Engineering Commons^™

Enhancing Water Supply Resilience & Sustainability: Potential Solutions To Address Water Scarcity In Bogotá, Colombia, Sophia Alvarez Wong

Master's Projects and Capstones

Municipal water utilities are in urgent need of adapting to the intensifying impacts of climate change and population growth—key drivers of urban water scarcity worldwide. In rapidly expanding cities like Bogota, Colombia, these pressures have contributed to a severe water crisis driven by prolonged droughts, ecosystem degradation, increasing water demands, and overdependence on limited water sources. This study explores potential adaptation and management strategies that utilities can implement to sustainably strengthen supply system resilience and enhance water security, in the context of low- to middle-income regions. A series of comparative and case study analyses were conducted to assess the feasibility …

Who Owns The Wind: The Absence Of Community Wind Farms In California, Sky Berry-Weiss

Master's Projects and Capstones

Community ownership structures for wind farms have been around for decades, particularly in European countries, due to high socioeconomic benefits. Given these significant benefits, one might expect community wind to thrive in the United States—especially in a state like California, which prides itself on progressive climate policy and renewable energy leadership. Yet utility-scale community wind remains largely absent from research on California’s energy system, raising questions about its existence in the state. To pinpoint how many utility-scale community owned wind farms are in California, this study surveys every operational wind turbine in the state. After classifying each wind farm by …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Co-Located Floating Solar And Offshore Wind, Danela Sadikaj, Meghann Smith

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Is combining floating solar and offshore wind platforms feasible for increasing energy capacity while displacing the environmental impacts that each of these systems has independently? In recent years offshore wind has become a very popular option to decarbonize the energy sector without overtaking valuable land. While floating solar is not a new technology, using solar in a marine environment is still in an experimental phase. This research proposes a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) model of co-located solar technology within the proposed offshore wind farms near New Jersey’s coastline. While both technologies themselves are zero-emission while operating, they each require a …

Reducing Emissions And Increasing Resource Efficiency In Offshore Wind Turbines: Insight From Life Cycle Analysis, Jean Claire Pineda, Meghann Smith

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Globally, offshore wind (OSW) has been identified as a key technology for decarbonization. While OSW’s development timeline remains uncertain in the United States, New Jersey has set the ambitious goal of 11 GW by 2040. OSW produces zero carbon emissions; however, it relies heavily on resource-intensive materials like steel, rare earth elements, and copper, and manufacturing those materials have numerous environmental impacts, including carbon emissions. Supply chain disruptions—from COVID-19, rising material costs, and geopolitical challenges—add further complexity. Previous research modelled the environmental impacts of Atlantic Shores OSW South Project with an established domestic supply chain, producing 0.013kg CO2 per kWh. …

Feasibility Analysis For The Implementation Of An Anaerobic Digestion System In The City Of Pittsburgh, Pa, Gianna L. Kolencik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study is investigating the feasibility of an anaerobic digestion system

in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the old State Correctional Institute (SCI-Pittsburgh)

located at 1922 Westhall St. This location is immediately upstream of the Allegheny

County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) along the Ohio River. Municipal solid waste

from ALCOSAN may be used as the main form of feedstock. ALCOSAN produced

roughly 36,500 tons of dry sludge in the reporting year 2023-2024. Based on the volume

of dry sludge from ALCOSAN it is estimated that an anaerobic digestion system could

yield approximately 29,930,000 kWh of energy, which is enough to power over …

Ecodrone: Autonomous Environmental Monitoring, Belsen Lee

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This project presents EcoDrone, an autonomous aerial drone designed for continuous and automated environmental monitoring. Current environmental monitoring methods rely on stationary sensors or manual data collection, limiting real-time response capabilities. This reliance leads to delayed, incomplete, and spatially limited data and restricts the ability to capture real-time changes. Another challenge includes the difficulty of environmental monitoring in challenging terrain, whether it be wildfire areas, dense forestry, or mountainous terrain. EcoDrone overcomes these challenges by autonomously navigating difficult terrain to collect real-time data, offering more flexible and timely monitoring than stationary or manual methods. The central research question investigates integrating …

