Air gasification of rice husk in bubbling fluidized bed reactor with bed heating by conventional charcoal.

PubMed

Makwana, J P; Joshi, Asim Kumar; Athawale, Gaurav; Singh, Dharminder; Mohanty, Pravakar

2015-02-01

An experimental study of air gasification of rice husk was conducted in a bench-scale fluidized bed gasifier (FBG) having 210 mm diameter and 1600 mm height. Heating of sand bed material was performed using conventional charcoal fuel. Different operating conditions like bed temperature, feeding rate and equivalence ratio (ER) varied in the range of 750-850 °C, 25-31.3 kg/h, and 0.3-0.38, respectively. Flow rate of air was kept constant (37 m(3)/h) during FBG experiments. The carbon conversion efficiencies (CCE), cold gas efficiency, and thermal efficiency were evaluated, where maximum CCE was found as 91%. By increasing ER, the carbon conversion efficiency was decreased. Drastic reduction in electric consumption for initial heating of gasifier bed with charcoal compared to ceramic heater was ∼45%. Hence rice husk is found as a potential candidate to use directly (without any processing) in FBG as an alternative renewable energy source from agricultural field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Laboratory Experiment on the Evolution of a Sand Gravel Reach Under a Lack of Sediment Supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orru, C.; Chavarrias, V.; Ferrara, V.; Blom, A.

2014-12-01

A flume experiment was conducted to examine the evolution of a sand-gravel reach under a lack of sediment supply. The experimental data are used to validate a numerical sand-gravel model. A bed composed of a bi-modal sediment mixture is installed with a uniform slope and an imposed gradual fining pattern. Initially, the sand fraction gradually increases in streamwise direction until the bed is fully composed of sand. The water discharge and downstream water level were constant, and the sediment feed rate was equal to zero. The experiment was dominated by bed load, partial transport, and a subcritical flow regime was imposed. The flow rate was such that only sand was mobile (partial transport), which led to a coarsening over the upstream reach and a gradual reduction of the sediment transport rate during the experiment. New equipment was used to measure the evolution of the grain size distribution of the bed surface during the experiment over the entire flume using image analysis. In the upstream reach we observed a gradual coarsening over time and the formation of an armour layer, which resulted in a more abrupt transition in grain size of the bed surface. Bed degradation increased in streamwise direction. This is due to the initial streamwise increase in the availability of sand in the bed. The different volume fraction content of sand in the bed allowed for the gravel to sink more in the downstream part of the upstream reach. The sand reach suffered from a larger degradation. Finally, we see one reach dominated by sand, small bedforms, and a small bed slope, and a gravel reach dominated by a larger bed slope.

Colorado River sediment transport: 2. Systematic bed‐elevation and grain‐size effects of sand supply limitation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Topping, David J.; Rubin, David M.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; Kinzel, Paul J.; Corson, Ingrid C.

2000-01-01

The Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons displays evidence of annual supply limitation with respect to sand both prior to [Topping et al, this issue] and after the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. Systematic changes in bed elevation and systematic coupled changes in suspended‐sand concentration and grain size result from this supply limitation. During floods, sand supply limitation either causes or modifies a lag between the time of maximum discharge and the time of either maximum or minimum (depending on reach geometry) bed elevation. If, at a cross section where the bed aggrades with increasing flow, the maximum bed elevation is observed to lead the peak or the receding limb of a flood, then this observed response of the bed is due to sand supply limitation. Sand supply limitation also leads to the systematic evolution of sand grain size (both on the bed and in suspension) in the Colorado River. Sand input during a tributary flood travels down the Colorado River as an elongating sediment wave, with the finest sizes (because of their lower settling velocities) traveling the fastest. As the fine front of a sediment wave arrives at a given location, the bed fines and suspended‐sand concentrations increase in response to the enhanced upstream supply of finer sand. Then, as the front of the sediment wave passes that location, the bed is winnowed and suspended‐sand concentrations decrease in response to the depletion of the upstream supply of finer sand. The grain‐size effects of depletion of the upstream sand supply are most obvious during periods of higher dam releases (e.g., the 1996 flood experiment and the 1997 test flow). Because of substantial changes in the grain‐size distribution of the bed, stable relationships between the discharge of water and sand‐transport rates (i.e., stable sand rating curves) are precluded. Sand budgets in a supply‐limited river like the Colorado River can only be constructed through inclusion of the physical processes that couple changes in bed‐sediment grain size to changes in sand‐transport rates.

Supply-Limited Bedforms in a Gravel-Sand Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venditti, J. G.; Nittrouer, J. A.; Humphries, R. P.; Allison, M. A.

2009-12-01

Rivers often exhibit an abrupt transition from gravel to sand-bedded conditions as river channel slopes decrease. A distinct suite of bedforms has been observed through these reaches where sand supply to the bed is limited. The suite of bedforms includes a sequence of sand ribbons, barchans, and channel spanning dunes as sediment supply increases in the downstream direction. While these bedforms have been extensively documented in laboratory channels, there are relatively few observations of this sequence of supply-limited bedforms from large natural channels. Here we examine the sequence through the gravel-sand transition of the Fraser River in Southwestern British Columbia. We mapped the bed using multi-beam swath-bathymetry (Reson 8101 Seabat) at high flow (~9,000 m3s-1) immediately following a high peak flow of 11,800 m3s-1 in June 2007 The bed material grades from >70% gravel to entirely sand through the reach. The bedforms follow the expected sequence where sand ribbons and barchanoid forms cover the bed where it is primarily gravel. Channel spanning dunes form as the sand bed coverage increases. Bedform dimensions (height and length) increase moving downstream as the sand moving on the bed increases. Supply-unlimited bedforms typically scale with the flow depth where the height is 1/5 the flow depth. The bedforms developed over the gravel are undersized by this criterion. Downstream, where the bed is dominantly sand, bedforms do scale with flow depth. These data highlight the dominant role sediment supply can play in bedform morphology and scaling, confirming patterns observed in laboratory data.

Effects of sand and straw bedding on the lying behavior, cleanliness, and hoof and hock injuries of dairy cows.

PubMed

Norring, M; Manninen, E; de Passillé, A M; Rushen, J; Munksgaard, L; Saloniemi, H

2008-02-01

This experiment compared the effects of sand and straw bedding in free stalls on resting time, cleanliness, hock injuries, and hoof health of dairy cows and tested whether cow preferences for a bedding material depended on the familiarity with the material. A total of 52 dairy cows were kept either on straw bedded concrete stalls or sand stalls for at least 21 wk. The lying behavior was observed, and hock lesions, hoof health, and cleanliness of the cows and stalls were measured. A 5-d preference test between sand and straw stalls was conducted at the end of the experiment. The total daily duration of lying was longer for cows on straw bedding than on sand bedding (straw 749 +/- 16 vs. sand 678 +/- 19 min). During the preference test, cows that had been kept on straw bedding preferred lying in straw stalls [straw 218.7 (133.4 to 239.7) vs. sand 9.0 min (2.8 to 44.8)]; however, cows that had been kept on sand showed no preference [straw 101.3 (51.7 to 205.9) vs. sand 94.3 min (54.1 to 156.1, median and interquartile range)]. Although there were no differences in the dirtiness of stalls, the cows using straw stalls were dirtier than cows using sand stalls [straw 6.04 (5.39 to 6.28) vs. sand 4.19 (3.62 to 5.16)]. At the end of experiment the severity of hock lesions was lower for cows on sand than for cows on straw [sand 0.5 (0.0 to 1.0) vs. straw 1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)]. The improvement in overall hoof health over the observation period was greater for cows kept on sand compared with cows kept on straw [sand -2.00 (-3.75 to -0.25) vs. straw 0.00 (-2.00 to 2.00)]. Straw bedding increased the time that cows spend lying, and cows preferred straw stalls to sand stalls. However, previous experience with sand reduces avoidance of sand stalls. Sand stalls were advantageous for cow cleanliness and health; hock lesions and claw diseases healed more quickly for cows using sand stalls compared with straw.

Organic matter degradation in a greywater recycling system using a multistage moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR).

PubMed

Saidi, Assia; Masmoudi, Khaoula; Nolde, Erwin; El Amrani, Btissam; Amraoui, Fouad

2017-12-01

Greywater is an important non-conventional water resource which can be treated and recycled in buildings. A decentralized greywater recycling system for 223 inhabitants started operating in 2006 in Berlin, Germany. High load greywater undergoes advanced treatment in a multistage moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) followed by sand filtration and UV disinfection. The treated water is used safely as service water for toilet flushing. Monitoring of the organic matter degradation was pursued to describe the degradation processes in each stage and optimize the system. Results showed that organic matter reduction was achieved for the most part in the first three reactors, whereas the highest reduction rate was observed in the third reactor in terms of COD (chemical oxygen demand), dissolved organic carbon and BOD 7 (biological oxygen demand). The results also showed that the average loading rate entering the system was 3.7 kg COD/d, while the removal rate was 3.4 kg COD/d in a total bioreactor volume of 11.7 m³. In terms of BOD, the loading rate was 2.8 kg BOD/d and it was almost totally removed. This system requires little space (0.15 m²/person) and maintenance work of less than one hour per month and it shows operational stability under peak loads.

The sand-deposition impact of artificial gravel beds on the protection of the Mogao Grottoes

PubMed Central

Li, Guo Shuai; Qu, Jian Jun; Li, Xu Zhi; Wang, Wan Fu

2014-01-01

Gravel beds can prevent sand-dust emission and weaken sand-dust flux. We used wind-tunnel experiments and field observations on artificial gravel beds above the Mogao Grottoes to quantify their impact. In the report, we identified a significant correlation between gravel roughness and its ability to trap wind-transported sand. The optimal combinations of gravel diameter and coverage were determined. The greatest roughness is achieved when small gravel coverage is 75%, medium 40% and large 45%. We found that initial wind speed and gravel coverage are the key factors controlling the amount of sand trapped by the gravel beds. PMID:24614183

Attrition-free pyrolysis to produce bio-oil and char.

PubMed

Mauviel, Guillain; Guillain, Mauviel; Kies, Fairouz; Fairouz, Kies; René, Mar Sans; Mar, Sans Rene; Ferrer, Monique; Monique, Ferrer; Lédé, Jacques; Jacques, Lédé

2009-12-01

Experiments are performed on a laboratory scale setup where beech wood chips are heated by gas convection and walls radiation. This study shows that it is possible to obtain high bio-oil and char yields with relatively low external heat transfer coefficients. The main advantage of this convection/radiation heat transfer mode compared to solid-solid collisions, applied in fluidized bed or twin screw reactors, is the reduction of solid attrition (char and sand). Thus tricky gas-solid separation through hot cyclones and/or hot filters could be avoided or reduced. It should be possible to recover directly bio-oil with less char particles and char free of sand dust. These qualities would allow easier use of these bio-products in different applications.

Controls on the abruptness of gravel-sand transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venditti, J. G.; Church, M. A.; Lamb, M. P.; Domarad, N.; Rennie, C. D.

2014-12-01

As gravel-bedded rivers fine downstream, they characteristically exhibit an abrupt transition from gravel- to sand-bed. This is the only abrupt transition in grain-size that occurs in the fluvial system and has attracted considerable attention. A number of competing theories have been proposed to account for the abruptness of the transition, including base-level control, attrition of ~10mm gravel to produce sand, and sediment sorting processes. The prevailing theory for the emergence of abrupt transitions is size selective sorting of bimodal sediment wherein gravel deposits due to downstream declining shear stress, fining the bedload until a sand-bed emerges. We explored this hypothesis by examining grain-size, shear stress, gravel mobility and sand suspension thresholds through the gravel-sand transition (GST) of the Fraser River, British Columbia. The Fraser GST is an arrested gravel wedge with patches of gravel downstream of the wedge forming a diffuse extension. There is an abrupt change in bed slope through the transition that leads to an abrupt change in shear stress. The GST, bed-slope change and backwater caused by the ocean are all coincident spatially, which enhances the sharpness of the GST. Interestingly, the bimodal reach of the river occurs downstream of the GST and exhibits no downstream gradients in shear stress, suspended sediment flux, gravel mobility or sand suspension thresholds. This calls into question the prevailing theory for the emergence of an abrupt GST by size selective sorting. We provide evidence, both empirical and theoretical, that suggests the emergence of an abrupt GST is caused by rapid deposition of sand when fine gravel deposits. We argue that the emergence of gravel-sand transitions is a consequence of gravel-bedded rivers adopting a steeper slope than sand-bedded rivers. The abruptness arises because the bed slope required to convey the gravel load fixes the distal location of a terminal gravel wedge, and once the river has lost the capacity to carry the gravel mixture, the river adopts the lower slope required to pass the sand load. Progressive downstream fining of a gravel-sand mixture is not a necessary condition for the emergence of a gravel-sand transition.

Suspended and Bedload Sand dynamics in the Mekong River Channel and Export to the Coastal Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, J. D.; Di Leonardo, D. R.; Weathers, H. D., III; Allison, M. A.

2016-02-01

Two field campaigns were conducted in the tidal and estuarine reach of the Song Hau distributary of the Mekong River to examine the dynamics of sand transport and export to the coastal ocean. This study examines variation in suspended sand concentration and net transport with respect to changes in discharge between the October 2014 high discharge and March 2015 low discharge studies, and over semi-diurnal and spring-neap tidal cycles between Can Tho and the Tran De and Dinh An distributary channels in the Mekong Delta. Suspended sand concentrations were measured using a P-61 isokinetic suspended sediment sampler and a Sequoia Scientific LISST-100X used in vertical profiling mode. Stationary ADCP data are used to examine bed stress at cast sites. Bed load transport rates were calculated using a repeat multibeam transect methodology and dune translation rates with flow. Preliminary results indicate that suspended sand concentration increases towards the bed and is positively correlated with increasing shear stress controlled by river discharge and tides. However, sites with non-sandy bottoms, as indicated by multibeam bathymetry, have low suspended sand concentrations, suggesting a close linkage with a bed sand source. Bed load transport rates vary cross-sectionally with shear stress and are linked to dune size. Most bed load transport is taking place in or near the thalweg. The reduction in ebb flows at low discharge and the mantling of sand fields by salinity driven mud deposition, is suspected to control the low suspended sand concentrations observed in March. Results to date suggest that net sand export (suspended plus bed load) to the ocean occurs predominantly during the high discharge monsoon season.

Combustion of peanut and tamarind shells in a conical fluidized-bed combustor: a comparative study.

PubMed

Kuprianov, Vladimir I; Arromdee, Porametr

2013-07-01

Combustion of peanut and tamarind shells was studied in the conical fluidized-bed combustor using alumina sand as the bed material to prevent bed agglomeration. Morphological, thermogravimetric and kinetic characteristics were investigated to compare thermal and combustion reactivity between the biomass fuels. The thermogravimetric kinetics of the biomasses was fitted using the Coats-Redfern method. Experimental tests on the combustor were performed at 60 and 45 kg/h fuel feed rates, with excess air within 20-80%. Temperature and gas concentrations were measured along radial and axial directions in the reactor and at stack. The axial temperature and gas concentration profiles inside the combustor exhibited sensible effects of fuel properties and operating conditions on combustion and emission performance. High (≈ 99%) combustion efficiency and acceptable levels of CO, CxHy, and NO emissions are achievable when firing peanut shells at excess air of about 40%, whereas 60% is more preferable for burning tamarind shells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Degradation of anionic surfactants during drying of UASBR sludges on sand drying beds.

PubMed

Mungray, Arvind Kumar; Kumar, Pradeep

2008-09-01

Anionic surfactant (AS) concentrations in wet up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASBR) sludges from five sewage treatment plants (STPs) were found to range from 4480 to 9,233 mg kg(-1)dry wt. (average 7,347 mg kg(-1)dry wt.) over a period of 18 months. After drying on sand drying beds (SDBs), AS in dried-stabilized sludges averaged 1,452 mg kg(-1)dry wt., a reduction of around 80%. The kinetics of drying followed simple first-order reduction of moisture with value of drying constant (k(d))=0.051 d(-1). Reduction of AS also followed first-order kinetics. AS degradation rate constant (k(AS)) was found to be 0.034 d(-1) and half-life of AS as 20 days. The order of rates of removal observed was k(d)>k(AS)>k(COD)>k(OM) (drying >AS degradation>COD reduction>organic matter reduction). For the three applications of dried-stabilized sludges (soil, agricultural soil, grassland), values of risk quotient (RQ) were found to be <1, indicating no risk.

Update on Regulation of Sand Transport in the Colorado River by Changes in the Surface Grain Size of Eddy Sandbars over Multiyear Timescales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Topping, David J.; Rubin, David M.; Schmidt, John C.

2008-01-01

In settings where the transport of sand is partially or fully supply limited, changes in the upstream supply of sand are coupled to changes in the grain size of sand on the bed. In this manner, the transport of sand under the supply-limited case is ?grain-size regulated.? Since the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, the downstream reach of the Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons has exhibited evidence of sand-supply limitation. Sand transport in the river is now about equally regulated by changes in the discharge of water and changes in the grain sizes of sand on the channel bed and eddy sandbars. Previous work has shown that changes in the grain size of sand on the channel bed (driven by changes in the upstream supply of sand owing to both tributary floods and high dam releases) are important in regulating sand transport over timescales of days to months. In this study, suspended-sand data are analyzed in conjunction with bed grain-size data to determine whether changes in the sand grain size on the channel bed, or changes in the sand grain size on the surface of eddy sandbars, have been more important in regulating sand transport in the postdam Colorado River over longer, multiyear timescales. The results of this study show that this combined theory- and field-based approach can be used to deduce which environments in a complicated setting are most important for regulating sediment transport. In the case of the regulated Colorado River in Marble and upper Grand Canyons, suspended-sand transport has been regulated mostly by changes in the surface grain size of eddy sandbars.

Survival and replication of Mycoplasma species in recycled bedding sand and association with mastitis on dairy farms in Utah.

PubMed

Justice-Allen, A; Trujillo, J; Corbett, R; Harding, R; Goodell, G; Wilson, D

2010-01-01

Mycoplasma spp., usually Mycoplasma bovis, are important bovine pathogens that can cause mastitis, metritis, pneumonia, and arthritis. The currently documented routes of transmission of Mycoplasma spp. are through contaminated milking equipment and by direct animal contact. The existence of environmental sources for Mycoplasma spp. and their role in transmission and clinical disease is poorly characterized. Mycoplasma spp. (confirmed as M. bovis in 2 of 4 samples tested using PCR) was found in recycled bedding sand originating from a dairy experiencing an outbreak of clinical mycoplasma mastitis. Mycoplasma spp. were subsequently found in bedding sand from 2 other dairies whose bulk-tank milk was mycoplasma-positive. The association between the occurrence of Mycoplasma spp. in recycled bedding sand and mycoplasma mastitis in cows was further investigated using a pile of recycled sand from dairy 1. Study objectives included the determination of factors associated with the concentration of Mycoplasma spp. in recycled bedding sand and the duration of survival of mycoplasmas in the sand. We also evaluated the efficacy of 2 disinfectants at 2 different concentrations each for the elimination of Mycoplasma spp. from contaminated sand. Mycoplasma spp. survived in the sand pile for 8 mo. The concentration of Mycoplasma spp. within the sand pile was directly related to temperature and precipitation. It was also positively associated with the growth of gram-negative microorganisms, suggesting the possibility of the formation of a biofilm. Ideal temperatures for replication of Mycoplasma spp. occurred between 15 and 20 degrees C. Moisture in the sand and movement of the sand pile also appeared to play a role in replication of mycoplasmas. We found that 0.5% sodium hypochlorite or 2% chlorhexidine were efficacious in eliminating Mycoplasma spp. from contaminated bedding sand. Recycled bedding sand could be an environmental source of Mycoplasma spp., including M. bovis, infections in dairy cows. Future studies should investigate the contribution of this environmental source to the epidemiology of mycoplasma infections in dairy cattle. Copyright 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simple stochastic cellular automaton model for starved beds and implications about formation of sand topographic features in terms of sand flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endo, Noritaka

2016-12-01

A simple stochastic cellular automaton model is proposed for simulating bedload transport, especially for cases with a low transport rate and where available sediments are very sparse on substrates in a subaqueous system. Numerical simulations show that the bed type changes from sheet flow through sand patches to ripples as the amount of sand increases; this is consistent with observations in flume experiments and in the field. Without changes in external conditions, the sand flux calculated for a given amount of sand decreases over time as bedforms develop from a flat bed. This appears to be inconsistent with the general understanding that sand flux remains unchanged under the constant-fluid condition, but it is consistent with the previous experimental data. For areas of low sand abundance, the sand flux versus sand amount (flux-density relation) in the simulation shows a single peak with an abrupt decrease, followed by a long tail; this is very similar to the flux-density relation seen in automobile traffic flow. This pattern (the relation between segments of the curve and the corresponding bed states) suggests that sand sheets, sand patches, and sand ripples correspond respectively to the free-flow phase, congested phase, and jam phase of traffic flows. This implies that sand topographic features on starved beds are determined by the degree of interference between sand particles. Although the present study deals with simple cases only, this can provide a simplified but effective modeling of the more complicated sediment transport processes controlled by interference due to contact between grains, such as the pulsatory migration of grain-size bimodal mixtures with repetition of clustering and scattering.

Sand Transport, Flow Turbulence, and Bed Forms over an Immobile Gravel Bed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Channels downstream of dams often become armored because the sediment supply from upstream is cut off. Sand is generally supplied to these armored reaches intermittently from tributaries downstream of the dam or from sand bypassing. Accurate predictions of the rate of transport of sand over and th...

Sediment Transport During Three Controlled-Flood Experiments on the Colorado River Downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, with Implications for Eddy-Sandbar Deposition in Grand Canyon National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Topping, David J.; Rubin, David M.; Grams, Paul E.; Griffiths, Ronald E.; Sabol, Thomas A.; Voichick, Nicholas; Tusso, Robert B.; Vanaman, Karen M.; McDonald, Richard R.

2010-01-01

Three large-scale field experiments were conducted on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam in 1996, 2004, and 2008 to evaluate whether artificial (that is, controlled) floods released from the dam could be used in conjunction with the sand supplied by downstream tributaries to rebuild and sustainably maintain eddy sandbars in the river in Grand Canyon National Park. Higher suspended-sand concentrations during a controlled flood will lead to greater eddy-sandbar deposition rates. During each controlled flood experiment, sediment-transport and bed-sediment data were collected to evaluate sediment-supply effects on sandbar deposition. Data collection substantially increased in spatial and temporal density with each subsequent experiment. The suspended- and bed-sediment data collected during all three controlled-flood experiments are presented and analyzed in this report. Analysis of these data indicate that in designing the hydrograph of a controlled flood that is optimized for sandbar deposition in a given reach of the Colorado River, both the magnitude and the grain size of the sand supply must be considered. Because of the opposing physical effects of bed-sand area and bed-sand grain size in regulating suspended-sand concentration, larger amounts of coarser sand on the bed can lead to lower suspended-sand concentrations, and thus lower rates of sandbar deposition, during a controlled flood than can lesser amounts of finer sand on the bed. Although suspended-sand concentrations were higher at all study sites during the 2008 controlled-flood experiment (CFE) than during either the 1996 or 2004 CFEs, these higher concentrations were likely associated with more sand on the bed of the Colorado River in only lower Glen Canyon. More sand was likely present on the bed of the river in Grand Canyon during the 1996 CFE than during either the 2004 or 2008 CFEs. The question still remains as to whether sandbars can be sustained in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park through use of controlled floods in conjunction with typical amounts and grain sizes of sand supplied by the tributaries that enter the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam.

Retrofitting hetrotrophically cultivated algae biomass as pyrolytic feedstock for biogas, bio-char and bio-oil production encompassing biorefinery.

PubMed

Sarkar, Omprakash; Agarwal, Manu; Naresh Kumar, A; Venkata Mohan, S

2015-02-01

Algal biomass grown hetrotrophically in domestic wastewater was evaluated as pyrolytic feedstock for harnessing biogas, bio-oil and bio-char. Freshly harvested microalgae (MA) and lipid extracted microalgae (LEMA) were pyrolysed in packed bed reactor in the presence and absence of sand as additive. MA (without sand additive) depicted higher biogas (420 ml/g; 800 °C; 3 h) and bio-oil (0.70 ml/g; 500 °C; 3 h). Sand addition enhanced biogas production (210 ml/g; 600 °C; 2 h) in LEMA operation. The composition of bio-gas and bio-oil was found to depend on the nature of feedstock as well as the process conditions viz., pyrolytic-temperature, retention time and presence of additive. Sand additive improved the H2 composition while pyrolytic temperature increment caused a decline in CO2 fraction. Bio-char productivity increased with increasing temperature specifically with LEMA. Integration of thermo-chemical process with microalgae cultivation showed to yield multiple resources and accounts for environmental sustainability in the bio-refinery framework. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Freestall maintenance: effects on lying behavior of dairy cattle.

PubMed

Drissler, M; Gaworski, M; Tucker, C B; Weary, D M

2005-07-01

In a series of 3 experiments, we documented how sand-bedding depth and distribution changed within freestalls after new bedding was added and the effect of these changes on lying behavior. In experiment 1, we measured changes in bedding depth over a 10-d period at 43 points in 24 freestalls. Change in depth of sand was the greatest the day after new sand was added and decreased over time. Over time, the stall surface became concave, and the deepest part of the stall was at the center. Based on the results of experiment 1, we measured changes in lying behavior when groups of cows had access to freestalls with sand bedding that was 0, 3.5, 5.2, or 6.2 cm at the deepest point, below the curb, while other dimensions remained fixed. We found that daily lying time was 1.15 h shorter in stalls with the lowest levels of bedding compared with stalls filled with bedding. Indeed, for every 1-cm decrease in bedding, cows spent 11 min less time lying down during each 24-h period. In a third experiment, we imposed 4 treatments that reflected the variation in sand depth within stalls: 0, 6.2, 9.9, and 13.7 cm below the curb. Again, lying times reduced with decreasing bedding, such that cows using the stalls with the least amount of bedding (13.7 cm below curb) spent 2.33 h less time per day lying down than when housed with access to freestalls filled with sand (0 cm below curb).

Regulation of sand transport in the Colorado River by changes in the surface grain size of eddy sandbars over multi-year timescales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Topping, D.J.; Rubin, D.M.; Schmidt, J.C.

2005-01-01

In settings where the transport of sand is partially or fully supply limited, changes in the upstream supply of sand are coupled to changes in the grain size of sand on the bed. In this manner, the transport of sand under the supply-limited case is 'grain-size regulated'. Since the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, the downstream reach of the Colorado River in Marble and Grand Canyons has exhibited evidence of sand-supply limitation. Sand transport in the river is now approximately equally regulated by changes in the discharge of water and changes in the grain sizes of sand on the channel bed and eddy sandbars. Previous work has shown that changes in the grain size of sand on the bed of the channel (driven by changes in the upstream supply of sand owing to both tributary floods and high dam releases) are important in regulating sand transport over timescales of days to months. In this study, suspended-sand data are analysed in conjunction with bed grain-size data to determine whether changes in the grain size of sand on the bed of the channel or changes in the grain size of sand on the surface of eddy sandbars have been more important in regulating sand transport in the post-dam Colorado River over longer, multi-year timescales. The results of this study show that this combined theory- and field-based approach can be used to deduce which environments in a complicated setting are the most important environments for regulating sediment transport. In the case of the regulated Colorado River in Marble and Upper Grand Canyons, suspended-sand transport has been regulated mostly by changes in the surface grain size of eddy sandbars. ?? 2005 International Association of Sedimentologists.

Degradation of recalcitrant naphthenic acids from raw and ozonated oil sands process-affected waters by a semi-passive biofiltration process.

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Yanyan; Gamal El-Din, Mohamed

2018-04-15

In this study, a fixed-bed biofiltration system (biofilter) that utilized indigenous microorganisms was developed for the reclamation of oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). With the assistance of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), indigenous microorganisms from OSPW were able to attach to the surface of sand media and form biofilms. The number of total bacteria on the biofilter media reached a steady state (10 9 /g) after 23 days of operation. Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography/High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UPLC/HRMS) analysis showed that 21.8% of the classical naphthenic acids (NAs) removal was achieved through the circulation of raw OSPW on the biofilter for 8 times (equivalent to a hydraulic retention time of 16 h). When ozonation with utilized ozone dose of 30 mg/L was applied as pretreatment, the classical NAs in the ozonated OSPW were removed by 89.3% with an accelerated biodegradation rate of 0.5 mg/L/h. Compared with other biofilm reactors such as moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), ozonation pretreatment could benefit the biodegradation of NAs in the biofilter more (classical NA removal: 89.3% vs. 34.4%), especially for those with high carbon number and cyclicity. The combined ozonation-biofiltration process could remove 92.7% of classical NAs from raw OSPW in 16 h. Although both ozonation and biofiltration alone did not show degradation of oxidized NAs from raw OSPW, the combined process led to a 52.9% and 42.6% removal for O 3 -NAs and O 4 -NAs, respectively, which were the dominant oxidized NA species in OSPW. Metagenomic sequencing analysis showed that Rhodococcus was the dominant bacterial genus on the sand media, which may play a crucial role during the NA biodegradation. With the advantage of high NA removal efficiency, the combined ozonation-biofiltration process is a promising approach for NA degradation and shows high potential to be scaled up for in-situ OSPW treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bed topography and sand transport responses to a step change in discharge and water depth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ephemeral streams with sand and gravel beds may inherit bed topography caused by previous flow events, resulting in bed topography that is not in equilibrium with flow conditions, complicating the modeling of flow and sediment transport. Major flow events, resulting from rainfall with high intensity...

Identification of discontinuous sand pulses on the bed of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, E. R.; Grams, P. E.; Buscombe, D.; Topping, D. J.

2017-12-01

Decades of research on alluvial sandbars and sand transport on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon has contributed to in-depth understanding of the sand budget and lead to management actions designed to rebuild eroded sandbars. However, some basic, but difficult to address, questions about the processes and rates of sand movement through the system still limit our ability to predict geomorphic responses. The coarse fraction of the bed is heterogeneous and varies among boulders, cobble, gravel, and bedrock. Sand covers these substrates in patches of variable size and thickness, fills interstices to varying degrees, and forms mixed sand/coarse bed configurations such as linear stripes. Understanding the locations of sand accumulation, the quantities of sand contained in those locations, and the processes by which sand is exchanged among depositional locations is needed to predict the morphological response of sandbars to management actions, such as the controlled flood releases, and to predict whether sandbars are likely to increase or decrease in size over long (i.e. decadal) time periods. Here, we present evidence for the downstream translation of the sand component of tributary sediment inputs as discontinuous sand pulses. The silt and clay (mud) fraction of sediment introduced episodically by seasonal floods from tributary streams is transported entirely in suspension and moves through the 400 km series of canyons in a few days. The sand fraction of this sediment, which is transported on the bed and in suspension, moves downstream in sand pulses that we estimate range in length from a few km to tens of km. Owing to the complex geomorphic organization, the sand pulses are not detectable as coherent bed features; each individual sand pulse is comprised of many isolated storage locations, separated by rapids and riffles where sand cover is sparse. The presence of the sand pulses is inferred by the existence of alternating segments of sand accumulation and depletion computed from repeat maps of the channel. Improved understanding of the behavior of these sand pulses may be used to adjust the timing, magnitude, and duration of controlled floods to maximize potential for deposition on sandbars in different segments of the 450 km-long Grand Canyon.

Effects of bedding with recycled sand on lying behaviors, udder hygiene, and preference of lactating Holstein dairy cows.

PubMed

Kull, J A; Ingle, H D; Black, R A; Eberhart, N L; Krawczel, P D

2017-09-01

Effects of bedding with recycled sand and season on lying behaviors, hygiene, and preferences of late-lactation Holstein cows were studied. It was hypothesized that recycled sand will decrease lying time and increase hygiene scores due to increased moisture content and organic matter, and thus a preference for the control sand will be evident. Cows (n = 64) were divided into 4 groups (n = 8 per group) per season. In summer (August to September), cows were balanced by days in milk (268.1 ± 11.9 d) and parity (2.0 ± 0.2). In winter (January to February), mean DIM was 265.5 ± 34.1 d. Cows were assigned to 1 of 2 treatments using a crossover design with each treatment lasting 7 d (no-choice phase): bedding with recycled sand (RS; n = 32) or control (CO; clean sand; n = 32). Stocking density was maintained at 100%. The choice phase allowed cows to have access to either treatment with stocking density at 50%. Accelerometers recorded daily lying time, number of lying bouts per day, lying bout duration (min/bout), and total steps per day. Teat swabs, milk, sand samples, and udder hygiene scores were collected on d 0, 3, and 7 of each experimental week. Samples were cultured for streptococci, staphylococci, and gram-negative bacteria. Video data were used to assess bedding preferences. All data were analyzed using the MIXED and GLIMMIX procedures of SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Lying time was not affected by treatment, but cows did take more steps during winter. Bacterial counts were elevated for cows on recycled sand. A preference was observed for clean sand during the summer, but no preference was observed for sand during the winter. Regardless of bedding, the most commonly observed behavior was lying in the stalls, which suggested either bedding might be suitable. Caution should be used with this interpretation of preference, as sand was recycled only once. This limited reclamation was still sufficient to potentially alter the composition of sand, driving the observed preference. If these changes in composition continue, then the strength of the preference may also change. However, considering all variables within the current study, recycled sand is a viable bedding source to use for dairy cows. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Sand and Sawdust Bedding Materials on the Fecal Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Dairy Cows

PubMed Central

LeJeune, Jeffrey T.; Kauffman, Michael D.

2005-01-01

Farm management practices that reduce the prevalence of food-borne pathogens in live animals are predicted to enhance food safety. To ascertain the potential role of livestock bedding in the ecology and epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on farms, the survival of this pathogen in used-sand and used-sawdust dairy cow bedding was determined. Additionally, a longitudinal study of mature dairy cattle housed on 20 commercial dairy farms was conducted to compare the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle bedded on sand to that in cattle bedded on sawdust. E. coli O157:H7 persisted at higher concentrations in used-sawdust bedding than in used-sand bedding. The overall average herd level prevalence (3.1 versus 1.4%) and the number of sample days yielding any tests of feces positive for E. coli O157:H7 (22 of 60 days versus 13 of 60 days) were higher in sawdust-bedded herds. The choice of bedding material used to house mature dairy cows may impact the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 on dairy farms. PMID:15640205

Measurement of bedload transport in sand-bed rivers: a look at two indirect sampling methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holmes, Robert R.; Gray, John R.; Laronne, Jonathan B.; Marr, Jeffrey D.G.

2010-01-01

Sand-bed rivers present unique challenges to accurate measurement of the bedload transport rate using the traditional direct sampling methods of direct traps (for example the Helley-Smith bedload sampler). The two major issues are: 1) over sampling of sand transport caused by “mining” of sand due to the flow disturbance induced by the presence of the sampler and 2) clogging of the mesh bag with sand particles reducing the hydraulic efficiency of the sampler. Indirect measurement methods hold promise in that unlike direct methods, no transport-altering flow disturbance near the bed occurs. The bedform velocimetry method utilizes a measure of the bedform geometry and the speed of bedform translation to estimate the bedload transport through mass balance. The bedform velocimetry method is readily applied for the estimation of bedload transport in large sand-bed rivers so long as prominent bedforms are present and the streamflow discharge is steady for long enough to provide sufficient bedform translation between the successive bathymetric data sets. Bedform velocimetry in small sandbed rivers is often problematic due to rapid variation within the hydrograph. The bottom-track bias feature of the acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) has been utilized to accurately estimate the virtual velocities of sand-bed rivers. Coupling measurement of the virtual velocity with an accurate determination of the active depth of the streambed sediment movement is another method to measure bedload transport, which will be termed the “virtual velocity” method. Much research remains to develop methods and determine accuracy of the virtual velocity method in small sand-bed rivers.

Channel Bank Cohesion and the Maintenance of Suspension Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunne, K. B. J.; Jerolmack, D. J.

2017-12-01

Gravel-bedded rivers organize their channel geometry and grain size such that transport is close to the threshold of motion at bankfull. Sand-bedded rivers, however, typically maintain bankfull fluid shear (or Shields) stresses far in excess of threshold; there is no widely accepted explanation for these "suspension rivers". We propose that all alluvial rivers are at the threshold of motion for their erosion-limiting material, i.e., the structural component of the river cross-section that is most difficult to mobilize. The entrainment threshold of gravel is large enough that bank cohesion has little influence on gravel-bed rivers. Sand, however, is the most easily entrained material; silt and clay can raise the entrainment threshold of sand by orders of magnitude. We examine a global dataset of river channel geometry and show that the shear stress range for sand-bedded channels is entirely within the range of entrainment thresholds for sand-mud mixtures - suggesting that rivers that suspend their sandy bed material are still threshold rivers in terms of bank material. We then present new findings from a New Jersey coastal-plain river examining if and how river-bank toe composition controls hydraulic geometry. We consider the toe because it is the foundation of the river bank, and its erosion leads to channel widening. Along a 20-km profile of the river we measure cross-section geometry, bed slope, and bed and bank composition, and we explore multiple methods of measuring the threshold shear stress of the the river-bank toe in-situ. As the composition of the river bed transitions from gravel to sand, we see preliminary evidence of a shift from bed-threshold to bank-threshold control on hydraulic geometry. We also observe that sub-bankfull flows are insufficient to erode (cohesive) bank materials, even though transport of sand is active at nearly all flows. Our findings highlight the importance of focusing on river-bank toe material, which in the studied stream is always submerged. The toe is more compacted and more resistant to erosion than the subaerially-exposed upper bank. We find mounting evidence that sand-bedded rivers are much like gravel-bedded river; they are near-threshold channels in which the suspended load does not play a controlling role in the determination of equilibrium hydraulic geometry.

Bedform development in mixed sand-mud: The contrasting role of cohesive forces in flow and bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baas, Jaco H.; Davies, Alan G.; Malarkey, Jonathan

2013-01-01

The majority of subaqueous sediment on Earth consists of mixtures of cohesive clay and cohesionless sand and silt, but the role of cohesion on the development and stability of sedimentary bedforms is poorly understood. The results of new laboratory flume experiments on bedform development in cohesive, mixed sand-mud beds are compared with the results of previous experiments in which cohesive forces in high concentration clay flows dominated bedform development. Even though both series of mixed sand-mud experiments were conducted at similar flow velocities, the textural and structural properties of the bedforms were sufficiently different to permit the designation of key criteria for identifying bedform generation under cohesive flows against bedform generation on cohesive substrates. These criteria are essential for improving bedform size predictions in sediment transport modelling in modern sedimentary environments and for the reconstruction of depositional processes in the geological record. The current ripples developing on the cohesive, mixed sand-mud beds, with bed mud fractions of up to 18%, were significantly smaller than equivalent bedforms in noncohesive sand. Moreover, the bedform height showed a stronger inversely proportional relationship with initial bed mud fraction than the bedform wavelength. This is in contrast with the bedforms developing under the cohesive clay flows, which tend to increase in size with increasing suspended clay concentration until the flow turbulence is fully suppressed. Selective removal of clay from the mixed beds, i.e., clay winnowing, was found to be an important process, with 82-100% clay entrained into suspension after 2 h of bedform development. This winnowing process led to the development of a sand-rich armouring layer. This armouring layer is inferred to have protected the underlying mixed sand-mud from prolonged erosion, and in conjunction with strong cohesive forces in the bed may have caused the smaller size of the bedforms. Winnowing was less efficient for the bedforms developing under the cohesive clay flows, where bedforms consisting of muddy sand were more characteristic. The winnowed sand was also found to heal irregularly scoured topography, thus reestablishing classic quasitriangular bedform shapes. In cohesive flows, the bedforms had more variable shapes, and the healing process was confined to lower transitional plug flows in which strong turbulence is only present close to the sediment bed. Furthermore, the bedforms on the cohesive beds tended to form angle-of-repose cross lamination, whereas low angle cross lamination was more common in bedforms under cohesive flows. In general terms, erosional bedforms prevail when cohesive forces in the bed dominate bedform dynamics, whereas depositional bedforms prevail when cohesive forces in the flow dominate bedform dynamics. Empirical relationships between the proportion of cohesive mud in the mixed sand-mud bed and the development rate and size of the bedforms are defined for future use in field and laboratory studies.

