Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluation Of Mechanical Vapor Recompression And Easy Multi-Effect Desalination Systems In Different Climate Conditions-Sensitivity And 7e Analysis, Hamed Kariman, Mehdi Khiadani, Siamak Hoseinzadeh, Shahin Shoeibi, Abdellah Shafieian

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Evaporative desalination systems, such as Multi-Effect Desalination (MED) and Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR), play important roles in addressing this challenge. Although large-scale desalination systems possess limitations in catering to the water demands of remote regions and islands and entail the cost of water transportation to residential areas, it is imperative to concentrate on studying the feasibility of employing centralized evaporative water production systems. Firstly, in this study, the initial focus is on conducting energy and exergy analyses of MVR and Easy MED systems, with a goal of enhancing knowledge about the energy consumption, exergy destruction and exergetic efficiency of these …

Gender-Based Service Quality Evaluation Of Multimodal Public Transportation In Dki Jakarta, Mohammad Owais, Jachrizal Sumabrata, Nahry Yusuf

Smart City

In DKI Jakarta, despite the extensive infrastructure development, there has been a significant decline in the usage of public transportation. This can be attributed to the inadequate quality of the services provided. Various studies have highlighted the significance of evaluating the quality of service in public transportation to ensure passenger satisfaction and attract new users. However, there is no agreement on the most effective methodology and suitable indicators for conducting such analyses. In addition, there is a growing recognition of the importance of promoting gender equality in multimodal public transportation (MMPT) and understanding gender differences and perceptions of MMPT services. …

Understanding The Impact Of Microplastic Contamination On Soil Quality And Eco-Toxicological Risks In Horticulture: A Comprehensive Review, N. P. Gayathri, Geena Prasad, Vaishna Prabhakaran, Vishnu Priya

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The horticulture sector, essential for global food production, confronts significant challenges with prevalent pollutants, mainly microplastics. The presence of microplastics in the food chain has induced physiological stress and a multifactorial food safety concern. The complexity of the problem, arising from intricate interactions among microplastics, organisms, and ecosystems, poses a substantial challenge to food safety, necessitating an immediate strategic perspective due to the associated risks to human health and eco-toxicology. Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding their impact on terrestrial ecosystems, especially in horticulture. This study addresses the urgent need to comprehend the implications of microplastics on soil health, eco-toxicological risks, …

Synthesis Of Geopolymer Using Coal Fly Ash And Corn Stover, Anu Paneru

Master's Theses

The development of each nation is dependent on its infrastructure, and nations are competing with others in infrastructure, especially in the construction of roadways, since they play a vital role in the economic and social development of the nation. The conventional materials used for road construction are cement and asphalt, which pose significant environmental challenges. This thesis explores the potential of fly ash (FA) and corn stover (CS) in synthesizing geopolymer, as an alternative material for the construction of roads. The study examines the impact of FA and CS percentages and the particle sizes of CS on the compressive strength, …

Advective And Diffusive Gas Phase Transport In Vadose Zones: Importance For Defining Vapour Risks And Natural Source Zone Depletion Of Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Kaveh Sookhak Lari, Greg B. Davis, John L. Rayner, Trevor P. Bastow

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Quantifying the interlinked behaviour of the soil microbiome, fluid flow, multi-component transport and partitioning, and biodegradation is key to characterising vapour risks and natural source zone depletion (NSZD) of light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) petroleum hydrocarbons. Critical to vapour transport and NSZD is transport of gases through the vadose zone (oxygen from the atmosphere, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), methane and carbon dioxide from the zone of LNAPL biodegradation). Volatilisation of VOCs from LNAPL, aerobic biodegradation, methanogenesis and heat production all generate gas pressure changes that may lead to enhanced gas fluxes apart from diffusion. Despite the importance of the gaseous …

Advancing Simultaneous Extraction And Sequential Single-Particle Icp-Ms Analysis For Metallic Nanoparticle Mixtures In Plant Tissues, Lei Xu, Xingmao Ma, John Yang, Joel G. Burken, Paul Ki-Souk Nam, Honglan Shi, Hu Yang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Engineered Nanoparticles (ENPs) Have Been Increasingly Used in Agricultural Operations, leading to an Urgent Need for Robust Methods to Analyze Co-Occurring ENPs in Plant Tissues. in Response, This Study Advanced the Simultaneous Extraction of Coexisting Silver, Cerium Oxide, and Copper Oxide ENPs in Lettuce Shoots and Roots using Macerozyme R-10 and Analyzed Them by Single-Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Additionally, the Standard Stock Suspensions of the ENPs Were Stabilized with Citrate, and the Long-Term Stability (Up to 5 Months) Was Examined for the First Time. the Method Performance Results Displayed Satisfactory Accuracies and Precisions and Achieved Low Particle Concentration …

The Use Of Repurposed Whole Textiles To Modify The Mechanical And Hydrogeological Properties Of Green Roof Media And Granular Soils, Angelis Almanzar-Chevalie, Yehya Elfgeeh, Calvin O. Walters Jr.