Recent U.S. Government Policy Literature On Critical And Strategic Minerals, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Critical and strategic minerals have become increasingly important in U.S. government civilian and military policymaking in recent years. This is demonstrated by the heavy use of such minerals in many critical civilian and military infrastructures. This work will discuss how this subject has been addressed in laws, presidential documents, and works by government agencies along with congressional oversight committees and support agencies. It will stress how the United States is heavily dependent on strategic minerals from adversarial foreign countries such as China and will examine U.S. efforts to increase its ability to produce such materials in the United States by …

A Review Of Disassembly Systems For Circular Product Design, Giovanni Formentini, Joao Pj. Prioli, Junwon Ko, Buddhika M. Hapuwatte, Vincenzo Ferrero, Fazleena Badurdeen, Jeremy L. Rickli, Devarajan Ramanujan

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Circular Economy (CE) is described as a means for maintaining products and materials in circulation while regenerating nature. This shift requires considering aspects at the product design phase that were not previously prioritized. One such aspect, disassembly, is a key enabler for CE. Design for Disassembly methodologies have been deployed for several years to enhance disassembly performance. However, when CE is of interest, it is essential to consider how disassembly affects the entire product life cycle system. In this regard, this paper proposes a literature review of relevant DfD methods from a system engineering perspective to evaluate their effects on …

Toxicity And Biodegradability Of Novel Boronium Vs Conventional Ammonium Based Anti Microbial Compounds In Wastewater Treatment Systems, Noor Shalan

Poster Presentations

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are highly effective as disinfectants, herbicides, and pesticides; thus, overuse causes elevated levels of residual toxicity in domestic and industrial wastewater. QACs can be toxic to essential bacteria breaking down pollutants in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and can remain untreated in effluent, harming the environment, and contributing to antibiotic resistance, posing risks to human health. Novel boronium-based antimicrobial compounds have demonstrated efficacy in eliminating bacteria, fungi, and viruses. If the boronium compounds exhibit lower residual toxicity, they could offer a promising alternative to QACs. Because these compounds are still in development, their potential toxicity to the …

Binary Solid/Liquid Equilibrium Of Mixtures Of Thermally Robust Salts And Molecular Compounds For Use As Heat Transfer Fluids, Jared Ridge Mathews

Poster Presentations

Fossil fuels, contributors to climate change that may bear catastrophic consequences, power the entire world. The human species is almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels for energy, but other sources of renewable and environmentally friendly energy must be developed. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a promising source of renewable energy with hampered potential—better heat transfer fluids (HTFs) are needed for it to be economically feasible. Currently, the HTFs in industrial use are predominantly either synthetic oils or nitrate-based molten salts. Synthetic oils are only stable up to 400 °C, and molten salts often have high melting temperatures, making them prone …

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs (Ocypode Quadrata) As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Poster Presentations

Coastal erosion is heavily impacting coastal ecosystems across the Gulf. For instance, the state of Louisiana loses a football field worth of land every 100 minutes (Couvillion, 2017). The drastic loss of coastline highlights the dire need for restoration in the Northern Gulf Coast. An unexpected solution to this sediment loss may solve two major environmental issues at once by diverting millions of tons of glass waste from entering America’s landfills each year. By crushing glass to create sand and gravel for coastal restoration, we may generate a consistent and sustainable source of substrate. Our goal is to determine the …

Electrodeposition Of Gallium Nitride_Unraveling The Role Of Precursors, Deposition Conditions, And Substrate Effects For Semiconductor Applications, Mauricio Azier Leyva Aranzabal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor noted for its remarkable optoelectronic and structural characteristics, rendering it a potential material for high-power, high-frequency, and optoelectronic device applications. This dissertation investigates the electrochemical synthesis of GaN thin films by potentiostatic and galvanostatic electrodeposition techniques using aqueous solutions of gallium nitrate (Ga(NO3)3), ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and auxiliary agents like potassium nitrate and urea. The main aim is to examine the essential elements affecting nitrogen incorporation and film shape while assessing electrochemical performance on various conductive substrates.A thorough investigation was performed to evaluate the impacts of electrodeposition duration, electrolyte pH, precursor molar concentrations, …

Life Cycle Analysis Of Cosmetic Products -- Assessing Environmental Sustainability And Potential Impacts, Karina Magro Machado

