Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Thermal Energy Storage Using High Temperature Borehole Heat Exchangers In Unconsolidated Materials, Kayla Bicknell

All Theses

Thermal energy storage is a potential method for storing excess energy produced when supply is greater than demand. The use of the subsurface for storing thermal energy has become more recognized as a viable alternative to conventional methods of energy storage. However, high temperature borehole thermal energy storage has yet to be researched in-depth. Therefore, the goal of this project is to determine the feasibility of using the subsurface to store thermal energy at relatively high temperatures.

The focus of this work is to determine what design elements would make a borehole thermal energy storage system most effective and produce …

High-Energy Storm Events And Their Impacts On Carbon Storage In Tidal Wetlands Of South Carolina, Gavin Gleasman

All Dissertations

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations have been increasing at an accelerating rate for the past two centuries, profoundly impacting global climate change. Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are influenced by the global carbon cycle through physical and biogeochemical pathways. Tidal wetland environments play a vital role in the global carbon cycle by offsetting atmospheric CO₂ concentrations through their natural physiochemical processes of high autotrophic productivity, allochthonous organic matter deposition, anoxic soils, and continuous accretion which promotes carbon sequestration with long-term storage at the land-ocean margin. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and United States Global Change Research …

Evaluating The Feasibility Of Using Strain Measured During Sinusoidal Rate Pumping Tests To Characterize An Aquifer, Riley Blais

All Theses

Pumping tests with sinusoidal variation in pumping rate have been proposed as a method for improving aquifer characterization. These tests can interrogate a larger aquifer volume than slug tests and they can be more sensitive to small variations in drawdown. Current methods of using sinusoidal variations of rate are based on measuring pressure signals from the reservoir or aquifer, which requires access to monitoring wells. An alternative approach has been developed that measures the strain in the vadose zone instead of pressure in the reservoir. An instrument has been developed at Clemson University that can measure small strains using optical …

Measurement Of Microplastics In A Freshwater Micro-Watershed, Cole Bowman

All Theses

The role of microplastics as an emerging contaminant can be complex to study because of the lack of standardization in the collection and analysis of microplastic particles. The purpose of this manuscript is to detail an iterative process of different collection methods in trying to understand microplastic deposition and transport in a freshwater micro-watershed through lab-based and field-based studies. A flume experiment was conducted to test the trapping efficiency of a sediment trap design at two different velocities (1.12 m/s and 2.24 m/s). Eight types of microplastics varying in morphology and density were introduced to the flume in order to …

Evaluation Of Zero-Net-Rate Pumping Tests, Austin Smith-Jones

All Theses

Accurately estimating the distribution of aquifer properties is key to understanding contaminant movement in the subsurface. The distribution of aquifer properties is typically addressed using slug or constant-rate well tests, and the pros and cons of these tests are well known. Slug tests are appealing because they avoid removing contaminated water, but their results are affected by well skin and the small volume of displaced water limits the volume of aquifer that can be evaluated. Constant-rate well tests have the disadvantage of requiring disposal of potentially contaminated water, but they can generate properties that are more representative than slug tests, …

Quantifying Heterogeneity Along A Hillslope Using Seismic Refraction, Structure From Motion, And X-Ray Fluorescence In The Piedmont, South Carolina, Leah Topping

All Theses

The critical zone (CZ) is the life sustaining outer layer of the earth that spans from the top of unweathered bedrock to the tops of the trees. This dynamic zone is always evolving because a variety of chemical, physical, and biological processes transform bedrock into regolith, creating a spatially heterogeneous CZ architecture. This study aims to investigate the relationships between regolith thickness, seismic velocities, and chemical profiles as a function of slope position and it is hypothesized bedrock composition, fracture density, and foliation are the key factors controlling the physical heterogeneity in the top 1-2 meters of the CZ. To …

Geology-Based Shear-Wave Velocity Model Of Reference Site Conditions In South Carolina For Seismic Site Response Analysis, Camilius Amevorku

All Dissertations

Assessing earthquake hazard in the State of South Carolina is important because it is one of the most seismically active regions of the eastern United States and has experienced earthquakes of damaging levels in the historical past. Examples of these damaging seismic events are the 1886 Charleston earthquake (M 6.7 to 7.5) and the 1913 Union County earthquake (M 4.5 to 5.5).

