Development and Testing of a 1:70 Scale Model Wind Turbine of the IEA Reference 15 MW Floating Offshore System

This thesis presents the development of a 1/70th scale performance-matched wind turbine intended for wind and wave basin model testing of commercially viable floating wind turbine structures based off of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind 15 MW design. The focus of this demonstration is to test active blade pitch response controls and to provide an experimental dataset for use by modelers and industry for future turbine improvements. Future research is planned to test the turbine in conjunction with an actively damping hull to test the interactions between the two control systems. Outlined in this thesis are the methods of scaling, designing, manufacturing, and testing the scale model. A discussion of the scaling methodology for aerodynamic properties of the blade at model scale Reynolds number is included, as is the Froude scaling methodology used for most other turbine properties. The performance-match target properties are met by scaling the turbine rotational speed following the Froude scaled method, and increasing the test wind speed by approximately 20%, resulting in a mismatch of the tip speed ratio (TSR) between full and model scale in order to preserve the rotor rotation speed Froude scaling, ensuring proper frequency of the turbine forces felt by the hull in comparison to the waves. Scaled mass targets for the nacelle and blades necessitated the incorporation of alternative materials such as carbon fiber and foam into the component designs to lower the weight of the system. Design of turbine components focused on the integration of all needed sensing equipment into the tower top nacelle as well as designing mechanisms to allow for individual active blade control, entirely housed in the hub. High-density foam molds were manufactured for the production of carbon fiber blades through a vacuum infusion process using a modified butterfly blade construction method designed to accommodate the size and complexity of the geometry. A process was created to align and assemble the blade flanges, foam spars, and the two-part carbon fiber skins. Additional manufacturing was done to produce and assemble parts for the nacelle and hub. Testing of the scale model turbine structural properties included blade deflection testing, dynamic inertia testing of blades, and free-decay testing of the tower\u27s natural frequency. Testing of the turbine performance was conducted in a uniform wind environment over a range of rotor speeds and blade pitches to measure the thrust and torque reactions in each case. This information was used to produce coefficient of power and coefficient of thrust curves versus the rotor tip speed ratio. Additional controller tests were performed to validate the rotor controller’s response to torque feedback in order to optimize the rotor performance in dynamic-wind environments

The Production of Marketable Vegetable Transplants Using Sustainable Locally Sourced Soilless Media Amendments

Public demand for sustainable local and organic food products has led these systems to become one of the fastest growing sectors in the agricultural food market. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for food produced using organic or sustainable practices. Local and small-scale farmers are striving to develop sustainable and in some cases USDA certified organic systems in production of vegetables and fruit. Warm season crops are commonly produced using transplants. Evaluation of nutrient availability is needed for the use of readily available local waste-streams byproducts, such as manures and composts, for amendments or fertilizers in order to manage plant fertility in vegetable transplant production. The objectives of this research were to identify optimum transplant media mixes using locally sourced amendments and evaluate optimal rates and application method for OMRI approved post-applied fish hydrolysate fertilizer in organic basil transplant production. In the first experiment fish hydrolysate (FH) 2:4:1 (N:P:K) was applied as a fertilizer source as a drench or foliar application based on nitrogen application rates of 0, 20, 40, and 80 kg N ha-1 wk-1. The second experiment evaluated vermicompost (VC) at 10, 20, and 40% and composted broiler litter (CB) at 5, 10, and 20% as amendments to a commercial germinating mix treated with or without weekly applications of FH 80 kg N ha -1 as a drench. Application rate and placement of FH affected basil transplant growth in a 38 day period. In general, FH at ≥40 kg N ha-1 wk-1 applied as a drench during basil transplant production resulted in taller plants, thicker stem diameters, and the greater biomasses compared to FH applied directly to leaves 28 days after initial treatment (DAIT). Vermicompost rates had a negligible effect on basil height, stem diameter, and total biomass compared to the control. However, weekly drench applications of FH based on nitrogen rate of 80 kg N ha -1 provided acceptable nutrition for basil growth in VC substrate combinations of 0, 10, 20 and 40% within a 38-day period. Composted broiler litter was not an effective transplant media substrate. Basil grown in the CB treatment at rates of 5 and 10 % were not different than the control and deleterious effects were observed at 20%

