Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Fuel Consumption Models For Tractor Test Reports, Michael F. Kocher, Bryan J. Smith, Roger M. Hoy, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, Santosh Pitla

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Five models for estimating fuel consumption for agricultural tractors with partial drawbar loads were compared. Data were collected from eight John Deere tractors, JD 7230R (e23), 7250R (e23), 7270R (e23), 7290R (e23), 8320R (16 speed), 7290R (IVT), 8345RT (IVT), 8370R (IVT), on the drawbar test track at the Nebraska Tractor Test Lab. The tractors were tested with seven load levels per speed at three different travel speeds as close as possible to 7.5, 10, and 13 km h-1. The IVT tractors were operated in auto mode, and the geared tractors were shifted up three gears and throttled back to the …

Creation Of An Injectable In Situ Gelling Native Extracellular Matrix For Nucleus Pulposus Tissue Engineering, Rebecca A. Wachs, Ella N. Hoogenboezem, Hammad I. Huda, Shangjing Xin, Stacy L. Porvasnik, Christine E. Schmidt

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background Context: Disc degeneration is the leading cause of low back pain and is often characterized by a loss of disc height, resulting from cleavage of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) present in the nucleus pulposus. Intact CSPGs are critical to water retention and maintenance of the nucleus osmotic pressure. Decellularization of healthy nucleus pulposus tissue has the potential to serve as an ideal matrix for tissue engineering of the disc because of the presence of native disc proteins and CSPGs. Injectable in situ gelling matrices are the most viable therapeutic option to prevent damage to the anulus fibrosus and future …

In Vitro Porcine Blastocyst Development In Three-Dimensional Alginate Hydrogels, Jeremy R. Miles, Taylor D. Laughlin, Catherine Sargus-Patino, Angela K. Pannier

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Appropriate embryonic and fetal development significantly impact pregnancy success and, therefore, the efficiency of swine production. The pre-implantation period of porcine pregnancy is characterized by several developmental hallmarks, which are initiated by the dramatic morphological change that occurs as pig blastocysts elongate from spherical to filamentous blastocysts. Deficiencies in blastocyst elongation contribute to approximately 20% of embryonic loss, and have a direct influence on within-litter birth weight variation. Although factors identified within the uterine environment may play a role in blastocyst elongation, little is known about the exact mechanisms by which porcine (or other species’) blastocysts initiate and progress through …

Tractor Power Take-Off Torque Measurement And Data Acquisition System, James Bw Roeber, Santosh Pitla, Roger M. Hoy, Joe D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

With the mechanization of agricultural operations, agricultural machinery management has become an extensive research field. Sizing tractors and implements to provide the most efficient power transfer has become an ongoing process with advances in technology. Utilization of the rotational power transferred through gear trains from the tractor engine to the power take-off (PTO) shaft is one of the most efficient methods of power transfer to an implement. This research used commercially available torque sensors that were installed on a tractor PTO shaft for measuring the torque delivered to an implement. The torque sensor was calibrated using the Nebraska Tractor Test …

Laboratory And Full Boom-Based Investigation Of Nozzle Setup Error Effects On Flow, Pressure, And Spray Pattern Distribution, Shane H. Forney, Joe D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher, Santosh Pitla

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Pesticide application is an integral part of crop production, and ground-based agricultural boom sprayers are used extensively to apply pesticides to the crop canopy or soil surface across millions of acres in the United States. Efficient application is necessary to minimize costs and limit adverse environmental impacts. The goals of this study were to provide quantified measurements on the effects of nozzle setup errors on spray pattern uniformity and evaluate how laboratory patternator-based simulations would compare to measurements on a full spray boom. More specific objectives were to determine the effects of factors such as nozzle lateral angle, nozzle spacing, …

Tractor Power Take-Off Torque Measurement And Data Acquisition System, James B. W. Roeber, Santosh K. Pitla, R. M. Hoy, J. D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

With the mechanization of agricultural operations, agricultural machinery management has become an extensive research field. Sizing tractors and implements to provide the most efficient power transfer has become an ongoing process with advances in technology. Utilization of the rotational power transferred through gear trains from the tractor engine to the power take-off (PTO) shaft is one of the most efficient methods of power transfer to an implement. This research used commercially available torque sensors that were installed on a tractor PTO shaft for measuring the torque delivered to an implement. The torque sensor was calibrated using the Nebraska Tractor Test …