Small-strain shear-wave velocity (V_S) is an important parameter in performing site response analysis. The deep nature of the top of reference firm rock (i.e., V_S ≥ 760 m/s or B-C boundary) due to …

Application Of A 14c-Assay To Assess Methanotrophic Biodegradation Of Tce In Low Ph Groundwater, Evan Groome

All Theses

Current biological strategies for remediating trichloroethylene (TCE) in low pH aquifers (i.e., pH14C-TCE assay was developed to determine pseudo first-order rate constants for the degradation of TCE in microcosms containing soil and groundwater from the Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (BOMARC) superfund site, where the pH ranges from 4.1 to 4.9. The ¹⁴C-TCE assay was also adapted to calculate soil-normalized rate constants for data from this site, as well as data that Szwast²¹ collected from the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). In addition to natural attenuation, biostimulation through amendments of methane and nutrients were also assessed. This treatment …

Feasibility Study Of Porous Media Compressed Air Energy Storage In South Carolina, United States Of America, Alexandra-Selene Jarvis

All Theses

Renewable Energy Systems (RES) such as solar and wind, are expected to play a progressively significant role in electricity production as the world begins to move away from an almost total reliance on nonrenewable sources of power. In the US there is increasing investment in RES as the Department of Energy (DOE) expands its wind power network to encompass the use of offshore wind resources in places such as the South Carolina (SC) Atlantic Coastal Plain. Because of their unstable nature, RES cannot be used as reliable grid-scale power sources unless power is somehow stored during excess production and recovered …

Biogeochemical Processes In Hydrosoil Of Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems Designed For Treatment Of Selenium, Christina Blaszkiewicz

All Theses

Two pilot-scale wetland treatment system cells (nutrient amended and unamended) were designed and constructed to reduce aqueous Se concentrations in simulated energy-derived water. Specific objectives of this study were: (i) measure and correlate hydrosoil conditions with Se concentrations vertically through the hydrosoil; (ii) investigate Se-accumulating biogeochemical processes (dissimilatory Se reduction and sorption) operating in the hydrosoil; and (iii) evaluate the effect of a nutrient amendment on hydrosoil conditions, Se accumulation, and Se-sequestering biogeochemical processes in the hydrosoil. Se accumulation (i.e. total Se concentration) and hydrosoil conditions were measured with depth in the hydrosoil. Se-sequestering biogeochemical processes were investigated by counting …

Transformation Of Uranium In A Geological Environment, Derrell Hood

All Theses

Incorporation of uranium into iron oxide minerals is a promising mechanism for the environmental immobilization of U(VI). In this study, synthesized hematite was doped with uranium and analyzed with SEM-EDS, TEM, XRD, and ICP-MS. The results of this analysis strongly indicate uranium incorporation into the mineral, as well as the possible presence of a co-precipitated uranium mineral clarkeite. Preliminary results also shows an increase in the amount of uranium associated with the hematite particles as a function of mineral aging. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) was used to induce and characterize electrochemical changes of uranium in the doped hematite system; these changes …

Design Of A High Temperature Subsurface Thermal Energy Storage System, Qi Zheng

All Theses

Solar thermal energy is taking up increasing proportions of future power generation worldwide. Thermal energy storage technology is a key method for compensating for the inherent intermittency of solar resources and solving the time mismatch between solar energy supply and electricity demand. However, there is currently no cost-effective high-capacity compact storage technology available (Bakker et al., 2008). The goal of this work is to propose a high temperature subsurface thermal energy storage (HSTES) technology and demonstrate its potential energy storage capability by developing a solar-HSTES-electricity generation system. In this work, main elements of the proposed system and their related state-of-art …

Hydromechanical Well Testing Using A 3d Fiber Optic Extensometer, Glenn Skawski

All Theses

Some fractured rock formations hold important resources, such as water, hydrocarbons or heat, whereas others are good candidates for waste disposal. Hydromechanical well tests have been developed to improve characterization of formation properties and parameter distributions by measuring displacement along with pressure while stressing a well. The displacement that occurs during a well test depends on the geometry of fractures or other sources of permeability, as well as the distribution of compliance or elastic modulus. Current methods of hydromechanical well testing, measures axial displacements along a wellbore, which may cause ambiguity in interpretations when 3-D components of deformation are present. …

Selenium Removal In Nutrient-Amended Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems, Peter Van Heest

All Theses

ABSTRACT
In a year-long study, pilot-scale constructed wetland treatment systems (CWTSs) targeted removal of selenium (Se) from a simulated impaired water through dissimilatory Se reduction. Effects of temperature and precipitation on the treatment of Se in the CWTSs were investigated. The experimental design consisted of CWTSs amended with a fermented yeast product (AquaSmartTM, Diamond V¨, Cedar Rapids, IA), which served as a nutrient source for Se-reducing bacteria, at mass loadings of 1.75, 3.5, 5.25, 7, and 8.75 mg/min. The 5 µg/L treatment goal for CWTS outflow concentration was measured in 69 of 378 samples taken from all CWTSs. Of the …