The common feeder cockroach Blaptica dubia shows increased transmission distance based on mode of acquisition of environmental bacteria

Although some researchers claim that cockroaches are masters of disease transmission, these claims have little to no scientific support. Most studies concerning cockroaches as a vector of disease only focus on the bacteria found on the body surface, not on whether cockroaches have actually transferred pathogenic bacteria via surface contact. We set out to determine if cockroaches would act as a mechanical vector for the transfer of the opportunistic pathogen, E. coli. Roaches were contaminated with Green fluorescent protein expressing E. coli (GFP-E.coli) broth by either walking the roach through a broth culture or by complete immersion in the culture.. We then ran the roaches down a sterile agar track and measured the length of the glowing trail. Roaches were able to transmit E.coli, but only for a continuous distance of less than 50 cm, with the occasional sporadic colony growing after that. Roaches that were immersed in bacterial broth tracked the bacterium further than those that only walked through the solution. This suggests that while cockroaches are capable of acting as a mechanical vector, they are not capable of transporting transient flora over long distances. Future studies should explore this mechanism

Variability in flowering, fruit set and yield in response to vineyard topography and pruning type in Pinot noir

Aim: This study investigates the effects of site aspect and pruning management on flowering, fruit set and yield in Pinot noir vines. Methods: Two rows of 19-year-old Pinot noir vines were selected within a commercial vineyard with south, hilltop, and north-facing aspects. Vines were either cane- or spur-pruned, retaining 20 nodes per vine. One monitoring vine was selected at each sub-plot (consisting of four vines) and used to assess days to 50% flowering, fruit set (%) and days to 50% veraison. Total soluble solids samples were taken from each sub-plot and vines were harvested separately for yield. Results/Findings: Days to 50% flowering was affected by the topographical position. Vines from south-facing plots reached 50% flowering three days earlier during 2018-19 and eight days earlier 2020-21 compared to other plots. Cane pruning advanced the flowering date by one day compared with spur pruned vines (2019-20). Fruit set (%) was affected by topography. Vines from the hilltop plots had less than 50% fruit set during 2018-19 and 2020-21 compared to south and north plots (>70% fruit set). The lower fruit set was reflected in reduced yields. Despite the delayed flowering, vines from the hilltop position reached 50% veraison four days earlier than vines from the south and north plots during 2020–21. While there were initial differences in total soluble solids (at 7 to 8 oBrix) at six topographical positions, these variations disappeared by the time the vines were ready for a commercial harvest (>20 oBrix). The type of pruning generally had little effect on fruit set, the date of véraison or soluble solids at harvest, although cane pruning resulted in a 40% increase in yield in 2019–20 when compared to spur pruning. Conclusions: Flowering, fruit set, veraison, and vine yield were affected by topography (site aspect) and pruning type had little to no effect. Vine yield was a reflection of the fruit set (%) with differences between topographical positions. Positions with delayed veraison showed delayed soluble solids accumulation but reached a similar harvest soluble solids and yield

Effects of cane-and spur-retained node numbers on the pre-flowering vegetative growth of cane-pruned Sauvignon blanc