An investigation of anthraquinone dye biodegradation by immobilized Aspergillus flavus in fluidized bed bioreactor.

PubMed

Andleeb, Saadia; Atiq, Naima; Robson, Geoff D; Ahmed, Safia

2012-06-01

Biodegradation and biodecolorization of Drimarene blue K(2)RL (anthraquinone) dye by a fungal isolate Aspergillus flavus SA2 was studied in lab-scale immobilized fluidized bed bioreactor (FBR) system. Fungus was immobilized on 0.2-mm sand particles. The reactor operation was carried out at room temperature and pH 5.0 in continuous flow mode with increasing concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500 mg l(-1)) of dye in simulated textile effluent on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th, and 14th days. The reactors were run on fill, react, settle, and draw mode, with hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24-72 h. Total run time for reactor operation was 17 days. The average overall biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and color removal in the FBR system were up to 85.57%, 84.70%, and 71.3%, respectively, with 50-mg l(-1) initial dye concentration and HRT of 24 h. Reductions in BOD and COD levels along with color removal proved that the mechanism of biodecolorization and biodegradation occurred simultaneously. HPLC and LC-MS analysis identified phthalic acid, benzoic acid, 1, 4-dihydroxyanthraquinone, 2,3-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxy-1,4-anthracenedione, and catechol as degradation products of Drimarene blue K(2)RL dye. Phytotoxicity analysis of bioreactor treatments provided evidence for the production of less toxic metabolites in comparison to the parent dye. The present fluidized bed bioreactor setup with indigenously isolated fungal strain in its immobilized form is efficiently able to convert the parent toxic dye into less toxic by-products.

Complex channel responses to changes in stream flow and sediment supply on the lower Duchesne River, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gaeuman, D.; Schmidt, J.C.; Wilcock, P.R.

2005-01-01

Channel responses to flow depletions in the lower Duchesne River over the past 100 years have been highly complex and variable in space and time. In general, sand-bed reaches adjusted to all perturbations with bed-level changes, whereas the gravel-bed reaches adjusted primarily through width changes. Gravel-bed reaches aggraded only when gravel was supplied to the channel through local bank erosion and degraded only during extreme flood events. A 50% reduction in stream flow and an increase in fine sediment supply to the study area occurred in the first third of the 20th century. The gravel-bed reach responded primarily with channel narrowing, whereas bed aggradation and four large-scale avulsions occurred in the sand-bed reaches. These avulsions almost completely replaced a section of sinuous channel about 14 km long with a straighter section about 7 km long. The most upstream avulsion, located near a break in valley slope and the transition from a gravel bed upstream and a sand bed downstream, transformed a sinuous sand-bed reach into a braided gravel-bed reach and eventually into a meandering gravel-bed reach over a 30-year period. Later, an increase in flood magnitudes and durations caused widening and secondary bed aggradation in the gravel-bed reaches, whereas the sand-bed reaches incised and narrowed. Water diversions since the 1950s have progressively eliminated moderate flood events, whereas larger floods have been less affected. The loss of frequent flooding has increased the duration and severity of drought periods during which riparian vegetation can establish along the channel margins. As a result, the channel has gradually narrowed throughout the study area since the late 1960s, despite the occasional occurrence of large floods. No tributaries enter the Duchesne River within the study area, so all reaches have experienced identical changes in stream flow and upstream sediment supply. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sand Waves in Environmental Flows: Insights gained by LES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotiropoulos, Fotis

2014-11-01

In fluvial and coastal environments, sediment transport processes induced by near-bed coherent structures in the turbulent boundary layer developing over a mobile sediment bed result in the formation of dynamically rich sand waves, or bed forms, which grow and migrate continuously. Bed form migration alters streambed roughness and provides the primary mechanism for transporting large amounts of sediment through riverine systems impacting the morphology, streambank stability, and ecology of waterways. I will present recent computational advances, which have enabled coupled, hydro-morphodynamic large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent flow in mobile-bed open channels. Numerical simulations: 1) elucidate the role of near-bed sweeps in the turbulent boundary layer as the mechanism for initiating the instability of the initially flat sand bed; 2) show how near-bed processes give rise to aperiodic eruptions of suspended sediment at the free surface; and 3) clarify the mechanism via which sand waves migrate. Furthermore, in agreement with recent experimental observations, the computed spectra of the resolved velocity fluctuations above the bed exhibit a distinct spectral gap whose width increases with distance from the bed. The spectral gap delineates the spectrum of turbulence from that of slowly evolving coherent structures associated with sand wave migration. The talk will also present computational results demonstrating the feasibility of carrying out coupled, hydro-morphodynamic LES of large dunes migrating in meandering streams and rivers with embedded hydraulic structures and discuss future challenges and opportunities. This work was supported by NSF Grants EAR-0120914 and EAR-0738726, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program Grant NCHRP-HR 24-33.

Evaluation of conductive cooling of lactating dairy cows under controlled environmental conditions.

PubMed

Ortiz, X A; Smith, J F; Rojano, F; Choi, C Y; Bruer, J; Steele, T; Schuring, N; Allen, J; Collier, R J

2015-03-01

Cooling systems used to reduce heat stress in dairy operations require high energy, water usage, or both. Steady increases in electricity costs and reduction of water availability and an increase in water usage regulations require evaluation of passive cooling systems to cool cows and reduce use of water and electricity. A study was conducted to evaluate the use of heat exchangers buried 25 cm below the surface as components in a conductive system for cooling cows. Six cows were housed in environmentally controlled rooms with tie-stall beds, which were equipped with a heat exchanger and filled with 25 cm of either sand or dried manure. Beds were connected to supply and return lines and individually controlled. Two beds (one per each kind of bedding material) constituted a control group (water off), and the other 4 (2 sand and 2 dried manure) used water at 7°C passing through the heat exchangers (water on). The experiment was divided in 2 periods of 40 d, and each period involved 3 repetitions of 3 different climates (hot and dry, thermo neutral, and hot and humid). Each cow was randomly assigned to a different treatment after each repetition was over. Sand bedding remained cooler than dried manure bedding in all environments and at all levels of cooling (water on or off). Bed temperatures were lower and heat flux higher during the bed treatment with sand and water on. We also detected a reduction in core body temperatures, respiration rates, rectal temperatures, and skin temperatures of those cows during the sand and water on treatment. Feed intake and milk yield numerically increased during the bed treatment with sand and water on for all climates. No major changes were observed in the lying time of cows or the composition of the milk produced. We conclude that use of heat exchangers is a viable adjunct to systems that employ fans, misters, and evaporative cooling methods to mitigate effects of heat stress on dairy cows. Sand was superior to dried manure as a bedding material in combination with heat exchangers. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of different bedding systems for lactating cows in freestall housing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to compare different bedding systems for lactating cows in freestall housing. Bedding systems included new sand (NS), recycled byproducts of manure separation (organic solids [OS] and recycled sand [RS]), and foam-core mattresses with a shallow layer of OS (MS). The e...

Catalytic pyrolysis of black-liquor lignin by co-feeding with different plastics in a fluidized bed reactor.

PubMed

Zhang, Huiyan; Xiao, Rui; Nie, Jianlong; Jin, Baosheng; Shao, Shanshan; Xiao, Guomin

2015-09-01

Catalytic co-pyrolysis of black-liquor lignin and waste plastics (polyethylene, PE; polypropylene PP; polystyrene, PS) was conducted in a fluidized bed. The effects of temperature, plastic to lignin ratio, catalyst and plastic types on product distributions were studied. Both aromatic and olefin yields increased with increasing PE proportion. Petrochemical yield of co-pyrolysis of PE and lignin was LOSA-1 > spent FCC > Gamma-Al2O3 > sand. The petrochemical yield with LOSA-1 is 43.9% which is more than two times of that without catalyst. The feedstock for co-pyrolysis with lignin is polystyrene > polyethylene > polypropylene. Catalytic co-pyrolysis of black-liquor lignin with PS produced the maximum aromatic yield (55.3%), while co-pyrolysis with PE produced the maximum olefin yield (13%). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nugget-Navaho-Aztec sandstone: interaction of eolian sand sea with Andean-type volcanic arc

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marzolf, J.E.

1986-05-01

The Nugget-Navaho-Aztec sand sea was deposited east of an Andean-type volcanic arc. During the early stage of eolian deposition, fluvially transported sand was concentrated in the marine littoral zone and returned inland by onshore winds from the northwest. With progressive development of the arc, the sea withdrew. Wind direction changed from northwest to northeast. Previously deposited eolian sand was transported southwestward into the volcanic arc. Proximity of the arc can be detected with great difficulty by examining eolian and underlying red-bed facies. In southern Nevada, the volcanic arc is undetectable in eolian facies, but thin sandstone beds containing volcanic clastsmore » or weathered feldspar in the finer grained red-bed facies indicate arc volcanism; volcanic clasts are distinct in a basal conglomerate. Westward into California, the sub-Aztec Sandstone contains volcanic pebbles. The upper part of the Aztec Sandstone contains a 1 to 2-m thick volcaniclastic siltstone. Farther west, the Aztec Sandstone is interbedded with volcanic flows, ash flows, and flow breccias. These rocks might easily be mistaken for red beds in well cores or cuttings. Sand in sets of large-scale cross-beds remain virtually identical in composition and texture to sand in eolian facies of the Colorado Plateau. Where sets of eolian cross-beds lie on volcanics, the quartzose sandstone contains pebble to cobble-size volcanic clasts. Locally, cross-bed sets of yellowish-white, quartzose sandstone alternate with purplish-gray cross-bed sets containing numerous pebble to cobble-size volcanic clasts. The ability to recognize volcanic indicators within Nugget-Navaho-Aztec eolian facies is important in delineating the western margin of the back-arc eolian basin.« less

Formation of offshore tidal sand banks triggered by a gasmined bed subsidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roos, Pieter C.; Hulscher, Suzanne J. M. H.

2002-12-01

Offshore gasmining is an example of a human intervention with a morphological impact. On land, it is usually attended with a dish-like bed depression. We show that, if located at sea, such a bed depression can become morphodynamically active by triggering mechanisms related to tidal sand bank formation. To that end, a simple morphological model is considered which describes an erodible bed subject to a tidal wave in a shallow sea. The continuous subsidence is modelled by a sink term in the sediment balance. Then, a linear approximation is carried out to describe the bed evolution after the onset of subsidence. The results, presented in physical space, show that the subsidence triggers the formation of a sand bank pattern that gradually spreads around the centre of subsidence, at a rate that may go up to 160 m year -1, depending on the tidal transport rate and the tidal eccentricity. The dimension of the depression does not affect the spreading rate nor the orientation of the sand banks, but it does influence their spacing. The main conclusion is that the horizontal extent of the area influenced by the bed depression by far exceeds that of the direct subsidence, thus showing that bed depressions on land and at sea indeed behave in fundamentally different ways. The results suggest that nonlinear effects are worthwhile to be investigated in order to describe finite amplitude development of sand banks as well as the interaction between subsidence and bed forms.

20. View of sand filtration bed. Wheelbarrow was used to ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

20. View of sand filtration bed. Wheelbarrow was used to remove schmutzdeck (top, dirty sand layer containing particulate contamination, dead microorganisms and debris) for cleaning and or disposal. - Lake Whitney Water Filtration Plant, Filtration Plant, South side of Armory Street between Edgehill Road & Whitney Avenue, Hamden, New Haven County, CT

White Sands, Carrizozo Lava Beds, NM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

A truly remarkable view of White Sands and the nearby Carrizozo Lava Beds in southeast NM (33.5N, 106.5W). White Sands, site of the WW II atomic bomb development and testing facility and later post war nuclear weapons testing that can still be seen in the cleared circular patterns on the ground.

Experiment Investigation of the Influencing Factors on Bed Agglomeration During Fluidized-Bed Gasification of Biomass Fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. Q.; Chen, H. P.; Yang, H. P.; Wang, X. H.; Zhang, S. H.

With the depleting of fossil fuel and environmental polluting increasing, the utilization of biomass resources caught increasing concern. Biomass gasification in fluidized bed, as one promising technology, developed quickly. However, serious agglomeration was displayed as biomass ash reacted with bed material (silica sand) at higher temperature. It hindered the wide utilization of CFB gasifier. The objective ofthis work is to investigate the agglomeration behavior between biomass ash and silica sand, and catch the inherent mechanism. Firstly, the influence of ash compounds on the agglomeration behavior was analyzed with biomass ash and synthesis ash compounds addition in fixed bed as ash sample mixed with bed material evenly before every trial. The reaction temperature was set 850°C that is the operated temperature for many fluidized bed gasificated biomass fuels. Then the influence of reaction time was analyzed. The characteristics of the agglomerated silica sand particles were analyzed by the XRD. Finally, it was simulated with HSC computer mode based on thermodynamic equilibrium. It was observed that when the ratio of the biomass ash to the silica sand was above 0.2, the agglomeration was observed. With the increase of the reaction time, more silica sand particles agglomerated with the biomass ash. There are two kinds of silicate eutecticum investigated by the XRD. It is of great significance for the running ofCFB biomass gasifier and the development ofbiomass utilization technology.

Moving bed reactor setup to study complex gas-solid reactions.

PubMed

Gupta, Puneet; Velazquez-Vargas, Luis G; Valentine, Charles; Fan, Liang-Shih

2007-08-01

A moving bed scale reactor setup for studying complex gas-solid reactions has been designed in order to obtain kinetic data for scale-up purpose. In this bench scale reactor setup, gas and solid reactants can be contacted in a cocurrent and countercurrent manner at high temperatures. Gas and solid sampling can be performed through the reactor bed with their composition profiles determined at steady state. The reactor setup can be used to evaluate and corroborate model parameters accounting for intrinsic reaction rates in both simple and complex gas-solid reaction systems. The moving bed design allows experimentation over a variety of gas and solid compositions in a single experiment unlike differential bed reactors where the gas composition is usually fixed. The data obtained from the reactor can also be used for direct scale-up of designs for moving bed reactors.

Applications of resistivity modeling in reservoir development: examples from Balder Field, Norwegian North Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paillet, Frederick L.; Haynes, F.M.; Buretz, O.M.

2001-01-01

The massive Paleocene oil sands of the Balder Field are overlain by several thinly bedded Eocene sand-prone packages of variable facies and reservoir quality. Although these sands have been penetrated by numerous exploration and development wells, uncertainty remains as to their extent, distribution, and ultimate effect on reservoir performance. The section is geologically complex (thin beds, injected sands, shale clasts and laminae, and faulting), and also contains a field-wide primary gas cap. With a depletion plan involving both gas and water injection, geologic/reservoir characterization of the Eocene is critical for prudent resource management during depletion. With this goal, resistivity modeling and core-based thin bed reservoir description from the first phase of development drilling have been integrated with seismic attribute mapping. Detailed core description, core permeability and grain size distribution data delineate six facies and help in distinguishing laterally continuous massive and laminated sands from potentially non-connected injection sands and non-reservoir quality siltstones and tuffs. Volumetric assessment of the thin sand resource has been enhanced by I-D forward modeling of induction log response using a commercial resistivity modeling program, R,BAN. After defining beds and facies with core and high resolution log data, the AHF60 array induction curve response was approximated using the 6FF40 response. Because many of the beds were thinner than 6FF40 resolution, the modeling is considered to provide a lower bound on R,. However, for most beds this model-based R, is significantly higher than that provided by one-foot vertical resolution shallow resistivity data, and is thought to be the best available estimate of true formation resistivity. Sensitivities in STOOIP were assessed with multiple R, earth models which can later be tested against production results. In addition, water saturation height functions, developed in vertical wells and thick beds, can be validated in deviated wells with thin beds. Sand thickness models constrained by this logand core-based petrophysical analysis were used to build impedance seismic synthetic sections from which seismic attributes could be extracted and calibrated. The model-based attribute calibration was then applied to the seismic impedance 3-D cube permitting sand thickness to be mapped and reservoir geology to be modeled with significantly more detail than previously possible. These results will guide the field''s reservoir management and assist in the delineation of new targets.

Risk of Mycoplasma bovis transmission from contaminated sand bedding to naive dairy calves.

PubMed

Wilson, D J; Justice-Allen, A; Goodell, G; Baldwin, T J; Skirpstunas, R T; Cavender, K B

2011-03-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible transmission of Mycoplasma bovis from positive sand bedding to naïve dairy calves. Twelve preweaned Holstein bull calves were blocked in pairs and randomly assigned as unexposed controls (n=6) bedded with control sand, or exposed calves (n=6) bedded with sand previously positive for M. bovis at a dairy farm. Bedding sand was cultured weekly. Nasal and ear swabs and sera were collected weekly, tracheal swabs were collected monthly, and by the end of the 105-d study, all calves were euthanized (n=10) or died (n=2). Sera were tested for M. bovis-specific antibody. Mycoplasma spp. culture was performed on nasal and ear swabs; culture and a PCR differentiating multiple Mycoplasma spp. were performed on postmortem samples of lung, retropharyngeal lymph node, and trachea from each calf. A complete necropsy also was performed. During 6 wk, mycoplasma concentration in exposed group sand was between 200 and 32,000 cfu/g. All 166 tracheal swabs, nasal and ear swabs, and postmortem tests from all calves were negative for mycoplasma. All 94 sera were negative for M. bovis-specific antibody. No gross pathology suggestive of mycoplasma disease was detected. The probability of mycoplasma detection, if an exposed calf had become infected 4 wk after exposure, ranged between 97 and 99% depending on time of exposure for individual calves. There was no evidence that sand bedding contaminated with M. bovis might serve as a source of transmission to naïve dairy calves. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The gravel sand transition in a disturbed catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knighton, A. David

1999-03-01

More than 40 million cubic metres of mining waste were supplied to the Ringarooma River between 1875 and 1984, leading to successive phases of aggradation and degradation. The natural bed material is gravel but, given the volume of introduced load and the fact that much of the input was less than 5 mm in diameter, the size composition of the bed changed from gravel to sand during the phase of downstream progressive aggradation. A very sharp gravel-sand transition developed in which median grain size decreased from over 30 mm to under 3 mm in less than 500 m. With upstream supplies of mining debris becoming depleted first, degradation followed the same downstream progressive pattern as aggradation, causing the transition to migrate downstream. By 1984, the river could be regarded as a series of zones, each characterized by a particular bed condition: a natural cobble-gravel bed, unaffected by mining inputs (0-32 km); pre-disturbance bed re-exposed by degradation over 35-40 years (32-53 km); sandy substrate with a gravel armour produced by differential transport during degradation (53-65 km); sand dominated but with developing surface patches of coarser material (65-75 km); sandy bed reflecting the size composition of the original mining input (75-118 km). Although the gravel-sand transition itself is sharp, the transitional zone is lengthy (53-75 km). As degradation continues, the gravel-sand transition is expected to progress downstream but it has remained in a stable position for 12 years. Indeed, two major floods during the period released large quantities of sand from the sub-armour layer and newly-formed banks of mine tailings, causing fining both above and below the transition. Surface grain size is an adjustable component in the transitional zone as the river strives to recover from a major anthropogenic disturbance.

Coastal Remote Sensing Investigations. Volume 1. Marine Environment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-04-01

and heavy growths of vegetation (mainly Thalassia ) in protected areas. The water is very clear, and extensive shallow areas exist with depths rangin...16.0 boundary of vegetated area A-2 3 5.0 Thalassia bed A-3 3 32.0 white carbonate sand B-I 5 16.5 hard, non-vegetated bottom B-2 4 30.0 white...carbonate sand B-3 3 12.5 boundary of vegetated area B-4 4 5.0 Thalassia bed C-I 3 35.0 white carbonate sand C-2 4 3.0 Thalassia bed 30 Figure

Sand transport in the lower Mississippi River does not yield to dams: Applications for building deltaic land in Louisiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nittrouer, J. A.; Viparelli, E.

2013-12-01

The Mississippi Delta is presently undergoing a catastrophic drowning, whereby 5000 km2 of low-lying wetlands have converted to open water. This land loss is primarily the result of: a) relative sea-level rise, occurring due to the combined effect of rapid subsidence associated with subsurface fluids extraction and eustatic rise; b) leveeing and damming of the river and its tributaries, which restricts sediment delivery to and dispersal within the delta; and c) severe excavation of the delta for navigation channels. It has been argued that continued net land loss of the Mississippi Delta is inevitable due to declining measured total (sand and mud) suspended sediment loads over the past 6 decades. However, recent research has documented that the key to delta growth is deposition of sand, which accounts for ~50-70% of modern and ancient (up to 9 m.a.) Mississippi Delta deposits, but comprises only ~20% of the sampled portion of the total load. Here we present new analysis of existing data to show that sand transport has not diminished since dam construction. Furthermore, we produce a numerical model based on the mass balance of bed material loads over the lower 1600 km of the Mississippi River to show that mining of sand from the channel bed continues to replenish downstream sand loads. For example, our model results indicate that it requires approximately 240 years for a reduced sand load to reach the delta apex. Furthermore, our calculations indicate that sand load at the delta apex is reduced by a noticeable amount (17%) only after about 600 years. We also show how channel bed elevations are predicted to change over the lower 1600 km of the river channel due to channel mining. Channel-bed degradation is greatest at the upstream end of the study reach and decreases downstream. After 300 years the wave of significant degradation has just passed ~800 km downstream, or roughly half of our model domain. These results are in contrast to the measurements which concern the reduction of total suspended sediment load, and here we provide a reasonable hypothesis to help explain: sand possesses a much slower time scale of movement through a sand-bed river compared to mud, because sand exchanges with the bed, building dunes and bars that migrate gradually downstream, whereas the mud travels the length of the system in suspension as washload. This produces orders-of-magnitude difference in transport timescales between mud -- which accounts for ~80% of the total suspended sediment load of the Mississippi River -- and sand (bedload and suspended load). Combined with the abundance and availability of sand to be mined within the main channel, the river effectively buffers the reduction of sand load arising due to main-channel dams. Thus the bed of the lower Mississippi River downstream will provide a stable supply of sand to the delta for the foreseeable future.

Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol in a trickle bed reactor over a Pt/TiO2 catalyst.

PubMed

Maugans, Clayton B; Akgerman, Aydin

2003-01-01

Catalytic wet oxidation of phenol was studied in a batch and a trickle bed reactor using 4.45% Pt/TiO2 catalyst in the temperature range 150-205 degrees C. Kinetic data were obtained from batch reactor studies and used to model the reaction kinetics for phenol disappearance and for total organic carbon disappearance. Trickle bed experiments were then performed to generate data from a heterogeneous flow reactor. Catalyst deactivation was observed in the trickle bed reactor, although the exact cause was not determined. Deactivation was observed to linearly increase with the cumulative amount of phenol that had passed over the catalyst bed. Trickle bed reactor modeling was performed using a three-phase heterogeneous model. Model parameters were determined from literature correlations, batch derived kinetic data, and trickle bed derived catalyst deactivation data. The model equations were solved using orthogonal collocations on finite elements. Trickle bed performance was successfully predicted using the batch derived kinetic model and the three-phase reactor model. Thus, using the kinetics determined from limited data in the batch mode, it is possible to predict continuous flow multiphase reactor performance.

Deleterious Thermal Effects Due To Randomized Flow Paths in Pebble Bed, and Particle Bed Style Reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moran, Robert P.

2013-01-01

A review of literature associated with Pebble Bed and Particle Bed reactor core research has revealed a systemic problem inherent to reactor core concepts which utilize randomized rather than structured coolant channel flow paths. For both the Pebble Bed and Particle Bed Reactor designs; case studies reveal that for indeterminate reasons, regions within the core would suffer from excessive heating leading to thermal runaway and localized fuel melting. A thermal Computational Fluid Dynamics model was utilized to verify that In both the Pebble Bed and Particle Bed Reactor concepts randomized coolant channel pathways combined with localized high temperature regions would work together to resist the flow of coolant diverting it away from where it is needed the most to cooler less resistive pathways where it is needed the least. In other words given the choice via randomized coolant pathways the reactor coolant will take the path of least resistance, and hot zones offer the highest resistance. Having identified the relationship between randomized coolant channel pathways and localized fuel melting it is now safe to assume that other reactor concepts that utilize randomized coolant pathways such as the foam core reactor are also susceptible to this phenomenon.

A probable martian analogue in muttom in southern india

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wankhede, Tushar; Rajesh, V. J.; Charri, Abhishek

2012-07-01

Mars, a terrestrial planet fourth from the Sun in the solar system, is widely known as the red planet. The iron oxide sand/dust is predominant on its surface and gives the reddish appearance. Recent explorations have exposed abundance of haematite-rich loose materials in the surface of Mars especially at Meridiani Planum. Sedimentary structures like bedding, cross-bedding, ripple marks, gullies, mud cracks etc. are identified in this area. It is essential to look for some terrestrial analogues for the iron oxide rich sand/dust in order to explore their genetic mechanisms in Martian surface. Red sand beds occur above the crystalline basement or younger calcareous sandstone/limestone as isolated patches of partly indurated or unindurated dunes and sheets fringing the south western coastal lands of Tamil Nadu. Calcretes, source of carbonates, also occur at places within these red sand beds. Muttom soils are dark red in color on fresh surfaces. The red sand beds are dominated by iron-bearing minerals such as hematite and ilmenite. Local patches of heavy mineral deposition by the action of wind and water were also observed in the Muttom area. Preliminary spectral analyses confirmed the presence of iron bearing minerals like hematite and ilmenite which are also present in Mars. Many sedimentary structures like gullies, channels, polygonal mud cracks, erosion pits and dunes were present in Muttom area similar to those observed on Martian surface. Meridiani planum outcrops are composed of some siliciclastics grains, and hematite, and only few deposits on Earth match this description. The siliciclastics grains are primarily quartz grain coated with hematite. Quartz is also found in Muttom which, may have been transported by the action of wind while in the Mars siliciclastics is the alteration product of basalt. The structures are more or less similar to those observed at Meridiani Planum. Previous workers interpreted these red sands as `unique' formed either by a mixed beach and dune environment, or as similar to colluvium (formed by mass wasting and fluvial processes). Comparative studies between the red sand beds formations on Martian surface and southern Tamil Nadu can provide valuable insights on the origin, weathering pattern, tectonics and depositional environment of red sand beds in Mars.

White Sands, Carrizozo Lava Beds, NM

NASA Image and Video Library

1982-03-30

STS003-10-613 (22-30 March 1982) --- A truly remarkable view of White Sands and the nearby Carrizozo Lava Beds in southeast NM (33.5N, 106.5W). White Sands, site of the WW II atomic bomb development and testing facility and later post war nuclear weapons testing that can still be seen in the cleared circular patterns on the ground. Space shuttle Columbia (STS-3), this mission, landed at the White Sands alternate landing site because of bad weather at Edwards AFB, CA. Photo credit: NASA

Method and apparatus for a combination moving bed thermal treatment reactor and moving bed filter

DOEpatents

Badger, Phillip C.; Dunn, Jr., Kenneth J.

2015-09-01

A moving bed gasification/thermal treatment reactor includes a geometry in which moving bed reactor particles serve as both a moving bed filter and a heat carrier to provide thermal energy for thermal treatment reactions, such that the moving bed filter and the heat carrier are one and the same to remove solid particulates or droplets generated by thermal treatment processes or injected into the moving bed filter from other sources.

Numerical simulation of turbulence and sand-bed morphodynamics in natural waterways under live bed conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosronejad, Ali; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

2012-11-01

We develop and validate a 3D numerical model for coupled simulations of turbulence and sand-bed morphodynamics in natural waterways under live bed conditions. We employ the Fluid-Structure Interaction Curvilinear Immersed Boundary (FSI-CURVIB) method of Khosronejad et al. (Adv. in Water Res., 2011). The mobile channel bed is discretized with an unstructured triangular grid and treated as the sharp-interface immersed boundary embedded in a background curvilinear mesh. Transport of bed load and suspended load sediments are combined in the non-equilibrium from of the Exner-Poyla for the bed surface elevation, which evolves due to the spatio-temporally varying bed shear stress and velocity vector induced by the turbulent flow field. Both URANS and LES models are implemented to simulate the effects of turbulence. Simulations are carried out for a wide range of waterways, from small scale streams to large-scale rivers, and the simulated sand-waves are quantitatively compared to available measurements. It is shown that the model can accurately capture sand-wave formation, growth, and migration processes observed in nature. The simulated bed-forms are found to have amplitude and wave length scales ranging from the order of centimeters up to several meters. This work was supported by NSF Grants EAR-0120914 and EAR-0738726, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program Grant NCHRP-HR 24-33. Computational resources were provided by the University of Minnesota Supercomputing Institute.

White Sands, Carrizozo Lava Beds, NM

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-06-22

SL2-04-288 (22 June 1973) --- A truly remarkable view of White Sands and the nearby Carrizozo Lava Beds in southeast New Mexico (33.5N, 106.5W). White Sands, site of the WW II atomic bomb development and testing facility and later post war nuclear weapons testing that can still be seen in the cleared circular patterns on the ground. Photo credit: NASA

Preferences of dairy cows for three stall surface materials with small amounts of bedding.

PubMed

Norring, M; Manninen, E; de Passillé, A M; Rushen, J; Saloniemi, H

2010-01-01

Farmers' concerns about the economy, cost of labor, and hygiene have resulted in reduced use of organic bedding in stalls for dairy cows; however, the reduced use of organic bedding possibly impairs cow comfort. The effects of different stall surface materials were evaluated in an unheated building in which only a small amount of bedding was used. The lying time and preferences of 18 cows using 3 stall surface materials (concrete, soft rubber mat, and sand) were compared. All materials were lightly bedded with a small amount of straw, and the amount of straw added to each stall was measured. The cows only had access to stalls of one surface type while their lying time was observed. Lying times were longest on the rubber mats compared with other surfaces (rubber mat 768; concrete 727; sand 707+/-16 min/d). In a preference test, cows had access to 2 of the 3 types of stalls for 10 d and their stall preference was measured. Cows preferred stalls with rubber mats to stalls with a concrete floor (median 73 vs. 18 from a total of 160 observations per day; interquartile range was 27 and 12, respectively), but showed no preference for sand stalls compared with stalls with a concrete floor or with rubber mats. More straw was needed on sand stalls compared with concrete or mat (638+/-13 g/d on sand, 468+/-10 g/d on concrete, and 464+/-8 g/d on rubber mats). Lying times on bedded mats indicated that mats were comfortable for the cows. If availability or cost of bedding material requires limiting the amount of bedding used, rubber mats may help maintain cow comfort. Copyright 2010 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reservoir evaluation of thin-bedded turbidites and hydrocarbon pore thickness estimation for an accurate quantification of resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omoniyi, Bayonle; Stow, Dorrik

2016-04-01

One of the major challenges in the assessment of and production from turbidite reservoirs is to take full account of thin and medium-bedded turbidites (<10cm and <30cm respectively). Although such thinner, low-pay sands may comprise a significant proportion of the reservoir succession, they can go unnoticed by conventional analysis and so negatively impact on reserve estimation, particularly in fields producing from prolific thick-bedded turbidite reservoirs. Field development plans often take little note of such thin beds, which are therefore bypassed by mainstream production. In fact, the trapped and bypassed fluids can be vital where maximising field value and optimising production are key business drivers. We have studied in detail, a succession of thin-bedded turbidites associated with thicker-bedded reservoir facies in the North Brae Field, UKCS, using a combination of conventional logs and cores to assess the significance of thin-bedded turbidites in computing hydrocarbon pore thickness (HPT). This quantity, being an indirect measure of thickness, is critical for an accurate estimation of original-oil-in-place (OOIP). By using a combination of conventional and unconventional logging analysis techniques, we obtain three different results for the reservoir intervals studied. These results include estimated net sand thickness, average sand thickness, and their distribution trend within a 3D structural grid. The net sand thickness varies from 205 to 380 ft, and HPT ranges from 21.53 to 39.90 ft. We observe that an integrated approach (neutron-density cross plots conditioned to cores) to HPT quantification reduces the associated uncertainties significantly, resulting in estimation of 96% of actual HPT. Further work will focus on assessing the 3D dynamic connectivity of the low-pay sands with the surrounding thick-bedded turbidite facies.

Today's sediment budget of the Rhine River channel, focusing on the Upper Rhine Graben and Rhenish Massif

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frings, Roy M.; Gehres, Nicole; Promny, Markus; Middelkoop, Hans; Schüttrumpf, Holger; Vollmer, Stefan

2014-01-01

The river bed of the Rhine River is subject to severe erosion and sedimentation. Such high geomorphological process rates are unwanted for economical, ecological, and safety reasons. The objectives of this study were (1) to quantify the geomorphological development of the Rhine River between 1985 and 2006; (2) to investigate the bed erosion process; and (3) to distinguish between tectonic, hydrological, and human controls. We used a unique data set with thousands of bedload and suspended-load measurements and quantified the fluxes of gravel, sand, silt, and clay through the northern Upper Rhine Graben and the Rhenish Massif. Furthermore, we calculated bed level changes and evaluated the sediment budget of the channel. Sediment transport rates were found to change in the downstream direction: silt and clay loads increase because of tributary supply; sand loads increase because of erosion of sand from the bed; and gravel loads decrease because of reduced sediment mobility caused by the base-level control exerted by the uplifting Rhenish Massif. This base-level control shows tectonic setting, in addition to hydrology and human interventions, to represent a major control on morphodynamics in the Rhine. The Rhine bed appears to be in a state of disequilibrium, with an average net bed degradation of 3 mm/a. Sand being eroded from the bed is primarily washed away in suspension, indicating a rapid supply of sand to the Rhine delta. The degradation is the result of an increased sediment transport capacity caused by nineteenth and twentieth century's river training works. In order to reduce degradation, huge amounts of sediment are fed into the river by river managers. Bed degradation and artificial sediment feeding represent the major sources of sand and gravel to the study area; only small amounts of sediment are supplied naturally from upstream or by tributaries. Sediment sinks include dredging, abrasion, and the sediment output to the downstream area. Large uncertainties exist about the amounts of sediment deposited on floodplains and in groyne fields. Compared to the natural situation during the middle Holocene, the present-day gravel and sand loads seem to be lower, whereas the silt and clay loads seem to be higher. This is probably caused by the present-day absence of meander migration, the deforestation, and the reduced sediment trapping efficiency of the floodplains. Even under natural conditions no equilibrium bed level existed.

Behavior of Windblown Sand on Mars: Results From Single-Particle Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, J. R.; Borucki, J.; Sagan, C.

1996-03-01

Experiments are investigating the behavior of individual sand grains in the high-energy martian aeolian regime. Energy partitioning during impact of a saltating grain determines grain longevity, but it also influences the way in which the bed becomes mobilized by reptation. When single grains of sand are fired into loose beds, the bed can absorb up to 90% of the impact energy by momentum transfer to other grains; it has been discovered that the impacting grains cause circular craters even at low impact angles. Hundreds of grains can be splashed by a single high-velocity (100 m/s) impact causing more bed disturbance through reptation than previously thought. The research is supported by NASA's PG & G Program.

Sewage plume in a sand and gravel aquifer, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeBlanc, Denis R.

1984-01-01

Secondarily treated domestic sewage has been disposed of on surface sand beds at the sewage treatment facility at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, since 1936. Infiltration of the sewage through the sand beds into the underlying unconfined sand and gravel aquifer has resulted in a plume of sewage-contaminated ground water that is 2,500 to 3,500 feet wide, 75 feet thick, and more than 11,000 feet long. The plume extends south and southwest of the sand beds in the same direction as the regional flow of ground water, and is overlain by 20 to 50 feet of ground water derived from precipitation that recharges the aquifer. The bottom of the plume generally coincides with the contact between the permeable sand and gravel and underlying finer grained sediments. The distributions in the aquifer of specific conductance, temperature, boron, chloride, sodium, phosphorus, nitrogen (total of all species), ammonia, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, and detergents are used to delineate the plume. In ground water outside the plume, the detergent concentration is less than 0.1 milligrams per liter as MBAS (methylene blue active substances), the ammonia-nitrogen concentration is less than 0.1 milligrams per liter, the boron concentration is less than 50 micrograms per liter, and specific conductance is less than 80 mircromhos per centimeter. In the center of the plume, detergent concentrations as high as 2.6 milligrams per liter as MBAS, ammonia-nitrogen concentrations as high as 20 milligrams per liter, boron concentrations as high as 400 micrograms per liter, and specific conductance as high as 405 micromhos per centimeter were measured. Chloride, sodium, and boron are transported by the southward-flowing ground water without significant retardation, and seem to be diluted only by hydrodynamic dispersion. The movement of phosphorus is greatly restricted by sorption. Phosphorus concentrations do not exceed 0.05 milligrams per liter farther than 2,500 feet from the sand beds. Detergent concentrations in the plume are highest between 3,000 and 10,000 feet from the sand beds and reflect the introduction of nonbiodegradable detergents in 1946 and the conversion to biodegradable detergents in 1964. The center of the plume as far as 5,000 feet from the sand beds contains nitrogen as ammonia, but no nitrate and no dissolved oxygen. Ammonia is gradually oxidized to nitrate between 5,000 and 8,000 feet from the sand beds, and at distances greater than 8,000 feet oxidation of ammonia is essentially complete. Ammonia also is oxidized to nitrate along the top and sides of the plume within 5,000 of the beds where the contaminated ground water mixes with uncontaminated ground water that contains up to 11 milligrams per liter dissolved oxygen.

Sediment and Hydraulic Measurements with Computed Bed Load on the Missouri River, Sioux City to Hermann, 2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-01

large sand bed river, with seven sites representing increasingly larger flows along the river length. The data set will be very useful for additional...quantity, quality , and types of data that can be obtained for the study of natural phenomenon. The study of riverine sedimentation is no exception...detail than in previous years. Additionally, new methodologies have been developed that allow the computation of bed-load transport in large sand bed

Modeling of the processes of natural and waste water purification in the reactor-clarifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Primak, O. D.; Skolubovich, Yu. L.; Fedorova, N. N.; Voitov, E. L.

2018-03-01

The results of the filtration process simulation in a reactor-clarifier installation using a suspended loading layer are presented. Calculations were carried out in ANSYS Fluent on the basis of the Navier-Stokes equations supplemented by the equations of the Eulerian model of multiphase taking into account granularity of the particle phase. The unsteady picture of the formation of a fluidized («boiling») layer of particles is obtained. The results of parametric calculations allowing to estimate the effect of the flow velocity, the loading layer thickness, the thickness of sand and other parameters on the fluidized bed structure are presented. The liquid flow rate at which the loading grains are not washed out is determined. The diameter of particles and the height of the loading layer, at which the filter material is suspended and thus normal operation of the plant is ensured, are defined.

Recognition of strong seasonality and climatic cyclicity in an ancient, fluvially dominated, tidally influenced point bar: Middle McMurray Formation, Lower Steepbank River, north-eastern Alberta, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jablonski, Bryce V. J.; Dalrymple, Robert W.

2016-04-01

Inclined heterolithic stratification in the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation, exposed along the Steepbank River in north-eastern Alberta, Canada, accumulated on point bars of a 30 to 40 m deep continental-scale river in the fluvial-marine transition. This inclined heterolithic stratification consists of two alternating lithologies, sand and fine-grained beds. Sand beds were deposited rapidly by unidirectional currents and contain little or no bioturbation. Fine-grained beds contain rare tidal structures, and are intensely bioturbated by low-diversity ichnofossil assemblages. The alternations between the sand and fine-grained beds are probably caused by strong variations in fluvial discharge; that are believed to be seasonal (probably annual) in duration. The sand beds accumulated during river floods, under fluvially dominated conditions when the water was fresh, whereas the fine-grained beds accumulated during the late stages of the river flood and deposition continued under tidally influenced brackish-water conditions during times of low-river flow (i.e. the interflood periods). These changes reflect the annual migration in the positions of the tidal and salinity limits within the fluvial-marine transition that result from changes in river discharge. Sand and fine-grained beds are cyclically organized in the studied outcrops forming metre-scale cycles. A single metre-scale cycle is defined by a sharp base, an upward decrease in sand-bed thickness and upward increases in the preservation of fine-grained beds and the intensity of bioturbation. Metre-scale cycles are interpreted to be the product of a longer term (decadal) cyclicity in fluvial discharge, probably caused by fluctuations in ocean or solar dynamics. The volumetric dominance of river-flood deposits within the succession suggests that accumulation occurred in a relatively landward position within the fluvial-marine transition. This study shows that careful observation can reveal much about the interplay of processes within the fluvial-marine transition, which in turn provides a powerful tool for determining the palaeo-environmental location of a deposit within the fluvial-marine transition.

