The world faces two major energy-related challenges: reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and improving energy security. Wind-electricity, a clean and environmentally sustainable energy source, appears promising. However, its intermittency is problematic when used as a supply for on-demand electricity. Wind-electricity can be used for space heating when combined with thermal-storage systems; although its intermittency can result in periods of excess electricity. To reduce the excess, this thesis proposes using wind-electricity for thermal-storage and electric-vehicles. Four charging procedures are designed and developed. Data from an eastern Canadian wind-farm is used to demonstrate the procedures. The results are compared and discussed in terms of the supply of wind-electricity and its ability to meet the energy requirements of these services. Depending on the procedure, wind-electricity displaced between 20 and 26 GWh of energy previously required for space-heating and transportation, demonstrating that wind-electricity, with intermittently-chargeable loads using storage, is a solution to the intermittency problem.

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Kangaroo paw inflorescences stored dry at 0 to 1 Degrees Celsius for 14 days have been found previously to have substantially reduced post-storage vase life. In this project, experiments were conducted to quantify the vase life of dry, stored Kangaroo paw flowers following storage at either 0, 7.5 or 13 Degrees Celsius for up to four weeks. the aim of these experiments was to determine a dry storage temperature suitable for commercial use. experiments were carried out using two cultivars of Kangaroo paw, 'Bush Dawn' and 'Big Red'. For each cultivar, vase life was assessed by (1) determining the time taken for each flower to lose 20% of its initial fresh weight and (2) determining the time taken for 10% of the inflorescence to become to discoloured. Vase life studies were carried out a 22 Degrees Celsius prior to and following removal from low temperature storage and flowers were weighed, inflorescence colour determined and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters Fo, minimal fluorescence emission, and Fm, maximum fluorescence emission were determined.

Farmers in Nepal lose about a third of their harvested grain due to postharvest handling and storage. This has led to food insecurity and economic losses. Despite the importance of postharvest, the grain storage system in Nepal relies on traditional storage structures like bamboo granaries. The incidence of storage pests is reported up to 100% in these structures. To minimize the storage loss, farmers use different grain protection methods including toxic chemicals. Multiple cases of pesticides-related poisoning and deaths have been caused by misuse and overuse of pesticides. To push safer, chemical-free alternatives like hermetic storage it is important to understand current pest challenges and management practices in Nepal. Adaptation of chemical-free pest management strategies like hermetic storage largely depends upon basic and applied laboratory research findings. Determining the baseline adult mortality under various hypoxia levels and subsequent insect emergence will help determine the effectiveness of a low oxygen environment in controlling <i>Sitophilus oryzae</i> (L.). This would increase our understanding of hermetic storage technology and help improve its application to both farmers and commercial users and serve as a possible substitute to traditional or chemical pest control methods. In chapter one, I report the result of the survey conducted in Nepal to understand i) current post-harvest storage practices and (ii) assessment of the best delivery approach for storage innovations. In chapter 2, I report the result from laboratory experiment conducted to understand the lethality of hypoxia at 5% oxygen level and below against <i>Sitophilus oryzae</i> (L.), which is a major storage pest reported by farmers in Nepal.

Ergovaline is produced by the endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) in tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinacea (Schreb.) Dumort. = Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and is blamed for a multitude of costly livestock disorders. Testing of pastures is common in both research and on farm situations. Since ergovaline is known to be unstable and affected by many variables, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of sample handling and storage on the stability of this compound. Homogeneous milled tall fescue sub-samples were analyzed for ergovaline concentration using HPLC after a range of sample handling procedures or storage. Ergovaline was unstable in milled material after 24 hours in storage, regardless of temperature. The decrease in ergovaline after 24 hours ranged from 17 to 60%. These results show that tall fescue sample handling and storage have a significant effect on ergovaline concentrations. In conclusion, accurate laboratory analysis of ergovaline content may require that samples be transported immediately to the laboratory on ice for immediate analysis. Most laboratories are not equipped for same day analysis, therefore researchers and producers should acknowledge that laboratory ergovaline results may be lower than the actual content in the field.

This Master's thesis aims to analyze the economic and financial situation of Yusen Logistics (Czech) Ltd. in the period 2009 - 2013, which would be achieved by using the methods of economic analysis. The core of the thesis is divided into two parts -- theoretical part that will describe the methods and practices of economic analysis and the practical part where data from the financial statements of the company is subjected to analysis of absolute and relative indicators. The rate of fulfilment of the recommendations given by golden balance rules will be assessed. This thesis contains also decomposition of return on equity indicator, working capital analysis and calculation of economic value added. Application of selected aggregate solvent and bankruptcy models will allow us to assess the complex financial health and future economic situation of the company. At the end of the practical part, the results of selected indicators will be compared with the results of the entire sector Transport and storage.

Carbon dioxide capture, transportation, and storage has been identified as the most promising way to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. Efforts made to achieve this purpose include the Paris (Climate) Accord. This agreement seeks to encourage countries to take the issue of rising global temperatures seriously. With nearly all countries signing this agreement, many CCTS projects are expected. Pipelines are employed in the transportation of CO2. CO2 fluids contain impurities that affect the fluid properties and flow dynamics, but pipelines are mostly designed assuming that the CO2 fluid is pure. CO2 pipeline fluids contain at least 90 % CO2 with the balance made up of impurities. The impurities include nitrogen, methane, oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, ammonia, argon, etc. The effects of the impurities are studied using simulation software; Aspen HYSYS, gPROMS and HydraFlash. The results show that all impurities impacted negatively on transportation. At equal concentrations, hydrogen had the greatest effect on fluid properties and hydrogen sulphide the least impact. At the specified allowable concentration, nitrogen had the worst effect on pressure loss (32.1 %) in horizontal pipeline, density, and critical pressure. Carbon monoxide (with only 0.2-mol %) had the smallest effect in pressure drop (0.3 %). Analysis of supercritical and subcritical (or liquid) CO2 fluid transportation shows that subcritical fluids have higher densities (more volume transported) and lower pressure losses than supercritical fluids. Subcritical fluid transportation would therefore have lower pipeline transportation costs than supercritical fluids. Also, soil heat conductivity has greater effect than ambient temperature in buried pipelines. Simple equations that approximate binary CO2 fluid properties from pure CO2 properties were developed and presented.

<p dir="ltr">Precision agriculture has been around for many, many years but as technology has rapidly grown with the population, farmers are looking for more ways to improve their operation with the help of these tools. These tools help farmers manage, understand, and decide when, how and what should be done regarding the tough decisions in the field based on their machinery statues. The tools that utilize GPS location and provide farm managers with useful information and feedback on large scales of value in the Harvesting and planting operation. With previous works done focusing on identify state machine activity utilizing GPS location data with the use of loggers and algorithms this study carries on from one field to the next identifying the truth data set for each and the accuracy of the algorithm. The goal is to add a more realistic view to the states identifying turning and transporting throughout the harvesting operation in truth data and from algorithm results. Also diving into truck activity with lower standard GPS tracking to see how accurately they can be predicted to complete the harvesting cycle from vehicle to vehicle. Overall, the combine and grain cart held at 88% accuracy for labeling all state activity during the harvesting operation for multiple fields, while for the model algorithm with the grain trucks having an overall accuracy of 94%.</p>