Laboratory And Full Boom-Based Investigation Of Nozzle Setup Error Effects On Flow, Pressure, And Spray Pattern Distribution, S. H. Forney, J. D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher, Santosh K. Pitla

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Pesticide application is an integral part of crop production, and ground-based agricultural boom sprayers are used extensively to apply pesticides to the crop canopy or soil surface across millions of acres in the United States. Efficient application is necessary to minimize costs and limit adverse environmental impacts. The goals of this study were to provide quantified measurements on the effects of nozzle setup errors on spray pattern uniformity and evaluate how laboratory patternator-based simulations would compare to measurements on a full spray boom. More specific objectives were to determine the effects of factors such as nozzle lateral angle, nozzle spacing, …

Chitosan-Zein Nano-In-Microparticles Capable Of Mediating In Vivo Transgene Expression Following Oral Delivery, Eric Farris, Deborah M. Brown, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Angela K. Pannier

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The oral route is an attractive delivery route for the administration of DNA-based therapeutics, specifically for applications in gene therapy and DNA vaccination. However, oral DNA delivery is complicated by the harsh and variable conditions encountered throughout gastrointestinal (GI) transit, leading to degradation of the delivery vector and DNA cargo, and subsequent inefficient delivery to target cells. In this work, we demonstrate the development and optimization of a hybrid-dual particulate delivery system consisting of two natural biomaterials, zein (ZN) and chitosan (CS), to mediate oral DNA delivery. Chitosan-Zein Nano-in-Microparticles (CS-ZN-NIMs), consisting of core Chitosan/DNA nanoparticles (CS/DNA NPs) prepared by ionic …

Development And Validation Of A Tractor Drawbar Force Measurement And Data Acquisition System (Daq), James Roeber, Santosh Pitla, Roger M. Hoy, Joe D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Matching agricultural tractors to implements towed by the drawbar is one of the important aspects of machinery management for ensuring optimum performance and fuel cost savings. A field deployable tractor draft force measurement and data acquisition system was developed and evaluated as part of this research project. A drawbar instrumented to measure draft force in field operating conditions was developed and statically calibrated. The drawbar was calibrated by applying loads from 4.45 to 134 kN using a hydraulic cylinder connected to a 444.8 kN load cell. Testing was conducted with the drawbar installed on a tractor on a concrete track. …

Comparison Of Four Nitrate Removal Kinetic Models In Two Distinct Wetland Restoration Mesocosm Systems, Tiffany L. Messer, Michael R. Burchell, François Birgand

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The objective of the study was to determine the kinetic model that best fit observed nitrate removal rates at the mesocosm scale in order to determine ideal loading rates for two future wetland restorations slated to receive pulse flow agricultural drainage water. Four nitrate removal models were investigated: zero order, first order decay, efficiency loss, and Monod. Wetland mesocosms were constructed using the primary soil type (in triplicate) at each of the future wetland restoration sites. Eighteen mesocosm experiments were conducted over two years across seasons. Simulated drainage water was loaded into wetlands as batches, with target nitrate-N levels typically …

Correction: Messer, T.L.; Burchell, M.R.; Birgand, F. Comparison Of Four Nitrate Removal Kinetic Models In Two Distinct Wetland Restoration Mesocosm Systems. Water 2017, 9, 517, Tiffany L. Messer, Michael R. Burchell, François Birgand

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [1]:

(1): The author name “François Bírgand” should be François Birgand.

(2): Reference 38 should be the following:

Birgand, F.; Aveni-Deforge, K.; Smith, B.; Maxwell, B.M.; Horstman, M.; Gerling, A.B.; Carey, C.C. First report of a novel multiplexer pumping system coupled to a water quality probe to collect high temporal frequency in situ water chemistry measurements at multiple sites. Limnol. Oceanogr. Methods 2016, 14, 767–783, doi:10.1002/lom3.10122.

(3): Reference 49 should be the following:

Christensen, P.B.; Nielsen, L.P.; Sørensen, J.; Revsbech, N.P. Denitrification in Nitrate-Rich Streams: Diurnal and Seasonal Variation …

Green And Sustainable Technology For High-Efficiency And Low- Damage Manipulation Of Densely Crosslinked Proteins, Helan Xu, Kaili Song, Bingnan Mu, Yiqi Yang

