Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Economic Benefits, Carbon Dioxide (Co2) Emissions Reductions, And Water Conservation Benefits From 1,000 Megawatts (Mw) Of New Wind Power In Nebraska, Eric Lantz, Suzanne Tegen

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Wind power is one of the fastest-growing forms of new power generation in the United States. Industry growth in 2007 was an astounding 45%. New wind power installations constituted 35% of all new electric power installations. This growth is the result of many drivers, includ¬ing increased economic competitiveness and favorable state policies such as Renewable Portfolio Standards. However, new wind power installations provide more than cost-competitive electricity. Wind power brings economic development to rural regions, reduces water consumption in the electric power sector, and reduces greenhouse gas production by displacing fossil fuels.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America …

Agricultural Systems: Agroecology And Rural Innovations For Development [Book Review], Charles A. Francis

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

To welcome yet another book on sustainable development, a reviewer must look for what is unique and what adds value to the volumes already published. In Agricultural Systems, editors Sieglinde Snapp and Barry Pound have assembled a collection of chapters that goes beyond the usual praise and criticism of the green revolution and the focus on economic development. Their book provides a first-hand story by people with lengthy experiences in the field, especially in Africa, who have developed and tested grassroots, participatory development approaches. The result is a valuable set of principles, strategies and case studies that paint a new …

Carbon Conversion During Bubbling Fluidized Bed Gasification Of Biomass, Kevin Timmer

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Gasification is one means of transforming biomass so that it can be more easily utilized as a renewable source of thermal energy, transportation fuel, and chemicals. Under typical gasification conditions it is not uncommon that a portion of the carbon entering with the biomass leaves the reactor unconverted as char. Understanding and improving carbon conversion during biomass gasification in an atmospheric bubbling fluidized bed reactor is the focus of this study.

To better understand the intricacies of biomass gasification a carbon conversion analytic methodology was developed. The methodology is based on a mass balance of the fixed carbon entering and …

Pyrene Fate Affected By Humic Acid Amendment In Soil Slurry Systems, Y. Liang, D. Sorensen, Ronald C. Sims, Joan Mclean

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background

Humic acid (HA) has been found to affect the solubility, mineralization, and bound residue formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, most of the studies on the interaction between HA and PAH concentrated on one or two of the three phases. Few studies have provided a simple protocol to demonstrate the overall effects of HA on PAH distribution in soil systems for all three phases.

Methods

In this study, three doses of standard Elliott soil HA (ESHA), 15, 187.5, and 1,875 μg ESHA/g soil slurry, were amended to soil slurry systems. ¹⁴C-pyrene was added to the systems along …

System And Method For Analyzing Material Properties Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Chris Richard Calkins, Ashok Samal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Systems and methods are provided for analyzing material properties of an object using hyperspectral imaging. An exemplary method includes obtaining a hyperspectral image of an object; analyzing the hyperspectral image according to an algorithm; and correlating data obtained from the analysis with material properties of the object.

Estimating The Savings From Improving Pumping Plant Performance., Derrel L. Martin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

This brochure describes a method to estimate the cost of pumping water and to compare the amount of energy used to that for a well maintained and designed pumping plant. The results can help determine the feasibility of repairing the pumping plant.

Review Of Career Development In Bioengineering And Biotechnology By Guruprasad Madhavan, Barbara Oakley, And Luis Kun (Editors), Springer Science+Business Media, Llc, 2008, Mark R. Riley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

As an educator in biological engineering, I am often asked by students about career opportunities in this growing field. The field of biological engineering merges approaches and methodologies from a variety of traditional disciplines, and so practitioners of biological engineering can find professional opportunities in numerous areas.

The recently published book Career Development in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, (485 pages) edited by Madhavan, Oakley, and Kun, represents an ambitious undertaking with the goal of not only presenting career options and career development techniques but also addressing how the work of an individual can impact society. The book contains 71 chapters divided …