Publications and Research

This study investigates using repurposed whole textiles to modify the mechanical and hydrogeological properties of lightweight Green Roof media and granular pavement soils.

Green Roof Media Green roofs aim to bring the advantages of suburban agriculture to urban environments while improving energy efficiency and enhancing stormwater management in public, commercial, and residential buildings. Previous studies by City Tech undergraduate research assistants demonstrated significant modification in hydrogeological properties when incorporating textile fabric up to 3% textile by weight (%Tex) at an aspect ratio of 1:1. The effects of mixing repurposed whole textile fiber with Green Roof media is evaluated with regards …

Revitalizing Turtle Creek Park, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, Abbey Jacoby, Casey Stephenson

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

We current ENST 411 students, Abbey Jacoby, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, and Casey Stephenson have chosen to work with Jim Knight, East Buffalo Township, the Merrill Linn Land and Waterways Conservancy, and many others in an attempt to revitalize Turtle Creek Park for a plethora of reasons. Three of us are majoring in biology, and two are majoring in environmental science, which makes much of the information and techniques relevant in Turtle Creek applicable to our courses of study. This project included heavy hands on work which allowed us students to leave a memorable and impactful influence on the Lewisburg …

Bay Water Level Influences On Inundation And Morphological Changes Of A Semi-Connected Barrier Island During A Hurricane, Sydney D. Goodman

<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>

This research aims to identify flooding and erosion changes along a semi-connected barrier island system due to varying bay water levels during storm conditions. The numerical model XBeach is used to simulate Hurricane Michael conditions and the resulting inundation and morphological change near Tyndall Air Force Base (Tyndall AFB). The installation is located 12 miles southeast of Panama City Beach along the panhandle of Florida and is vulnerable to flooding due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Saint Andrew Sound and Saint Andrew Bay. A land bridge connects the barrier island to the mainland of Tyndall AFB …

Examining The Relationship Between Manning's Roughness Coefficient And Stage, Henry Holtkamp

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper uses LOESS regression to predict Manning's roughness coefficient to calculate flows in natural stream channels. Manning's roughness coefficient can introduce variability into Manning's equation, potentially destabilizing results. Utilizing LOESS to find n based on backcalculated n from collected discharge vs. stage information is the best way to acquire accurate Manning's roughness coefficient values at a variety of flows. Book values tend to drastically overestimate which can have wide-ranging implications for water allocation, flood management, maintaining environmental flows, and maintaining water quality.

Detection Of Deficiencies And Data Analysis Of Bridge Members With Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, Bennett Jackson

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Concrete cracks and structural steel corrosion are two of the most common defects in bridges. Quantifying and classifying these defects provide bridge inspectors and engineers with valuable data for assessing deterioration levels. However, the bridge inspection process is typically a subjective, time intensive, and tedious task, as defects can be overlooked or in locations not easily accessible. Previous studies have investigated deep learning-based inspection methods, implementing popular models such as Mask R-CNN and U-Net. The architectures of these models offer certain advantages depending on the required task. This thesis aims to evaluate and compare Mask R-CNN and U-Net regarding their …

Microplastics Fouling Mitigation In Forward Osmosis Membranes By The Molecular Assembly Of Sulfobetaine Zwitterion, Javad Farahbakhsh, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi Khiadani, Amir Razmjou, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Forward osmosis (FO) membranes have potential for the efficient water and wastewater treatment applications. However, their development has faced significant challenges due to their fouling propensity. In this study, FO membranes modified with sulfobetaine zwitterions (i.e., [2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide) were fabricated and used for the first time to address microplastic (MP) fouling issue. Water flux, reverse salt flux (RSF), fouling, and flux recovery were evaluated for the membranes loaded with different quantities of the zwitterions ranging from 0.25 % to 2 %. The developed membranes were tested over 49 h with feed solutions containing polyethylene MPs and bovine serum albumin …

