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Electronic Theses and Dissertations

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Articles 61 - 71 of 71

Full-Text Articles in Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering

Water And Nutrient Balances Of Vegetative Treatment Systems For Feedlots In South Dakota, Daniel T. Ostrem Jan 2010

Water And Nutrient Balances Of Vegetative Treatment Systems For Feedlots In South Dakota, Daniel T. Ostrem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vegetative treatment systems (VTS) are a possible alternative to storage basins for managing feedlot runoff but have not been researched in South Dakota. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of VTS within South Dakota. The performance was evaluated by determining water and mass balances on each vegetative treatment area (VTA). The balances were determined by measuring all inflow, outflow, evapotranspiration, precipitation, and both soil and water nutrient concentrations within the VTA. Twelve site years have been completed in researching VTS from four feed lots in South Dakota. Seven of the twelve site-years VTS were able to prevent water …

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Measuring The Adhesive Bond Quality Of Vinyl Ester-Glass Composites On Novolak Hmr Treated Wood, Leopold Eisenheld Jan 2003

Measuring The Adhesive Bond Quality Of Vinyl Ester-Glass Composites On Novolak Hmr Treated Wood, Leopold Eisenheld

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to 1) reduce the drying time of novolak-based HMR coupling agent, 2) reinforce wood samples with E-glasslvinyl ester resin composite using the SCRIMPThq process, 3) evaluate the durability and strength properties of the FRP-wood composites, and 4) evaluate the bonding strength of wood-to-wood bonding using vinyl ester resin. To reduce the drying time of HMR-treated wood laminates, a randomized complete three factorial experiment was used to evaluate five HMR drying times, two HMR spread rates, and two HMR solids contents. The experiment evaluated the sensitivity of the HMR treatment process to accelerated drying. The …

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Effects Of Strand Geometry On Selected Properties Of Long-Stand Structural Composite Lumber Made From Northeastern Hardwoods, Russell Edgar Jan 2003

Effects Of Strand Geometry On Selected Properties Of Long-Stand Structural Composite Lumber Made From Northeastern Hardwoods, Russell Edgar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Structural composite lumber (SCL) products often possess significantly higher design values than the top grades of solid lumber, making it a popular choice for both residential and commercial applications. The enhanced mechanical properties of SCL are mainly due to defect randomization and densification of the wood fiber, both largely functions of the size, shape and composition (species) of the wood element. Traditionally, SCL manufacturers have used thin, rectangular elements produced from either moderate density softwoods or low density hardwoods. Higher density hardwood species have been avoided, as they require higher pressures to adequately densify and consolidate the wood furnish. These …

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Modeling Sugarbeet Quality Variables From Satellite Images And Canopy Spectral Indices, Subodh Kulkarni Jan 2003

Modeling Sugarbeet Quality Variables From Satellite Images And Canopy Spectral Indices, Subodh Kulkarni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Remote sensing was used to model crop quality from measurements of canopy spectra. Three indices of canopy characteristics, derived from satellite image data, were tested for relationship to whole-field sugarbeet quality. Quality was quantified as recoverable sucrose per ton of harvested sugarbeets. Quality data were extracted from the year 2002 Field Database of the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Co-operative, (SMBSC), Renville, Minnesota. Linear regression models utilizing canopy indices and changes in canopy indices over time were tested for relationship to sugarbeet quality for four classes of sugarbeets. Classes of sugarbeet tested represented fields planted to a mix of varieties resistant …

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Localization Of Expansin Expression During Adventitious And Lateral Rooting In Response To Auxin In Loblolly Pine, Fuyu Xu Jan 2002

Localization Of Expansin Expression During Adventitious And Lateral Rooting In Response To Auxin In Loblolly Pine, Fuyu Xu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Loblolly Pine is the most important and widely cultivated timber species in the southern United States. Due to its fast growth, it is extensively planted for lumber and pulpwood. Vegetative propagation will enhance gains from genetic improvement of tree species. Rooted-cutting is at present the most reliable non-somatic embryogenesis method for cloning specific genotypes. However, an abrupt decline of adventitious rooting capacity has hindered the application of vegetative propagation in loblolly pine. Unraveling the rooting mechanism may facilitate a way to overcome this barrier. Regulation of lateral and adventitious root formation by auxin has been demonstrated through the application of …

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Artificial Recharge Of Groundwater As A Water Management Option For Eastern Maine, Robert J. Saunders May 2001

