Engineering Commons^™

Biodiesel Basics, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Michael D. Montross

Agricultural Engineering Extension Publications

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel for diesel engines. Biodiesel, defined by ASTM International (D6751), consists of longchain fatty acid alkyl esters and is made from renewable vegetable oils, recycled cooking oils, or animal fats. It can be used at full strength, but it is typically blended with petroleum diesel. A blend of 2 percent biodiesel and 98 percent diesel is referred to as B2. Other typical blends include B5, B10, and B20; pure biodiesel is sometimes referred to as B100. Biodiesel is safer for the environment and produces significantly less air pollution compared to petroleum diesel. Biodiesel can be produced …

Biodiesel Faq, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Michael D. Montross

Agricultural Engineering Extension Publications

Biodiesel and other alternative fuels continue to gain popularity as petroleum fuel prices rise and we become more concerned about our environment. Introduction of these fuels raises many questions about actually using them in current equipment. The purpose of this factsheet is to address some of the common questions asked by those considering the use of biodiesel in existing diesel equipment.

Co2-Selective Membranes Containing Amino Groups, W.S. Winston Ho

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Patents

Novel compositions suitable for fabrication of CO₂-selective membranes are disclosed. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to compositions comprising polyimide/polyamine blends and copolymers, and to compositions comprising interfacially polymerized polyamides. In another aspect this invention is directed to novel CO₂-selective membranes comprising such polyimide/polyamine blends and copolymers, and to novel CO₂-selective membranes comprising interfacially polymerized polyamides. In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a novel water-gas-shift (WGS) reactor comprising the novel CO₂-selective membranes. Advantageously, the use of the novel CO₂-selective membrane allows alteration of the …

Packet-Switching Network With Symmetrical Topology And Method Of Routing Packets, Nader F. Mir

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Patents

A mesh network for routing a plurality of data segments therethrough, each of the data segments containing address information. The network includes: a first, second, and third switch element each having a respective external input for routing data segments into the network and a respective external output for routing data segments out of the network; a bi-directional coupling between each of the switch elements; and a first controller for interrogating the address information of each of the data segments inbound into the first switch element. The exit pathway for any inbound data segment received by a switch element is selected …

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Limestone-Based Material for Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water, Chelsea Campbell and others, Dept of Chemistry, WKU
• Opportunistic Water Education, Amanda Abnee Gumbert, Extension Associate for Environmental and Natural Resources Issues, UK
• Ten-Year Solute Concentration Patterns in Two Streams of Contrasting Land-Use in Western Kentucky and Tennessee, Susan P. Hendricks, Hancock Biological Station, Murray State University
• Pathogen TMDL Development using Load Duration Curves for Two Stream Segments in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, Joseph M. Ferguson, Kentucky DOW
• Beargrass Creek Water Quality Tool and TMDLs, Ward Wilson and others, Tetra Tech
• Pathogen and Sediment Transport in Muddy Creek …

Session 2d: Modeling, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Simplification of Access to Hydrologic Data for Kentucky through an Online, Interactive GIS Tool, K. R. Odom and M. A. Ayers, USGS, Louisville
• The Kentucky Watershed Modeling Information Portal’s User Needs Assessment, Data Matrix and Use Case, K. L. Schaffer, K. R. Odom, and others, FMSM and USGS
• A Comparison of Manually and DEM Delineated Watersheds, Andrew Kellie, Jane Benson, and Mike Kemp, Dept of Industrial and Engineering Technology, Murray State University
• Of Farm Ponds and Sinkholes: Automated Feature Extraction from Kentucky’s NAIP Imagery, Demetrio Zourarakis, Kentucky Division of Geographic Information

Session 2c: Planning, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• US EPA’s New Guidance on Watershed-Based Plans for Restoration and Protection, Barry Tonning, Tetra Tech, Mount Sterling, KY
• Louisville Water Company – Wellhead Protection Plan, Marsha L. Taylor Meyer, Louisville Water Company
• Lessons Learned Reforesting the Bluegrass, H. David Gabbard, LFUCG, Lexington, KY
• Low-Flow Characteristics of Streams in Kentucky, G.R. Martin, D.W. Evans, and K.R. Odom, USGS, Louisville

