The effects of altering pH and calcium level during whey protein extrusion were assessed by measuring the protein solubility and WHC of the textured whey protein (TWP). TWP samples were produced by extruding dry mixtures of 2/3 WPC 80 (80% protein) and 1/3 cornstarch using screw speed of 200 rpms, feed rate of 23 g/min, water flow rate of 11 g/min, and product temperature of 150°C. The levels of acid and base were adjusted by adding concentrated HCl or NaOH, respectively, to the water source. Calcium was added to the raw mix in the form of calcium chloride dihydrate before extrusion at levels of 0.4%, 0.88%, and 1.69% calcium per protein (w/w). It was shown that WHC of TWP was increased (p < 0.05) by extrusion with water. WHC was further promoted by extruding with increased levels of base. Solubility of whey protein in water was reduced by extrusion, especially when extruded with added acid or calcium. The practicality of using hydrated TWP in beef patties was determined using sensory, physical, and instrumental analysis. An open consumer panel was conducted on six beef patty samples: 1) 100% beef, 2) 30% TWP extruded with 0.2 M NaOH (TWP0.2MNaOH), 3) 30% TWP extruded with 1.69% calcium (w/w protein) added (TWP1.69%Ca2+), 4) 30% TWP extruded with water (TWPH2O) , 5) 30% TWP extruded with 0.1 M HCl (TWP0.1MHCl), and 6) 30% textured soy protein (TSP). It was found that patties containing 30% TWP0.2MNaoH were equal (p < 0.05) to 100% beef patties in tenderness, juiciness, texture, flavor, and overall acceptability, and well above the scores for patties with 30% TSP. TWP0.2MNaoH was then tested by sensory, physical, and instrumental analysis at three usage levels, 30, 40, and 50%, against 100% beef patties. Patties with up to 40% TWP0.2MNaOH were well accepted (p < 0.05) by consumers, and had higher cook yield, less diameter reduction, and less change in thickness than 100% beef patties. These results suggest great potential for the use of textured whey protein as a meat extender.

Solid surfaces featuring a spatial variation of surface wettability along particular directions on their surface, referred to as wettability gradient surfaces, are becoming increasingly important in practical applications such as enhancement of boiling and condensation heat transfer and separation of immiscible liquids in smart micro-fluidic devices. With the aid of an external energy input, such as mechanical vibration or impact kinetic energy, a liquid drop on such surfaces gets propelled towards more wettable region on the surface. A fundamental study of impact dynamics of liquid drops on such solid surfaces is relevant in understanding their effectiveness. The present thesis reports a combined experimental and theoretical study on the impact dynamics of liquid drops on solid surfaces comprising a smooth portion and a groove-textured portion separated by a junction line (dual-textured surfaces). Three different dual-textured surfaces – two made of intrinsically hydrophilic stainless steel and one of intrinsically hydrophobic poly-di-methyl-siloxane (PDMS) – are considered. Liquid drops, with Weber number (We) in the range 1–100, are impacted on the junction of the dual-textured surfaces and the entire impact dynamics across the junction is captured using a high speed video camera. Experiments of drop impact on the homogeneous surface portions of dual-textured surfaces (far away from the junction) are also conducted. The temporal variation of drop contact radius measured from the junction line on smooth and groove-textured portions of the dual-textured surfaces exhibits four distinct stages – primary spreading, primary receding, secondary spreading on more wettable surface portion, and final equilibrium – with the final outcome being the bulk movement and deposition of liquid drop away from the junction towards the more hydrophilic surface portion. Secondary parameters characterizing each of these different stages are extracted from these measurements and a one-to-one comparison between dual-textured and homogenous surfaces is presented. A significant effect of dual-texture nature is seen on the receding process of impacting drops. On the dual-textured surfaces, the receding velocity of impacting drop on the groove-textured portion is always greater than that on the smooth portion. The asymmetry in drop receding results in a drop drift velocity towards the more wettable surface portion leading to an enhanced secondary drop spreading on the more wettable smooth portion. The drop drift velocity shows a decrease with We at low We and remains almost constant at higher We after a particular value of We. Correspondingly, the ratio of the maximum drop spread factor achieved during the secondary spreading (βm2) to that during the primary spreading (βm) is seen to decrease with We at low We and remains constant at higher We. Owing to the differences in the static equilibrium wetting difference, βm2/βm is more on the stainless steel dual-textured surfaces than on the PDMS dual-textured surface. The presence of dual-texture results in a higher final spread on more wettable smooth portion and smaller final spread on less wettable textured portion of the dual-textured surfaces and this difference decreases with We. The difference in final spread factors between the smooth and textured portions is more on the stainless steel dual-textured surfaces than the PDMS dual-textured surface. The bulk drop movement (ξ), characterized in terms of distance measured from the junction to the final drop center, decreases with We at low We and remains constant at higher We on the stainless steel dual-textured surfaces whereas it remains constant at low We and decreases at higher We on the PDMS dual-textured surface. ξ on the PDMS dual-textured surface is always less than that on the stainless dual-textured surface due to the lower wetting difference across the junction of the former. Comparison of the trends of secondary parameters with the predictions from theoretical models reported in literature showed a lack of agreement. This is due to various physical processes encountered by impacting drop on the groove-textured surface, identified through experiments of drop impact on homogeneous groove-textured surfaces, such as (i) convex shape of liquid-vapor interface near contact line at maximum spreading, (ii) impregnation of drop liquid into the grooves during impact, and (iii) contact line pinning of spreading drop at the asperity edges of surface texture, as well as the wetting difference in dual-textured surfaces. The inclusion of these physical processes under conventional energy conservation approach is seen to predict the experimentally observed trends of maximum drop spread factor on the groove-textured portions. A force balance model, applied to the liquid drop configuration at the beginning of drop receding on the dual-textured surfaces, predicts the qualitative trend of ξ with We on all surfaces. Drop liquid impregnation into the grooves of textured portion at We > Wecr (critical We corresponding to transition from Cassie to impaled state) is proposed as a possible physical mechanism to account for the explanation of the specific trends of ξ with We. A theoretical model formulated using force balance at the three phase contact line beneath impacting drop on groove-textured surface is presented for the prediction of Wecr.