Multiple sources for late-Holocene tsunamis at Discovery Bay, Washington State, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, H.F.L.; Hutchinson, I.; Nelson, A.R.

2005-01-01

Nine muddy sand beds interrupt a 2500-yr-old sequence of peat deposits beneath a tidal marsh at the head of Discovery Bay on the south shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. An inferred tsunami origin for the sand beds is assessed by means of six criteria. Although all the sand beds contain marine diatoms and almost all the beds display internal stratification, the areal extent of the oldest beds is too limited to confirm their origin as tsunami deposits. The ages of four beds overlap with known late-Holocene tsunamis generated by plate-boundary earthquakes at the Cascadia subduction zone. Diatom assemblages in peat deposits bracketing these four beds do not indicate concurrent change in elevation at Discovery Bay. Diatoms in the peat bracketing a tsunami bed deposited about 1000 cal. yr BP indicate a few decimeters of submergence, suggesting deformation on a nearby upper-plate fault. Other beds may mark tsunamis caused by more distant upper-plate earthquakes or local submarine landslides triggered by earthquake shaking. Tsunamis from both subduction zone and upper-plate sources pose a significant hazard to shoreline areas in this region.

Packed fluidized bed blanket for fusion reactor

DOEpatents

Chi, John W. H.

1984-01-01

A packed fluidized bed blanket for a fusion reactor providing for efficient radiation absorption for energy recovery, efficient neutron absorption for nuclear transformations, ease of blanket removal, processing and replacement, and on-line fueling/refueling. The blanket of the reactor contains a bed of stationary particles during reactor operation, cooled by a radial flow of coolant. During fueling/refueling, an axial flow is introduced into the bed in stages at various axial locations to fluidize the bed. When desired, the fluidization flow can be used to remove particles from the blanket.

High temperature thermal energy storage in moving sand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, R. H.; Awaya, H. I.

1978-01-01

Several high-temperature (to 500 C) heat-storage systems using sand as the storage medium are described. The advantages of sand as a storage medium include low cost for sand, widespread availability, non-toxicity, non-degradation characteristics, easy containment, and safety. The systems considered include: stationary sand with closely spaced tubes throughout the volume, the use of a fluidized bed, use of conveyor belt transporter, and the use of a blower rapid transport system. For a stationary sand bed, very close spacing of heat transfer tubes throughout the volume is required, manifesting as high power related system cost. The suggestion of moving sand past or around pipes is intended to reduce the power related costs at the penalty of added system complexity. Preliminary system cost estimates are offered. These rough calculations indicate that mobile sand heat storage systems cost less than the stationary sand approach.

Packed- and fluidized-bed biofilm reactor performance for anaerobic wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Denac, M; Dunn, I J

1988-07-05

Anaerobic degradation performance of a laboratory-scale packed-bed reactor (PBR) was compared with two fluidized-bed biofilm reactors (FBRs) on molasses and whey feeds. The reactors were operated under constant pH (7) and temperature (35 degrees C) conditions and were well mixed with high recirculation rates. The measured variables were chemical oxygen demand (COD), individual organic acids, gas composition, and gas rates. As carrier, sand of 0.3-0.5 mm diameter was used in the FBR, and porous clay spheres of 6 mm diameter were used in the PBR. Startup of the PBR was achieved with 1-5 day residence times. Start-up of the FBR was only successful if liquid residence times were held low at 2-3 h. COD degradations of 86% with molasses (90% was biodegradable) were reached in both the FBR and PBR at 6 h residence time and loadings of 10 g COD/L day. At higher loadings the FBR gave the best performance; even at 40-45 g COD/L day, with 6 h residence times, 70% COD was degraded. The PBR could not be operated above 20 g COD/L day without clogging. A comparison of the reaction rates show that the PBR and FBR per formed similarly at low concentrations in the reactors up to 1 g COD/L, while above 3 g COD/L the rates were 17.4 g COD/L day for the PBR and 38.4 g COD/L day for the FBR. This difference is probably due to diffusion limitations and a less active biomass content of the PBR compared with the fluidized bed.The results of dynamic step change experiments, in which residence times and feed concentrations were changed hanged at constant loading, demonstrated the rapid response of the reactors. Thus, the response times for an increase in gas rate or an increase in organic acids due to an increase in feed concentration were less than 1 day and could be explained by substrate limitation. Other slower responses were observed in which the reactor culture adapted over periods of 5-10 days; these were apparently growth related. An increase in loading of over 100% always resulted in large increases inorganic acids, especially acetic and propionic, as well as large increases in the CO(2) gas content. In general, the CO(2) content of the gas was very low, due to the large amount of dissolved CO(2) that exited with the liquid phase at low residence times. The performance of the FBR with whey was comparable to its performance with molasses, and switching of molasses to whey feed resulted in immediate good performance without adaptation.

Wave-induced ripple development in mixed clay-sand substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xuxu; Parsons, Daniel; Baas, Jaco H.; Mouazé, Dominique; McLelland, Stuart; Amoudry, Laurent; Eggenhuisen, Jorris; Cartigny, Matthieu; Ruessink, Gerben

2016-04-01

This paper reports on a series of experiments that aim to provide a fuller understanding of ripple development within clay-sand mixture substrates under oscillatory flow conditions. The work was conducted in the Total Environment Simulator at the University of Hull and constituted 6 separate runs, in which 5 runs were conducted under identical sets of regular waves (an additional run was conducted under irregular waves, but is not discussed in present paper). The bed content was systematically varied in its composition ranging from a pure sand bed through to a bed comprising 7.4% clay. A series of state-of-the-art measurements were employed to quantify interactions of near-bed hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and turbulence over rippled beds formed by wave action, during and after, each run. The experimental results demonstrate the significant influence of the amount of cohesive clay materials in the substrate on ripple evolution under waves. Most importantly, addition of clay in the bed dramatically slowed down the rate of ripple development and evolution. The equilibrium time of each run increased exponentially from 30 minutes under the control conditions of a pure sand bed, rising to ~350 minutes for the bed with the highest fraction of clay. The paper discusses the slower ripple growth rates with higher cohesive fractions, via an influence on critical shear, but highlights that the end equilibrium size of ripples is found to be independent of increasing substrate clay fraction. The suspended particles mass (SPM) concentration indicates that clay particles were suspended and winnowed by wave action. Additionally, laser granulometry of the final substrates verified that ripple crests were composed of pure sand layers that were absent at ripple troughs, reflecting a relatively higher winnowing efficiency at wave ripples crest. The winnowing process and its efficiency is inexorably linked to wave ripple development and evolution. The implications of the results for sediment dynamics in mixed-bed substrates are highlighted and discussed.

Catalyst and process development for synthesis gas conversion to isobutylene. Quarterly report, October 1, 1992--December 31, 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anthony, R.G.; Akgerman, A.

1993-02-01

The objectives of this project are to develop a new catalyst, the kinetics for this catalyst, reactor models for trickle bed, slurry and fixed bed reactors, and simulate the performance of fixed bed trickle flow reactors, slurry flow reactors, and fixed bed gas phase reactors for conversion of a hydrogen lean synthesis gas to isobutylene. The goals for the quarter include: (1) Conduct experiments using a trickle bed reactor to determine the effect of reactor type on the product distribution. (2) Use spherical pellets of silica as a support for zirconia for the purpose of increasing surface, area and performancemore » of the catalysts. (3) Conduct exploratory experiments to determine the effect of super critical drying of the catalyst on the catalyst surface area and performance. (4) Prepare a ceria/zirconia catalyst by the precipitation method.« less

Annular core liquid-salt cooled reactor with multiple fuel and blanket zones

DOEpatents

Peterson, Per F.

2013-05-14

A liquid fluoride salt cooled, high temperature reactor having a reactor vessel with a pebble-bed reactor core. The reactor core comprises a pebble injection inlet located at a bottom end of the reactor core and a pebble defueling outlet located at a top end of the reactor core, an inner reflector, outer reflector, and an annular pebble-bed region disposed in between the inner reflector and outer reflector. The annular pebble-bed region comprises an annular channel configured for receiving pebble fuel at the pebble injection inlet, the pebble fuel comprising a combination of seed and blanket pebbles having a density lower than the coolant such that the pebbles have positive buoyancy and migrate upward in said annular pebble-bed region toward the defueling outlet. The annular pebble-bed region comprises alternating radial layers of seed pebbles and blanket pebbles.

Lateral Erosion Encourages Vertical Incision in a Bimodal Alluvial River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gran, K. B.

2015-12-01

Sand can have a strong impact on gravel transport, increasing gravel transport rates by orders of magnitude as sand content increases. Recent experimental work by others indicates that adding sand to an armored bed can even cause armor to break-up and mobilize. These two elements together help explain observations from a bimodal sand and gravel-bedded river, where lateral migration into sand-rich alluvium breaks up the armor layer, encouraging further incision into the bed. Detailed bedload measurements were coupled with surface and subsurface grain size analyses and cross-sectional surveys in a seasonally-incised channel carved into the upper alluvial fan of the Pasig-Potrero River at Mount Pinatubo, Philippines. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, filling valleys draining the flanks of the volcano with primarily sand-sized pyroclastic flow debris. Twenty years after the eruption, sand-rich sediment inputs are strongly seasonal, with most sediment input to the channel during the rainy season. During the dry season, flow condenses from a wide braided planform to a single-thread channel in most of the upper basin, extending several km onto the alluvial fan. This change in planform creates similar unit discharge ranges in summer and winter. Lower sediment loads in the dry season drive vertical incision until the bed is sufficiently armored. Incision proceeds downstream in a wave, with increasing sediment transport rates and decreasing grain size with distance downstream, eventually reaching a gravel-sand transition and return to a braided planform. Incision depths in the gravel-bedded section exceeded 3 meters in parts of a 4 km-long study reach, a depth too great to be explained by predictions from simple winnowing during incision. Instead, lateral migration into sand-rich alluvium provides sufficient fine sediment to break up the armor surface, allowing incision to start anew and increasing the total depth of the seasonally-incised valley. Lateral migration is recorded in a series of inset terraces within the valley. The importance of sand on channel behavior thus extends beyond transport rates, affecting the depth of incision and volume of material excavated during a rainy to dry season transition.

Modeling the effects of pulsed versus chronic sand inputs on salmonid spawning habitat in a low-gradient gravel-bed river

Treesearch

Oscar Maturana; Daniele Tonina; James A. McKean; John M. Buffington; Charles H. Luce; Diego Caamano

2013-01-01

It is widely recognized that high supplies of fine sediment, largely sand, can negatively impact the aquatic habitat quality of gravel-bed rivers, but effects of the style of input (chronic vs. pulsed) have not been examined quantitatively. We hypothesize that a continuous (i.e. chronic) supply of sand will be more detrimental to the quality of aquatic habitat than an...

Managing Vegetation on Peat-Sand Filter Beds for Wastewater Disposal

Treesearch

Arthur E. Elling

1985-01-01

Five species of grass, one sedge, and cattail were grown on a peat-sand filter bed irrigated with sewage effluent. Yields, uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus, and lodging problems were determined for all species when grown to various heights ranging from 5 to 75 cm.

General Suppression of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Sand-Based Dairy Livestock Bedding▿ †

PubMed Central

Westphal, Andreas; Williams, Michele L.; Baysal-Gurel, Fulya; LeJeune, Jeffrey T.; McSpadden Gardener, Brian B.

2011-01-01

Sand bedding material is frequently used in dairy operations to reduce the occurrence of mastitis and enhance cow comfort. One objective of this work was to determine if sand-based bedding also supported the microbiologically based suppression of an introduced bacterial pathogen. Bedding samples were collected in summer, fall, and winter from various locations within a dairy operation and tested for their ability to suppress introduced populations of Escherichia coli O157:H7. All sources of bedding displayed a heat-sensitive suppressiveness to the pathogen. Differences in suppressiveness were also noted between different samples at room temperature. At just 1 day postinoculation (dpi), the recycled sand bedding catalyzed up to a 1,000-fold reduction in E. coli counts, typically 10-fold greater than the reduction achieved with other substrates, depending on the sampling date. All bedding substrates were able to reduce E. coli populations by over 10,000-fold within 7 to 15 dpi, regardless of sampling date. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis was used to identify bacterial populations potentially associated with the noted suppression of E. coli O157:H7 in sand bedding. Eleven terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) were overrepresented in paired comparisons of suppressive and nonsuppressive specimens at multiple sampling points, indicating that they may represent environmentally stable populations of pathogen-suppressing bacteria. Cloning and sequencing of these TRFs indicated that they represent a diverse subset of bacteria, belonging to the Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroidetes, Gammaproteobacteria, and Firmicutes, only a few of which have previously been identified in livestock manure. Such data indicate that microbial suppression may be harnessed to develop new options for mitigating the risk and dispersal of zoonotic bacterial pathogens on dairy farms. PMID:21257815

Large-eddy simulation of sand dune morphodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosronejad, Ali; Sotiropoulos, Fotis; St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota Team

2015-11-01

Sand dunes are natural features that form under complex interaction between turbulent flow and bed morphodynamics. We employ a fully-coupled 3D numerical model (Khosronejad and Sotiropoulos, 2014, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 753:150-216) to perform high-resolution large-eddy simulations of turbulence and bed morphodynamics in a laboratory scale mobile-bed channel to investigate initiation, evolution and quasi-equilibrium of sand dunes (Venditti and Church, 2005, J. Geophysical Research, 110:F01009). We employ a curvilinear immersed boundary method along with convection-diffusion and bed-morphodynamics modules to simulate the suspended sediment and the bed-load transports respectively. The coupled simulation were carried out on a grid with more than 100 million grid nodes and simulated about 3 hours of physical time of dune evolution. The simulations provide the first complete description of sand dune formation and long-term evolution. The geometric characteristics of the simulated dunes are shown to be in excellent agreement with observed data obtained across a broad range of scales. This work was supported by NSF Grants EAR-0120914 (as part of the National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics). Computational resources were provided by the University of Minnesota Supercomputing Institute.

Deposition of Suspended Clay to Open and Sand-Filled Framework Gravel Beds in a Laboratory Flume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mooneyham, Christian; Strom, Kyle

2018-01-01

Pulses of fine sediment composed of sand, silt, and clay can be introduced to gravel bed rivers through runoff from burn-impacted hillslopes, landslides, bank failure, or the introduction of reservoir sediment as a result of sluicing or dam decommissioning. Here we present a study aimed at quantifying exchange between suspensions of clay and gravel beds. The questions that motivate the work are: how do bed roughness and pore space characteristics, shear velocity (u∗), and initial concentration (C0) affect clay deposition on or within gravel beds? Where does deposition within these beds occur, and can deposited clay be resuspended while the gravel is immobile? We examine these questions in a laboratory flume using acrylic, open-framework gravel, and armored sand-gravel beds under conditions of varying u∗ and C0. Deposition of clay occurred to all beds (even with Rouse numbers ˜ 0.01). We attribute deposition under full suspension conditions to be an outcome of localized protected zones where clay can settle and available pore space in the bed. For smooth wall cases, protection came from the viscous wall region and the development of bed forms; for the rough beds, protection came from separation zones and low-velocity pore spaces. Bed porosity was the strongest influencer of nondimensional deposition rate; deposition increased with porosity. Deposition was inversely related to u∗ for the acrylic bed runs; no influence of u∗ was found for the porous bed runs. Increases in discharge resulted in resuspension of clay from acrylic beds; no resuspension was observed in the porous bed runs.

Shielded fluid stream injector for particle bed reactor

DOEpatents

Notestein, John E.

1993-01-01

A shielded fluid-stream injector assembly is provided for particle bed reactors. The assembly includes a perforated pipe injector disposed across the particle bed region of the reactor and an inverted V-shaped shield placed over the pipe, overlapping it to prevent descending particles from coming into direct contact with the pipe. The pipe and shield are fixedly secured at one end to the reactor wall and slidably secured at the other end to compensate for thermal expansion. An axially extending housing aligned with the pipe and outside the reactor and an in-line reamer are provided for removing deposits from the inside of the pipe. The assembly enables fluid streams to be injected and distributed uniformly into the particle bed with minimized clogging of injector ports. The same design may also be used for extraction of fluid streams from particle bed reactors.

Evidence for liquefaction identified in peeled slices of Holocene deposits along the Lower Columbia River, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Takada, K.; Atwater, B.F.

2004-01-01

Peels made from 10 geoslices beneath a riverbank at Washington's Hunting Island, 45 km inland from the Pacific coast, aid in identifying sand that liquefied during prehistoric earthquakes of estimated magnitude 8-9 at the Cascadia subduction zone. Each slice was obtained by driving sheetpile and a shutter plate to depths of 6-8 m. The resulting sample, as long as 8 m, had a trapezoidal cross section 42-55 cm by 8 cm. The slicing created few artifacts other than bending and smearing at slice edges. Each slice is dominated by well-stratified sand and mud deposited by the tidal Columbia River. Nearly 90% of the sand is distinctly laminated. The sand contains mud beds as thick as 0.5 m and at least 20 m long, and it is capped by a mud bed that contains a buried soil that marks the 1700 Cascadia earthquake of estimated magnitude 9. Every slice intersected sills and dikes of fluidized sand, and many slices show folds and faults as well. Sills, which outnumber dikes, mostly follow and locally invade the undersides of mud beds. The mud beds probably impeded diffuse upward flow of water expelled from liquefied sand. Trapped beneath mud beds, this water flowed laterally, destroyed bedding by entraining (fluidizing) sand, and locally scoured the overlying mud. Horizontal zones of folded sand extend at least 10 or 20 m, and some contain low-angle faults. Many of the folds probably formed while sand was weakened by liquefaction. The low-angle faults may mark the soles of river-bottom slumps or lateral spreads. As many as four great Cascadia earthquakes in the past 2000 yr contributed to the intrusions, folds, and faults. This subsurface evidence for fluid escape and deformation casts doubt on maximum accelerations that were previously inferred from local absence of liquefaction features at the ground surface along the Columbia River. The geosliced evidence for liquefaction abounds not only beneath banks riddled with dikes but also beneath banks in which dikes are absent. Such dike-free banks of the Columbia River, if interpreted without study of postdepositional structures in deposits beneath them, provide insufficient basis for setting upper bounds on the strength of shaking from great Cascadia earthquakes. Online material: Data from outcrop surveys, vibracores, and penetrometer tests; tabular summary of depositional and postdepositional features in geoslices.

Performance and application of a fluidized bed limestone reactor designed for control of alkalinity, hardness and pH at the Warm Springs Regional Fisheries Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watten, Barnaby J.; Mudrak, Vincent A.; Echevarria, Carlos; Sibrell, Philip; Summerfelt, Steven T.; Boyd, Claude E.

2017-01-01

Springs serving the Warm Springs Regional Fisheries Center, Warm Springs, Georgia, have pH, alkalinity, and hardness levels thatlie under the range required for successful fish propagation while free CO2 is well above allowable targets. We evaluate a pretreatment process that exploits limestone’s (CaCO3) ability to react away hydrogen ions (H+) and carbon dioxide (CO2) while increasing alkalinity (HCO3−) and calcium (Ca2+) concentrations, i.e. CaCO3 + H+ ↔ HCO3− + Ca2+ CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O ↔ Ca2+ + 2HCO3− Limestone sand was tested in both pilot and full scale fluidized bed reactors (CycloBio®). We first established the bed expansion characteristics of three commercial limestone products then evaluated the effect of hydraulic flux and bed height on dissolution rate of a single selected product (Type A16 × 120). Pilot scale testing at 18C showed limestone dissolution rates were relatively insensitive to flux over the range 1.51–3.03 m3/min/m2 but were sensitive (P < 0.001; R2 = 0.881) to changes in bed height (BH, cm) over the range 83–165 cm following the relation: (Alkalinity, mg/L) = 123.51 − (3788.76 (BH)). Differences between filtered and non-filtered alkalinity were small(P > 0.05) demonstrating that limestone was present in the reactor effluent primarily in the form of dissolved Ca(HCO3)2. Effluent alkalinity exceeded our target level of 50 mg/L under most operating conditions evaluated with typical pilot scale values falling within the range of 90–100 mg/L despite influent concentrations of about 4 mg/L. Concurrently, CO2 fell from an average of 50.6 mg/L to 8.3 mg/L (90%), providing for an increase in pH from 5.27 to a mean of 7.71. The ability of the test reactor to provide changes in water chemistry variables that exceeded required changes allowed for a dilution ratio of 0.6. Here, alkalinity still exceeded 50 mg/L, the CO2 concentration remained well below our limit of 20 mg/L (15.4 mg/L) and the pH was near neutral (7.17). Applying the dilution ratio of 0.6 in a full scale treatment plant at the site reduced by 40% the volume of spring water that is directed through each of three parallel reactors that combined react away 49,000 kg of limestone/yr.

Aeolian processes over gravel beds: Field wind tunnel simulation and its application atop the Mogao Grottoes, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Weimin; Tan, Lihai; Zhang, Guobin; Qiu, Fei; Zhan, Hongtao

2014-12-01

The aeolian processes of erosion, transport and deposition are threatening the Mogao Grottoes, a world culture heritage site. A field wind tunnel experiment was conducted atop the Mogao Grottoes using weighing sensors to quantify aeolian processes over protective gravel beds. Results reveal that aeolian erosion and deposition over gravel beds are basically influenced by gravel coverage and wind speed. Erosion is a main aeolian process over gravel beds and its strength level is mainly determined by gravel coverage: strong (<30%), medium (30-50%) and slight (>50%). Aeolian deposition only occurs when gravel coverage is equal to or greater than 30% and wind speeds are between 8 and 12 m s-1, and this process continues until the occurrence of the equilibrium coverage. In addition, the change in conditions of external sand supply affects the transition between aeolian deposition and erosion over gravel beds, and the quantity of sand transport at the height of 0-24 mm is an important indicator of aeolian deposition and erosion over gravel beds. Our results also demonstrate that making the best use of wind regime atop the Mogao Grottoes and constructing an artificial gobi surface in staggered arrays, with 30% coverage and 30-mm-high gravels and in 40 mm spacing can trap westerly invading sand flow and enable the stronger easterly wind to return the deposited sand on the gravel surface back to the Mingsha Mountain so as to minimize the damage of the blown sand flux to the Mogao Grottoes.

Influence of various chlorine additives on the partitioning of heavy metals during low-temperature two-stage fluidized bed incineration.

PubMed

Peng, Tzu-Huan; Lin, Chiou-Liang

2014-12-15

In this study, a pilot-scale low-temperature two-stage fluidized bed incinerator was evaluated for the control of heavy metal emissions using various chlorine (Cl) additives. Artificial waste containing heavy metals was selected to simulate municipal solid waste (MSW). Operating parameters considered included the first-stage combustion temperature, gas velocity, and different kinds of Cl additives. Results showed that the low-temperature two-stage fluidized bed reactor can be an effective system for the treatment of MSW because of its low NO(x), CO, HCl, and heavy metal emissions. The NO(x) and HCl emissions could be decreased by 42% and 70%, respectively. Further, the results showed that heavy metal emissions were reduced by bed material adsorption and filtration in the second stage. Regarding the Cl addition, although the Cl addition would reduce the metal capture in the first-stage sand bed, but those emitted metals could be effectively captured by the filtration of second stage. No matter choose what kind of additive, metal emissions in the low-temperature two-stage system are still lower than in a traditional high-temperature one-stage system. The results also showed that metal emissions depend not only on the combustion temperature but also on the physicochemical properties of the different metal species. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neutron Fluence And DPA Rate Analysis In Pebble-Bed HTR Reactor Vessel Using MCNP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamzah, Amir; Suwoto; Rohanda, Anis; Adrial, Hery; Bakhri, Syaiful; Sunaryo, Geni Rina

2018-02-01

In the Pebble-bed HTR reactor, the distance between the core and the reactor vessel is very close and the media inside are carbon and He gas. Neutron moderation capability of graphite material is theoretically lower than that of water-moderated reactors. Thus, it is estimated much more the fast neutrons will reach the reactor vessel. The fast neutron collisions with the atoms in the reactor vessel will result in radiation damage and could be reducing the vessel life. The purpose of this study was to obtain the magnitude of neutron fluence in the Pebble-bed HTR reactor vessel. Neutron fluence calculations in the pebble-bed HTR reactor vessel were performed using the MCNP computer program. By determining the tally position, it can be calculated flux, spectrum and neutron fluence in the position of Pebble-bed HTR reactor vessel. The calculations results of total neutron flux and fast neutron flux in the reactor vessel of 1.82x108 n/cm2/s and 1.79x108 n/cm2/s respectively. The fast neutron fluence in the reactor vessel is 3.4x1017 n/cm2 for 60 years reactor operation. Radiation damage in stainless steel material caused by high-energy neutrons (> 1.0 MeV) will occur when it has reached the neutron flux level of 1.0x1024 n/cm2. The neutron fluence results show that there is no radiation damage in the Pebble-bed HTR reactor vessel, so it is predicted that it will be safe to operate at least for 60 years.

The Influence of Roughness and Pyrethroid Formulations on Bed Bug (Cimex lectularius L.) Resting Preferences.

PubMed

Hottel, Benjamin A; Pereira, Roberto M; Koehler, Philip G

2015-05-12

Two-choice tests were conducted to examine the effect of surface roughness on the resting preference of bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., on copper, basswood, and acrylic materials. The influence of pyrethroid formulation applications on resting preferences was also evaluated. Bed bugs were given the choice of resting between two sanded halves of each material tested. One half was sanded with a P60 grit sandpaper and the other with a less rough P600 grit sandpaper. A significantly higher proportion of bed bugs chose to rest on the rougher P60 grit sanded half of all materials tested. Pyrethroid applications were made to either the P60 grit half or both halves of acrylic arenas and resting preferences were again assessed. Behavioral responses of bed bugs to pyrethroid formulation applications varied depending on the bed bug strain used and the formulation applied. Bed bugs would still rest on the P60 grit half when Suspend SC formulation (0.06% deltamethrin) was applied; however, an avoidance response was observed from a bed bug strain susceptible to D-Force aerosol formulations (0.06% deltamethrin). The avoidance behavior is likely attributed to one, more than one, or even an interaction of multiple spray constituents and not the active ingredient.

Coastal geomorphic conditions and styles of storm surge washover deposits from Southern Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phantuwongraj, Sumet; Choowong, Montri; Nanayama, Futoshi; Hisada, Ken-Ichiro; Charusiri, Punya; Chutakositkanon, Vichai; Pailoplee, Santi; Chabangbon, Akkaneewut

2013-06-01

The characteristics of tropical storm washover deposits laid down during the years 2007 to 2011 along the southern peninsular coast of the Gulf of Thailand (GOT) were described in relation to their different geomorphic conditions, including perched fan, washover terrace and sheetwash lineations preserved behind the beach zone within 100 m of the shoreline. As a result, washover terrace and sheetwash lineations were found where the beach configuration was uniform and promoted an unconfined flow. Non-uniform beach configurations that promoted a confined flow resulted in a perched fan deposit. Washover sediments were differentiated into two types based on sedimentary characteristics, including (i) a thick-bedded sand of multiple reverse grading layers and (ii) a medium-bedded sand of multiple normal grading layers. In the case of thick-bedded washover deposits, the internal sedimentary structures were characterized by the presence of sub-horizontal bedding, reverse grading, lamination, foreset bedding and wavy bedding, whereas, horizontal bedding, normal grading, and dunes were the dominant structures in the medium-bedded washover sand. Rip-up clasts were rare and recognized only in the washover deposits in the bottom unit, which reflects the condition when a mud supply was available. All washover successions were found in the landward inclined-bedding with a basal sharp contact. A high elevated beach ridge associated with a large swale at the backshore proved suitable for a thick-bedded washover type, whereas a small beach ridge with uniformly flat backshore topography promoted a medium-bedded washover sediment.

Lake Michigan Bluff Dewatering and Stabilization Study - Allegan County, Michigan

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

laminated to cross- bedded sand interbedded with reddish brown, often laminated clay; and reddish-brown to gray to blue-gray diamicton (till) containing...Till also is extremely variable in thickness and may be a thin gravel lens, or up to 44 ft of graded sand beds , planar and trough cross- beds , thin...lies lacustrine clay to below lake level. The in-place layers are nominally flat , behind the slumped bluff face. ERDC TR-12-11 12 Figure 8

Effect of sand and rubber surface on the lying behavior of lame dairy cows in hospital pens.

PubMed

Bak, A S; Herskin, M S; Jensen, M B

2016-04-01

Housing lame cows in designated hospital pens with a soft surface may lessen the pain the animals feel when lying and changing position. This study investigated the effect of the lying surface on the behavior of lame cows in hospital pens. Thirty-two lame dairy cows were kept in individual hospital pens, provided with either 30-cm deep-bedded sand or 24-mm rubber mats during 24 h in a crossover design. On each surface, the lying behavior of each cow was recorded during 18 h. On deep-bedded sand, cows lay down more and changed position more often than when housed on the rubber surface. Furthermore, a shorter duration of lying down and getting up movements and a shorter duration of lying intention movements were observed. These results suggest that lame dairy cows are more reluctant to change position on rubber compared with sand, and that sand is more comfortable to lie on. Thus, deep bedding such as sand may provide better lying comfort for lame cows than an unbedded rubber surface. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of microresistivity from the dipmeter to improve formation evaluation in thin sands, Northeast Kalimantan, Indonesia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sallee, J.E.; Wood, B.R.

1984-09-01

Estimation of reserves in lenticular reservoirs consisting of many thin-bedded sand/shale sequences is complicated by an overly pessimistic evaluation of sand count and hydrocarbon in place when conventional log interpretation techniques are used. It is probable that thin clean sand lenses have connected permeability. Their contribution to production should be considered in the estimation of reserves. An approach has been devised to improve the evaluation of thin clean sands by introducing accurate bed boundaries between sand and shale laminae as identified clearly on the dipmeter microresistivity curve processing presentation (GEODIP). Dipmeter data are integrated into conventional computer log analyses tomore » yield more realistic estimates of porosity and hydrocarbon saturation throughout the reservoir. The method and the results attained to date are described.« less

Prediction of sand transport over immobile gravel from supply limited to capacity conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The prediction of the transport of sand in armored gravel reaches downstream of dams is complicated by variable bed conditions ranging from sand transported through gravel to sand in transport over buried gravel. Knowledge of the rate of sand transport in these conditions, however, is necessary for...

Sand waves in environmental flows: Insights gained by coupling large-eddy simulation with morphodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotiropoulos, Fotis; Khosronejad, Ali

2016-02-01

Sand waves arise in subaqueous and Aeolian environments as the result of the complex interaction between turbulent flows and mobile sand beds. They occur across a wide range of spatial scales, evolve at temporal scales much slower than the integral scale of the transporting turbulent flow, dominate river morphodynamics, undermine streambank stability and infrastructure during flooding, and sculpt terrestrial and extraterrestrial landscapes. In this paper, we present the vision for our work over the last ten years, which has sought to develop computational tools capable of simulating the coupled interactions of sand waves with turbulence across the broad range of relevant scales: from small-scale ripples in laboratory flumes to mega-dunes in large rivers. We review the computational advances that have enabled us to simulate the genesis and long-term evolution of arbitrarily large and complex sand dunes in turbulent flows using large-eddy simulation and summarize numerous novel physical insights derived from our simulations. Our findings explain the role of turbulent sweeps in the near-bed region as the primary mechanism for destabilizing the sand bed, show that the seeds of the emergent structure in dune fields lie in the heterogeneity of the turbulence and bed shear stress fluctuations over the initially flatbed, and elucidate how large dunes at equilibrium give rise to energetic coherent structures and modify the spectra of turbulence. We also discuss future challenges and our vision for advancing a data-driven simulation-based engineering science approach for site-specific simulations of river flooding.

Continuous biological waste gas treatment in stirred trickle-bed reactor with discontinuous removal of biomass.

PubMed

Laurenzis, A; Heits, H; Wübker, S; Heinze, U; Friedrich, C; Werner, U

1998-02-20

A new reactor for biological waste gas treatment was developed to eliminate continuous solvents from waste gases. A trickle-bed reactor was chosen with discontinuous movement of the packed bed and intermittent percolation. The reactor was operated with toluene as the solvent and an optimum average biomass concentration of between 5 and 30 kg dry cell weight per cubic meter packed bed (m3pb). This biomass concentration resulted in a high volumetric degradation rate. Reduction of surplus biomass by stirring and trickling caused a prolonged service life and prevented clogging of the trickle bed and a pressure drop increase. The pressure drop after biomass reduction was almost identical to the theoretical pressure drop as calculated for the irregular packed bed without biomass. The reduction in biomass and intermittent percolation of mineral medium resulted in high volumetric degradation rates of about 100 g of toluene m-3pb h-1 at a load of 150 g of toluene m-3pb h-1. Such a removal rate with a trickle-bed reactor was not reported before. Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Co-Production of Electricity and Hydrogen Using a Novel Iron-based Catalyst

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hilaly, Ahmad; Georgas, Adam; Leboreiro, Jose

2011-09-30

The primary objective of this project was to develop a hydrogen production technology for gasification applications based on a circulating fluid-bed reactor and an attrition resistant iron catalyst. The work towards achieving this objective consisted of three key activities: Development of an iron-based catalyst suitable for a circulating fluid-bed reactor; Design, construction, and operation of a bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor system for hydrogen production; Techno-economic analysis of the steam-iron and the pressure swing adsorption hydrogen production processes. This report describes the work completed in each of these activities during this project. The catalyst development and testing program prepared and iron-basedmore » catalysts using different support and promoters to identify catalysts that had sufficient activity for cyclic reduction with syngas and steam oxidation and attrition resistance to enable use in a circulating fluid-bed reactor system. The best performing catalyst from this catalyst development program was produced by a commercial catalyst toll manufacturer to support the bench-scale testing activities. The reactor testing systems used during material development evaluated catalysts in a single fluid-bed reactor by cycling between reduction with syngas and oxidation with steam. The prototype SIP reactor system (PSRS) consisted of two circulating fluid-bed reactors with the iron catalyst being transferred between the two reactors. This design enabled demonstration of the technical feasibility of the combination of the circulating fluid-bed reactor system and the iron-based catalyst for commercial hydrogen production. The specific activities associated with this bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor systems that were completed in this project included design, construction, commissioning, and operation. The experimental portion of this project focused on technical demonstration of the performance of an iron-based catalyst and a circulating fluid-bed reactor system for hydrogen production. Although a technology can be technically feasible, successful commercial deployment also requires that a technology offer an economic advantage over existing commercial technologies. To effective estimate the economics of this steam-iron process, a techno-economic analysis of this steam iron process and a commercial pressure swing adsorption process were completed. The results from this analysis described in this report show the economic potential of the steam iron process for integration with a gasification plant for coproduction of hydrogen and electricity.« less

Solar tower power plant using a particle-heated steam generator: Modeling and parametric study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krüger, Michael; Bartsch, Philipp; Pointner, Harald; Zunft, Stefan

2016-05-01

Within the framework of the project HiTExStor II, a system model for the entire power plant consisting of volumetric air receiver, air-sand heat exchanger, sand storage system, steam generator and water-steam cycle was implemented in software "Ebsilon Professional". As a steam generator, the two technologies fluidized bed cooler and moving bed heat exchangers were considered. Physical models for the non-conventional power plant components as air- sand heat exchanger, fluidized bed coolers and moving bed heat exchanger had to be created and implemented in the simulation environment. Using the simulation model for the power plant, the individual components and subassemblies have been designed and the operating parameters were optimized in extensive parametric studies in terms of the essential degrees of freedom. The annual net electricity output for different systems was determined in annual performance calculations at a selected location (Huelva, Spain) using the optimized values for the studied parameters. The solution with moderate regenerative feed water heating has been found the most advantageous. Furthermore, the system with moving bed heat exchanger prevails over the system with fluidized bed cooler due to a 6 % higher net electricity yield.

Transesterification of rapeseed oil for biodiesel production in trickle-bed reactors packed with heterogeneous Ca/Al composite oxide-based alkaline catalyst.

PubMed

Meng, Yong-Lu; Tian, Song-Jiang; Li, Shu-Fen; Wang, Bo-Yang; Zhang, Min-Hua

2013-05-01

A conventional trickle bed reactor and its modified type both packed with Ca/Al composite oxide-based alkaline catalysts were studied for biodiesel production by transesterification of rapeseed oil and methanol. The effects of the methanol usage and oil flow rate on the FAME yield were investigated under the normal pressure and methanol boiling state. The oil flow rate had a significant effect on the FAME yield for the both reactors. The modified trickle bed reactor kept over 94.5% FAME yield under 0.6 mL/min oil flow rate and 91 mL catalyst bed volume, showing a much higher conversion and operational stability than the conventional type. With the modified trickle bed reactor, both transesterification and methanol separation could be performed simultaneously, and glycerin and methyl esters were separated additionally by gravity separation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method of shielding a liquid-metal-cooled reactor

DOEpatents

Sayre, Robert K.

1978-01-01

The primary heat transport system of a nuclear reactor -- particularly for a liquid-metal-cooled fast-breeder reactor -- is shielded and protected from leakage by establishing and maintaining a bed of a powdered oxide closely and completely surrounding all components thereof by passing a gas upwardly therethrough at such a rate as to slightly expand the bed to the extent that the components of the system are able to expand without damage and yet the particles of the bed remain close enough so that the bed acts as a guard vessel for the system. Preferably the gas contains 1 to 10% oxygen and the gas is passed upwardly through the bed at such a rate that the lower portion of the bed is a fixed bed while the upper portion is a fluidized bed, the line of demarcation therebetween being high enough that the fixed bed portion of the bed serves as guard vessel for the system.

