ABSTRACT Visibility degradation has become one of the major problems of public concern in Kaohsiung City as well as in most of the urban areas of Taiwan in recent years due to the increasing severity of smog. This study investigated the different aspects of atmospheric visibility degradation problems in metro Kaohsiung. First of all, both the long-term and short-term variation trends of atmospheric visibility were interpreted by analyzing the past data of prevailing visibility. Secondly, the correlation of atmospheric visibility with its major causative factors (i.e. meteorological and pollutant parameters) was established. Thirdly, the relationship between visibility degradation and aerosol mass/composition was derived by using multiple linear regression techniques based on in-situ field measurements of ambient aerosols and light extinction coefficient. Finally, the effective strategies for improving the visual air quality of metro Kaohsiung were proposed based on the results of the receptor-oriented modeling. In metro Kaohsiung, the seasonal variation of atmospheric visibility from the highest to the lowest were found to be in the sequence of summer, spring, autumn and winter, with mean values of 9.1, 8.2, 5.4, and 3.4 km, respectively. A diurnal variation of visibility was observed and showed that the visibility was generally lower in the morning and higher in the afternoon. A mass light scattering efficiency of 3.6 m2 g-1 for PM2.5 and a much lower value (0.3 m2 g-1) for PM2.5-10 indicated that the visible light was mainly scattered by the fine aerosol particles. The derived multiple linear regression model of light scattering coefficient yielded the mass scattering efficiencies of 4.6 m2 g-1 for (NH4)2SO4, 6.7 m2 g-1 for NH4NO3, 3.3 m2 g-1 for total carbon, and 3.2 m2 g-1 for PM2.5-remainder with an R2 of 0.97. On average, the percentage contributions of the visibility-degrading species to the light scattering coefficient were 29% for sulfates, 28% for nitrates, 22% for total carbon, and 21% for PM2.5-remainder, respectively. Furthermore, the major component of light extinction coefficient (bext) was the scattering of light by particles (75% of bext), followed by the absorption of light by particles (20%), while the remaining 5% of bext was attributed to gases. An empirical regression model of visibility based on sulfates, nitrates, PM2.5-remainder, and relative humidity was developed. The results showed that the variation of sulfate in PM2.5 aerosols was most sensitive to visibility change among the parameters. In terms of visibility degradation sources, source apportionment results indicated that the major contributors to fine particles were motor vehicle exhaust and secondary aerosols, which contributed more than half of the visibility degradation in metro Kaohsiung. Meanwhile, the second largest contributor was secondary aerosols containing ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. Additionally, the contribution of soil dust increased markedly from normally only 4% to 25%, owing to an impact of continental dust storm from Mainland China. The results strongly indicated that soil dust blown from the desert areas of Northern China could be transported across the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea and evidently deposited in metro Kaohsiung. Results of the correlation analysis between atmospheric visibility and emission sources revealed a similarity between the source contribution pattern for visibility impairment and the source apportionment of fine particles. It showed ammonium sulfate contributed approximately 46% of the logarithm of atmospheric visibility, while the ¡§remainders¡¨, ammonium nitrate, and elemental carbons contributed about 20%, 17%, and 17%, respectively. Accordingly, this study concluded that the most effective strategy for improving atmospheric visibility in metro Kaohsiung was to prevent the formation of secondary fine particles containing ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate.

A new mineralogical approach is introduced to predict aggregate and concrete coefficient of thermal expansion (CoTE). Basically, a modeling approach is suggested based on the assumption that the CoTE of aggregate and concrete can be predicted from the CoTE of their constituent components. Volume percentage, CoTE and elastic modulus of each constituent mineral phase are considered as input for the aggregate CoTE model, whereas the same properties for coarse aggregate and mortar are considered for the concrete CoTE model. Methods have been formulated to calculate the mineral volume percentage from bulk chemical analysis for different type of rocks commonly used as aggregates in Texas. The dilatometer testing method has been established to measure the CoTE of aggregate, pure minerals, and concrete. Calculated aggregate CoTE, based on the determined CoTE of pure minerals and their respective calculated volume percentages, shows a good resemblance with the measured aggregate CoTE by dilatometer. Similarly, predicted concrete CoTE, based on the calculated CoTE of aggregate and mortar and their respective volume percentages compares well with the measured concrete CoTE by dilatometer. Such a favorable comparison between predicted and measured CoTE provided a basis to establish the composite model to predict aggregate and concrete CoTE. Composite modeling will be useful to serve as a check of aggregate source variability in terms of quality control measures and improved design and quality control measures of concrete.

No description available.

Revised; Originally published: 2009 / 2 pp. / This publication discusses water use in cauliflower production in Arizona.

Revised; Originally published: 2009 / 2 pp. / The publication discusses water use in carrot production in Arizona.

