Sustainability Commons^™

Comprehensive Testing Research On Floor Damage Characteristics Of Mining Extra-Thick Seam In Jungar Coalfield, Zhang Pingsong, Liu Chang, Ou Yuanchao, Sun Binyang, Xu Shi'ang, Li Shenglin

Coal Geology & Exploration

The 6th coal seam of the Carboniferous Permian in a coal mine in the Ordos Basin of Inner Mongolia is an extra-thick coal seam with an average minable thickness of 17.0 m. Its floor is threatened by limestone water. Distributed sensing optical fiber technology and cross-hole resistivity CT in situ comprehensive testing technology were used in the field, and the response characteristics of strain field and geoelectric field were obtained successively during mining. Combined with the threshold value of the discriminant parameter for loading deformation and failure of rock samples and detection section of practice, the monitoring data of the …

Experimental Study On The Influence Of Co2 Injection Pressure On Gas Diffusion Coefficient, Zhou Xihua, Han Mingxu, Bai Gang, Lan Anchang, Fu Zhihao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Most of the coal seams in China are characterized by low pressure, low permeability and low saturation. The methane gas in the coal seam is slowly desorbed and diffused slowly, which affects the production rate of coalbed methane. The coal samples from Zhaozhuang Coal Mine of Jinmei Group were selected to study the influence of different gas injection pressure on CH₄ displacement process and the variation law of CH₄ diffusion coefficient in the process of displacement. Independently developed CO₂ displacement CH₄ test platform was used to carry out the experiments under different gas injection pressures such …

Variation Law And Estimation Model Of Permeability Coefficient In Unconsolidated Confined Aquifer, Chen Luwang, Peng Zhihong, Wang Yingxin, Ge Rutao, Li Ruirui

Coal Geology & Exploration

The coal measure strata in the concealed coalfields in North China are generally covered by the Quaternary loose soils. Many hydrogeological hazards, such as mine water inrush, surface subsidence and wellbore deformation failure, have occurred in mining under unconsolidated confined aquifer, which has caused huge economic losses and casualties. The permeability coefficient is an important parameter that reflects the permeability of soil medium in the unconsolidated confined aquifer. A reasonable estimation of its values has important guiding significance for the prevention and control of such hydrogeological hazards. At present, the permeability coefficient of the unconsolidated confined aquifer in the concealed …

Characteristics And Distribution Laws Of Electric Potential Response To Mining Failure Of Deep Coal Seam, Wang Enyuan, Li Zhonghui, Niu Yue, Liu Shengdong, Shen Rongxi, Li Dexing, Zhang Xin

Coal Geology & Exploration

To study the response characteristics and laws on electric potential(EP) signal of the coal body in the mining failure process, a self-developed mine EP meter was utilized to conduct field tests in the No. 25050 fully mechanized mining face of Xuehu Coal Mine. The results show that the EP signals can be produced significantly during coal seam mining failure process, and the EP response characteristics can reveal the changes of stress state in coal body. As the working face advances, the EP intensity firstly increases and then decreases. The EP intensity decreases significantly after the construction of stress-relief drillings. Simultaneously, …

Research Progress Of Laser Drilling Technology In Coal Petrography, Wang Yudan, Luo Yaokun, Wen Guojun, Wu Lingling, Guan Donglin, Yao Zou

Coal Geology & Exploration

As an innovative technology with great potential in rock drilling, laser drilling has attracted great attention in research. Laser drilling is a non-contact drilling technology, which has little disturbance and damage to broken and soft formation. Thus, laser drilling can play a significant role in directional drilling of coalbed methane. This paper combs and summarizes the hole forming mechanism and influencing factors of drilling effect of laser drilling in coal petrograph. In the process of laser drilling, the interaction between laser and coal is accompanied by complex physical and chemical effects. It is pointed out that the main hole formation …

Validity Analysis Of Flow Field Method In Detecting Seepage Vector Distribution Of Earth-Rock Dam, Dai Qianwei, Cui Yongsheng, Han Xingjin, Lei Yi, Li Jiepeng, Zhu Zelong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Based on the similarity between the electric potential differential control equations of the current field and velocity potential differential control equations of the seepage field, the flow field method(FFM) can not only determine the seepage by measuring the distribution of current field, but also can efficiently figure out the leakage location of the dam. For further discovering the vector distribution and direction of seepage more accurately, the horizontal and vertical potential difference between the upstream and the downstream can be measured to simulate the vector distribution of seepage. In this paper, we illustrate the principle of vector flow field method(VFFM) …

