Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on Dec. 14, 2009). "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta." Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

No description available.

No description available.

The extraction of oil from microalgae was investigated. The study focused on the hydrothermal liquefaction of the microalgae Microcystis aeruginosa, Cyclotella meneghinia and Nitzschia pusilla. M. aeruginosa was collected from the Hartebeespoort dam, while C. meneghinia and N. pusilla were cultured in the laboratory. The experiments were conducted in a high pressure autoclave with an inert atmosphere. Sodium carbonate was studied as a potential catalyst. The hydrothermal liquefaction of M. aeruginosa, C. meneghinia and N. pusilla was carried out at various reaction temperatures and catalyst loads. For the liquefaction of M. aeruginosa the residence times were also varied. The reaction temperatures ranged from 260 to 340 °C, while the catalyst loads varied between 0 and 10 wt% Na2CO3. The residence time was varied between 15 and 45 minutes. The study showed that hydrothermal liquefaction of M. aeruginosa produced a maximum oil yield of 15.60 wt% at 300 °C, whereas the thermochemical liquefaction of C. meneghinia and N. pusilla produced maximum yields of 16.03 wt% and 15.33 wt%, respectively, at 340 °C. The residence time did not influence thermochemical liquefaction of the algae, while an increase in the catalyst load reduced the oil yield. The reaction conditions had no effect on the elemental composition or the calorific value of the thermochemical liquefaction oil. The calorific value of the hydrothermal liquefaction oils ranged from 28.57 to 35.90 MJ.kg -1 . Hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae produced oil that can be used as substitute for coal in simple gasification processes. The study showed that microalgal blooms, such as the M. aeruginosa blooms of the Hartebeespoort dam, can be used for the extraction of oil through hydrothermal liquefaction. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Chemical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The catastrophic consequences associated with landslides necessitate predictions of these hazards to be made with as much certainty as possible. However, the often complex nature of these events make predictions highly challenging. In this thesis, a number of hypotheses related to the triggering mechanisms and subsequent consequences of landslides in a loose-granular soil were investigated. The investigation was conducted using small-scale geotechnical centrifuge models, and a new flume facility developed to examine landslide behavior in a reduced-scale model. The first hypothesis explored in this research was that static liquefaction might preferentially occur in the saturated granular soil located at the base of the landslide rather than the well-drained inclined portion of the slope. Using a geotechnical centrifuge model, it was found that a small initial toe failure did act as a monotonic loading trigger to shear the loose contractile saturated sand at the base of the slope and caused liquefaction to occur. The second hypothesis investigated whether the consequences of a landslide triggered under elevated groundwater antecedent conditions are higher than scenarios under drier antecedent conditions. Results from five centrifuge models subjected to different antecedent groundwater conditions show that higher groundwater conditions can result in landslides with velocities about three times higher and travel distances eight times higher than low antecedent conditions. The third hypothesis investigated the influence of slope inclination on landslide consequences. Seven geotechnical centrifuge models were built and tested, comparing the consequences of landslides triggered in 20° and 30° sloped models with different groundwater conditions. The results of these tests found that the influence of slope angle on the mobility consequences of a triggered landslide are highly dependent on the antecedent groundwater conditions. The most significant case was under high groundwater conditions, where the shallower 20° slope travelled twice the distance and speed of the steeper 30° slope. A new flume facility was developed to examine landslide behaviour in a reduced-scale model, and a direct comparison was made to one of the centrifuge models from the research. The comparison demonstrated the challenges associated with using reduced-scale models to study suction-dominated problems such as hydraulically-induced landslides in loose granular soils. / Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-04-29 16:45:11.335

The extraction of oil from microalgae was investigated. The study focused on the hydrothermal liquefaction of the microalgae Microcystis aeruginosa, Cyclotella meneghinia and Nitzschia pusilla. M. aeruginosa was collected from the Hartebeespoort dam, while C. meneghinia and N. pusilla were cultured in the laboratory. The experiments were conducted in a high pressure autoclave with an inert atmosphere. Sodium carbonate was studied as a potential catalyst. The hydrothermal liquefaction of M. aeruginosa, C. meneghinia and N. pusilla was carried out at various reaction temperatures and catalyst loads. For the liquefaction of M. aeruginosa the residence times were also varied. The reaction temperatures ranged from 260 to 340 °C, while the catalyst loads varied between 0 and 10 wt% Na2CO3. The residence time was varied between 15 and 45 minutes. The study showed that hydrothermal liquefaction of M. aeruginosa produced a maximum oil yield of 15.60 wt% at 300 °C, whereas the thermochemical liquefaction of C. meneghinia and N. pusilla produced maximum yields of 16.03 wt% and 15.33 wt%, respectively, at 340 °C. The residence time did not influence thermochemical liquefaction of the algae, while an increase in the catalyst load reduced the oil yield. The reaction conditions had no effect on the elemental composition or the calorific value of the thermochemical liquefaction oil. The calorific value of the hydrothermal liquefaction oils ranged from 28.57 to 35.90 MJ.kg -1 . Hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae produced oil that can be used as substitute for coal in simple gasification processes. The study showed that microalgal blooms, such as the M. aeruginosa blooms of the Hartebeespoort dam, can be used for the extraction of oil through hydrothermal liquefaction. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Chemical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 208-225) Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 1998. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 136 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-132).

Thesis (M.S. in civil engineering)--Washington State University, August 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Aug. 10, 2009). "Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering." Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-46).