The Aurora Soil Capping study, located in northern Alberta, was constructed to evaluate reclamation practices on lean oil sands dumps. The challenges relating to its success includes determining the appropriate soil cover design(s) for the coarse textured reclamation soil, while utilizing available salvaged natural soils, some of which contain residual bitumen in the form of aggregate oil sand material (AOSM). Limited research on this material raises key questions as to the impact it will play on transport and retention processes, along with potential contamination from hydrocarbon leaching. The research conducted sought to answer these questions. This thesis describes laboratory studies conducted on four soils; the upper organic LFH layer, Bm, BC and subsoil material while varying the amount of AOSM and implementing layering schemes. Material characterization through organic carbon and particle size analysis as well as hydrophobicity studies on AOSM through contact angle analysis were performed. A tension table and pressure plates, along with columns equipped with Time Domain Reflectometry probes, were used for water retention studies. Hydraulic conductivity was measured through constant head methods. To address hydrocarbon leaching concerns, chloride tracer studies were performed and the column outflow was analyzed using Gas Chromatography to detect the hydrocarbon type and concentration. Results from water retention and hydraulic conductivity studies indicated that although the AOSM was hydrophobic, its placement at varying concentrations and forms did not create consistent significant differences in the amount of moisture retained or transported. Results from the column studies showed that under steady state and transient conditions AOSM could result in decreasing infiltration rates and increasing chloride retention. The integration of soil layers further slowed the infiltration rate and delayed chloride transport. Under saturated conditions the presence of higher concentrations of AOSM appeared to increase the rate of water movement. Although these differences were minimal, further studies are required to explore this behavior. Overall, it can be concluded that with appropriate material placement, the addition of layering schemes and hydrocarbon material, the potential exists to increase soil water content in the upper layers of the soil, thereby increasing soil water storage for plant use.