The Main Progress In The 13Th Five-Year Plan And The Prospect Of Coal Geology, Jia Jiancheng, Gong Zewen, Jin Dewu, Li Quanxin, Wu Yan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Based on the brief analysis the evolution of "coal geology", the main progress of discipline in basic theoretical research, geological guarantee technology, coal and rock detection during the 13th five-year Plan period is reviewed emphatically, meanwhile the main problems faced and the development direction in the 14th five-year plan period and even a longer period of time are pointed out. It is considered that coal geology should around the development goals of coal industry of "providing sufficient green coal" and "reducing geological disasters in coal mine", taking the key geological theories and technical bottlenecks in green coal exploration, precise intelligent …

Sequence-Paleogeography And Coal Accumulation Of Lopingian In Guizhou Province, Shao Longyi, Hua Fanghui, Yi Tongsheng, Guo Lijun, Wang Xuetian

Coal Geology & Exploration

Based on outcrop sections and borehole data, the sequence stratigraphy, paleogeography, and coal accumulation of Lopingian(Upper Permian) in Guizhou Province have been studied. According to distribution of marine limestone beds which reflects variation of the transgressions, we have subdivided the Lopingian into 3 third-order composite sequences(CSⅠ, CSⅡ, CSⅢ) and related lowstand, transgressive, highstand sequence sets. CSⅠcorresponds to the lower and middle parts of the Lower Member of Longtan Formation. CSⅡcorresponds to the upper part of the Lower Member of Longtan Formation. CSⅢcorresponds to upper part of the Upper Member of Longtan Formation and Changxing Formation. The paleogeography map of these …

Numerical Simulation Of Pore Structure Stress Characteristics Of Coal And Rock Mass, Wang Gang, Jiang Chenghao, Chen Xuechang

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to explore the stress distribution around the pores of coal and rock mass under different loading modes, the skeleton model of coal and rock mass with different pore shapes was constructed through CT three-dimensional reconstruction technology, and uniaxial and triaxial compression experiment simulations were conducted using ABAQUS software. The results showed that under uniaxial compression, the upper and lower regions of spherical pores showed tensile stress concentration, while the left and right regions showed compressive stress concentration. The stress concentration types in the long and short axis of elliptic pores were distinct with different dip angles. Under uniaxial …

Study On The Optimization Of Well Location And Extraction Life In Mining Disturbed Zone Of Yuecheng Mine In Jincheng, Wu Xi, Li Guofu, Wang Zheng, Fu Junhui, Zheng Fei, Zhou Xianjun

Coal Geology & Exploration

The aim of the study is to reduce the coalbed gas accumulation in the upper corner caused by U-type ventilation in the working face of Yuecheng Coal Mine, Jincheng City, and improve the production and extraction life of coalbed methane surface wells in the mining disturbed area and goaf. Based on the research of surface mining test wells in Chengzhuang Mine and Sihe Mine, and taking the geological conditions of coalbed methane in Yuecheng Coal Mine as the engineering design basis, this paper puts forward that the well location in the surface mining disturbed area should be close to the …

Thoughts On Mine Water Control And Treatment In Yushen Mining Area, Fan Limin, Sun Kui, Li Cheng, Ning Kuibin, Ji Ruijun

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to scientifically explain the water gusting(bursting) events with large water inflow in Yushen mining area and provide basic information for mine water control and treatment, this paper analyzes the water bursting events and large mine water gusting situations in recent years, and questions such as formation mechanism of large water inflow in mine, hydrogeological property of red soil layer and accuracy of mine inflow prediction are put forward. It expounds how to break through the "mine field" scope and study groundwater system and water bursting source in terms of regions and focus on weakly water-rich aquifers such as …

Experimental Study On Dynamic Prediction Of Coal Seam Floor Elevation In Heading Face, Liu Wenming, Cheng Jianyuan, Liu Zaibin, Zhang Zeyu

