In the design of tank foundations several design techniques are considered. This study focuses on grade supported tanks constructed under an extensive preload and instrumentation program. Settlement estimation methods were performed and compared to field instrumentation data taken at the project sites. Three project sites were selected for this study. The geotechnical investigations were performed by Eustis Engineering Services, L.L.C. and included both undisturbed soil borings and cone penetrometer tests. Conclusions were made about the accuracy of the calculations and how assumptions affect the settlement computation results.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether any environmental benefits were obtained when the emptying of sludge from septic tanks were carried out with a dewatering technique using polymers compared to complete pump-out. The mean value of transport distance, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and the weight of waste per septic tank emptying was calculated for each emptying method. For this, data on transport distance, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions per liter of fuel and number of emptied septic tanks were used. An energy audit over a sewage treatment plant was used to calculate the energy consumption for the treatment of the waste from the two emptying techniques. The environmental impact of the use of polymers and the returning of reject water to the septic tank was examined by studying the literature in the research field. The result showed that emptying with a dewatering technique compared to complete pump-out resulted in shorter transports, less fuel consumption, lower CO2 emissions, less waste and a lower energy consumption for waste treatment. The use of polymers in sludge dewatering should not have any adverse effects on aquatic organisms or health impacts if the dosage and the design of the treatment plant is correct. It is not established whether the return of reject water have any environmental effects. In conclusion this report shows that the emptying of septic tanks with a dewatering technique is better than complete pump-out from an environmental point of view.

Este trabalho trata do desenvolvimento de um gerador e absorvedor dinâmico de ondas para ensaios com modelos de estruturas oceânicas em escala reduzida, em tanques que simulam as condições de operação encontradas no mar. Propõe-se um procedimento para o projeto de geradores absorvedores ativos de ondas do tipo placa basculante. O procedimento desenvolvido é aplicado ao projeto de um protótipo com quatro módulos geradores de ondas. O protótipo resultante foi instalado no laboratório do Departamento de Engenharia Naval e Oceânica a fim de ser utilizado pela Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo no estudo de algoritmos de geração e absorção de ondas. Para a medição de altura de onda, foi desenvolvido um sensor por ultra-som utilizando a técnica de pulso-eco e uma guia de ondas. O sensor, fixado junto ao batedor de ondas, é utilizado para a realimentação do controlador de absorção de ondas. Foram realizados ensaios para sua caracterização e comparação com um sensor capacitivo. Nesses ensaios, o sensor por ultra-som apresentou melhor linearidade e resposta dinâmica do que o sensor capacitivo, além de não necessitar de calibração antes de cada ensaio. Foram realizados ensaios com ondas regulares para a avaliação do desempenho do gerador de ondas e para o levantamento das funções de transferência do motor, da onda progressiva longe do atuador H/S e da onda próxima ao atuador H0/S que considera as ondas evanescentes. Os resultados experimentais apresentaram uma boa concordância com o modelo teórico. / This work aims at the development of a wave generator and dynamic absorber to perform tests with models of oceanic structures in reduced scale, in tanks that simulate operating conditions found in the sea. It is proposed a procedure to design absorbing wavemakers of the flap type. The developed procedure is then applied for the construction of an prototype with four wave generator modules. The prototype was installed in the laboratory of the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Departament, to be used by the Polytechnical School of University of São Paulo in the study of wave absorption algorithms. In order to measure wave heights, it was developed a wave height sensor based on ultrasound, applying the pulse-echo technique and a waveguide. This sensor, attached to the flap of the wave generator, is used as part of the feedback system of the wave absorption controller. Tests for its characterization and comparison with a capacitive sensor had been carried out. In those tests, the ultrasonic sensor had presented a better linearity and dynamic response then the capacitive sensor, moreover it does not need calibration before each test. Tests with regular waves had been carried out for the evaluation of the performance of the wave generator and the determination of the transfer functions of the servomotors, of the progressive wave far of the actuator H/S and the wave next to the actuator H0/S that considers the evanescentes waves. The experimental results had presented a good agreement with the theoretical model.

The results of a combined theoretical and experimental study of the kinetics of a hot-liquid energy-storage tank are presented. A physical model is developed which accurately describes the thermal stratification behavior in a storage tank. The governing differential equations are developed for the physical model. A numerical solution to the system of equations is presented. Some existing models were examined and the predicted results of each are discussed. The concepts developed can be used to predict the thermal stratification behavior in a storage tank under most conceivable operating conditions. These conditions include flow configurations at the top and the bottom of the tank which both have inversionary tendencies. Inversionary behavior could conceivably occur in both the top and the bottom regions of the tank during a combined storage and usage mode which might occur at non-peak storage hours. Although the work was done primarily for the utilization of solar energy, the results are not limited to such application. The results are more significant as a contribution to applied fluid dynamics.

