published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

Volcanic eruptions produce a range of hazards which can impact society. The most widespread of these hazards is volcanic ash fall which can impact a range of critical infrastructure. Power systems are particularly vulnerable to ash fall hazards and the resulting impacts may lead to power supply disruption. This can lead to cascading disruption of dependent systems, such as hospitals, water and wastewater treatment plants, telecommunications and emergency services. Typically, large emergency power generator sets are used to provide emergency power supply for essential services during electrical power outages. There has been little study of what impact ash fall exposure will have on generator performance. International experience suggests large generators can experience rapid performance reduction when exposed to high concentrations of suspended or falling ash due to obstruction of air filters and radiators, causing overheating of the engine and shut down of the generator system. However, it is not clear at what ash fall thresholds generators are likely to be disrupted. This research uses custom designed empirical laboratory experiments to investigate the performance of large generators subjected to a range of volcanic ash fall types and intensities, simulating both proximal and distal ash fall exposure from a range of eruptive styles. It also investigates the application of temporary external filters to minimise the ingestion of volcanic ash into generator housings. The results are used to inform recommendations on the likely impacts of ash to generators and the most effective type of mitigation, which maximises filtration whilst maintaining generator performance. Control tests recorded high particle concentrations (~0.006 mg/m3) which indicate substantial ash contamination is possible. Multiple factors were considered to determine the best mitigation measure including the lowest particle concentration, highest air speed and the ease with which the measure could be fitted. The study found material filtration to be the most effective measure; however as the quality of filtration increased, the air speed was reduced and thus so was the volume of air available to the generator engine. Therefore, the type of filtration required is dependent the ash fall intensity. The study also found that a deflection hood is an effective mitigation measure; maintaining airspeed while reducing particle concentrations within the generator. This research informs risk management strategies for critical infrastructure organisations to reduce the risk of generator disruption during volcanic ash falls.

Yucca Mountain was designated as the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository by the U.S. Government in 1987. The proposed repository design requires high safety for a long maintenance period of 10,000 years. To satisfy this requirement, evaluation of the influence of earthquakes on the repository is necessary. Prediction of earthquake-induced ground motions around the repository requires knowledge of the dynamic properties of the geologic materials around the repository. The main geologic materials in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain are tuffs (ignimbrites) which are formed by the deposition of volcanic ash mixed with erupted volcanic gas, water vapor and pyroclastic material. Two types of dynamic tests, (1) the free-free, unconfined, resonant column and direct arrival test (freefree URC test) and (2) the fixed-free resonant column and torsional shear test (fixed-free RCTS test), were used to measure the dynamic properties of tuffs. The emphasis in this dynamic testing was evaluation of shear modulus (G) and material damping ratio (D) of the tuffs in the small-strain (linear) and mildly nonlinear (to strains of about 0.02 %) ranges. To evaluate the influence of various parameters on G and D of tuffs, correlations with other features such as total unit weight, porosity and stratigraphic unit were performed and general relationships between them are proposed. In addition, an unconfined, slow-cyclic torsional shear (CTS) device was developed and used to measure the cyclic shear properties of the tuffs from Yucca Mountain at larger strain amplitudes than possible in the fixed-free RCTS tests. Additionally, the CTS device was also used to determine the shear failure strength of the tuffs. By combining the cyclic shear properties of the tuffs from the CTS tests and the dynamic properties of the tuffs from the fixed-free RCTS tests, complete dynamic property curves from small-strain to failure strain were evaluated.

Mémoire (M.Sc.T.)-- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1991. / Bibliogr.: f. 83-86. Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Mémoire (M.Sc.T.)--Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1991. / Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Mémoire (M.Sc.T.)-- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1991. / "Mémoire présenté en vue de l'obtention de la maîtrise en sciences de la terre" CaQCU Bibliogr.: f. 166-171. Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, November, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-77).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-128).

Thesis (M.S.)--Indiana University, 2009. / Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Andrew P. Barth, Gabriel Filippelli, Jeffery Wilson. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-64).

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 1993. / Includes mounted photographs. Three folded plates in pocket. Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 213-225). Also available on the World Wide Web.