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Inland freshwater salinity is rising worldwide and threatens the quality of our water resources, a phenomenon called the freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS). Simultaneously, the practice of indirect potable reuse (IPR) that augments critical water supplies with treated wastewater to enhance water security presents complexities in water quality management. This dissertation explores the complex interplay between FSS and IPR in the Occoquan Reservoir, an important drinking-water source in the Mid-Atlantic United States, within its diverse environmental, social and political contexts. Using extensive data collected over 25 years, this research quantifies contributions of multiple salinity sources to the rising concentration of sodium (a major ion associated with the FSS) in the reservoir and the finished drinking water. These sources encompass two rapidly urbanizing watersheds, a sophisticated water reclamation facility and the drinking water treatment utility. The novel application of unsteady transit time theory reveals that stream salinization can be linked to watershed salt sources using stream water age as a master variable and provides a real-time prediction model for sodium concentration in the reservoir. These results identify substantial opportunities to mitigate sodium pollution and help set the stage for stakeholder-driven bottom-up management by improving the predictability of system dynamics, enhancing knowledge of this social-ecological system and supporting the development of collective action rules. / Doctor of Philosophy / The global rise in freshwater salinity, termed as the freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS), poses a significant threat to water quality in our freshwater resources. The practice of indirect potable reuse (IPR), which involves reusing treated wastewater to supplement and secure our water supplies presents significant challenges in managing water quality. This dissertation delves into the intricate relationship between FSS and IPR, focusing on the Occoquan Reservoir-a vital drinking water source in the Mid-Atlantic United States-within its multifaceted environmental, social, and political contexts. This study uncovers the contributions of various sources of salinity to rising sodium ion concentrations (a key FSS-associated ion) in the reservoir and in finished drinking water. Sodium ions are contributed by road salts, chemicals used in water and wastewater treatment, commercial and industrial discharges, household products (e.g., laundry detergents) and human excretion. An innovative approach of examining the age of water in the stream and in the reservoir outflow enables us to trace origins of salinity within the watershed and predict the concentration of sodium ions in the reservoir, respectively. These findings reveal promising avenues for effectively addressing sodium pollution at this site. Furthermore, this research underscores the significance of convergence research, bringing diverse stakeholders together to develop collaborative strategies to manage freshwater salinization using a bottom-up approach.

Knowledge of the properties of single molecule diffusion is important for controlling dynamic self-assembly of molecular structures. A powerful experimental technique for determining diffusion coefficients is the recording of diffusion-induced signal fluctuations by a locally fixed point-like probe. Here, the signal becomes modified, whenever a molecule enters a certain detection area on the surface under the probe. The technique is minimal invasive and has a very good time resolution, enabling the investigation of highly mobile molecules. Theories are necessary for the analysis of the fluctuations and the extraction of diffusion properties. In this thesis, three methods are presented, which are based on the autocorrelation function, the distribution of peak widths and the distribution of interpeak intervals. Analytical expressions are derived for the distributions and the autocorrelation function in case of molecules, which can be described by circular or rectangular shapes. For rectangular shaped molecules, rotational diffusion can influence the recorded fluctuations. To allow for a simultaneous determination of rotational and translational diffusion coefficients the analytical treatment is extended. Furthermore, new methods are developed to determine the diffusion tensor for anisotropic stochastic molecular motion, using either one linearly extended probe or two individual probes. Coarse-graining the signal recorded by a point-like probe, which repeatedly moves on a line or a circle, is suggested for experimental implementation. All facets of the evaluation methods are verified against kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Applications to experimental data, recorded by a locally fixed scanning tunneling microscope tip, are demonstrated for copperphthalocyanine and PTCDA molecules diffusing on Ag(100).

Aujourd’hui le développement de nouveaux matériaux polymères ayant de bonnes propriétés repose de plus en plus sur des procédés de mélange ou de compoundage de polymères au lieu de recourir à la synthèse de nouvelles molécules. L’action du mélange peut fortement influer sur la morphologie des matériaux polymères multi-constituants. Les extrudeuses bi-vis (TSE) sont souvent utilisées comme mélangeurs/réacteurs pour des procédés de mélange, de compoundage et d’extrusion réactive. Cependant, l’étude sur la qualité du mélange dans les TSE demeure un grand défi en raison de la complexité géométrique et du caractère transitoire de l’écoulement. Cette thèse a pour objet de développer un nouvel instrument en line pour mesurer en temps réel la distribution des temps de séjour (DTS) qui caractérise la performance du mélange axial et la capacité de convoyage de différents types d’éléments de vis basées sur l’analyse de l’écoulement transitoire et l’évaluation systématique de la théorie de mélange dans les TSE. Le mélange distributif des polymères fondus est caractérisé par la génération de l’aire des interfaces, un paramètre difficile à mesurer expérimentalement. Alors on fait appel à des simulations numériques de type CFD / The development of new materials with improved properties seems to rely nowadays more on blending and compounding than on the synthesis of chemically new polymers. Mixing may have a great effect on the morphology and structure of multi-component polymer materials. Twin-screw extruders (TSE) are widely used as mixers/reactors for blending, compounding, and reactive processing. This work aimed at developing a new instrument to measure in real time the residence time distribution (RTD) which characterizes the axial mixing and transport abilities of different screw elements based on the analysis of the transient flow pattern and systematic evaluation of mixing theory in TSE. Distributive mixing of polymer melts is characterized by the generation of interfacial area, which is experimentally much more difficult to measure. This 3D numerical simulation based on CFD is adopted

