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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Nanocellulose Based Foams For Low-Cost Disposable Medical Applications, Dominic Kugell Aug 2023

Nanocellulose Based Foams For Low-Cost Disposable Medical Applications, Dominic Kugell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polyurethane foams have been a staple material for their use in medical positioners, such as post-surgery elevation pillows as well as specific tailored positioners for their use during surgery. Polyurethane foams are preferred because of their lower cost compared to other petroleum derived foams, their versatility, and suitable mechanical properties. However, the environmental impact, including both cost and perception, of these foams is immense. Therefore, alternatives are being explored with biopolymers emerging as a promising class of materials. Cellulose is one such polymer that has recently demonstrated desirable properties. In this study, cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), a household foaming agent, and …


Quantifying Spatial Heterogeneity Of Wild Blueberries And Crop Water Stress Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Technologies, Kallol Barai Aug 2022

Quantifying Spatial Heterogeneity Of Wild Blueberries And Crop Water Stress Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Technologies, Kallol Barai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The wild blueberry is one of the major crops of Maine, with significant economic value and potential health benefits. Due to global climate change, drought impacts have been increasing significantly in recent years in the northeast region of the USA, causing significant economic losses in the agricultural sectors. It has been predicted to increase further in the future. Changing patterns of the elevated atmospheric temperatures, increased rainfall variabilities, and more frequent drought events have made the wild blueberry industry of Maine vulnerable, suggesting the adoption of novel approaches to mitigate the negative impacts of global climate changes. Also, wild blueberry …


A Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Community Solar For Low To Moderate Income Residents Of Mount Desert Island, Maine, Abigayle Hargreaves May 2020

A Benefit-Cost Analysis Of Community Solar For Low To Moderate Income Residents Of Mount Desert Island, Maine, Abigayle Hargreaves

Honors College

No abstract provided.


Using Cellulose Nanofibrils And Calcium Carbonate In Single-Use Utensils, Sierra Yost May 2020

Using Cellulose Nanofibrils And Calcium Carbonate In Single-Use Utensils, Sierra Yost

Honors College

As humanity becomes aware of the environmental issues that come from plastics, substitutes for single-use plastic are needed. Straws, expanded polystyrene, and grocery bags especially have been placed under scrutiny, but there is a need to replace other single use plastics such as eating utensils and cup lids. In this thesis, the properties of cellulose nanofibrils and calcium carbonate mixtures are characterized to determine the feasibility of their use as a plastic replacement. Using cellulose nanofibrils poses two challenges: 1) it shrinks when dried causing difficulty in forming an object, and 2) it is produced in a 3 weight percent …


Modeling Response Of Water Quality To Land-Use And Climate Change In Lake Auburn, Me, Nicholas Messina Nov 2019

Modeling Response Of Water Quality To Land-Use And Climate Change In Lake Auburn, Me, Nicholas Messina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lake Auburn, Maine, USA, is a historically unproductive lake that has experienced multiple algal blooms since 2011. The lake is the water supply source for a population of ~60,000. We modeled past temperature, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) and phosphorus (P) in Lake Auburn by considering the watershed and internal contributions of P as well as atmospheric factors, and predicted the change in lake water quality in response to future climate and land-use changes. A stream hydrology and P-loading model (SimplyP) was used to generate input from two major tributaries into a lake model (MyLake) to simulate physical mixing, …


Perspectives On Water Resources Risk, Policy, And Stewardship, Anne Marie Lausier May 2019

Perspectives On Water Resources Risk, Policy, And Stewardship, Anne Marie Lausier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Water management approaches have historically optimized water for human use and placed lower emphasis on the relationship between ecosystems and humans. Despite efforts to balance human and ecosystem needs, existing management approaches tend to prioritize some needs, knowledges, and values over others. Natural and anthropogenic changes pose challenges to water governance institutions due to policy inflexibility, and may lead to ecosystem degradation, water stress, and conflict among water users. This work seeks to redress these shortcomings through three scholarly contributions. First, a conceptual framework for Water Resources Stewardship is developed in support of equitable and adaptive solutions under changing conditions. …