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A two-step technology using nontoxic and ecofriendly chemicals is developed for the durable setting of densely/highly crosslinked proteins, such as wool and hair. Currently, most technologies for morphological modification are effective only for materials from non-highly-crosslinked proteins and cellulose. Before their morphological change, only water is needed to interrupt hydrogen bonds and ionic linkages, which stabilize the relative positions of molecules in non-highlycrosslinked proteins and cellulose. However, highly crosslinked proteins contain disulfide crosslinks, which are insusceptible to water. Thus, the controlled cleavage of disulfide bonds is required for creating new morphologies of highly crosslinked protein materials, such as hair and …

Differences In Soil Biological Activity By Terrain Types At The Sub-Field Scale In Central Iowa Us, Amy L. Kaleita, Linda R. Schott, Sarah K. Hargreaves, Kirsten S. Hofmockel

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Soil microbial communities are structured by biogeochemical processes that occur at many different spatial scales, which makes soil sampling difficult. Because soil microbial communities are important in nutrient cycling and soil fertility, it is important to understand how microbial communities function within the heterogeneous soil landscape. In this study, a self-organizing map was used to determine whether landscape data can be used to characterize the distribution of microbial biomass and activity in order to provide an improved understanding of soil microbial community function. Points within a row crop field in southcentral Iowa were clustered via a self-organizing map using six …

A Case Study Of Field-Scale Maize Irrigation Patterns In Western Nebraska: Implications For Water Managers And Recommendations For Hyper-Resolution Land Surface Modeling, Justin P. Gibson, Trenton E. Franz, Tiejun Wang, John Gates, Patricio Grassini, Haishun Yang, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In many agricultural regions, the human use of water for irrigation is often ignored or poorly represented in land surface models (LSMs) and operational forecasts. Because irrigation increases soil moisture, feedback on the surface energy balance, rainfall recycling, and atmospheric dynamics is not represented and may lead to reduced model skill. In this work, we describe four plausible and relatively simple irrigation routines that can be coupled to the next generation of hyper-resolution LSMs operating at scales of 1 km or less. The irrigation output from the four routines (crop model, precipitation delayed, evapotranspiration replacement, and vadose zone model) is …

The Assessment Of Water Resources In Ungauged Catchments In Rwanda, O. P. Abimbola, J. Wenninger, R. Venneker, Aaron R. Mittelstet

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Study region: Rwanda is a landlocked country in Africa with precipitation ranging from 800 mm yr−1 in the east to 1500 mm yr−1 in high-altitude regions in the north and west. Study focus: Streamflow estimation is an important task that is required in water resource assessments due to its importance in planning, decision-making and economic development. In this study, streamflow characteristics of ungauged catchments in Rwanda were calculated using a regionalization approach based on climate similarity and stepwise multiple-regression analysis. One climatic homogeneous region was identified and datasets of nine gauged stations and general available catchment characteristics were …

A Geospatial Variable Rate Irrigation Control Scenario Evaluation Methodology Based On Mining Root Zone Available Water Capacity, K. A. Miller, Joe Luck, Derek M. Heeren, T. Lo, Derrel Martin, J. B. Barker

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Increasing concern for sustainable water use has the agriculture industry working toward higher efficiency in use of irrigation water. Recent advancements have improved the capabilities of center pivot irrigation systems to vary water application depths across the field, a technology known as variable rate irrigation (VRI). The goal of this study was to provide a geospatial method for potential VRI technology adopters to evaluate control scenarios and potential water savings using freely available datasets. Root zone available water capacity (R) was estimated spatially across two case study fields using the Natural Resources Conservation Service Gridded Soil Survey Geographic Database. The …

Crop Classification And Lai Estimation Using Original And Resolution-Reduced Images From Two Consumer-Grade Cameras, Jian Zhang, Chenghai Yang, Biquan Zhao, Huaibo Song, Wesley Clint Hoffmann, Yeyin Shi, Dongyan Zhang, Guozhong Zhang

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Consumer-grade cameras are being increasingly used for remote sensing applications in recent years. However, the performance of this type of cameras has not been systematically tested and well documented in the literature. The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance of original and resolution-reduced images taken from two consumer-grade cameras, a RGB camera and a modified near-infrared (NIR) camera, for crop identification and leaf area index (LAI) estimation. Airborne RGB and NIR images taken over a 6.5-square-km cropping area were mosaicked and aligned to create a four-band mosaic with a spatial resolution of 0.4 m. The spatial resolution …

Nanoparticle For Targeting Brain Tumors And Delivery Of O6 - Benzylguanine, University Of Washington, Seattle

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Nanoparticle having a crosslinked chitosan - polyethylene oxide oligomer copolymer coating to which O⁶ - benzylgua nine is covalently coupled , compositions that include the nanoparticle , and methods for using the nanoparticle to treat brain cancers .