In established vineyards, node number retention at winter pruning is the first step to achieving and maintaining vine balance. Balanced vines exhibit timely and quasi-uniform 100 percent budburst. To understand how vine capacity and balance are expressed before flowering, mature Sauvignon blanc vines were pruned according to a 5 [total node numbers on canes: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50] x 3 [total node numbers on spurs: 1, 2, 3] factorial design in one site, and in two other sites according to a 5 [total node numbers on canes: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50] x 2 [total node numbers on spurs: 1, 2] factorial design. Two spurs of one, two or three nodes each were retained on either side of the vine. The number of canes laid down per vine was one, two, three and four canes each of 10 nodes for the 10-, 20-, 30-and 40-node treatments, and four canes averaging 12.5 nodes for the 50-node treatment. The budburst percentage was calculated on the whole vine, canes, and spurs. Blind nodes, count shoots, non-count shoots and double shoots were counted and mapped along canes and spurs. Many non-count shoots were measured on the vine head of 10-node vines (29.5 ± 3.0 shoots, p < 0.001), compared to 50-node vines (2.8 ± 1.9 shoots, p < 0.001). 50-node vines had an overall budburst of 100 %, despite having the highest number of blind nodes (7.6 ± 0.3 nodes, p < 0.001). These were mainly located at the canes’ proximal sections relative to the vine head and were likely caused by correlative inhibition and primary bud necrosis. Cane budburst provided a more accurate assessment of the vine response to node loading than vine budburst. The number of double shoots was not associated with the vine node load, as they appeared on both low-node and high-node vines. Three-node spurs developed more blind nodes than one-node and two-node spurs (p < 0.001). Based on the findings of this research, we recommend a composite metric (cane percent budburst, cane blind node count and head shoot count) to assess vine capacity and balance between budburst and flowering, and the practice of retaining one-or two-node spurs at cane pruning is also justified

Masked alkynes for synthesis of threaded carbon chains

Polyynes are chains of sp1 carbon atoms with alternating single and triple bonds. As they become longer, they evolve towards carbyne, the 1D allotrope of carbon, and they become increasingly unstable. It has been anticipated that long polyynes could be stabilized by supramolecular encapsulation, by threading them through macrocycles to form polyrotaxanes—but, until now, polyyne polyrotaxanes with many threaded macrocycles have been synthetically inaccessible. Here we show that masked alkynes, in which the C≡C triple bond is temporarily coordinated to cobalt, can be used to synthesize polyrotaxanes, up to the C68 [5]rotaxane with 34 contiguous triple bonds and four threaded macrocycles. This is the length regime at which the electronic properties of polyynes converge to those of carbyne. Cyclocarbons constitute a related family of molecular carbon allotropes, and cobalt-masked alkynes also provide a route to [3]catenanes and [5]catenanes built around cobalt complexes of cyclo[40]carbon and cyclo[80]carbon, respectively

Clover Care: Website and E-Marketing Development

Clover Care is a geographically diverse company with both caregivers and clients spread across multiple counties. Efficient resource management and communication is critical for such a broadly distributed company. Clover Care also expects to continue expanding its geographical service area, making a solution even more critical. Clover Care was interested in updating and expanding their existing website to address this need. The centralization provided by using a website allows caregivers, clients and their families, and managers a way to quickly and effectively communicate. The primary Clover Care forms that were to be centralized included the caregiver timesheet, client case management form, and client invoice. Four distinct roles were identified as needing access to information: Caregiver, Client, Case Manager, and Administrator. Administrators required read and write capabilities for all objects. Case Managers required read capability for Caregiver timesheets and users, and write capability for case management forms. Caregivers required write capability for timesheets. Clients required read capability for timesheets, case management forms, and invoices. Access to the secure forms was provided using a central logon page. Users were then taken to a dashboard that allowed them access to forms based on the user’s role. The user would then read from and/or write to a form based on the permissions associated with their role. The website interface was developed using the PrimeFaces JSF library. Back-end functionality and security was provided using Spring and Hibernate. MySQL was used to store forms and user information for the purposes of development. This website is expected to be hosted using an Amazon hosting service (AWS), using their database service. Once the web site is publicly hosted on AWS, statistics gathering and analysis will be performed to assist Clover Care in focusing on the geographical locations with the most usage. Our goal is to find an effective e-marketing strategy to increase the visibility of Clovercare in targeted geographical areas.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1022/thumbnail.jp