Session 2b: Sediments, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The New Contractor EPSC Certification Program Developed by the City of Bowling Green Kentucky: Educating and Involving Contractors in NPDES Phase II Compliance, Jeff Lashlee, City of Bowling Green, Beth Chesson, CEC, Inc., and April Barker, AMEC Earth and Environmental, Nashville, TN
• Kentucky Best Management Practices for Controlling Erosion, Sediment, and Pollutant Runoff from Construction Sites: Planning and Technical Specifications Manual, Richard Walker and Barry Tonning, Tetra Tech, Lexington
• Sediment Monitoring Efforts in the Upper Green River Basin in Support of the Kentucky Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, S.T. Kenworthy, Dept of Geography and Geology, WKU
• Land-Use Fingerprinting …

Session 2a: Nonpoint Source, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Little River Watershed Delineation and “Misbehaved” Karst Drainage, J.A. Ray and R.J. Blair, Kentucky Division of Water
• Comprehensive Commonwealth Water Education Project, David Howarth, Keith Mountain, and Kristen Dunaway, Dept of Geography and Geosciences, U of L
• Assessment of Water Quality Trends in the Upper Cumberland River Basin: Focus on Pathogen Impairment, Lindell Ormsbee and Ramesh Teegavarapu, KWRRI, UK
• Watershed & Land Use Planning: A BMP Technology Transfer Project (A Case Study of the Dry Run Watershed Basin), Rachel Phillips, Brad Frazier, and Sandy Camargo, Georgetown/Scott County Planning Commission

Session 1d: Monitoring, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• An Examination of Statewide Watershed Watch Project Monitoring Data for 2005 Using GIS, Ken Cooke, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort
• Taking Watershed Watch to the Next Level: Grabbing the Attention of Local Elected Officials, Ken Cooke, Kentucky Division of Water, H. David Gabbard, LFUCG, Lexington
• Water Quality Data from Citizen Monitoring in the Licking River Region Kentucky 1998-2005: Trends and Issues, M.F. Hult, Daniel Carter Beard Environmental Center, and B.C. Reeder, Center for Environmental Education, Morehead State University
• Water Quality in the Upper Licking River Basin 2003-2005, Brian Reeder and others, Dept of Biological and Environmental …

Session 1c: Superfund, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The University of Kentucky Superfund Basic Research Program: Overview and Examples of Research Projects, Bernhard Hennig, Leonidas Bachas, and Lindell Ormsbee, UK
• Reductive Dechlorination of Toxic Organics by Bimetallic Nanoparticles in Polyacrylic Acid (PAA) Functionalized MF Membranes, Jian Xu and Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Dept Chemical and Materials Engineering, UK
• Chlorinated Organic Compounds Destruction by Modified Fenton Reaction Involving Immobilized Iron-Chelate, YongChao Li, Leonidas Bachas, and Dibakar Bhattacharyya, Dept Chemical and Materials Engineering, UK
• An Outreach Program Translates Basic Research for Superfund Communities to Improve Health through Nutrition, Lisa Gaetke and Sandra Bastin, Dept Nutrition and Food Science, …

Session 1b: Groundwater, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• A Brief History and Current State of Groundwater Protection in Kentucky, James Webb, Beverly Oliver, and Peter Goodmann, Kentucky DOW, Groundwater Branch
• Summary of Groundwater Quality Data in the Jackson Purchase Region, Kentucky, E.G. Beck, J.S. Dinger, and P.C. Inkenbrandt, KGS
• Groundwater-Quality Assessment and Shallow Aquifer Model of Calloway County, Kentucky, P.C. Inkenbrandt, E.G. Beck, and J.S. Dinger, KGS
• Suspended Sediment and Pathogen Transport in Two Inner Bluegrass Karst Ground-Water Basins, A.E. Fryar and others, Dept Earth and Environmental Sciences, UK
• Locating and Mapping Domestic Water Wells in Marshall County, Kentucky, Wendy D. Langhi, Western …

