Evaluation of the performance of granular fertilizer boom sprayer through computational fluid-particles-dynamid CFD simulation and scaled-down model analysis

Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) had bought two Japanese made granular fertilizer boom sprayers to test it on Malaysia’s Paddy field. In order to confirm the local feasibility of this fertilizer applicator, they had called UTHM researchers for proper experimental and numerical evaluations. A year of experimental assessments, the conclusion was supported with full range of numerical results and has a good agreement with MARDI’s findings. In this evaluation, ANSYS CFD was used for the fluid-particles-structure simulation while the statistical and image processing were made via MATLAB software. The simulation results were verified with the results from an in-house scaled-down model which was fabricated with the ratio of 2:15. The simulation was carried out by manipulating the angles of the boom sprayer collecting plates, ranging from 32o to 120o. The length of the collecting plate, the distance of the blow head, the sizes of the fertilizer and the air velocity of the blower were also varied in order to establish the correlations between the parameters. The ambient pressure was kept at 1 atm. Even though we managed to find 60o as the optimum collecting plate angle for most fertilizer sizes, there are two major factors that made it impossible to obtain good fertilizer distribution namely; the use of mixture of three different fertilizer (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) sizes at once and the varying velocity profiles throughout the boom sprayer

Lamprey and Oyster River Watersheds River Stewardship Program

This project was designed for riverfront landowners and local land use decisionmakers to fill a critical gap in shoreland protection: land management by individual riparian landowners. By working directly with individuals in a hands-on venue, we intended to build a more informed public, knowledgeable about the value of riparian buffers. A better appreciation of the value of buffers not only improves stewardship of individual properties, but also is likely to inspire stronger support for regulatory approaches to shoreland protection. The project addressed several NHEP goals. The approach was to hold a series of public workshops, lead by specialists in water quality, nonpoint source pollution, and wildlife/ecology. One general, evening workshop designed to “set the stage” was followed by workshops held at specific types of riverfront land: urban, rural, forested, and agricultural. Due to the similarity of issues and low interest in urban lots, the urban and rural workshops were combined. Workshop participants received stewardship workbooks with general information and information specific to their type of property (urban/rural, forested, or agricultural)

“Putting Money Where My Mouth Is”: Motivations and Experiences among Food Co-op Members

Of the variety of alternative grocery stores that offer natural, organic, local, and health foods in the United States, food co-ops are one of the more unique business models for alternative foods. Unlike traditional retailers, they are collectively owned and democratically operated. Prices tend to be higher in co-ops because they carry high-quality foods that are generally fresh, locally sourced, or artisanal in nature. What motivates people to join co-ops and spend more money for their membership and foods compared to other stores? This article provides ethnographic and interview data with member-owners at a relatively new co-op in South Bend, Indiana. Eighteen students enrolled in an Undergraduate Qualitative Research Methods class in the spring semester of 2017 spent two months as participant observers at a co-op and collaboratively conducted 45 semistructured interviews with its member-owners. Several noneconomic issues factored prominently in the member-owners’ decisions to invest in the co-op. The majority viewed their decision to join the co-op and shop there out of a sense of responsibility for the economy and environment in their region, and to participate in and strengthen the community

Measurement and analysis of water/oil multiphase flow using electrical capacitance tomography sensor

The paper investigates the capability of using a portable 16-segmented Electrical Capacitance Tomo-graphy (ECT) sensor and a new excitation technique to measure the concentration profile of water/oil multiphase flow. The concentration profile obtained from the capacitance measurements is capable of providing images of the water and oil flow in the pipeline. The visualization results deliver information regarding the flow regime and concentration distribution of the multiphase flow. The information is able to help in designing process equipment and verifying the existing computational modeling and simu-lation techniques