Aujourd’hui le développement de nouveaux matériaux polymères ayant de bonnes propriétés repose de plus en plus sur des procédés de mélange ou de compoundage de polymères au lieu de recourir à la synthèse de nouvelles molécules. L’action du mélange peut fortement influer sur la morphologie des matériaux polymères multi-constituants. Les extrudeuses bi-vis (TSE) sont souvent utilisées comme mélangeurs/réacteurs pour des procédés de mélange, de compoundage et d’extrusion réactive. Cependant, l’étude sur la qualité du mélange dans les TSE demeure un grand défi en raison de la complexité géométrique et du caractère transitoire de l’écoulement. Cette thèse a pour objet de développer un nouvel instrument en line pour mesurer en temps réel la distribution des temps de séjour (DTS) qui caractérise la performance du mélange axial et la capacité de convoyage de différents types d’éléments de vis basées sur l’analyse de l’écoulement transitoire et l’évaluation systématique de la théorie de mélange dans les TSE. Le mélange distributif des polymères fondus est caractérisé par la génération de l’aire des interfaces, un paramètre difficile à mesurer expérimentalement. Alors on fait appel à des simulations numériques de type CFD / The development of new materials with improved properties seems to rely nowadays more on blending and compounding than on the synthesis of chemically new polymers. Mixing may have a great effect on the morphology and structure of multi-component polymer materials. Twin-screw extruders (TSE) are widely used as mixers/reactors for blending, compounding, and reactive processing. This work aimed at developing a new instrument to measure in real time the residence time distribution (RTD) which characterizes the axial mixing and transport abilities of different screw elements based on the analysis of the transient flow pattern and systematic evaluation of mixing theory in TSE. Distributive mixing of polymer melts is characterized by the generation of interfacial area, which is experimentally much more difficult to measure. This 3D numerical simulation based on CFD is adopted

Les évaluations de vulnérabilité spécifiques pour les ressources d'eau souterraine sont des méthodes SIG qui établissent des indices qualitatifs spatiaux qui déterminent la sensibilité à l'infiltration de polluants superficiels. D'autre part, les fonctions de transfert, comme la Distribution de Temps de Séjour (DTS), sont utilisées pour prévoir le changement temporel de qualité de l'eau au forage, mais ils ne permettent pas de relier les concentrations aux pratiques observées sur le bassin versant. Basé sur une approche analytique, un modèle pour le transport souterrain des produits phytosanitaires liant la vulnérabilité spécifique SIG à la DTS a été développée. L’idée étant de relier les notions de vulnérabilité aux méthodes de prédiction des chroniques de la qualité des eaux. L'outil estime la qualité de l'eau à partir de l'ensemble de données des cartes de vulnérabilité. La validation de cette méthode de vulnérabilité spécifique est possible à partir des données de suivi de la qualité de l’eau au forage. Une formulation de paramètres équivalents a été proposée pour prendre en compte les caractéristiques hydrodynamiques des compartiments de sol (zone saturée et zone non saturée). Une validation théorique de l'approche est faite à l’aide de modèles souterrain à différence finie : HYDRUS et MODFLOW. Une application a été réalisée sur l'aquifère karstique du Val d'Orléans. Elle a permis de déterminer la DTS des concentrations en pesticides dans l'eau souterraine et a mis en évidence la présence non négligeable des métabolites du métazachlore dans le forage. En même temps, le modèle DTS, lié au SIG rend possible la localisation des zones contributrices dans le bassin versant. / The specific vulnerability estimations for the groundwater resources are GIS methods that establish spatial qualitative indices which determine the sensitivity of infiltration from surface contaminants. On the other hand, the transfer functions, using the Residence Time Distribution (RTD), are used to predict temporal water quality change in a borehole, but they do not integrate the spatial variability of the land use. Based on an analytic (advection / dispersion equation) approach, a simple GIS-linked RTD model for groundwater transport has been developed. The tool estimates the water quality from the vulnerability map dataset. This method enables to validate the specific vulnerability maps with the water quality monitoring at the borehole. It links the impacts of land use with the temporal evolution of the water quality. A equivalent formulation parameters is proposed to take into account the hydrodynamic characteristics of the soil compartments (unsaturated zone and Saturated Zone). A theoretical validation of the approach is made from finite-difference groundwater models: HYDRUS and MODFLOW. Also, an application of the RTD compilation was realized on the Val d’Orléans karstic aquifer. This last methodology allowed to determine the RTD of pesticides into the groundwater and highlighted the not insignificant presence of the metabolite of the metazachlor in the groundwater drilling. At the same time, the GIS-linked RTD model makes possible the localization of the contributing zones in the watershed.