In the bio/pharmaceutical industry, fermentation is extremely important in pharmaceutical development, and in microbial research. However, new fermentor designs are needed to improve production and reduce costs of complex systems such as cultivation of mammalian cells and genetically engineered micro-organisms. Traditionally, stirred tank design is driven by the oxygen transfer capability needed to achieve cell growth. However, design methodologies available for stirred tank fermentors are insufficient and many times contain errors. The aim of this research is to improve the design of production scale stirred tank fermentors through the development of dimensionless correlations and by providing information on aspects of fermentor tanks that can aid in oxygen mass transfer. This was accomplished through four key areas. Empirical studies were used to quantify the mass transfer capabilities of several different reactors. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to assess the impact of certain baffle and impeller geometries. Correction schemes were developed and applied to the experimental data. Dimensionless correlations were created from corrected experimental data to act as a guide for future production scale fermentor design. The methods for correcting experimental data developed in this research have proven to be accurate and useful. Furthermore, the correlations found from the corrected experimental data in this study are of great benefit in the design of production scale stirred tank fermentors. However, when designing a stirred tank fermentor of a different size, further experimentation should be performed to refine the correlations presented.

Many small communities depend on groundwater sources for drinking water and they often use septic tanks for their sewer system needs. However, nitrates and other pollutants from septic systems can percolate to the aquifers and deteriorate quality of the groundwater, threatening the public health. This study has developed a groundwater model using Visual MODFLOW for an aquifer that is used as a water supply source for the cities of Beaumont and Cherry Valley, California. Septic systems are the suspected major source of nitrate contamination of the aquifer. The model has been developed to clarify the extent of interactions between nitrate pollutants, infiltration and percolation from a recently established series of artificial recharge ponds, groundwater recharge from natural sources, and pumping activities to meet local water uses. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate alternative hydraulic solutions that would limit the movement of the contaminants and minimize the risk of affecting the pumping wells. The study attempts to identify the best way to recharge the aquifer and influence movement of the nitrates so that polluted waters may have lower nitrate concentrations in the future, rather than allowed to encroach on critical production wells or led away from production wells to become a problem for future generations or neighboring areas. The data needed to build the model, including geological logs, precipitation, evapotranspiration, well locations, pumping schedules, water levels, and nitrate concentrations have been obtained from the Beaumont Cherry Valley Water District. The model has been calibrated to simulate the observed groundwater levels and the extent of pollution corresponding to the historical pumping rates, recharge rates and climate. The calibrated model has been used to evaluate alternative hydraulic solutions that would either localize the nitrate pollution thus limiting the impact on public welfare, or remove the nitrate pollution for potential treatment and remediation on the surface. The study results show that increased pumping of production wells or strategic placement of additional artificial recharge may reduce the concentrations of nitrate in the Beaumont Basin.

On-site sewage systems, such as septic tank-absorption trenches, are used by approximately 20 000 people who live within the catchments that supply Sydney??s drinking water. These systems discharge sewage, treated to varying degrees depending on the system type and level of maintenance, to the environment. This can result in contamination of drinking water supplies if systems are not designed or managed appropriately. The aim of the project was to develop a methodology to define appropriate buffer distances between on-site sewage systems and waterways in Sydney??s drinking water catchments, to ensure the protection of drinking water quality. Specific objectives included: identifying the current status of on-site sewage management; assessing the effluent quality and treatment performance of septic tanks, aerated wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) with disinfection and an amended material sand mound; and development of an appropriate methodology for delineating buffer distances and assessing development applications. Viruses were used as a focus for delineating the buffer distances due to their mobility and robustness in the environment, and the potential health consequences of their presence in drinking water. A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) model was developed to calculate the cumulative impact of the on-site sewage systems in the Warragamba catchment based on data from literature and experiments, with consideration of virus loads from sewage treatment plants within the catchments. The model enabled consideration of what was a tolerable impact in terms of the resulting infections within the community. The QMRA the tolerable loads of viruses from the Warragamba catchment were 108 viruses per year in raw water and 104 viruses per year in treated water. A log reduction method was developed to facilitate individual site development assessments. This method was compared to other management approaches to development assessment: fixed minimum buffer distances of 100m, reducing failure rates to zero, and the use of a preferred system. Each of these methods had a limit for how much they could reduce virus loads to the catchment due to either failure or short buffer distances at some sites. While the log reduction method is limited by the failure rates, the method provides a quantitative measure of risk by which maintenance inspections can be prioritised.

