Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

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 …

Spatial Distributions Of Heating, Cooling, And Industrial Degree-Days In Turkey, Ilhami Yildiz, B. Sosaoglu

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The degree-day method is commonly used to estimate energy consumption for heating and cooling in residential, commercial and industrial buildings, as well as in greenhouses, livestock facilities, storage facilities and warehouses. This article presents monthly and yearly averages and spatial distributions of heating, cooling, and industrial degree-days at the base temperatures of 18 °C and 20 °C, 18 °C and 24 °C, and 7 °C and 13 °C, respectively; as well as the corresponding number of days in Turkey. The findings presented here will facilitate the estimation of heating and cooling energy consumption for any residential, commercial and industrial buildings …

Manure Testing: What To Request?, Charles A. Shapiro, Charles S. Wortmann

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Manure testing is necessary to make optimum use of manure while protecting water resources. This publication is a guide to providing information on a Manure Sample Sub­mission Form for reliable interpretation of results.

The tests most frequently needed to optimize nutrient management are total and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄-N), phosphorus (P₂O₅), potassium (K₂O), pH, soluble salts, sodium, and dry matter content.

Nitrogen. Manure contains both organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen. Ammonium-N is the primary inorganic form in manure and is readily available to crops. Nitrate-N concentration is usually too small to …

Method Of Introducing A Plurality Of Genes Into Plants, Vincent Lee C. Chiang, Laigeng Li

Michigan Tech Patents

A method of concurrently introducing multiple genes to plants and trees is provided. The method includes an Agrobacterium-mediated gene delivery system by which multiple genes together with a single selectable marker gene are simultaneously transferred and inserted into the genome of plants, including trees.

Evaluation Of Irrigation Strategies With The Dssat Cropping System Model, Derek M. Heeren, Hal D. Warner, Todd P. Trooien

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Water is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity with shortages and water rationing more commonplace. Since irrigation is the largest consumptive use of water in South Dakota, accounting for over 70% of the water withdrawals, irrigation water management is critical to make the best use of the water available. This project uses the CERES-Maize cropping system model (available in DSSAT v4) to study the impact of various irrigation management strategies on corn production. SDSU management software developed by Oswald (2006) is used to simulate a center pivot for specific locations and years. Weather data from several sites in the Great Plains …

A Site-Wide Perspective On Uranium Geochemistry At The Hanford Site, John M. Zachara, C. Brown, J. Christensen, J.A. Davis, E. Dresel, Chongxuan Liu, S. Kelly, James Mckinley, J. Serne, W. Um

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Uranium (U) is an important risk-driving contaminant at the Hanford Site. Over 200,000 kg have been released to the vadose zone over the course of site operations, and a number of vadose zone and groundwater plumes containing the uranyl cation [UO₂²⁺, U(VI)] have been identified. U is recognized to be of moderate-to-high mobility, conditions dependent. The site is currently making decisions on several of these plumes with long-lasting implications, and others are soon to come.

Uranium is one of nature’s most intriguing and chemically complex elements. The fate and transport of U(VI) has been studied over the …

Global-Change Scenarios: Their Development And Use, Edward Parson, Virginia Burkett, Karen Fisher-Vanden, David Keith, Linda Mearns, Hugh Pitcher, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Mort Webster

United States Department of Energy: Publications

A scenario is a description of potential future conditions produced to inform decision-making under uncertainty. Scenarios can help inform decisions that involve high stakes and poorly characterized uncertainty, which may thwart other, conventional forms of analysis or decision support. Originally developed to study military and security problems, scenarios are now widely used for strategic planning and assessment in businesses and other organizations, and increasingly to inform planning, analysis, and decision-making for environmental issues, including climate change.
Scenarios can serve many purposes. They can help inform specific decisions, or can provide inputs to assessments, models, or other decision-support activities when these …

Scenarios Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Atmospheric Concentrations, Leon Clarke, James Edmonds, Henry Jacoby, Hugh Pitcher, John Reilly, Richard Richels