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The cosmetic industry has a significant environmental footprint due to its reliance on water, energy, petrochemical-derived ingredients, and plastic-based packaging. This study performs a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of three cosmetic products: CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion, bareMinerals Gen Nude Powder Blush, and Gillette Foamy Regular Shave Cream. The analysis was conducted using OpenLCA software and free databases, modeling each product across raw materials, packaging, manufacturing, transportation, use and end-of-life phases. The results showed that the shave cream had the highest environmental burden to three out of the four categories, especially in consumption and carbon …

Drainage Area Limitations Of Single Watershed, Peak Flow Estimates From Nrcs Methods, Timothy A. Maughan, Rollin H. Hotchkiss, Riley Hales

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Most state Department of Transportation roadway design sections predict peak flow for culvert design using, amongst other approaches, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) TR-20 technology. Even though this technology is more than 50 years old, there are no clear guidelines for how large a single watershed drainage area may be while remaining appropriate for predicting peak discharge with this method. Our objective was to identify the drainage area where TR-20 peak flow predictions significantly deviate from flow frequency predictions. We developed flow frequency estimates for 130 small-area stream gage sites in rural Nebraska and compared the calculated return period discharges …

Ghosts In Glass: Ghost Crabs As Judges Of Glass Sand For Coastal Restoration, Emily Parrish

Honors Theses

Over 60% of the Gulf of Mexico coastline is actively eroding, which has resulted in thousands of miles of lost coastline over the last 100 years. This drastic loss of coastal land highlights the dire need for coastal restoration across the entirety of the Gulf Coast. A vital aspect of restoring these eroded areas is replenishing eroded substrate, traditionally conducted through offshore dredging of substrates which comes with high economic and ecological costs. Recycled glass sand may be able to fill this role and reduce our reliance on dredging while lowering the amount of glass waste entering landfills each year. …

Cellular Telemetry For Real-Time River Flow Velocity Data From Fluvial Acoustic Tomography Loggers, Joshua Lee Seymour

Honors Theses

Streamflow is a critical element in understanding watershed processes and the effects of land use on those processes because it is the primary medium through which water, sediment, nutrients, organic material, thermal energy, and aquatic species move. Fluvial Acoustic Tomography (FAT) systems offer accurate direct measurements of river section-averaged flow velocity by measuring reciprocal acoustic travel times between at least two acoustic nodes positioned on opposite riverbanks. However, similar to many in-situ sensors used in estuarine and riverine environments, FAT loggers require manual data retrieval, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and limits real-time access and increases maintenance costs. This project presents …

Optimizing Nitrogen Management: Assessing Nitrate Transport In The Deep Vadose Zone And Its Impact On Groundwater Quality In East-Central Nebraska, Muili O. Lawal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Groundwater contamination by nitrate (NO₃-N) is a growing environmental and public health concern driven largely by intensive agricultural fertilizer applications. The vadose zone plays an important role in NO₃-N transport, influencing groundwater quality and agricultural sustainability. This study investigated NO₃-N leaching dynamics in the deep vadose zone of Water Quality Sub-Area 30 (WQA30) within the Lower Loup Natural Resources District (LLNRD), northeast of Columbus, Nebraska (mean groundwater NO₃-N: 20.3 mg/L), using soil cores from 16 shallow (to 6.1 m) and four deep (down to 25.9 m) across four zones, two with inorganic fertilizer (Zones 1 and 4) and two with …

Development Of Porous Separators For Lithium-Ion Batteries Via 3d Printing And Thermally Induced Phase Separation, Abraham Enchinton

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Additive manufacturing processes allow the development of custom-shape rechargeable batteries, but research in custom filaments for fused deposition modeling (FDM) of battery separators has remained limited until now. This study discusses the development and optimization of a composite thermoplastic filament feedstock to 3D print separator membranes. A number of post-processing steps - leveraging the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) of the composite filament - are introduced in tandem with FDM to promote microporosity formation through the removal of the sacrificial diluent phase within 3D printed samples. Three distinct compositions of varying polymer/diluent ratios were developed and thoroughly investigated through thermogravimetric …

Evaluating The Role Of Electrostatic Forces In The Adsorption Of Perfluoroalkyl Substances To Granular Activated Carbon, Thomas A. Mccall

