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No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Estudo da secagem de sementes de cevadilha vacariana (bromus auleticus trinius) em secador de leito fixo.pdf: 2385971 bytes, checksum: 8780d036b0d37c436fd1daa5a863e741 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-24 / A estação de clima frio que ocorre no Sul do Brasil causa uma dormência fisiológica nas plantas que vegetam estes campos, paralisando o crescimento e o desenvolvimento que afeta diretamente a pecuária. A inserção de espécies forrageiras de estação fria vem determinando uma grande demanda por sementes de qualidade. Entre estas sementes, pode ser citada a espécie Bromus auleticus Trinius, que é uma gramínea, também conhecida popularmente como cevadilha vacariana, considerada uma espécie nativa, perene de hábito cespitoso e com crescimento hibernal. Com a procura pela obtenção de semente de melhor qualidade, a secagem artificial pode ser uma etapa crucial para contribuir no processo de germinação, uma vez que a tecnologia mais empregada atualmente apresenta dificuldades que vão desde a fase de produção no campo, onde as sementes são colhidas precocemente, até seu beneficiamento, pois a secagem natural depende de condições climáticas e muitas vezes apresentam perdas fisiológicas no produto final. A secagem artificial torna-se de suma importância na tecnologia de beneficiamento de sementes, pois permite a redução do teor de água em níveis adequados para armazenamento e comercialização. Em face disso, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo principal realizar um estudo sobre o processo de secagem de sementes de cevadilha vacariana (Bromus auleticus) em um secador de leito fixo com fluxo de ar paralelo. Para alcançar este objetivo, o trabalho foi dividido nas etapas de caracterização física e fisiológica das sementes quanto ao diâmetro de partícula, esfericidade, massa específica real, massa específica bulk, porosidade e germinação; observação das isotermas de dessorção para as temperaturas utilizadas nos ensaios de secagem das sementes in natura; análise do processo de secagem das sementes in natura em condições pré-estabelecidas; verificar estatisticamente, a partir de um planejamento experimental fatorial 2³ com tréplica no ponto central os ensaios de secagem, bem como suas influências nos índices de germinação e umidade final das sementes; avaliação do processo de reumidificação para as sementes que passaram pela operação de secagem natural; estudo das isotermas de dessorção das sementes de cevadilha vacariana reumidificas, e análise do processo de secagem das sementes reumidificadas. Os dados experimentais obtidos permitiram uma análise física, fisiológica e físico-química mais detalhada das sementes de cevadilha vacariana, uma vez que não há informações na literatura para este tipo de semente. Os resultados do estudo de secagem ficaram na faixa de 4 a 9 % em relação a umidade final em base úmida. No que se refere a germinação os valores encontrados ficaram na ordem de 23 a 58 %. Para estas duas respostas a temperatura foi a variável de maior influência. O estudo de reumidificação seguido de secagem mostrou ser eficiente, uma vez que permitiu elevar a germinação das sementes de cevadilha vacariana para ordem de 84,33 e 82 % referentes a melhor e pior condição obtidos pela secagem da semente in natura. / The cold weather season covering Southern Brazil causes a physiological dormancy in forage plants grow these fields paralyzing growth and development which directly affects livestock. The inclusion of the forage species of cold weather has indicated a high demand for quality seeds. Among these seeds it is possible to point out the genus Bromus auleticus Trinius. which is a type of grass also popularly known as “cevadilha vacariana” considered to be a native species, perennial, with a caespitose habit and wintry growth. With the demand for obtaining better quality seeds, artificial drying can be a critical step to increase the quality and germination of the seed, since the technology currently employed presents more difficulties ranging from the production phase in the field where the seeds are harvested early until its processing, once the natural drying depends on weather conditions and often presents physiological losses in the final product. The artificial drying becomes of high importance in seed production