Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons^™

Mission Aware Energy Saving Strategies For Army Ground Vehicles, Macam Dattathreya

Wayne State University Dissertations

Fuel energy is a basic necessity for this planet and the modern technology to perform many activities on earth. On the other hand, quadrupled automotive vehicle usage by the commercial industry and military has increased fuel consumption. Military readiness of Army ground vehicles is very important for a country to protect its people and resources. Fuel energy is a major requirement for Army ground vehicles. According to a report, a department of defense has spent nearly $13.6 billion on fuel and electricity to conduct ground missions. On the contrary, energy availability on this plant is slowly decreasing. Therefore, saving energy …

Influence Of Flue Gas Components On The Growth Rate Of Chlorella Vulgaris And Scenedesmus Acutus, Czarena Crofcheck, Aubrey Shea, Michael D. Montross, Mark Crocker, Rodney Andrews

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased since the industrial revolution due to the increase in combustion of fossil fuels. One possible alternative strategy is the use of microalgae for CO₂ capture and recycling. Major components in coal-derived flue gas that may accumulate and effect algae growth include both sulfur oxides and fly ash. However, in practical application, sulfur oxides will be converted quickly to the acid product (H₂SO₄) in the aerobic aqueous conditions of algae cultivation. In this article, the influence of elevated H₂SO₄ levels and the presence of coal-derived fly ash …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Graphene Oxide/Sulfur Nanocomposite For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Aaron Joseph Blake

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The growing need for clean and efficient energy storage systems has recently peaked due to concerns of climate change and increased global energy consumption. However, efficiently integrating renewable resources such as solar and wind energy into society will require a complex electrical energy storage (EES) system capable of storing and expending significant amounts of energy. A battery based on the lithium/sulfur couple can yield a theoretical specific energy of 2600Wh/kg, which is about five times higher than that offered by present Li-ion batteries, and hence, is a promising and attractive technology. Despite recent developments in addressing various issues inherent to …

Rose: Roadmaps Towards Sustainable Energy Futures And Climate Protection: A Synthesis Of Results From The Rose Project, Elmar Kriegler, Ioanna Mouratiadou, Gunnar Luderer, Nico Bauer, Katherine Calvin, Enrica Decian, Robert J. Brecha, Wenying Chen, Aleh Cherp, Jae Edmonds, Kejun Jiang, Shonali Pachauri, Fabio Sferra, Massimo Tavoni, Ottmar Edenhofer

Physics Faculty Publications

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Exploring energy demand and supply uncertainty: An exploration of uncertainty on drivers of energy demand and supply is indispensable for better understanding the prospects of long-tern climate stabilization. The RoSE study is the first of its kind to systematically explore the impact of economic growth, population and fossil fuel scarcity, in scenarios with and without climate policy, using a model ensemble. A feature of RoSE is the participation of five established integrated assessment modelling teams from three important regions in international climate policy negotiations: the EU, the USA and China.

Economic growth: Neither slow nor rapid economic growth …

Investigation Of The Radiative Heat Release Factor Of Premixed Oxy-Syngas Flames, Martin De La Torre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A significant part of the United States is being powered by combustion devises relying on coal since it is abundant and is a high emitting source of electricity per unit energy, however; the burning of this fuel is responsible for a significant contribution for the pollutant emissions causing global warming. Because coal is one of the main sources of energy in the U.S. and around the globe, the scientific community has been investigating ways to meet current and future governmental emission requirements. It is now well established that radiating heat from the flame is a major contributor of the heat …

Modeling Of Co2-Water-Rock Interactions In A Mississippian Sandstone Reservoir Of Kentucky, Anne M. Schumacher

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This study examined CO₂-water-rock interactions occurring during a carbon sequestration pilot test into a Mississippian oil reservoir in western Kentucky. New samples (n=62) and archived data, both collected from oil wells, were used to characterize the chemistry of formation waters from the Sugar Creek field in Hopkins County. In addition, core and cuttings samples (n=17) from the reservoir and overlying cap-rocks in, or near, the field were analyzed for bulk and clay mineralogy using X-ray diffraction. Electric logs were used to select sample intervals within the overlying cap-rocks and the center of the producing zones in the Jackson …

Novel Models And Algorithms For Uncertainty Management In Power Systems, Long Zhao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of previously-published manuscript and conference papers. In this dissertation, we will deal with a stochastic unit commitment problem with cooling systems for gas generators, a robust unit commitment problem with demand response and uncertain wind generation, and a power grid vulnerability analysis with transmission line switching. The latter two problems correspond to our theoretical contributions in two-stage robust optimization, i.e., how to efficiently solve a two-stage robust optimization, and how to deal with mixed-integer recourse in robust optimization. Due to copyright issue, this dissertation does not include any methodology papers written by the author during …