All Theses

In response to new drinking water regulations announced by the EPA in 2024, many municipalities will need to monitor concentrations and implement new treatments to address PFAS, a class of anthropogenic organic contaminants. A leading technology for this application is GAC adsorption due to its familiarity and availability. The adsorption of four PFAS species (PFBA, PFBS, PFOA and PFOS) to Calgon Filtrasorb400 (F400) was evaluated for a range of pH and ionic strength conditions to investigate the role of electrostatic interactions in adsorption capacity. These PFAS are all strong acids, so pH was used as a control for GAC surface …

Towards Advancing Streamflow And Peak Flow Prediction With Machine Learning: Identifying Infrastructure At Risk, Sudan Pokharel

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Due to climate change and its impact, the need for adaptive strategies for natural disaster mitigation and resource management has never been more urgent. Central to this is water resource management, which is essential for sustainable human activities, ecological balance, and the mitigation of natural hazards like floods. Streamflow is a crucial element of water resource management and plays a vital role in planning and building water infrastructure, implementing emergency response plans, supporting flood mitigation initiatives, and regulating agricultural and industrial use. However, accurate prediction of streamflow still remains a challenge due to the complex non-linear and non-stationary interaction between …

Sensors And Sensibilities: Exploring Interactions For Habitat Comfort With An Environmental-Physiological Sensing Eyewear In The Wild, Sailin Zhong, Patrick Chwalek, Nathan Perry, David Ramsay, Clayton Miller, Denis Lalanne, S. Hamed Alavi, A. Joseph Paradiso

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Buildings increasingly incorporate sensing and actuation techniques to automate the regulation of temperature, lighting, ventilation, and more. This trend seeks to minimize human intervention, justified by the promise of enhancing energy optimization. However, it has been widely acknowledged that loss of control over environmental conditions can lead to a diminished perception of comfort and compromised long-term user awareness and satisfaction. How can we envision building systems that can interact with building inhabitants and engage them at the “right” time and place? In this work, we address this challenge through three key contributions: 1) AirSpecs, a novel smart glasses-based system that …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Research On Underground Coal Gasification From 2023 To 2024: A Systematic Review, Qin Yong, Yi Tongsheng, Wang Lingxia

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The industrialization of underground coal gasification (UCG) technology presents a potential solution for securing the supply of clean energy. The latest wave of exploration into UCG is currently gaining momentum. Methods This review systematically organizes domestic and international literature, expatiates the advances in research on UCG from 2023 to 2024, analyzes the primary challenges in its development, and proposes key areas for future exploration. Advances Transformative technological advancements in the development and utilization of coal energy based on UCG have been proposed. The development of an integrated, synergistic UCG – coalbed methane – carbon capture, utilization, and storage (UCG–CBM–CCUS) …

Evolutionary Pattern And A Calculation Method Of In Situ Gas Pressure Based On Pressure-Retaining Coal Cores, Gao Mingzhong, Song Jie, Cui Pengfei, Li Yongcheng, Wang Zhipeng, Zhou Xuemin, Li Ju, Hao Zongxin, Hao Haichun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods The in situ gas pressure of coal seams represents a crucial parameter for the safe production of coal mines and the assessment of coalbed methane (CBM) resources. To overcome current limitations in determining the in situ gas pressure, such as prolonged measurement cycles and the influence of multiple parameters on the measurement results, this study conducted isothermal adsorption and volumetric expansion desorption experiments on pressure-retaining coal cores with varying moisture contents using a self-constructed experimental system for gas pressure evolution in pressure-retaining coal cores. As a result, the evolutionary pattern of gas pressure in pressure-retaining coal cores …

Key Technologies For Surface Control Of Gas Dynamic Disasters In Coal Mines And Their Application, Wang Bo, Xu Fengyin, Liu Wenge, Shao Sihua, Wang Ning, Wen Jiandong, Cheng Guoxi, Qu Zhenghui, Xie Yadong, Han Jiaye, Li Zhi, Xu Bo, Yang Weihua, Zhang Yiteng, Li Changxing

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Significance As the coal mining depth increases, coal mining faces increasingly prominent challenges including coal and gas outbursts, rock bursts, and compound dynamic disasters. Deepening the understanding of disaster-causing mechanisms and developing diversified prevention and control technologies are significant for the safe production of coal mines. Employing the key technologies for coalbed methane (CBM) production to control gas-related dynamic disasters is an inevitable course for the safe production of coal mines. However, large-scale, suitable technology systems are yet to be developed. Methods From the perspective of the application of key technologies for surface CBM production, this study systematically …