United States Department of Energy: Publications

This and a companion report constitute one of twenty-one Synthesis and Assessment Products called for in the Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. These studies are structured to provide high-level, integrated research results on important science issues with a particular focus on questions raised by decision-makers on dimensions of climate change directly relevant to the U.S. One element of the CCSP’s strategic vision is to provide decision support tools for differentiating and evaluating response strategies. Scenario-based analysis is one such tool. The scenarios in this report explore the implications of alternative stabilization levels of anthropogenic greenhouse …

Laying The Groundwork For Odor Control And Setback Estimation In Nebraska, Rick R. Stowell

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The goal of this field research study was to validate use of the Odor Footprint Tool (OFT) with livestock building sources in rural communities. The primary objective was to evaluate the accuracy of predictions of annoyance potential (as projected by odor concentration output data from AERMOD^® - the OFT's underlying dispersion model) when compared to measures of annoyance potential made in the field. Odor assessors were trained to monitor odors around a 4,800-head finishing site in eastern Nebraska. During the summer of 2005, mobile odor assessors monitored odor levels at downwind locations. During the spring and summer of 2006, …

Corn Stover Availability And Collection Efficiency Using Typical Hay Equipment, Robert M. Prewitt, Michael D. Montross, Scott A. Shearer, Timothy S. Stombaugh, Stephen F. Higgins, Samuel G. Mcneill, Shahab Sokhansanj

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Corn stover has been identified as a potential feedstock for the production of fermentable sugars and thermochemical processes. The availability and efficiency of typical hay equipment for collecting corn stover has not been well quantified. Corn stover was collected for two years on a central Kentucky farm near Louisville. Six different harvesting treatments, using traditional hay equipment, were used to harvest corn stover. A rotary mower, rotary scythe (flail-type mower with windrow-forming shields), parallel bar rake, and a round baler were utilized. The average stover moisture content prior to grain harvest was above 40%, and field drying was required before …

Volumetric Irrigation Water Pricing Considerations, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Volumetric water pricing is a popular topic within donor agencies for irrigation project modernization and sustainability. Implementation of an effective pricing program is quite complex and requires consideration of physical modernization, fee structure, enforcement procedures, and the level of water delivery service. Variations of volumetric water pricing and allocation are discussed.

Characterization Of Dairy Milk House Waste Water In Kentucky, Anshu Singh, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Gail M. Brion

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

This study focuses on characterization of milk house waste water from eight different farms in Kentucky. The farms were separated into three groups based on the number of cows: small (20-30), medium (30-60), and large (over 60 cows). Samples were collected once a month from four farms and twice a month from the remainder. Samples were analyzed for chemical, biochemical, and microbiological characteristics. Results indicated a large and significant variation in the chemical and microbiological characteristics between the farms. Farm size had a significant effect on the nutrient content of the waste water. Though samples exhibited seasonal variation, there was …

Dairy Waste Utilization Management Tool, José R. Bicudo, Anshu Singh

Agricultural Engineering Extension Publications

Quick tests enabling rapid, on‑farm assessment of manure nutrient content can significantly enhance manure management practices. Rapid or quick tests are less accurate than standard laboratory analyses but can be useful as a manure utilization tool.

Flexible Irrigation Systems: Concept, Design And Application, John L. Merriam, Stuart W. Styles, Beau J. Freeman

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This paper presents the need, value, and concept of flexible irrigation water supply systems that can deliver water with flexibility in frequency, rate, and duration under the control of the farmer at the point of application using a limited rate arranged-demand or other schedule. It introduces the needed terminology including “congestion” — how much reserve time and capacity is required to assure water delivery at the frequency and rate desired. An illustrative design procedure for the necessary pipeline and reservoir capacities is illustrated. The techniques discussed emphasize the conversion of the economical steady supply canal flows to flexible on-farm usage …

Intellectual Property Management In Health And Agricultural Innovation: A Handbook Of Best Practices, Vol. 2, Anatole Krattiger, Richard T. Mahoney, Lita Nelsen, Jennifer A. Thomson, Alan B. Bennett, Kanikaram Satyanarayana, Gregory D. Graff, Carlos Fernandez, Stanley Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