Development of a trickle bed reactor of electro-Fenton process for wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Lei, Yangming; Liu, Hong; Shen, Zhemin; Wang, Wenhua

2013-10-15

To avoid electrolyte leakage and gas bubbles in the electro-Fenton (E-Fenton) reactors using a gas diffusion cathode, we developed a trickle bed cathode by coating a layer composed of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene (C-PTFE) onto graphite chips instead of carbon cloth. The trickle bed cathode was optimized by single-factor and orthogonal experiments, in which carbon black, PTFE, and a surfactant were considered as the determinant of the performance of graphite chips. In the reactor assembled by the trickle bed cathode, H2O2 was generated with a current of 0.3A and a current efficiency of 60%. This performance was attributed to the fine distribution of electrolyte and air, as well as the effective oxygen transfer from the gas phase to the electrolyte-cathode interface. In terms of H2O2 generation and current efficiency, the developed trickle bed reactor had a performance comparable to that of the conventional E-Fenton reactor using a gas diffusion cathode. Further, 123 mg L(-1) of reactive brilliant red X-3B in aqueous solution was decomposed in the optimized trickle bed reactor as E-Fenton reactor. The decolorization ratio reached 97% within 20 min, and the mineralization reached 87% within 3h. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discharge Characteristics of Series Surface/Packed-Bed Discharge Reactor Diven by Bipolar Pulsed Power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jian; Jiang, Nan; Li, Jie; Shang, Kefeng; Lu, Na; Wu, Yan; Mizuno, Akira

2016-03-01

The discharge characteristics of the series surface/packed-bed discharge (SSPBD) reactor driven by bipolar pulse power were systemically investigated in this study. In order to evaluate the advantages of the SSPBD reactor, it was compared with traditional surface discharge (SD) reactor and packed-bed discharge (PBD) reactor in terms of the discharge voltage, discharge current, and ozone formation. The SSPBD reactor exhibited a faster rising time and lower tail voltage than the SD and PBD reactors. The distribution of the active species generated in different discharge regions of the SSPBD reactor was analyzed by optical emission spectra and ozone analysis. It was found that the packed-bed discharge region (3.5 mg/L), rather than the surface discharge region (1.3 mg/L) in the SSPBD reactor played a more important role in ozone generation. The optical emission spectroscopy analysis indicated that more intense peaks of the active species (e.g. N2 and OI) in the optical emission spectra were observed in the packed-bed region. supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51177007), the Joint Funds of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U1462105), and Dalian University of Technology Fundamental Research Fund of China (No. DUT15RC(3)030)

Phase diagrams of dune shape and orientation depending on sand availability

PubMed Central

Gao, Xin; Narteau, Clément; Rozier, Olivier; du Pont, Sylvain Courrech

2015-01-01

New evidence indicates that sand availability does not only control dune type but also the underlying dune growth mechanism and the subsequent dune orientation. Here we numerically investigate the development of bedforms in bidirectional wind regimes for two different conditions of sand availability: an erodible sand bed or a localized sand source on a non-erodible ground. These two conditions of sand availability are associated with two independent dune growth mechanisms and, for both of them, we present the complete phase diagrams of dune shape and orientation. On an erodible sand bed, linear dunes are observed over the entire parameter space. Then, the divergence angle and the transport ratio between the two winds control dune orientation and dynamics. For a localized sand source, different dune morphologies are observed depending on the wind regime. There are systematic transitions in dune shape from barchans to linear dunes extending away from the localized sand source, and vice-versa. These transitions are captured fairly by a new dimensionless parameter, which compares the ability of winds to build the dune topography in the two modes of dune orientation. PMID:26419614

Induction log responses to layered, dipping, and anisotropic formations: Induction log shoulder-bed corrections to anisotropic formations and the effect of shale anisotropy in thinly laminated sand/shale sequences

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hagiwara, Teruhiko

1996-12-31

Induction log responses to layered, dipping, and anisotropic formations are examined analytically. The analytical model is especially helpful in understanding induction log responses to thinly laminated binary formations, such as sand/shale sequences, that exhibit macroscopically anisotropic: resistivity. Two applications of the analytical model are discussed. In one application we examine special induction log shoulder-bed corrections for use when thin anisotropic beds are encountered. It is known that thinly laminated sand/shale sequences act as macroscopically anisotropic: formations. Hydrocarbon-bearing formations also act as macroscopically anisotropic formations when they consist of alternating layers of different grain-size distributions. When such formations are thick, inductionmore » logs accurately read the macroscopic conductivity, from which the hydrocarbon saturation in the formations can be computed. When the laminated formations are not thick, proper shoulder-bed corrections (or thin-bed corrections) should be applied to obtain the true macroscopic formation conductivity and to estimate the hydrocarbon saturation more accurately. The analytical model is used to calculate the thin-bed effect and to evaluate the shoulder-bed corrections. We will show that the formation resistivity and hence the hydrocarbon saturation are greatly overestimated when the anisotropy effect is not accounted for and conventional shoulder-bed corrections are applied to the log responses from such laminated formations.« less

Periodic Trajectories in Aeolian Sand Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valance, A.; Jenkins, J. T.

2014-12-01

Saltation is the primary mode of aeolian sand transport and refers to the hoping motion of grains over the bed [1]. We develop a simple model for steady, uniform transport in aeolian saltation over a horizontal bed that is based on the computation of periodic particle trajectories in a turbulent shearing flow [2]. The wind and the particles interact through drag, and the particles collide with the bed. We consider collisions with a rigid, bumpy bed, from which the particles rebound, and an erodible particle bed, for which a collision involves both rebound and particle ejection. The difference in the nature of the collisions results in qualitative differences in the nature of the solutions for the periodic trajectories and, in particular, to differences in the dependence of the particle flow rate on the strength of the turbulent shearing. We also discuss the pertinence of this model to describe bedload transport in water. References:[1] R. A. Bagnold, « The physics of blown sand and desert dunes » , Methuen, New York (1941).[2] J.T Jenkins and A. Valance. Periodic trajectories in Aeolian saltation transport. Physics of Fluids, 2014, 26, pp. 073301

The hydrogeologic framework for the southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Renken, R.A.

1984-01-01

Tertiary and Cretaceous age sand aquifers of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain constitute a distinct multistate hydrogeologic regime informally defined as the southeastern sand aquifer. Seven regional hydrogeologic units are defined; four regional aquifer units and three regional confining beds. Sand aquifers of this system consist of quartzose, feldspathic, and coarse to fine sand and sandstone and minor limestone; confining beds are composed of clay, shale, chalk, and marl. Three hydrogeologic units of Cretaceous to Holocene age overlie the sand system: the surficial aquifer, upper confining unit, and Floridan aquifer system. These three units are not part of the southeastern sand aquifer, but are an integral element of the total hydrogeologic system, and some act as a source of recharge to, or discharge from the underlying clastic sediments. Low-permeability strata of Paleozoic to early Mesozoic age form the base off the total system. (USGS)

Terpenoids as major precursors of dissolved organic matter in landfill leachates, surface water, and groundwater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leenheer, J.A.; Nanny, M.A.; McIntyre, C.

2003-01-01

13C NMR analyses of hydrophobic dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions isolated from a landfill leachate contaminated groundwater near Norman, OK; the Colorado River aqueduct near Los Angeles, CA; Anaheim Lake, an infiltration basin for the Santa Ana River in Orange County, CA; and groundwater from the Tomago Sand Beds, near Sydney, Australia, found branched methyl groups and quaternary aliphatic carbon structures that are indicative of terpenoid hydrocarbon precursors. Significant amounts of lignin precursors, commonly postulated to be the major source of DOM, were found only in trace quantities by thermochemolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the Norman Landfill and Tomago Sand Bed hydrophobic DOM fractions. Electrospray/tandem mass spectrometry of the Tomago Sand Bed hydrophobic acid DOM found an ion series differing by 14 daltons, which is indicative of aliphatic and aryl-aliphatic polycarboxylic acids. The product obtained from ozonation of the resin acid, abietic acid, gave a similar ion series. Terpenoid precursors of DOM are postulated to be derived from resin acid paper sizing agents in the Norman Landfill, algal and bacterial terpenoids in the Colorado River and Anaheim Lake, and terrestrial plant terpenoids in the Tomago Sand Beds.

Terpenoids as major precursors of dissolved organic matter in landfill leachates, surface water, and groundwater.

PubMed

Leenheer, Jerry A; Nanny, Mark A; McIntyre, Cameron

2003-06-01

13C NMR analyses of hydrophobic dissolved organic matter (DOM) fractions isolated from a landfill leachate contaminated groundwater near Norman, OK; the Colorado River aqueduct near Los Angeles, CA; Anaheim Lake, an infiltration basin for the Santa Ana River in Orange County, CA; and groundwater from the Tomago Sand Beds, near Sydney, Australia, found branched methyl groups and quaternary aliphatic carbon structures that are indicative of terpenoid hydrocarbon precursors. Significant amounts of lignin precursors, commonly postulated to be the major source of DOM, were found only in trace quantities by thermochemolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the Norman Landfill and Tomago Sand Bed hydrophobic DOM fractions. Electrospray/tandem mass spectrometry of the Tomago Sand Bed hydrophobic acid DOM found an ion series differing by 14 daltons, which is indicative of aliphatic and aryl-aliphatic polycarboxylic acids. The product obtained from ozonation of the resin acid, abietic acid, gave a similar ion series. Terpenoid precursors of DOM are postulated to be derived from resin acid paper sizing agents in the Norman Landfill, algal and bacterial terpenoids in the Colorado River and Anaheim Lake, and terrestrial plant terpenoids in the Tomago Sand Beds.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY BULLETIN: SPOUTED BED REACTOR

EPA Science Inventory

The Spouted Bed Reactor (SBR) technology utilizes the unique attributes of the "spouting " fluidization regime, which can provide heat transfer rates comparable to traditional fluid beds, while providing robust circulation of highly heterogeneous solids, concurrent with very agg...

Sand dunes on the central Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denny, Charles Storrow; Owens, James Patrick

1979-01-01

Inconspicuous ancient sand dunes are present in parts of the central Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware. Many dunes are roughly V-shaped, built by northwest winds, especially on the east sides of some of the large rivers. On the uplands, the form and spacing of the dunes are variable. A surficial blanket composed mainly of medium and fine-grained sand-the Parsonsburg Sand-forms both the ancient dunes and the broad plains between the dunes. The sand that forms the dunes is massive and intensely burrowed in the upper part; traces of horizontal or slightly inclined bedding appear near the base. Quartz is the dominant mineral constituent of the sand. Microline is abundant in the very fine to fine sand fraction. The heavy-mineral assemblages (high zircon, tourmaline, rutile) are more mature than in most of the possible source rocks. The most abundant minerals in the clay-sized fraction are dioctahedral vermiculite, kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite, and gibbsite. The first four minerals are common in deposits of late Wisconsin and Holocene age. The gibbsite may be detrital, coming from weathered rocks of Tertiary age. The soil profile in the dune sand is weakly to moderately developed. At or near the base of the Parsonsburg Sand are peaty beds that range in age from about 30,000 to about 13,000 radiocarbon years B.P. Microfloral assemblages in the peaty beds suggest that the dunes on the uplands formed in a spruce parkland during the late Wisconsin glacial maximum. The river dunes may also be of late Wisconsin age, but could be Holocene.

Intrawave sand suspension in the shoaling and surf zone of a field-scale laboratory beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinkkemper, J. A.; de Bakker, A. T. M.; Ruessink, B. G.

2017-01-01

Short-wave sand transport in morphodynamic models is often based solely on the near-bed wave-orbital motion, thereby neglecting the effect of ripple-induced and surface-induced turbulence on sand transport processes. Here sand stirring was studied using measurements of the wave-orbital motion, turbulence, ripple characteristics, and sand concentration collected on a field-scale laboratory beach under conditions ranging from irregular nonbreaking waves above vortex ripples to plunging waves and bores above subdued bed forms. Turbulence and sand concentration were analyzed as individual events and in a wave phase-averaged sense. The fraction of turbulence events related to suspension events is relatively high (˜50%), especially beneath plunging waves. Beneath nonbreaking waves with vortex ripples, the sand concentration close to the bed peaks right after the maximum positive wave-orbital motion and shows a marked phase lag in the vertical, although the peak in concentration at higher elevations does not shift to beyond the positive to negative flow reversal. Under plunging waves, concentration peaks beneath the wavefront without any notable phase lags in the vertical. In the inner-surf zone (bores), the sand concentration remains phase coupled to positive wave-orbital motion, but the concentration decreases with distance toward the shoreline. On the whole, our observations demonstrate that the wave-driven suspended load transport is onshore and largest beneath plunging waves, while it is small and can also be offshore beneath shoaling waves. To accurately predict wave-driven sand transport in morphodynamic models, the effect of surface-induced turbulence beneath plunging waves should thus be included.

[Factors affecting biological removal of iron and manganese in groundwater].

PubMed

Xue, Gang; He, Sheng-Bing; Wang, Xin-Ze

2006-01-01

Factors affecting biological process for removing iron and manganese in groundwater were analyzed. When DO and pH in groundwater after aeration were 7.0 - 7.5 mg/L and 6.8 - 7.0 respectively, not only can the activation of Mn2+ oxidizing bacteria be maintained, but also the demand of iron and manganese removal can be satisfied. A novel inoculating approach of grafting mature filter material into filter bed, which is easier to handle than selective culture media, was employed in this research. However, this approach was only suitable to the filter material of high-quality manganese sand with strong Mn2+ adsorption capacity. For the filter material of quartz sand with weak adsorption capacity, only culturing and domesticating Mn2+ oxidizing bacteria by selective culture media can be adopted as inoculation in filter bed. The optimal backwashing rate of biological filter bed filled with manganese sand and quartz sand should be kept at a relatively low level of 6 - 9 L/(m2 x s) and 7 -11 L/( m2 x s), respectively. Then the stability of microbial phase in filter bed was not disturbed, and iron and manganese removal efficiency recovered in less than 5h. Moreover, by using filter material with uniform particle size of 1.0 - 1.2 mm in filter bed, the filtration cycle reached as long as 35 - 38h.

High-Resolution Subsurface Imaging and Stratigraphy of Quaternary Deposits, Marapanim Estuary, Northern Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, C. A.; Souza Filho, P. M.; Gouvea Luiz, J.

2007-05-01

The Marapanim estuary is situated in the Para Coastal Plain, North Brazil. It is characterized by an embayed coastline developed on Neogene and Quaternary sediments of the Barreiras and Pos-Barreiras Group. This system is strongly influenced by macrotidal regimes with semidiurnal tides and by humid tropical climate conditions. The interpretation of GPR-reflections presented in this paper is based on correlation of the GPR signal with stratigraphic data acquired on the coastal plain through five cores that were taken along GPR survey lines from the recent deposits and outcrops observed along to the coastal area. The profiles were obtained using a Geophysical Survey Systems Inc., Model YR-2 GPR, with monostatic 700 MHz antenna that permitted to get records of subsurface deposits at 20m depth. Were collected 54 radar sections completing a total of 4.360m. The field data were analyzed using a RADAN software and applying different filters. The interpretation of radar facies following the principles of seismic stratigraphy that permitted analyze the sedimentary facies and facies architecture in order to understand the lithology, depositional environments and stratigraphic evolution of this sedimentary succession as well as to leading to a more precise stratigraphic framework for the Neogene to Quaternary deposits at Marapanim coastal plain. Facies characteristics and sedimentologic analysis (i.e., texture, composition and structure aspects) were investigated from five cores collected through a Rammkernsonde system. The locations were determined using a Global Positioning System. Remote sensing images (Landsat-7 ETM+ and RADARSAT-1 Wide) and SRTM elevation data were used to identify and define the distribution of the different morphologic units. The Coastal Plain extends west-east of the mouth of the Marapanim River, where were identified six morphologic units: paleodune, strand plain, recent coastal dune, macrotidal sandy beach, mangrove and salt marsh. The integration of GPR profiles and stratigraphy data allowed for the recognition of paleochannel geometry, with width of 150m and depth of 20m, developed on Barreiras Group, two discontinuity surfaces and three facies associations organized into sedimentary facies: (i) Tidal channel with mottled sand, Conglomerate with clay pebble and Ophiomorpha/linear Skolithos, channel-fill and tabular cross-bedding sand and sand/mud interlayer facies. (ii) Dune/interdune with wavy bedding and cross-bedding sand and planar bedding and tabular cross-bedding sand facies. (iii) infilled tidal channel with mottled sand, planar/flaser bedding sand, lenticular bedding clay and sand/mud interlayer facies. The present study demonstrates that some facies associations occur restricts to tidal paleochannels and shows features well preserved that are very important to reconstruction of the relative sea-level history in the Marapanim Estuary.

METHOD FOR SENSING DEGREE OF FLUIDIZATION IN FLUIDIZED BED

DOEpatents

Levey, R.P. Jr.; Fowler, A.H.

1961-12-12

A method is given for detecting, indicating, and controlling the degree of fluidization in a fluid-bed reactor into which powdered material is fed. The method comprises admitting of gas into the reactor, inserting a springsupported rod into the powder bed of the reactor, exciting the rod to vibrate at its resonant frequency, deriving a signal responsive to the amplitude of vibi-ation of the rod and spring, the signal being directiy proportional to the rate of flow of the gas through the reactor, displaying the signal to provide an indication of the degree of fluidization within the reactor, and controlling the rate of gas flow into the reactor until said signal stabilizes at a constant value to provide substantially complete fluidization within the reactor. (AEC)

Influence of free-stall base on tarsal joint lesions and hygiene in dairy cows.

PubMed

Fulwider, W K; Grandin, T; Garrick, D J; Engle, T E; Lamm, W D; Dalsted, N L; Rollin, B E

2007-07-01

The objective was to quantify the incidence of tarsal lesions and level of hygiene by stall bed type. Cows were scored on 100 dairies from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, and New York in the fall and winter. Thirty-eight dairies used rubber-filled mattresses (RFM), 27 had sand beds, 29 had waterbeds, and 6 used compost packs (CPk). Stocking density, stall dimensions, bedding amount, bedding frequency, and type of bedding were recorded. One pen of early-lactation multiparous cows on each dairy was scored based on injury of the tarsal joints at the lateral and medial surfaces and tuber calcis at the dorsal, lateral, and medial surfaces. A tarsal score of 1 represented hair loss, 2 was moderate, and 3 indicated severe swelling. Differences between bed types in the percentages of cows with lesions were tested with one-way ANOVA by lesion severity and incidence, with farm as the experimental unit. Cows on sand beds or waterbeds had fewer lesion scores of 1, 2, and 3 than those on RFM. The percentages of score 1 were 54.6 +/- 4.4 (RFM), 22.5 +/- 4.7 (sand), and 29.8 +/- 4.3 (waterbed), whereas the percentages of score 2 were 14.0 +/- 1.4, 2.3 +/- 1.5, and 5.0 +/- 1.4, and of score 3 were 3.0 +/- 0.4, 0.2 +/- 0.4, and 0.4 +/- 0.4. Cows on CPk had no lesions. Hygiene scores ranged from 1 to 5, with 1 being clean and 5 soiled. The percentages of hygiene score 1 were 0 (compost), 0.4 (RFM), 0.4 (sand), and 0.4 (waterbeds); those with score 2 were 79.0, 84.0 +/- 0.01, 73.2 +/- 0.01, and 80.4 +/- 0.01; with score 3 were 20.3, 15.2 +/- 0.01, 23.8 +/- 0.01, and 18.6 +/- 0.01; with score 4 were 0.8, 0.005 +/- 0.001, 0.006 +/- 0.001, and 0.025 +/- 0.003; and with score 5 was 0 for all bed types. Cows on RFM and waterbeds had improved hygiene compared with cows on sand beds. There was no difference in somatic cell count (SCC) by bed type. The percentage of cows in fourth lactation or greater on waterbeds (19.8 +/- 1.8) was greater than those on RFM (13.3 +/- 1.6) or on sand (13.5 +/- 1.8). The percentage culled was lower for cows on waterbeds than on RFM (22.8 +/- 1.5 vs. 29.4 +/- 1.4). Score 3 tarsal lesions were correlated (r = 0.60) with SCC. The length of the sand bed was correlated with a greater percentage of mature cows. The SCC was correlated with the percentage of cows reported lame on the day of the visit (r = 0.45) and with neck rail height (r = -0.26). On dairies with RFM, severe lesions (r = 0.60), death losses (r = 0.52), and percentage of the herd reported lame on the day of the visit (r = 0.52) were all correlated with the SCC. Dairies with higher percentages of lesions had higher SCC, death losses, lameness, and culling rates. Adding bedding several times per week may reduce the incidence of lesions.

Pressure regulator

DOEpatents

Ebeling, Jr., Robert W.; Weaver, Robert B.

1979-01-01

The pressure within a pressurized flow reactor operated under harsh environmental conditions is controlled by establishing and maintaining a fluidized bed of uniformly sized granular material of selected density by passing the gas from the reactor upwardly therethrough at a rate sufficient to fluidize the bed and varying the height of the bed by adding granular material thereto or removing granular material therefrom to adjust the backpressure on the flow reactor.

Hydrodynamics of Packed Bed Reactor in Low Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motil, Brian J.; Nahra, Henry K.; Balakotaiah, Vemuri

2005-01-01

Packed bed reactors are well known for their vast and diverse applications in the chemical industry; from gas absorption, to stripping, to catalytic conversion. Use of this type of reactor in terrestrial applications has been rather extensive because of its simplicity and relative ease of operation. Developing similar reactors for use in microgravity is critical to many space-based advanced life support systems. However, the hydrodynamics of two-phase flow packed bed reactors in this new environment and the effects of one physiochemical process on another has not been adequately assessed. Surface tension or capillary forces play a much greater role which results in a shifting in flow regime transitions and pressure drop. Results from low gravity experiments related to flow regimes and two-phase pressure drop models are presented in this paper along with a description of plans for a flight experiment on the International Space Station (ISS). Understanding the packed bed hydrodynamics and its effects on mass transfer processes in microgravity is crucial for the design of packed bed chemical or biological reactors to be used for water reclamation and other life support processes involving water purification.

Accumulation of radionuclides in bed sediments of the Columbia River between Hanford reactors and McNary Dam

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Jack L.; Haushild, W.L.

1970-01-01

Amounts of radionuclides from the Hanford reactors contained in bed sediments of the Columbia River were estimated by two methods: (1) from data on radionuclide concentration for the bed sediments between the reactors and McNary Dam, and (2) from data on radionuclide discharge for river stations at Pasco, Washington, and Umatilla, Oregon. Umatilla is 3.2 kilometers below McNary Dam. Accumulations of radionuclides in the Pasco to Umatilla reach estimated by the two methods agree within about 8%. In October 1965 approximately 16,000 curies of gamma emitting radionuclides were resident in bed sediments of the river between the Hanford reactors and McNary Dam. Concentrations and accumulations of chromium-51, zinc-65, cobalt-60, manganese-54, and scandium-46 generally are much higher near McNary Dam than they are in the vicinity of the reactors. These changes are caused by an increase downstream from the reactors in the proportion of the bed sediment that is fine grained and the proportions of the transported zinc, cobalt, manganese, and scandium radionuclides associated with sediment particles.

Space radiation studies at the White Sands Missile Range Fast Burst Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delapaz, A.

1972-01-01

The operation of the White Sands Missile Range Fast Burst Reactor is discussed. Space radiation studies in radiobiology, dosimetry, and transient radiation effects on electronic systems and components are described. Proposed modifications to increase the capability of the facility are discussed.

Innovative approach for benzene degradation using hybrid surface/packed-bed discharge plasmas.

PubMed

Jiang, Nan; Lu, Na; Shang, Kefeng; Li, Jie; Wu, Yan

2013-09-03

An innovative plasma reactor, which generates hybrid surface/packed-bed discharge (HSPBD) plasmas, was employed for the degradation of benzene. The HSPBD reactor was found to display remarkably better benzene degradation, mineralization, and energy performance than surface or packed-bed discharge reactors alone. The degradation efficiency, CO2 selectivity, and energy yield in the HSPBD reactor were 21%, 11%, and 3.9 g kWh-1 higher, respectively, than in a surface discharge reactor and 30%, 21%, and 5.5 g kWh-1 higher, respectively, than in a packed-bed discharge reactor operated at 280 J L-1. Particularly, the benzene degradation in the HSPBD reactor exhibited an unambiguous synergistic enhancement rather than a simple additive effect using the surface discharge and packed-bed discharge reactors. Moreover, in the HSPBD reactor, the formation of byproducts, such as NO2, was suppressed, while O3 was promoted. The use of N2 as the carrier gas was found to be effective for benzene degradation because of the fast reaction rate of N2(A3∑u+) with benzene, and oxygen species derived from the dissociation of O2 were found to be significant in the mineralization process. Thus, the addition of O2 to N2 allows for efficient degradation of benzene, and the optimized amount of O2 was determined to be 3%.

Characterization of gas hydrate reservoirs by integration of core and log data in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bahk, J.-J.; Kim, G.-Y.; Chun, J.-H.; Kim, J.-H.; Lee, J.Y.; Ryu, B.-J.; Lee, J.-H.; Son, B.-K.; Collett, Timothy S.

2013-01-01

Examinations of core and well-log data from the Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition (UBGH2) drill sites suggest that Sites UBGH2-2_2 and UBGH2-6 have relatively good gas hydrate reservoir quality in terms of individual and total cumulative thicknesses of gas-hydrate-bearing sand (HYBS) beds. In both of the sites, core sediments are generally dominated by hemipelagic muds which are intercalated with turbidite sands. The turbidite sands are usually thin-to-medium bedded and mainly consist of well sorted coarse silt to fine sand. Anomalies in infrared core temperatures and porewater chlorinity data and pressure core measurements indicate that “gas hydrate occurrence zones” (GHOZ) are present about 68–155 mbsf at Site UBGH2-2_2 and 110–155 mbsf at Site UBGH2-6. In both the GHOZ, gas hydrates are preferentially associated with many of the turbidite sands as “pore-filling” type hydrates. The HYBS identified in the cores from Site UBGH2-6 are medium-to-thick bedded particularly in the lower part of the GHOZ and well coincident with significant high excursions in all of the resistivity, density, and velocity logs. Gas-hydrate saturations in the HYBS range from 12% to 79% with an average of 52% based on pore-water chlorinity. In contrast, the HYBS from Site UBGH2-2_2 are usually thin-bedded and show poor correlations with both of the resistivity and velocity logs owing to volume averaging effects of the logging tools on the thin HYBS beds. Gas-hydrate saturations in the HYBS range from 15% to 65% with an average of 37% based on pore-water chlorinity. In both of the sites, large fluctuations in biogenic opal contents have significant effects on the sediment physical properties, resulting in limited usage of gamma ray and density logs in discriminating sand reservoirs.

Variations in Grain-Scale Sediment Structure in a Gravel-Bed Channel as a Function of Fine Sediment Content and Morphological Location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voepel, H.; Ahmed, S. I.; Hodge, R. A.; Leyland, J.; Sear, D. A.

2016-12-01

One of the major causes of uncertainty in estimates of bedload transport rates in gravel bed rivers is a lack of understanding of grain-scale sediment structure, and the impact that this structure has on bed stability. Furthermore, grain-scale structure varies throughout a channel and over time in ways that have not been fully quantified. Our research aims to quantify variations in sediment structure caused by two key variables; morphological location within a riffle-pool sequence (reflecting variation in hydraulic conditions), and the fine sediment content of the gravel bed (sand and clay). We report results from a series of flume experiments in which we water-worked a gravel bed with a riffle-pool morphology. The fine sediment content of the bed was incrementally increased over a series of runs from gravel only, to coarse sand, fine sand and two concentrations of clay. After each experimental run intact samples of the bed at different locations were extracted and the internal structure of the bed was measured using non-destructive, micro-focus X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. The CT images were processed to measure the properties of individual grains, including volume, center of mass, dimension, and contact points. From these data we were able to quantify the sediment structure through metrics including measurement of grain pivot angles, grain exposure and protrusion, and vertical variation in bed porosity and fine sediment content. Metrics derived from the CT data were verified using data from grain counts and tilt-table measurements on co-located samples. Comparison of the metrics across different morphological locations and fine sediment content demonstrates how these factors affect the bed structure. These results have implications for the development of sediment entrainment models for gravel bed rivers.

Technical note: whole-pen assessments of nutrient excretion and digestibility from dairy replacement heifers housed in sand-bedded freestalls.

PubMed

Coblentz, W K; Hoffman, P C; Esser, N M; Bertram, M G

2013-10-01

Our objectives were to describe and test refined procedures for quantifying excreta produced from whole pens of dairy heifers. Previous research efforts attempting to make whole-pen measurements of excreta output have been complicated by the use of organic bedding, which requires cumbersome analytical techniques to quantify excreta apart from the bedding. Research pens equipped with sand-bedded freestalls offer a unique opportunity for refinement of whole-pen fecal collection methods, primarily because sand-bedded freestall systems contain no organic bedding; therefore, concentrations of ash within the manure, sand, and feces can be used to correct for contamination of manure by sand bedding. This study was conducted on a subset of heifers from a larger production-scale feeding trial evaluating ensiled eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.] haylage (EGG) that was incorporated into a corn silage/alfalfa haylage-based blended diet at rates of 0, 9.1, 18.3, or 27.4% of total DM. The diet without EGG also was offered on a limit-fed basis. Eighty Holstein dairy heifers were blocked (heavy weight, 424 ± 15.9 kg; light weight, 324 ± 22.4 kg) and then assigned to 10 individual pens containing 8 heifers/pen. One pen per block was assigned to each of the 5 research diets, and whole-pen fecal collections were conducted twice for each pen. Grab fecal samples also were gathered from individual heifers within each pen, and subsequent analysis of these whole-pen composites allowed reasonable estimates of OM and NDF excreta output. Under the conditions of our experimental design, pooled SEM for the excreta DM, OM, NDF, and NDF (ash corrected) output were 0.113, 0.085, 0.093, and 0.075 kg·heifer(-1)·d(-1), respectively. For DM excretion, this represented about one-third of the SEM reported for previous whole-pen collections from bedded-pack housing systems. Subsequent calculations of apparent DM and OM digestibilities indicated that the technique was sensitive, and linear trends (P ≤ 0.027) associated with the inclusion rates of EGG within the diet were detected. This technique allows estimation of apparent diet digestibilities on multiple animals simultaneously, thereby mitigating the need for isolating individual animals to obtain digestibility coefficients. The approach appears viable but requires hand labor for collections of multiple pens and thorough mixing of large volumes of manure as well as analytical corrections for sand ingested by lounging heifers.

Chemical and ecotoxicological characterization of ashes obtained from sewage sludge combustion in a fluidised-bed reactor.

PubMed

Lapa, N; Barbosa, R; Lopes, M H; Mendes, B; Abelha, P; Boavida, D; Gulyurtlu, I; Oliveira, J Santos

2007-08-17

In 1999, the DEECA/INETI and the UBiA/FCT/UNL started a researching project on the partition of heavy metals during the combustion of stabilised sewage sludge (Biogran), in a fluidised-bed reactor, and on the quality of the bottom ashes and fly ashes produced. This project was entitled Bimetal and was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. In this paper only the results on the combustion of Biogran are reported. The combustion process was performed in two different trials, in which different amounts of sewage sludge and time of combustion were applied. Several ash samples were collected from the bed (bottom ashes) and from two cyclones (first cyclone and second cyclone ashes). Sewage sludge, bed material (sand) and ash samples were submitted to the leaching process defined in the European leaching standard EN 12457-2. The eluates were characterized for a set of inorganic chemical species. The ecotoxicological levels of the eluates were determined for two biological indicators (Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna). The results were compared with the limit values of the CEMWE French Regulation. The samples were also ranked according to an index based on the chemical characterization of the eluates. It was observed an increase of the concentration of metals along the combustion system. The ashes trapped in the second cyclone, for both combustion trials, showed the highest concentration of metals in the eluates. Chemically, the ashes of the second cyclone were the most different ones. In the ecotoxicological point of view, the ecotoxicity levels of the eluates of the ashes, for both combustion cycles, did not follow the same pattern as observed for the chemical characterization. The ashes of the first cyclone showed the highest ecotoxicity levels for V. fischeri and D. magna. This difference on chemical and ecotoxicological results proves the need for performing both chemical and ecotoxicological characterizations of the sub-products of such type of thermal processes.

Measuring bed load discharge in rivers: bedload-surrogate monitoring workshop Minneapolis, Minnesota, 11-14 April 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gray, John R.; Laronne, Jonathan B.; Marr, Jeffrey D.G.

2007-01-01

The International Bedload-Surrogate Monitoring Workshop (http://www.nced.umn.edu/BRIC_2007.html), organized by the Bedload Research International Cooperative (BRIC; www.bedloadresearch.org), was held to assess and abet progress in continuous, semiautomated, or fully automated (surrogate) technologies for monitoring bed load discharge in gravel-, sand-, and mixed gravel-sand-bedded rivers. Direct bed load measurements, particularly at medium and high flows, during which most bed load occurs, tend to be time-consuming, expensive, and potentially hazardous. Surrogate technologies developed largely over the past decade and used at a number of research sites around the world show considerable promise toward providing relatively dense, robust, and quantifiably reliable bed load data sets. However, information on the efficacy of selected technologies for use in monitoring programs is needed, as is identification of the ways and means for bringing the most promising and practical of the technologies to fruition.

Spectrally-Based Bathymetric Mapping of a Dynamic, Sand-Bedded Channel: Niobrara River, Nebraska, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilbone, Elizabeth K.

Methods for spectrally-based bathymetric mapping of rivers mainly have been developed and tested on clear-flowing, gravel bedded channels, with limited application to turbid, sand-bedded rivers. Using hyperspectral images of the Niobrara River, Nebraska, and field-surveyed depth data, this study evaluated three methods of retrieving depth from remotely sensed data in a dynamic, sand-bedded channel. The first regression-based approach paired in situ depth measurements and image pixel values to predict depth via Optimal Band Ratio Analysis (OBRA). The second approach used ground-based reflectance measurements to calibrate an OBRA relationship. For this approach, CASI images were atmospherically corrected to units of apparent surface reflectance using an empirical line calibration. For the final technique, we used Image-to-Depth Quantile Transformation (IDQT) to predict depth by linking the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of depth to the CDF of an image derived variable. OBRA yielded the lowest overall depth retrieval error (0.0047 m) and highest observed versus predicted R2 (0.81). Although misalignment between field and image data were not problematic to OBRA's performance in this study, such issues present potential limitations to standard regression-based approaches like OBRA in dynamic, sand-bedded rivers. Field spectroscopy-based maps exhibited a slight shallow bias (0.0652 m) but provided reliable depth estimates for most of the study reach. IDQT had a strong deep bias, but still provided informative relative depth maps that portrayed general patterns of shallow and deep areas of the channel. The over-prediction of depth by IDQT highlights the need for an unbiased sampling strategy to define the CDF of depth. While each of the techniques tested in this study demonstrated the potential to provide accurate depth estimates in sand-bedded rivers, each method also was subject to certain constraints and limitations.

Thermal Hydraulic Analysis of a Packed Bed Reactor Fuel Element

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-25

Engineer and Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering. ABSTRACT A model of the behavior of a packed bed nuclear reactor fuel element is developed . It...RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION .................... 150 APPENDIX A FUEL ELEMENT MODEL PROGRAM DESIGN AND OPERA- T IO N...follow describe the details of the packed bed reactor and then discuss the development of the mathematical representations of the fuel element. These are

NEUTRONIC REACTOR POWER PLANT

DOEpatents

Metcalf, H.E.

1962-12-25

This patent relates to a nuclear reactor power plant incorporating an air-cooled, beryllium oxide-moderated, pebble bed reactor. According to the invention means are provided for circulating a flow of air through tubes in the reactor to a turbine and for directing a sidestream of the circu1ating air through the pebble bed to remove fission products therefrom as well as assist in cooling the reactor. (AEC)

Effectiveness of a full-scale horizontal slow sand filter for controlling phytopathogens in recirculating hydroponics: From microbial isolation to full microbiome assessment.

PubMed

Prenafeta-Boldú, Francesc X; Trillas, Isabel; Viñas, Marc; Guivernau, Miriam; Cáceres, Rafaela; Marfà, Oriol

2017-12-01

The microbial disinfestation efficiency of an innovative horizontal-flow slow sand filter (HSSF) for treating nutrient solution spent from an experimental closed-loop nursery was evaluated by means of a combination of culture-dependent and independent molecular techniques. A dense inoculum of the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici was applied in the fertigation system (10 6 cells per mL). Indigenous and introduced populations of eubacteria and fungi were assessed in the nutrient solution, the HSSF influent/effluent, and a sand bed transect by isolation on selective media, as well as by quantitative qPCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS) on target ribosomal genes. The HSSF effectively reduced viable Fusarium propagules and fungal gene content with an efficiency consistently above 99.9% (5 orders of magnitude down). On the other hand, Fusarium cells accumulated in the sand bed, indicating that physical entrapment was the main removal mechanism. The viability of retained Fusarium cells tended to decrease in time, so that treatment efficiency might be enhanced by antagonistic species from the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Trichoderma, also identified in the sand bed. Indigenous bacterial populations from the HSSF effluent were reduced by 87.2% and 99.9% in terms of colony forming units and gene counts, respectively, when compared to the influent. Furthermore, microbial populations from the HSSF effluent were different from those observed in the sand bed and the influent. In summary, the HSSF microbial disinfestation efficiency is comparable to that reported for other more intensive and costly methodologies, while allowing a significant recovery of water and nutrients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Incipient Motion of Sand and Oil Agglomerates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, T. R.; Dalyander, S.; Jenkins, R. L., III; Penko, A.; Long, J.; Frank, D. P.; Braithwaite, E. F., III; Calantoni, J.

2016-12-01

Weathered oil mixed with sediment in the surf zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, forming large mats of sand and oil. Wave action fragmented the mats into sand and oil agglomerates (SOAs) with diameters of about 1 to 10 cm. These SOAs were transported by waves and currents along the Gulf Coast, and have been observed on beaches for years following the spill. SOAs are composed of 70%-95% sand by mass, with an approximate density of 2107 kg/m³. To measure the incipient motion of SOAs, experiments using artificial SOAs were conducted in the Small-Oscillatory Flow Tunnel at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory under a range of hydrodynamic forcing. Spherical and ellipsoidal SOAs ranging in size from 0.5 to 10 cm were deployed on a fixed flat bed, a fixed rippled bed, and a movable sand bed. In the case of the movable sand bed, SOAs were placed both proud and partially buried. Motion was tracked with high-definition video and with inertial measurement units embedded in some of the SOAs. Shear stress and horizontal pressure gradients, estimated from velocity measurements made with a Nortek Vectrino Profiler, were compared with observed mobility to assess formulations for incipient motion. For SOAs smaller than 1 cm in diameter, incipient motion of spherical and ellipsoidal SOAs was consistent with predicted critical stress values. The measured shear stress at incipient motion of larger, spherical SOAs was lower than predicted, indicating an increased dependence on the horizontal pressure gradient. In contrast, the measured shear stress required to move ellipsoidal SOAs was higher than predicted, even compared to values modified for larger particles in mixed-grain riverine environments. The laboratory observations will be used to improve the prediction of incipient motion, transport, and seafloor interaction of SOAs.

Feasibility Study of the Geotextile Waste Filtration Unit.

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-02-10

Treatment Module 3-32 Figure 3-20. THE SCHEMATIC OF THE MOVING BED BIOFILM REACTOR ( MBBR ) 3൪ Figure 4-1. The Original Distributed Concept for WFUs...Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor ( MBBR ) process appears to be one of the most feasible processes available to meet Force Provider liquid waste stream...Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor ( MBBR ) process was then examined.31 In this system, both activated sludge and fixed-film processes occur in a bioreactor

Factors affecting cleanup of exhaust gases from a pressurized, fluidized-bed coal combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rollbuhler, R. J.; Kobak, J. A.

1980-01-01

The cleanup of effluent gases from the fluidized-bed combustion of coal is examined. Testing conditions include the type and feed rate of the coal and the sulfur sorbent, the coal-sorbent ratio, the coal-combustion air ratio, the depth of the reactor fluidizing bed, and the technique used to physically remove fly ash from the reactor effluent gases. Tests reveal that the particulate loading matter in the effluent gases is a function not only of the reactor-bed surface gas velocity, but also of the type of coal being burnt and the time the bed is operating. At least 95 percent of the fly ash particules in the effluent gas are removed by using a gas-solids separator under controlled operating conditions. Gaseous pollutants in the effluent (nitrogen and sulfur oxides) are held within the proposed Federal limits by controlling the reactor operating conditions and the type and quantity of sorbent material.

Flow instability in particle-bed nuclear reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerrebrock, J. L.; Kalamas, J.

1993-01-01

A three-dimensional model of the stability of the particle-bed reactor is presented, in which the fluid has mobility in three dimensions. The model accurately represents the stability at low Re numbers as well as the effects of the cold and hot frits and of the heat conduction and radiation in the particle bed. The model can be easily extended to apply to the cylindrical geometry of particle-bed reactors. Exemplary calculations are carried out, showing that a particle bed without a cold frit would be subject to instability if operated at the high-temperature ratios used for nuclear rockets and at power densities below about 4 MW/l; since the desired power density for such a reactor is about 40 MW/l, the operation at design exit temperature but at reduced power could be hazardous. Calculations show however that it might be possible to remove the instability problem by appropriate combinations of cold and hot frits.

Hydrogeologic Framework of the New Jersey Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zapecza, Otto S.

