Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

An Evaluation Of The Cerro Process As An Efficient Ro Concentrate Management System, Guillermo Guadalupe Delgado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Concentrate Enhanced Recovery Reverse Osmosis (CERRO) Process is a new method to treat RO concentrate and brackish water with high concentrations of silica and calcium sulfate. Prior investigations have shown that the CERRO process can treat this kind of water without fouling or scaling the membranes, but the main factors that allow the system to operate in such conditions were not studied. The research presented here is an evaluation of the CERRO process as an efficient RO concentrate management system. The parameters of operation of the system were evaluated and improved. The precipitation of calcium sulfate was identified as …

Urban Impact Of Dissolved Metals In The Paso Del Norte Segment Of The Rio Grande, Sumayeh Ahmad Freiwan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Paso del Norte segment of the Rio Grande experiences two seasons per year; the (wet) irrigation season and the (dry) non-irrigation season. The goal of this study was to improve the understanding of occurrence and contribution of dissolved metals in this region during the non-irrigation season. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the impact of anthropogenic sources of metals on the Rio Grande water quality during the non-irrigation season, and (2) estimate the metal loads carried by the flow to the downstream region of El Paso. In order to evaluate the surface water quality of the …

Method Development For A Chemical And Biological Analysis Of Glucocorticoids In Wastewater, Maria Carmen Lozano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones that can either be produced synthetically or naturally by the adrenal glands. The synthetic glucocorticoids are highly prescribed in the United States for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties to treat a variety of ailments and diseases; however, these have been implicated in a number of adverse human conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, immune-suppression, delayed puberty, adrenal insufficiency and Cushing Syndrome, among others. Ongoing research has shown that synthetic and natural hormones are transported to aquatic environments via mammalian excretion or wastewater effluent, and as a result, the release of glucocorticoids into the …

Attitude Towards Green Warehousing In El Paso, Texas: An Exploratory Analysis, Lynda Jeanette Macias

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The increasing reliance on fossil fuels by today's emerging economies has a profound implication on the sustainability of many warehousing and distribution logistical systems worldwide. This research attempts to fill the gap in current green warehousing literature by investigating how warehousing and distribution facilities view greener strategies as a way to increase operation efficiency through a stated preference approach. A survey instrument was developed, and the survey was conducted to identify warehousing characteristics, green practices, and current green views of warehouse managers in El Paso, Texas. The survey results found a balanced outlook within the environment and business needs. Companies …

Experimental Study On The Fabrication Of Advanced Materials For Energy Applications Using High Energy Mechanical Milling, Ashvin Kumar Narayana Swamy

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The reaction of aluminum (Al) powder with water has the potential for on demand hydrogen generation. Conventional Al powders, however, react with water slowly due to a highly protective oxide layer on the particle surface. Current methods for Al activation involve harmful and expensive materials. The nano-scale Al powders also remain very expensive and have problems such as a large amount of oxide on the surface. The use of aluminum in an energy generation cycle is also hindered by the fact that, although Al is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, its recovery from ore consumes a lot …

A Hybrid Modelling Approach For Maintenance And Rehabilitation Treatment Effectiveness Of Asphalt Pavements In Texas, Daniel Saenz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Analysis tools in pavement management systems are critical to assist transportation agencies in developing the most adequate maintenance and rehabilitation program. The significant elements are not only the type of treatment selected and its cost, but also the quantification of its short-term and long-term effectiveness and the timing of intervention. Methodologies with complex statistical approaches and performance model theories have been previously implemented in their derivation, but they may not be suitable or accurate. Therefore, it is imperative to factor in engineering experience in their assessment. In this thesis, a hybrid modelling approach was presented to systematically introduce expert knowledge …

Synthetic Asphaltene As A Novel Dye In Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Dsscs, Hassan Sharif

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation approves the possibility of the first time use of synthetic asphaltene as new dye in dye sensitized solar cells. In which the conversion efficiency of synthetic asphaltene DSSC has improved up to 2.0 %. Synthetic asphaltene sample was prepared from the starting material as in literature and applied for various solar cell parameters of TiO2 based dyesensitized solar cell DSSC. DSSCs were fabricated using the synthetic asphaltene as dye. Different variables and parameters were carried out to test the photovoltaic performance of the cells, these parameters include open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current; fill factor. The first result was obtained …

Adsorption Of Arsenic, Chromium, And Uranium From Saline Water On Clinoptilolite And The Treatment Of The Spent Regenerant By Duffusion Dialysis, Mutiu Olaitan Tanimola

