Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Achieving Optimal Value Of Solar: A Municipal Utility Rate Analysis, Ben Saarloos, Jason C. Quinn

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Wind and solar renewable energy in the United States is projected to triple by 2050 to nearly 30% of total electric energy generation. The upper Midwest region (Iowa, Minnesota, and North and South Dakota in particular) is considered wind energy country and not historically known for solar energy development. In this work, Value of Solar (VOS) is developed as a photovoltaic (PV) optimization measure and analysis tool using a northwest Iowa municipality as a representative case study. By applying a top-down load duration curve system analysis, VOS is used to optimize PV orientation and compare electric rate structures for increasing …

Strain Energy Absorption Corresponds To Decreased Incidence Of Ventricular Fibrillation In A Commotio Cordis Model, Kayt E. Frisch, Mark S. Link, John Van Weelden

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A healthy teenage boy is playing high school baseball, when he is struck in the chest by the ball; minutes later, his heart is experiencing ventricular fibrillation (VF) and the only way to resuscitate him is to use a defibrillator. This phenomenon, is known as Commotio Cordis (CC), and occurs as many as 20 times each year in the United States. CC most frequently occurs in sports with small balls (e.g. baseball or lacrosse) and requires a specific set of circumstances–a projectile with a certain amount of energy that impacts directly over the left ventricle of the heart during a …

Carbon Conversion During Bubbling Fluidized Bed Gasification Of Biomass, Kevin Timmer

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Gasification is one means of transforming biomass so that it can be more easily utilized as a renewable source of thermal energy, transportation fuel, and chemicals. Under typical gasification conditions it is not uncommon that a portion of the carbon entering with the biomass leaves the reactor unconverted as char. Understanding and improving carbon conversion during biomass gasification in an atmospheric bubbling fluidized bed reactor is the focus of this study.

To better understand the intricacies of biomass gasification a carbon conversion analytic methodology was developed. The methodology is based on a mass balance of the fixed carbon entering and …

Methods Of Measuring The Solubility And Viscosity Of Lubricating Oil/Refrigerant Mixtures At High Discharge Pressures And Temperatures, Nolan Van Gaalen

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The design and construction of a test facility and methodology for measuring the solubility and viscosity of lubricating oil/refrigerant mixtures at high pressures and temperatures are described. An auxiliary charging system, developed to provide precisely measured quantities of oil and refrigerant to the test facility, is also presented. The test facility was developed under the sponsorship and supervision of ASHRAE which funded this research project (RP-580);The solubility, viscosity and density of mixtures of R-22 and of R-502 with commonly used 150 SUS lubricants have been measured by using this facility. Specifically, results for liquid mixtures of 10% to 40% refrigerant …