The experiments detailed in this thesis give necessary preliminary information for analyzing the theoretical potential of direct exhaust pulse energy harvesting through expander devices. A detailed review of pertinent literature determined that there has been little specific focus on directly converting exhaust pulse energy into useful power. Crank position resolved exhaust pressure was measured as engine load and speed were varied to quantify their influences. Potential theoretical improvements average a 15.6% increase in overall fuel conversion efficiencies while indicated power can potentially be increased by an average of 14.3% for the operating conditions tested. A potential increase of up to 20% in indicated specific fuel consumption was shown. With increasing regulations on combustion engine efficiencies, emissions, and fuel requirements, the ability to reduce waste energy through improving existing waste energy recovery (WER) technologies and proposing novel WER strategies that maximize WER have the potential to be extremely valuable.

No description available.

High energy consumption in conventional wastewater treatment contributes to a large amount of greenhouse emissions and causes environmental problems such as acid rain and climate change. Many technologies, microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), electrodialysis (ED), and anaerobic digestion (AD), were developed to make wastewater treatment more efficient and economical. This thesis investigated novel MECs and ED to decrease energy consumption in wastewater treatment and recover resources from wastewater. In addition, inhibition of ammonia and acetic acid on high-solid AD was examined in this research. The multi-electrode stack design was applied in MECs to treat municipal wastewater. Rapid organic removal and minimized biosolids production were observed in the stacked MECs. In addition to municipal wastewater treatment, MECs can also recover/remove heavy metals from industrial wastewater. Various removal/recovery mechanisms of toxic heavy metals were discussed in this thesis. ED with bipolar membranes (BPMs) was examined to produce high-purity ammonium sulfate from real wastewater steams. This examination indicates valuable nutrients resources (e.g., ammonium sulfate) can be recovered from wastewater and used as land fertilizers for food production. Membrane scaling problems were also evaluated in ED systems since the formation of inorganic scalants can affect the efficiency of nutrients recovery significantly. In addition, the inhibition of ammonia and acetic acid on AD performance was incorporated in a modified anaerobic digestion model (ADM) for reliable simulation of individual biological reactions in high-solid AD. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by developing wastewater treatment technologies with less energy consumption and biosolids production. The reduction of energy consumption and biosolids production can reduce fossil fuel combustion and waste disposal. Resources, such as ammonia and heavy metals, can be recovered and reused by using the investigatory technologies. Therefore, with these developed technologies, wastewater treatment meets the goal of sustainable development and helps to establish a new green circular economy. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / High energy consumption is a main challenge in wastewater treatment. However, a large amount of energy in wastewater can be recovered and reused. The recovery of energy from wastewater can reduce energy costs, save resources, and protect the environment. This research aims to develop novel wastewater treatment technologies to save energy by recovering nutrients and producing biogas from wastewater. Bioelectrochemical systems are used to produce hydrogen gas and recover heavy metals from municipal or industrial wastewater. Electrodialysis systems are applied in ammonia recovery and fertilizer production. Anaerobic digestion systems are employed to produce methane gas as a renewable energy source from wasted sludge. These technologies reduce energy consumption in wastewater treatment and help to establish a new green circular economy for resource recovery.

The unquestionable human reliance on the natural world throughout history has reinforced the intuition of the human affinity for nature and the notion that human physical, psychological and even moral well being is largely dependent on experiencing a diverse and healthy natural environment. This connection has ultimately influenced the decisions we have made thus far to endure as a species and has resulted in tremendous changes to both our natural and physical framework. This thesis focuses on creating an interconnection between life, nature and the built environment to create architecture that enriches our daily lives through the use of Biophilic Design. The primary goal is to create a Veteran Rehabilitation Center in Rochester, New York where war veterans will be provided with a facility harnessing the essential characteristics necessary for a smoother transition back to their once traditional lifestyles. Occupants of this built environment will be inspired, invigorated and comforted by their surroundings and provided with an innovative soothing ambiance to reflect from the traumatizing effects of war.

