Equilibrium) framework. In order to achieve government revenue neutrality, two schemes for revenue recycling, namely lump-sum transfer and labour tax recycling, are employed. The simulation's results show that the carbon tax policy is more effective than the energy tax policy in reducing carbon emissions; because it is less expensive. The negative impact of the carbon tax, on real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and investment, is less than the energy tax in both recycling …

Stiffness Performance Of Polyethylene Terephthalate Modified Asphalt Mixtures Estimation Using Support Vector Machine-Firefly Algorithm

Faculty of Engineering University of Malaya

Predicting asphalt pavement performance is an important matter which can save cost and energy. To ensure an accurate estimation of performance of the mixtures, new soft computing techniques can be used. In this study, in order to estimate the stiffness property of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) modified asphalt mixture, different soft computing methods were developed, namely: support vector machine-firefly algorithm (SVM-FFA), genetic programming (GP), artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine. The support vector machine-firefly algorithm (SVM-FFA) is a metaheuristic search algorithm developed according to the socially dashing manners of fireflies in nature. To develop the models, experiments were performed. …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Bulk Organic Precursors And Disinfection Byproduct Formation For Advanced Oxidation Processes, Brooke Mayer, Erin Daugherty, Morteza Abbaszadegan

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are gaining traction as they offer mineralization potential rather than transferring contaminants between media. However, AOPs operated with limited energy and/or chemical inputs can exacerbate disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation, even as precursors such as dissolved organic carbon, UV₂₅₄, and specific UV absorbance (SUVA) decrease. This study examined the relationship between DBP precursors and formation using TiO₂ photocatalysis experiments, external AOP and non-AOP data, and predictive DBP models. The top-performing indicator, SUVA, generally correlated positively with trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, but limited-energy photocatalysis yielded contrasting negative correlations. The accuracy of predicted DBP values from …

Influence Of Water Chemistry Parameters On The Dissolution Rate Of The Lead (Ii) Carbonate Hydrocerussite, Caitlin Se Kushnir

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This work has focused on the kinetic dissolution of the lead (II) carbonate hydrocerussite (Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂) under four pH conditions (7.5, 8, 9, 10), three dissolved inorganic concentrations (DIC; 10, 20, 50 mg C/L), and three initial hydrocerussite concentrations (10, 20, 50 mg/L) in batch experiments. Experiments were performed in at least duplicate to determine total dissolved lead dissolution curves at short time scales (hr.). All equilibrium dissolved lead concentrations were achieved in 40 minutes or less, and matched trends from previous studies; pH 7.5 and pH 10 corresponding to the highest and …

Methane Production By A Packed-Bed Anaerobic Digester Fed Dairy Barn Flush Water, Sean Richard Thomson

Master's Theses

Packed-bed digesters are an alternative to covered lagoon digesters for methane production and anaerobic treatment of dilute wastewaters such as dairy barn flush water. The physical media of packed-beds retain biofilms, often allowing increased treatment rates. Previous studies have evaluated several types of media for digestion of dilute wastewaters, but cost and media fouling have setback commercial development. A major operational cost has been effluent recirculation pumping.

In the present effort, a novel approach to anaerobic digestion of flush dairy water was developed at pilot-scale: broken walnut shells were used as a low-cost packed-bed medium and effluent recirculation was replaced …

Influence Of Fly Ash On Surface Chloride Concentration Under Shallow Immersion Condition, Jun Liu, Xiaodong Wang, Feng Xing, Ningxu Han

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

In this paper, the influence of fly ash content on concrete surface chloride concentration was investigated through periodical tests of surface chloride concentration of concrete by immersing three kinds of concrete specimens in 5.0 wt.% sodium chloride solution. One kind of specimen is common concrete without fly ash, whereas the other two kinds of specimens are mixed with fly ash. The results show that the surface chloride ion concentration ranges from 0.295 to 0.777 wt.% for the immersed concrete samples in this study; in the initial stage of immersion, the concrete surface chloride ion concentration is affected by added fly …

Development Of Safety Performance Functions For Non-Motorized Traffic Safety, Hamidreza Ahady Dolatsara

Masters Theses

This study investigates the factors which affect the safety of non-motorized transportation within the influence area of intersections to enhance development of safety performance functions (SPFs). The scope of this study is limited to the four Michigan cities of Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Flint and Grand Rapids. Due to the current lack of research regarding the appropriate size of the influence area, this study investigates the distance of crashes relative to the center of 148 intersections to identify the most probable area of influence for different crash types. For motorized and non-motorized crashes, 240 ft. and 137 ft. are proposed, …