A Study On The Optimization Of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Md Imran Khan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Considering biocompatibility, the Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSC) based on titanium dioxide should play a major role in the future of solar energy. In this ongoing study, different components and ambient process conditions for the fabrication of were investigated. Titanium dioxide substrate thickness and morphology was found to have a direct impact on the cell efficiency. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the TiO2 nanostructure. Different chemical treatments and electrolytes were also explored towards optimizing the cell performance. A group of porphyrin based organic dyes were synthesized and evaluated. Standard solar cell characterization techniques such as current-voltage and …

Adoption Of Green Building Practices And Rating System In Kenya: Potentials And Barriers, Peter Khaemba

Dissertations

This research study was undertaken to identify (a) green building rating attributes that could be adopted for Kenya, and (b) barriers to initial adoption of green building practices and a green building rating system in Kenya. The study was primarily built on the premise of select rating and adoption attributes in existing green building standards, especially Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). A pilot phase of the study was conducted using a combination of focus groups and personal interviews. The pilot findings became the basis of a questionnaire that was utilized to survey a sample of 608 registered building …

Awareness, Use, And Perceptions Of Biodiesel: A Comparison Of Consumers In Belgium And The United States, Maggie Jo Pruitt, Leslie D. Edgar, Donald M. Johnson

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Belgian (N = 61) and American (N = 134) fuel consumers were interviewed in the summer of 2012 to determine their awareness, use, and perceptions of biodiesel. Consumers who were aware of biodiesel were asked their perceptions. A significantly P < 0.0001) higher percentage of Belgian consumers (78.7%) reported owning or driving a diesel vehicle compared to American consumers (9.0%). Belgian and American consumers moderately agreed biodiesel is a high-quality fuel. For both Belgian and American consumers, there was no significant association between owning a diesel vehicle and being aware of biodiesel or having purchased biodiesel. Although Belgian and American consumers agreed that using non-food crops for biodiesel is justified, Belgians were significantly less supportive than American consumers of using food crops for biodiesel. Both Belgian and American consumers disagreed with the statement “I would never use biodiesel”, and the two sets of consumers moderately disagreed that diesel engines would not run properly on biodiesel. Belgian and American consumers agreed that global warming is increasing; however, American consumers were more positive about the potential of biodiesel to reduce harmful exhaust emissions and global warming. Belgian consumers moderately agreed and American consumers agreed that biodiesel is better to use because it is made from renewable resources. Belgian and American consumers generally show similar perceptions of biodiesel, with the exception that American consumers were more positive toward the environmental and renewable aspects of biodiesel use. Recommendations for further research include gaining a better understanding of the potential positive influences that impact consumers’ perceptions of biodiesel.

Automatic Memory Management Policies For Low Power, Memory Limited, And Delay Intolerant Devices, Md Abu Jahid

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are energy and memory limited, and implement graphical user interfaces that are intolerant of computational delays. Mobile device platforms supporting apps implemented in languages that require automatic memory man- agement, such as the Dalvik (Java) virtual machine within Google's Android, have become dominant. It is essential that automatic memory management avoid causing unacceptable interface delays while responsibly managing energy and memory resource usage. Dalvik's automatic memory management policies for heap growth and garbage collection scheduling utilize heuristics tuned to minimize memory footprint. These policies result in only marginally acceptable response times and garbage …

An Approach To Power Efficiency Determination In The Solar Energy Systems Using Central Composite Design And Box-Behnken Design, Juan Venegas Mendez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We are living in an industrialized world that relies on fossil fuels. The ways, in which these fossil fuels have damaged the earth, in special the environment is worth of special attention and corrective actions. In our days, the climate change (global warming) it is becoming the number one topic. These changes are affecting our health, comfort and our way of living. Solar systems have been working among us since several years, but the truth is that most of us really don't understand how they work and more important, how they work in time in different conditions. Solar panels are …

Thermal Barrier Coatings (Tbc's) For High Heat Flux Thrust Chambers, Christopher Michael Bradley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The last 30 years materials engineers have been under continual pressure to develop materials with a greater temperature potential or to produce configurations that can be effectively cooled or otherwise protected at elevated temperature conditions. Turbines and thrust chambers produce some of the harshest service conditions for materials which lead to the challenges engineers face in order to increase the efficiencies of current technologies due to the energy crisis that the world is facing. The key tasks for the future of gas turbines are to increase overall efficiencies to meet energy demands of a growing world population and reduce the …