1989-01-01

This report presents the results of a water-resources, oriented subsurface mapping program within the Coastal Plain of New Jersey. The occurrence and configuration of 15 regional hydrogeologic units have been defined, primarily on the basis of an interpretation of borehole geophysical data. The nine aquifers and six confining beds are composed of unconsolidated clay, silt, sand, and gravel and range in age from Cretaceous to Quaternary. Electric and gamma-ray logs from more than 1,000 Coastal Plain wells were examined. Of these, interpretive data for 302 sites were selected, on the basis of logged depth, quality of data, and data distribution, to prepare structure contour and thickness maps for each aquifer and a thickness map for each confining bed. These maps, together with 14 hydrogeologic sections, show the geometry, lateral extent, and vertical and horizontal relationships among the 15 hydrogeologic units. The hydrogeologic maps and sections show that distinct lower, middle, and upper aquifers are present within the Potomac, Raritan-Magothy aquifer system near the Delaware River from Burlington County to Salem County. Although the lower aquifer is recognized only in this area, the middle aquifer extends into the northeastern Coastal Plain of New Jersey, where it is stratigraphically equivalent to the Farrington aquifer. The upper aquifer extends throughout most of the New Jersey Coastal Plain and is stratigraphically equivalent to the Old Bridge aquifer in the northeastern Coastal Plain. The overlying Merchantville-Woodbury confining bed is the most regionally extensive confining bed within the New Jersey Coastal Plain. Its thickness ranges from less than 100 feet near the outcrop to more than 450 feet along the coast. The Englishtown aquifer system acts as a single aquifer throughout most of its subsurface extent, but it contains two water-bearing sands in pars of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The overlying Marshalltown-Wenonah confining bed is a thin, leaky unit ranging in thickness from approximately 20 to 80 feet. The Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer is identified in the subsurface throughout the New Jersey Coastal Plain southeast of its outcrop area. Sediments that overlie the Wenonah-Mount Lauren aquifer and that are subjacent to the major aquifers within the Kirkwood Formation and the Cohansey Sand are described hydrologically as a composite confining bed. These include the Navesink Formation, Red Bank Sand, Tinton Sand, Hornerstown Sand, Vincentown Formation, Manasquan Formation, Shark River Formation, and Piney Point Formation and the basal clay of the Kirkwood Formation.. The Vincentown Formation functions as n aquifer within 3 to 10 miles downdip of its outcrop area. In areas farther downdip the Vincentown Formation functions as a confining bed. The Piney Point aquifer is laterally persistent from the southern New Jersey Coastal Plain northward into parts of Burlington and Ocean Counties. The Atlantic City 800-foot sand of the Kirkwood Formation can be recognized in the subsurface along coastal areas of Cape May, Atlantic, and southern Ocean Counties, but inland only as far west as the extent of the overlying confining bed. In areas west of the extent of the overlying confining bed, the Kirkwood Formation is in hydraulic connection with the overlying Cohansey Sand and younger surficial deposits and functions as an unconfined aquifer.

Safety apparatus for nuclear reactor to prevent structural damage from overheating by core debris

DOEpatents

Gabor, John D.; Cassulo, John C.; Pedersen, Dean R.; Baker, Jr., Louis

1986-01-01

The invention teaches safety apparatus that can be included in a nuclear reactor, either when newly fabricated or as a retrofit add-on, that will minimize proliferation of structural damage to the reactor in the event the reactor is experiencing an overheating malfunction whereby radioactive nuclear debris might break away from and be discharged from the reactor core. The invention provides a porous bed or sublayer on the lower surface of the reactor containment vessel so that the debris falls on and piles up on the bed. Vapor release elements upstand from the bed in some laterally spaced array. Thus should the high heat flux of the debris interior vaporize the coolant at that location, the vaporized coolant can be vented downwardly to and laterally through the bed to the vapor release elements and in turn via the release elements upwardly through the debris. This minimizes the pressure buildup in the debris and allows for continuing infiltration of the liquid coolant into the debris interior.

Safety apparatus for nuclear reactor to prevent structural damage from overheating by core debris

DOEpatents

Gabor, John D.; Cassulo, John C.; Pedersen, Dean R.; Baker Jr., Louis

1986-07-01

The invention teaches safety apparatus that can be included in a nuclear reactor, either when newly fabricated or as a retrofit add-on, that will minimize proliferation of structural damage to the reactor in the event the reactor is experiencing an overheating malfunction whereby radioactive nuclear debris might break away from and be discharged from the reactor core. The invention provides a porous bed or sublayer on the lower surface of the reactor containment vessel so that the debris falls on and piles up on the bed. Vapor release elements upstand from the bed in some laterally spaced array. Thus should the high heat flux of the debris interior vaporize the coolant at that location, the vaporized coolant can be vented downwardly to and laterally through the bed to the vapor release elements and in turn via the release elements upwardly through the debris. This minimizes the pressure buildup in the debris and allows for continuing infiltration of the liquid coolant into the debris interior.

Safety apparatus for nuclear reactor to prevent structural damage from overheating by core debris

DOEpatents

Gabor, J.D.; Cassulo, J.C.; Pedersen, D.R.; Baker, L. Jr.

The invention teaches safety apparatus that can be included in a nuclear reactor, either when newly fabricated or as a retrofit add-on, that will minimize proliferation of structural damage to the reactor in the event the reactor is experiencing an overheating malfunction whereby radioactive nuclear debris might break away from and can be discharged from the reactor core. The invention provides a porous bed of sublayer on the lower surface of the reactor containment vessel so that the debris falls on and piles up on the bed. Vapor release elements upstand from the bed in some laterally spaced array. Thus should the high heat flux of the debris interior vaporize the coolant at that location, the vaporized coolant can be vented downwardly to and laterally through the bed to the vapor release elements and in turn via the release elements upwardly through the debris. This minimizes the pressure buildup in the debris and allows for continuing infiltration of the liquid coolant into the debris interior.

Unique Aeolian Transport Mechanisms on Mars: Respective Roles of Percussive and Repercussive Grain Populations in the Sediment Load

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, John R.

1999-01-01

Experiments show that when sand-size grains impact a sediment surface with energy levels commensurate for Mars, small craters are formed by the ejection of several hundred grains from the bed. The experiments were conducted with a modified crossbow in which a sand-impelling sabot replaced the bolt-firing mechanism. Individual grains of sand could be fired at loose sand targets to observe ballistic effects unhindered by aerodynamic mobilization of the bed. Impact trajectories simulated the saltation process on dune surfaces. Impact craters were not elongated despite glancing (15 deg.) bed impact; the craters were very close to being circular. High-speed photography showed them to grow in both diameter and depth after the impactor had ricochetted from the crater site. The delayed response of the bed was "explosive" in nature, and created a miniature ejecta curtain spreading upward and outward for many centimeters for impact of 100-300 micron-diameter grains into similar material. This behavior is explained by deposition of elastic energy in the bed by the "percussive" grain. Impact creates a subsurface stress regime or "quasi-Boussinesq" compression field. Elastic recovery of the bed occurs by dilatancy; shear stresses suddenly convert the grains to open packing and they consequently become forcefully ejected from the site. Random jostling of the grains causes radial homogenization of stress vectors and a resulting circular crater. A stress model based on repercussive bed dilatancy and interparticle adhesive forces (for smaller grains) predicts, to first order, the observed crater volumes for various impact conditions. On earth, only a few grains are mobilized by a percussive saltating grain; some grains are "knudged" along the ground, and some are partly expelled on short trajectories. These motions constitute reptation transport. On Mars, saltation and reptation become indistinct: secondary or "repercussive" trajectories have sufficient vertical impulse to create a dense saltation population of many tens or hundreds of grains for each single high-speed saltation percussion of the bed. Impact cascading will lead to near-surface distortion of the boundary layer, and choked flow formed by a dense "slurry" of sand, with the majority of grains mobilized by repercussive forces rather than by aerodynamic lift. This proceeds until a fully-matured transport layer imposes self- limitations as grain-population density constrains the free-path motion of individual grains.

Unique Aeolian Transport Mechanisms on Mars: Respective Roles of Percussive and Repercussive Grain Populations in the Sediment Load

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, John R.

1999-01-01

Experiments show that when sand-size grains impact a sediment surface with energy levels commensurate for Mars, small craters are formed by the ejection of several hundred grains from the bed. The experiments were conducted with a modified crossbow in which a sand-impelling sabot replaced the bolt-firing mechanism. Individual grains of sand could be fired at loose sand targets to observe ballistic effects unhindered by aerodynamic mobilization of the bed. Impact trajectories simulated the saltation process on dune surfaces. Impact craters were not elongated despite glancing (15 deg.) bed impact; the craters were very close to being circular. High-speed photography showed them to grow in both diameter and depth after the impactor had ricochetted from the crater site. The delayed response of the bed was "explosive" in nature, and created a miniature ejecta curtain spreading upward and outward for many centimeters for impact of 100-300 um-diameter grains into similar material. This behavior is explained by deposition of elastic energy in the bed by the "percussive" grain. Impact creates a subsurface stress regime or "quasi-Boussinesq" compression field. Elastic recovery of the bed occurs by dilatancy; shear stresses suddenly convert the grains to open packing and they consequently become forcefully ejected from the site. Random jostling of the grains causes radial homogenization of stress vectors and a resulting circular crater. A stress model based on repercussive bed dilatancy and interparticle adhesive forces (for smaller grains) predicts, to first order, the observed crater volumes for various impact conditions. On earth, only a few grains are mobilized by a percussive saltating grain; some grains are "knudged" along the ground, and some are partly expelled on short trajectories. These motions constitute reptation transport. On Mars, saltation and reptation become indistinct: secondary or "repercussive" trajectories have sufficient vertical impulse to create a dense saltation population of many tens or hundreds of grains for each single high-speed saltation percussion of the bed. Impact cascading will lead to near-surface distortion of the boundary layer, and choked flow formed by a dense "slurry" of sand, with the majority of grains mobilized by repercussive forces rather than by aerodynamic lift. This proceeds until a fully-matured transport layer imposes self-limitations as grain-population density constrains the free-path motion of individial grains.

Reactions homogenes en phase gazeuse dans les lits fluidises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laviolette, Jean-Philippe

This thesis presents a study on homogeneous gas-phase reactions in fluidized beds. The main objective is to develop new tools to model and characterize homogeneous gas-phase reactions in this type of reactor. In the first part of this work, the non-premixed combustion of C 1 to C4 n-alkanes with air was investigated inside a bubbling fluidized bed of inert sand particles at intermediate temperatures: 923 K ≤ TB ≤ 1123 K. For ethane, propane and n-butane, combustion occurred mainly in the freeboard region at bed temperatures below T1 = 923 K. On the other hand, complete conversion occurred within 0.2 m of the injector at: T2 = 1073 K. For methane, the measured values of T1 and T2 were significantly higher at 1023 K and above 1123 K, respectively. The fluidized bed combustion was accurately modeled with first-order global kinetics and two one-phase PFR models in series: one PFR to model the region close to the injector and another to represent the main fluidized bed body. The measured global reaction rates for C2 to C4 n-alkanes were characterized by a uniform Arrhenius expression, while the global reaction rate for methane was significantly slower. Reactions in the injector region either led to significant conversion in that zone or an autoignition delay inside the main fluidized bed body. The conversion in the injector region increased with rising fluidized bed temperature and decreased with increasing jet velocity. To account for the promoting and inhibiting effects, an analogy was made with the concept of induction time: the PFR length (bi) of the injector region was correlated to the fluidized bed temperature and jet velocity using an Arrhenius expression. In the second part of this work, propane combustion experiments were conducted in the freeboard of a fluidized bed of sand particles at temperatures between 818 K and 923 K and at superficial gas velocity twice the minimum fluidization velocity. The freeboard region was characterized by simultaneous measurements of solids flux, chemical composition, temperature and pressure. Autoignition was only recorded within 0.06 m of the bed surface at temperatures greater than 833 K. Propane conversion predicted by six different microkinetic mechanistic models were compared to the experimental measurements: all six models underestimated the reaction rate above the bed surface. However, accounting for the production of H2O2 during in-bed combustion significantly increased the calculated reaction rates and resulted in a better agreement between predicted and measured propane conversion. In the third part of this work, a novel spectroscopic method was developed to measure quantitatively and simultaneously solids volume fraction (1-epsilon) and gaseous species composition (Yi) in a gas/solid system. The method was comprised of an FT-IR coupled to a fibre-optic probe that could perform real-time and in-situ measurements of absorbance. The effect of (1-epsilon) and Yi on the absorbance spectra were additive and could be independently calibrated. Experiments were conducted with alkane/nitrogen mixtures and two types of particles: sand and FCC. Fuel mole fractions and (1-epsilon) were varied between 1.8 - 10.1 mol% and 0 - 0.45, respectively. The relative errors for Yi time-averaged measurements were below 6% and the error increased significantly with decreasing beam intensity. A proof of concept for a novel application in fluidized beds was also completed: the fibre-optic probe was used to measure the molar fraction of a tracer gas inside the emulsion and bubble phases during gas tracer experiments. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Acid neutralization within limestone sand reactors receiving coal mine drainage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watten, B.J.; Sibrell, P.L.; Schwartz, M.F.

2005-01-01

Pulsed bed treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) uses CO2 to accelerate limestone dissolution and intermittent fluidization to abrade and carry away metal hydrolysis products. Tests conducted with a prototype of 60 L/min capacity showed effective removal of H+ acidity over the range 196-584 mg/L (CaCO3) while concurrently generating surplus acid neutralization capacity. Effluent alkalinity (mg/L CaCO3) rose with increases in CO2 (DC, mg/L) according to the model Alkalinity = 31.22 + 2.97(DC)0.5, where DC was varied from 11-726 mg/L. Altering fluidization and contraction periods from 30 s/30 s to 10 s/50 s did not influence alkalinity but did increase energy dissipation and bed expansion ratios. Field trials with three AMD sources demonstrated the process is capable of raising AMD pH above that required for hydrolysis and precipitation of Fe3+ and Al3+ but not Fe2+ and Mn2+. Numerical modeling showed CO2 requirements are reduced as AMD acidity increases and when DC is recycled from system effluent. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flow instability in particle-bed nuclear reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerrebrock, Jack L.

The particle-bed core offers mitigation of some of the problems of solid-core nuclear rocket reactors. Dividing the fuel elements into small spherical particles contained in a cylindrical bed through which the propellant flows radially, may reduce the thermal stress in the fuel elements, allowing higher propellant temperatures to be reached. The high temperature regions of the reactor are confined to the interior of cylindrical fuel assemblies, so most of the reactor can be relatively cool. This enables the use of structural and moderating materials which reduce the minimum critical size and mass of the reactor. One of the unresolved questions about this concept is whether the flow through the particle-bed will be well behaved, or will be subject to destructive flow instabilities. Most of the recent analyses of the stability of the particle-bed reactor have been extensions of the approach of Bussard and Delauer, where the bed is essentially treated as an array of parallel passages, so that the mass flow is continuous from inlet to outlet through any one passage. A more general three dimensional model of the bed is adopted, in which the fluid has mobility in three dimensions. Comparison of results of the earlier approach to the present one shows that the former does not accurately represent the stability at low Re. The more complete model presented should be capable of meeting this deficiency while accurately representing the effects of the cold and hot frits, and of heat conduction and radiation in the particle-bed. It can be extended to apply to the cylindrical geometry of particle-bed reactors without difficulty. From the exemplary calculations which were carried out, it can be concluded that a particle-bed without a cold frit would be subject to instability if operated at the high temperatures desired for nuclear rockets, and at power densities below about 4 megawatts per liter. Since the desired power density is about 40 megawatts per liter, it can be concluded that operation at design exit temperature but at reduced power could be hazardous for such a reactor. But the calculations also show that an appropriate cold frit could very likely cure the instability. More definite conclusions must await calculations for specific designs.

Flow instability in particle-bed nuclear reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerrebrock, Jack L.

1993-01-01

The particle-bed core offers mitigation of some of the problems of solid-core nuclear rocket reactors. Dividing the fuel elements into small spherical particles contained in a cylindrical bed through which the propellant flows radially, may reduce the thermal stress in the fuel elements, allowing higher propellant temperatures to be reached. The high temperature regions of the reactor are confined to the interior of cylindrical fuel assemblies, so most of the reactor can be relatively cool. This enables the use of structural and moderating materials which reduce the minimum critical size and mass of the reactor. One of the unresolved questions about this concept is whether the flow through the particle-bed will be well behaved, or will be subject to destructive flow instabilities. Most of the recent analyses of the stability of the particle-bed reactor have been extensions of the approach of Bussard and Delauer, where the bed is essentially treated as an array of parallel passages, so that the mass flow is continuous from inlet to outlet through any one passage. A more general three dimensional model of the bed is adopted, in which the fluid has mobility in three dimensions. Comparison of results of the earlier approach to the present one shows that the former does not accurately represent the stability at low Re. The more complete model presented should be capable of meeting this deficiency while accurately representing the effects of the cold and hot frits, and of heat conduction and radiation in the particle-bed. It can be extended to apply to the cylindrical geometry of particle-bed reactors without difficulty. From the exemplary calculations which were carried out, it can be concluded that a particle-bed without a cold frit would be subject to instability if operated at the high temperatures desired for nuclear rockets, and at power densities below about 4 megawatts per liter. Since the desired power density is about 40 megawatts per liter, it can be concluded that operation at design exit temperature but at reduced power could be hazardous for such a reactor. But the calculations also show that an appropriate cold frit could very likely cure the instability. More definite conclusions must await calculations for specific designs.

Fine bed material in pools of natural gravel bed channels

Treesearch

Thomas E. Lisle; Sue Hilton

1999-01-01

Abstract - Natural gravel bed channels commonly contain a fine mode of sand and fine gravel that fills voids of the bed framework of coarser gravel. If the supply of fine bed material exceeds the storage capacity of framework voids, excess fine material forms surficial patches, which can be voluminous in pools during low flow. Data collected in 34 natural channels in...

The extraction of bitumen from western oil sands. Final report, July 1989--September 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oblad, A.G.; Bunger, J.W.; Dahlstrom, D.A.

1994-03-01

Research and development of surface extraction and upgrading processes of western tar sands are described. Research areas included modified hot water, fluidized bed, and rotary kiln pyrolysis of tar sands for extraction of bitumen. Bitumen upgrading included solvent extraction of bitumen, and catalytic hydrotreating of bitumen. Characterization of Utah tar sand deposits is also included.

Media arrangement impacts cell growth in anaerobic fixed-bed reactors treating sugarcane vinasse: Structured vs. randomic biomass immobilization.

PubMed

de Aquino, Samuel; Fuess, Lucas Tadeu; Pires, Eduardo Cleto

2017-07-01

This study reports on the application of an innovative structured-bed reactor (FVR) as an alternative to conventional packed-bed reactors (PBRs) to treat high-strength solid-rich wastewaters. Using the FVR prevents solids from accumulating within the fixed-bed, while maintaining the advantages of the biomass immobilization. The long-term operation (330days) of a FVR and a PBR applied to sugarcane vinasse under increasing organic loads (2.4-18.0kgCODm -3 day -1 ) was assessed, focusing on the impacts of the different media arrangements over the production and retention of biomass. Much higher organic matter degradation rates, as well as long-term operational stability and high conversion efficiencies (>80%) confirmed that the FVR performed better than the PBR. Despite the equivalent operating conditions, the biomass growth yield was different in both reactors, i.e., 0.095gVSSg -1 COD (FVR) and 0.066gVSSg -1 COD (PBR), indicating a clear control of the media arrangement over the biomass production in fixed-bed reactors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Particle size distribution of main-channel-bed sediments along the upper Mississippi River, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Remo, Jonathan; Heine, Ruben A.; Ickes, Brian

2016-01-01

In this study, we compared pre-lock-and-dam (ca. 1925) with a modern longitudinal survey of main-channel-bed sediments along a 740-km segment of the upper Mississippi River (UMR) between Davenport, IA, and Cairo, IL. This comparison was undertaken to gain a better understanding of how bed sediments are distributed longitudinally and to assess change since the completion of the UMR lock and dam navigation system and Missouri River dams (i.e., mid-twentieth century). The comparison of the historic and modern longitudinal bed sediment surveys showed similar bed sediment sizes and distributions along the study segment with the majority (> 90%) of bed sediment samples having a median diameter (D50) of fine to coarse sand. The fine tail (≤ D10) of the sediment size distributions was very fine to medium sand, and the coarse tail (≥ D90) of sediment-size distribution was coarse sand to gravel. Coarsest sediments in both surveys were found within or immediately downstream of bedrock-floored reaches. Statistical analysis revealed that the particle-size distributions between the survey samples were statistically identical, suggesting no overall difference in main-channel-bed sediment-size distribution between 1925 and present. This was a surprising result given the magnitude of river engineering undertaken along the study segment over the past ~ 90 years. The absence of substantial differences in main-channel-bed-sediment size suggests that flow competencies within the highly engineered navigation channel today are similar to conditions within the less-engineered historic channel.

Does bedding promote pine survival and growth on ditched wet sands?

Treesearch

Ralph A. Klawitter

1970-01-01

Results from a study of prepared beds for planting slash pine on a wet sandy flat in Florida were inconclusive. Early growth was improved, but survival was not; and differences between a bedded site and an unbedded site were slight.

Rotating Fluidized Bed Reactor for Space Nuclear Propulsion. Annual Report; Design Studies and Experimental Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The rotating fluidized bed reactor concept is being investigated for possible application in nuclear propulsion systems. Physics calculations show U-233 to be superior to U-235 as a fuel for a cavity reactor of this type. Preliminary estimates of the effect of hydrogen in the reactor, reflector material, and power peaking are given. A preliminary engineering analysis was made for U-235 and U-233 fueled systems. An evaluation of the parameters affecting the design of the system is given, along with the thrust-to-weight ratios. The experimental equipment is described, as are the special photographic techniques and procedures. Characteristics of the fluidized bed and experimental results are given, including photographic evidence of bed fluidization at high rotational velocities.

Modeling phosphorus removal and recovery from anaerobic digester supernatant through struvite crystallization in a fluidized bed reactor.

PubMed

Rahaman, Md Saifur; Mavinic, Donald S; Meikleham, Alexandra; Ellis, Naoko

2014-03-15

The cost associated with the disposal of phosphate-rich sludge, the stringent regulations to limit phosphate discharge into aquatic environments, and resource shortages resulting from limited phosphorus rock reserves, have diverted attention to phosphorus recovery in the form of struvite (MAP: MgNH4PO4·6H2O) crystals, which can essentially be used as a slow release fertilizer. Fluidized-bed crystallization is one of the most efficient unit processes used in struvite crystallization from wastewater. In this study, a comprehensive mathematical model, incorporating solution thermodynamics, struvite precipitation kinetics and reactor hydrodynamics, was developed to illustrate phosphorus depletion through struvite crystal growth in a continuous, fluidized-bed crystallizer. A thermodynamic equilibrium model for struvite precipitation was linked to the fluidized-bed reactor model. While the equilibrium model provided information on supersaturation generation, the reactor model captured the dynamic behavior of the crystal growth processes, as well as the effect of the reactor hydrodynamics on the overall process performance. The model was then used for performance evaluation of the reactor, in terms of removal efficiencies of struvite constituent species (Mg, NH4 and PO4), and the average product crystal sizes. The model also determined the variation of species concentration of struvite within the crystal bed height. The species concentrations at two extreme ends (inlet and outlet) were used to evaluate the reactor performance. The model predictions provided a reasonably good fit with the experimental results for PO4-P, NH4-N and Mg removals. Predicated average crystal sizes also matched fairly well with the experimental observations. Therefore, this model can be used as a tool for performance evaluation and process optimization of struvite crystallization in a fluidized-bed reactor. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of biofilm on river-bed scour.

PubMed

Piqué, Gemma; Vericat, Damià; Sabater, Sergi; Batalla, Ramon J

2016-12-01

Biofilm acts stabilising river-bed sediments, interfering with particle entrainment and, consequently, preventing bed disturbance. In this paper we present the results of a series of experiments carried out in indoor channels, aimed to understand biofilm alteration of bed material motion and topographic changes in stream channels. We analysed the erosion patterns and bedload rates in non-cohesive sediments in channels colonised by biofilms and compared them to biofilm-free others. All the channels had the same conditions of light irradiance, temperature, slope, and particle size (sand). Discharge and water surface slope were modified to create a range of hydraulic conditions, with pairs of colonised and non-colonised channels subjected to the same flows. We observed that biofilm slightly modified bed roughness and flow hydraulics, but that highly influenced bed disturbance. Biofilm caused bed scour to occur in patches unevenly distributed along the channel length, as a result of localised weaknesses of the biofilm. Once biofilm was ripped up it was transported in chunks, and sand grains were observed attached to these chunks. In non-colonised sediments the erosion was more homogeneous and the formation and movement of bedforms were observed. On average, bedload rates were 5 times lower when biofilm was present. Overall, the protective effect of the biofilm prevented generalised erosion of the channel and delayed the entrainment and transport of sand grains. Results emphasised the important role of biofilm in the incipient motion of bed-material in stream channels; this role may affect the magnitude and frequency of subsequent river bed processes, notably the onset of bedload and associated channel morpho-dynamics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of bacteria populations in clean and recycled sand used for bedding in dairy facilities.

PubMed

Kristula, M A; Rogers, W; Hogan, J S; Sabo, M

2005-12-01

Bedding samples were collected twice from commercial dairy free-stall facilities that used recycled sand and clean sand in both the summer and winter. Collection began on the day sand was taken from the pile (d 0) and placed in the free stalls, and continued for 5 to 7 additional days. The number of colonies per gram of bedding of gram-negative bacteria, coliforms, Streptococcus spp., and Klebsiella spp. were estimated for each sand sample as well as amounts of dry and organic matter. Clean sand (CS) and recycled sand (RS) had the same bacterial counts when compared at any sampling time. The mean counts of bacterial populations did vary over the course of the study in both CS and RS. There was a significant increase in bacterial counts from d 0 to d 1 for gram-negative bacteria, coliforms, and Streptococcus spp. in both winter and summer. Counts of gram-negative bacteria, coliforms, Klebsiella spp., and Streptococcus spp. did not differ from d 1 to 7 in the winter. Total counts of gram-negative bacteria did not differ from d 1 to 7 in the summer. On d 1 in the summer, coliform counts were lower than at d 5 to 7, and Klebsiella spp. counts were lower than on d 3 to 7. Streptococcus spp. counts were high on d 1 and were constant through d 7 in both winter and summer trials. The number of coliform and Klebsiella spp. in both CS and RS was below the threshold thought to cause mastitis during the sampling times. The number of Streptococcus spp. was high in both CS and RS during the sampling periods. Other management factors need to be identified to decrease the number of Streptococcus spp. in bedding. Recycled sand had a higher organic matter and lower dry matter compared with CS in winter and summer. The results for this study were obtained from multiple herd comparisons, and herd was a significant effect suggesting that different management systems influence the number and types of bacteria in both CS and RS.

Paleoenvironment of the Ogallala (Neogene) Formation in west-central Kansas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Twiss, P.C.; McCahon, T.J.; Oviatt, C.G.

At Lake Scott (Scott County) in west-central Kansas, the Ogallala Formation unconformably overlies the Niobrara Formation (Cretaceous) and forms the bluffs of the north-trending Ladder Creek valley. Two sections (Devil's Backbone, 23 m thick; Suicide Bluff, 45 m thick) contain fluvial sands that grade upward into probable eolian sands. The lower sections contain poorly cemented, moderately sorted, arkosic sand, some mud gravel, and poorly defined fluvial channels. In the lower part of Devil's Backbone, cross-bedded sand is capped by mud drapes. At Suicide Bluff, beds of cross-bedded and better sorted sand occur high in the section. Paleosols and secondary calcitemore » and opal dominate the sections. Pedogenic calcretes with more than 52% CaCO[sub 3] are especially abundant and range up to morphologic Stage VI. The [delta][sup 13]C and [delta][sup 18]O in the calcretes range from [minus]4.8 to [minus]6.5 and [minus]8.2 to [minus]6.7 per mil (PDB), respectively. Opal-A has replaced most rhizoliths of the Ogallala. Silicified fossil seeds (Celtis sp., Biorbia sp.) and probable fossil mammal burrows also occur in the sections. Rhyolitic tephra, about 10 Ma, occurs 12 m below the calcrete caprock of Suicide Bluff. A massive layer of opal occurs about 8 m above the tephra and below a diatomaceous bed. Siliceous cement occurs throughout each section, possibly originating from opal phytoliths, tephra, and/or diatoms. These sections afford the potential for understanding the stratigraphic succession and paleoclimate during the late Miocene to possibly early Pliocene in the central High Plains region.« less

Timing of Late Cretaceous Gulf Coast volcanism and chronostratigraphic constraints on deposition of the Ripley Formation from a newly recognized bentonite bed, Pontotoc County, Mississippi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitale, E. J.; Gifford, J.; Platt, B. F.

2017-12-01

The Upper Cretaceous Ripley Formation is present throughout the Mississippi (MS) Embayment and contains local bentonite lenses related to regional volcanism. The Pontotoc bentonite is such a lens located near the town of Pontotoc, MS, that was strip-mined and has not been accessible since reclamation of the land. Recent investigations in Pontotoc County south of the Pontotoc bentonite site resulted in the discovery of a previously unknown bentonite bed. Litho- and biostratigraphy indicate that the bentonite is younger than known volcanism from MS. The purposes of the present investigation are 1) to test whether the new bentonite bed is correlative to the Pontotoc bentonite & 2) to recover volcanogenic zircons for U-Pb dating to better constrain timing of volcanism and chronostratigraphy of the Ripley Fm. Outcrops in an active sand pit in the field area expose 2.5 m of fine sand, and an upper gradational contact with an overlying 2.5 m of sandy clay, containing the bentonite bed. Two trenches were excavated through the outcrop, and in each trench a stratigraphic section was measured and bulk samples collected for zircons. Sampling began in the lower bounding sand and continued upsection in 1 m intervals, corresponding to the gradational contact with the bentonite, and 2 locations within the bentonite. The Ripley Fm. consists of 73 m of fossiliferous clay, sand, and calcareous sand beds. Recent stratigraphic revisions of the lateral facies in MS recognize a lower transitional clay facies, a limestone, marl, and calcareous sand facies, a sandy upper Ripley facies, and the formally named Chiwapa Sandstone Member. Ammonite biostratigraphy places the contact between the Chiwapa and the overlying Owl Creek/Prairie Bluff at 68.5 Ma. Unlike the mined area north of Pontotoc where the bentonite is within the Chiwapa, the bed here is directly above the Chiwapa section and its upper contact represents the Ripley Fm. / Owl Creek Fm. contact. Where the bentonite is present, it forms a synchronous surface in this part of the Cretaceous section. This is significant due to it being a potential previously unknown bout of volcanism, which, if the source can be found, implies a new region that may have experienced thermal maturation of hydrocarbon source rocks at a shallower depth than would have been expected under the normal geothermal gradient.

CFD analysis of hydrodynamic studies of a bubbling fluidized bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, B. J. M.; Rao, K. V. N. S.; Ranga Janardhana, G.

2018-03-01

Fluidization velocity is one of the most important parameter to characterize the hydrodynamic studies of fluidized bed asit determines different flow regimes. Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations are carriedfor a cylindrical bubbling fluidized bed with a static bed height 1m with 0.150m diameter of gasification chamber. The parameter investigated is fluidization velocity in range of 0.05m/s to 0.7m/s. Sand with density 2600kg/m3 and with a constant particle diameter of sand 385μm is employed for all the simulations. Simulations are conducted using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics software, ANSYS-FLUENT.The bubbling flow regime is appeared above the air inlet velocity of 0.2m/s. Bubbling character is increased with increase in inlet air velocities indicated by asymmetrical fluctuations of volume fractions in radial directions at different bed heights

Trickle-bed root culture bioreactor design and scale-up: growth, fluid-dynamics, and oxygen mass transfer.

PubMed

Ramakrishnan, Divakar; Curtis, Wayne R

2004-10-20

Trickle-bed root culture reactors are shown to achieve tissue concentrations as high as 36 g DW/L (752 g FW/L) at a scale of 14 L. Root growth rate in a 1.6-L reactor configuration with improved operational conditions is shown to be indistinguishable from the laboratory-scale benchmark, the shaker flask (mu=0.33 day(-1)). These results demonstrate that trickle-bed reactor systems can sustain tissue concentrations, growth rates and volumetric biomass productivities substantially higher than other reported bioreactor configurations. Mass transfer and fluid dynamics are characterized in trickle-bed root reactors to identify appropriate operating conditions and scale-up criteria. Root tissue respiration goes through a minimum with increasing liquid flow, which is qualitatively consistent with traditional trickle-bed performance. However, liquid hold-up is much higher than traditional trickle-beds and alternative correlations based on liquid hold-up per unit tissue mass are required to account for large changes in biomass volume fraction. Bioreactor characterization is sufficient to carry out preliminary design calculations that indicate scale-up feasibility to at least 10,000 liters.

Carbon attrition during the circulating fluidized bed combustion of a packaging-derived fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mastellone, M.L.; Arena, U.

1999-05-01

Cylindrical pellets of a market-available packaging-derived fuel, obtained from a mono-material collection of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, were batchwise fed to a laboratory scale circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustor. The apparatus, whose riser was 41 mm ID and 4 m high, was operated under both inert and oxidizing conditions to establish the relative importance of purely mechanical attrition and combustion-assisted attrition in generating carbon fines. Silica sand particles of two size distributions were used as inert materials. For each run, carbon load and carbon particle size distribution in the riser and rates of attrited carbon fines escaping the combustor weremore » determined as a function of time. A parallel investigation was carried out with a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) combustor to point out peculiarities of attrition in CFB combustors. After devolatilization, PET pellets generated fragile aggregates of char and sand, which easily crumbled, leading to single particles, partially covered by a carbon-rich layer. The injected fixed carbon was therefore present in the bed in three phases: an A-phase, made of aggregates of sand and char, an S-phase, made of individual carbon-covered sand particles and an F-phase, made of carbon fines, abraded by the surfaces of the A- and S-phases. The effects of the size of inert material on the different forms under which fixed carbon was present in the bed and on the rate of escape of attrited carbon fines from the combustor were investigated. Features of carbon attrition in CFB and BFB combustors are discussed.« less

Heat pump apparatus

DOEpatents

Nelson, Paul A.; Horowitz, Jeffrey S.

1983-01-01

A heat pump apparatus including a compact arrangement of individual tubular reactors containing hydride-dehydride beds in opposite end sections, each pair of beds in each reactor being operable by sequential and coordinated treatment with a plurality of heat transfer fluids in a plurality of processing stages, and first and second valves located adjacent the reactor end sections with rotatable members having multiple ports and associated portions for separating the hydride beds at each of the end sections into groups and for simultaneously directing a plurality of heat transfer fluids to the different groups. As heat is being generated by a group of beds, others are being regenerated so that heat is continuously available for space heating. As each of the processing stages is completed for a hydride bed or group of beds, each valve member is rotated causing the heat transfer fluid for the heat processing stage to be directed to that bed or group of beds. Each of the end sections are arranged to form a closed perimeter and the valve member may be rotated repeatedly about the perimeter to provide a continuous operation. Both valves are driven by a common motor to provide a coordinated treatment of beds in the same reactors. The heat pump apparatus is particularly suitable for the utilization of thermal energy supplied by solar collectors and concentrators but may be used with any source of heat, including a source of low-grade heat.

Generalized thickness and configuration of the top of the intermediate aquifer, West-Central Florida

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Corral, M.A. Jr.; Wolansky, R.M.

1984-01-01

The water-bearing units of the intermediate aquifer consist of discontinuous sand, gravel, shell, and limestone and dolomite beds in the Tamiami Formation of late Miocene age and the Hawthorn Formation of middle Miocene age. Within parts of Polk, Manatee, Hardee, De Soto, Sarasota, and Charlotte Counties, sand and clay beds within the Tampa Limestone that are hydraulically connected to the Hawthorn Formation are also included in the intermediate aquifer. 15 refs.

Removal of chromium from synthetic plating waste by zero-valent iron and sulfate-reducing bacteria.

PubMed

Guha, Saumyen; Bhargava, Puja

2005-01-01

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential of zero-valent iron and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) for reduction and removal of chromium from synthetic electroplating waste. The zero-valent iron shows promising results as a reductant of hexavalent chromium (Cr+6) to trivalent chromium (Cr+3), capable of 100% reduction. The required iron concentration was a function of chromium concentration in the waste stream. Removal of Cr+3 by adsorption or precipitation on iron leads to complete removal of chromium from the waste and was a slower process than the reduction of Cr+6. Presence SRB in a completely mixed batch reactor inhibited the reduction of Cr+6. In a fixed-bed column reactor, SRB enhanced chromium removal and showed promising results for the treatment of wastes with low chromium concentrations. It is proposed that, for waste with high chromium concentration, zero-valent iron is an efficient reductant and can be used for reduction of Cr+6. For low chromium concentrations, a SRB augmented zero-valent iron and sand column is capable of removing chromium completely.

A 600-year-long stratigraphic record of tsunamis in south-central Chile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hong, Isabel; Dura, Tina; Ely, Lisa L.; Horton, Benajamin P.; Nelson, Alan R.; Cisternas, Marco; Nikitina, Daria; Wesson, Robert L.

2017-01-01

The stratigraphy within coastal river valleys in south-central Chile clarifies and extends the region’s history of large, earthquakes and accompanying tsunamis. Our site at Quidico (38.1°S, 73.3°W) is located in an overlap zone between ruptures of magnitude 8–9 earthquakes in 1960 and 2010, and, therefore, records tsunamis originating from subduction-zone ruptures north and south of the city of Concepción. Hand-dug pits and cores in a 3-m-thick sequence of freshwater peat in an abandoned meander (a little-examined depositional environment for tsunami deposits) and exposures along the Quidico River show five sand beds that extend as much as 1.2 km inland. Evidence for deposition of the beds by tsunamis includes tabular sand beds that are laterally extensive (>100 m), well sorted, fine upward, have sharp lower contacts, and contain diatom assemblages dominated by brackish and marine taxa. Using eyewitness accounts of tsunami inundation, 137Cs analyses, and 14C dating, we matched the upper four sand beds with historical tsunamis in 2010, 1960, 1835, and 1751. The oldest prehistoric bed dates to 1445–1490 CE and correlates with lacustrine and coastal records of similar-aged earthquakes and tsunamis in south-central Chile.

Packed bed reactor for photochemical .sup.196 Hg isotope separation

DOEpatents

Grossman, Mark W.; Speer, Richard

1992-01-01

Straight tubes and randomly oriented pieces of tubing having been employed in a photochemical mercury enrichment reactor and have been found to improve the enrichment factor (E) and utilization (U) compared to a non-packed reactor. One preferred embodiment of this system uses a moving bed (via gravity) for random packing.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion: A Joint NASA/DOE/DOD Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, John S. (Editor)

1991-01-01

Papers presented at the joint NASA/DOE/DOD workshop on nuclear thermal propulsion are compiled. The following subject areas are covered: nuclear thermal propulsion programs; Rover/NERVA and NERVA systems; Low Pressure Nuclear Thermal Rocket (LPNTR); particle bed reactor nuclear rocket; hybrid propulsion systems; wire core reactor; pellet bed reactor; foil reactor; Droplet Core Nuclear Rocket (DCNR); open cycle gas core nuclear rockets; vapor core propulsion reactors; nuclear light bulb; Nuclear rocket using Indigenous Martian Fuel (NIMF); mission analysis; propulsion and reactor technology; development plans; and safety issues.

Pressurized fluidized bed reactor

DOEpatents

Isaksson, J.