Session 1a: Water Quality, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Use of Sunfish and Stoneroller Minnows as Sentinel Monitors of PCB Contamination in Freshwater Streams in Kentucky, D.J. Price and W.J. Birge, Dept of Biology, UK
• Inferring Causes of Biological Impairment in Appalachian Streams: Watershed-Based Problem Formulation and Integration of Multiple Lines of Evidence, Jon Ludwig and others, Tetra Tech
• Relative Importance of Water and Dietary Cadmium: Toxicity to Ceriodaphnia Dubia, Agus Sofyan and W.J. Birge, Dept of Biology, UK
• The Graywater Story at Curtis Pike, Jack Kieffer and others, Appalachia - Science in the Public Interest, Mt. Vernon

Proceedings Of 2006 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

This symposium was funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with Clean Water Act, Section 319(h) grant money through the Kentucky Division of Water and the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, #C9994861-00.

Planning for this conference was conducted as part of the state water resources research annual program with the support and collaboration of the Department of Interior, U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Kentucky Research Foundation, under Grant Agreement No. 01HQGR0133.

The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the abstract authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed …

Evaluation Of Work Zone Safety Operations And Issues, Jerry G. Pigman, Kenneth R. Agent, Eric R. Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Work zone activities are one of the areas with a high potential for compromised safety for workers and road users. Various measures have been taken to increase the level of safety in work zones; including the use of double fines for speeding and the application of speed displays based on radar detection. There has been an effort to improve the effectiveness and safety of flaggers by requiring the use of a stop/slow paddle for most work zone conditions, using lights on the paddle, and increasing visibility by using more reflective clothing. It has been suggested that safety in work zones …

Baseline Modeling Of The Owensboro Cable-Stayed Bridge Over The Ohio River, Jindong Hu, Issam E. Harik, Suzanne Weaver Smith, Jeff Gagel, Jennie E. Campbell, R. Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report presents the baseline modeling of the Owensboro cable-stayed bridge which connects Owensboro, Kentucky and Rockport, Indiana over the Ohio River. The objective of this study is to establish the bridge baseline model via the dynamics-based technique and finite element method. The scope of research includes finite element modeling and modal analysis, field free vibration testing, finite element model calibration using field test results, and cable dynamic testing and modeling. It is demonstrated that a cable-stayed bridge is a highly pre-stressed structure. The stress stiffening of cable elements plays an important role in both static and dynamic analysis. The …

Performance Evaluation Of Bridges With Structural Bridge Deck Overlays (Sbdo), James J. Griffin, Issam E. Harik, Ching Chiaw Choo

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Structural Bridge Deck Overlay (SBDO) involves applying 6 to 10 inches (150 to 200 mm) of normal weight, class AA, reinforced concrete directly to a bridge’s original slab. The overlay is designed to increase the deck elevation to an extent that standard highway resurfacing procedures can continue uninterrupted up the edges of the bridge. Otherwise, excavation along the bridge approaches or jacking of the superstructure is required to insure proper elevation.

Experimental static field tests were conducted on three different bridges: (1) Simply supported prestressed concrete I-girder bridge; (2) cast-in-place reinforced concrete continuous haunched girder bridge; and (3) cast-in-place reinforced …

Inspection And Evaluation Of A Bridge Deck Reinforced With Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (Cfrp) Bars, Choo Ching Chiaw, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Cracking in reinforced concrete decks is inevitable. It leads to the corrosion and eventual deterioration of the deck system. The use of non-corrosive reinforcement is one alternative to steel in reinforced concrete construction. This report deals with the field evaluation and performance of a concrete bridge deck reinforced with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) bars. The bridge is identified as the Elkin Station Road Bridge on route CR1210 over the Two Mile Creek in Clark County, KY. The CFRP bars were placed in the top and bottom mats of the bridge deck in both the transverse and longitudinal directions. The …

