“Girls Go Green”- A Pre-College Summer Experience Focusing on Energy and the Environment [abstract]

Only abstract of poster available.Track III: Energy InfrastructureResearch has shown that female high school students are concerned about the environment and the impact they will have on it in the future. In the summer of 2008, the Missouri S&T Women's Leadership Institute and the Geological Engineering program co-sponsored a new pilot pre-college summer program for rising junior and senior girls interested in learning more about careers in engineering and science that specifically address these energy conservation and environmental issues. Twenty female high school students (12 seniors and 8 juniors), participated in a week-long residential camp featuring hands-on demonstrations from the Geological Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Engineering, and Nuclear Engineering programs. Several field trips were conducted including one to a hydroelectric dam and another to a renewable energy research site which featured a wind turbine and a photovoltaic array. At the end of the week, students gave presentations about energy- or environment-related topics that they had developed during the week. All 12 seniors have applied for admission to Missouri S&T beginning in Fall 2009, and 8 of the 12 have expressed interest in enrolling in energy and environmental degree programs. The inaugural experience of this program has led to plans for recruiting a larger number of participants in the summer of 2009. The pre-college program may be a small step to addressing two important national goals: 1) attracting more high school students, especially girls, to study engineering and science; and 2) providing formal studies in green issues for future professionals

Using a PV system to power an emergency water disinfection system

Track I: Power GenerationIncludes audio file (22 min.)Emergency relief efforts commonly include the provision of safe drinking water to populationswhose normal water supplies have been disrupted. An alternative to the shipment of bottledwater to the impacted areas is the disinfection of locally available water which may be contaminated with microbiological pathogens. An ideal system would provide reliable water treatment without requiring chemicals or other supplies which would require periodic replacement while in storage. Another desirable feature would be the ability to operate without requiring portable electrical generators which, along with the fuel necessary to operate them, may be in short supply during emergency situations. To address these needs, a trailer-mounted self-powered water disinfection system was constructed and successfully field tested. The primary components of the system included an array of photovoltaic panels to generate electrical energy, an ultracapacitor to provide robust energy storage, and a certified ultraviolet light systemto provide disinfection. Additionally, pretreatment was included to address aesthetic wate rquality issues and to improve the clarity of the raw water prior to disinfection. The conceptual design of the system included the use of a small wind turbine, but it was found to be not necessary because the solar panels provided sufficient power to operate the disinfection unit. The elimination of the wind turbine has several technical, cost, deployability, and safety advantages. It is anticipated that the system may have both civilian relief and military applications

Physical Impact of Waterjet-Based Sediment Remediation on Benthic Organisms

Adding Activated Carbon to Sediments Has Been Shown to Be an Effective Means of Reducing the Bioavailability of Certain Contaminants. the Current State of the Practice is to Mechanically Mix Activated Carbon to a Target Concentration of 3 Percent at Depths of Approximately 30 Cm using a Rotovator or Similar Construction Equipment. Waterjets Have Been Used to Cut Hard Material using a Mixture of Water and an Abrasive. If Activated Carbon is Substituted for the Abrasive, Waterjets Have the Potential to Use Surface Injection as a Replacement for Mechanical Mixing during Sediment Remediation. a Perceived Benefit of Waterjet-Based Sediment Remediation is that There May Be a Reduced Potential for Benthic Organism Mortality Related to Amendment Delivery. a Set of Waterjet Parameters Were Identified that Have the Potential to Achieve Amendment Placement Goals, and a Series of Waterjet Tests Were Conducted to Evaluate the Potential Impact on the Benthic Community. the Tests Included Mortality Testing using a Swimming Macroinvertebrate and a Burrowing Invertebrate, Benthic Artifacts Such as Shells, and Craft Foam as a Surrogate for Living Organisms. the Results Indicated that the Immediate Survivability Was Typically Greater Than 50 Percent, and that Empirical Relationships between Two Variables (Waterjet Nozzle Diameter and the Water Column Height between the Nozzle and the Target) and the Depth of Cut in the Foam Could Be Established. Data Are Not Available in the Literature for Direct Comparison of Organism Survivability Immediately after Mechanical Mixing, But the Results of This Study Provide Motivation for the Further Evaluation of Waterjets on the Basis of the Low Observed Mortality Rates. Future Waterjet Work May Address Field-Scale Characterization of Mixing Effectiveness, Resuspension Potential, Technical Feasibility, and Cost. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Development of a Waterjet System for Direct Delivery of Granular Iron and Activated Carbon to Remediate Contaminated Aqueous Sediments

While the Techniques and Technologies Associated with Contaminated Sediment Remediation Are Relatively Mature, There Are Several Issues Associated with These Practices that Make Them Unattractive. the Inability of Currently Used Mechanical Mixing Implements to Place Amendments in Aqueous Environments and their Intrusive Behavior toward Benthic Communities Are Just Two Examples of a Necessity for an Improved Delivery Method. Waterjets May Be a Viable Option for Placement of Particulate Remediation Amendments, Such as Activated Carbon and Granular Iron, at Depth. a Custom Waterjet Nozzle and Injection System Has Been Fabricated by the Authors to Examine This Delivery Concept. the Developed Injection System\u27s Performance Was Tested by Characterizing the Waterjet-Delivered Amendment (Activated Carbon and Granular Iron) Distributions in a Surrogate Sediment. the Delivered Amendment Distributions Followed Similar Patterns for a Range of Injection Times and a Variety of Amendments. the Injection Depths, However, Were Dependent Upon the Type of Amendment Being Injected. These Findings Have Led to a Better Understanding of What Occurs during an Amendment Injection, Which Can Be Used for a More Controlled Placement of Remediation Amendments using This Technique in the Future. the Laboratory Results Indicate that the Subject Waterjet System May Have the Potential for Field-Scale Applications, Especially for Granular Iron Delivery, as the Authors Were Able to Place between 60 and 70 Wt Percent into a Surrogate Sediment Bed Along the Path of Injection. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Acrylamide-forming potential of potatoes grown at different locations, and the ratio of free asparagine to reducing sugars at which free asparagine becomes a limiting factor for acrylamide formation