Dynamic Soil-Structure Response And Failure Of Wood Utility Poles Under Hurricane-Force Wind And Non-Linear Cable Loads, Ramani Ayakannu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents the outcome of a study of the dynamic soil-structure interaction response of tapered wood utility poles embedded in various foundation soils subject to quasi-static and dynamic wind loads. The study includes the effects of nonlinear soil behavior with varying quantities of moisture and nonlinear cable tension loads on a class H1 wood pole. The natural frequency response of the pole is determined using a finite element formulation. The dynamic response in the presence of wind-induced forcing function is studied using a SAP2000 finite element scheme with wind speeds up to 220 mph. The natural frequency of the …

Investigating Gulf Coast Aquifer System: Stratigraphy Reconstruction, Inverse Modeling, And Groundwater Stress Assessment, Shuo Yang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Mississippi Embayment aquifer system (MEAS) and the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system (CLAS) provide substantial groundwater resources for human activities in the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain. However, the overexploitation has led to groundwater depletion in the MEAS and the CLAS, threatening sustainable groundwater use. Such concern highlights the crucial need for an advanced understanding of stratigraphy and groundwater in these aquifer systems, which is essential for effective regional groundwater management. This dissertation presents a comprehensive investigation of MEAS and CLAS in the Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi region, encompassing three fundamental dimensions: stratigraphy reconstruction, groundwater modeling, and groundwater stress assessments. A …

Accuracy Of Nitrate Hysteresis And Flushing For Agricultural Watersheds In The Midwest, Noah Rudko, Sara K. W. Mcmillian, Jane Frankenberger, François Birgand

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Storm event-based metrics, such as hysteresis (HI) and flushing (FI), are used to differentiate nitrate pathways and sources, which is essential for watershed management. Estimations of these event-based metrics typically use high frequency (15-minute – hourly) measurements, but daily data are also used due to their greater availability. To date, there has been no study assessing how using lower frequency samples affect the accuracy of HI and FI, which could skew interpretation of potential nutrient pathways and sources. We used continuous measurements of nitrate collected at 9 watersheds throughout the Midwest spanning 448 storms. HI and FI were estimated from …

Soil Nitrate Prediction Using Ftir-Atr, Vis-Nir, And Raman Spectroscopy, Sabiha Ferdous

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combined with Attenuated total reflectance (ATR), Visible-Near Infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIR), and Raman spectroscopy (RS) are non-destructive techniques for rapid determination of nitrogen compounds in soil. Leveraging FTIR-ATR and Vis-NIR spectra using partial least squares regression (PLSR) modeling, the study aims to predict soil nitrate content and explored the feasibility of Raman spectroscopy to detect nitrate (NO₃^-), nitrite (NO₂^-), and ammonium (NH₄⁺) in soil. Soil samples were collected from four different fields, dried, sieved (2mm), and then used for collecting spectra (FTIR-ATR and Vis-NIR). Laboratory analysis was …

Containerization Of Seafarers In The International Shipping Industry: Contemporary Seamanship, Maritime Social Infrastructures, And Mobility Politics Of Global Logistics, Liang Wu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation discusses the mobility politics of container shipping and argues that technological development, political-economic order, and social infrastructure co-produce one another. Containerization, the use of standardized containers to carry cargo across modes of transportation that is said to have revolutionized and globalized international trade since the late 1950s, has served to expand and extend the power of international coalitions of states and corporations to control the movements of commodities (shipments) and labor (seafarers). The advent and development of containerization was driven by a sociotechnical imaginary and international social contract of seamless shipping and cargo flows. In practice, this liberal, …

Urban Flood Extent Segmentation And Evaluation From Real-World Surveillance Camera Images Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network, Yidi Wang, Yawen Shen, Behrouz Salahshour, Mecit Cetin, Khan Iftekharuddin, Navid Tahvildari, Guoping Huang, Devin K. Harris, Kwame Ampofo, Jonathan L. Goodall

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This study explores the use of Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) for semantic segmentation of flood images. Imagery datasets of urban flooding were used to train two DCNN-based models, and camera images were used to test the application of the models with real-world data. Validation results show that both models extracted flood extent with a mean F1-score over 0.9. The factors that affected the performance included still water surface with specular reflection, wet road surface, and low illumination. In testing, reduced visibility during a storm and raindrops on surveillance cameras were major problems that affected the segmentation of flood extent. …

Stage And Discharge Prediction From Documentary Time-Lapse Imagery, Kenneth W. Chapman, Troy E. Gilmore, Mehrube Mehrubeoglu, Christian D. Chapman, Aaron R. Mittelstet, John E. Stranzl Jr.