Prepared by and for policy-makers, leaders of public sector research establishments, technology transfer professionals, licensing executives, and scientists, this online resource offers up-to-date information and strategies for utilizing the power of both intellectual property and the public domain. Emphasis is placed on advancing innovation in health and agriculture, though many of the principles outlined here are broadly applicable across technology fields. Eschewing ideological debates and general proclamations, the authors always keep their eye on the practical side of IP management. The site is based on a comprehensive Handbook and Executive Guide that provide substantive discussions and analysis of the opportunities …

Intellectual Property Management In Health And Agricultural Innovation: Executive Guide, Anatole Krattiger, Richard T. Mahoney, Lita Nelsen, Jennifer A. Thomson, Alan B. Bennett, Kanikaram Satyanarayana, Gregory D. Graff, Carlos Fernandez, Stanley Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

Prepared by and for policy-makers, leaders of public sector research establishments, technology transfer professionals, licensing executives, and scientists, this online resource offers up-to-date information and strategies for utilizing the power of both intellectual property and the public domain. Emphasis is placed on advancing innovation in health and agriculture, though many of the principles outlined here are broadly applicable across technology fields. Eschewing ideological debates and general proclamations, the authors always keep their eye on the practical side of IP management. The site is based on a comprehensive Handbook and Executive Guide that provide substantive discussions and analysis of the opportunities …

Intellectual Property Management In Health And Agricultural Innovation: A Handbook Of Best Practices, Vol. 1, Anatole Krattiger, Richard T. Mahoney, Lita Nelsen, Jennifer A. Thomson, Alan B. Bennett, Kanikaram Satyanarayana, Gregory D. Graff, Carlos Fernandez, Stanley Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

Prepared by and for policy-makers, leaders of public sector research establishments, technology transfer professionals, licensing executives, and scientists, this online resource offers up-to-date information and strategies for utilizing the power of both intellectual property and the public domain. Emphasis is placed on advancing innovation in health and agriculture, though many of the principles outlined here are broadly applicable across technology fields. Eschewing ideological debates and general proclamations, the authors always keep their eye on the practical side of IP management. The site is based on a comprehensive Handbook and Executive Guide that provide substantive discussions and analysis of the opportunities …

Rational Risk/Benefit Analysis Of Genetically Modified Crops, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

Safety concerns over the use of molecular biotechnology in the improvement of crops has generated substantial, heated and confusing debates, often driven by ideology and hysterics. Modification of crops is not new, and biotechnology (in its broadest sense) has been used for over a century to accelerate the development of new crops for food, feed and fibre, so as to meet the demands of a growing global community. The introduction of crops developed via molecular biotechnology [Genetically Modified Crops (GMCs)] represents the latest step in this inexorable innovative progression of technology. However, misinformed concern has led to a broad embrace …

Oxygenated Interface On Biomass Burn Tar Balls Determined By Single Particle Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy, Alexei V. Tivanski, Rebecca J. Hopkins, Tolek Tyliszczak, Mary K. Gilles

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Carbonaceous particles originating from biomass burning can account for a large fraction of organic aerosols in a local environment. Presently, their composition, physical and chemical properties, as well as their environmental effects are largely unknown. Tar balls, a distinct type of highly spherical carbonaceous biomass burn particles, have been observed in a number of field campaigns. The Yosemite Aerosol Characterization Study that took place in summer 2002 occurred during an active fire season in the western United States; tar balls collected during this field campaign are described in this article. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure …

Controlled Covalent Functionalization Of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Using [4 + 2] Cycloaddition Of Benzocyclobutenes, Georgios Sakellariou, Haining Ji, Jimmy W. Mays, Nikos Hadjichristidis, Durairaj Baskaran

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Surface modification of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through covalent functionalization is vital for the development of high-performance composite materials, chemosensors, nanoelectronics, photovoltaic devices, as well as for a range of biomedical applications. Several methods have been developed to functionalize CNTs. The introduction of acid groups by acid digestion disrupts the structural integrity of CNTs. Apart from shortening the tubes, oxidatively generated acid groups are inhomogenously located at the tips of broken CNTs and, hence, functionalization using acid groups as precursors does not give a statistical distribution of functional groups throughout the surface of the CNTs.