ACI Committee 544's repeated drop-weight impact test for concrete is often criticized for large variations within the results. This paper identifies the sources of these large variations and accordingly suggests modifications to the ACI test. The proposed modifications were evaluated and compared to the current ACI test by conducting impact resistance tests on 40 specimens from two batches of polypropylene fiber-reinforced concrete (PPFRC). The results obtained from both methods were statistically analyzed and compared. The variations in the results were investigated within the same batch and between different batches of concrete. The impact resistance of PPFRC specimens tested with the current ACI test exhibited large coefficients of variation (COV) of 58.6% and 50.2% for the first-crack and the ultimate impact resistance, respectively. The corresponding COV for PPFRC specimens tested according to the modified technique were 39.4% and 35.2%, indicating that the reliability of the results was significantly improved. It has been shown that, using the current ACI test, the minimum number of replications needed per each concrete mixture to obtain an error below 10% was 41 compared to 20 specimens for the modified test. Although such a large number of specimens is not good enough for practical and economical reasons, the reduction presents a good step on the development of a standard impact test.

Non-equilibrium boundary conditions based upon kinetic theory and linear irreversible thermodynamics are applied to the interface kinetics in vapor crystal growth of unitary and binary materials. These are compared to equilibrium boundary conditions in a simple, 1D closed ampoule physical vapor transport model. It is found that in cases where the diffusive impedance is negligible and when system pressure is low, surface kinetics play an important role in limiting the mass transport. In cases where diffusion is the dominant transport impedance, and/or when the pressure in the system is high, the kinetic impedances at the interfaces are negligible, as impedances due to diffusion and latent heat transport at the interfaces become more significant. The non-equilibrium boundary conditions are dependent upon the sticking coefficient of the surface. An experiment to estimate the sticking coefficient on solid surfaces is proposed. The non-equilibrium theory also predicts significant temperature jumps at the interfaces. / Graduate

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1950. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-95).

Les polymères conducteurs composites présentent des propriétés thermoélectriques qui en font une solution prometteuse, peu coûteuse, propre et efficace pour la récupération de pertes de chaleur. L’objet de cette thèse est l’étude des propriétés de composites nanostructurés à base de polyaniline (PANI) en fonction de la concentration en nanoobjets: nanotubes de carbone (1-D) et oxyde de graphène réduit (RGO) (2-D). Leur structure et morphologie ont été étudiées par MEB, MET, diffraction des rayons X et diffusion Raman. Les conductivités électrique et thermique, le coefficient Seebeck, la figure de mérite thermoélectrique ZT, ont été mesurés. La conductivité électrique montre une augmentation importante avec la concentration en charges alors que la conductivité thermique ne croît que légèrement, ceci améliore ZT de plusieurs ordres de grandeur. L’effet de la dimensionnalité des charges a été mis en évidence. Mais quelle que soit cette dimension, la conductivité électrique contrairement à la conductivité thermique, suit un comportement de percolation à travers un processus de conduction à 2-D. Ce comportement a été également observé pour la capacité thermique volumique des nanohybrides PANI/RGO ce qui en fait des candidats potentiels dans le domaine des matériaux à haute capacité thermique. Leur facteur de stockage de chaleur est traité avec un nouveau modèle analytique. Les échantillons de PANI/RGO ont été étudiés par spectroscopie diélectrique à différentes températures. Les résultats font apparaître un phénomène intéressant de piégeage de charges à l’interface PANI/RGO qui pourrait trouver des applications dans les supercondensateurs et les mémoires électroniques. / Conducting polymer nanocomposites exhibit for instance interesting thermoelectric properties which make them a promising, inexpensive, clean and efficient solution for heat waste harvesting. This thesis reports on properties of polyaniline (PANI) nanostructured composites as a function of various carbonaceous nano-fillers content such as carbon nanotubes (1-D), and 2-D reduced graphene oxide (RGO). SEM, TEM, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy have been employed to investigate their structure and morphology. Electrical and thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) have been systematically performed. An important increase of electrical conductivity has been observed with increasing filler fraction whereas thermal conductivity only slightly increases, which enhances ZT of several orders of magnitude. Fillers dimension effect is evidenced, but, whatever this dimension, it is shown that, in contrast with thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity follows a percolation behavior through 2D conduction process. This behavior is also observed in the case of the volumetric heat capacity of PANI/RGO nanohybrids which make them potential candidates as high heat capacitive materials. For the first time their heat storage factor is assessed with a new analytical model proposed in this study. The PANI/RGO samples have also been investigated by Dielectric Spectroscopy at different temperatures. Results evidence an interesting charge trapping phenomenon occurring at the PANI/RGO interface which might find promising applications in supercapacitors or gate memory devices.