technology, because it allows the reduction of the moisture content at appropriate levels for storage and marketing. This research goal was to conduct a study on the drying process of Bromus auleticus in a fixed bed dryer with parallel airflow. In order to achieve this objective, the work was divided into the steps physical and physiological characterization of the seeds as the particle diameter, sphericity, real density, bulk specific mass, porosity and germination; observation of desorption isotherms for temperatures used in the drying tests of the seeds in nature; analysis of the natural drying process in seeds harvested directly from the field in pre-set conditions; statistically verify, from a factorial design with 2³ rejoinder at the midpoint drying trials as well as their influence on the final germination rates and humidity of oleander seed; evaluation of a rewetting process for the seeds that have gone through natural drying operation; study of desorption isotherms of remoistured seeds, and analysis of the drying process of remoistured seeds. Experimental data obtained so far permitted a physical, physiological and detailed physical-chemical analysis of Bromus auleticus seeds, since there is no data in the literature for this seed. Drying study results were in the range 4-9% compared to humidity-based moisture. Regarding to the germination values it was found at around 25 to 58%. For these two responses temperature variable it was the most influential. The rewetting study followed drying proved to be efficient, since it allowed to increase germination of the seeds of cevadilha vacariana for the order 84.33 and 82% concerning the best and worst condition obtained by drying the seed in nature

abstract: Crumb rubber use in asphalt mixtures by means of wet process technology has been in place for several years in the United States with good performance record; however, it has some shortcomings such as maintaining high mixing and compaction temperatures in the field production. Organosilane (OS), a nanotechnology chemical substantially improves the bonding between aggregate and asphalt by modifying the aggregate structure from hydrophilic to hydrophobic contributing to increased moisture resistance of conventional asphalt mixtures. Use of Organosilane also reduces the mixing and compaction temperatures and facilitates similar compaction effort at lower temperatures. The objective of this research study was first to perform a Superpave mix design for Crumb Rubber Modified Binder (CRMB) gap-graded mixture with and without Organosilane; and secondly, analyse the performance of CRMB mixtures with and without Organosilane by conducting various laboratory tests. Performance Grade (PG) 64-22 binder was used to create the gap-graded Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) mixtures for this study. Laboratory tests included rotational viscometer binder test and mixtures tests: dynamic modulus, flow number, tensile strength ratio, and C* fracture test. Results from the tests indicated that the addition of Organosilane facilitated easier compaction efforts despite reduced mixing and compaction temperatures. Organosilane also modestly increased the moisture susceptibility and resistance to crack propagation yet retaining equal rutting resistance of the CRMB mixtures. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 2018

A produção de rosas em ambiente protegido sob fertirrigação é uma técnica bastante utilizada pelos produtores e vem se expandindo consideravelmente, principalmente no Estado de São Paulo; cultivo este antes restrito a região Sudeste, hoje se encontra em todas as regiões do País. O manejo adequado da irrigação associado à fertirrigação nitrogenada é um fator relevante nos parâmetros de produtividade e de qualidade das rosas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a produtividade e a qualidade das hastes florais na cultura da roseira, variedade Samourai® Meikatana, submetida a diferentes níveis de depleção da água no solo e doses de nitrogênio aplicadas via fertirrigação sob cultivo em ambiente protegido. O experimento foi conduzido na área experimental do Departamento de Engenharia Biossistemas da Escola Superior de Agricultura \"Luiz de Queiroz\", em Piracicaba, SP. O delineamento estatístico foi em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 4 x 4, totalizando 16 tratamentos, com 4 repetições, sendo