Water Chemistry Dynamics In Four Vernal Pools In Maine, Usa, Lydia H. Kifner Dec 2017

Water Chemistry Dynamics In Four Vernal Pools In Maine, Usa, Lydia H. Kifner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vernal pools are small seasonal wetlands that are a common landscape feature that contribute to biodiversity in northeastern North American forests. However, even basic information about their biogeochemical functions, such as carbon cycling, is limited. Dissolved gas concentrations (CH4, CO2) and other water chemistry parameters were monitored weekly at the bottom and surface of four vernal pools in central and eastern Maine, USA, from April to August 2016. The vernal pools were supersaturated with respect to CH4 and CO2 at all sampling dates and locations. Concentrations of dissolved CH4 and CO2 ranged …


Window Inserts And The People Adopting Them: Building Sustainable Communities In Maine, Daniel Sean Mistro Aug 2017

Window Inserts And The People Adopting Them: Building Sustainable Communities In Maine, Daniel Sean Mistro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Residents of Maine face a large monetary expense to heat their homes in the winter. In Maine it takes 540 gallons of heating oil each year to heat a typical home [1]. Interior window inserts may be a practical solution to improve comfort, save money, and consume less environmentally harmful fossil fuels during cold winter months. The window inserts discussed in this paper are custom measured to fit into a window and consist of a wooden frame that is wrapped in two layers of polyolefin film and weather stripped for a snug fit. Commercial inserts cost $20-$36/square foot, or approximately …


Environmental Monitoring Report For Volturnus Deployment In Castine, Me, Damian C. Brady, University Of Maine Advanced Structures And Composites Center Jul 2015

Environmental Monitoring Report For Volturnus Deployment In Castine, Me, Damian C. Brady, University Of Maine Advanced Structures And Composites Center

Maine Sea Grant Publications

On June 13th, 2013 the University of Maine’s VolturnUS 1:8 floating offshore wind turbine was energized and began delivering electricity through an undersea cable to the Central Maine Power electricity grid. Deployment continued until late November 2014. The following describes the results of extensive environmental monitoring at the Castine site. The primary observations of the site were derived from weekly visual surveys, bat echolocation detectors, underwater acoustic receivers, and web camera surveillance. The latter method consisted of observing the turbine and platform by web camera every 15-30 seconds throughout the deployment.


Fast Pyrolysis Of Muconic Acid And Formic Acid Salts, Laura Duran May 2013

Fast Pyrolysis Of Muconic Acid And Formic Acid Salts, Laura Duran

Honors College

Lignocellulosic biomass is emerging as a sustainable resource for the production of alternative liquid fuels. As the need to lessen dependence on petroleum sources grows, lignocellulosic feedstocks are being investigated as a renewable, abundant source of energy. Chemical pulping processes include a high-lignin by-product, black liquor, which is already used for fuel in industry. Black liquor is burned to generate steam and electricity and to recover pulping chemicals. Currently, the thermochemical conversion of black liquor to liquid fuel is being researched at The University of Maine. In this black liquor research, an intermediate lignin-derived acid, muconic acid, and formic acid …


Place-Based Approaches To Alternative Energy: The Potential For Forest And Grass Biomass For Aroostook County, Jason Johnston, Soraya Cardenas Jan 2012

Place-Based Approaches To Alternative Energy: The Potential For Forest And Grass Biomass For Aroostook County, Jason Johnston, Soraya Cardenas

Maine Policy Review

Teams at the University of Maine Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Forth Kent are engaged in evaluating the potential for forest and grass biomass energy in Aroostook County, funded through Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative. The article discusses how this potential is being evaluated and the possible ways in which expanding grass and wood biomass might benefit farmers and residents of The County. It suggests that using some of Maine’s farmland for fuel might be sustainable with appropriate management and with consideration for potential environmental and socioeconomic drawbacks