<p>The Swedish National Testing and Research Institute is maintaining the Swedish realization of the world time scale UTC, called UTC(SP). One area of research and development for The Swedish National Laboratory of Time and Frequency is time synchronization and how UTC(SP) can be distributed in Sweden. Dissemination of time information by SP is in Sweden mainly performed via Internet using the Network Time Protocol (NTP) as well as via a modem dial up service and a speaking clock (Fröken Ur). In addition to these services, time information from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and from the long-wave transmitter DCF77 in Germany, is also available in Sweden. </p><p>This master’s thesis considers how different available commercial communication systems could be used for multicast time distribution. DECT, Bluetooth, Mobile Telecommunication and Radio Broadcasting are different techniques that are investigated. One application of Radio Broadcasting, DARC, was found to be interesting for a more detailed study. A theoretical description of how DARC could be used for national time distribution is accomplished and a practical implementation of a test system is developed to evaluate the possibilities to use DARC for multicast time distribution. </p><p>The tests of DARC and the radio broadcast system showed that these could be interesting techniques to distribute time with an accuracy of a couple of milliseconds. This quality level is not obtained today but would be possible with some alterations of the system.</p>

Conical spouted beds have been commonly used for drying suspensions, solutions and pasty materials. They can also be utilized in many other processes, such as catalytic partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas, coating of tablets, coal gasification and liquefaction, pyrolysis of sawdust or mixtures of wood residues. The main objectives of this work include both the experimental research and mathematical modelling of the conical spouted bed hydrodynamics. For experimental research, pressure transducers and static pressure probes were applied to investigate the evolution of the internal spout and the local static pressure distribution; optical fibre probes were utilized to measure axial particle velocity profiles and voidage profiles; the step tracer injection technique using helium as the tracer and thermal conductivity cells as detectors was used to investigate the gas mixing behaviour inside a conical spouted bed. It was found that many factors might affect calibration of the effective distance of an optical fibre probe. Therefore, a new calibration setup was designed and assembled, and a comprehensive sensitivity analysis was conducted to calibrate the optical probes used in this study. For mathematical modelling, a stream-tube model based on the bed structure inside a conical spouted bed was proposed to simulate partial spouting states. By introducing an adjustable parameter, this model is capable of predicting the total pressure drop under different operating conditions, and estimating axial superficial gas velocity profiles and gauge pressure profiles. A mathematical model based on characteristics of conical spouted beds and the commercial software FLUENT was also developed and validated using measured experimental data. The proposed new CFD model can simulate both stable spouting and partial spouting states, with an adjustable solids-phase source term. At stable spouting states, simulation results agree very well with almost all experimental data, such as static pressure profiles, axial particle velocity profiles, voidage profiles etc. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis was also conducted to investigate the effect of all possible factors on simulation results, including the fluid inlet profile, solid bulk viscosity, frictional viscosity, restitution coefficient, exchange coefficient, and solid phase source term. The proposed new CFD model was also used successfully to simulate gas mixing behaviours inside a conical spouted bed, and simulate cylindrical packed beds as well as cylindrical fluidized beds in one code package.

Conical spouted beds have been commonly used for drying suspensions, solutions and pasty materials. They can also be utilized in many other processes, such as catalytic partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas, coating of tablets, coal gasification and liquefaction, pyrolysis of sawdust or mixtures of wood residues. The main objectives of this work include both the experimental research and mathematical modelling of the conical spouted bed hydrodynamics. For experimental research, pressure transducers and static pressure probes were applied to investigate the evolution of the internal spout and the local static pressure distribution; optical fibre probes were utilized to measure axial particle velocity profiles and voidage profiles; the step tracer injection technique using helium as the tracer and thermal conductivity cells as detectors was used to investigate the gas mixing behaviour inside a conical spouted bed. It was found that many factors might affect calibration of the effective distance of an optical fibre probe. Therefore, a new calibration setup was designed and assembled, and a comprehensive sensitivity analysis was conducted to calibrate the optical probes used in this study. For mathematical modelling, a stream-tube model based on the bed structure inside a conical spouted bed was proposed to simulate partial spouting states. By introducing an adjustable parameter, this model is capable of predicting the total pressure drop under different operating conditions, and estimating axial superficial gas velocity profiles and gauge pressure profiles. A mathematical model based on characteristics of conical spouted beds and the commercial software FLUENT was also developed and validated using measured experimental data. The proposed new CFD model can simulate both stable spouting and partial spouting states, with an adjustable solids-phase source term. At stable spouting states, simulation results agree very well with almost all experimental data, such as static pressure profiles, axial particle velocity profiles, voidage profiles etc. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis was also conducted to investigate the effect of all possible factors on simulation results, including the fluid inlet profile, solid bulk viscosity, frictional viscosity, restitution coefficient, exchange coefficient, and solid phase source term. The proposed new CFD model was also used successfully to simulate gas mixing behaviours inside a conical spouted bed, and simulate cylindrical packed beds as well as cylindrical fluidized beds in one code package.