a unidade experimental representada por uma parcela com dimensões de 0,4 x 0,5 x 2,0 m. Os tratamentos foram compostos pela combinação de quatro doses de nitrogênio (N1 = 5, N2 = 10, N3 = 15 e N4 = 20 g planta-1 ano-1) e quatro níveis de depleção da água no solo (F1 = 0,15; F2 = 0,30; F3 = 0,45 e F4 = 0,60). O sistema de irrigação utilizado foi o gotejamento, adotando manejo de irrigação com tensiômetros providos de transdutores de pressão. Ao longo do ciclo da cultura foi realizado o monitoramento da condutividade elétrica (CE), potencial hidrogeniônico (pH) e a concentração de nitrato (NO3-) e potássio (K) na solução coletada. Foram avaliados a produtividade, os parâmetros qualitativos das hastes e botões, a temperatura e o potencial da água na folha, o consumo hídrico, a produtividade da água, o teor de nutrientes no tecido vegetal e a renda bruta. Os resultados demostram que a dose de N que maximiza a produção comercial de hastes decresce à medida que se prolongam as colheitas. O estresse hídrico temporário (depleção) afeta negativamente os parâmetros quantitativos e qualitativos das hastes de rosas. A produção e a qualidade das hastes são mais afetadas pelas doses de nitrogênio do que pelos níveis de depleção da água no solo. A temperatura foliar e o potencial da água na folha são afetados pelos níveis de depleção e não são influenciados pelas doses de nitrogênio. O consumo hídrico é afetado por ambos os fatores estudados. A produtividade da água em hastes aumenta em função dos fatores doses de N e depleção da água no solo. Os tratamentos promoveram diferenças significativas na fitomassa e no teor de N > K > Ca > Mg > P > S no tecido vegetal das hastes florais de rosas. / The production of roses in protected environment under fertigation is a technique used by farmers and has expanded considerably, especially in the state of São Paulo, Brazil; this culture, previously limited to the Southeast region of Brazil, today is found in all regions of the country. Proper management of irrigation associated to nitrogenated fertigation is an important factor in productivity parameters and quality of cut roses. The aims of this study was to evaluate the productivity and quality of the flowers in the rose bush, \"Samourai® Meikatana\", variety, under different soil water depletion factors and nitrogen levels applied through fertigation under cultivation in protected environment. The experiment was carried in the experimental area of the Biosystems Engineering Department, School of Agriculture \"Luiz de Queiroz\", in Piracicaba, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Experimental design was a randomized blocks in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme, totaling 16 treatments, with four replications and plot with dimensions of 0.4 x 0.5 x 2.0 m. The treatments consisted of combinations of four nitrogen levels (N1 = 5, N2 = 10, N3 = 15 and N4 = 20 g plant-1 year-1) and four levels of soil water depletion (F1 = 0.15 ; F2 = 0.30, F3 = 0.45 and F4 = 0.60). The application of water and nutrients (fertigation) was performed when the soil water availability reached these percentages. The irrigation system used was drip irrigation adopting management with tensiometers equipped with pressure transducers. Throughout the crop cycle was performed monitoring of electrical conductivity (EC), potential hydrogen (pH) and concentration of nitrate (NO3-) and potassium (K) in the soil solution. The yield, the qualitative parameters of the stems and buds of cut roses, leaf temperature and water potential, water consumption, water productivity, nutrient content in plant tissue and gross income was evaluated. The dose of N which maximizes the commercial production of cut flowers decreases as it extends harvest. The temporary water stress (depletion) negatively affects the quantitative and qualitative parameters of cut roses. The production and quality of cut roses are more affected by nitrogen levels than by the soil water depletion. Leaf temperature and leaf water potential are affected by levels of depletion and are not influenced by the nitrogen levels. The water consumption is affected by both studied factors. Water productivity in cut roses increases due to the N levels and soil water depletion factors. The treatments promoted significant differences in phytomass and content of N > K > Ca > Mg > P > S in plant tissue of the roses floral stems.

