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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

An Environmental Consequence For Dublin Bay Of A Shift From Hydro-Carbon To Other Energy Production Methods, Zeinab Bedri, John O'Sullivan, Michael Bruen May 2012

An Environmental Consequence For Dublin Bay Of A Shift From Hydro-Carbon To Other Energy Production Methods, Zeinab Bedri, John O'Sullivan, Michael Bruen

Conference papers

The Liffey Estuary and Dublin Bay, Ireland are of a great recreational and conservational value. Until recently, the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) plant at Poolbeg, Dublin, abstracted dilution water from the estuary for cooling purposes and subsequently discharged this water back to the estuary at temperatures that were sometimes 7-9oC above ambient values. Prior to its discharge to the estuary, the ESB cooling water was mixed with the sewage effluent from Ringsend Treatment Works, creating a warmer and less-saline pollutant plume that remained buoyant on the water surface, adversely effecting water quality. The ESB plant has since closed as part …


Lynches Lane Reed & Willow Bed Facility Final Report South Dubin County Council, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain, Don Mcdonald, Anna Reid Jan 2012

Lynches Lane Reed & Willow Bed Facility Final Report South Dubin County Council, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain, Don Mcdonald, Anna Reid

Reports

This final report will present results from a two year study to monitor the performance of a hybrid reed willow bed facility at Lynches Lane, in the administrative area of South Dublin County Council (SDCC). Design specifications for the facility are presented. Monitoring results for a two year period including influent and effluent parameters, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration, and soil classification are also presented and discussed. During the two year monitoring period the system achieved a zero discharge. This report will discuss the potential application of similar systems within South Dublin County Council administrative area. This is in the context of …


An Improved Flood Forecasting Model Of The Blue Nile River In Sudan, Gamal Abdo, Ahmed Nasr Jan 2012

An Improved Flood Forecasting Model Of The Blue Nile River In Sudan, Gamal Abdo, Ahmed Nasr

Articles

Reliable flood predictions with a reasonable lead time in the Blue Nile River in Sudan are vitally important to avoid catastrophic damages due to flooding of this river and the main River Nile. A HEC-RAS model was initially applied to the Blue Nile by representing the river as a single reach. The resulting original model was subsequently improved by including the two tributaries of the river, Rahad and Dindir, and also the two existing reservoirs, Rosaries and Sinnar, to the model. The original and the improved models were calibrated using 1988 flood data for the period from June to September …


Physicochemical And Microbiological Quality Of Water From A Pilot Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Facility In Ireland., Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender, Anna Reid Dec 2011

Physicochemical And Microbiological Quality Of Water From A Pilot Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Facility In Ireland., Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender, Anna Reid

Articles

DTC Research Group, Dublin Institute of Technology personnel were commissioned in 2005 by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Ireland to assess the feasibility of utilising harvested rainwater to replace treated mains water, for non-potable uses. A pilot project was set up. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting facilities in a rural housing development. A monitoring program was carried out to examine the physico-chemical and microbiological quality of the harvested rainwater. Harvested rainwater was sampled monthly and tested. Analysis of the harvested rainwater quality showed a consistently high quality of raw …


A Three-Dimensional Hydro-Environmental Model Of Dublin Bay, Zeinab Bedri, Michael Buen, Aodh Dowley Aug 2011

A Three-Dimensional Hydro-Environmental Model Of Dublin Bay, Zeinab Bedri, Michael Buen, Aodh Dowley

Articles

This paper compares a 3-dimensional hydro-ecological model with a 2-dimensional model simulating the distribution and fate of Escherichia Coli (E.Coli) discharges from a sewage treatment plant discharging into Dublin Bay, Ireland. Before being discharged, the effluent from the sewage treatment plant is mixed with cooling water from a thermal generation plant resulting in a warm buoyant sewage plume that can be 7 − 9oC higher than the ambient water in the Bay. The mixing of the stratified plume is complicated by the tidal currents which transport the plume into and out of the estuary. These processes have a direct impact …


Validated Trnsys Model For Forced Circulation Solar Water Heating Systems With Flat Plate And Heat Pipe Evacuated Tube Collectors, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy, Sarah Mccormack, Michael Conlon Jun 2011

Validated Trnsys Model For Forced Circulation Solar Water Heating Systems With Flat Plate And Heat Pipe Evacuated Tube Collectors, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy, Sarah Mccormack, Michael Conlon

Articles

This paper presents a validated TRNSYS model for forced circulation solar water heating systems used in temperate climates. The systems consist of two flat plate collectors (FPC) and a heat pipe evacuated tube collector (ETC) as well as identical auxiliary components. The systems were fitted with an automated unit that controlled the immersion heaters and hot water demand profile to mimic hot water usage in a typical European domestic dwelling. The main component of the TRNSYS model was the Type 73 FPC or Type 538 ETC. A comparison of modelled and measured data resulted in percentage mean absolute errors for …