1996-03-19

A pressurized fluid bed reactor power plant includes a fluidized bed reactor contained within a pressure vessel with a pressurized gas volume between the reactor and the vessel. A first conduit supplies primary gas from the gas volume to the reactor, passing outside the pressure vessel and then returning through the pressure vessel to the reactor, and pressurized gas is supplied from a compressor through a second conduit to the gas volume. A third conduit, comprising a hot gas discharge, carries gases from the reactor, through a filter, and ultimately to a turbine. During normal operation of the plant, pressurized gas is withdrawn from the gas volume through the first conduit and introduced into the reactor at a substantially continuously controlled rate as the primary gas to the reactor. In response to an operational disturbance of the plant, the flow of gas in the first, second, and third conduits is terminated, and thereafter the pressure in the gas volume and in the reactor is substantially simultaneously reduced by opening pressure relief valves in the first and third conduits, and optionally by passing air directly from the second conduit to the turbine. 1 fig.

Pressurized fluidized bed reactor

DOEpatents

Isaksson, Juhani

1996-01-01

A pressurized fluid bed reactor power plant includes a fluidized bed reactor contained within a pressure vessel with a pressurized gas volume between the reactor and the vessel. A first conduit supplies primary gas from the gas volume to the reactor, passing outside the pressure vessel and then returning through the pressure vessel to the reactor, and pressurized gas is supplied from a compressor through a second conduit to the gas volume. A third conduit, comprising a hot gas discharge, carries gases from the reactor, through a filter, and ultimately to a turbine. During normal operation of the plant, pressurized gas is withdrawn from the gas volume through the first conduit and introduced into the reactor at a substantially continuously controlled rate as the primary gas to the reactor. In response to an operational disturbance of the plant, the flow of gas in the first, second, and third conduits is terminated, and thereafter the pressure in the gas volume and in the reactor is substantially simultaneously reduced by opening pressure relief valves in the first and third conduits, and optionally by passing air directly from the second conduit to the turbine.

JPL in-house fluidized-bed reactor research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rohatgi, N. K.

1984-01-01

Fluidized bed reactor research techniques for fabrication of quartz linears was reviewed. Silane pyrolysis was employed in this fabrication study. Metallic contaminant levels in the silicon particles were below levels detectable by emission spectroscopy.

Styrene recovery from polystyrene by flash pyrolysis in a conical spouted bed reactor.

PubMed

Artetxe, Maite; Lopez, Gartzen; Amutio, Maider; Barbarias, Itsaso; Arregi, Aitor; Aguado, Roberto; Bilbao, Javier; Olazar, Martin

2015-11-01

Continuous pyrolysis of polystyrene has been studied in a conical spouted bed reactor with the main aim of enhancing styrene monomer recovery. Thermal degradation in a thermogravimetric analyser was conducted as a preliminary study in order to apply this information in the pyrolysis in the conical spouted bed reactor. The effects of temperature and gas flow rate in the conical spouted bed reactor on product yield and composition have been determined in the 450-600°C range by using a spouting velocity from 1.25 to 3.5 times the minimum one. Styrene yield is strongly influenced by both temperature and gas flow rate, with the maximum yield being 70.6 wt% at 500°C and a gas velocity twice the minimum one. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of three types of free-stall surfaces on preferences and stall usage by dairy cows.

PubMed

Tucker, C B; Weary, D M; Fraser, D

2003-02-01

One important criterion in choosing appropriate housing systems for dairy cattle is that the freestall provides a comfortable surface for the cow. This paper describes two experiments testing the effects of commonly used lying surfaces on stall preference and stall usage by Holstein cows. In both experiments, 12 cows were housed individually in separate pens. Each pen contained three free stalls with a different surface: deep-bedded sawdust, deep-bedded sand, and a geotextile mattress covered with 2 to 3 cm of sawdust. The animals were restricted to each surface in turn, in a random order for either 2 (Experiment 1) or 3 d (Experiment 2). Both before and after this restriction phase, the animals were allowed access to all three surfaces, and preference was determined, based on lying times. Of the 12 cows used in Experiment 1, 10 preferred sawdust before and nine after the restriction phase. During the restriction phase, average lying times and number of lying events during the restriction phase were significantly lower for the sand-bedded stalls (P < or = 0.05), and standing times were higher on mattresses (P < or = 0.05), compared with sawdust. Although these cows had some experience with all three surfaces during the experiment, they had been housed in sawdust-bedded stalls during their previous lactation. Cows used in Experiment 2 had spent their previous lactation in sand bedded stalls. In this experiment, about half the cows preferred sand and half sawdust, after the restriction phase. During the restriction phase of experiment, lying times and number of lying events were lower, and standing times were higher when the animals were restricted to the mattresses compared to either sand or sawdust (P < or = 0.05). These results indicate that (1) free stall surface can affect both stall preferences and stall usage, and (2) mattresses are less preferred.

Catalytic fast pyrolysis of white oak wood in-situ using a bubbling fluidized bed reactor

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Catalytic fast pyrolysis was performed on white oak wood using two zeolite-type catalysts as bed material in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor. The two catalysts chosen, based on a previous screening study, were Ca2+ exchanged Y54 (Ca-Y54) and a proprietary ß-zeolite type catalyst (catalyst M) both ...

Particulate fuel bed tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horn, F. L.; Powell, J. R.; Savino, J. M.

Gas-cooled reactors using packed beds of small-diameter, coated fuel particles have been proposed for compact, high-power systems. To test the thermal-hydraulic performance of the particulate reactor fuel under simulated reactor conditions, a bed of 800-micrometer diameter particles was heated by its electrical resistance current and cooled by flowing helium gas. The specific resistance of the bed composed of pyrocarbon-coated particles was measured at several temperatures, and found to be 0.09 ohm-cm at 1273 K and 0.06 ohm-cm at 1600 K. The maximum bed power density reached was 1500 W/cu cm at 1500 K. The pressure drop followed the packed-bed correlation, typically 100,000 Pa/cm. The various frit materials used to contain the bed were also tested to 2000 K in helium and hydrogen to determine their properties and reactions with the fuel. Rhenium metal, zirconium carbide, and zirconium oxide appeared to be the best candidate materials, while tungsten and tungsten-rhenium lost mass and strength.

The lithostratigraphy of a marine kame delta-outwash fan complex at Pease AFB, Newington, NH

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dineen, R.J.; Manning, S.; McGeehan, K.

The overburden stratigraphy at Pease AFB is based on over 1,200 wells, borings, piezometers, and test pits, and includes five lithologic units: Fill, Upper Sand (US), Marine Clay and Silt (MCS), Lower Sand (LS), and Till (GT). The US is a yellow brown, poorly sorted sand to silty sand and is massive to laminated, and locally has hummocky bedding. The MCS (the Presumpscot Formation) is a dark gray, massive to laminated sandy to silty clay, and is locally interbedded with silty sand. The MCS contains a trace of organic matter, primarily as fine particles of peat. The LS is amore » gray to brown, poorly sorted, silty sand to gravelly sand that is massive to planar bedded and locally grades down into GT and/or upward into MCS. The GT consists of a massive to crudely bedded dark gray to dark brown, very poorly sorted, sandy silt to gravelly, silty sand. The US, MCS, LS and upper part of the GT were deposited in a marine environment at or near the ice margin. Pease AFB is built on two large fans of gravelly sand (LS plus US) that are bordered to the east by NW-SE till ridges (drumlins ). The northern-most fan is flat-topped with a surface elevation of 30 m ASL. The southern fan is more hummocky, with a surface elevation of 18.5 m ASL. Both fans coarsen towards the NW, and are interbedded with MCS towards the SE. The apices of the fans overlie deeply-scoured troughs in the rock surface. The fans are interpreted to be kame deltas or submarine outwash fans that are deposited along the retreating Wisconsinan ice margin by concentrated meltwater flow. Later, the US may have been deposited by marine shoreface erosion of the emergent fans as the ice front retreated and sea level fell.« less

Does denitrification occur within porous carbonate sand grains?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miall Cook, Perran Louis; Kessler, Adam John; Eyre, Bradley David

2017-09-01

Permeable carbonate sands form a major habitat type on coral reefs and play a major role in organic matter recycling. Nitrogen cycling within these sediments is likely to play a major role in coral reef productivity, yet it remains poorly studied. Here, we used flow-through reactors and stirred reactors to quantify potential rates of denitrification and the dependence of denitrification on oxygen concentrations in permeable carbonate sands at three sites on Heron Island, Australia. Our results showed that potential rates of denitrification fell within the range of 2-28 µmol L-1 sediment h-1 and were very low compared to oxygen consumption rates, consistent with previous studies of silicate sands. Denitrification was observed to commence at porewater oxygen concentrations as high as 50 µM in stirred reactor experiments on the coarse sediment fraction (2-10 mm) and at oxygen concentrations of 10-20 µM in flow-through and stirred reactor experiments at a site with a median sediment grain size of 0.9 mm. No denitrification was detected in sediments under oxic conditions from another site with finer sediment (median grain size: 0.7 mm). We interpret these results as confirmation that denitrification may occur within anoxic microniches present within porous carbonate sand grains. The occurrence of such microniches has the potential to enhance denitrification rates within carbonate sediments; however further work is required to elucidate the extent and ecological significance of this effect.

Evaluation of the effectiveness factor along immobilized enzyme fixed-bed reactors: design of a reactor with naringinase covalently immobilized into glycophase-coated porous glass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manjon, A.; Iborra, J.L.; Gomez, J.L.

A design equation is presented for packed-bed reactors containing immobilized enzymes in spherical porous particles with internal diffusion effects and obeying reversible one-intermediate Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The equation is also able to explain irreversible and competitive product inhibition kinetics. It allows the axial substrate profiles to be calculated and the dependence of the effectiveness factor along the reactor length to be continuously evaluated. The design equation was applied to explain the behavior of naringinase immobilized in Glycophase-coated porous glass operating in a packed-bed reactor and hydrolyzing both p-nitrophenyl-alpha-L-rhamnoside and naringin. The theoretically predicted results were found to fit well with experimentallymore » measured values. (Refs. 28).« less

Generation and Reduction of NOx on Air-Fed Ozonizers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehara, Yoshiyasu; Amemiya, Yusuke; Yamamoto, Toshiaki

A generation and reduction of NOx on air-fed ozonizers using a ferroelectric packed bed reactor have been experimentally investigated. The reactors packed with CaTiO3, SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 pellets are examined for ozone generation. An ac voltage is applied to the reactor to generate partial discharge. Ozone concentration and the different nitrogen oxides at downstream of the packed bed reactor were measured with UV absorption ozone monitor and a Fourier transform infrared spectroscope respectively. The dielectric constant of packed ferroelectric pellets influences the discharge characteristic, ozone and NOx generations are varied by the dielectric constant value. Focusing on a discharge pulse current and maximum discharge magnitude, the ferroelectric packed bed plasma reactors have been evaluated on nitrogen oxide and ozone generated concentrations.

Flash hydrogenation of coal

DOEpatents

Manowitz, Bernard; Steinberg, Meyer; Sheehan, Thomas V.; Winsche, Warren E.; Raseman, Chad J.

1976-01-01

A process for the hydrogenation of coal comprising the contacting of powdered coal with hydrogen in a rotating fluidized bed reactor. A rotating fluidized bed reactor suitable for use in this process is also disclosed. The coal residence time in the reactor is limited to less than 5 seconds while the hydrogen contact time is not in excess of 0.2 seconds.

On-line fission products measurements during a PWR severe accident: the French DECA-PF project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ducros, G.; Allinei, P.G.; Roure, C.

Following the Fukushima accident, a lot of recommendations was drawn by international organizations (IAEA, OECD, NUGENIA network...) in order to improve the safety in such accidental conditions and mitigate their consequences. One of these recommendations was to improve the robustness of the instrumentation, which was dramatically lacking at Fukushima, as well as to better determine the Source Term involved in nuclear accident. The DECA-PF project (Diagnosis of a degraded reactor core through Fission Product measurements) was elaborated in this context and selected as one of 21 collaborative R and D projects in the field of nuclear safety and radioprotection, fundedmore » in May 2013 by the French National Research Agency. Over the months following the Fukushima accident, a CEA crisis team was held in order to analyze on-line the situation taking into account the data delivered by TEPCO and other organizations. Despite the difficulties encountered concerning the reliability of these data, the work performed showed the high capacity of Fission Products (FP) measurements to get a diagnosis relative to the status of the reactors and the spent fuel pools (SFP). Based on these FP measurements, it was possible to conclude that the main origin of the releases was coming from the cores and not from the SFP, in particular for SFP-4 which was of high concern, and that the degradation level of the reactors was very large, including probably an extensive core melting. To improve the reliability of this kind of diagnosis, the necessity to get such measurements as soon as possible after the accident and as near as possible from the reactor was stressed. In this way the present DECA-PF project intends to develop a new and innovative instrumentation taking into account the design of the French nuclear power plants on which sand bed filters have been implemented for severe accident management. Three complementary techniques, devoted to measure the FP release on-line, are being studied: - Gamma spectrometry, with an industrial objective to build a prototype aimed at improving the capacity of the present radiation monitoring system, - Gas chromatography, for the quantification of the fission gases (Xe, Kr) as well as potential carbon oxides produced in case of Molten Corium Concrete Interaction, - Optical absorption spectroscopy, the objective of this most innovative technique being to quantify the tetra-oxide of ruthenium, which could be produced in case of lower head failure, and the gaseous forms of iodine (molecular and organic) released in the environment. A global description and the present status of this project is presented, focusing on the Source Term establishment at the outlet stack of the sand bed filters and on the perspectives of implementation of the on-line gamma spectrometry equipment. (authors)« less

Treatment of synthetic refinery wastewater in anoxic-aerobic sequential moving bed reactors and sulphur recovery.

PubMed

Mallick, Subrat Kumar; Chakraborty, Saswati

2017-11-10

Objective of the present study was to simultaneously biodegrade synthetic petroleum refinery wastewater containing phenol (750 mg/L), sulphide (750 mg/L), hydrocarbon (as emulsified diesel of 300 mg/L), ammonia-nitrogen (350 mg/L) at pH >9 in anoxic-aerobic sequential moving bed reactors. The optimum mixing speed of anoxic reactor was observed at 20 rpm and beyond that, removal rate remained constant. In anoxic reactor the minimum hydraulic retention time was observed to be 2 days for complete removal of sulphide, 40-50% removal of phenol and total hydrocarbons and 52% of sulphur recovery. The optimum HRT of aerobic moving bed reactor was observed as 16 h (total HRT of 64 h for anoxic and aerobic reactors) for complete removals of phenol, total hydrocarbons, COD (chemical oxygen demand) and ammonia-nitrogen with nitrification.

Giant sand waves at the mouth of San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnard, P.L.; Hanes, D.M.; Rubin, D.M.; Kvitek, R.G.

2006-01-01

A field of giant sand waves, among the largest in the world, recently was mapped in high resolution for the first time during a multibeam survey in 2004 and 2005 through the strait of the Golden Gate at the mouth of San Francisco Bay in California (Figure la). This massive bed form field covers an area of approximately four square kilometers in water depths ranging from 30 to 106 meters, featuring more than 40 distinct sand waves with crests aligned approximately perpendicular to the dominant tidally generated cross-shore currents, with wavelengths and heights that measure up to 220 meters and 10 meters, respectively. Sand wave crests can be traced continuously for up to two kilometers across the mouth of this energetic tidal inlet, where depth-averaged tidal currents through the strait below the Golden Gate Bridge exceed 2.5 meters per second during peak ebb flows. Repeated surveys demonstrated that the sand waves are active and dynamic features that move in response to tidally generated currents. The complex temporal and spatial variations in wave and tidal current interactions in this region result in an astoundingly diverse array of bed form morphologies, scales, and orientations. Bed forms of approximately half the scale of those reported in this article previously were mapped inside San Francisco Bay during a multibeam survey in 1997 [Chin et al., 1997].

Laboratory Experiments of Sand Ripples with Bimodal Size Distributions Under Asymmetric Oscillatory Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calantoni, J.; Landry, B. J.

2010-12-01

The dynamics of sand ripples are vital to understanding numerous coastal processes such as sediment transport, wave attenuation, boundary layer development, and seafloor acoustic properties. Though significant laboratory research has been conducted to elucidate oscillatory flow morphodynamics under various constant and transient forcing conditions, the majority of the previous experiments were conducted only for beds with unimodal size distributions of sediment. Recent oscillatory flow experiments as well as past laboratory observations in uniform flows suggest that the presence of heterogeneous size sand compositions may significantly impact ripple morphology, resulting in a variety of observable effects (e.g., sediment sorting, bed armoring, and altered transport rates). Experimental work was conducted in a small oscillatory flow tunnel at the Sediment Dynamics Laboratory at the Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center. Three different monochromatic oscillatory forcings having velocity asymmetry were used to study sand ripple dynamics over five bimodal and two unimodal sediment beds. The seven different mixtures were composed using two unimodal sands of different colors (blue/white) and median grain diameters (d=0.31 mm / d=0.65 mm) combined into various mixtures by mass (i.e., 0/100; 10/90; 25/75; 50/50; 75/25; 90/10; and 100/0 which denotes mass percentage of blue/white sand, respectively, within each mixture). High-definition video of the sediment bed profile was acquired in conjunction with sediment trap measurements to resolve differences in ripple geometries, migration and evolution rates due to the different sediment mixtures and flow conditions. Observational findings clearly illustrate sediment stratification within ripple crests and the depth of the active mixing layer in addition to supporting sediment sorting in previous research on symmetric oscillatory flows in which the larger grains collect on top of ripple crests and smaller grains in the troughs. Preliminary quantitative results illuminate variations in equilibrium ripple geometry, ripple migration rates, and transition time scales between equilibrium states, all as functions of the sediment size mixture and flow forcing.

Fluidized bed silicon deposition from silane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, George C. (Inventor); Levin, Harry (Inventor); Hogle, Richard A. (Inventor); Praturi, Ananda (Inventor); Lutwack, Ralph (Inventor)

1982-01-01

A process and apparatus for thermally decomposing silicon containing gas for deposition on fluidized nucleating silicon seed particles is disclosed. Silicon seed particles are produced in a secondary fluidized reactor by thermal decomposition of a silicon containing gas. The thermally produced silicon seed particles are then introduced into a primary fluidized bed reactor to form a fluidized bed. Silicon containing gas is introduced into the primary reactor where it is thermally decomposed and deposited on the fluidized silicon seed particles. Silicon seed particles having the desired amount of thermally decomposed silicon product thereon are removed from the primary fluidized reactor as ultra pure silicon product. An apparatus for carrying out this process is also disclosed.

Fluidized bed silicon deposition from silane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, George (Inventor); Levin, Harry (Inventor); Hogle, Richard A. (Inventor); Praturi, Ananda (Inventor); Lutwack, Ralph (Inventor)

1984-01-01

A process and apparatus for thermally decomposing silicon containing gas for deposition on fluidized nucleating silicon seed particles is disclosed. Silicon seed particles are produced in a secondary fluidized reactor by thermal decomposition of a silicon containing gas. The thermally produced silicon seed particles are then introduced into a primary fluidized bed reactor to form a fludized bed. Silicon containing gas is introduced into the primary reactor where it is thermally decomposed and deposited on the fluidized silicon seed particles. Silicon seed particles having the desired amount of thermally decomposed silicon product thereon are removed from the primary fluidized reactor as ultra pure silicon product. An apparatus for carrying out this process is also disclosed.

Effect of bed characters on the direct synthesis of dimethyldichlorosilane in fluidized bed reactor.

PubMed

Zhang, Pan; Duan, Ji H; Chen, Guang H; Wang, Wei W

2015-03-06

This paper presents the numerical investigation of the effects of the general bed characteristics such as superficial gas velocities, bed temperature, bed heights and particle size, on the direct synthesis in a 3D fluidized bed reactor. A 3D model for the gas flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer was coupled to the direct synthesis reaction mechanism verified in the literature. The model was verified by comparing the simulated reaction rate and dimethyldichlorosilane (M2) selectivity with the experimental data in the open literature and real production data. Computed results indicate that superficial gas velocities, bed temperature, bed heights, and particle size have vital effect on the reaction rates and/or M2 selectivity.

Effect of Bed Characters on the Direct Synthesis of Dimethyldichlorosilane in Fluidized Bed Reactor

PubMed Central

Zhang, Pan; Duan, Ji H.; Chen, Guang H.; Wang, Wei W.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the numerical investigation of the effects of the general bed characteristics such as superficial gas velocities, bed temperature, bed heights and particle size, on the direct synthesis in a 3D fluidized bed reactor. A 3D model for the gas flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer was coupled to the direct synthesis reaction mechanism verified in the literature. The model was verified by comparing the simulated reaction rate and dimethyldichlorosilane (M2) selectivity with the experimental data in the open literature and real production data. Computed results indicate that superficial gas velocities, bed temperature, bed heights, and particle size have vital effect on the reaction rates and/or M2 selectivity. PMID:25742729

Coal hydrogenation and deashing in ebullated bed catalytic reactor

DOEpatents

Huibers, Derk T. A.; Johanson, Edwin S.

1983-01-01

An improved process for hydrogenation of coal containing ash with agglomeration and removal of ash from an ebullated bed catalytic reactor to produce deashed hydrocarbon liquid and gas products. In the process, a flowable coal-oil slurry is reacted with hydrogen in an ebullated catalyst bed reaction zone at elevated temperature and pressure conditions. The upward velocity and viscosity of the reactor liquid are controlled so that a substantial portion of the ash released from the coal is agglomerated to form larger particles in the upper portion of the reactor above the catalyst bed, from which the agglomerated ash is separately withdrawn along with adhering reaction zone liquid. The resulting hydrogenated hydrocarbon effluent material product is phase separated to remove vapor fractions, after which any ash remaining in the liquid fraction can be removed to produce substantially ash-free coal-derived liquid products.

Is the microplastic selective according to the habitat? Records in amphioxus sands, Mäerl bed habitats and Cymodocea nodosa habitats.

PubMed

Renzi, Monia; Blašković, Andrea; Fastelli, Paolo; Marcelli, Massimiliano; Guerranti, Cristiana; Cannas, Susanna; Barone, Lorenzo; Massara, Francesca

2018-05-01

This study estimated for the first time the total loads of plastic litter (macro- meso- and micro-plastics) in sediments of different habitat types from the Northern Adriatic Sea. Samples were collected in March 2016. The sampling sites were settled in shoreline, on the C. nodosa bottoms, Amphioxus sands, and Mäerl bed habitats. Microplastics items were present in all sampling site and ranging within 137-703 items/kg d.w. from Mäerl bed habitat to the shoreline. In C. nodosa bottoms 170 items/kg d.w. were found, while in Amphioxus sands were recorded on average 194 items/kg d.w. Due to the absence of statistical associations among litter levels and abundance of B. lanceolatum in the study area, this research present the needs to develop a new method and more research to for the evaluation of how much the interrelation between sensible habitats and microplastic exist. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sedimentology and petroleum occurrence, Schoolhouse Member, Maroon Formation (Lower Permian), northwestern Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, S.Y.; Schenk, C.J.; Anders, D.L.

The Lower Permian Schoolhouse Member of the Maroon Formation (formerly considered the Schoolhouse Tongue of the Weber Sandstone) forms a partly exhumed petroleum reservoir in the Eagle basin of northwestern Colorado. The Schoolhouse consists mainly of yellowish gray to gray, low-angle to parallel bedded, very fine to fine-grained sandstone of eolian sand-sheet origin; interbedded fluvial deposits are present in most sections. The sand-sheet deposits of the Schoolhouse Member are sedimentologically and petrologically similar to those in the underlying red beds of the main body of the Maroon Formation, and the Schoolhouse is considered the uppermost sand sheet in the Maroonmore » depositional sequence. The bleached and oil-stained Schoolhouse member is distinguished from the underlying Maroon red beds on the basis of its diagenetic history, which is related to regional hydrocarbon migration and development of secondary porosity. Geological and geochemical data suggest that Schoolhouse Member oils have upper Paleozoic sources, including the intrabasinal Belden Formation. 13 figs., 1 tab.« less

Advance, Retreat, and Halt of Abrupt Gravel-Sand Transitions in Alluvial Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blom, Astrid; Chavarrías, Víctor; Ferguson, Robert I.; Viparelli, Enrica

2017-10-01

Downstream fining of bed sediment in alluvial rivers is usually gradual, but often an abrupt decrease in characteristic grain size occurs from about 10 to 1 mm, i.e., a gravel-sand transition (GST) or gravel front. Here we present an analytical model of GST migration that explicitly accounts for gravel and sand transport and deposition in the gravel reach, sea level change, subsidence, and delta progradation. The model shows that even a limited gravel supply to a sand bed reach induces progradation of a gravel wedge and predicts the circumstances required for the gravel front to advance, retreat, and halt. Predicted modern GST migration rates agree well with measured data at Allt Dubhaig and the Fraser River, and the model qualitatively captures the behavior of other documented gravel fronts. The analysis shows that sea level change, subsidence, and delta progradation have a significant impact on the GST position in lowland rivers.

Prediction of sand transport over immobile gravel from supply limited to capacity conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Prediction of the transport of sand in channels armored with gravel downstream of dams is difficult but necessary for the range of bed conditions from supply limited to capacity transport. Previous work has shown that information on the mean elevation of the sand relative to the gravel and on the s...

Field trial of a pulsed limestone diversion well

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sibrell, Philip L.; Denholm, C.; Dunn, Margaret

2013-01-01

The use of limestone diversion wells to treat acid mine drainage (AMD) is well-known, but in many cases, acid neutralization is not as complete as would be desired. Reasons for this include channeling of the water through the limestone bed, and the slow reaction rate of the limestone gravel. A new approach to improve the performance of the diversion well was tested in the field at the Jennings Environmental Education Center, near Slippery Rock, PA. In this approach, a finer size distribution of limestone was used so as to allow fluidization of the limestone bed, thus eliminating channeling and increasing particle surface area for faster reaction rates. Also, water flow was regulated through the use of a dosing siphon, so that consistent fluidization of the limestone sand could be achieved. Testing began late in the summer of 2010, and continued through November of 2011. Initial system performance during the 2010 field season was good, with the production of net alkaline water, but hydraulic problems involving air release and limestone sand retention were observed. In the summer of 2011, a finer size of limestone sand was procured for use in the system. This material fluidized more readily, but acid neutralization tapered off after several days. Subsequent observations indicated that the hydraulics of the system was compromised by the formation of iron oxides in the pipe leading to the limestone bed, which affected water distribution and flow through the bed. Although results from the field trial were mixed, it is believed that without the formation of iron oxides and plugging of the pipe, better acid neutralization and treatment would have occurred. Further tests are being considered using a different hydraulic configuration for the limestone sand fluidized bed.

Precipitation of sparingly soluble salts in packed sandbeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlakou, Efstathia I.; Sygouni, Varvara; Paraskeva, Christakis A.

2015-04-01

One of the main problems encountered by the oil extraction industry, is the reduction of the local permeability of the rock formation near the extraction wells because of salt deposition in the pores of the rocks during the injection of brine water to displace the trapped oil ganglia within the oil formations. This phenomenon makes the oil recovery less efficient and under extreme cases the well is abandoned with a large amount of oil entrapped. Several detailed studies have been conducted in the past concerning sand bed consolidation using sparingly soluble salts for varying conditions (e.g. temperature, grain size, sand type, salt concentrations etc) and various salts [1]. Nevertheless, salt precipitation in the rock formation pores under the presence of other miscible or immiscible substances with water has not been investigated in details yet. In the present study, salt (CaCO3) precipitation experiments were performed in small beds packed with sea sand mixed with a low amount of CaCO3 seed grains. The experiments were performed using pure solutions (NaHCO3, CaCl2.2H2O) and solutions mixed with Ethylene Glycol in sand beds. Additionally, precipitation experiments were performed using pure solutions in sand beds saturated with oil phase (n-dodecane) for a wide range of solution supersaturation. During the experiments the ionic strength was kept constant. pH and concentration values of calcium ion of the effluent were measured and the precipitated salt crystals were identified using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) method. At the end of each experiment Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was conducted using a sample of the precipitated sand to identify the morphology of the precipitated crystals and their cohesion with sand grains. Acknowledgments This research was partially funded by the European Union (European Social Fund-ESF) and Greek National Funds through the Operational program "Education and Lifelong Learning" under the action Aristeia II (Code No 4420). References [1] Paraskeva C. A., Charalampous P. C., Stokka L. E., Klepetsanis P. G., Koutsoukos P. G., Read P., Ostvold, T. and Payatakes A. C. (2000), ''Sandbed Consolidation with Mineral Precipitation'', Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 232, 326-339.

Design of a laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wikström, E.; Andersson, P.; Marklund, S.

1998-04-01

The aim of this project was to construct a laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor that simulates the behavior of full scale municipal solid waste combustors. The design of this reactor is thoroughly described. The size of the laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor is 5 kW, which corresponds to a fuel-feeding rate of approximately 1 kg/h. The reactor system consists of four parts: a bed section, a freeboard section, a convector (postcombustion zone), and an air pollution control (APC) device system. The inside diameter of the reactor is 100 mm at the bed section and it widens to 200 mm in diameter in the freeboard section; the total height of the reactor is 1760 mm. The convector part consists of five identical sections; each section is 2700 mm long and has an inside diameter of 44.3 mm. The reactor is flexible regarding the placement and number of sampling ports. At the beginning of the first convector unit and at the end of each unit there are sampling ports for organic micropollutants (OMP). This makes it possible to study the composition of the flue gases at various residence times. Sampling ports for inorganic compounds and particulate matter are also placed in the convector section. All operating parameters, reactor temperatures, concentrations of CO, CO2, O2, SO2, NO, and NO2 are continuously measured and stored at selected intervals for further evaluation. These unique features enable full control over the fuel feed, air flows, and air distribution as well as over the temperature profile. Elaborate details are provided regarding the configuration of the fuel-feeding systems, the fluidized bed, the convector section, and the APC device. This laboratory reactor enables detailed studies of the formation mechanisms of OMP, such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated benzenes (PCBzs). With this system formation mechanisms of OMP occurring in both the combustion and postcombustion zones can be studied. Other advantages are memory effect minimization and the reduction of experimental costs compared to full scale combustors. Comparison of the combustion parameters and emission data from this 5 kW laboratory scale reactor with full scale combustors shows good agreement regarding emission levels and PCDD/PCDF congener patterns. This indicates that the important formation and degradation reactions of OMP in the reactor are the same formation mechanisms as in full scale combustors.

Behavior of Windblown Sand on Mars: Results from Single-Particle Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, J. R.; Borucki, J.; Sagan, C.

1999-01-01

Experiments are investigating the behavior of individual sand grains in the high-energy martian aeolian regime. Energy partitioning during impact of a saltating grain determines grain longevity, but it also influences the way in which the bed becomes mobilized by reptation. When single grains of sand are fired into loose beds, the bed can absorb up to 90% of the impact energy by momentum transfer to other grains; it has been discovered that the impacting grains cause circular craters even at low impact angles. Hundreds of grains can be splashed by a single high-velocity (100 m/s) impact causing more bed disturbance through reptation than previously thought. The research is supported by NASA's PG&G Program. Because the martian aeolian environment in both high energy and of long duration, the most mobile fractions of windblown sand should have eradicated themselves by attrition, unless sand supply has kept pace with destruction. It is therefore important to understand the rate of grain attrition in order to make sense of the existence of vast dune fields on Mars. Attrition, has been addressed in other studies, but precise data for a single saltating grain striking a loose bed of sand have not been acquired -- the quintessential case to be understood for dunes on Mars. To acquire these data, we are employing a compound crossbow which has the bolt-firing mechanism replaced with a pneumatically-automated sabot system. The sabot can launch individual grains of sand of any size between several millimeters and about 50 microns, at velocities up to 100m/s. This is around the maximum velocity expected for saltating grains on Mars. The sabot sled is equipped with photoelectric sensors for measuring shot velocity. Baffling of the grain's exit orifice has enabled projection of single grains without significant aerodynamic effects from the sabot. Grains are fired into loose beds of sand at about 15 degrees from the horizontal (typical saltation trajectory at impact) while being filmed on high-speed video. High-intensity pulse illumination for the grains is triggered by the solenoid-operated bow trigger. A 45 degree mirror over the impact site provides simultaneous horizontal and vertical images of the impact on each video frame. UV fluorescence is enabling grain and grain-fragment recovery. At 100 m/s, grains of all sizes shatter into many fragments when the sand is replaced with a solid target. Kinetic energy of the grains at this velocity exceeds the critical energy for catastrophic failure of minerals. Although probably exceptional as a grain speed, it suggests that conditions on Mars might elevate materials into an attrition regime not encountered on other planets; individual grains blown across rock pavements on Mars will have short lifespans. When experimental grains impact loose (dune) sand, much, if not most of the kinetic energy is converted into momentum of other grains. Using high-speed filming, the energy involved in splashing grains at the impact site can be derived from the size of the crater, the speed of the splashed grains, and the rebound speed of the impactor. The amount of energy partitioned into material failure (as opposed to momentum) is too small a fraction of the total to be calculated under these circumstances. This does not necessarily mean that little damage occurs to the grains (the full extent of the damage has yet to be determined) because only a small fraction of the impact energy is required for inducing brittle fracture. Damage is orders of magnitude less than during impact against solid surfaces.

Behavior of Windblown Sand on Mars: Results from Single-Particle Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, J. R.; Borucki, J.; Sagan, C.

1999-09-01

Experiments are investigating the behavior of individual sand grains in the high-energy martian aeolian regime. Energy partitioning during impact of a saltating grain determines grain longevity, but it also influences the way in which the bed becomes mobilized by reptation. When single grains of sand are fired into loose beds, the bed can absorb up to 90% of the impact energy by momentum transfer to other grains; it has been discovered that the impacting grains cause circular craters even at low impact angles. Hundreds of grains can be splashed by a single high-velocity (100 m/s) impact causing more bed disturbance through reptation than previously thought. The research is supported by NASA's PG&G Program. Because the martian aeolian environment in both high energy and of long duration, the most mobile fractions of windblown sand should have eradicated themselves by attrition, unless sand supply has kept pace with destruction. It is therefore important to understand the rate of grain attrition in order to make sense of the existence of vast dune fields on Mars. Attrition, has been addressed in other studies, but precise data for a single saltating grain striking a loose bed of sand have not been acquired -- the quintessential case to be understood for dunes on Mars. To acquire these data, we are employing a compound crossbow which has the bolt-firing mechanism replaced with a pneumatically-automated sabot system. The sabot can launch individual grains of sand of any size between several millimeters and about 50 microns, at velocities up to 100m/s. This is around the maximum velocity expected for saltating grains on Mars. The sabot sled is equipped with photoelectric sensors for measuring shot velocity. Baffling of the grain's exit orifice has enabled projection of single grains without significant aerodynamic effects from the sabot. Grains are fired into loose beds of sand at about 15 degrees from the horizontal (typical saltation trajectory at impact) while being filmed on high-speed video. High-intensity pulse illumination for the grains is triggered by the solenoid-operated bow trigger. A 45 degree mirror over the impact site provides simultaneous horizontal and vertical images of the impact on each video frame. UV fluorescence is enabling grain and grain-fragment recovery. At 100 m/s, grains of all sizes shatter into many fragments when the sand is replaced with a solid target. Kinetic energy of the grains at this velocity exceeds the critical energy for catastrophic failure of minerals. Although probably exceptional as a grain speed, it suggests that conditions on Mars might elevate materials into an attrition regime not encountered on other planets; individual grains blown across rock pavements on Mars will have short lifespans. When experimental grains impact loose (dune) sand, much, if not most of the kinetic energy is converted into momentum of other grains. Using high-speed filming, the energy involved in splashing grains at the impact site can be derived from the size of the crater, the speed of the splashed grains, and the rebound speed of the impactor. The amount of energy partitioned into material failure (as opposed to momentum) is too small a fraction of the total to be calculated under these circumstances. This does not necessarily mean that little damage occurs to the grains (the full extent of the damage has yet to be determined) because only a small fraction of the impact energy is required for inducing brittle fracture. Damage is orders of magnitude less than during impact against solid surfaces.

Characterization of hydrodynamics and solids mixing in fluidized beds involving biomass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fotovat, Farzam

This thesis focuses on the characterization of hydrodynamics and mixing phenomena in fluidized beds containing mixtures of sand and irregular biomass particles. The first objective of this study is understanding the effect of the large biomass particles on the bubbling characteristics and gas distribution pattern of sand fluidized beds. The second objective is the characterization of mixing/segregation of biomass and sand particles under fluidization conditions. A variety of experimental techniques are employed to study the behavior of two constituting phases of a fluidized bed, i.e., dilute (bubble) and dense (emulsion) phases. Exploring the characteristic fluidization velocities of sand-biomass mixtures unveils that the onset of bubbling in these systems occurs at a higher gas velocity compared to that of the initial fluidization velocity (Uif). The initial bubbling velocity (Uib), the final fluidization velocity ( Uff), and the transition gas velocity from bubbling to turbulent regime (Uc) rise by increasing the fraction of biomass in the mixture. Statistical analysis of the pressure signal at top of the bed reveals that increasing the biomass load hinders the evolution of bubbles at a low gas velocity (U<0.6 m/s), while at high velocities, the bubbling trend of beds containing different fractions of biomass is comparable. The addition of biomass particles to a bed of sand leads to an increase in the mean voidage of the bed; however, the voidage of each phase remains unaffected. It is observed that large biomass particles trigger a break-up of the bubbles, which results in boosting bubbling frequency. The fraction of bubbles at the center of the bed increases with the load of biomass. At the wall region, however, it starts to decrease by adding 2% wt. biomass to pure sand and then increases with the further addition of biomass. The Radioactive Particle Tracking (RPT) technique is implemented in the second section of this work to study the motion and distribution of biomass particles at U=0.36 m/s and U=0.64 m/s. In this regard, an active biomass particle is tracked for a long period of time and its instantaneous position is recorded. The acquired data is then processed to achieve the time-averaged concentration profile of biomass particles. This profile represents the segregation of biomass particles, which tend to accumulate in the upper levels of the bed. Changes in the fraction of biomass with increasing gas velocity are inferred from the local changes of the time-averaged pressure drop values at the top of the bed. To determine the parameters affecting the movement and segregation of biomass particles, their circulatory motion is also scrutinized using the RPT data. The circulation of biomass is impeded when the load of biomass rises at U=0.36 m/s, resulting in a more pronounced segregation of sand and biomass. The opposite trend is observed at U=0.64 m/s. This prompts a more uniform distribution of particles along the bed and brings about a higher degree of mixing. The average rise velocity of biomass is 0.2 times the bubble velocity, regardless of the biomass load or fluidization velocity. A one-dimensional model is proposed to predict the volume fraction of biomass along the bed. Some of the terms of this model are linked to the fluidizing behavior of biomass particles as deduced from the RPT findings. The fluidization of sand and cylindrical biomass particles is also simulated using the BARRACUDA CPFD software, which is based on the Lagrangian-Eulerian approach. Simulation and experimental results are compared in order to evaluate the capability of the numerical approach to predict the bubbling characteristics of the sand-biomass mixture for systems differing in composition and fluidization velocity. The last part of this thesis is devoted to the separation of the main components of the shredded bulky waste. A step-wise process has been developed based on the elutriation and density segregation techniques. After removal of the light and interwoven species of the shredded waste by elutriation, the nonelutriated materials are further separated into two successive fluidization columns. Polypropylene and glass beads are introduced as the fluidization media in these columns in order to make density segregation of the target and not-target components possible. Hence, undesirable combustible matters and hard plastic are separated as the overflow of the first and second fluidization steps. A second elutriation column is also devised to separate and recover fiber and soft plastic. To determine optimal operating conditions, several influential parameters, such as the elutriation velocity and time, the size and density of the fluidization media, and the initial configuration of the feedstock and bed material, are explored. The kinetics of segregation is also derived for both fluidization steps. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Anaerobic treatment of winery wastewater in fixed bed reactors.

