Biomass is an attractive renewable energy resource for electricity generation, which has the potential to protect air quality, reduce dependence on fossil fuel, and improve forest health. Biomass gasification is a technology that transfers solid or liquid biomass into gaseous energy carrier (syngas) to increase the efficiency of electricity generation. The objective of this thesis is to supply a detailed feasibility study and provide a state-of-the-art economical pathway on biomass gasification application. The work of this dissertation can be separated into two parts: commercial-scale biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) power plants comparison and other biomass gasification system design. The first part compares eight BIGCC systems with three groups of technology variations of gasification agent, syngas combustion method, and CO2 capture and storage. By comparing on performance, economic, and environmental indicators of these systems, it is found that BIGCC systems have higher exergy efficiency and lower emissions than biomass combustion electricity production system and electricity grid. However, its levelized cost of electricity is around 27% higher than the average electricity market price. To reduce the BIGCC system’s cost, in the second part of this thesis, the potential for waste material gasification has been discussed. This part discussed the tire gasification and the gasification technology application for avian influenza poultry management. Results showed that tire gasification has a lower cost than natural gas which has the potential to reduce the BIGCC system’s cost. Moreover, gasification is an effective and economical available approach for avian influenza poultry management.

Objectives of this research were (1) to describe fee hunting as it is currently practiced in Utah and (2) to assess the adequacy of fee hunting efforts in addressing the problems of wildlife habitat and hunter access on private land. To collect information, Utah landowners who charged for deer (Odocoileus hemionus) or elk (Cervus elaphus) hunting in 1986 were surveyed by telephone and mail. Compared to the average Utah livestock rancher, those involved in fee hunting have larger livestock operations and have owned their property longer. They are Utah natives. Fee hunting is concentrated in northern Utah where foothill and mountain rangelands are privately owned. There is great diversity in the way fee hunting is organized and managed. Hunting opportunities sold by lease usually include few services and require hunters to post and patrol the property. Hunts sold by permit may include more services and be personally managed by the rancher. In general, fee hunting in Utah is differentiated from public land hunting by the availability of more acres per hunter rather than by special services or trophy animals. Fee hunting serves mostly resident hunters. Average net annual cash income is $6587, or $0.66 per acre. The most common expenses incurred are for road and facility (fence, campsite) maintenance and vehicle costs. Highest expenses are those associated with providing services. Landowners initiated fee hunting in order to gain control over trespassing and cover the costs of having hunters on their property. Most do not buy liability insurance. Fee hunting is expanding the number and types of hunting opportunities and is meeting the needs of landowners to minimize costs of trespassing and hunters. However, fee hunting is not stimulating investments in wildlife habitat improvement. Because of intermingling landownerships and the migratory nature of deer and elk in Utah, investments in wildlife habitat or management have an uncertain return. It is unlikely that fee hunting can provide adequate incentives for improving wildlife habitat without substantial policy changes to enhance the ability of landowners to capture a return on such investments.

In the Australian wine industry, cold stabilisation is a widely used industrial process to prevent tartrate instability in bottled wines. This process involves cooling the wine close to its freezing point for extended periods, thereby inducing tartrate precipitation. However, it has several important disadvantages. Consequently, alternative methods to cold stabilisation have been developed. This includes electrodialysis, nanofiltration and contact processes. In this study, current knowledge regarding performance and cost of cold stabilisation and alternative technologies for tartrate stabilisation is reviewed. Whilst there have been occasional cost comparisons between cold stabilisation and alternative technologies, existing data is not suitable for properly evaluating the relative economics of the different process options. Therefore, alternative technologies to cold stabilisation, including the Westfalia process, nanofiltration and electrodialysis were compared for both technical and economic performance. Berri Estates Winery was used as the basis for engineering calculations and conceptual cost estimates. This is the first time that such a comprehensive evaluation has been undertaken of a broad range of alternative technologies for tartrate stabilisation during wine production. Product loss was a key cost driver in differentiating tartrate stabilisation processes. Cold stabilisation was found to be the most economic treatment process irrespective of scale or winery size. The Westfalia process and nanofiltration were the next most cost effective options. Data for economic evaluation and environmental assessment were summarised in a survey form that was circulated to technical experts from Hardy Wine Company, the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) and the University of Adelaide. The purpose of the survey was to obtain the experts’ opinions on the merits of the alternative technologies. The results of this survey were used for comparison between current cold stabilisation and alternative technologies, by performing multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). This represents an original application of MCDA techniques to decision making in the wine industry. The MCDA analysis identified a strong preference by experts for nanofiltration combined with centrifugation as an alternative to cold stabilisation. As a consequence, laboratory investigations and field testing of nanofiltration were conducted to obtain new and practical information which was not presently available and relevant to understanding and implementing this process for tartrate stabilisation of wine. The laboratory experiments were performed with a range of membranes and tartrate unstable wines (i.e. Semillon, Colombard and Shiraz) using a purpose-designed laboratory-scale continuously-stirred batch-test membrane cell. The results showed that a range of commercial nanofiltration membranes with a nominal molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) between 200 and 500 Daltons (Da) were able to achieve tartrate stabilisation of all wines tested. This was achieved at moderate pressures less than 20 bar with a recovery of at least 50 %. It was also observed that seeding of wine following nanofiltration might reduce the holding time required to achieve stability and also enable reductions in the recovery rate to values of less than 50 %. The field testing was performed at Berri Estates Winery in the Riverland region of South Australia. The testing was performed using an existing commercial membrane system. This membrane system was already used for juice/wine concentration. The nanofiltration membranes had a nominal MWCO of 300 Da. The testing was conducted on Colombard and Shiraz wines. The field tests confirmed that nanofiltration could successfully tartrate stabilise Colombard and Shiraz wines at recoveries of 50 %; without seeding; within relatively short holding periods of less than four hours; and at flux rates between 5 and 10 L/m²/h. Crystallisation kinetics were also studied. At low recovery, the crystallisation was initially controlled by diffusion step, then surface integration. However, at high recovery, the crystallisation was controlled solely by surface integration. Sensory testing (by duo-trio difference tests) produced adverse sensory outcomes when compared with treatment of the same wines by cold stabilisation. Unfortunately, it could not be established whether this problem was inherent to the process or arose from unrelated factors. Setting aside the adverse sensory result, this is the first time that technical feasibility of nanofiltration for tartrate stabilisation has been successfully demonstrated. Further field testing and sensory evaluation of nano-filtered wines should be carried out to verify the effect of nanofiltration on wines. If the process is successful and favourable, the process design for implementation of a production scale nanofiltration for tartrate stabilisation should then be optimised. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1292872 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Chemical Engineering, 2007.