A Review Of Zero Discharge Wastewater Treatment Systems Using Reed Willow Bed Combinations In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Anna Reid, John Turner Jun 2011

A Review Of Zero Discharge Wastewater Treatment Systems Using Reed Willow Bed Combinations In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Anna Reid, John Turner

Articles

The concept of a reed willow bed combination has the potential to achieve a zero discharge wastewater treatment system. This paper will present results from a two year study to monitor the performance of a reed willow bed facility at Lynches Lane, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Outline design specifications for the facility will be presented. Monitoring results for a two year period including influent and effluent parameters, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration, and soil classification will be presented and discussed. During the two year monitoring period the system achieved a zero discharge. This paper will discuss the potential widespread application of similar systems …


Comparative Field Performance Study Of Flat Plate And Heat Pipe Evacuated Tube Collectors (Etcs) For Domestic Water Heating Systems In A Temperate Climate, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy, Sarah Mccormack, Michael Conlon, Mick Mckeever May 2011

Comparative Field Performance Study Of Flat Plate And Heat Pipe Evacuated Tube Collectors (Etcs) For Domestic Water Heating Systems In A Temperate Climate, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy, Sarah Mccormack, Michael Conlon, Mick Mckeever

Articles

This paper presents a year round energy performance monitoring results of two solar water heaters with 4 m2 flat plate and 3 m2 heat pipe evacuated tube collectors (ETCs) operating under the same weather conditions in Dublin, Ireland. The energy performance of the two systems was compared on daily, monthly and yearly basis. Results obtained showed that for an annual total in-plane solar insolation of 1,087 kWh/m2, a total of 1,984 kWh and 2,056 kWh of heat energy were collected by the 4 m2 FPC and 3 m2 ETC systems respectively. Over the year, …


Identification Of ‘Carbon Hot-Spots’ And Quantification 1 Of Ghg Intensities In The Biodiesel Supply Chain Using Hybrid Lca And Structural Path Analysis, Adolf Acquaye, Thomas Wiedmann, Kuishang Feng, Robert Crawford, John Barrett, Johan Kuylenstierna, Aidan Duffy, Lenny Koh, Simon Mcqueen-Mason Apr 2011

Identification Of ‘Carbon Hot-Spots’ And Quantification 1 Of Ghg Intensities In The Biodiesel Supply Chain Using Hybrid Lca And Structural Path Analysis, Adolf Acquaye, Thomas Wiedmann, Kuishang Feng, Robert Crawford, John Barrett, Johan Kuylenstierna, Aidan Duffy, Lenny Koh, Simon Mcqueen-Mason

Articles

It is expected that biodiesel production in the EU will remain the dominant contributor as part of a 10% minimum binding target for biofuel in transportation fuel by 2020 within the 20% renewable energy target in the overall EU energy mix. Life cycle assessments (LCA) of biodiesel to evaluate its environmental impacts have, however, remained questionable, mainly because of the adoption of a traditional process analysis approach resulting in system boundary truncation and because of issues regarding the impacts of land use change and N2O emissions from fertiliser application. In this study, a hybrid LCA methodology is used to evaluate …


A Review Of Zero Discharge Wastewater Treatment Systems Using Reed Willow Bed Combinations In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Anna Reid, John Turner Oct 2010

A Review Of Zero Discharge Wastewater Treatment Systems Using Reed Willow Bed Combinations In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Anna Reid, John Turner

Conference papers

The concept of a reed willow bed combination has the potential to achieve a zero discharge wastewater treatment system. This paper will present results from a two year study to monitor the performance of a reed willow bed facility at Lynches Lane, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Outline design specifications for the facility will be presented. Monitoring results for a two year period including influent and effluent parameters, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration, and soil classification will be presented and discussed. During the two year monitoring period the system achieved a zero discharge. This paper will discuss the potential widespread application of similar systems …


The Operation Of Hybrid Reed Bed And Willow Bed Combinations In Ireland - Zero Discharge And The Potential For No Monitoring Of Domestic Applications Of This Combination, Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton Oct 2010

The Operation Of Hybrid Reed Bed And Willow Bed Combinations In Ireland - Zero Discharge And The Potential For No Monitoring Of Domestic Applications Of This Combination, Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton

Conference papers

This paper will briefly trace the development of reed beds, the treatment mechanisms involved and the evolution of the more popular designs, with emphasis on the hybrid reed bed. It will also present a review of the concept of using willow beds to deal with waste water. It will examine the Danish guidelines. It will also review the application of willows to treat effluent from a hybrid reed bed system and the evolution of this system in Wales. The theory of willow bed treatment will also be discussed with particular emphasis on the factors that effect evapotranspiration. Two alternative designs …