Biomarkers In The Lower Huron Shale (Upper Devonain) As Indicators Of Organic Matter Source, Depositional Environment, And Thermal Maturity, John Kroon

All Theses

The Lower Huron Shale (Upper Devonian) is considered the largest shale gas reservoir in the Big Sandy Field in Kentucky and West Virginia. The potential for gas shales, such as the Lower Huron, to produce natural gas is a function of type, amount, and thermal maturation of their organic matter. Twenty-one Lower Huron Shale samples from eight wells located in eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia were analyzed for biomarker content to interpret biological source of organic matter, depositional environment conditions, and thermal maturity. The following biomarkers were identified: n-alkanes (C15 to C31), pristane (Pr), phytane (Ph), steranes (αααR, (αααS, …

Risks Posed To Drinking Water Aquifers Due To Leakage Of Dissolved Co2 In Improperly Abandoned Wellbores, Kirk Ellison

All Theses

In order to ensure safe long-term storage of carbon dioxide in geologic formations, the risks posed by improperly abandoned wells must be understood and minimalized. In addition to supercritical and gaseous CO2, brine containing dissolved CO2 poses a leakage risk. CO2 dissolution in brine leads to denser brine and better long-term storage security, but its leakage risk is not zero. Under specific circumstances with formation overpressure or overlying aquifer drawdown, dissolved brine can flow up improperly abandoned wells where it can potentially enter and contaminate drinking water aquifers. The possibility that depressurization in the wellbore may cause CO2 exsolution from …

Hydromechanical Interference Slug Tests In A Fractured Biotite Gneiss, Trever Slack

All Theses

Fractures are ubiquitous in the shallow crust and they commonly control the flow and storage of fluids in rock. Estimating transmission and storage properties resulting from fractures is commonly accomplished by interpreting the pressure signals caused by stressing an aquifer during a pumping or slug test. Fractures deform in response to pressure changes during well tests, and measuring and interpreting the deformation along with the pressure change is a way to potentially increase the information about storage and transmission properties. Tests where the pressure and deformation are coupled are called hydromechanical well tests. Previous investigations have focused on the effects …

Insights Into Biogeophysical Signatures Using Polarization Force Microscopy, Elizabeth Bartosik

All Theses

The success of bioremediation strategies is dependent upon effective monitoring of microorganisms in the subsurface. Induced polarization (IP) may represent a cost-effective, complementary technique to existing borehole-based microbe detection schemes. Recent studies show a significant, yet poorly understood IP effect associated with the presence of bacteria in aqueous and porous media. This effect is believed to be rooted in the physicochemical surface interactions between cells and minerals which we probe using polarization force microscopy. Polarization force experiments were conducted on a hydrated mica surface using the gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli. On all …

Evaluation Of A Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment System For Ash Basin Water, Lane Dorman

All Theses

This investigation examined the feasibility of using surface-flow constructed wetland treatment systems (CWTSs) to decrease the concentration and bioavailability of targeted constituents of concern (COC) in ash basin water. Ash basin water results from hydraulic transport (sluicing) of coal ash produced during thermoelectric power production. During the sluicing process, potentially toxic trace elements contained within coal ash may be transferred to the aqueous phase and subsequently introduced to aquatic receiving systems. COC in ash basin water were identified by a risk quotient method in order to determine biogeochemical conditions needed within wetland reactors for reducing the aqueous concentration and bioavailability …

Assessing The Impact Of Water Harvesting On Water Resources, Jennifer Oblinger

All Theses

Clean water supplies, like all natural resources, are becoming scarce all over the world, but especially in developing countries where special interest groups (such as city governments, commercial farmers, other villages downstream, etc.) fight over water rights. The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) is a non-government organization in India whose mission is to restore degraded lands through cooperation with rural villages. In order to increase the water supply to the ecosystem, FES constructs water harvesting structures (WHS) which impound rainfall, water that would have otherwise runoff and contributed to erosion, in surface storage. This study was conducted to assess the …

Evaluation Of Equalization Basins As Initial Treatment For Flue Gas Desulfurization Waters, Meg Iannacone

All Theses

Coal-fired power plants are introducing flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubbers to reduce sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions in order to meet air quality standards. FGD scrubber systems utilize a mixture of limestone, water, and organic acids to precipitate sulfur compounds. The resulting FGD water and associated particulates often contain constituents of concern including chlorides, inorganic elements (Hg, As, and Se), and sulfates that must be treated before discharge. Constructed wetland treatment systems, consisting of an equalization basin followed by wetland reactors, present a viable option to efficiently treat FGD waters. Equalization basins are designed to cool and homogenize FGD water …