Environmental concerns about winter nitrogen (N) leaching loss limit the amount of biosolids applied to winter small grains in Virginia. Ten field studies were established 2012-2014 in Virginia to determine the agronomic and environmental feasibility of fall biosolids applications to soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Eight studies were located in the Coastal Plain physiographic province and two in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province. The effects of eight biosolids and urea N treatments on 1) biomass production at Zadoks growth stage (GS) 25-30, 2) soil inorganic N at GS 25-30, 3) soil mineralizable N at GS 25-30,4) N use efficiency (NUE) at GS 58, 5) grain yield, 6) end-of-season soil inorganic N, and 7) estimated N recovery were studied. Anaerobically digested (AD) and lime stabilized (LS) biosolids were fall applied at estimated plant available N (PAN) rates of 100 kg N ha⁻¹ and 50 kg N ha⁻¹. The 50 kg N ha⁻¹ biosolids treatments were supplemented with 50 kg N ha⁻¹ as urea in spring. Urea N was split applied at 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha⁻¹, with 1/3 applied in fall and 2/3 in spring. Biomass at GS 25-30 increased with urea N rate and biosolids always resulted in equal or greater biomass than urea. Soil mineralizable N at GS 25-30 rarely responded to fall urea or biosolids N rate, regardless of biosolids type. Biosolids and urea applied at the agronomic N rate resulted in equal grain yield and estimated N recovery in soils where N leaching loss risk was low, regardless of biosolids type or application strategy. Lime stabilized biosolids and biosolids/urea split N application increased grain yield and estimated N recovery in soils with high or moderate N leaching loss risk. Therefore, AD and LS biosolids can be fall-applied to winter wheat at the full agronomic N rate in soils with low N leaching loss risk, while LS biosolids could be applied to winter wheat at the full agronomic N rate in soils with moderate or high N leaching loss risk. / Master of Science

Neste trabalho são apresentados os principais conceitos relacionados às pinturas texturizadas. Foram propostas diretrizes mínimas para especificação e recebimento de pinturas texturizadas acrílicas em substratos de argamassa para fachadas de edifícios. Para o estabelecimento das diretrizes foram evidenciadas as práticas adotadas através de estudos de casos e foi realizado um estudo experimental para desenvolvimento dos principais critérios de aceitação propostos. Considera-se que a especificação técnica é o ponto de partida para assegurar que as pinturas texturizadas acrílicas atendam o uso previsto. / In this work the main concepts related to textured coatings are presented. The minimal directives are proposed for specification and act of receiving of acrylic textured coatings in renderings for buildings frontages. For the establishment of the directives the practices adopted through studies of cases had been evidenced and an experimental study was carried through for development of the main considered accepted criteria. It is considered that the technical specification is the starting point to assure that the acrylic textured coatings take care of the foreseen use.

Textured digital elevation models (TDEMs) have valuable use in precision agriculture, situational awareness, and disaster response. However, Scientific-quality models are expensive to obtain using conventional aircraft-based methods. Photogrammetry-based techniques have no direct measurements, and thus has uncertainty in the reconstruction. The concept of a texel camera, which has both aerial imagery and ladar measurements from an inexpensive small UAV, can be used to combine the two methods. A texel camera fuses calibrated ladar measurements and electro-optical imagery upon simultaneous capture, creating a texel image. This eliminates the problem of fusing the data in a post-processing step and enables both 2D- and 3D-image registration techniques to be used. A texel camera outputs texel swaths during a UAV flight. A swath consists of an aerial image that is calibrated to associated depth measurements. This thesis describes an automatic algorithm for registering these texel swaths into a TDEM. The algorithm involves image processing, 3D geometry, and nonlinear optimization processes. The algorithm is seeded with a coarse estimate of the position and attitude of each texel swath capture, obtained using an on-board navigation system. Analysis of several data sets registered using this algorithm is shown. This method enables an inexpensive alternative to obtaining high quality textured 3D landscapes.

Textured SnO2 films as TCO have been investigated to determine the effect of surface roughness on the performance of CdS/CdTe solar cells. Film roughness was controlled by varying the substrate temperature. Characterization of the SnO2 films has also carried out using AFM measurements. It was found that increase in substrate temperature results in increased roughness of the film. A series of cells were fabricated with different CdS thicknesses to determine the combined effect of SnO2 roughness and CdS thickness. As a part of fabrication process, cells were subjected to different post deposition treatments. It was observed that roughness seems to be critical when CdS remained in the final device is thin. The performance of CdS/CdTe devices fabricated was characterized using J-V and spectral response measurements. It was found that cells with initial CdS thickness of 1000 showed better performance than those with thicker CdS for the same roughness of SnO2. Conversion efficiency of 13.37% was achieved by increasing the SnO2 roughness and depositing thicker CdS initially.