A Life Cycle Cost Analysis Of Large-Scale Thermal Energy Storage Technologies For Buildings Using Combined Heat And Power, Kenneth Gaine, Aidan Duffy Jul 2010

A Life Cycle Cost Analysis Of Large-Scale Thermal Energy Storage Technologies For Buildings Using Combined Heat And Power, Kenneth Gaine, Aidan Duffy

Conference Papers

Buildings account for approximately 40% of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in developed economies, of which approximately 55% of building energy is used for heating and cooling. The reduction of building-related GHG emissions is a high international policy priority. For this reason and because there are many technical solutions for this, these polices should involve significant improvements in the uptake of small-scale energy efficient (EE) systems. However the widespread deployment of many technologies, must overcome a number of barriers, one of which is a temporal (diurnal or seasonal) mismatch between supply and demand. Costeffective thermal storage solutions have …


Input-Output Analysis Of Irish Construction Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy Apr 2010

Input-Output Analysis Of Irish Construction Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy

Articles

Ireland is committed to limiting its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 113% of 1990 levels over the period 2008-12 and to 84% of 2005 levels by 2020 under the Kyoto Agreement and the EU’s ’20 20’ by 2020 respectively. National policies have targeted many industry sectors but have failed to directly tackle GHG emissions associated with construction activity. This paper estimates energy and GHG emissions intensities of the Irish construction sector and subsectors and estimates its contribution to Irish national emissions. This information is used to identify and assess the impacts of policy measures which would result in a reduction …


Apartment Living And The Multi-Unit Developments Bill 2009, Lorcan Sirr Jan 2010

Apartment Living And The Multi-Unit Developments Bill 2009, Lorcan Sirr

Articles

No abstract provided.


Social Enterprise: An Overlooked Approach To Promoting Sustainable Economic Regeneration, Gerard Doyle Jan 2010

Social Enterprise: An Overlooked Approach To Promoting Sustainable Economic Regeneration, Gerard Doyle

Reports

Across Europe, social enterprises are making a significant impact on communities, particularly those blighted by high levels of unemployment, poverty and disadvantage. According to the European Commission, they represent 2 million enterprises (i.e. 10 per cent of all European businesses) and employ over 11 million paid employees (the equivalent of 6 per cent of the working population of the EU). Social enterprises are present in almost every sector of the economy, such as banking, insurance, agriculture, craft, various commercial services, and health and social services. The benefits of social enterprises are many, but in economic terms, they can support the …


The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern Aug 2009

The Very Basics Of Sustainability - An Alternative Viewpoint (Slides With Audio) (Large File! To Speed Up Download, Right-Click On "Download" Link To Save To Own Pc.), Jim Mcgovern

Other resources

This presentation sets out the very basics of ‘sustainability’, although a definition of sustainability is not attempted. Some of the very basics are the context in which the Earth and humankind exist in space and time, the Earth’s climate, the Earth’s population and humankind’s options and choices. The author advocates keeping an open mind on all available options, including the use of oil, gas, coal, tar sands, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power etc., as well as the technologies that are more widely considered ‘green’. The author also argues that, in addressing the challenges that humankind faces, globally concerted effort …


Assessment Of The Embodied Co2eq In Buildings Towards A Sustainable Building Design And Construction, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy, Biswajit Basu Jul 2009

Assessment Of The Embodied Co2eq In Buildings Towards A Sustainable Building Design And Construction, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy, Biswajit Basu

Conference Papers

Research studies have shown that the initial energy embodied in a building can be as much as 67% of the operational energy over a 25 year period. With growing global concerns over material and resource consumption and the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, the energy embodied in buildings constructed in town and cities becomes important and one of the key issues that needs to be tackled in the design stages in order to strive towards sustainable buildings design. In this paper, a hybrid embodied carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) methodology used to assess the CO2eq embodied in buildings is presented. …


Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Project Report, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender May 2009

Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Project Report, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender

Reports

The rainwater harvesting pilot project was commissioned by the National Rural Water Monitoring Committee in 2005 to assess the feasibility of supplementing treated mains water used for non-potable purposes. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting facilities in a rural housing development in County Carlow and in a 250-acre livestock farm in County Meath. Construction was carried out between 2005-2007.


Flood Attenuation Studies, Michael Bruen, John O'Sullivan, Sangaralingam Ahilan, Zeinab Bedri Jan 2009

Flood Attenuation Studies, Michael Bruen, John O'Sullivan, Sangaralingam Ahilan, Zeinab Bedri

Reports

No abstract provided.


Catchment Modelling Tools And Pathways Review, Zeinab Bedri, Michael Bruen Jan 2009

Catchment Modelling Tools And Pathways Review, Zeinab Bedri, Michael Bruen

Reports

No abstract provided.