Synthesis And Characterization Of Catalysts For The Selective Transformation Of Biomass-Derived Materials, Isaac Tyrone Ghampson Dec 2011

Synthesis And Characterization Of Catalysts For The Selective Transformation Of Biomass-Derived Materials, Isaac Tyrone Ghampson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experimental work in this thesis focuses on generating catalysts for two intermediate processes related to the thermal conversion of lignocellulosic biomass: the synthesis and characterization of mesoporous silica supported cobalt catalysts for the Fischer-Tropsch reaction, and an exploration of the reactivity of bulk and supported molybdenum-based nitride catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol, a lignin model compound. The first section of the work details the synthesis of a series of silicasupported cobalt Fischer-Tropsch catalysts with pore diameters ranging from 2-23 nm. Detailed X-ray diffraction measurements were used to determine the composition and particle diameters of the metal fraction, …


Development In The Gulf Of Maine: Avoiding Geohazards And Embracing Opportunities, Laura L. Brothers, Joseph T. Kelley, Melissa Landon Maynard, Daniel F. Belknap, Stephen M. Dickson Jan 2010

Development In The Gulf Of Maine: Avoiding Geohazards And Embracing Opportunities, Laura L. Brothers, Joseph T. Kelley, Melissa Landon Maynard, Daniel F. Belknap, Stephen M. Dickson

Maine Policy Review

Mapping for marine-spatial planning is crucial if Maine is to safely develop its offshore resources, espe­cially wind and tidal energy. The authors focus on shallow natural gas (methane) deposits, an important and widespread geohazard in Maine’s seafloor. They describe the origin, occur­rence, and identification of natural gas in Maine’s seafloor; explain the hazards associated with these deposits and how to map them; and discuss what Maine can learn from European nations that have already developed their offshore wind resources. Because the U.S. gives states a central role in coastal management, Maine has the chance to be proactive in delineating coastal …


Biomass And Biofuels In Maine: Estimating Supplies For Expanding The Forest Products Industry, Jonathan Rubin, Kate Dickerson, Jacob Kavkewitz Nov 2007

Biomass And Biofuels In Maine: Estimating Supplies For Expanding The Forest Products Industry, Jonathan Rubin, Kate Dickerson, Jacob Kavkewitz

Energy & the Environment

This paper estimates the renewable energy potential of Maine’s forest resources, and how much energy these resources could potentially provide the state. Using the most recent state-specific data available, and a methodology similar to the Billion Tons Report, we find that ethanol production from Maine’s forest residues could potentially provide 18% of Maine’s transportation (gasoline) fuels with a fermentation wood to ethanol process. Making Fischer-Tropsch diesel (F-T diesel) using forest residues can replace 39% of Maine’s petro-diesel consumption. Actual levels of biofuels that can be produced will depend on conversion factors and forestry residue removals that are subject to uncertainty.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Economic Analysis Study, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division, Acres American Incorporated Jan 1981

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Economic Analysis Study, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division, Acres American Incorporated

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The purpose of this study was to perform an economic assessment of the Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project. This was accomplished by simulating the New England electrical supply system with and without the project and making a comparison of the resultant production costs.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project At Dickey, Maine : Final Environmental Impact Statement, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division Jan 1981

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project At Dickey, Maine : Final Environmental Impact Statement, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The Final Impact Statement is supported by all appendices from all drafts as well as supplementary information provided in Supplements to those Appendices. It comprises three volumes. Volume I is the statement volume. Volume II consists of two parts. Part I contains the comment and response portion of Section 9 for the 1977 Draft EIS. Part II contains comments and responses on the 1978 Revised Draft EIS, in addition to reproductions of the original comment letters received on the Draft Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Report and responses to these comments. Volume III, Part I contains reproductions of the original comment …