Controlled Covalent Functionalization Of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Using [4 + 2] Cycloaddition Of Benzocyclobutenes, Georgios Sakellariou, Haining Ji, Jimmy W. Mays, Nikos Hadjichristidis, Durairaj Baskaran

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Surface modification of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through covalent functionalization is vital for the development of high-performance composite materials, chemosensors, nanoelectronics, photovoltaic devices, as well as for a range of biomedical applications. Several methods have been developed to functionalize CNTs. The introduction of acid groups by acid digestion disrupts the structural integrity of CNTs. Apart from shortening the tubes, oxidatively generated acid groups are inhomogenously located at the tips of broken CNTs and, hence, functionalization using acid groups as precursors does not give a statistical distribution of functional groups throughout the surface of the CNTs.

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Characterization Of Primary Amine End-Functionalized Polystyrene And Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Synthesized By Living Anionic Polymerization Techniques, Haining Ji, Georgios Sakellariou, Jimmy W. Mays

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The reaction of living anionic polymers with 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-(3-bromopropyl)-1-aza-2,5- disilacyclopentane (1) was investigated using coupled thin layer chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Structures of byproducts as well as the major product were determined. The anionic initiator having a protected primary amine functional group, 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl- 1-(3-lithiopropyl)-1-aza-2,5-disilacyclopentane (2), was synthesized using all-glass high-vacuum techniques, which allows the long-term stability of this initiator to be maintained. The use of 2 in the preparation of well-defined aliphatic primary amine R-end-functionalized polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) was investigated. Primary amino R-end-functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate) can be obtained near-quantitatively by reacting 2 with 1,1-diphenylethylene in tetrahydrofuran …

Peridynamic States And Constitutive Modeling, S. A. Silling, M. Epton, O. Weckner, J. Xu, E. Askari

United States Department of Energy: Publications

A generalization of the original peridynamic framework for solid mechanics is proposed. This generalization permits the response of a material at a point to depend collectively on the deformation of all bonds connected to the point. This extends the types of material response that can be reproduced by peridynamic theory to include an explicit dependence on such collectively determined quantities as volume change or shear angle. To accomplish this generalization, a mathematical object called a deformation state is defined, a function that maps any bond onto its image under the deformation. A similar object called a force state is defined, …

Efficiency Of Gene Silencing In Arabidopsis: Direct Inverted Repeats Vs. Transitive Rnai Vectors, Sergei A. Filichkin, Stephen P. Difazio, Amy M. Brunner, John M. Davis, Zamin K. Yang, Udaya C. Kalluri, Renee S. Arias, Elizabeth Etherington, Gerald A. Tuskan, Steven H. Strauss

United States Department of Energy: Publications

We investigated the efficiency of RNA interference (RNAi) in Arabidopsis using transitive and homologous inverted repeat (hIR) vectors. hIR constructs carry self-complementary intron-spliced fragments of the target gene whereas transitive vectors have the target sequence fragment adjacent to an intron-spliced, inverted repeat of heterologous origin. Both transitive and hIR constructs facilitated specific and heritable silencing in the three genes studied (AP1 , ETTIN and TTG1 ). Both types of vectors produced a phenotypic series that phenocopied reduction of function mutants for the respective target gene. The hIR yielded up to fourfold higher proportions of events with strongly manifested reduction …

Phosphate Imposed Limitations On Biological Reduction And Alteration Of Ferrihydrite, Thomas Borch, Yoko Masue, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, Scott Fendorf

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Biogeochemical transformation (inclusive of dissolution) of iron (hydr)oxides resulting from dissimilatory reduction has a pronounced impact on the fate and transport of nutrients and contaminants in subsurface environments. Despite the reactivity noted for pristine (unreacted) minerals, iron (hydr)oxides within native environments will likely have a different reactivity owing in part to changes in surface composition. Accordingly, here we explore the impact of surface modifications induced by phosphate adsorption on ferrihydrite reduction by Shewanella putrefaciens under static and advective flow conditions. Alterations in surface reactivity induced by phosphate changes the extent, decreasing Fe(III) reduction nearly linearly with increasing P surface coverage, …

Reduction Of Pertechnetate [Tc(Vii)] By Aqueous Fe(Ii) And The Nature Of Solid Phase Redox Products, John M. Zachara, Steve M. Heald, Byong-Hun Jeon, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, Chongxuan Liu, James P. Mckinley, Alice C. Dohnalkova, Dean A. Moore