Spaceborne microwave sensors are capable of estimating various properties of many geophysical phenomena, including the age and extent of Arctic sea ice and the relative soil moisture over land. The measurement and classification of such geophysical phenomena are used to refine climate models, localize and predict drought, and better understand the water cycle. Data from the active Ku-band scatterometers, the Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT), and the Oceansat-2 Scatterometer (OSCAT), are here used to classify areas of first-year and multiyear Arctic sea ice using a temporally adaptive threshold on reported radar backscatter values. The result is a 15-year data record of daily ice classification images. An additional ice age data record is produced using the C-band Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) with an alternate classification methodology based on Bayesian decision theory. The ASCAT/SSMIS classification methodology results in a record which is generally consistent with the QuikSCAT and OSCAT classifications, which conclude in 2014. With multiple ASCAT and SSMIS sensors still operational, the ASCAT/SSMIS ice classifications can continue to be produced into the future. In addition to ice classification, ASCAT is used to estimate the relative surface soil moisture at high-resolution (4.45 — 4.45 km per pixel). The soil moisture estimates are obtained using enhanced resolution image reconstruction techniques and an altered version of the Water Retrieval Package (WARP) algorithm. The high-resolution soil moisture estimates are shown to agree well with the existing lower resolution WARP products while also revealing finer details.

In order to successfully incorporate the tremendous possibilities of nanoscale applications into devices and manufacturing, significant studies need to be conducted of the properties and mechanics of materials of this small scale. In this thesis, the effect of repeated scanning of KBr, aluminum, and gold was studied by using a nanoindenter and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) in varying environments. Additional research was performed to study the environmental effects of gold film scratching using a Taber Shear/Scratch Tester. Scanning of KBr single crystal surface in air with a diamond tip in the Hysitron Triboindenter formed surface ripples 100 nm high, 1 micron apart. It has been observed that the nanoripple's initial height and period increase with the number of repeated scans. The surface ripples form perpendicular to the scanning direction, beginning at the bottom of sloped samples and working their way up the entire scan area. The addition of water to a wear experiment on gold film produced considerably deeper wear areas than its ambient air counterpart in both scanning machines. Scratch testing with a conical diamond tip of 77 µm radius with 125 g normal load also produced deeper wear tracks in water than in ambient air conditions. Several mechanisms may be responsible for the ripples formation, including dislocation dynamics, chatter, piezo hysteresis and others. Most likely there is a combination of effects, with a clear differentiation between nanoripple's origination and propagation. Mechanisms responsible for rippling, including system dynamic response and stick slip behavior are investigated. Topography modification appears to be the main result of ambient wear tests at the nanoscale, whereas much higher wear rate and nanoripples are observed in water. It is possible that this moisture is assisting grain fracture and pull off.

Saturated for most of the year, wetlands accumulate large amounts of biomass in thick organic soil horizons with slow rates of decomposition due to anaerobic conditions. Wetland soils thereby sequester large amounts of organic carbon in relative long-term storage. Municipal water demands in west-central Florida are largely met through extensive groundwater pumping. These withdrawals can impact ecosystems dependent on surface water levels that are ultimately linked to confined aquifers. Soils in a subset of cypress swamps that are monitored by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) were sampled and analyzed to ascertain the health of the wetlands impacted by groundwater pumping. Soil water content, bulk density, and carbon and nitrogen content were systematically measured on replicate samples from three elevations in transects through the wetlands. "Healthy" wetlands were found to have higher soil water retention and consequently higher soil organic carbon (SOC) content in the top 30 cm of soil than "harmed" and "significantly harmed" cypress domes. However this trend was only significant at the lowest, central elevation of the wetland, at an elevation of the normal pool level minus 12 inches. These results provide quantitative evidence to support the notion that saturation of soils during most of the year is required to maintain the conditions that are conducive to the accumulation of soil organic matter. Conversely, unsaturated soils appear to be mineralizing large quantities of their stores of organic carbon. Since soil moisture and organic carbon contents are well correlated in the wetlands that were sampled, monitoring of soil water content may prove a convenient proxy for determining the organic carbon stores and thus the relative health of the wetland.