Value Of Research From 2000-2005: The Kentucky Spr Program For Highway Research, Donald L. Hartman

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The abstracts of the 79 SPR reports completed by KTC researches for 2000-2005 were compiled. Seven projects were selected for value review to demonstrate the various types of benefits that accrue from SPR project research. This review compared objectives with results and described the nature of the benefits (some quantifiable). All of the projects were analyzed to determine: 1) the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (and FHWA) goals supported and 2) the types of benefits that would reasonably be expected to accrue from implemented results of the research. Most of the 79 projects; results address both improving the performance of the Cabinet …

Dynamic Sulfur Tolerant Process And System With Inline Acid Gas-Selective Removal For Generating Hydrogen For Fuel Cells, Surjit Randhava, W. S. Winston Ho, Richard L. Kao, Elias H. Camara

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Patents

This invention relates to a sulfur tolerant, dynamic, compact, lightweight fuel process and system that is capable of converting sulfur bearing carbonaceous fuels to hydrogen rich gases suitable for fuel cells or chemical processing applications. The process and system is based on the AHR and WGS reactions, followed by cleanup of byproduct sulfur-containing gases and carbon oxides that would otherwise poison the fuel cell electrocatalyst. Advantageously, this is accomplished via an ASMS and a methanator or an AWMR. The process and system preferably uses a special sulfur tolerant catalysts and hardware designs that enable the conversion in an energy efficient …

Vertical Loads Due To Wheat On Obstructions Located On The Floor Of A Model Bin, Marek Molenda, Michael D. Montross, Sidney A. Thompson, Jozef Horabik

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Tests were conducted in a model grain bin to evaluate the vertical loads acting on differently shaped obstructions embedded in wheat during filling, detention, and discharge. The bin had corrugated galvanized steel walls with a 1.83 m diameter and a flat bottom. All tests were conducted in a bin that was centrically loaded and unloaded. Three differently shaped obstructions (disc, cone, and cylinder) were tested; each had a circular base equivalent to 6% of the bin floor area. The obstructions were supported in the bin using a three-legged support structure. Each leg of the support structure rested on a load …

Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute Annual Technical Report Fy 2005, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

KWRRI Annual Technical Reports (USGS’s 104b Grant Program)

The 2005 Annual Technical Report for Kentucky consolidates reporting requirements of the Section 104(b) base grant award in a single technical report that includes: 1) a synopsis of each research project supported during the period, 2) related reports and publications, 3) a description of information transfer activities, 4) a summary of student support during the reporting period, and 5) notable achievements and awards during the year.

Addressing The Arnstein Gap: Improving Public Confidence In Transportation Planning And Design Through Structured Public Involvement (Spi), Keiron Bailey, Ted H. Grossardt

Kentucky Transportation Center Faculty and Researcher Publications

The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, or TEA-21, enacted in 1998, following the Intermodal SurfaceTransportation Equity Act (ISTEA) of 1991, defines the “public” as “citizens, affected public agencies, representatives of transportation agency employees, freight shippers, private providers of transportation, representatives of users of public transit, providers of freight transportation services and other interested parties.” More recently the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has expanded this definition to include underrepresented groups “such as low income or minority households and the elderly”. In the last decade public involvement has been mandated for all metropolitan and statewide planning processes (TEA), and it …

Performance Evaluation Of Concrete Bridge Decks Reinforced With Mmfx And Ssc Rebars, Ching Chiaw Choo, Issam E. Harik

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report investigates the performance of bridge decks reinforced with stainless steel clad (SSC) and micro-composite multistructural formable steel (MMFX) rebars. The two-span Galloway Road Bridge on route CR5218 over North Elkhorn Creek in Scott County, KY, was reinforced with SSC rebars in one span and MMFX rebars in the second span. The reinforcements are intended to prolong the service life of the newly constructed bridge decks due to the expected corrosion-resistance capability. Moment-curvature analyses indicated that MMFX RC decks had 57% and 85% higher strengths than SSC RC decks in positive and negative moment regions, respectively. The areas under …

