Engineering Commons^™

A Comparison Of The Army Corps Of Engineers Hydrologic Modeling System And Autodesk Storm And Sanitary Analysis For Hydraulic And Hydrologic Analysis And Design, Foster Josef Heifetz Campbell

Master's Theses

Hydrological and hydraulic effects of urban development is one of the key issues of study for improved water management. The addition of impervious surfaces to once pervious land and re-routing open channels and flow paths can cause flooding or declining water levels within a watershed. Many studies of these issues have found that there can be multiple factors causing hydrological and hydraulic impacts, and it can be hard to analyze and develop effective solutions without appropriate drainage software packages. However, there are multiple software packages available for use, and determining the correct one to use for a specific challenge can …

A Study On The Simultaneous Nitrification And Denitrification Process Of A Membrane Aerated Bioreactor Augmented By Biowish Aqua, Gavrielle Orman

Master's Theses

Nitrogen pollution is a growing problem that is detrimental to the environment and the economy. Traditional treatment of nitrogen is a multi-stage process, expensive, operationally intensive, and requires large land areas. This research studied the effects of BiOWiSH® Aqua (Aqua), a biological enhancement product, on the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification process in a membrane aerated bioreactor (MABR) to determine if it is a feasible application for wastewater treatment. The MABR used during experimentation was a small-scale batch reactor with a continuous flow of air through a silicone membrane.

The effect of carbon source and concentration on nitrogen removal rates and …

Integrated Aeration For Enhanced Nitrogen Conversion And Removal And The Effect Of Sampling Frequency On Productivity Estimates In Algae-Based Wastewater Treatment Systems, Lauren Parker

Master's Theses

Raceway ponds can be used to cultivate microalgae for purposes such as wastewater treatment and feedstock for animal feeds and biofuels. Besides nitrogen assimilation in biomass, nitrification can be a wastewater treatment mechanism but one that is hindered by the low nighttime dissolved oxygen concentrations (DO) common in wastewater treatment raceways. The large diel difference in pond conditions and changing influent wastewater quality also raises the question of the optimal frequency and timing of grab sample collection, to obtain representative water quality data. Three sets of triplicate pilot raceways (1,000-L, 0.30-m deep, fed primary clarifier effluent) were operated at an …

Degradation Of Emerging Contaminants By Advanced Oxidation Using Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes And Continuous Ozone Injection, Emily N. Miller

Master's Theses

With a growing population and continuous accumulation of pollutants, water resources worldwide are quickly being depleted. Drastic improvements need to be made in both water conservation and treatment. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been developed to go above and beyond the capabilities of traditional wastewater treatment facilities to eliminate emerging contaminants from our water systems. AOPs increase the generation of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) in oxidation reactions, which are less selective and more reactive than other oxidants, such as ozone, so they are more effective at degrading persistent compounds. This study explored an AOP that utilizes ozonated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) …

Carbonate Chemistry Characterization In A Low-Inflow Estuary With Recent Seagrass Loss, Jolie Higgins

Master's Theses

Estuaries are dynamic environments that are strongly affected by natural variability, as well as direct and indirect anthropogenic impacts. A better understanding of the drivers of carbon fluxes and biogeochemical variability in estuarine systems is needed, particularly with the increasing threat of ocean acidification. Morro Bay in Central California is a small nationally protected estuary, with seasonally low freshwater inputs. Since 2007, the bay has experienced a significant loss of native seagrass, Zostera marina, which is an important component of the marine ecosystem. Because seagrass photosynthesis decreases carbon dioxide and increases oxygen in the water column, the loss of seagrass …

Investigating The Rapid Curing Possibility Of Geopolymer Concrete, Ashlesh Banjara