Recent bark beetle outbreaks have caused extensive tree mortality in conifer forests across western Northern America, which has altered forest fuels. These changes have raised concerns about forest health and wildfire risk. Studies focused on interactions between bark beetles, forests fuels, and changes in fire behavior have been primarily led in upper elevation forests characterized by high-severity fire regimes, principally in lodgepole pine (pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm) forests. Few studies to date have addressed bark beetle fuel interactions in lower to middle montane forest characterized by a mixed-severity fire regime, with available research focused strictly on assessing fuel load conditions or stand structural changes. The goal of this research was to quantify and characterize surface and canopy fuel changes in middle montane interior Douglas-Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. glauca (Beissn.)) forest infested by Douglas-fir beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins), while also measuring physical and chemical changes to foliage in terms of moisture content and terpenes, which are known to play important roles in foliage flammability. Our results revealed few changes in surface fuels following Douglas-fir beetle infestations aside from a significant increase in litter depth and loading in red stage sample plots. Substantial changes to canopy fuels were detected in the red stage of an outbreak with a significant reduction in foliar moisture content measured as tree crowns faded from a healthy green phase to red. During this period, volatile emissions and within-needle concentrations of terpenes increased, including some terpenes previously associated with increased foliage flammability in other tree species. Furthermore, aerial fuel parameters that estimate the likelihood of crown fire initiation, including canopy bulk density and canopy base height, showed a substantial reduction in gray stage sample plots. Based on our findings we judge the influence of Douglas-fir beetle activity on altering fuels is most pronounced in the aerial fuels complex. Our results suggest bark beetle affected interior Douglas-fir stands with a high percentage of trees in yellow and red crown phases could have an increased threshold for crown fire initiation based on higher levels of flammable monoterpenes and lower foliar moisture content.

The ability to quantify soil moisture spatial variability and its temporal dynamics over entire fields through direct soil observations using remote sensing will improve early detection of water stress before crop physiological or economic damage has occurred, and it will contribute to the identification of zones within a field in which soil water is depleted faster than in other zones of a field. The overarching objective of this research is to develop tools and methods for remotely estimating soil moisture variability in agricultural crop production. Index-based and machine learning methods were deployed for processing hyperspectral data collected from moisture-controlled samples. In the first of five studies described in this dissertation, the feasibility of using “low-cost” index-based multispectral reflectance sensing for remotely delineating soil moisture content from direct soil and crop residue measurements using down-sampled spectral data were determined. The relative reflectance from soil and wheat stalk residue were measured using visible and near-infrared spectrometers. The optimal pair of wavelengths was chosen using a script to create an index for estimating soil and wheat stalk residue moisture levels. Wavelengths were selected to maximize the slope of the linear index function (i.e., sensitivity to moisture) and either maximize the coefficient of determination (R2) or minimize the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the index. Results showed that wavelengths centered near 1300 nm and 1500 nm, within the range of 400 to 1700 nm, produced the best index for individual samples; however, this index worked poorly on estimating stalk residue moisture. In the second of five studies, 20 machine learning algorithms were applied to full spectral datasets for moisture prediction and comparing them to the index-based method from the previous objective. Cubic support vector machine (SVM) and ensemble bagged trees methods produced the highest composite prediction accuracies of 96% and 93% for silt-loam soil samples, and 86% and 93% for wheat stalk residue samples, respectively. Prediction accuracy using the index-based method was 86% for silt-loam soil and 30% for wheat stalk residue. In the third study, a spectral measurement platform capable of being deployed on a UAS was developed for future use in quantifying and delineating moisture zones within agricultural landscapes. A series of portable spectrometers covering ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths were instrumented using a Raspberry Pi embedded computer that was programmed to interface with the UAS autopilot for autonomous reflectance data acquisition. A similar ground-based system was developed to keep track of ambient light during reflectance target measurement. The systems were tested under varying ambient light conditions during the 2017 Great American Eclipse. In the fourth study, the data acquisition system from the third study was deployed for recognizing different targets in the grayscale range using machine learning methods and under ambient light conditions. In this study, a dynamic method was applied to update integration time on spectrometers to optimize sensitivity of the instruments. It was found that by adjusting the integration time on each spectrometer such that a maximum intensity across all wavelengths was reached, the targets could be recognized simply based on the reflectance measurements with no need of a separate ambient light measurement. Finally, in the fifth study, the same data acquisition system and variable integration time method were used for estimating soil moisture under ambient light condition. Among 22 machine learning algorithms, linear and quadratic discriminant analysis achieved the maximum prediction accuracy. A UAS-deployable hyperspectral data acquisition system containing three portable spectrometers and an embedded computer was developed to classify moisture content from spectral data. Partial least squares regression and machine learning algorithms were shown to be effective to generate predictive models for classifying soil moisture.