PubMed

Ganesh, Rangaraj; Rajinikanth, Rajagopal; Thanikal, Joseph V; Ramanujam, Ramamoorty Alwar; Torrijos, Michel

2010-06-01

The treatment of winery wastewater in three upflow anaerobic fixed-bed reactors (S9, S30 and S40) with low density floating supports of varying size and specific surface area was investigated. A maximum OLR of 42 g/l day with 80 +/- 0.5% removal efficiency was attained in S9, which had supports with the highest specific surface area. It was found that the efficiency of the reactors increased with decrease in size and increase in specific surface area of the support media. Total biomass accumulation in the reactors was also found to vary as a function of specific surface area and size of the support medium. The Stover-Kincannon kinetic model predicted satisfactorily the performance of the reactors. The maximum removal rate constant (U(max)) was 161.3, 99.0 and 77.5 g/l day and the saturation value constant (K(B)) was 162.0, 99.5 and 78.0 g/l day for S9, S30 and S40, respectively. Due to their higher biomass retention potential, the supports used in this study offer great promise as media in anaerobic fixed bed reactors. Anaerobic fixed-bed reactors with these supports can be applied as high-rate systems for the treatment of large volumes of wastewaters typically containing readily biodegradable organics, such as the winery wastewater.

Pressurized fluidized bed reactor and a method of operating the same

DOEpatents

Isaksson, J.

1996-02-20

A pressurized fluid bed reactor power plant includes a fluidized bed reactor contained within a pressure vessel with a pressurized gas volume between the reactor and the vessel. A first conduit supplies primary gas from the gas volume to the reactor, passing outside the pressure vessel and then returning through the pressure vessel to the reactor, and pressurized gas is supplied from a compressor through a second conduit to the gas volume. A third conduit, comprising a hot gas discharge, carries gases from the reactor, through a filter, and ultimately to a turbine. During normal operation of the plant, pressurized gas is withdrawn from the gas volume through the first conduit and introduced into the reactor at a substantially continuously controlled rate as the primary gas to the reactor. In response to an operational disturbance of the plant, the flow of gas in the first, second, and third conduits is terminated, and thereafter the pressure in the gas volume and in the reactor is substantially simultaneously reduced by opening pressure relief valves in the first and third conduits, and optionally by passing air directly from the second conduit to the turbine. 1 fig.

Pressurized fluidized bed reactor and a method of operating the same

DOEpatents

Isaksson, Juhani

1996-01-01

A pressurized fluid bed reactor power plant includes a fluidized bed reactor contained within a pressure vessel with a pressurized gas volume between the reactor and the vessel. A first conduit supplies primary gas from the gas volume to the reactor, passing outside the pressure vessel and then returning through the pressure vessel to the reactor, and pressurized gas is supplied from a compressor through a second conduit to the gas volume. A third conduit, comprising a hot gas discharge, carries gases from the reactor, through a filter, and ultimately to a turbine. During normal operation of the plant, pressurized gas is withdrawn from the gas volume through the first conduit and introduced into the reactor at a substantially continuously controlled rate as the primary gas to the reactor. In response to an operational disturbance of the plant, the flow of gas in the first, second, and third conduits is terminated, and thereafter the pressure in the gas volume and in the reactor is substantially simultaneously reduced by opening pressure relief valves in the first and third conduits, and optionally by passing air directly from the second conduit to the turbine.

Partial nitritation of raw anaerobic sludge digester liquor by swim-bed and swim-bed activated sludge processes and comparison of their sludge characteristics.

PubMed

Qiao, Sen; Kawakubo, Yuki; Koyama, Toichiro; Furukawa, Kenji

2008-11-01

This study evaluated performance of swim-bed (SB) reactors packed with a novel acrylic fiber carrier (BF) and swim-bed activated sludge (SBAS) reactor for partial nitritation of anaerobic sludge digester liquor from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Comparison of characteristics of sludge obtained from both the reactors was also made. The average conversion rates of ammonium to nitrite were 52.3% and 40.0% under relatively high nitrogen loading rates over 3.0 kg-N/m(3)/d, respectively in two reactors. The average BOD(5) removal efficiencies were 74.3% and 64.4%, respectively in the two reactors. The size of the sludge pellets taken from SB and SBAS reactors was found to be approximately three times (229 mum versus 88 mum) of that of the seed sludge. This sludge also had relatively high extracellular proteins levels indicating better sludge settling capability as compared to the sludge taken from SBAS reactor. Although the effluent nitrite/ammonium ratios had fluctuated in both reactor in some extent, the low dissolved oxygen concentration (average of 2.5 versus 0.35 mg/l), low suspended solids (average of 33.3 versus 33.5 mg/l), and about 50% ammonium conversion to nitrite demonstrated the application potential of anammox process for nitrogen removal.

Compositional Signatures in Acoustic Backscatter Over Vegetated and Unvegetated Mixed Sand-Gravel Riverbeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buscombe, D.; Grams, P. E.; Kaplinski, M. A.

2017-10-01

Multibeam acoustic backscatter has considerable utility for remote characterization of spatially heterogeneous bed sediment composition over vegetated and unvegetated riverbeds of mixed sand and gravel. However, the use of high-frequency, decimeter-resolution acoustic backscatter for sediment classification in shallow water is hampered by significant topographic contamination of the signal. In mixed sand-gravel riverbeds, changes in the abiotic composition of sediment (such as homogeneous sand to homogeneous gravel) tend to occur over larger spatial scales than is characteristic of small-scale bedform topography (ripples, dunes, and bars) or biota (such as vascular plants and periphyton). A two-stage method is proposed to filter out the morphological contributions to acoustic backscatter. First, the residual supragrain-scale topographic effects in acoustic backscatter with small instantaneous insonified areas, caused by ambiguity in the local (beam-to-beam) bed-sonar geometry, are removed. Then, coherent scales between high-resolution topography and backscatter are identified using cospectra, which are used to design a frequency domain filter that decomposes backscatter into the (unwanted) high-pass component associated with bedform topography (ripples, dunes, and sand waves) and vegetation, and the (desired) low-frequency component associated with the composition of sediment patches superimposed on the topography. This process strengthens relationships between backscatter and sediment composition. A probabilistic framework is presented for classifying vegetated and unvegetated substrates based on acoustic backscatter at decimeter resolution. This capability is demonstrated using data collected from diverse settings within a 386 km reach of a canyon river whose bed varies among sand, gravel, cobbles, boulders, and submerged vegetation.

Compositional signatures in acoustic backscatter over vegetated and unvegetated mixed sand-gravel riverbeds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buscombe, Daniel; Grams, Paul E.; Kaplinski, Matt A.

2017-01-01

Multibeam acoustic backscatter has considerable utility for remote characterization of spatially heterogeneous bed sediment composition over vegetated and unvegetated riverbeds of mixed sand and gravel. However, the use of high-frequency, decimeter-resolution acoustic backscatter for sediment classification in shallow water is hampered by significant topographic contamination of the signal. In mixed sand-gravel riverbeds, changes in the abiotic composition of sediment (such as homogeneous sand to homogeneous gravel) tend to occur over larger spatial scales than is characteristic of small-scale bedform topography (ripples, dunes, and bars) or biota (such as vascular plants and periphyton). A two-stage method is proposed to filter out the morphological contributions to acoustic backscatter. First, the residual supragrain-scale topographic effects in acoustic backscatter with small instantaneous insonified areas, caused by ambiguity in the local (beam-to-beam) bed-sonar geometry, are removed. Then, coherent scales between high-resolution topography and backscatter are identified using cospectra, which are used to design a frequency domain filter that decomposes backscatter into the (unwanted) high-pass component associated with bedform topography (ripples, dunes, and sand waves) and vegetation, and the (desired) low-frequency component associated with the composition of sediment patches superimposed on the topography. This process strengthens relationships between backscatter and sediment composition. A probabilistic framework is presented for classifying vegetated and unvegetated substrates based on acoustic backscatter at decimeter resolution. This capability is demonstrated using data collected from diverse settings within a 386 km reach of a canyon river whose bed varies among sand, gravel, cobbles, boulders, and submerged vegetation.

Response of bed surface patchiness to reductions in sediment supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Peter A.; Venditti, Jeremy G.; Dietrich, William E.; Kirchner, James W.; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Iseya, Fujiko; Sklar, Leonard S.

2009-06-01

River beds are often arranged into patches of similar grain size and sorting. Patches can be distinguished into "free patches," which are zones of sorted material that move freely, such as bed load sheets; "forced patches," which are areas of sorting forced by topographic controls; and "fixed patches" of bed material rendered immobile through localized coarsening that remain fairly persistent through time. Two sets of flume experiments (one using bimodal, sand-rich sediment and the other using unimodal, sand-free sediment) are used to explore how fixed and free patches respond to stepwise reductions in sediment supply. At high sediment supply, migrating bed load sheets formed even in unimodal, sand-free sediment, yet grain interactions visibly played a central role in their formation. In both sets of experiments, reductions in supply led to the development of fixed coarse patches, which expanded at the expense of finer, more mobile patches, narrowing the zone of active bed load transport and leading to the eventual disappearance of migrating bed load sheets. Reductions in sediment supply decreased the migration rate of bed load sheets and increased the spacing between successive sheets. One-dimensional morphodynamic models of river channel beds generally are not designed to capture the observed variability, but should be capable of capturing the time-averaged character of the channel. When applied to our experiments, a 1-D morphodynamic model (RTe-bookAgDegNormGravMixPW.xls) predicted the bed load flux well, but overpredicted slope changes and was unable to predict the substantial variability in bed load flux (and load grain size) because of the migration of mobile patches. Our results suggest that (1) the distribution of free and fixed patches is primarily a function of sediment supply, (2) the dynamics of bed load sheets are primarily scaled by sediment supply, (3) channels with reduced sediment supply may inherently be unable to transport sediment uniformly across their width, and (4) cross-stream variability in shear stress and grain size can produce potentially large errors in width-averaged sediment flux calculations.

Anaerobic/aerobic treatment of a petrochemical wastewater from two aromatic transformation processes by fluidized bed reactors.

PubMed

Estrada-Arriaga, Edson B; Ramirez-Camperos, Esperanza; Moeller-Chavez, Gabriela E; García-Sanchez, Liliana

2012-01-01

An integrated fluidized bed reactor (FBR) has been employed as the treatment for petrochemical industry wastewaters with high organic matter and aromatic compounds, under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. The system was operated at hydraulic residence time (HRT) of 2.7 and 2.2 h in the anaerobic and aerobic reactor, respectively. The degree of fluidization in the beds was 30%. This system showed a high performance on the removal of organic matter and aromatic compounds. At different organic loading rates (OLR), the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal in the anaerobic reactor was close to 85% and removals of the COD up to 94% were obtained in the aerobic reactor. High removals of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, styrene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene and naphthalene were achieved in this study.

Examining the generality of Tau_0/TKE for gravel and cobble beds with sand fill

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Turbulence measurements over rough beds are used for a variety of purposes, including studies of habitat diversity for aquatic organisms, stream restoration efforts, and assessment of drag induced by vegetation. Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) has been used to determine bed shear stress by use of a ...

Advanced development of immobilized enzyme reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolly, Clifford D.; Schussel, Leonard J.; Carter, Layne

1991-01-01

Fixed-bed reactors have been used at NASA-Marshall to purify wastewater generated by an end-use equipment facility, on the basis of a combination of multifiltration unibeds and enzyme unibeds. The enzyme beds were found to effectively remove such targeted organics as urea, alcohols, and aldehydes, down to levels lying below detection limits. The enzyme beds were also found to remove organic contaminants not specifically targeted.

Bubbling bed catalytic hydropyrolysis process utilizing larger catalyst particles and smaller biomass particles featuring an anti-slugging reactor

DOEpatents

Marker, Terry L; Felix, Larry G; Linck, Martin B; Roberts, Michael J

2014-09-23

This invention relates to a process for thermochemically transforming biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks into high quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels. In particular, a catalytic hydropyrolysis reactor, containing a deep bed of fluidized catalyst particles is utilized to accept particles of biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks that are significantly smaller than the particles of catalyst in the fluidized bed. The reactor features an insert or other structure disposed within the reactor vessel that inhibits slugging of the bed and thereby minimizes attrition of the catalyst. Within the bed, the biomass feedstock is converted into a vapor-phase product, containing hydrocarbon molecules and other process vapors, and an entrained solid char product, which is separated from the vapor stream after the vapor stream has been exhausted from the top of the reactor. When the product vapor stream is cooled to ambient temperatures, a significant proportion of the hydrocarbons in the product vapor stream can be recovered as a liquid stream of hydrophobic hydrocarbons, with properties consistent with those of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel. Separate streams of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel may also be obtained, either via selective condensation of each type of fuel, or via later distillation of the combined hydrocarbon liquid.

Bubbling bed catalytic hydropyrolysis process utilizinig larger catalyst particles and small biomass particles featuring an anti-slugging reactor

DOEpatents

Marker, Terry L.; Felix, Larry G.; Linck, Martin B.; Roberts, Michael J.

2016-12-06

This invention relates to a process for thermochemically transforming biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks into high quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels. In particular, a catalytic hydropyrolysis reactor, containing a deep bed of fluidized catalyst particles is utilized to accept particles of biomass or other oxygenated feedstocks that are significantly smaller than the particles of catalyst in the fluidized bed. The reactor features an insert or other structure disposed within the reactor vessel that inhibits slugging of the bed and thereby minimizes attrition of the catalyst. Within the bed, the biomass feedstock is converted into a vapor-phase product, containing hydrocarbon molecules and other process vapors, and an entrained solid char product, which is separated from the vapor stream after the vapor stream has been exhausted from the top of the reactor. When the product vapor stream is cooled to ambient temperatures, a significant proportion of the hydrocarbons in the product vapor stream can be recovered as a liquid stream of hydrophobic hydrocarbons, with properties consistent with those of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel. Separate streams of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel may also be obtained, either via selective condensation of each type of fuel, or via later distillation of the combined hydrocarbon liquid.

Hexagonal boron nitride catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor for exothermic propane oxidation dehydrogenation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tian, Jinshu; Lin, Jinhan; Xu, Mingliang

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) with high thermal conductivity is potentially an effective catalyst for highly exothermic propane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reaction. Here, we report our experimental and theoretic studies of such a catalyst for propane ODH in a fixed-bed reactor. Based on the computational fluid dynamics calculation (CFD) results, the catalyst bed temperature increases by less than 1°C in the h-BN catalyst bed which is much smaller than that (8°C) in the VO x/γ-Al 2O 3 catalyst bed at a similar propane conversion (25%) using a micro-tubular reactor with a diameter of 6 mm. Even in an industrially relevant reactormore » with an inner diameter of 60 mm, a uniform temperature profile can still be maintained using the h-BN catalyst bed due to its excellent thermal conductivity as opposed to a temperature gradient of 47°C in the VO x/γ-Al 2O 3 catalyst bed. The results reported here provide useful information for potential application of h-BN catalyst in propane ODH.« less

Hexagonal boron nitride catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor for exothermic propane oxidation dehydrogenation

DOE PAGES

Tian, Jinshu; Lin, Jinhan; Xu, Mingliang; ...

2018-04-17

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) with high thermal conductivity is potentially an effective catalyst for highly exothermic propane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reaction. Here, we report our experimental and theoretic studies of such a catalyst for propane ODH in a fixed-bed reactor. Based on the computational fluid dynamics calculation (CFD) results, the catalyst bed temperature increases by less than 1°C in the h-BN catalyst bed which is much smaller than that (8°C) in the VO x/γ-Al 2O 3 catalyst bed at a similar propane conversion (25%) using a micro-tubular reactor with a diameter of 6 mm. Even in an industrially relevant reactormore » with an inner diameter of 60 mm, a uniform temperature profile can still be maintained using the h-BN catalyst bed due to its excellent thermal conductivity as opposed to a temperature gradient of 47°C in the VO x/γ-Al 2O 3 catalyst bed. The results reported here provide useful information for potential application of h-BN catalyst in propane ODH.« less

Effect of finite container size on granular jet formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Kann, Stefan; Joubaud, Sylvain; Caballero-Robledo, Gabriel A.; Lohse, Detlef; van der Meer, Devaraj

2010-04-01

When an object is dropped into a bed of fine, loosely packed sand, a surprisingly energetic jet shoots out of the bed. In this work we study the effect that boundaries have on the granular jet formation. We did this by (i) decreasing the depth of the sand bed and (ii) reducing the container diameter to only a few ball diameters. These confinements change the behavior of the ball inside the bed, the void collapse, and the resulting jet height and shape. We map the parameter space of impact with Froude number, ambient pressure, and container dimensions as parameters. From these results we propose an explanation for the thick-thin structure of the jet reported by several groups ([J. R. Royer , Nat. Phys. 1, 164 (2005)], [G. Caballero , Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 018001 (2007)], and [J. O. Marston , Phys. Fluids 20, 023301 (2008)]).

Species removal from aqueous radioactive waste by deep-bed filtration.

PubMed

Dobre, Tănase; Zicman, Laura Ruxandra; Pârvulescu, Oana Cristina; Neacşu, Elena; Ciobanu, Cătălin; Drăgolici, Felicia Nicoleta

2018-05-26

Performances of aqueous suspension treatment by deep-bed sand filtration were experimentally studied and simulated. A semiempirical deterministic model and a stochastic model were used to predict the removal of clay particles (20 μm) from diluted suspensions. Model parameters, which were fitted based on experimental data, were linked by multiple linear correlations to the process factors, i.e., sand grain size (0.5 and 0.8 mm), bed depth (0.2 and 0.4 m), clay concentration in the feed suspension (1 and 2 kg p /m 3 ), suspension superficial velocity (0.015 and 0.020 m/s), and operating temperature (25 and 45 °C). These relationships were used to predict the bed radioactivity determined by the deposition of radioactive suspended particles (>50 nm) from low and medium level aqueous radioactive waste. A deterministic model based on mass balance, kinetic, and interface equilibrium equations was developed to predict the multicomponent sorption of 60 Co, 137 Cs, 241 Am, and 3 H radionuclides (0.1-0.3 nm). A removal of 98.7% of radioactive particles was attained by filtering a radioactive wastewater volume of 10 m 3 (0.5 mm sand grain size, 0.3 m bed depth, 0.223 kg p /m 3 suspended solid concentration in the feed suspension, 0.003 m/s suspension superficial velocity, and 25 °C operating temperature). Predicted results revealed that the bed radioactivity determined by the sorption of radionuclides (0.01 kBq/kg b ) was significantly lower than the bed radioactivities caused by the deposition of radioactive particles (0.5-1.8 kBq/kg b ). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors controlling the size and shape of stream channels in coarse noncohesive sands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolman, M. Gordon; Brush, Lucien M.

1961-01-01

The size and shape of equilibrium channels in uniform, noncohesive sands, 0.67 mm and 2.0 mm in diameter, were studied experimentally in a laboratory flume 52 feet long in which discharge, slope, sediment load, and bed and bank material could be varied independently. For each run a straight trapezoidal channel was molded in the sand and the flume set at a predetermined slope. Introduction of the discharge was accompanied by widening and aggradation until a stable channel was established. By definition a stable equilibrium existed when channel width, water surface slope, and rate of transport became constant. The duration of individual runs ranged from 2 to 52 hours depending upon the time required for establishing equilibrium. Stability of the banks determined channel shape. In the 2.0 mm sand at a given slope and discharge, only one depth was stable. At this depth the flow was just competent to move particles along the bed of the channel. An increase in discharge produced a wider channel of the same depth and thus transport per unit width remained at a minimum. Channels in the 0.67 mm sand were somewhat more stable and permitted a 1.5 fold increase in depth above that required to start movement of the bed material. An increased transport was associated with the increase in depth. The rate of transport is adequately described in terms of the total shear or in terms of the difference between the total shear and the critical shear required to begin movement. In these experiments the finer, or 0.67 mm, sand, began to move along the bed of the channel at a constant shear stress. Incipient movement of the coarser, or 2.0 mm, sand, varied with the shear stress as well as the mean velocity. At the initiation of movement a lower shear was associated with a higher velocity and vice versa. Anabranches of braided rivers and some natural river channels formed in relatively noncohesive materials resemble the essential characteristics of the flume channels. For a given slope and size of bed material the discharge per unit width in the laboratory channels was similar to that computed for anabranches and river channels measured in the field. Unlike most natural channels, despite impressive bank erosion, the channels in the laboratory only meandered at supercritical flows associated with very steep slopes. These conditions involving shallow depths, high velocity, and steep slopes are uncommon in most natural rivers.

Pheromonal Control of Metamorphosis in the Pacific Sand Dollar, Dendraster excentricus.

PubMed

Burke, R D

1984-07-27

Competent larvae are induced to undergo metamorphosis by sand from a sand dollar bed or an aqueous extract of the sand. Gel permeation chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography of the extract yielded a 980-dalton peptide that will induce metamorphosis between 10(-6) and 10(-5) molar. Extracts of whole adults and gonads were also able to induce metamorphosis, and adults can condition substrates to induce metamorphosis. Therefore, the initiation of metamorphosis in Dendraster excentricus is controlled by a pheromone released by adult sand dollars.

Treatment of semivolatile compounds in high strength wastes using an anaerobic expanded-bed GAC reactor

EPA Science Inventory

The potential of the anaerobic, expanded bed granular activated carbon (GAC) reactor in treating a high strength waste containing RCRA semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs) was studied. Six semivolatiles, orthochlorophenol, nitrobenzene, naphthalene, para-nitrophenol, lindane, a...

Observation and numerical modeling of tidal dune dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doré, Arnaud; Bonneton, Philippe; Marieu, Vincent; Garlan, Thierry

2018-05-01

Tidal sand dune dynamics is observed for two tidal cycles in the Arcachon tidal inlet, southwest France. An array of instruments is deployed to measure bathymetric and current variations along dune profiles. Based on the measurements, dune crest horizontal and vertical displacements are quantified and show important dynamics in phase with tidal currents. We observed superimposed ripples on the dune stoss side and front, migrating and changing polarity as tidal currents reverse. A 2D RANS numerical model is used to simulate the morphodynamic evolution of a flat non-cohesive sand bed submitted to a tidal current. The model reproduces the bed evolution until a field of sand bedforms is obtained that are comparable with observed superimposed ripples in terms of geometrical dimensions and dynamics. The model is then applied to simulate the dynamics of a field of large sand dunes of similar size as the dunes observed in situ. In both cases, simulation results compare well with measurements qualitatively and quantitatively. This research allows for a better understanding of tidal sand dune and superimposed ripple morphodynamics and opens new perspectives for the use of numerical models to predict their evolution.

Short communication: Dairy bedding type affects survival of Prototheca in vitro.

PubMed

Adhikari, N; Bonaiuto, H E; Lichtenwalner, A B

2013-01-01

Protothecae are algal pathogens, capable of causing bovine mastitis, that are unresponsive to treatment; they are believed to have an environmental reservoir. The role of bedding management in control of protothecal mastitis has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth of either environmental or mastitis-associated Prototheca genotypes in dairy bedding materials that are commonly used in Maine. Prototheca zopfii genotypes 1 and 2 (gt1 and gt2) were inoculated into sterile broth only (control ), kiln-dried spruce shavings, "green" hemlock sawdust, sand, or processed manure-pack beddings with broth, and incubated for 2 d. Fifty microliters of each isolate was then cultured onto plates and the resulting colonies counted at 24 and 48 h postinoculation. Shavings were associated with significantly less total Prototheca growth than other bedding types. Growth of P. zopfii gt1 was significantly higher than that of gt2 in the manure-pack bedding material. Spruce shavings, compared with manure, sand, or sawdust, may be a good bedding type to prevent growth of Prototheca. Based on these in vitro findings, bedding type may affect Prototheca infection of cattle in vivo. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation of Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactor/ Aerobic Moving Bed Bio Reactor (AFBR/MMBR) System for Treatment of Currant Wastewater

PubMed Central

JAFARI, Jalil; MESDAGHINIA, Alireza; NABIZADEH, Ramin; FARROKHI, Mehrdad; MAHVI, Amir Hossein

2013-01-01

Background: Anaerobic treatment methods are more suitable for the treatment of concentrated wastewater streams, offer lower operating costs, the production of usable biogas product. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of an Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactor (AFBR)-Aerobic Moving Bed Bio Reactor (MBBR) in series arrangement to treat Currant wastewater. Methods: The bed materials of AFBR were cylindrical particles made of PVC with a diameter of 2–2.3 mm, particle density of 1250 kg/m3. The volume of all bed materials was 1.7 liter which expanded to 2.46 liters in fluidized situation. In MBBR, support media was composed of 1.5 liters Bee-Cell 2000 having porosity of 87% and specific surface area of 650m2/m3. Results: When system operated at 35 ºC, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies were achieved to 98% and 81.6% for organic loading rates (OLR) of 9.4 and 24.2 g COD/l.d, and hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 48 and 18 h, in average COD concentration feeding of 18.4 g/l, respectively. Conclusion: The contribution of AFBR in total COD removal efficiency at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 9.4 g COD/l.d was 95%, and gradually decreased to 76.5% in OLR of 24.2 g COD/l.d. Also with increasing in organic loading rate the contribution of aerobic reactor in removing COD gradually decreased. In this system, the anaerobic reactor played the most important role in the removal of COD, and the aerobic MBBR was actually needed to polish the anaerobic treated wastewater. PMID:26056640

Circulating moving bed system for CO.sub.2 separation, and method of same

DOEpatents

Elliott, Jeannine Elizabeth; Copeland, Robert James

2016-12-27

A circulating moving bed and process for separating a carbon dioxide from a gas stream is disclosed. The circulating moving bed can include an adsorption reactor and a desorption reactor, and a sorbent that moves through the two reactors. The sorbent can enter the adsorptive reactor and one end and move to an exit point distal to its entry point, while a CO.sub.2 feed stream can enter near the distal point and move countercurrently through the sorbent to exit at a position near the entry point of the sorbent. The sorbent can adsorb the CO.sub.2 by concentration swing adsorption and adsorptive displacement. The sorbent can then transfer to a regeneration reactor and can move countercurrently against a flow of steam through the regeneration reactor. The sorbent can be regenerated and the carbon dioxide recaptured by desorbing the carbon dioxide from the sorbent using concentration swing desorption and desorptive displacement with steam.

Steam reforming of heptane in a fluidized bed membrane reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakib, Mohammad A.; Grace, John R.; Lim, C. Jim; Elnashaie, Said S. E. H.

n-Heptane served as a model compound to study steam reforming of naphtha as an alternative feedstock to natural gas for production of pure hydrogen in a fluidized bed membrane reactor. Selective removal of hydrogen using Pd 77Ag 23 membrane panels shifted the equilibrium-limited reactions to greater conversion of the hydrocarbons and lower yields of methane, an intermediate product. Experiments were conducted with no membranes, with one membrane panel, and with six panels along the height of the reactor to understand the performance improvement due to hydrogen removal in a reactor where catalyst particles were fluidized. Results indicate that a fluidized bed membrane reactor (FBMR) can provide a compact reformer for pure hydrogen production from a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock at moderate temperatures (475-550 °C). Under the experimental conditions investigated, the maximum achieved yield of pure hydrogen was 14.7 moles of pure hydrogen per mole of heptane fed.

Aeolian Sand Transport with Collisional Suspension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, James T.; Pasini, Jose Miguel; Valance, Alexandre

2004-01-01

Aeolian transport is an important mechanism for the transport of sand on Earth and on Mars. Dust and sand storms are common occurrences on Mars and windblown sand is responsible for many of the observed surface features, such as dune fields. A better understanding of Aeolian transport could also lead to improvements in pneumatic conveying of materials to be mined for life support on the surface of the Moon and Mars. The usual view of aeolian sand transport is that for mild winds, saltation is the dominant mechanism, with particles in the bed being dislodged by the impact of other saltating particles, but without in-flight collisions. As the wind becomes stronger, turbulent suspension keeps the particles in the air, allowing much longer trajectories, with the corresponding increase in transport rate. We show here that an important regime exists between these two extremes: for strong winds, but before turbulent suspension becomes dominant, there is a regime in which in-flight collisions dominate over turbulence as a suspension mechanism, yielding transport rates much higher than those for saltation. The theory presented is based on granular kinetic theory, and includes both turbulent suspension and particle-particle collisions. The wind strengths for which the calculated transport rates are relevant are beyond the published strengths of current wind tunnel experiments, so these theoretical results are an invitation to do experiments in the strong-wind regime. In order to make a connection between the regime of saltation and the regime of collisional suspension, it is necessary to better understand the interaction between the bed and the particles that collide with it. This interaction depends on the agitation of the particles of the bed. In mild winds, collisions with the bed are relatively infrequent and the local disturbance associated with a collision can relax before the next nearby collision. However, as the wind speed increases, collision become more frequent and the agitation need not decay completely. In the regime of collisional suspension, the particles near the surface of the bed are assumed to be in a state of constant agitation. We indicate the conditions at the bed corresponding to the limits of saltation and collisional suspension and outline experiments, simulations, and modeling that have been undertaken to bridge these limits.

Effect of Bedding Material on Performance, Health, and Hide Contamination of Calves Reared in Hutches

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dairy calf hutches are often bedded with straw (STR), but sand (SND) and wood shavings (SHV) are becoming more common. This study compared 3 different beddings for growth and health of calves and microbial presence on their hides. Hutches were blocked by location and each of 3 hutches in a block w...

Treatment of Copper Contaminated Municipal Wastewater by Using UASB Reactor and Sand-Chemically Carbonized Rubber Wood Sawdust Column

PubMed Central

Biswas, Swarup; Mishra, Umesh

2016-01-01

The performance of a laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and its posttreatment unit of sand-chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust (CCRWSD) column system for the treatment of a metal contaminated municipal wastewater was investigated. Copper ion contaminated municipal wastewater was introduced to a laboratory scale UASB reactor and the effluent from UASB reactor was then followed by treatment with sand-CCRWSD column system. The laboratory scale UASB reactor and column system were observed for a period of 121 days. After the posttreatment column the average removal of monitoring parameters such as copper ion concentration (91.37%), biochemical oxygen demand (BODT) (93.98%), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (95.59%), total suspended solid (TSS) (95.98%), ammonia (80.68%), nitrite (79.71%), nitrate (71.16%), phosphorous (44.77%), total coliform (TC) (99.9%), and fecal coliform (FC) (99.9%) was measured. The characterization of the chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust was done by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray fluorescence spectrum (XRF), and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Overall the system was found to be an efficient and economical process for the treatment of copper contaminated municipal wastewater. PMID:26904681

Treatment of Copper Contaminated Municipal Wastewater by Using UASB Reactor and Sand-Chemically Carbonized Rubber Wood Sawdust Column.

PubMed

Biswas, Swarup; Mishra, Umesh

2016-01-01

The performance of a laboratory scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and its posttreatment unit of sand-chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust (CCRWSD) column system for the treatment of a metal contaminated municipal wastewater was investigated. Copper ion contaminated municipal wastewater was introduced to a laboratory scale UASB reactor and the effluent from UASB reactor was then followed by treatment with sand-CCRWSD column system. The laboratory scale UASB reactor and column system were observed for a period of 121 days. After the posttreatment column the average removal of monitoring parameters such as copper ion concentration (91.37%), biochemical oxygen demand (BODT) (93.98%), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (95.59%), total suspended solid (TSS) (95.98%), ammonia (80.68%), nitrite (79.71%), nitrate (71.16%), phosphorous (44.77%), total coliform (TC) (99.9%), and fecal coliform (FC) (99.9%) was measured. The characterization of the chemically carbonized rubber wood sawdust was done by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray fluorescence spectrum (XRF), and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Overall the system was found to be an efficient and economical process for the treatment of copper contaminated municipal wastewater.

Pd-Ag Membrane Coupled to a Two-Zone Fluidized Bed Reactor (TZFBR) for Propane Dehydrogenation on a Pt-Sn/MgAl2O4 Catalyst

PubMed Central

Medrano, José-Antonio; Julián, Ignacio; Herguido, Javier; Menéndez, Miguel

2013-01-01

Several reactor configurations have been tested for catalytic propane dehydrogenation employing Pt-Sn/MgAl2O4 as a catalyst. Pd-Ag alloy membranes coupled to the multifunctional Two-Zone Fluidized Bed Reactor (TZFBR) provide an improvement in propane conversion by hydrogen removal from the reaction bed through the inorganic membrane in addition to in situ catalyst regeneration. Twofold process intensification is thereby achieved when compared to the use of traditional fluidized bed reactors (FBR), where coke formation and thermodynamic equilibrium represent important process limitations. Experiments were carried out at 500–575 °C and with catalyst mass to molar flow of fed propane ratios between 15.1 and 35.2 g min mmol−1, employing three different reactor configurations: FBR, TZFBR and TZFBR + Membrane (TZFBR + MB). The results in the FBR showed catalyst deactivation, which was faster at high temperatures. In contrast, by employing the TZFBR with the optimum regenerative agent flow (diluted oxygen), the process activity was sustained throughout the time on stream. The TZFBR + MB showed promising results in catalytic propane dehydrogenation, displacing the reaction towards higher propylene production and giving the best results among the different reactor configurations studied. Furthermore, the results obtained in this study were better than those reported on conventional reactors. PMID:24958620

Full scale fluidized bed anaerobic reactor for domestic wastewater treatment: performance, sludge production and biofilm.

PubMed

Mendonça, N M; Niciura, C L; Gianotti, E P; Campos, J R

2004-01-01

This paper describes the performance, sludge production and biofilm characteristics of a full scale fluidized bed anaerobic reactor (32 m3) for domestic wastewater treatment. The reactor was operated with 10.5 m x h(-1) upflow velocity, 3.2 h hydraulic retention time, and recirculation ratio of 0.85 and it presented removal efficiencies of 71+/-8% of COD and 77+/-14% of TSS. During the apparent steady-state period, specific sludge production and sludge age in the reactor were (0.116+/-0.033) kgVSS. kgCOD(-1) and (12+/-5)d, respectively. Biofilm formed in the reactor presented two different patterns: one of them at the beginning of the colonization and the other of mature biofilm. These different colonization patterns are due to bed stratification in the reactor, caused by the difference in local-energy dissipation rates along the reactor's height, and density, shape, etc. of the bioparticles. The biofilm population is formed mainly of syntrophic consortia among sulfate reducing bacteria, methanogenic archaea such as Methanobacterium and Methanosaeta-like cells.

TREATMENT OF VOCS IN HIGH STRENGTH WASTES USING AN ANAEROBIC EXPANDED-BED GAS REACTOR

EPA Science Inventory

The potential of the expanded-bed granular activated carbon (GAC) anaerobic reactor in treating a high strength waste containing RCRA volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was studied. A total of six VOCs, methylene chloride, chlorobenzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, toluene ...

ANAEROBIC/AEROBIC BIODEGRADATION OF PENTACHLOROPHENOL USING GAC FLUIDIXED BED REACTORS: OPTIMIZATION OF THE EMPTY BED CONTACT TIME

EPA Science Inventory

An integrated reactor system has been developed to remediate pentachlorophenol (PCP) containing wastes using sequential anaerobic and aerobic biodegradation. Anaerobically, PCP was degraded to approximately equimolar concentrations (>99%) of chlorophenol (CP) in a granular activa...

1. View looking east from sand bar on west side ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. View looking east from sand bar on west side of bridge, upstream in the bed of Sugar Creek. West elevation of the bridge - Vigo County Bridge No. 139, Spanning Sugar Creek at Seventy-fourth Place, Terre Haute, Vigo County, IN

Aeolian sedimentation in the middle buntsandstein in the eifel north-south depression zone: Summary of the variability of sedimentary processes in a buntsandstein erg as a base for evaluation of the mutual relationships between aeolian sand seas and fluvial river systems in the mid-european buntsandstein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mader, Detlef

The spectrum of aeolian depositional subenvironments in the upper Middle Buntsandstein Karlstal-Schichten sequence in the Eifel North-South-zone at the western margin of the Mid-European Triassic Basin comprises trains of larger and higher narrowly-spaced dunes in sand seas, isolated smaller and lower widely-spaced dunes in floodplains and interdune playas, dry interdune sheet sands, damp interdune adhesive sandflats, wet interdune playa lakes, rainfall runoff watercourses and ephemeral channels cutting through the dune belt, and deflation gravel lag veneers. Distinction of aeolian and fluvial sediments within the succession of closely intertonguing wind- and water-laid deposits is possible by independent analysis of the conventional criteria and the more modern stratification styles. Thick cross-bedded aeolian sand sequences originate as barchanoid-type dunes which accumulate and migrate in the regime of narrow to wide unimodal southeasterly to southwesterly trade winds in low northern palaeolatitude in summer when the intertropical convergence zone is shifted to the north. The predominantly transverse-ridge dunes accrete mainly by grainfall and subcritical climbing of wind ripples, subordinately also by grainflow interfingering with grainfall. Horizontal-laminated aeolian sands form as sand sheets in dry interdune playas by subcritical migration of wind ripple trains, rarely also by plane bed accretion. Thin cross-bedded dune sands or horizontal-laminated aeolian sands capping fluvial cyclothems originate by deflation of emerged alluvial bar sands during low-water stages and subsequent accumulation of the winnowed sand as widely-spaced dunelets or chains of wind ripples in desiccated parts of the adjoining floodplain. The aeolian sand layers at the base of lacustrine cyclothems record migration of isolated little dunes across the dry playa floor at the beginning of a wetting-upwards cyclothem, with the sand deriving from deflation of fluvial incursions or representing residual sand not having been incorporated into larger dunes of the surrounding sand sea. Damp interdune deposits originate by trapping of loose sand that is blown across a moist playa surface as adhesion ripples and warts. The adhesion structures form both in aeolian sheet sand environments with increasing moisture of the substrate and on fluvial channel bars and stream bottoms with declining dampness during subaerial exposure. Wet interdune deposits originate by settling of suspension fines in periodic shallow lakes between the dunes following heavy ephemeral rainfall or forming by rising ground water table, and by aquatic redeposition of aeolian sand due to washout after atmospheric precipitation and alluvial invasion. Deflationary interdune deposits form by winnowing of the sandy matrix from fluvial sheet or bar conglomerates thereby leaving the dispersed gravel as more or less tightly-packed residual veneer on the degradation surface providing bed armour against further aeolian or aquatic erosion. Aeolian deposition is at the top of the Middle Buntsandstein rather rapidly terminated by fluvial inundation of the erg, erosion and partial resedimentation of dune sands and burial of the more or less degraded aeolian bedforms under a carpet of alluvial deposits. At the beginning of the Upper Buntsandstein, a change to semi-arid climate results in stabilization of emerging overbank plains and channels by palaeosol formation and plant growth thus completely inhibiting further accumulation of aeolian sands. The range of modes of origin of dune sands and interdune deposits, the spatial and temporal variability of their accumulation and preservation and the distribution of water-laid intercalations provide a base for independent evaluation of the dynamics of the aeolian system and its controls as well as for comparative assessment of the behaviour of the aeolian environment and the fluvial milieu in a system of intertonguing sand sea and river belt and of the mechanisms triggering and governing the interference pattern.

Bioremoval of trivalent chromium using Bacillus biofilms through continuous flow reactor.

PubMed

Sundar, K; Sadiq, I Mohammed; Mukherjee, Amitava; Chandrasekaran, N

2011-11-30

Present study deals with the applicability of bacterial biofilms for the bioremoval of trivalent chromium from tannery effluents. A continuous flow reactor was designed for the development of biofilms on different substrates like glass beads, pebbles and coarse sand. The parameters for the continuous flow reactor were 20 ml/min flow rate at 30°C, pH4. Biofilm biomass on the substrates was in the following sequence: coarse sand>pebbles>glass beads (4.8 × 10(7), 4.5 × 10(7) and 3.5 × 10(5)CFU/cm(2)), which was confirmed by CLSM. Biofilms developed using consortium of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus on coarse sand had more surface area and was able to remove 98% of Cr(III), SEM-EDX proved 92.60% Cr(III) adsorption on biofilms supported by coarse sand. Utilization of Bacillus biofilms for effective bioremoval of Cr(III) from chrome tanning effluent could be a better option for tannery industry, especially during post chrome tanning operation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Subtle evidence for paleoseismicity in the cratonic interior, U.S. A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobson, W. Z.; Cowan, C. A.; Runkel, A. C.