The Effect Of Single-Handed Lifting Tasks On The Activation Of The Neck-Shoulder Shared Musculature, Mohamed R. Amar, David Cochran, Jeffrey Woldstad

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The use of the hand in lifting has been linked to occupational injuries of the neck and shoulder. This research is aimed at examining the effect of work-related factors on the major neck-shoulder shared musculature activity on both sides of the cervical spine for a right-handed lifting task. Subjects lifted different weights from 20 different locations produced by the interaction of varying heights, reach distance, and angles simulating the work done by assembly line workers. All lifting tasks were done by the right hand. Bilateral electromyography data of major shared musculature (upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and levator scapula) were collected using …

Regulation-Structured Dynamic Metabolic Model Provides A Potential Mechanism For Delayed Enzyme Response In Denitrification Process, Hyun-Seob Song, Dennis G. Thomas, James C. Stegen, Minjing Li, Chongxuan Liu, Xuehang Song, Xingyuan Chen, Jim K. Fredrickson, John M. Zachara, Timothy D. Scheibe

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In a recent study of denitrification dynamics in hyporheic zone sediments, we observed a significant time lag (up to several days) in enzymatic response to the changes in substrate concentration. To explore an underlying mechanism and understand the interactive dynamics between enzymes and nutrients, we developed a trait-based model that associates a community’s traits with functional enzymes, instead of typically used species guilds (or functional guilds). This enzyme-based formulation allows to collectively describe biogeochemical functions of microbial communities without directly parameterizing the dynamics of species guilds, therefore being scalable to complex communities. As a key component of modeling, we accounted …

Performance Of Twelve Mass Transfer Based Reference Evapotranspiration Models Under Humid Climate, Koffi Djaman, Komlan Koudahe, Mamadou Sall, Isa Kabenge, Daran Rudnick, Suat Irkmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Reference evapotranspiration is very important parameter in the hydrological, agricultural and environmental studies and is accurately estimated by the FAO Penman-Monteith equation (FAO-PM) under different climatic conditions. However, due to data requirement of the FAO-PM equation, there is a need to investigate the applicability of alternative ETo equations under limited data. The objectives of this study were to evaluate twelve mass transfer based reference evapotranspiration equations and determine the impact of ETo equation on long term water management sustainability in Tanzania and Kenya. The results showed that the Albrecht, Brockamp-Wenner, Dalto, Meyer, Rohwer and Oudin ETo equations systematically overestimated the …

Evaluation Of Valiantzas’ Simplified Forms Of The Fao-56 Penman-Monteith Reference Evapotranspiration Model In A Humid Climate, Koffi Djaman, Daran Rudnick, Valere C. Mel, Denis Mutiibwa, Lamine Diop, Mamadou Sall, Isa Kabenge, Ansoumana Bodian, Hossein Tabari, Suat Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The unavailability of some meteorological variables, especially solar radiation and wind speed, is the main constraint for reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimation using the standard United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Penman–Monteith (FAO-PM) equation in most developing countries. The application of ETo methods with fewer input requirements is necessary under limited climatic data conditions. The FAO-PM method under limited data conditions and nine of Valiantzas’ equations were evaluated for daily ETo estimation in a humid climate in Uganda. The FAO-PM method with missing relative humidity data performed very well across Uganda, whereas using the long-term local wind speed average values …

Crop Canopy Sensor Orientation For Late Season Nitrogen Determination In Corn, T. M. Shaver, Greg Kruger, Daran Rudnick

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in irrigated corn production is of great importance to overall agricultural sustainability. Studies have shown that crop canopy sensors can aid in this pursuit as they allow for the determination of nitrogen (N) requirements in split applications later in the growing season. Fertigation can also increase NUE as many split applications can be conducted. If crop canopy sensors could be used to direct N fertigation rates, overall NUE may be increased even further. However, in some cases, N differences may need to be determined later in the growing season after corn has tasseled, which can …

Spatial And Temporal Changes In Maize And Soybean Grain Yield, Precipitation Use Efficiency, And Crop Water Productivity In The U.S. Great Plains, Meetpal S. Kukal, S. Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Sustainable agricultural utilization of the limited water resources demands improvements in understanding the changes in crop water productivity (CWP) in space and time, which is often presented as a potential solution to relieve the growing pressure on fresh water resources. In addition, crop yield needs to be studied in relation to precipitation received annually and during the growing season for its contribution to reduce irrigation water requirements, which is quantified through precipitation use efficiency (PUE). Hence, systematic quantifications, mapping, and analyses of large-scale CWP and PUE levels are needed. This study aims to quantify long-term (1982-2013) information on grain yield, …