No / Comparison of optimal operation between conventional batch reactive distillation column (CBRD) and middle-vessel batch reactive column (MVBRD) for the production of lactic acid via hydrolysis of methyl lactate has not been considered in the past. Therefore, it is the main focus in this work. A dynamic optimization problem incorporating a process model is formulated to minimize the batch time subject to constraints on the amount and purity of lactic acid. Control variables (reflux ratio or/and a reboil ratio) are treated as a piecewise constant. Optimization results indicate that MVBRD is more effective than CBRD in terms of saving in batch time which can be as high as of 20 %.

No description available.

This thesis explores the mental, physical, and emotional healing benefits of nature and the built environment to oneself. Strategically located across from downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, along the Cape Fear River, the site serves as a social and active place that promotes engagement with the natural surroundings while healing the individual. The addiction crisis in the United States is deadlier than ever. The number of overdoses, hospitalizations, and relapses is at an all-time high. Rehabilitation centers, sober housing, and transitional living programs are failing to provide the mental and physical stabilities in which patients wish for in sobriety. Most rehabilitation centers in the country create an isolated environment in which patients primarily focus on detox and therapy while being disconnected from societal engagements for weeks or months on end. Mental well-being is a prominent cornerstone of those institutions, but what about incorporating education, life, and building career proficiencies? According to the SAMHSA, "work is one of the best predictors of positive outcomes for individuals with a substance abuse disorder." Wilmington is one of the strongest addiction recovery communities in the southern region. Unfortunately, as a result, Wilmington thus faces a higher rate of drug and alcohol relapses. By providing educational resources and career-building programs, recovering addicts are better equipped to reengage in society while finding purpose in sobriety. This thesis creates spaces for recovering addicts with programs that promote healing and provide education within a nurturing atmosphere to create a foundation for one's journey to sobriety. Natural lighting, ventilation, materiality, vegetation, and views of the landscape engage the mind and body by activating the five senses: the auditory, visual, olfactory, somatosensory, and gustatory. Winding, natural pathways on the ground create an intimate and direct interaction with the landscape, whereas the elevated pathways above the landscape create a dynamic and social interaction with the surrounding trees and nearby pedestrians throughout the calendar year. The design creates a therapeutic community that accommodates the social, educational, or therapeutic needs of each individual resident. A transitional living development focused on being a place of learning, growing, and recovering in Wilmington generates a stronger sense of community between the recovering addicts and the city. My thesis focuses on the master plan development of the site, as well as developing the boathouse and boat building facility, where individuals learn the process of building and restoring boats. This boathouse is a safe space for collaboration and creativity; therefore, offering the tools used to exercise one's mind and body while contributing to Wilmington's historic boating destination. The boathouse is one facet of the overall master plan, providing a foundation to reconnect with the environment, engage the five senses, and find purpose beyond sobriety. / Master of Architecture / This thesis explores the mental, physical, and emotional healing benefits of nature and the built environment to oneself. Strategically located across from downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, along the Cape Fear River, the site serves as a social and active place that promotes engagement with the natural surroundings while healing the individual. The addiction crisis in the United States is deadlier than ever. The number of overdoses, hospitalizations, and relapses is at an all-time high. Rehabilitation centers, sober housing, and transitional living programs are failing to provide the mental and physical stabilities in which patients wish for in sobriety. Most rehabilitation centers in the country create an isolated environment in which patients primarily focus on detox and therapy while being disconnected from societal engagements for weeks or months on end. Mental well-being is a prominent cornerstone of those institutions, but what about incorporating education, life, and building career proficiencies? According to the SAMHSA, "work is one of the best predictors of positive outcomes for individuals with a substance abuse disorder." Wilmington is one of the strongest addiction recovery communities in the southern region. Unfortunately, as a result, Wilmington thus faces a higher rate of drug and alcohol relapses. By providing educational resources and career-building programs, recovering addicts are better equipped to reengage in society while finding purpose in sobriety. A transitional living development focused on being a place of learning, growing, and recovering in Wilmington generates a stronger sense of community between the recovering addicts and the city. The design creates a therapeutic community that accommodates the social, educational, or therapeutic needs of each individual resident. My thesis focuses on the master plan development of the site, as well as developing the boathouse and boat building facility, where individuals learn the process of building and restoring boats. This boathouse is a safe space for collaboration and creativity; therefore, offering the tools used to exercise one's mind and body while contributing to Wilmington's historic boating destination. The boathouse is one facet of the overall master plan, providing a foundation to reconnect with the environment, engage the five senses, and find purpose beyond sobriety.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of falls and subsequent injury. Previous studies have shown weight loss and strength training to be beneficial to balance, but knowing which is more beneficial will allow researchers to design interventions to maximize the benefits in terms of balance and reducing risk of falls. Therefore, the purpose of the first study was to evaluate the effects of weight loss and strength training on balance recovery using a combination of laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling. Nine male subjects with BMI 30.1 to 36.9 kg/m² were released from a forward lean and attempted to recover balance using an ankle strategy. Lean angle was increased until subjects required a step or hip flexion to recover balance. The maximum lean angle, θ_max, was used as the measure of balance recovery capability. Experimental data were used as inputs to an inverted pendulum model of balance recovery. Multiple simulations were used to determine the effects of strength (maximum ankle torque and ankle torque generation rate) and weight loss on θ_max. Changes in weight and strength were linearly related to changes in θ_max. A 6.6 ± 0.4% decrease in weight or 6.9 ± 0.9% increase in strength were estimated as required to improve (increase) θ_max by 1 degree. Based on these results, balance recovery using an ankle strategy can improve with either reductions in weight or increases in strength. In addition, weight loss may be a more effective intervention than strength gain at improving balance recovery capability. The purpose of the second study was to quantify changes in body segment inertial parameters (BSIPs) with weight loss. These data were needed to alter BSIPs in the first study to mimic changes with weight loss. Both before and after weight loss, magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired along the length of the body and were used to calculate segment masses, COM positions, and radii of gyration. A number of significant changes in BSIPs occurred with weight loss. / Master of Science