Acrylamide is produced from free asparagine and reducing sugars during high-temperature cooking and food processing, and potato products are major contributors to dietary acrylamide intake. The present study analysed twenty varieties of potatoes grown at two sites (Doncaster and Woburn) in the United Kingdom to assess the effect of location of cultivation on acrylamide-forming potential. Analysis of variance revealed a full site by variety nested within type (French fry, boiling and crisping) by storage interaction for acrylamide (p < 0.003, F-test), reducing sugars and total sugars (p < 0.001, F-test). There was much greater free asparagine in potatoes grown at the Doncaster site compared with the Woburn site. Modelling of the relationship between the ratio of free asparagine to reducing sugars and the levels of acrylamide identified a value of 2.257 ± 0.149 as the tipping point in the ratio below which free asparagine concentration could affect acrylamide formation

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Monte Carlo simulation of ground water remediation at a Nebraska contamination site.

Characterization of the effectiveness of ground water contamination remediation alternatives is complex due to uncertainties associated with the ground water system. This dissertation presents a Monte Carlo simulation model for stochastic characterization of the maximum concentration of contaminant remaining in an aquifer after the application of pump and treat remedial alternatives. The model is written in FORTRAN 77 for the Convex 240. The model uses a publicly available finite difference code for flow analysis and a commercially available method of characteristics transport code. Hydraulic conductivity fields are randomly generated using the turning bands method; initial concentration fields are conditionally simulated on measured and estimated concentration values; and retardation coefficient fields are negatively correlated to hydraulic conductivity using partition coefficients sampled from a log normal distribution. The model was applied to three pump and treat alternatives selected for consideration at a Nebraska contamination site. Two dimensional analysis of flow and transport was performed. Special treatment of flow boundary conditions was necessary due to site conditions and model restrictions. The probabilistic analyses of the resulting maximum concentration ensembles were used to demonstrate decision analysis at the site. Beta probability distributions were fitted to the maximum output ensembles. The decision tree model incorporated monetary values, human health considerations, and regulatory issues as well as probabilistic considerations. Illustration of the decision analysis procedure showed that the choice of the optimal remedial alternative was dependent on the monetary value assigned to noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic adverse human health risks

A finite element investigation of flow through an earth dam with open cracks using thin element technique

The residual flow procedure (RFP) is used to conjunction with finite element method for solution of steady state free surface seepage in dams containing open cracks. The cracks are simulated using the thin-layer element concept. A comprehensive parametric study is performed to analyze the applicability of the numerical procedure with the thin layer element. Here, vertically trending as well as horizontally trending open cracks are considered with variable lengths, widths, and conductivities. It is found that the numerical results involve oscillatory, unstable, and physically unreasonable behavior beyond critical values of the geometry and conductivities. Here, the vertically trending configurations are found to be relatively more sensitive than the horizontally trending configurations. Although additional research will be needed to analyze other factors such as different crack geometries, transient flow, and different ratios of crack conductivities to surrounding soil conductivities, the results presented here suggest that the procedure can be applied for seepage analysis in dams containing open cracks

Using wind energy to power an environmental clean-up system [abstract]

Only abstract of poster available.Track III: Energy InfrastructureSignificant effort has been and is being spent cleaning up soil and groundwater contamination inthe U.S. with the purpose of reducing negative impacts to human health and the environment. However, relatively little thought has been given to the potential negative impacts associated with the fossil fuel-based generation of the electricity used to power the remediation systems.One of the first applications to use a renewable energy system to power a full scale groundwaterremediation system was the installation of a 10 kW wind turbine at the former Nebraska Ordnance Plant Superfund site. The wind turbine was initially operated in a utility interconnection configuration to reduce the operating costs of a groundwater circulation well. Asadditional funding was procured, the system was converted to an off-grid configuration using batteries to store energy which was subsequently used to power a three phase submersiblegroundwater pump. The project has resulted in several publications including those dealing with energy use/conservation, cost benefits including greenhouse gas mitigation, and the use of nonsite-specific wind velocity data to predict small wind turbine performance. The project was featured in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's first primer on green remediation whichwas published in early 2008, the project is featured on the EPA's Technology InnovationProgram website, and it has been the subject of several presentations at national meetings of EPA project managers and technical conferences

A State-Sponsored Renewable Energy Demonstration Project [abstract]

Only abstract of poster available.Track I: Power GenerationHistorically renewable energy has been adopted by consumers at varying levels across the United States. For example, California is well-known for initiatives which have resulted in thewidespread acceptance and use of wind and photovoltaic systems at all levels from utilities toindividual households. Missouri has focused on biofuels, and wind development and solar development are not widespread. In response to an initiative to reduce the State's utility costs,the Missouri Office of Administration sponsored a demonstration of the use of a 10 kW-rated wind turbine and a 2-kW photovoltaic system at a regional Highway Patrol headquarters. Both systems are interconnected with the local utility provider. The project also include environmental and system instrumentation. The straightforward demonstration project has resulted in several tangible benefits in addition to than the planned cost reduction: outreach to thegeneral public as well as precollege outreach for potential university students; identification of liability issues related to utility interconnection permits; familiarization of facility tenants andstate employees with renewable energy systems; familiarization of utility personnel withrenewable energy systems; identification of unanticipated costs; collection of data to be used for performance prediction research; training of local tradesmen in relevant construction practices;and providing graduate and undergraduate education opportunities