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Transmission Project: Final Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix L, New England Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers, United States Department Of Energy Jan 1981

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Transmission Project: Final Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix L, New England Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers, United States Department Of Energy

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

This draft EIS Supplement describes the environmental impacts of updated transmission plans of the Department of Energy (DOE) for the proposed Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project. Energy produced by the project is to be integrated into the New England electric system if the project is constructed.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project At Dickey, Maine : Final Environmental Statement, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division Jan 1981

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project At Dickey, Maine : Final Environmental Statement, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

This document contains those comments and responses on the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement. It is a continuation of Volume II published by the Corps in 1978. In addition, it contains reproductions of those letters of comment received on the March 1980 Draft Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan, and the responses to these comments.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project At Dickey, Maine : Final Environmental Statement, Volume 1-4, U. S. Army Engineer Division, New England Jan 1981

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project At Dickey, Maine : Final Environmental Statement, Volume 1-4, U. S. Army Engineer Division, New England

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The proposed Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project in northern Maine is a multipurpose installation on the St.John River. The combination hydroelectric power and flood control project is located in Aroostook County, Maine, near the Canadian border. The two proposed earth fill dams located at Dickey are 10,200 feet in length with a maximum height of 335 feet. They would impound 7.7 million acre feet of water at a maximum pool elevation 910 feet mean sea level. A second earth filled dam located 11 miles downstream at Lincoln School would serve as a regulatory dam. It would be 2100 feet in lenqth, …


Federal Water Pollution Control Act Section "404" Evaluation For Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers Jan 1980

Federal Water Pollution Control Act Section "404" Evaluation For Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The purpose of this report is to relate various aspects of the proposed Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Hydroelectric Project to appropriate considerations defined by Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972.


Fish And Wildlife Mitigation Report : Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project, Maine, New England Division, Corps Of Engineers, U. S. Army Engineer Division Jan 1980

Fish And Wildlife Mitigation Report : Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project, Maine, New England Division, Corps Of Engineers, U. S. Army Engineer Division

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The Dickey Lincoln School Lakes Project is a proposed multipurpose project located on the upper reaches of the St. John River in Aroostook County, Maine. Development would consist of two dams with associated reservoirs and hydroelectric generating facilities, five dikes and transmission lines. A more detailed description of the proposed project and its associated impacts is contained within the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed project.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project At Dickey, Maine : Draft Supplement Environmental Impact Statement, U.S. Army Engineer Division, New England Division Jan 1980

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project At Dickey, Maine : Draft Supplement Environmental Impact Statement, U.S. Army Engineer Division, New England Division

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The purpose of this Draft Supplement (SDEIS) to the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIS) is to evaluate the environmental impacts of the Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan proposed for Implementation in conjunction with development of the Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project, Maine (Appendix K, RDEIS and Attachment 1 of the Report). Although the mitigation plan is intended to mitigate rather than impose adverse environmental impacts, the mitigation measures proposed do constitute a major Federal action requiring the development of a supplemental environmental impact statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes, Maine, Hydro-Power Decision, October 27, 1978, James B. Longley Jan 1978

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes, Maine, Hydro-Power Decision, October 27, 1978, James B. Longley

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The Dickey-Lincoln School Project would consist of two earthfill structures designed to produce peaking and modest intermediate load power from the St. John River The larger of the two dams, the Dickey Dam, would be located immediately above the confluence of the Allagash and St. John Rivers. The Lincoln School Dam would also be located on the Upper St. John River, eleven miles downstream from the Dickey Dam. The Dickey Dam would have a total length of 10,600 feet and a maximum height of 335 feet. The Lincoln School Dam is considerably smaller and would be 1,600 feet long and …


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix E: Aquatic Ecosystem And Fisheries Studies (Supplement), Christoipher J. Schmitt, Dennis R. Sasseville, Normandeau Associates, Inc., New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division Jan 1978