Large Co2 And Ch4 Emissions From Polygonal Tundra During Spring Thaw In Northern Alaska, Naama Raz-Yaseef, Margaret S. Torn, Yuxin Wu, David P. Billesbach, Anna K. Liljedahl, Timothy J. Kneafsey, Vladimir E. Romanovsky, David R. Cook, Stan D. Wullschleger

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The few prethaw observations of tundra carbon fluxes suggest that there may be large spring releases, but little is known about the scale and underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon. To address these questions, we combined ecosystem eddy flux measurements from two towers near Barrow, Alaska, with mechanistic soil-core thawing experiment. During a 2 week period prior to snowmelt in 2014, large fluxes were measured, reducing net summer uptake of CO₂ by 46% and adding 6% to cumulative CH₄ emissions. Emission pulses were linked to unique rain-on-snow events enhancing soil cracking. Controlled laboratory experiment revealed that as surface ice …

Lucidpipe™ Power System, Purdue Ect Team

ECT Fact Sheets Archive

In most gravity fed water transmission pipelines, it is desired to reduce excess pressure head to prevent undue strain on a pipeline and lower the incidence of leaks. Normally this is done with pressure reducing valves that essentially burn off this excess pressure as heat. The LucidPipe™ system converts it to low cost electricity thereby removing unwanted pressure and generating energy at the same time - energy that can be put used behind the grid or put back on the grid. The LucidPipe™ system extracts a small percentage of pressure head providing nearly invisible operation allowing water operators to fulfill …

Lap Splice Development Length Of Rebar In Stabilized Hollow Interlocking Compressed Earth Blocks, Thomas S. Bowdey

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the tensile performance of unconfined lap splices in specimens constructed from interlocking compressed earth block (ICEB) units. All lap splice specimens were constructed from hollow ICEB half units with one side grouting channel. ICEB units used in this research were exclusively produced from the Soeng Thai Model BP6 block press. The BP6 block press is currently manufactured in Thailand under the guidance and direction of the Center of Vocational Building Technologies (CVBT). All ICEB units and grout constructed for this research were created from mix proportions of soil, sand, cement, and water. Rebar bar sizes were restricted …

Evaluating The Suitability Of Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation Technique For Stabilizing Expansive Soils, Sikha Neupane

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Expansive soils, also known as swell-shrink soils have been a problem for civil infrastructures including roads and foundations from ancient times. The use of chemical additives such as cement and lime to stabilize expansive soils is a common practice among geotechnical engineers especially for lightly loaded structures. However, several occurrences of subgrade failures were observed after stabilizing with chemical additives hence engineers are in search of sustainable stabilization alternatives. Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is gaining attention as an environmental friendly soil improvement technique. Several researchers have successfully tested its feasibility in mitigating liquefaction induced problems in sandy soils. This …

Modeling Streambank Erosion On Composite Streambanks On A Watershed Scale, A. R. Mittelstet, D. E. Storm, G. A. Fox, P. M. Allen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Streambanks can be a significant source of sediment and phosphorus to aquatic ecosystems. Although the streambank-erosion routine in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) has improved in recent versions, the recently developed routine in SWAT 2012 has undergone limited testing, and the lack of site or watershed specific streambank data increases the uncertainty in the streambank-erosion predictions. There were two primary objectives of this research: (1) modify and test the 2012 SWAT streambank-erosion routine on composite streambanks, and (2) compare SWAT default and field-measured channel parameters and assess their influence on predicted streambank erosion. Three modifications were made to …

Field Emissions Of (Hydro)Chlorofluorocarbons And Methane From A California Landfill, Alexander H. Sohn

Master's Theses

A comprehensive field investigation was conducted at Potrero Hills Landfill (PHL) located in Suisun City, California to quantify emissions of twelve (hydro)chlorofluorocarbons (i.e. F-gases). The specific target constituents for this study included CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, CFC-114, HCFC-21, HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC-142b, HCFC-151a, HFC-134a, HFC-152a, and HFC-245fa. The majority of the F-gas emission studies have been conducted outside of the United States and very limited field landfill emission data are available in the United States. Because of historical usage of blowing agents in insulation foams including CFC-11, HCFC-142b, HFC-134a, and HFC-245fa, models reported in literature predicted high F-gas emissions from a landfill …