Coal Geology & Exploration

Speedy drivage urgently needs to build a high-precision two-dimensional geological model. Taking the XY-S working face of Qinshui coalfield as an example, based on the results of 3D seismic interpretation, the coal seam floor elevation measured during excavation is used to update in succession the 3D seismic average velocity field and the coal seam floor elevation ahead, thus the prediction accuracy ahead of heading is analyzed statistically. The results show that the error between the predicted coal seam floor profile and the actual exposed profile decreases gradually by constantly making use of the measured coal seam floor elevation, upgrading the …

Research Progress Of Drilling And Borehole Completion Technologies In Broken Soft Coal Seam In Underground Coal Mine, Wang Li, Yao Ningping, Yao Yafeng, Wang Yi, Zhang Jie, Fang Jun, Wei Hongchao

Coal Geology & Exploration

In China, broken soft coal seams are in many strata and widely distributed. It is generally characterized by complex tectonic stress, high gas pressure, low mechanical strength and poor permeability, therefor, the hole is easy to collapse, outburst, which will probably cause many problems such as drilling difficulties, frequent accidents in the hole, inadequate hole depth, borehole blockage, drainage blind area and so on. With the continuous increase of coal mining depth, it is more difficult for drilling and completion in broken soft coal seam. Therefore, the high efficiency, deep hole and precise drilling technology, as well as the completion …

Campus Carbon Footprint Study At A South Texas University, Monica Garcia, Christian Florez, Diego Lopez, Jongmin Kim, Maysam Pournik

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

A campus carbon footprint study was conducted at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, a Southern Texan university. This initiative was the school’s strategic plan to set a baseline for overall campus resource utilization status as well as to answer global requests to track and reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions and achieve greater sustainability on campus. For fiscal years of 2016 to 2018, an overall increase of campus carbon footprint was about 0.6%. The biggest increase was observed from sources owned or controlled by the school while the emissions associated with power usage decreased. The university’s carbon footprint was …

The Acoustic Camera As A Tool To Identify Belt Conveyor Noises, Piotr Bortnowski, Anna Nowak-Szpak, Maksymilian Ozdoba, Robert Król

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This paper explores the possibilities of using an acoustic camera as a tool that allows the verification of the correct construction and operation of individual elements of a belt conveyor. Based on the simultaneously recorded components - a video camera and measuring microphones, the sound pressure level map of the belt conveyor was created. The tests were carried out in laboratory conditions and covered the location and identification of individual noise sources. The verification consists not only of searching for dominant sound sources, but above all, of searching for frequencies in the analysed spectrum that should not occur during their …

A Systematic Review Of The Use Of Environmental Economics In The Mining Industry, Maria Menegaki, Dimitris Damigos

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Environmental economics is increasingly being used in project appraisals, environmental liability estimates and design of market-based instruments. Mining, an actor capable of causing adverse effects on the environment, human health and well-being, has already been affected by these developments, at a great extent. Up to date, several research studies have been carried out to monetise the externalities of mining projects. Nevertheless, a systematic review of these publications has not been carried out, yet. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by investigating (i) the main non-market valuation techniques used; (ii) the main external costs or benefits of …

Generation Of 3d Model Of Downtown Sullivan, Jim Speer

2020 Fall Reports (Sullivan)

The City of Sullivan identified the downtown area as an area for improvement and needed a way to depict areas. In ENVI 610, one graduate student was able to address the agreed upon goals of developing a 3D model of the downtown square. Some recommendations for future use of the 3D model were made for land-use planning, drainage systems, elevation, and more.

Moving Beyond ‘More Crop Per Drop’: Insights From Two Decades Of Research On Agricultural Water Productivity, Meredith Giordano, Susanne M. Scheierling, David O. Tréguer, Hugh Turral, Peter G. Mccornick

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Concern over increasing water scarcity has led to the introduction of the concept of agricultural water productivity and an emphasis on interventions to achieve ‘more crop per drop’. Yet, a strong debate continues on how the concept is to be defined and used. Drawing largely from the irrigation literature, the origins of the concept and its methodological developments are reviewed, and its use in applied work over two decades is discussed. Based on this analysis of conceptual and applied research, key insights into the concept’s contributions and limitations are presented, as well as opportunities for further refinements.