In the Australian wine industry, cold stabilisation is a widely used industrial process to prevent tartrate instability in bottled wines. This process involves cooling the wine close to its freezing point for extended periods, thereby inducing tartrate precipitation. However, it has several important disadvantages. Consequently, alternative methods to cold stabilisation have been developed. This includes electrodialysis, nanofiltration and contact processes. In this study, current knowledge regarding performance and cost of cold stabilisation and alternative technologies for tartrate stabilisation is reviewed. Whilst there have been occasional cost comparisons between cold stabilisation and alternative technologies, existing data is not suitable for properly evaluating the relative economics of the different process options. Therefore, alternative technologies to cold stabilisation, including the Westfalia process, nanofiltration and electrodialysis were compared for both technical and economic performance. Berri Estates Winery was used as the basis for engineering calculations and conceptual cost estimates. This is the first time that such a comprehensive evaluation has been undertaken of a broad range of alternative technologies for tartrate stabilisation during wine production. Product loss was a key cost driver in differentiating tartrate stabilisation processes. Cold stabilisation was found to be the most economic treatment process irrespective of scale or winery size. The Westfalia process and nanofiltration were the next most cost effective options. Data for economic evaluation and environmental assessment were summarised in a survey form that was circulated to technical experts from Hardy Wine Company, the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) and the University of Adelaide. The purpose of the survey was to obtain the experts’ opinions on the merits of the alternative technologies. The results of this survey were used for comparison between current cold stabilisation and alternative technologies, by performing multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). This represents an original application of MCDA techniques to decision making in the wine industry. The MCDA analysis identified a strong preference by experts for nanofiltration combined with centrifugation as an alternative to cold stabilisation. As a consequence, laboratory investigations and field testing of nanofiltration were conducted to obtain new and practical information which was not presently available and relevant to understanding and implementing this process for tartrate stabilisation of wine. The laboratory experiments were performed with a range of membranes and tartrate unstable wines (i.e. Semillon, Colombard and Shiraz) using a purpose-designed laboratory-scale continuously-stirred batch-test membrane cell. The results showed that a range of commercial nanofiltration membranes with a nominal molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) between 200 and 500 Daltons (Da) were able to achieve tartrate stabilisation of all wines tested. This was achieved at moderate pressures less than 20 bar with a recovery of at least 50 %. It was also observed that seeding of wine following nanofiltration might reduce the holding time required to achieve stability and also enable reductions in the recovery rate to values of less than 50 %. The field testing was performed at Berri Estates Winery in the Riverland region of South Australia. The testing was performed using an existing commercial membrane system. This membrane system was already used for juice/wine concentration. The nanofiltration membranes had a nominal MWCO of 300 Da. The testing was conducted on Colombard and Shiraz wines. The field tests confirmed that nanofiltration could successfully tartrate stabilise Colombard and Shiraz wines at recoveries of 50 %; without seeding; within relatively short holding periods of less than four hours; and at flux rates between 5 and 10 L/m²/h. Crystallisation kinetics were also studied. At low recovery, the crystallisation was initially controlled by diffusion step, then surface integration. However, at high recovery, the crystallisation was controlled solely by surface integration. Sensory testing (by duo-trio difference tests) produced adverse sensory outcomes when compared with treatment of the same wines by cold stabilisation. Unfortunately, it could not be established whether this problem was inherent to the process or arose from unrelated factors. Setting aside the adverse sensory result, this is the first time that technical feasibility of nanofiltration for tartrate stabilisation has been successfully demonstrated. Further field testing and sensory evaluation of nano-filtered wines should be carried out to verify the effect of nanofiltration on wines. If the process is successful and favourable, the process design for implementation of a production scale nanofiltration for tartrate stabilisation should then be optimised. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1292872 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Chemical Engineering, 2007.