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Among various water purification and recycling technologies, adsorption is a fast, inexpensive and universal method. The development of low-cost adsorbents has led to the rapid growth of research interests in this field. The objective of this present study is the optimization of process parameters in adsorption of arsenic, chromium and uranium ions. The adsorption behavior of natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) has been studied in order to determine its applicability in treating water containing arsenic, chromium and uranium. The multiple adsorption of arsenic As (V), trivalent chromium Cr (III)] and uranium (VI) on natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) in single component and multiple component …

A Systematic Approach To Manage Missing Data In Pavement Management Systems, Mazin M. Al-Zou'bi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Pavements are an important part of the highway transportation infrastructure, accounting for the largest share of the overall investment. A tremendous amount of time and money is spent each year on the construction of new pavements, as well as on the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing pavements.

Transportation agencies use pavement management systems (PMS) for their maintenance and rehabilitation planning, programming, and budgeting. PMS are used to make decisions regarding when maintenance and rehabilitation should be applied. The systems also select what type of treatment should be applied for each pavement section in the network with clear estimations of the …

Optimization Of Stress Wave-Based Nondestructive Methods In Identifying Deterioration In Concrete Structures, Hoda Azari

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The transportation infrastructure across the United States is deteriorating and requires periodic inspection to predict the cost of repair and extent of maintenance activities, to remedy structural problems, and to ensure safety and serviceability. The use of nondestructive testing (NDT) methods in detecting and characterizing flaws in the infrastructure has become more common. Among different NDT methods, the stress wave-based methods, including ultrasonic surface waves (USW) and impact echo (IE) methods, are widely used to maintain concrete structures. In this dissertation, a complete literature review of seismic wave theory and wave propagation in plate like structures, and stress wave-based methods …

The Investigation Of The Practice Of Frugal Innovation Across Cultures And The Introduction Of An Instructional Model For Streamlining The Design Process, Andres Efren Bolanos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The central objectives of this dissertation are to analyze frugal innovation, apply foundational methodologies that contribute to product design, and discover the important contextual information for successful development. This dissertation describes a systematic procedure in designing frugally innovated products. The institutional design will encompass environmental, social, and economic impacts into the entire products' life cycle. Also, a comparison is made between two developing nations' contextual factors to reveal the formulation of frugal innovation.

Evaluation Of Novel Backwashable Cartridge Filters: Efficacy And Sustainability, Michelle Brown

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

One of the important aspects of desalination pre–treatment is the removal of particles from feedwater. This is typically accomplished using a combination of gross filtration and cartridge filtration. Cartridge filters are typically single–use products, and their replacement can represent a significant portion of a desalination plant's operating budget. This research evaluated the performance of a new type of cartridge filter that is backwashable and aims to reduce the overall cost to desalination facilities and provide cleaner water. Two sets of filters were evaluated (in triplicate) with respect to particle removal efficiency and hydraulic efficiency. The initial set included four types …

Geochemical Characterization Of Mineral Dust Sources In The Chihuahuan Desert And Southern High Plains Regions, Porfirio Peinado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Chihuahuan Desert (northern Chihuahua, southern New Mexico, and far west Texas) and the southern High Plains (west Texas and eastern New Mexico) regions have been identified as one of the most persistent dust producing regions of North America. Regional-scale dust storms have been observed by satellite imagery to identify sources of dust, resulting in collection and examination of physical soil samples to better understand the source signatures (geochemical characteristics) of dust origins in these two regions.

The soil characteristics were examined through several techniques: Particle Size Distribution, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), and Total …

Analysis Of Vehicle Interactions On Interstate Highways: Discrete Choice And Linear System Approaches, Alicia Romo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The research in this dissertation developed statistical and linear system models to predict driving behavior according to driver attributes, vehicle characteristics, car-following dynamics and/or driving conditions. The scope of this research was limited to the interaction of two vehicles traveling in the same direction on interstate highways.