Local Climate Action Planning As A Tool To Harness The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mitigation And Equity Potential Of Autonomous Vehicles And On-Demand Mobility, Serena Alexander, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Benjamin Y. Clark

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report focuses on how cities can use climate action plans (CAPs) to ensure that on-demand mobility and autonomous vehicles (AVs) help reduce, rather than increase, green-house gas (GHG) emissions and inequitable impacts from the transportation system. We employed a three-pronged research strategy involving: (1) an analysis of the current literature on on-demand mobility and AVs; (2) a systematic content analysis of 23 CAPs and general plans developed by municipalities in California; and (3) a comparison of findings from the literature and content analysis of plans to identify opportunities for GHG emissions reduction and mobility equity.

Findings indicate that maximizing …

Energy Consumption And Lifecycle Assessment Comparison Of Cutting Fluids For Drilling Titanium Alloy, Navneet Khanna, Prassan Shah, Jwalant Wadhwa, Anjali Pitroda, Julius M. Schoop, Franci Pusavec

Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing Faculty Publications

This study analyzes four cutting conditions (dry, flood, Liquid CO 2 (LCO2), and Liquid N2 (LN 2)) based on energy consumption and ecological impacts for drilling VT-20, a Titanium alloy. The lower cutting and total energy have been consumed for LCO2 as compared to others. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis has been performed using ReCiPe 2016 midpoint (H) to identify the impact of cutting conditions on ecosystem, human health, and natural resources. Cryogenic environment with LN 2 has been found as the most ecological cutting condition next to dry machining, while flood coolant has 94-99% of total impact considering …

Pesticide Occurrence And Persistence Entering Recreational Lakes In Watersheds Of Varying Land Uses, Jessica Satiroff, Tiffany Messer, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Daniel D. Snow

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Currently little is known of newer pesticide classes and their occurrence and persistence in recreational lakes. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) assess average pesticide concentrations and loadings entering recreational lakes in three mixed land use watersheds throughout the growing season, (2) evaluate pesticide persistence longitudinally within the lakes, and (3) perform an ecotoxicity assessment. Six sampling campaigns were conducted at three lakes from April through October 2018 to measure the occurrence and persistence during pre, middle, and post growing season. Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were placed in streams near lake inlets and monthly samples …

Occurrence Of Arsenite In Surface And Groundwater Associated With A Perennial Stream Located In Western Nebraska, Usa, Arindam Malakar, Rajesh Singh, Jeffrey Westrop, Karrie A. Weber, Christopher N. Elofson, Manish Kumar, Daniel D. Snow

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Dissolved arsenic typically results from chemical weathering of arsenic rich sediments and is most often found in oxidized forms in surface water. The mobility of arsenic is controlled by its valence state and also by its association with iron oxides minerals, the forms of which are both influenced by abiotic and biotic processes in aqueous environment. In this study, speciation methods were used to measure and confirm the presence of reduced arsenic species in the surface water of Frenchman creek, a gaining stream that crosses the Colorado- Nebraska border. Selective extraction analysis of aquifer and stream bed sediments shows that …

Co2 Reduction Measures In The Aviation Industry: Current Measures And Outlook, Florian Mathys, P. Wild, J. Wang

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This article gives a holistic overview of the current CO₂ reduction measures and analyses the effectiveness of measures that are feasible for implementation in the future. To achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the aviation industry needs to implement reduction measures because of its forecasted growth and contribution to global warming. The focus is set on CO₂ reduction measures, categorized in technology, operations, infrastructure/air traffic management (ATM), and market-based measures. The most promising long-term technologies to reduce CO₂ emissions are hydrogen-powered aircrafts and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). In terms of operations, CO₂ emissions can be …

Nanomaterials In The Environment, Human Exposure Pathway, And Health Effects: A Review, Arindam Malakar, Sushil R. Kanel, Chittaranjan Ray, Daniel D. Snow, Mallikarjuna N. Nadagouda

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Nanomaterials (NMs), both natural and synthetic, are produced, transformed, and exported into our environment daily. Natural NMs annual flux to the environment is around 97% of the total and is significantly higher than synthetic NMs. However, synthetic NMs are considered to have a detrimental effect on the environment. The extensive usage of synthetic NMs in different fields, including chemical, engineering, electronics, and medicine, makes them susceptible to be discharged into the atmosphere, various water sources, soil, and landfill waste. As ever-larger quantities of NMs end up in our environment and start interacting with the biota, it is crucial to understand …

Baseflow Nitrate Dynamics Within Nested Watersheds Of An Agricultural Stream In Nebraska, Usa, Galen Richards, Troy E. Gilmore, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Tiffany Messer, Daniel D. Snow