How much groundwater flows to boreal streams depends on the relative contributions from each landscape unit (forested uplands, lakes, and peatlands) within a catchment along with its hydrogeologic setting. Although there is an understanding of the hydrologic processes that regulate groundwater outputs from individual landscape units to their underlying aquifers (both coarse- and fine-textured) in the boreal forest, less understood is how the topography, typology, and topology (i.e. hydrologic connectivity) of the landscape units regulates groundwater flow to streams. Improved understanding of groundwater-stream interactions in the Boreal Plain of Alberta and Saskatchewan is critical as this region is undergoing substantial environmental change from land cover disturbances for energy and forestry industries and climate change. This thesis determines groundwater-stream interactions during the autumn low-flow period in a 97 km2 glacial outwash sub-catchment of White Gull Creek Research Basin, Boreal Ecosystem Research and Modelling Site, Saskatchewan. The catchment (Pine Fen Creek) is comprised of a large (30 km2) valley-bottom peatland, two lakes, and jack pine (Pinus banksiana) uplands. The pine uplands are important areas of annual groundwater recharge for the catchment. Vertical hydraulic gradients (VHGs) show frequent flow reversals between the lakes and sand aquifer, and spatially diverse VHGs between the peatland and sand aquifer. Groundwater flow nets and lateral hydraulic gradients indicate the stream receives groundwater along its length. Isotopic samples of end members corroborate the hydrometric data. Catchment streamflow response during the 2011 low flow period was not simply the addition of net groundwater inputs from each landscape unit. Instead, the large size, valley-bottom position, and short water ‘memory’ of the peatland were the critical factors in regulation of catchment streamflow during low flow periods. Peatland hydrologic function alternated between a source and sink of runoff (surface and subsurface) to the stream, dependent on the position of the water table; a value of 0.15 m below peat surface was the critical functional tipping point. Given the high percentage of peatlands (21%) within the Boreal Plain, incorporating their runoff threshold is required in parameterizing runoff generation in hydrological models, and thus predicting impacts of peatland degradation and forest clearing on streamflow.

Power industry is undergoing a transition from the traditional regulated environment to the competitive power market. To have a reliable state estimator (SE) in the power market environment, two major challenges are emerging, i.e. to keep SE running reliably even under a contingency and to run SE over a grid with extremely large size. The objective of this dissertation is to use graph theory to address the above two challenges. To keep SE running reliably under a contingency, a novel topological approach is first proposed to identify critical measurements and examine network observability under a contingency. To advance the classical topological observability analysis, a new concept of contingency observability graph (COG) is introduced and it is proven that a power system network maintains its observability under a contingency if and only if its COG satisfies some conditions. As an application of COG, a two-stage heuristic topological approach is further developed based on the new concept of qualified COG (QCOG) to minimize the number of measurements and RTUs under the constraint that the system remains observable under any single contingency. To overcome the disadvantages of existing SE over extremely large networks, a textured distributed state estimator (DSE), which consists of the off-line textured architecture design and the on-line textured computation, is proposed based on COG and a new concept of Bus Credibility Index (BCI). The textured DSE is non-recursive, asynchronous and avoids central controlling node. Numerical tests verify that the performance of the new textured DSE algorithm improves greatly compared with existing DSE algorithms in respect of bad data detection and identification. Furthermore, the software implementation for DSE is formulated as an information integration problem over regional power markets, and is very challenging because of its size and complexity. A new concept of semantic knowledge warehouse (SKW), together with the proposed concepts of semantic reasoning software component (SRSC) and deduction credibility, is developed to implement such an information integration system.

Pure and palladium&amp / #8208 / covered 350 nm thick magnesium thin films were deposited on glass substrates via thermal evaporation. In the as&amp / #8208 / deposited state, films were highly textured with Mg (001) parallel to the substrate. Hydrogen loading experiments were carried out in two different conditions / namely isothermal and isochronal. Hydrogenation behaviors of the thin films were followed by twopoint probe electrical resistance and optical transmittance measurements, as well as x&amp / #8208 / ray diffraction studies. Isothermal hydrogenation experiments conducted on Pd&amp / #8208 / covered Mg thin films have revealed that these films can absorb hydrogen at temperatures starting from 333 K, producing MgH2 with a random texture. When the films were heated slowly starting from the room temperature, on the other hand, hydrogenation gives rise to a textured MgH2, where (110) parallel to the substrate with a minor (101) component. Formation of the textured hydride in isochronal loading was discussed within the context of lattice mismatch in Mg to MgH2 transformation. It was further shown that formation of such a textured hydride in Mg thin films minimizes in&amp / #8208 / plane lattice distortion.