Van Buren Riverfront Metamorphosis: The Development of Space

Waterfronts have played an important role in the settlement of North America. Not only did waterfronts provide protection and security to newly forming settlements, but these waterways also provided the opportunity for trade while acting as a major hub of activity and social interaction. Ironically, the waterfront that was the genesis of the city was often neglected after the introduction of the steamboat and the railroad as well as industrial advancements. Polluted and neglected, riverfronts of the cities were in disrepair. Not until the past few decades have larger cities revisited their waterfronts and realized the amenity that lies at the edge. Van Buren, Arkansas, though not a big city, struggles with the same abandonment of its industrial foundation. The Arkansas River with its origin in Leadville, Colorado, has created a riverfront for the city of Van Buren as well as a historic Main Street. As in many other places, the city has turned its back on the potential of Van Buren\u27s riverfront. The industrial facets of a poultry plant, railroad lines, and a ten-foot high levee wall segregate the city from the riverfront. The metamorphosis of the Van Buren Riverfront involves creating a mixed-use riverfront development that not only provides opportunities for growth but also serves as an icon for the city. By acknowledging the existing site conditions and respecting the industrial character therein, VanBuren can reclaim the riverfront area as a vibrant edge

Measurement and analysis of water/oil multiphase flow using electrical capacitance tomography sensor

The paper investigates the capability of using a portable 16-segmented Electrical Capacitance Tomo-graphy (ECT) sensor and a new excitation technique to measure the concentration profile of water/oil multiphase flow. The concentration profile obtained from the capacitance measurements is capable of providing images of the water and oil flow in the pipeline. The visualization results deliver information regarding the flow regime and concentration distribution of the multiphase flow. The information is able to help in designing process equipment and verifying the existing computational modeling and simu-lation techniques

Preparation and characterisation of inexpensive porous kaolin hollow fibre as ceramic membrane supports for gas separation application

Low-cost, porous ceramic kaolin-based hollow fibre membrane support (HFMS) for gas separation application was developed via phase inversion technique. The ceramic suspensions with various ratios of kaolin to polyethersulfone (PESf) binder (5:1 to 9:1) were extruded and then sintered at 1200 to 1500 °C. The HFMSs were characterised by several analyses to investigate the effects of kaolin/PESf ratio and sintering temperature on the sample properties. The results showed that the kaolin/PES ratio and sintering temperature affected the considerable structure and physical properties of the kaolin membrane. It is observed that with increasing sintering temperature, the porosity and gas permeation of the HFMS decreased, while the bending strength and density of the HFMS increased. As a result, a porous HFMS with sufficient mechanical strength and high gas permeation characteristics is achievable if the appropriate kaolin/PESf ratio and sintering temperature are chosen

Alton comes to grip with industrial decline

Illinois ; Federal Reserve District, 8th ; Economic development

Reclaiming Brownfields: A Primer for Municipalities

This resource provides information about brownfields redevelopment targeted to municipal planners and decision-makers. The primer defines brownfields, identifies benefits and barriers involved in brownfield redevelopment, discusses related issues such as green building and equitable development, and describes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and federal brownfields funding and technical assistance resources. The primer is organized within a folder. The folder also contains case studies of brownfield redevelopment projects from the region, as well as two previously-published DVRPC resources on brownfields: the Brownfields Resource Guide: Funding and Technical Assistance for Remediation and Reuse (publication number 07052) and Municipal Implementation Tool #10: Reclaiming Brownfields

Lamprey watershed education and outreach

The Lamprey River Nomination Committee sought the assistance of the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) to complete an extensive and detailed information package to nominate the Lamprey River and its major tributaries to the NH Rivers Management and Protection Program. The nomination package was due at DES on June 1, 2010, was reviewed and accepted by the State Rivers Management Committee in September and forwarded to the Commissioner of DES. The nomination is now working through the NH legislature with hearings anticipated during the spring 2011 session. If passed, the bill should be signed by Governor Lynch in July of 2011. Assistance from PREP was essential for the completion of a major outreach effort to landowners along the rivers under consideration, communication with each town selec tboard, planning board and conservation commission, and with many partners and organizations throughout the watershe