In water conveyance systems, sudden changes in the flow velocity cause a phenomenon called waterhammer associated with high pressure head changes. Unless a control device is used as a precaution, waterhammer may result in costly damages and even in some cases, loss of human lives. In light of this concept, different control devices that can protect the systems against waterhammer are introduced so that the great pressure differences are absorbed and the system is maintained undamaged. In this thesis, the main functions, the requirements for its construction and the different types of the surge tanks are explained. The governing differential equations defining the flow conditions of the surge tanks and their solutions are provided. In addition, for the use of design engineers a procedure to determine proper dimensions of a surge tank is developed. For the sake of dimensioning the surge tank effectively, empirical equations, which calculate the height of three different types of surge tanks with dimensionless parameters, are obtained. With the help of regression analysis, the correlation between the parameters of the developed equations are determined, and found to be relatively high. Finally, the economical aspect of a surge tank is discussed and comparison parameters are introduced to the designer.

I detta examensarbete har en webbplats skapats för Falu Tank AB med hjälp av Jennifer Flemings utvecklingsmodell, även framtagning av en logotyp och grafisk profil med tillhörande manual har ingått i examensarbetet. Falu Tank AB utför nytillverkning, rekonditionering samt kontroll av petroleumtankar. De erbjuder också oljeavskiljare, pumpöar och dubbelmantlade tankar. Arbetet har bestått av en bakgrundsundersökning på Falu Tank AB, samt litteraturstudier i webbdesign och grafisk profilering, med en teoretisk fördjupning inom webbdesign. Bra webbdesign innebär i första hand att sidan är välstrukturerad, enhetlig, lättnavigerad, användarvänlig och att den har en bra harmoni. Målet med webbplatsen var att den skulle vara funktionell, proffsig, och modern, med en passande design för att attrahera fler besökare. Jennifer Flemings utvecklingsmodell lämpade sig mycket väl vid utformningen av webbplatsen. Falu Tanks logotyp kändes gammal och intetsägande dessutom saknades en grafisk profil. Den framtagna profilen innefattar logotyp, färg och typografi, men även formgivning av visitkort, brevpapper och fakturor. Målet med den grafiska profilen var ett ge Falu Tank ett enhetligt, modernt och stilrent intryck inför kommande marknadsföring. Resultatet blev en stilren och tydlig grafisk profil med stark koppling till Falu Tank. (PDF1 - Rapport) (PDF2 - Bilagor) (PDF3 - Grafisk Manual)

Constructed wetland treatment systems are environmental-friendly and economic technologies for wastewater treatments. The Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area Administration collected the wastewaters from the salty water aquacultural ponds and community households in the adjacent areas and discharged them into salty water type of constructed wetland treatment systems, which is quite rare in Taiwan presently. According to the surveying result of water quality in these constructed wetland treatment systems in previous study, we found that some species of macroalgae Gracilaria, were existed in some units of the wetland systems. Further, we found that the wastewater treatment efficiencies of the constructed wetland systems could be substantially enhanced by the macroalgae. Reviewing some literatures also confirmed that the macroalgae, Gracilaria, can be effectively applied to aquaculture wastewater treatment because it is able to absorb the nutrients and benefits its own growth. Besides, it can reduce the algal bloom caused by excess nutrients. In this study, we explored the macroalgae Gracilaria¡¦s role in those saline constructed wetland wastewater treatment systems. In the laboratory scale study, a constructed wetland model tank was designed to culture Gracilaria as a way to explore the situation of wastewater treatment. The experimental results showed that when cultured in the still water system, the macroalgae, Gracilaria, was able to increase both of the levels of dissolved oxygen and pH in wastewater. Moreover, when it was cultured in its biomass density of 10 g/L for 4 days, the removal efficiency of chlorophyll-a concentration could ideally reach to 79.10 ¡Ó 7.62 %, while the total nitrogen, and total phosphorus could reach to 47.10 ¡Ó 25.93 % and 60.49 ¡Ó 45.29 % respectively. However, the reduction of ammonia nitrogen concentration was found rather obvious only one day after culture. Whereas, when the species of Gracilaria was cultured in the continuous flow system, we found that there were significant difference in the test result of the turbidity, chlorophyll-a, and BOD in the experimental group with addition of Gracilaria. After testing the concentrutions of chlorophyll-a over a long period of time, we found that the chlorophyll-a concentration were markedly increased when Gracilaria was not added. On the contrary, the chlorophyll-a concentration was remained stably when Gracilaria was added. When it comes to the nitrogen removal, we found that the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen in the experimental group could reach up to 92.27 ¡Ó 3.82 % in average. Other than that, it was found obvious decrease of the ammonia nitrogen concentration on the first day of culture. As to the test of soil¡¦s impact on the phosphorus removal, we found that the removal efficiency in the experimental group was higher than the group without soil. Therefore, the removal efficiency was found obviously higher when there was soil. In the continuous flow system, when the species of Gracilaria was added, the removal efficiency of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the model tank could reach averagely up to 75.23 ¡Ó 2.46 % and 53.96 ¡Ó 11.18 %, respectively. Comparing the experimental results by growth of Gracilaria for water quality with laboratory study and the saline constructed wetland systems in the Dapeng Bay, we found that the removal efficiencies of contaminants and nutrients could be enhanced by Gracilaria.