Master's Theses

Recent studies of heat-cured fly ash based green geopolymer concrete have shown its suitability for fabrication of structural members. Fabrication of these structural members requires continuous moderate heating (145°F) for 24 hrs, and an oven essential, for a large member can quickly turn into an energy guzzler, potentially eliminating the green credentials of the product. The proposed research involves the development of a frontal polymerization (FP) method that achieves rapid curing of geopolymer at ambient condition after short-term heat application. Initial work shows thermal FP in geopolymer is a possibility and might be a solution to the problem. The process …

Effects On Strength And Corrosive Characteristics Of Hardened Cement Paste Using Rice Husk And Sugarcane Bagasse, Travis D. Garrett

Master's Theses

Cement is one of the most used building materials in the world. The production of ordinary Portland cement contributes to the release of harmful greenhouse gasses. In an effort to reduce these emissions, different materials are being evaluated for their use as partial replacements for ordinary Portland cement. Rice husk and sugarcane bagasse are agricultural waste products and large amounts of these are currently landfilled, making them inexpensive and available. When combusted at high temperatures they form rice husk ash and sugarcane bagasse ash that have pozzolanic characteristics. The high silicon dioxide in these products makes them good options to …

Macrobenthos Responses To Dam Removal And Habitat Restoration In The West River, Connecticut, Robert W. Sheridan

Master's Theses

Dam removal is being increasingly used nationwide to restore impaired rivers and streams. While dam removals are becoming more prevalent, little is known about whether these efforts create conditions for the enhancement and or establishment of desired biota.

Ongoing monitoring of these projects is an important step in the restoration process to ensure project goals are being met and the restoration has been successful.

This thesis focuses on the Pond Lily Dam removal and restoration which took place in October 2015 along the West River in New Haven Connecticut that removed an aging mill dam with the objective of restoring …

Effect Of Bio-Augmentation Product Biowish® Septic Rescue On The Wastewater Treatment Performance Of Residential Septic Tanks, Kimberly Michelle Lamar Merilles

Master's Theses

Residential septic systems provide reliable wastewater treatment for over 26 million homes and facilities in the United States, and many more worldwide. When properly maintained, these systems are reliable, low-cost, and long-term treatments for residential wastewater. When neglected, septic systems can fail and lead to health concerns and ecological harm to soil and groundwater contamination through the improperly treated wastewater effluent.

This study tested the effect of the bio-augmentation product BiOWiSH® Septic Rescue of BiOWiSH® Technologies International, Inc. (hereafter referred to as BiOWiSH) on the biological treatment of residential septic tanks. BiOWiSH is meant to act as a bio-augmentation product …

Indoor Air Monitoring Of Ethanol And Benzene In A Pilot Winery Using Active Sampling, Andrew I. Kaneda

Master's Theses

Acute indoor concentrations of benzene and ethanol were evaluated in the California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo’s pilot winery workroom. Air samples were collected during four different wine-making activities: fermentation, fermentation with Brix content testing, post-alcoholic fermentation pressing, and storage/finishing. Average workroom benzene concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 0.12 mg/m³. Ethanol concentrations in the winery workroom varied with the activity, ranging from 0.9 to 12 mg/m³. Pressing and fermentation with Brix content testing both led to higher indoor ethanol concentrations than fermentation without Brix content testing and storage/finishing.

Tracer gas decay air exchange tests were …

Wastewater Treatment And Nitrogen Removal In Bench-Scale Photobioreactors Operated With Solids Recycling, Erik Hoffnagle

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the effect of solids recycling on nitrification, organic carbon removal, and algal-bacterial productivity in bench-scale photobioreactors (PBRs) simulating winter pond conditions in San Luis Obispo, California and a 6-acre raceway system in Delhi, California. Two sets of duplicate photobioreactors operated with or without solids recycling were fed primary clarifier effluent (1^oEff) for the first experiment, and facultative pond effluent (FAC) for the second experiment.

In both experiments mean productivity was lower in solids recycled PBRs (3.67 and 2.3 g/m²-day), than in controls without solids recycling (4.15 and 3.9 g/m²-day). When fed …