The statistical models proposed in this research investigated the contributions of the different vehicle types on the manner and likelihood of collision. Discrete choice models were used to estimate the probability of the types of collision (rear-end, angle and sideswipe) as functions of driver attributes, striking and struck vehicle types, pre-crash driving actions …

Recovering Magnesium Hydroxide And Sodium Chloride From Zero Discharge Desalination Concentrate Streams, Alemayehu Asfaw Yetayew

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

UTEP and Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies have been demonstrating and commercializing the Zero Discharge Desalination (ZDD) technology as part of a three year project sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. ZDD is able to achieve up to 98% recovery by desalinating brackish groundwater. ZDD is typically comprised of a reverse osmosis (RO) or nanofiltration (NF) system and a unique variation of electrodialysis called electrodialysis metathesis (EDM). The ZDD technology increases the yield of fresh water from water supplies that contain enough CaSO4 to cause precipitation problems when the water is treated with RO or NF alone. The EDM …

Selection Of Critical Design Parameters For Mmod Protection In Interplanetary Missions, Lisa M. Haisan, Cesar Carrasco

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2012

This research presents a methodology for the selection of critical design-parameters for the design of Micro Meteoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) spacecraft protection based on a modified implementation of the concept of the Probability of No Impact (PNI). The PNI methodology, based on Poisson’s discrete statistics, has been widely used to determine critical particle sizes for the design of protection systems. However, it does not provide guidelines for the selection of the design impact speed, especially when the impact speed has a very wide statistical distribution like that encountered in interplanetary missions. The modifications to the PNI methodology presented here …

Asphalt Testing: Enhancing The Roads, Andrea Gutierrez, Soheil Nazarian, Anjan K. Siddagangaiah

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Summer 2012

At the University of Texas at El Paso, the Center for Transportation Infrastructure Systems is conducting several asphalt tests to ensure the quality of the asphalt and the safety of the public. The tests determine special engineering properties of the material such as the strength and aggregate-asphalt ratio that are crucial to the life span of the asphalt on the field. The five tests that are conducted are:

• Maximum Theoretical Specific Gravity Test (GMM) – used to find the density of the material
• Bulk Specific Gravity Test (GMB) – determines the air pockets (air voids) in the material using the …

Smart Home Prototype, Logistics & Planning, David G. Guzman^, Virgilio Gonzalez*

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Of Desalination Of Winter Agricultural Return Flows In El Paso: Impact On Downstream Salinity, Aaron M. Cano ^, W. Shane Walker *

COURI Symposium Abstracts, Spring 2012

No abstract provided.

Sustainable Riparian Restoration - The Utilization Of Sewage Effluent To Construct Wetlands Along The Rio Grande: A String Of Pearls Approach To Replenishment, Michael Earl Landis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Rio Grande, from Elephant Butte Dam to El Paso, has been transformed from a free-flowing wild river into a highly engineered irrigation system. The Rio Grande Project, authorized by Congress in 1905, mandated the Bureau of Reclamation to store and deliver water exclusively to farmers. The river, maintained by the International Boundary and Water Commission, has been straightened and channelized between levees. The laws and policies governing the use of the waters of the Rio Grande are prohibitive to ecological restoration. Prior Appropriation doctrine allows for the exclusive use of these waters.

One sustainable tactic for replenishing the denuded …

Alternatives To Piloting In Bracksih Waters: Accuracy And Precision Of Commerical Reverse Osmosis Membrane Design Model Projections, Erika Mancha

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In a time of economic recession and drought, the Texas Water Development Board is reviewing alternatives to the current Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requirement of demonstration-scale pilot testing membrane desalination to decrease permitting costs and project construction delays. One alternative is to use engineering judgment with membrane manufacturer's software models to predict membrane performance and ensure that product water quality requirements will be met. To comply with state permitting requirements, the first few months of successful full-scale operation can be submitted in lieu of pilot demonstration.

The goal of this research is to characterize the accuracy and precision of …

Investigation Of Gas-Solid Fluidized Bed With Non-Spherical Particles, Mario Alberto Ruvalcaba

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The number of experimental and numerical studies of multiphase flows has remarkably increased over the last several years. This research has abundant applications in energy, chemical, and conversion processes. Common use of these technologies includes catalytic cracking for petroleum refineries, fluidized bed reactors (type of chemical reactor), interface modification, and has been an important technology breakthrough in coal gasification. The present work will concentrate on the investigation and validation of gas-solid flows utilizing numerical methods. The gas-solid flows study on this research assumes the solid and gas phases as continua with averaged properties.