Microseismic Monitoring And Assessment Of Segmented Hydraulic Fracturing Of Horizontal Wells In Coal Seam Roofs, Li Quangui, Peng Shuyue, Liang Yunpei, Li Wenxi, Qian Yanan, Cheng Chunhui, Yu Changjun, Zhan Jinfei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Microseismic monitoring, a non-destructive monitoring technique, has been extensively applied in the hydraulic fracturing performance assessment of coal seams. However, little attention is paid to the vertical wave velocity gradients in media in the same layer during the construction of layered wave velocity models. This leads to limited precision of travel time calculation and microseismic source localization, thus affecting the assessment accuracy of the hydraulic fracturing of coal seams. Objective and Methods Based on the coal seam segmented hydraulic fracturing project in a mine in Anhui, this study proposes an improved velocity model based on the Universal Kriging interpolation …

Reflections And Implementation Strategies For Constructing A Standard System For Deep Coalbed Methane Exploration And Exploitation, Chen Xinjun, Liu Zengqin, Shen Baojian, Zhao Shihu, Zhang Jiaqi, Ye Jincheng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Deep coalbed methane (CBM; burial depths: > 1500 m) in China holds considerable resource potential. As a strategic clean energy, deep CBM is exhibiting increasingly high value of exploitation and utilization. This is of great practical significance for China’s energy structure transformation and the achievement of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality in the country. In recent years, breakthroughs have been made in deep CBM exploration in basins such as Ordos, Sichuan, and Junggar, with a single-well daily gas production exceeding 100 000 m³, marking the initial achievement of large-scale deep CBM exploitation. However, the existing standard …

Dynamic Gas Supply Mechanism And Theoretical Production Modes Of Free Gas-Rich Deep Coal Reservoirs, Chen Shida, Zhang Taiyuan, Tang Dazhen, Xu Hao, Tao Shu, Li Song, Tang Shuling

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods The production processes of adsorbed and free gases and the dynamic partitioning mechanism behind the production efficiency of both gas types are critical scientific issues to be addressed urgently in the exploration and production of deep coalbed methane (CBM). Based on the test and assay data of cores from exploration wells, this study systematically analyzed the theoretical production of deep CBM resources. By integrating the building of mathematical and numerical models, carbon isotope monitoring of methane, and the analysis of production curves, this study revealed the spatiotemporal evolutionary processes of production-induced pressure drop expansion, adsorbed gas desorption, …

An Experimental Study Of Ch4 Displacement By Co2 Under Varying Initial Reservoir Pressures, Xu Jiang, Jiang Shiyu, Peng Shoujian, Wang Zhonghui, Chen Jiaxuan, Niu Huiting

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective This study aims to reveal the evolutionary patterns of reservoir parameters during the CO₂-enhanced coalbed methane (CO₂-ECBM) recovery and the impact of initial reservoir pressure on CBM recovery by gas injection. Methods Based on the multi-field coupling-based physical simulation experiment system of gas injection into coal seams for production growth, this study conducted experiments of CH₄ displacement by CO₂ under a constant gas injection pressure of 2.0 MPa and initial reservoir pressures of 1.5 MPa, 1.0 MPa, and 0.5 MPa. Accordingly, this study explored the spatiotemporal evolutionary patterns of multiphysical field parameters such …

Parameter Optimization For Multistage Horizontal Well Fracturing Based On Multi-Cluster Perforation For Deep Coal Measure Gas: A Case Study Of The Jurassic Baijiahai Area In The Junggar Basin, Wang Bo, Jin Chenghong, Liu Jiang, Wang Zhiwei, Li Shenjian, Sheng Mao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The multistage horizontal well fracturing based on multi-cluster perforation has emerged as an effective approach for the efficient production of deep coal-measure gas (CMG). However, deep coals feature unique rock mechanical properties, fluid loss characteristics of reservoirs, and microfracture developmental characteristics, which differ significantly from those of unconventional shales, tight sandstones, and shallow coals. As a result, existing fracturing experience cannot be directly applied, highlighting the investigation of fracturing parameter optimization tailored for deep CMG production.Methods Focusing on deep CMG reservoirs in the Baijiahai area within the Junggar Basin, this study constructed a model of multistage horizontal well …