Noise Abatement And Night Deliveries, Hugh Finlay Jan 2008

Noise Abatement And Night Deliveries, Hugh Finlay

Masters

ABSTRACT The hypothesis is tested that – Acoustic materials are available or can be developed and applied to Heavy Goods Vehicles and ancillaries, which effectively and economically abate the noise caused by night deliveries The MPhil is a part of a wider innovation research partnership that aimed to develop sustainable solutions for the growing trend to night deliveries in Dublin city centre. The methodology involves; a review of international best practice for urban traffic noise abatement: a social and commercial justification for developing low noise products and procedures: field trials of kerb-side deliveries to city centre shops to identify the …


Water Savings And Rainwater Harvesting – Pilot Project In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Liam Mccarton, Jenny Pender, Niamh Mcntyre Sep 2007

Water Savings And Rainwater Harvesting – Pilot Project In Ireland, Sean O'Hogain, Anna Reid, Liam Mccarton, Jenny Pender, Niamh Mcntyre

Conference papers

A pilot project to harvest rainwater was set up in Ireland in 2005 to examine the potential of using rainwater harvesting systems to replace treated mains water, for non-potable uses. The Project has two strands to it. The agricultural application assessed the feasibility of incorporating rainwater supply to supplement/replace mains or other water supplies for farms. The second strand involves rural water supply to domestic dwellings. Here the project installed rainwater harvesting and water conservation devices as part of a pilot project to assess the reduction in domestic demand. This paper will examine the water use recorded on both sites. …


Water Quality Modelling In Dublin From Bray To Balbriggan Gdsds/75407/130, Aodh Dowley, Zeinab Bedri Jan 2007

Water Quality Modelling In Dublin From Bray To Balbriggan Gdsds/75407/130, Aodh Dowley, Zeinab Bedri

Reports

No abstract provided.


Enhancing Waste Management Through Automatic Control, Aidan O'Dwyer Jan 2006

Enhancing Waste Management Through Automatic Control, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

Meeting environmental requirements is recognised as one of the six 21st century business drivers for automatic control. The proportional integral (PI) and proportional integral derivative (PID) controllers are the most dominant form of automatic controllers in industrial use today. With these techniques, it is necessary to adjust the controller parameters according to the nature of the process. Thus, for effective control of a heating, cooling and air-conditioning (HVAC) application, for example, specific values need to be chosen for the P, I and D parameters, which will be different for the values required to control, for example, a distillation column. This …


Water Conservation And Resuse Strategy For Ireland, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain Feb 2005

Water Conservation And Resuse Strategy For Ireland, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain

Articles

The traditional approach to meeting increased demand is to augment supply. However, mobilising new resources involves ever higher costs. Increasing water efficiency by reducing the amount of water required to accomplish a given task can significantly contribute towards balancing supply and demand. The water saved as a result of PCC reduction can be used to augment existing supplies. This can be the least cost option, particularly when the environmental and social costs of developing new resources are included in the analysis. Allied to this is the concept of sustainability, which can be defined as ‘development that meets the needs of …


Sustainable Water Supply In Ireland, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain Sep 2004

Sustainable Water Supply In Ireland, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain

Reports

Sustainable water technology is concerned with the complete range of technologies, techniques, products and processes that will enable humankind to reduce the impact of water production and water consumption on the environment and to establish a more sustainable mode of development. The concept of sustainable development has gained wide usage over the past 15 years in an attempt to balance development needs and environmental protection. The Brundtland Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future (1987) identified sustainable development as a global objective, which involved economic, social and environmental values. It defined sustainable development as ‘ …


Rainwater Harvesting And Grey Water Recycling Systems, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain Jun 2003

Rainwater Harvesting And Grey Water Recycling Systems, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain

Articles

The benefits of water efficiency measures, rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse are principally water savings and reduced volume of consumption. Cost savings can accrue to the water supplier and water user. These benefits can be felt at a local level. Only with widespread use of such technology will reduced pressure on water resources and the supply infrastructure be realised. These technologies should be considered in the context of an overall water conservation strategy and each situation evaluated separately. A water audit should be undertaken to establish existing water usage and possible demands that can be met by using these technologies. …


Water Conservation Technologies, Liam Mccarton May 2003

Water Conservation Technologies, Liam Mccarton

Articles

Given the increasing incidence of serious flooding in Europe in recent years it might seem odd to be addressing the problem of water conservation. However, recent economic prosperity has led to an increased per capita use of water for domestic and industrial use. The traditional approach to meeting increased demand is to augment supply. However, mobilising new resources involves ever higher costs. Allied to this is the concept of sustainability, which can be defined as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. An important consideration of …


Environmental Planning, Steven Konkel Jan 2003

Environmental Planning, Steven Konkel

Books/Book chapters

No abstract provided.