Due to the economic and social growth of Turkey, there is a rapid increase in energy demand. Turkey does not have sufficient natural gas and petroleum reserves / however, it has large hydropower potential. Hydropower is the most widely used form of renewable energy. To generate electricity between elevations 1500 m and 450 m on Balkusan Creek, General Directorate of Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration (EIEI) conducted a feasibility study for a hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) composed of a rock-fill dam in 1999. In 2009, this formulation was not only revised but also constructed by Hidromark Company. The Hidromark-formulation consists of a roller compacted concrete dam and two diversion weirs. The aim of this study is to find a more beneficial alternative to the previous formulations. In order to avoid dam body and expropriation costs the Alternative-formulation composed of a run-of-river HEPP is developed. In the economic analysis, HEPPs are assumed to have two equal sized turbines and net benefits of different formulations are compared. Additionally, energy generation calculations are carried out for two turbines with different installed capacities only for the Alternative-formulation in order to investigate impact of turbine size on energy generation.

<p>The Baltic Sea is the one of the most studied seas area in the world and it is severely affected by human activities where eutrophication is the overall environmental problem. Although there is an international agreement that nutrient input to the Baltic should be reduced, the measures taken so far have not resulted in major reductions in nutrient inputs nor in environmental improvements. Sewage reduction is the most important factor for transparency improvement of the Baltic Proper and wetland restoration and change of N spreading time have no effective role in this aspect. Within the Baltic area, establishment of sewage treatment technology in Russia and Poland is more cost-effective than it would be in Sweden. Without this measure transparency improvement would be expensive. In Sweden NOx reduction is most cost-effective measure for transparency improvement in the Baltic Proper and without this measure the total cost would be ~ 58.5 million euro.</p>

Diss. Göteborg : Göteborgs universitet, 2007.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2008. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Today agriculture sector has a big contribution to the development of economy for many countries. Irrigation is a method which supplies amount of water required in proper time to the cropped land and contributes to the increases of agriculture productivity. Using diesel pump to deliver water to the place of use causes problems both in terms of profitability and environmental perspectives. Higher price of diesel increases operation costs of diesel water pumping system thereby reducing the incomes. In addition the use of diesel pump emits a huge amount of CO2 emissions which cause global warming. A possible solution to those problems is to use solar energy, a source of energy which is environmental friend and available for free. The main target of this thesis is to design and optimize a cost effective PVWPs considering three alternatives with tank storage, battery storage and a system without storages medium. The two areas in Eastern province of Rwanda were taken as case study to grow coffee and cassava with five hectares each. To run simulations, different tools have been used. Those includes CROPWAT to determine water requirements for two crops; MS Excel to design a PVWPs directly connected to irrigation system, make economic analysis, evaluate CO2 emissions and calculate other parameters. Furthermore in PVsyst software the design and simulation for PVWPs with storages medium has been carried out.  Results showed that using PVWPs directly connected to irrigation system is the most profitable way when compared to the rest two alternatives.  They also showed that systems designed to irrigate coffee becomes the most profitable due to huge amount of electricity surplus and higher price per kilogram of coffee. Finally fully replacement of DWPs results in annual reduction of CO2 emissions by 6.6 tonnes. Keywords: Photovoltaic system, storages medium, pumping system, economic analysis, reduction in CO2 emissions.

Texas House Bill 790 resulted in the expansion of the newborn screening panel from 7 to 27 disorders. The long-term economic implications of this expansion have not been studied. The objective of this study was to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of the expanded newborn screening program compared to the previous standard screening in Texas. A Markov model (for a hypothetical cohort of Texas births in 2007) was constructed to compare life-time costs and QALYs between the expanded newborn screening and pre-expansion newborn screening. Estimates of costs, probabilities of sequelae, and utilities for disorder categories were obtained from Texas statistics, the literature, and expert opinion. A baseline discount rate of 3% was used for both costs and QALYs, with a range of 0% to 5%. Analyses were conducted from a payer's perspective, so only direct medical cost estimates were included. The life-time incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for expanded versus pre-expansion screening was about $12,000/QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis using key variables showed that results ranged from about $9,500 to $13,000 /QALY. This range is well below the commonly cited willingness to pay threshold of $50,000/QALY. Therefore, expanded newborn screening results in additional expense to the payer but also improves patient outcomes by preventing avoidable morbidity and mortality. The screened population benefits from greater QALYs as compared to the unscreened population. Overall, expanded newborn screening in Texas was estimated to be a cost-effective option as compared to unexpanded newborn screening. / text