The fluid flow computation was achieved using …

Analysis Of Particulate Matter Air Quality Impacts On Sunland Park, New Mexico Due To Dust Emissions From Puerto Anapra, Mexico Using A Complex Terrain Air Dispersion Model Calpuff, Grisel Edith Arizpe

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The City of Sunland Park is located in Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico. The City has unusual boundaries which border not only with other communities in New Mexico but also the State of Chihuahua, Mexico to the south and the City of El Paso, Texas to the east. This area is considered part of the Paso del Norte Airshed (PdNA), which is comprised also by El Paso County, Texas and Ciudad (Cd.) Juarez, Mexico. Historically, this region has had air quality problems and compliance issues with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), including particulate matter and ozone pollution. …

Bod5 And Cod Data Analysis From The Northwest And Robert R. Bustamante Wastewater Treatment, Juan Carlos Adame

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objectives of this thesis are to explore the use of basic Statistical Process Control in a Wastewater Treatment Plant with secondary treatment. Additionally, to describe statistical behavior and review normality of some reportable parameters, also to analyze mainly parameters like BOD5 (Biological Oxygen Demand), Electrical Conductivity, and COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) with seasons of the year and days of the week, using data from the Northwest (NW) and Robert R. Bustamante (RRB) Wastewater Treatment Plants from El Paso Texas.

The scope of this analysis is to understand how Statistical Process Control can help to predict peak and valleys of …

Modeling Large-Truck Involved Crashes: An Econometric Modeling Framework, Mouyid Islam

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research aims to analyze large-truck involved crashes (i.e., having a gross vehicle weight rating more than 10,000 pounds) through the application of advanced econometric modeling techniques--namely, random parameter models (i.e., tobit regression, mixed logit). To achieve this, various national and state specific data sets are analyzed with the goal to provide an improved understanding of the complex interactions of contributing factors (e.g., factors related to drivers and occupants, vehicle, and road-environment) influencing large-truck crashes. Additionally, the modeling techniques considered in this research account for possible unobserved effects related to the data. The aforementioned econometric techniques provide an analytical foundation …

Reverse Osmosis Permeate Post-Treatment By Upflow Calcite Contactors: Dissolution And Mass Transport, Luis Demetrio Maldonado-Castaneda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Reverse osmosis (RO) desalination may be used for desalination of brackish and saline waters, but the product water may have low concentrations of hardness and alkalinity, which may corrode infrastructure. Adjustment of pH and addition hardness and alkalinity may be required to meet potable water guidelines. Upflow calcite contactors may be used instead of lime or caustic addition for post-treatment of RO permeate to deliver non-blended, stable, non-corrosive finished water.

The first objective of this research was to experimentally determine the sensitivity of performance of upflow calcite contactors with respect to several design and operational parameters such as: feed pH, …

Sustainable Water Management In The University Of Texas At El Paso, Cora Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis showed how to improve water and financial savings for UTEP and El Paso by improving water conservation and sustainability of the UTEP campus. The goals of this research were successfully accomplished by focusing in three principal objectives.

1. Analyze historical data of water consumption of the UTEP campus for the past decade.

2. Evaluate water consumption to quantify water consumption by buildings and type of use, as well as provide recommendations for water and cost savings.

3. Synthesize a water management framework within the UTEP Facilities' Geographic Information System (GIS) for long-term monitoring and evaluation

Evaluation Of Ozone Trends And Distribution In The Paso Del Norte Region Using Tceq's Cams Data And Ozone Data Collected At Two Supplemental Sites, Adrian Michael Sandoval

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine whether the city of El Paso will continue to be in attainment if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revises the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 8-hour average ozone concentration from 0.075 parts per million (ppm) to 0.070 ppm. For the duration of El Paso's ozone season, June-September 2012, two 2B Technology Ozone 202 monitors were deployed at proposed locations, not previously monitored. This was done in order to quantify concentration of ozone. In addition, ozone and meteorological data was downloaded from several Continuous Ambient Monitoring Stations (CAMS) in the Paso …

Carrier Collaborative Networks: Hybrid Hub Location Algorithms, Satyen Suresh Awale

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Within the context of the Logistics and supply chain and management, the Hybrid Hub and Spoke system has certain complexities regarding the selection of the hub location in the supply chain facility system. The performance and efficiency of the network route selection and hub location depends upon the percentage savings that has been made by choosing the appropriate location for the hub to maintain the efficient flow of the goods within the network. Hub location selection mostly depends on the profit margins shared by the carrier, supply and demand status of the facility and amount of flow of the goods …

Methodologies For The Analysis Of Checked Baggage Inspection Systems, Nela Blejcharova

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To enhance the security of the aviation system it is necessary to have a Checked Baggage Inspection System (CBIS) that is effective (that is, the highest possible detection probability or minimum false clear probability) yet efficient (that is, minimize the false alarm probability that causes inconvenience to passengers).

The first objective of this thesis is to review passenger, carry-on and checked baggage inspection procedures at airports

The second objective of this thesis is to develop a methodology using the optimization approach to set the optimal values of the sensitivity of the screening devices to minimize the total cost of inspecting …