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The subsurface behaviour of ⁹⁹Tc, a contaminant resulting from nuclear fuels reprocessing, is dependent on its valence (e.g., IV or VII). Abiotic reduction of soluble Tc(VII) by Fe(II)_(aq) in pH 6–8 solutions was investigated under strictly anoxic conditions using an oxygen trap (<7.5 · 10^-9 atm O₂). The reduction kinetics were strongly pH dependent. Complete and rapid reduction of Tc(VII) to a precipitated Fe/Tc(IV) form was observed when 11 µmol/L of Tc(VII) was reacted with 0.4 mmol/L Fe(II) at pH 7.0 and 8.0, while no significant reduction was observed over 1 month at pH 6.0. Experiments conducted …

Biostimulation Of Iron Reduction And Subsequent Oxidation Of Sediment Containing Fe-Silicates And Fe-Oxides: Effect Of Redox Cycling On Fe(Iii) Bioreduction, John Komlos, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, John M. Zachara, Peter R. Jaffe

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Sediment containing a mixture of iron (Fe)-phases, including Fe-oxides (mostly Al-goethite) and Fe-silicates (illites and vermiculite) was bioreduced in a long-term flow through column experiment followed by re-oxidation with dissolved oxygen. The objective of this study was (a) to determine the nature of the re-oxidized Fe(III), and (b) to determine how redox cycling of Fe would affect subsequent Fe(III)-bioavailability. In addition, the effect of Mn on Fe(III) reduction was explored.⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements showed that biostimulation resulted in partial reduction (20%) of silicate Fe(III) to silicate Fe(II) while the reduction of goethite was negligible. Furthermore, the reduction of Fe …

Influence Of Calcium On Microbial Reduction Of Solid Phase Uranium(Vi), Chongxuan Liu, Byong-Hun Jeon, John M. Zachara, Zheming Wang

United States Department of Energy: Publications

The effect of calcium on the dissolution and microbial reduction of a representative solid phase uranyl [U(VI)], sodium boltwoodite (NaUO₂SiO₃OH •1.5H₂O), was investigated to evaluate the rate-limiting step of microbial reduction of the solid phase U(VI). Microbial reduction experiments were performed in a culture of a dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium (DMRB), Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, in a bicarbonate medium with lactate as electron donor at pH 6.8 buffered with PIPES. Calcium increased the rate of Na-boltwoodite dissolution and U(VI) bioavailability by increasing its solubility through the formation of a ternary aqueous calcium-uranyl-carbonate species. The ternary …

Spectroscopic Evidence For Uranium Bearing Precipitates In Vadose Zone Sediments At The Hanford 300-Area Site, Yuji Arai, M. A. Marcus, N. Tamura, J. A. Davis, John M. Zachara

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Uranium (U) solid-state speciation in vadose zone sediments collected beneath the former North Process Pond (NPP) in the 300 Area of the Hanford site (Washington) was investigated using multi-scale techniques. In 30 day batch experiments, only a small fraction of total U (~7.4%) was released to artificial groundwater solutions equilibrated with1% pCO₂. Synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy analyses showed that U was distributed among at least two types of species: (i) U discrete grains associated with Cu and (ii) areas with intermediate U concentrations on grains and grain coatings. Metatorbernite (Cu[UO₂]₂[PO₄]₂•8H …

Cation Exchange Reactions Controlling Desorption Of 90sr2+ From Coarse-Grained Contaminated Sediments At The Hanford Site, Washington, James Mckinley, John M. Zachara, Steven Smith, Chongxuan Liu

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Nuclear waste that bore ⁹⁰Sr²⁺ was accidentally leaked into the vadose zone at the Hanford site, and was immobilized at relatively shallow depths in sediments containing little apparent clay or silt-sized components. Sr²⁺, ⁹⁰Sr²⁺, Mg2+, and Ca²⁺ was desorbed and total inorganic carbon concentration was monitored during the equilibration of this sediment with varying concentrations of Na⁺, Ca²⁺. A cation exchange model previously developed for similar sediments was applied to these results as a predictor of final solution compositions. The model included binary exchange reactions for the four …