No description available.

Coral reefs are declining globally, calling for better ways to quantify coral health and predict resilience to future stress. The relationship between bleaching and fitness is key, as is reserve capacity to deal with physical trauma. This dissertation is an integrative study of the coral-algal symbiosis, holobiont performance under varied environmental conditions, and interactions between holobiont and environment on coral colony health and ability to recover from routine partial damage. I utilize the facultatively symbiotic, temperate coral Astrangia poculata as a natural model to explore the dynamics of colony health, performance, and the influence of environmental and nutritional stress under stable aposymbiotic and symbiotic states. Unlike most tropical hermatypic corals that rely heavily upon photosynthetic symbionts for energy, A. poculata can (1) flexibly use both heterotrophic and autotrophic nutritional pathways and (2) exist in naturally occurring, stable, and measurable aposymbiotic and symbiotic states. I begin by describing the impacts of environmentally relevant (winter, summer, and above range) temperatures on small-scale wound healing and recovery. Next, I explore the effects of nutritional and symbiotic states by comparing wound recovery, total colony health, host behavior, and symbiont performance in fed and starved colonies. Finally, I generate a novel reference transcriptome for A. poculata, and use computational approaches to characterize variation in gene expression between the symbiotic and aposymbiotic states. This analysis reveals that regardless of temperature, and with or without the potential for heterotrophic nutritional sources, a relationship with Symbiodinium enhances wound recovery and resilience to stress. Compromised healing ability and tissue cover at low temperatures suggest that in temperate stony corals, recovery and survival are more impacted by winter conditions than by exposure to high summer temperatures. Differential expression analysis revealed predictable enhancements to photosynthesis-related gene expression in symbiotic colonies. Together these results illuminate the complex interactions among symbiotic state, stress, recovery, and performance. We propose that studies like ours that examine the effects of combined stressors, as opposed to a monotonic focus on coral bleaching per se, are essential to clinical diagnosis and stewardship for coral reefs subjected to intense, cumulative human impacts.