Field trials were conducted in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with dark fire-cured, dark air-cured, and burley tobacco at Princeton, Murray and Lexington Kentucky. Tobacco variety used in 2016 was a low converter (LC) variety, varieties used in 2017 and 2018 were LC and higher converter (HC) varieties. Potassium sources used at all locations and in all years were potassium sulfate (K2SO4) and potassium chloride (KCl). Application rates used at all locations and in all years were 93, 186, 279 kg K ha-1along with an untreated control that received no potassium. In all trials, tobacco that was treated with either potassium source yielded numerically higher than the untreated control. In seven out of 10 trials, LC varieties had a higher moisture content than HC varieties. Tobacco treated with KCl had higher chloride levels than tobacco treated with K2­SO4.Quality grade index was similar for tobacco treated with KCl compared to tobacco treated with K2SO4. In all trials, tobacco treated with KCl had numerically lower Tobacco Specific Nitrosamines (TSNA) levels than tobacco treated with K2SO4. Reductions in TSNA levels were 30% lower in tobacco treated with KCl compared to tobacco treated with K2SO­4.

In this dissertation, we introduce a framework for simulating the dynamics between liquid and thin structures, including the effects of buoyancy, drag, capillary cohesion, dripping, and diffusion. After introducing related works, Part I begins with a discussion on the interactions between Newtonian fluid and fabrics. In this discussion, we treat both the fluid and the fabrics as continuum media; thus, the physical model is built from mixture theory. In Part II, we discuss the interactions between Newtonian fluid and hairs. To have more detailed dynamics, we no longer treat the hairs as continuum media. Instead, we treat them as discrete Kirchhoff rods. To deal with the thin layer of liquid that clings to the hairs, we augment each hair strand with a height field representation, through which we introduce a new reduced-dimensional flow model to solve the motion of liquid along the longitudinal direction of each hair. In addition, we develop a faithful model for the hairs' cohesion induced by surface tension, where a penalty force is applied to simulate the collision and cohesion between hairs. To enable the discrete strands interact with continuum-based, shear-dependent liquid, in Part III, we develop models that account for the volume change of the liquid as it passes through strands and the momentum exchange between the strands and the liquid. Accordingly, we extend the reduced-dimensional flow model to simulate liquid with elastoviscoplastic behavior. Furthermore, we use a constraint-based model to replace the penalty-force model to handle contact, which enables an accurate simulation of the frictional and adhesive effects between wet strands. We also present a principled method to preserve the total momentum of a strand and its surface flow, as well as an analytic plastic flow approach for Herschel-Bulkley fluid that enables stable semi-implicit integration at larger time steps. We demonstrate a wide range of effects, including the challenging animation scenarios involving splashing, wringing, and colliding of wet clothes, as well as flipping of hair, animals shaking, spinning roller brushes from car washes being dunked in water, and intricate hair coalescence effects. For complex liquids, we explore a series of challenging scenarios, including strands interacting with oil paint, mud, cream, melted chocolate, and pasta sauce.