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

There is a need to evaluate high surface nitrate concentrations across agricultural watersheds, both spatially and temporally, to increase understanding of source and timing of nitrogen loads in streams and rivers. Bazile Creek is a high-nitrate stream originating in the agriculturally intensive Bazile Groundwater Management Area of Eastern Nebraska, USA. It is a gaining stream that receives groundwater with high nitrate concentrations originating from nonpoint sources. The objective of this study was to determine spatial and temporal variability of baseflow nitrate concentrations in Bazile Creek and its tributaries and to relate this variability to watershed characteristics. Surface-water nitrate samples were …

Surveillance Of Plasticizers, Bisphenol A, Steroids And Caffeine In Surface Water Of River Ganga And Sundarban Wetland Along The Bay Of Bengal: Occurrence, Sources, Estrogenicity Screening And Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment, Paromita Chakraborty, Nancy W. Shappell, Moitraiyee Mukhopadhyay, Sathaporn Onanong, Daniel D. Snow

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The transboundary River Ganga serves as a conduit for meltwater from the Himalayas and is a major freshwater source for two thirds of Indian population before emptying into the Sundarban Delta, the largest estuary in the Bay of Bengal. Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as phthalic acid esters (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) used as organic plastic additives can pollute the aquatic environment receiving plastic litter. Hence, we have investigated these EDCs in water samples from Ganga and Sundarban wetland of India. Since these compounds exhibit estrogenic potential, we have further measured steroids and evaluated the estrogenic activity (estradiol equivalents, …

Transmission Routes Of The Microbiome And Resistome From Manure To Soil And Lettuce, Yuepeng Sun, Daniel D. Snow, Harkamal Walia, Xu Li

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The land application of animal manure can introduce manure microbiome and resistome to croplands where food crops are grown. The objective of this study was to characterize the microbiome and resistome on and in the leaves of lettuce grown in manured soil and identify the main transmission routes of microbes and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from soil to the episphere and endosphere of lettuce. Shotgun metagenomic results show that manure application significantly altered the composition of the microbiome and resistome of surface soil. SourceTracker analyses indicate that manure and original soil were the main source of the microbiome and resistome …

Investigating The Effect Of Electrolyte Concentration And Charging Protocol On Materials Utilization In Rechargeable Zinc Manganese Dioxide Batteries, Snehal H. Kolhekar

Dissertations and Theses

Achieving a highly cyclable, high energy density battery with MnO₂ cathodes encounters many obstacles. Chief among these is the inability of the widely-used γ-MnO₂ polymorph to retain its structural integrity when cycled to near full one-electron discharge capacity, which is about 280mAh/g for commercially available electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD). In this one-electron range, discharge occurs by proton insertion producing Mn⁺³ which then reverts to γ-MnO₂ on charging. In the first part of the thesis, we investigate the root cause of failure of MnO₂ cathodes under deep cycling in the one-electron discharge range and establish a …

Optimisation Of Retrofit Wall Insulation: An Irish Case Study, Rakshit D. Muddu, D M. Gowda, Anthony James Robinson, Aimee Byrne

Articles

Ireland has one of the highest rates of emissions per capita in the world and its residential sector is responsible for approximately 10% of total national CO2 emissions. Therefore, reducing the CO2 emissions in this sector will play a decisive role in achieving EU targets of reducing emissions by 40% by 2030. To better inform decisions regarding retrofit of the existing building stock, this study proposes Optimum Insulation Thicknesses (OIT) for typical walls in 25 regions in Ireland. The calculation of OIT includes annual heat energy expenditure, CO2 emissions, and material payback period. The approach taken is based on Heating …

Sustainability Assessment Of Direct Energy Deposition (Ded) Based Hybrid Manufacturing Using Life Cycle Assessment (Lca) Method, Faujia Islam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As sustainability has emerged as a highlight for almost every field over the last few decades, the manufacturing field is no exception. Generally, additive manufacturing performs better than traditional manufacturing in terms of sustainability because of its lean energy- and material usage. Previous studies have compared the sustainability performance between traditional and additive manufacturing, but hybrid manufacturing was not focused upon much. In this paper, the life cycle assessment method is used to analyze and compare the energy consumption and environmental impact of direct energy deposition (DED) based hybrid manufacturing and traditional manufacturing “CNC milling” process for a turbine blade. …