Pressure And Heat Flux Effects On The Heat Transfer Characteristics Of Liquid Methane, Chance Paul Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The heat transfer effects on liquid methane are investigated with the use of a carbo-thermal rig at the Center for Space Exploration Technology Research (cSETR) located at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The cSETR carbo-thermal rig design approach is presented along with the design of a methane condensing mobile unit (MCMU) to supply the laboratory and rig with liquid methane. The proposed research will generate useful insight in to heat transfer coefficient behavior, non-dimensional correlations, different flow conditions, varied inlet conditions, and varied heat flux for a subscale test article applicable to a regenerative cooled rocket engine …

Ionization In Diesel Combustion For On-Board Diagnostics And Engine Control, Tamer Hassan Badawy

Wayne State University Dissertations

Diesel engines have been known for their high thermal efficiency and specific power output, but there is concern about engine-out NOx and particulate matter emissions. To meet the current emission standards, advanced diesel engines are fitted with electronically controlled fuel injection systems and sophisticated and expensive after-treatment devices. Further improvements are still needed to meet future goals in better fuel economy and the more stringent emission standards. In order to meet these goals, there is a need for the control of the combustion process to reduce engine-out emissions in real-time and reduce the demand on the after-treatment devices. This requires …

Accurate Prediction Of Spectral Phonon Relaxation Time And Thermal Conductivity Of Intrinsic And Perturbed Materials, Tianli Feng

Open Access Theses

The prediction of spectral phonon relaxation time, mean-free-path, and thermal conductivity can provide significant insights into the thermal conductivity of bulk and nanomaterials, which are important for thermal management and thermoelectric applications. We perform frequency-domain normal mode analysis (NMA) on pure bulk argon and pure bulk germanium. Spectral phonon properties, including the phonon dispersion, relaxation time, mean free path, and thermal conductivity of argon and germanium at different temperatures have been calculated. We find the dependence of phonon relaxation time τ on frequency ω and temperature T vary from ~ω^-1.3 to ~ω^-1.8 and ~T^-0.8 to ~T^{-1.8 …}

Computational Modeling Of Graphene Oxide Exfoliation And Lithium Storage Characteristics, Reza Mortezaee

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Graphene oxide is a two dimensional material obtained by adsorption of oxygen or oxygen-containing groups on graphene. Stacked layers of graphene oxide constitute graphite oxide. These materials have various applications such as a source material for graphene production, transport support for electron microscopy, flexible organic photovoltaic cells and use in Li-ion batteries. Generation of exfoliated graphene oxide from a graphite oxide precursor is achieved relatively easily in solution as compared to graphene exfoliation. In this study we investigate the details of the graphene oxide exfoliation procedure in solution by calculating the Gibb's free energies and reaction rates. We consider two …

Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Infrared Techniques: A Mini-Review, Feng Xu, Jianming Yu, Tesfaye Tesso, Floyd Dowell, Donghai Wang

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Current wet chemical methods for biomass composition analysis using two-step sulfuric acid hydrolysis are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unable to provide structural information about biomass. Infrared techniques provide fast, low-cost analysis, are non-destructive, and have shown promising results. Chemometric analysis has allowed researchers to perform qualitative and quantitative study of biomass with both near-infrared and mid-infrared spectroscopy. This review summarizes the progress and applications of infrared techniques in biomass study, and compares the infrared and the wet chemical methods for composition analysis. In addition to reviewing recent studies of biomass structure and composition, we also discuss the progress and prospects for …

Essays On The Effects Of Oil Price Shocks On The U.S. Stock Returns, Zeina Nashaat Alsalman

Wayne State University Dissertations

This research investigates the effect of changes in oil prices and oil price volatility on the U.S. stock returns. The first essay tests whether the sign and the size of oil price shocks matter for the U.S. stock returns. The results suggest a linear model provides a good approximation to the response of real stock returns to real oil price innovations. However, this is not the case when the model is specified in terms of the nominal price of crude oil.Using a modified structural VAR to accommodate GARCH-in-Mean errors, the second essay studies the direct effects of oil price uncertainty …

Value Centric Approaches To The Design, Operations And Maintenance Of Wind Turbines, Madhur Aravind Khadabadi

Open Access Theses

Wind turbine maintenance is emerging as an unexpectedly high component of turbine operating cost, and there is an increasing interest in managing this cost. This thesis presents an alternative view of maintenance as a value-driver, and develops an optimization algorithm to evaluate the value delivered by different maintenance techniques. I view maintenance as an operation that moves the turbine to an improved state in which it can generate more power and, thus, earn more revenue. To implement this approach, I model the stochastic deterioration of the turbine in two dimensions: the deterioration rate, and the extent of deterioration, and then …