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix E: Aquatic Ecosystem And Fisheries Studies (Supplement), Christoipher J. Schmitt, Dennis R. Sasseville, Normandeau Associates, Inc., New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

Sediment mercury concentrations higher than levels normall y considered trace or background were encountered up to 80 cm belo w the sediment-water interface in samples obtained from four oligotrophi c lakes in northern Maine . These lakes are in three different watershed s and are as far as 65 km apart . The values reported are far lower than levels reported elsewhere from contaminated sites . The distributio n and magnitude of the sediment concentrations encountered suggest long-ter m diffuse mercury inputs to the lakes from the watersheds . In addition , concentrations up to twice as high in near-surface …


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix C: Social & Economic Assessment (Supplement 1), Pamela D. Savetsky, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division Jan 1978

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix C: Social & Economic Assessment (Supplement 1), Pamela D. Savetsky, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

A review of available literature on rural communities which have been affected by construction projects of a similar scale has been completed. This review will aid in the development of a scenario of the construction labor peak and decline effects on the Dickey-Lincoln area.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix J: Coordination With Other Agencies & Public Involvement (Supplement), New England Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers Jan 1978

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix J: Coordination With Other Agencies & Public Involvement (Supplement), New England Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

This agency will be particularly concerned about any impact which this project might have on any existing, proposed or known units of the National Park System, or any known historic, natural or environmental education sites which are currently part of , or eligible for, the National Landmark Program. This report is a planning aid for the proposed Dickey-Lincoln Dams and Reservoirs project in Maine. A number of endangered, rare, or unique animal species are known or suspected to occur in the project area.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Transmission Studies Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix A, United States Department Of Energy Jan 1978

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Transmission Studies Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix A, United States Department Of Energy

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The U.S. Departments of the Interior and Energy have conducted system planning, location, and environmental studies for the trans-mission facilities required for the Dickey-Lincoln School Hydroelectric Project. These studies of many alternate routes have resulted in iden-tification of a proposed transmission line route, and an environmental impact statement, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. This report, documenting an early phase of the overall studies, was first published by the Department of the Interior in February 1977. It is being republished as Appendix A to the DOE Environmental Impact Statement for the project.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Transmission Studies Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix H: Socio-Economic Impact Study, Edward C. Jordan Co., Inc., United States Department Of Energy Jan 1978

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Transmission Studies Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix H: Socio-Economic Impact Study, Edward C. Jordan Co., Inc., United States Department Of Energy

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

The principal objective of this study is to identify the major types and intensity of social and economic impacts anticipated with the proposed pre-construction, construction, operation and maintenance of the Dickey-Lincoln transmission line. In order to address the types of anticipated impacts it was necessary to first develop a socio-economic profile of the affected area.


Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Transmission Studies Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix D: Transmission Reconnaissance Study, U.S. Department Of The Interior, U.S. Department Of Energy Jan 1978

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project Transmission Studies Environmental Impact Statement: Appendix D: Transmission Reconnaissance Study, U.S. Department Of The Interior, U.S. Department Of Energy

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

This report (Transmission Reconnaissance Studies) discusses alternative transmission facilities needed to connect the project with the New England grid, and describes the study area involved. It supplements the Transmission System PI anning Study prepared by the Department of Interior (DOI) (February 1977) and the Assessment of Alternative Power Transmission Corridors prepared by VTN Consolidated (VTN) of Boston Mass., for the Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes project.


Revised Draft Impact Statement Issued For Dickey-Lincoln, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers Jan 1978

Revised Draft Impact Statement Issued For Dickey-Lincoln, New England Division, United States Army Engineer Division, United States Army Corps Of Engineers

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Project

Revised draft combines data previously published in two separate impact statements prepared by the corps relating to the dams, reservoirs and power plants and by the U. S. Department of Energy for transmission facilities to link the St. John River development to the New England power grid. The latter agency is responsible for the marketing and distribution of power generated at federally-financed installations.