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Imagery from fixed, ground-based cameras is rich in qualitative and quantitative information that can improve stream discharge monitoring. For instance, time-lapse imagery may be valuable for filling data gaps when sensors fail and/or during lapses in funding for monitoring programs. In this study, we used a large image archive (> 40,000 images from 2012 to 2019) from a fixed, ground-based camera that is part of a documentary watershed imaging project (https://plattebasintimelapse.com/). Scalar image features were extracted from daylight images taken at one-hour intervals. The image features were fused with United States Geological Survey stage and discharge data as …

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Maize No-Till Agroecosystems In Southern Brazil Based On A Long-Term Experiment, Guilherme Rosa Da Silva, Adam J. Liska, Cimelio Bayer

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Brazilian agriculture is constantly questioned concerning its environmental impacts, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This research study used data from a 34-year field experiment to estimate the life cycle GHG emissions intensity of maize production for grain in farming systems under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) combined with Gramineae (oat) and legume (vetch) cover crops in southern Brazil. We applied the Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator for modeling the “field-to-farm gate” emissions with measured annual soil N₂O and CH₄ emissions data. For net CO₂ emissions, increases in soil organic C (SOC) were applied as a proxy, …

Ethical Decision-Making In Older Drivers During Critical Driving Situations: An Online Experiment, Amandeep Singh, Sarah Yahoodik, Yovela Murzello, Samuel Petkac, Yusuke Yamani, Siby Samuel

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined the impact of aging on ethical decision-making in simulated critical driving scenarios. 204 participants from North America, grouped into two age groups (18–30 years and 65 years and above), were asked to decide whether their simulated automated vehicle should stay in or change from the current lane in scenarios mimicking the Trolley Problem. Each participant viewed a video clip rendered by the driving simulator at Old Dominion University and pressed the space-bar if they decided to intervene in the control of the simulated automated vehicle in an online experiment. Bayesian hierarchical models were used to analyze …

Small-Strain Site Response Of Soft Soils In The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Region Of California Conditioned On Vₛ₃₀ And Mhvsr, Tristan E. Buckreis, Jonathan P. Stewart, Scott J. Brandenberg, Pengfei Wang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Sites located in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region of California typically have peaty-organic soils near the ground surface, which are characteristically soft, with shear wave velocities as low as 30 m/s. These unusually soft geotechnical conditions, which are outside the range of applicability of existing ergodic site amplification models, can be anticipated to produce significant site effects during earthquake shaking. We evaluate site response for 36 seismic stations in the Delta region using non-ergodic methods with low-amplitude ground motion data. We model first-order site effects using a period-dependent relation conditioned on the 30 m time-averaged shear wave velocity (V …

Contribution Of High Turbidity To Tidal Dynamics In A Curved Channel In Zhoushan Islands, China, Li Li, Fangzhou Shen, Zhiguo He, Gangfeng Ma, Jiachen Wang, Kailong Huangfu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The curved tidal channel, Luotou Deep-water Navigational Channel, is the main channel of the Ningbo Zhoushan Port, which is ranked first in the world. Tidal dynamics in the channel are spatially and temporally asymmetric. In this study, the three-dimensional tidal dynamics in the channel were analyzed using field data and simulated using FVCOM. The results show that the tides in the channel flood/ebb along the northern/southern bank near the bottom/surface layer and these asymmetries are due to the imbalanced Coriolis force, centrifugal force, sea-level gradient, and density gradient. Residual current velocity peaks (0.7 m/s) in the middle of the channel …

Organic Fouling Mitigation In Forward Osmosis Technology Through The Use Of Oscilatting Alternating Current Electric Fields, Logan Werner

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Forward osmosis (FO) is the term given to osmosis in water filtration applications. FO has many advantages to conventional membrane filtration processes. The lack of external pressure needed to force solvent through the membrane is dramatically decreased in FO, resulting in a lower cost of operation compared to reverse osmosis. Lower external pressures also result in decreased fouling on the membrane surface and improved permeate flux. Fouling is one of the foremost challenges within the membrane filtration industry and is one of the biggest contributors to operating costs. While FO results in less fouling than RO, fouling remains a major …