Artificial Recharge Of Groundwater As A Water Management Option For Eastern Maine, Robert J. Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The declining population of Atlantic salmon in eastern Maine has brought the wild blueberry industry's irrigation practice of pumping water directly from ponds and streams under scrutiny. Restrictions on pumping from streams has prompted the industry to seek new water resources. One resource with potential to assist the industry to meet its irrigation needs is groundwater. However, preliminary research has shown that groundwater is not capable of completely satisfying irrigation needs. To evaluate the potential that artificially recharging the groundwater during spring run-off to retain the water for later use as irrigation, the groundwater software Visual MODFLOW was applied. Inputs …

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Evaluating The Durability Of Wood/Frp Bonds Through Chemical Kinetics Using A Range Of Mechanical Test Methods, Jonathan Philip Alexander Jan 2000

Evaluating The Durability Of Wood/Frp Bonds Through Chemical Kinetics Using A Range Of Mechanical Test Methods, Jonathan Philip Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hybrid composites of wood and fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) exhibit a flexibility of design properties through choices in fiber type, amount, orientation and resin type. With this flexibility comes the need to measure the durability of the composite material system, especially the bond between these two materials due to their markedly different responses to moisture. This study is two-fold; the first section examines methods for the mechanical testing and durability of wood/FRP laminations. Six mechanical tests were evaluated and a modified block shear method was identified as the most suitable due to its ability to provide representative results independent of …

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Performance And Evaluation Of A Variable-Speed Darrieus Wind Turbine, Kasey W. Abbott Jan 1982

Performance And Evaluation Of A Variable-Speed Darrieus Wind Turbine, Kasey W. Abbott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Developing wind energy suitable for agriculture applications is a critical step towards providing a reliable, affordable energy supply for United States agriculture. United States agriculture, due to its energy intensive nature-, is dependent on petroleum fuels. Because agriculture is extremely sensitive, to supply interruptions, steps must be taken to reduce this dependence on oil, including developing wind energy systems. It appears that the potential is there since winds over the United States contain more than 30 times the total energy consumed in this nation (Soderholm, 1979).
Agricultural applications (e.g. irrigation pumping, product processing and building heating) are uniquely suited to …

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Design And Performance Of A Solar Energy Intensifier System For Drying Shelled Corn, Kenneth J. Hellevang Jan 1979

Design And Performance Of A Solar Energy Intensifier System For Drying Shelled Corn, Kenneth J. Hellevang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since utilizing solar energy as an alternate energy source for agricultural applications is dependent on improvement in the design of solar systems and on documentation of the performance characteristics, reliability and economic feasibility of solar systems, research was conducted with the following objectives: 1. Design a multi-purpose solar energy system with a diurnally tracking solar energy intensifier and a thermal energy storage unit to warm the ventilation air for a swine confinement building and to dry corn. 2. Test the solar energy intensifier-collector system for corn drying under actual conditions. 3. Evaluate the performance and economic feasibility of a diurnally …

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Design Of A Vertical Axis And Turbine-Variable Speed Heat Pump Alternate Energy System, John V. Karnitis Jan 1979

Design Of A Vertical Axis And Turbine-Variable Speed Heat Pump Alternate Energy System, John V. Karnitis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective if the project is to design an unguyed wind energy conversion system consisting of a Savonius rotor assisted non-articulating 5m (15 ft) diameter Darrius vertical axis wind turbine, which is self-starting, and is mechanically coupled by a V-belt drive to an automotive air conditioning variable speed compressor. The variable speed-compressor is utilized as a mover for a variable speed heat pump system. The basic objective is further subdivided into the following objectives:
1. To develop a preliminary design of the wind energy conversion system, which later cane be modified to the existing energy needs.
2. To predict …

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Performance And Evaluation Of Swine House Heating With A Solar Energy Intensifier-Thermal Energy Storage System, Albert J. Heber Jan 1979

Performance And Evaluation Of Swine House Heating With A Solar Energy Intensifier-Thermal Energy Storage System, Albert J. Heber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The urgency for energy independence in the United States is unprecedented in its history. The demand for energy is reflected in rising fuel costs which affects every segment of the economy. Among the most severely affected sectors is the agriculture industry, whose fossil fuel consumption is crucial to its efficient production of food and fiber. Solar, one of several alternative energy sources being developed nationwide has unique possibilities in the U.S. agriculture system. Large areas are available for locating collector units, and the energy requirements in the farm are low compared with the available radiation falling on the area. Drying …

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