Shear Repair Of P/C Box Beams Using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (Cfrp) Fabric, Jim W. Simpson Ii, Issam E. Harik, Choo Ching Chiaw

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The report documents the retrofit work carried out on the KY3297 Bridge over Little Sandy River in Carter County, Kentucky. Field investigation and evaluation revealed that the bridge superstructure was deficient in shear. The repair work was carried out using externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabric system. The repair, using externally bonded fiber system, offers the following benefits: (1) the use of light construction equipment, hand kits and tools, (2) minimal traffic disruption as all lanes were open to traffic while work was being performed underneath the bridge, and (3) cost saving; the cost for the repair and …

Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts 2006 Report, Kentucky Transportation Center, Kentucky State Police

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

KENTUCKY’S TRAFFIC COLLISION FACTS report for 2006 is based on collision reports submitted to the Kentucky State Police Records Branch. As required by Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.635, “every law enforcement agency whose officers investigate a vehicle accident of which a report must be made...shall file a report of the accident...within ten days after investigation of the accident upon forms supplied by the bureau.” The stated purpose of this requirement is to utilize data on traffic collisions for such purposes as will improve the traffic safety program in the Commonwealth. Data contained in this report are based solely on the observations …

Heat Transfer And Chemical Processes In Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactor For Synthesis Of Carbon Nanotubes, Wahed Rezk Wasel

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A small-scale model of a CVD reactor was built. Axial and radial of major species concentrations and temperature profiles were obtained with a micro gas chromatograph and a fine thermocouple. Those temperature and species concentrations revealed detailed thermal and chemical structures of the CVD reactor.

The concentrations of argon plus hydrogen, methane, and C₂H_x (C₂H₂ + C₂H₄ + C₂H₆) resulting from xylene decomposition were measured along the CVD at different temperatures. Ferrocene was added to xylene to investigate the effect of a catalyst on composition profiles. The …

Air Exchange Rate In A Horse Trailer During Road Transport, Joseph L. Purswell, Richard S. Gates, Laurie M. Lawrence, Jamey D. Jacob, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Robert J. Coleman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Horses traveling by road commonly experience heat stress conditions and poor air quality, which may be caused by insufficient ventilation; however, there are few estimates of air exchange in a horse trailer during transport. Air exchange rate was measured at ten locations within a four-horse trailer (internal volume 18.5 m³) using tracer gas decay measurement to assess the adequacy of ventilation. Three vehicle speeds (13, 48, and 97 km h^-1) and three window configurations (all windows and roof vents closed, all windows open, all windows open and roof vents open forward) were tested with and without …

Optimal Phase Measuring Profilometry Techniques For Static And Dynamic 3d Data Acquisition, Veeraganesh Yalla

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Phase measuring Profilometry (PMP) is an important technique used in 3D data acquisition. Many variations of the PMP technique exist in the research world. The technique involves projecting phase shifted versions of sinusoidal patterns with known frequency. The 3D information is obtained from the amount of phase deviation that the target object introduces in the captured patterns. Using patterns based on single frequency result in projecting a large number of patterns necessary to achieve minimal reconstruction errors. By using more than one frequency, that is multi-frequency, the error is reduced with the same number of total patterns projected as in …

New Ultra-Lightweight Stiff Panels For Space Apertures, Jonathan T. Black

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Stiff, ultra-lightweight thermal-formed polyimide panels considered in this dissertation are examples of next generation gossamer structures that resolve some of the technology barriers of previous, membrane-dominated gossamer designs while maintaining their low mass and low stowage volume characteristics. The research involved statically and dynamically characterizing and modeling several of these panels to develop validated computer models which can be used to determine the effects of changing manufacturing parameters and scalability. Static characterization showed substantial local nonlinear behavior that was replicated by new physics-based finite element models, and global linear bending behavior that was modeled using classical shell finite elements incorporating …