Ground Tire Rubber As A Sustainable Additive: Transforming Desert Sand Behavior, Nabil Ismael, Dalya Ismael, Asmaa Al-Ahmad

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Managing waste tires presents a significant challenge globally, particularly in regions experiencing high temperatures and shortage of landfill sites. This issue is affecting countries like Kuwait, where the abundance of waste tires is a major source of environmental and safety risks, particularly during the intensely hot summer months. This extreme heat has sparked numerous fires, leading to substantial air pollution due to thick black smoke. Given the limited disposal options, recycling waste tires and finding practical applications for ground tire rubber (GTR) is essential. To address the challenge, a comprehensive laboratory testing program was conducted, using locally produced rubber aggregates …

Railroad Condition Monitoring Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing And Deep Learning Techniques, Md Arifur Rahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proper condition monitoring has been a major issue among railroad administrations since it might cause catastrophic dilemmas that lead to fatalities or damage to the infrastructure. Although various aspects of train safety have been conducted by scholars, in-motion monitoring detection of defect occurrence, cause, and severity is still a big concern. Hence extensive studies are still required to enhance the accuracy of inspection methods for railroad condition monitoring (CM). Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has been recognized as a promising method because of its sensing capabilities over long distances and for massive structures. As DAS produces large datasets, algorithms for precise …

Simulation Of Wave Propagation In Granular Particles Using A Discrete Element Model, Syed Tahmid Hussan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The understanding of Bender Element mechanism and utilization of Particle Flow Code (PFC) to simulate the seismic wave behavior is important to test the dynamic behavior of soil particles. Both discrete and finite element methods can be used to simulate wave behavior. However, Discrete Element Method (DEM) is mostly suitable, as the micro scaled soil particle cannot be fully considered as continuous specimen like a piece of rod or aluminum. Recently DEM has been widely used to study mechanical properties of soils at particle level considering the particles as balls. This study represents a comparative analysis of Voigt and Best …

Computationally Modeling The Human-Structure Interaction Response Of An Occupied Cantilevered Structure, Brennan Smith

Honors Theses

There is a limited understanding of the impact that passive human occupants have on a dynamic structural system, referred to as Human-Structure Interaction (HSI). Cantilevers are naturally prone to excessive vibrations due to their long unsupported spans, and cantilevered structures such as those commonly found in the seating area of a stadium facility or concert hall are designed to support a high density of occupancy.

This study determined that HSI in cantilevered structures can be modeled using a simple two-degree-of-freedom system. The results of the model were validated by data that was collected on a small-scale laboratory structure intentionally designed …

Assessing Stormwater Management Pond Water Quality, Function, And The Potential Biotic Effects To Receiving Waters, Mitchell Elstone

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The use of stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) has been increasing over the past five decades. However, an in-depth understanding of the daily performance of SWMPs and functionality during cold periods is limited. This is in part because mandated monitoring is relatively infrequent, and the assumption that SWMPs are inactive between storm events and during the winter. The goals of this research were to better understand daily stormwater (SW) characteristics, the performance of SWMPs based on current forms of evaluation and assess the potential for SWMP effluent to impact downstream biota. Influent and effluent samples from two SWMPs were collected daily …

Direct Blue 86 Textile Dye Removal From Aqueous Solution Using Rice Husk-Based Adsorbent, M. Zulbahari M. Zua, Muhammad Raza Ul Mustafa, Mohamed Hasnain Isa, Teh Sabariah Binti Abd Manan, Naimah Ibrahim, Rozeana Hj Md Juani, Wida Susanty Hj Suhaili, Asmaal Muizz Sallehhin Bin Hj Mohammad Sultan, Zuliana Binti Hj Nayan

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Adsorption by activated carbon is an effective method of dye removal. However, due to high production and regeneration costs of activated carbon, various studies on low-cost adsorbents have been conducted. Agricultural waste such as rice husk (RH) is seen to be a good adsorbent for dye removal. Moreover, rice husk is readily available. In this study, rice husk-based adsorbents were prepared by chemical and thermal treatments. Standard curve (colour vs absorbance) for Direct Blue 86 (DB 86) was prepared to determine the concentration of dye before and after adsorption. The adsorption potential of the adsorbent for textile dye DB 86 …