2009-12-01

Intrastratal deformation features in Cambrian-Ordovician boundary strata in southeastern Minnesota, U.S.A., may be evidence for mid-continent paleoseismicity. Deformation features are present tens of kilometers east of the Midcontinent Rift zone, and include sand blows, water escape, and convolute lamination, as well as more subtle structures indicative of sand-on-sand density contrasts. The stratigraphic interval of interest is the uppermost Jordan Formation (Furongian), a very fine- to coarse-grained quartzose sandstone, and the basal Oneota Formation (Tremadocian), a heterolithic sandstone and dolostone that grades upward into bedded dolostone. Along the Jordan-Oneota boundary, deformation features are extensive, and the result of sand liquefaction and fluidization. Upward migration of excess pore water was obstructed in places by shale drapes that locally ruptured, causing sand to be injected into overlying beds. Movement of sand in this manner created voids that were filled by a chaotic mixture of sand, shale, and pebbles that collapsed from above. Where upwardly percolating water was not confined by shale, intrastratal flow produced water escape pillars. Other deformation features are present up to ~3 m below the Jordan-Oneota boundary, in well-sorted, pure quartzose sandstone. These features are inconspicuous because of the uniform texture and minerology of the sediment, and some were previously interpreted as synsedimentary phenomena. These features are common along foreset boundaries in large-scale (>3 m) cross-strata, and include cm-scale digitate interfaces (interfingering) and in situ rounded forms interpreted as sand-on-sand boudinage. They formed from density contrasts between individual foresets within the cross-bedded sand. The top of the lower foreset was less dense but more viscous than the base of the succeeding foreset. Such contrasts were the result of subtle packing and grain size differences formed during the avalanche process during dune migration. We interpret the trigger for deformation, however, to be a post-depositional (post-Oneota) event because of the association of these subtle features with the more obvious liquefaction features in the immediately overlying boundary strata (and the increased intensity of deformation along foresets upward toward the boundary). Although these features cannot be unambiguously attributed to a paleoseismic event, some other common possibilities can be eliminated, including slumping and loading by sediment, tides, and storm waves. These intrastratal deformation features are documented in one outcrop in southeastern Minnesota. The subtlety of some of these features suggests that similar features may have been overlooked in nearby outcrops. Indeed, we are now revisiting unusual features in some localities that we previously interpreted as synsedimentary phenomena. Seismites may be difficult to generate, and to recognize, in quartoze sandstones of the mid-continent due to the lack of significantly thick clay beds to serve as permeability barriers, and the homogenous textural and mineralogical attributes of these units.

Design and fabrication of a fixed-bed batch type pyrolysis reactor for pilot scale pyrolytic oil production in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, Mohammad Abdul; Al-khulaidi, Rami Ali; Rashid, MM; Islam, M. R.; Rashid, MAN

2017-03-01

In this research, a development and performance test of a fixed-bed batch type pyrolysis reactor for pilot scale pyrolysis oil production was successfully completed. The characteristics of the pyrolysis oil were compared to other experimental results. A solid horizontal condenser, a burner for furnace heating and a reactor shield were designed. Due to the pilot scale pyrolytic oil production encountered numerous problems during the plant’s operation. This fixed-bed batch type pyrolysis reactor method will demonstrate the energy saving concept of solid waste tire by creating energy stability. From this experiment, product yields (wt. %) for liquid or pyrolytic oil were 49%, char 38.3 % and pyrolytic gas 12.7% with an operation running time of 185 minutes.

Enhanced biodegradation of methylhydrazine and hydrazine contaminated NASA wastewater in fixed-film bioreactor.

PubMed

Nwankwoala, A U; Egiebor, N O; Nyavor, K

2001-01-01

The aerobic biodegradation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wastewater that contains mixtures of highly concentrated methylhydrazine/hydrazine, citric acid and their reaction product was studied on a laboratory-scale fixed film trickle-bed reactor. The degrading organisms, Achromobacter sp., Rhodococcus B30 and Rhodococcus J10, were immobilized on coarse sand grains used as support-media in the columns. Under continuous flow operation, Rhodococcus sp. degraded the methylhydrazine content of the wastewater from a concentration of 10 to 2.5 mg/mL within 12 days and the hydrazine from approximately 0.8 to 0.1 mg/mL in 7 days. The Achromobacter sp. was equally efficient in degrading the organics present in the wastewater, reducing the concentration of the methylhydrazine from 10 to approximately 5 mg/mL within 12 days and that of the hydrazine from approximately 0.8 to 0.2 mg/mL in 7 days. The pseudo first-order rate constants of 0.137 day(-1) and 0.232 day(-1) were obtained for the removal of methylhydrazine and hydrazine, respectively, in wastewater in the reactor column. In the batch cultures, rate constants for the degradation were 0.046 and 0.079 day(-1) for methylhydrazine and hydrazine respectively. These results demonstrate that the continuous flow bioreactor afford greater degradation efficiencies than those obtained when the wastewater was incubated with the microbes in growth-limited batch experiments. They also show that wastewater containing hydrazine is more amenable to microbial degradation than one that is predominant in methylhydrazine, in spite of the longer lag period observed for hydrazine containing wastewater. The influence of substrate concentration and recycle rate on the degradation efficiency is reported. The major advantages of the trickle-bed reactor over the batch system include very high substrate volumetric rate of turnover, higher rates of degradation and tolerance of the 100% concentrated NASA wastewater. The results of the present laboratory scale study will be of great importance in the design and operation of an industrial immobilized biofilm reactor for the treatment of methylhydrazine and hydrazine contaminated NASA wastewater.

Fluvial responses to the Weichselian ice sheet advances and retreats: implications for understanding river paleohydrology and pattern changes in Central Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weckwerth, Piotr

2018-06-01

The evolution of the fluvial systems during the Weichselian Pleniglacial in the Toruń Basin (Central Poland) was investigated through sedimentological investigation and paleohydraulic analysis. Within the basin, three fluvial cycles deposited after successive phases of the ice advance which took place 50, 28 and 20 ka ago. Successions of four fluvial lithotypes characterize each fluvial formation, that are related to the paleoenvironmental changes (e.g., climate instability and changes in the river regime) which affected the channel hydraulics and morphology. The successions comprise river-style metamorphosis between high-energy sand-bed meandering rivers (lithotype M1), high-energy sand-bed braided rivers (lithotype B1), and medium-energy sand-bed braided rivers with either unit bars (lithotype B2) or compound bars (lithotype B3) reflects the maturity stage of sand-bed-braided river evolution in the basin. The assessment of the fluvial sedimentary environments enabled the construction of a quantitative model of the changes in the river channel pattern in relation to the climate oscillation. Both the paleohydrological controls and their sedimentary consequences are discussed in the article. Lithotypes M1 and B1 represent riverbed modeled under supercritical flow condition. Deposition of lithotype B2 corresponded to the river channel pattern transformation and was manifested by decreasing flow velocity (energy losses associated with bedform roughness and with the transportation of coarser particles). The flow velocity was generally greater in rivers of lithotype B3 and energy of sedimentary environment was more stable than during the deposition of lithotype B2.

Evaluation of Selected Chemical Processes for Production of Low-cost Silicon, Phase 3. [using a fluidized bed reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blocher, J. M., Jr.; Browning, M. F.

1979-01-01

The construction and operation of an experimental process system development unit (EPSDU) for the production of granular semiconductor grade silicon by the zinc vapor reduction of silicon tetrachloride in a fluidized bed of seed particles is presented. The construction of the process development unit (PDU) is reported. The PDU consists of four critical units of the EPSDU: the fluidized bed reactor, the reactor by product condenser, the zinc vaporizer, and the electrolytic cell. An experimental wetted wall condenser and its operation are described. Procedures are established for safe handling of SiCl4 leaks and spills from the EPSDU and PDU.

Microbial shaping of sedimentary wrinkle structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariotti, G.; Pruss, S. B.; Perron, J. T.; Bosak, T.

2014-10-01

Wrinkle structures on sandy bed surfaces were present in some of the earliest sedimentary environments, but are rare in modern environments. These enigmatic millimetre- to centimetre-scale ridges or pits are particularly common in sediments that harbour trace fossils and imprints of early animals, and appeared in the aftermath of some large mass extinctions. Wrinkle structures have been interpreted as possible remnants of microbial mats, but the formation mechanism and associated palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological implications of these structures remain debated. Here we show that microbial aggregates can form wrinkle structures on a bed of bare sand in wave tank experiments. Waves with a small orbital amplitude at the bed surface do not move sand grains directly. However, they move millimetre-size, light microbial fragments and thereby produce linear sand ridges and rounded scour pits at the wavelengths observed in nature within hours. We conclude that wrinkle structures are morphological biosignatures that form at the sediment-water interface in wave-dominated environments, and not beneath microbial mats as previously thought. During early animal evolution, grazing by eukaryotic organisms may have temporarily increased the abundance of microbial fragments and thus the production of wrinkle structures.

Sediment Transport on Continental Shelves: Storm Bed Formation and Preservation in Heterogeneous Sediments

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

occurred during the Cretaceous period. The simulated storm bed for such an extratropical cyclone that lasts 4 days was deposited as deep as 75 m and had...Int. Assoc. Sedimentol. Spec. Publ. (2012) 44, 295-310 Sediment transport on continental shelves: storm bed formation and preservation in...xDept. of Earth Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada ABSTRACT Many storm beds are constructed of silt/sand

Method and apparatus for chemically altering fluids in continuous flow

DOEpatents

Heath, W.O.; Virden, J.W. Jr.; Richardson, R.L.; Bergsman, T.M.

1993-10-19

The present invention relates to a continuous flow fluid reactor for chemically altering fluids. The reactor operates on standard frequency (50 to 60 Hz) electricity. The fluid reactor contains particles that are energized by the electricity to form a corona throughout the volume of the reactor and subsequently a non-equilibrium plasma that interacts with the fluid. Particles may form a fixed bed or a fluid bed. Electricity may be provided through electrodes or through an inductive coil. Fluids include gases containing exhaust products and organic fuels requiring oxidation. 4 figures.

Method and apparatus for chemically altering fluids in continuous flow

DOEpatents

Heath, William O.; Virden, Jr., Judson W.; Richardson, R. L.; Bergsman, Theresa M.

1993-01-01

The present invention relates to a continuous flow fluid reactor for chemically altering fluids. The reactor operates on standard frequency (50 to 60 Hz) electricity. The fluid reactor contains particles that are energized by the electricity to form a corona throughout the volume of the reactor and subsequently a non-equilibrium plasma that interacts with the fluid. Particles may form a fixed bed or a fluid bed. Electricity may be provided through electrodes or through an inductive coil. Fluids include gases containing exhaust products and organic fuels requiring oxidation.

Home Sewage Disposal. Special Circular 212.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wooding, N. Henry

This circular provides current information for homeowners who must repair or replace existing on-lot sewage disposal systems. Site requirements, characteristics and preparation are outlined for a variety of alternatives such as elevated sand mounds, sand-lined beds and trenches, and oversized absorption area. Diagrams indicating construction…

24. Left side view of equipment used to clean and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

24. Left side view of equipment used to clean and wash sand prior to reuse on the sand filter bed. - Lake Whitney Water Filtration Plant, Filtration Plant, South side of Armory Street between Edgehill Road & Whitney Avenue, Hamden, New Haven County, CT

23. Right side view of equipment used to clean and ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

23. Right side view of equipment used to clean and wash sand prior to reuse on the sand filter bed. - Lake Whitney Water Filtration Plant, Filtration Plant, South side of Armory Street between Edgehill Road & Whitney Avenue, Hamden, New Haven County, CT

Potential for downward leakage to the Floridan Aquifer, Green Swamp area, central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grubb, H.F.

1977-01-01

A qualitative evaluation of the potential for downward leakage from the surficial sand aquifer to the underlying Floridan aquifer was made for the Green Swamp area (about 870 sq mi) in central Florida. Downward leakage, or recharge, is limited under natural conditions owing to the nearness to land surface of the potentiometric surface of both the sand aquifer and the underlying Floridan aquifer. Continuous cores of the unconsolidated section were obtained at 74 sites in the study area and were evaluated for downward leakage potential based on grain-size distribution. Sand percentage was estimated for each interval or bed from microscopic examination of the core samples. The four maps prepared from this data show sand thickness, clay thickness, relative vertical hydraulic conductivity of the confining beds and the relative potential for downward leakage. About 20 percent (178 sq mi) of the area classified has a relatively good potential for downward leakage; almost 50 percent of the area has a relatively poor potential. (Woodard-USGS)

Short-term impact of deep sand extraction and ecosystem-based landscaping on macrozoobenthos and sediment characteristics.

PubMed

de Jong, Maarten F; Baptist, Martin J; Lindeboom, Han J; Hoekstra, Piet

2015-08-15

We studied short-term changes in macrozoobenthos in a 20m deep borrow pit. A boxcorer was used to sample macrobenthic infauna and a bottom sledge was used to sample macrobenthic epifauna. Sediment characteristics were determined from the boxcore samples, bed shear stress and near-bed salinity were estimated with a hydrodynamic model. Two years after the cessation of sand extraction, macrozoobenthic biomass increased fivefold in the deepest areas. Species composition changed significantly and white furrow shell (Abra alba) became abundant. Several sediment characteristics also changed significantly in the deepest parts. Macrozoobenthic species composition and biomass significantly correlated with time after cessation of sand extraction, sediment and hydrographical characteristics. Ecosystem-based landscaped sand bars were found to be effective in influencing sediment characteristics and macrozoobenthic assemblage. Significant changes in epifauna occurred in deepest parts in 2012 which coincided with the highest sedimentation rate. We recommend continuing monitoring to investigate medium and long-term impacts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scaling of Sediment Dynamics in a Reach-Scale Laboratory Model of a Sand-Bed Stream with Riparian Vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorrick, S.; Rodriguez, J. F.

2011-12-01

A movable bed physical model was designed in a laboratory flume to simulate both bed and suspended load transport in a mildly sinuous sand-bed stream. Model simulations investigated the impact of different vegetation arrangements along the outer bank to evaluate rehabilitation options. Preserving similitude in the 1:16 laboratory model was very important. In this presentation the scaling approach, as well as the successes and challenges of the strategy are outlined. Firstly a near-bankfull flow event was chosen for laboratory simulation. In nature, bankfull events at the field site deposit new in-channel features but cause only small amounts of bank erosion. Thus the fixed banks in the model were not a drastic simplification. Next, and as in other studies, the flow velocity and turbulence measurements were collected in separate fixed bed experiments. The scaling of flow in these experiments was simply maintained by matching the Froude number and roughness levels. The subsequent movable bed experiments were then conducted under similar hydrodynamic conditions. In nature, the sand-bed stream is fairly typical; in high flows most sediment transport occurs in suspension and migrating dunes cover the bed. To achieve similar dynamics in the model equivalent values of the dimensionless bed shear stress and the particle Reynolds number were important. Close values of the two dimensionless numbers were achieved with lightweight sediments (R=0.3) including coal and apricot pips with a particle size distribution similar to that of the field site. Overall the moveable bed experiments were able to replicate the dominant sediment dynamics present in the stream during a bankfull flow and yielded relevant information for the analysis of the effects of riparian vegetation. There was a potential conflict in the strategy, in that grain roughness was exaggerated with respect to nature. The advantage of this strategy is that although grain roughness is exaggerated, the similarity of bedforms and resulting drag can return similar levels of roughness to those in the field site.

Replicating the microbial community and water quality performance of full-scale slow sand filters in laboratory-scale filters.

PubMed

Haig, Sarah-Jane; Quince, Christopher; Davies, Robert L; Dorea, Caetano C; Collins, Gavin

2014-09-15

Previous laboratory-scale studies to characterise the functional microbial ecology of slow sand filters have suffered from methodological limitations that could compromise their relevance to full-scale systems. Therefore, to ascertain if laboratory-scale slow sand filters (L-SSFs) can replicate the microbial community and water quality production of industrially operated full-scale slow sand filters (I-SSFs), eight cylindrical L-SSFs were constructed and were used to treat water from the same source as the I-SSFs. Half of the L-SSFs sand beds were composed of sterilized sand (sterile) from the industrial filters and the other half with sand taken directly from the same industrial filter (non-sterile). All filters were operated for 10 weeks, with the microbial community and water quality parameters sampled and analysed weekly. To characterize the microbial community phyla-specific qPCR assays and 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were used in conjunction with an array of statistical techniques. The results demonstrate that it is possible to mimic both the water quality production and the structure of the microbial community of full-scale filters in the laboratory - at all levels of taxonomic classification except OTU - thus allowing comparison of LSSF experiments with full-scale units. Further, it was found that the sand type composing the filter bed (non-sterile or sterile), the water quality produced, the age of the filters and the depth of sand samples were all significant factors in explaining observed differences in the structure of the microbial consortia. This study is the first to the authors' knowledge that demonstrates that scaled-down slow sand filters can accurately reproduce the water quality and microbial consortia of full-scale slow sand filters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Depositional environments of some Pleistocene coastal terrace deposits, southwestern Oregon - case history of progradational beach and dune sequence.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunter, R.E.

1980-01-01

These deposits comprise a basal gravelly unit and 3 overlying sandy units, each with mud beds, a paleosol, or the modern soil in its uppermost part. The gravelly unit is interpreted as a progradational deposit. The main parts of the sandy units are made up of 1) a crossbedded sand facies, the dominant structure in which is medium-scale crossbedding (interpreted as the product of small eolian dunes), and 2) an irregularly bedded sand facies, which is locally pebbly and is dominated by scour-and-fill structures, interpreted as deposits of interdune ephemeral streams, ephemeral ponds, and wet to dry subaerial flats. The mud beds and paleosols represent times of temporary stabilization of the dune field.- from Author

Methane production by attached film

DOEpatents

Jewell, William J.

1981-01-01

A method for purifying wastewater of biodegradable organics by converting the organics to methane and carbon dioxide gases is disclosed, characterized by the use of an anaerobic attached film expanded bed reactor for the reaction process. Dilute organic waste material is initially seeded with a heterogeneous anaerobic bacteria population including a methane-producing bacteria. The seeded organic waste material is introduced into the bottom of the expanded bed reactor which includes a particulate support media coated with a polysaccharide film. A low-velocity upward flow of the organic waste material is established through the bed during which the attached bacterial film reacts with the organic material to produce methane and carbon dioxide gases, purified water, and a small amount of residual effluent material. The residual effluent material is filtered by the film as it flows upwardly through the reactor bed. In a preferred embodiment, partially treated effluent material is recycled from the top of the bed to the bottom of the bed for further treatment. The methane and carbon dioxide gases are then separated from the residual effluent material and purified water.

Effect of Bedding Material on Flies, and Behavior and Innate Immunity of Calves Reared in Hutches

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dairy calf hutches are often bedded with straw (STR), but sand (SND) and wood shavings (SHV) are becoming more common. The objective was to compare 3 beddings for presence of flies and measures of innate immunity and behavior of calves. Hutches were blocked by location and each of 3 hutches in a blo...

Effect of Bedding Material on Flies, and Behavior and Innate Immunity of Calves Reared in Hutches.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dairy calf hutches are often bedded with straw (STR), but sand (SND) and wood shavings (SHV) are becoming more common. The objective was to compare 3 beddings for presence of flies and measures of innate immunity and behavior of calves. Hutches were blocked by location and each of 3 hutches in a blo...

Removal of total suspended solids from wastewater in constructed horizontal flow subsurface wetlands.

PubMed

Manios, T; Stentiford, E I; Millner, P

2003-06-01

Subsurface horizontal flow experimental wetlands (reed beds), were designed and built based on a combination of two design methodologies, that of the WRc and Severn Trent Water plc (1996) and that of the USA, EPA (1988). Four different growing media were used with a combination of top soil, gravel, river sand, and mature sewage sludge compost, to determine the best substrate for total suspended solids (TSS) removal. Eight units were constructed, two for each growing media. One bed for each pair was planted with Typha latifolia plants commonly known as cattails. Primary treated domestic wastewater, was continuously fed to the beds for more than six months. All eight beds performed very well. The best performance was achieved by the gravel reed beds with an almost constant removal rate above 95% and an average effluent concentration of less than 10 mg/L. Soil based beds containing top soil and sand, managed to reach values of removal around 90%. The wetlands containing compost in their substrate, produced an effluent with average concentration of less than 30 mg/L and a percentage removal between 80% and 90%. As expected, there was no significant difference in the performance of planted and unplanted wetlands.

Reactor for fluidized bed silane decomposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iya, Sridhar K. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

An improved heated fluidized bed reactor and method for the production of high purity polycrystalline silicon by silane pyrolysis wherein silicon seed particles are heated in an upper heating zone of the reactor and admixed with particles in a lower zone, in which zone a silane-containing gas stream, having passed through a lower cooled gas distribution zone not conducive to silane pyrolysis, contacts the heated seed particles whereon the silane is heterogeneously reduced to silicon.

Periodic jökulhlaups from Pleistocene glacial Lake Missoula-New evidence from varved sediment in northern Idaho and Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waitt, Richard B.

1984-01-01

Newly examined exposures in northern Idaho and Washington show that catastrophic floods from glacial Lake Missoula during late Wisconsin time were repeated, brief jökulhlaups separated by decades of quiet glaciolacustrine and subaerial conditions. Glacial Priest Lake, dammed in the Priest River valley by a tongue of the Purcell trench lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet, generally accumulated varved mud; the varved mud is sharply interrupted by 14 sand beds deposited by upvalley-running currents. The sand beds are texturally and structurally similar to slackwater sediment in valleys in southern Washington that were backflooded by outbursts from glacial Lake Missoula. Beds of varved mud also accumulated in glacial Lake Spokane (or Columbia?) in Latah Creek valley and elsewhere in northeastern Washington; the mud beds were disrupted, in places violently, during emplacement of each of 16 or more thick flood-gravel beds. This history corroborates evidence from southern Washington that only one graded bed is deposited per flood, refuting a conventional idea that many beds accumulated per flood. The total number of such floodlaid beds in stratigraphic succession near Spokane is at least 28. The mud beds between most of the floodlaid beds in these valleys each consist of between 20 and 55 silt-to-clay varves. Lacustrine environments in northern Idaho and Washington therefore persisted for two to six decades between regularly recurring, colossal floods from glacial Lake Missoula.

Preliminary Safeguards Assessment for the Pebble-Bed Fluoride High-Temperature Reactor (PB-FHR) Concept

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Disser, Jay; Arthur, Edward; Lambert, Janine

2016-09-01

This report examines a preliminary design for a pebble bed fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor (PB-FHR) concept, assessing it from an international safeguards perspective. Safeguards features are defined, in a preliminary fashion, and suggestions are made for addressing further nuclear materials accountancy needs.

APPARATUS FOR SHORT TIME MEASUREMENTS IN A FIXED-BED, GAS/SOLID REACTOR

EPA Science Inventory

An apparatus for exposure of a solid to reactive process gas is described which makes possible short time (≥ 0.3 to 15 s) exposures in a fixed-bed reactor. Operating conditions for differential reaction with respect to the gas concentration and rapid quench for arresting hi...

ANALYSIS OF AN AEROBIC FLUIDIZED BED REACTOR DEGRADING MTBE AND BTEX AT REDUCED EBCTS

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biodegradation of MTBE and BTEX using a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) with granular activated carbon (GAC) as a biological attachment medium. Batch experiments were run to analyze the MTBE and TBA degradation kinetics of the culture ...

Brief notes on habitat geology and clay pipe habitat on Stellwagen Bank

USGS Publications Warehouse

Valentine, Page C.; Dorsey, Eleanor M.; Pederson, Judith

1998-01-01

In our studies of sea floor habitats, my colleagues and I use both biological and geological approaches. We call our studies “habitat geology,” a term coined by a biologist friend of mine. We view it as the study of sea floor materials and biological and geological processes that influence where species live. Some of the factors that we consider are the following:composition of the sea bed, which ranges from mud to sand, gravel, bedrock, and shell beds;shape and steepness of the bottom;roughness of the bottom, which is enhanced by the presence of cobbles, boulders, sand waves and ripples, burrows into the bottom, and species that extend above the bottom;bottom currents generated by storm waves and tides, which can move sediment and expose or cover habitats; andthe way in which the sea bed is utilized by species.In addition, we take into account the impact of sea bed disturbance by bottom fishing trawls and dredges. Habitats characterized by attached and burrowing species that protrude above the sea bed appear to be most vulnerable to disturbance.

Coastal evidence for Holocene subduction-zone earthquakes and tsunamis in central Chile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dure, Tina; Cisternas, Marco; Horton, Benjamin; Ely, Lisa; Nelson, Alan R.; Wesson, Robert L.; Pilarczyk, Jessica

2015-01-01

The ∼500-year historical record of seismicity along the central Chile coast (30–34°S) is characterized by a series of ∼M 8.0–8.5 earthquakes followed by low tsunamis (<4 m) occurring on the megathrust about every 80 years. One exception is the AD 1730 great earthquake (M 9.0–9.5) and high tsunami (>10 m), but the frequency of such large events is unknown. We extend the seismic history of central Chile through a study of a lowland stratigraphic sequence along the metropolitan coast north of Valparaíso (33°S). At this site, higher relative sea level during the mid Holocene created a tidal marsh and the accommodation space necessary for sediment that preserves earthquake and tsunami evidence. Within this 2600-yr-long sequence, we traced six laterally continuous sand beds probably deposited by high tsunamis. Plant remains that underlie the sand beds were radiocarbon dated to 6200, 5600, 5000, 4400, 3800, and 3700 cal yr BP. Sediment properties and diatom assemblages of the sand beds—for example, anomalous marine planktonic diatoms and upward fining of silt-sized diatom valves—point to a marine sediment source and high-energy deposition. Grain-size analysis shows a strong similarity between inferred tsunami deposits and modern coastal sediment. Upward fining sequences characteristic of suspension deposition are present in five of the six sand beds. Despite the lack of significant lithologic changes between the sedimentary units under- and overlying tsunami deposits, we infer that the increase in freshwater siliceous microfossils in overlying units records coseismic uplift concurrent with the deposition of five of the sand beds. During our mid-Holocene window of evidence preservation, the mean recurrence interval of earthquakes and tsunamis is ∼500 years. Our findings imply that the frequency of historical earthquakes in central Chile is not representative of the greatest earthquakes and tsunamis that the central Chilean subduction zone has produced.

Effects of porous media preparation on bacteria transport through laboratory columns.

PubMed

Brown, Derick G; Stencel, Joseph R; Jaffé, Peter R

2002-01-01

Bacterial and colloid transport experiments related to environmental systems are typically performed in the laboratory, with sand often used as the porous media. In order to prepare the sand, mechanical sieving is frequently used to tighten the sand grain size distribution. However, mechanical sieving has been reported to provide insufficient repeatability between identical colloidal transport experiments. This work examined the deficiencies of mechanical sieving with respect to bacterial transport through sand columns. It was found that sieving with standard brass sieves (1) contaminates the sand with copper and zinc as a linear function of sieving time and (2) inefficiently sizes sand grains below 300 microm (the largest size examined in this study) due to rapid clogging of the sieves. A procedure was developed that allows utilization of brass sieves for sizing the sand grains and removes the metal contamination introduced from the sieves. Bacterial transport experiments utilizing this column preparation procedure gave repeatable breakthrough curves. Further examination of the effects of these treatments on bacterial transport showed interesting results. First, it was found that the metal contamination did not affect the clean-bed bacterial transport. Second. it was found that variations of the column flushing procedure did not alter the clean-bed breakthrough of the bacteria, but did alter the inter-particle blocking. Finally, it was found that the shape of the sand grains (oblong vs. rounded) significantly alters the bacterial transport. with the transport being dominated by the smallest dimension of the oblong grains.

Heterogeneous decomposition of silane in a fixed bed reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iya, S. K.; Flagella, R. N.; Dipaolo, F. S.

1982-01-01

Heterogeneous decomposition of silane in a fluidized bed offers an attractive route for the low-cost production of silicon for photovoltaic application. To obtain design data for a fluid bed silane pyrolysis reactor, deposition experiments were conducted in a small-scale fixed bed apparatus. Data on the decomposition mode, plating rate, and deposition morphology were obtained in the temperature range 600-900 C. Conditions favorable for heterogeneous decomposition with good deposition morphology were identified. The kinetic rate data showed the reaction to be first order with an activation energy of 38.8 kcal/mol, which agrees well with work done by others. The results are promising for the development of an economically attractive fluid bed process.

Desulfurizing Coal With an Alkali Treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravindram, M.; Kalvinskas, J. J.

1987-01-01

Experimental coal-desulfurization process uses alkalies and steam in fluidized-bed reactor. With highly volatile, high-sulfur bituminous coal, process removed 98 percent of pyritic sulfur and 47 percent of organic sulfur. Used in coal liquefaction and in production of clean solid fuels and synthetic liquid fuels. Nitrogen or steam flows through bed of coal in reactor. Alkalies react with sulfur, removing it from coal. Nitrogen flow fluidizes bed while heating or cooling; steam is fluidizing medium during reaction.

Lagrangian Approach to Study Catalytic Fluidized Bed Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madi, Hossein; Hossein Madi Team; Marcelo Kaufman Rechulski Collaboration; Christian Ludwig Collaboration; Tilman Schildhauer Collaboration

2013-03-01

Lagrangian approach of fluidized bed reactors is a method, which simulates the movement of catalyst particles (caused by the fluidization) by changing the gas composition around them. Application of such an investigation is in the analysis of the state of catalysts and surface reactions under quasi-operando conditions. The hydrodynamics of catalyst particles within a fluidized bed reactor was studied to improve a Lagrangian approach. A fluidized bed methanation employed in the production of Synthetic Natural Gas from wood was chosen as the case study. The Lagrangian perspective was modified and improved to include different particle circulation patterns, which were investigated through this study. Experiments were designed to evaluate the concepts of the model. The results indicate that the setup is able to perform the designed experiments and a good agreement between the simulation and the experimental results were observed. It has been shown that fluidized bed reactors, as opposed to fixed beds, can be used to avoid the deactivation of the methanation catalyst due to carbon deposits. Carbon deposition on the catalysts tested with the Lagrangian approach was investigated by temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) analysis of ex-situ catalyst samples. This investigation was done to identify the effects of particles velocity and their circulation patterns on the amount and type of deposited carbon on the catalyst surface. Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne(EPFL), Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)

Comparison between several reactors with Trametes versicolor immobilized on lignocellulosic support for the continuous treatments of hospital wastewater.

PubMed

Torán, J; Blánquez, P; Caminal, G

2017-11-01

Hospital wastewater is a major source of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), which are not all removed in conventional wastewater treatment plants. White rot fungi can degrade PhACs, but their application has been limited to non-sterile conditions due to the competition with other microorganisms for growth. In this study, immobilization of Trametes versicolor on different lignocellulosic supports was studied as strategy to ensure fungal survival under continuous treatment conditions. A fluidized bed reactor and a trickling packed-bed reactor with T. versicolor immobilized on pallet wood were employed for the removal of ibuprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen. Best results were obtained with the trickling packed-bed reactor, which operated for 49days with high removal values in real hospital wastewater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large river bed sediment characterization with low-cost sidecan sonar: Case studies from two setting in the Colorado (Arizona) and Penobscot (Maine) Rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buscombe, Daniel D.; Grams, Paul E.; Melis, Theodore S.; Smith, Sean

2015-01-01

Here we discuss considerations in the use of sidescan sonar for riverbed sediment classification using examples from two large rivers, the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona and the Upper Penobscot River in northern Maine (Figure 3). These case studies represent two fluvial systems that differ in recent history, physiography, sediment transport, and fluvial morphologies. The bed of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is predominantly graveled with extensive mats of submerged vegetation, and ephemeral surficial sand deposits exist below major tributaries. The bed is imaged periodically to assess the importance of substrate type and variability on rainbow trout spawning and juvenile rearing habitats and controls on aquatic invertebrate population dynamics. The Colorado River bed further below the dam in Grand Canyon National Park is highly dynamic. Tributary inputs of sand, gravel and boulders are spatially variable, and hydraulics of individual pools and eddies vary considerably in space and in response to varying dam operations, including experimental controlled flood releases to rebuild eroding sandbars. The bed encompasses the full range of noncohesive sediments, deposited in complicated spatial patterns. The mobile portion of the Penobscot River is generally more uniform, and consists predominantly of embedded gravels interspersed between bedrock outcrops with small isolated sand patches in sections with modest or low gradients. Patches of large cobbles, boulders and bedrock outcrops are present in the lower reaches of the river near locations of two recent dam removal projects but are of limited extent below the "head of tide" on the river. Aggregations of coarse materials often correspond to locations with abrupt bed elevation drops in the Upper Penobscot River.

Development and performance of an alternative biofilter system.

PubMed

Lee, D H; Lau, A K; Pinder, K L

2001-01-01

Step tracer tests were carried out on lab-scale biofilters to determine the residence time distributions (RTDs) of gases passing through two types of biofilters: a standard biofilter with vertical gas flow and a modified biofilter with horizontal gas flow. Results were used to define the flow patterns in the reactors. "Non-ideal flow" indicates that the flow reactors did not behave like either type of ideal reactor: the perfectly stirred reactor [often called a "continuously stirred tank reactor" (CSTR)] or the plug-flow reactor. The horizontal biofilter with back-mixing was able to accommodate a shorter residence time without the usual requirement of greater biofilter surface area for increased biofiltration efficiency. Experimental results indicated that the first bed of the modified biofilter behaved like two CSTRs in series, while the second bed may be represented by two or three CSTRs in series. Because of the flow baffles used in the horizontal biofilter system, its performance was more similar to completely mixed systems, and hence, it could not be modeled as a plug-flow reactor. For the standard biofilter, the number of CSTRs was found to be between 2 and 9 depending on the airflow rate. In terms of NH3 removal efficiency and elimination capacity, the standard biofilter was not as good as the modified system; moreover, the second bed of the modified biofilter exhibited greater removal efficiency than the first bed. The elimination rate increased as biofilter load increased. An opposite trend was exhibited with respect to removal efficiency.

Sewage plume in a sand and gravel aquifer, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeBlanc, D.R.

1982-01-01

Secondarily treated domestic sewage has been disposed of to a sand and gravel aquifer by infiltration through sand beds at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, since 1936. The disposal has formed a plume of contaminated ground water that is more than 11 ,000 feet long, is 2,500 to 3,500 feet wide and 75 feet thick, and is overlain by 20 to 50 feet of uncontaminated ground water derived from precipitation. The distributions of specific conductance, temperature, boron chloride, sodium, phosphorus, nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, and detergents are used to delineate the plume. The center of the plume contains up to 2.6 milligrams per liter detergents as MBAS (methylene blue active substances), 0.4 milligram per liter boron, 20 milligrams per liter ammonia-nitrogen, and specific conductance as high as 405 micromhos per centimeter. Corresponding levels in uncontaminated ground water are less than 0.1 milligram per liter detergents, less than 0.1 ammonia-nitrogen, less than 0.05 milligram per liter boron, and less than 80 micromhos per centimeter specific conductance. Chloride, sodium, and boron concentrations seem to be affected only by hydrodynamic dispersion. Phosphorus movement is greatly retarded by sorption. Detergent concentrations exceed 0.5 milligram per liter from 3 ,000 to 10,000 feet from the sand beds and reflect the use of nonbiodegradable detergents from 1946 through 1964. The center of the plume as far as 5,000 feet from the sand beds contains nitrogen as ammonia, no nitrate, and no dissolved oxygen. Ammonia is oxidized to nitrate gradually with distance from the center of the plume. (USGS)

Waste tyre pyrolysis: modelling of a moving bed reactor.

PubMed

Aylón, E; Fernández-Colino, A; Murillo, R; Grasa, G; Navarro, M V; García, T; Mastral, A M

2010-12-01

This paper describes the development of a new model for waste tyre pyrolysis in a moving bed reactor. This model comprises three different sub-models: a kinetic sub-model that predicts solid conversion in terms of reaction time and temperature, a heat transfer sub-model that calculates the temperature profile inside the particle and the energy flux from the surroundings to the tyre particles and, finally, a hydrodynamic model that predicts the solid flow pattern inside the reactor. These three sub-models have been integrated in order to develop a comprehensive reactor model. Experimental results were obtained in a continuous moving bed reactor and used to validate model predictions, with good approximation achieved between the experimental and simulated results. In addition, a parametric study of the model was carried out, which showed that tyre particle heating is clearly faster than average particle residence time inside the reactor. Therefore, this fast particle heating together with fast reaction kinetics enables total solid conversion to be achieved in this system in accordance with the predictive model. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bacterial counts on teat skin and in new sand, recycled sand, and recycled manure solids used as bedding in freestalls.

PubMed

Rowbotham, R F; Ruegg, P L

2016-08-01

On modern dairy farms, environmental mastitis pathogens are usually the predominant cause of mastitis, and bedding often serves as a point of exposure to these organisms. The objective of this longitudinal study was to determine bacterial populations of 4 different bedding types [deep-bedded new sand (NES), deep-bedded recycled sand (RS), deep-bedded manure solids (DBMS), and shallow-bedded manure solids over foam core mattresses (SBMS)] and of teat skin swabs of primarily primiparous cows housed in a single facility over all 4 seasons. Samples of bedding were collected weekly (n=49wk) from pens that each contained 32 lactating dairy cows. Throughout the length of the same period, composite swabs of teat skin were collected weekly from all cows before and after premilking teat sanitation. Median numbers of streptococci and streptococci-like organisms (SSLO) were >8.6×10(6) cfu/g and >6.9×10(3) cfu/teat swab for all bedding types and teat swabs, respectively. Numbers of SSLO were greatest in samples of SBMS (2.1×10(8) cfu/g) and least in samples of NES (8.6×10(6) cfu/g), RS (1.3×10(7) cfu/g), and DBMS (1.7×10(7) cfu/g). Numbers of gram-negative bacteria in bedding (5.5×10(4) to 1.2×10(7) cfu/g) were fewer than numbers of SSLO (8.6×10(6) to 2.1×10(8) cfu/g). Numbers of coliform bacteria were greatest in samples of DBMS (2.2×10(6) cfu/g) and least in samples of NES (3.6×10(3) cfu/g). In general, the relative number of bacteria on teat skin corresponded to exposure in bedding. Numbers of gram-negative bacteria recovered from prepreparation teat swabs were greatest for cows bedded with DBMS (1.0×10(4) cfu/swab) and RS (2.5×10(3) cfu/swab) and least for cows bedded with NES (5.8×10(2) cfu/swab). Median numbers of coliform and Klebsiella spp. recovered from prepreparation teat swabs were below the limit of detection for all cows except those bedded with DBMS. Numbers of SSLO recovered from prepreparation teat swabs were least for cows bedded with DBMS (6.9×10(3) cfu/swab) and greatest for cows bedded with RS (5.1×10(4) cfu/swab) or SBMS (1.6×10(5) cfu/swab). The numbers of all types of measured bacteria (total gram-negative, coliforms, Klebsiella spp., SSLO) on postpreparation teat swabs were reduced by up to 2.6 logs from numbers of bacteria on prepreparation swabs, verifying effective preparation procedures. Significant correlations between bacterial counts of bedding samples and teat skin swabs were observed for several types of bacteria. As compared with other bedding types, the least amount of gram-negative bacteria were recovered from NES and may indicate that cows on NES have a reduced risk of exposure to pathogens that are typically a cause of clinical mastitis. In contrast, exposure to large numbers of SSLO was consistent across all bedding types and may indicate that risk of subclinical mastitis typically associated with streptococci is not as influenced by bedding type; however, significantly greater numbers of SSLO were found in SBMS than in other bedding types. These findings indicate that use of different bedding types results in exposure to different distributions of mastitis pathogens that may alter the proportion of etiologies of clinical mastitis, although the incidence rate of clinical mastitis did not differ among bedding types. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Rapid startup and nitrogen removal characteristic of anaerobic ammonium oxidation reactor in packed bed biofilm reactor with suspended carrier].

PubMed

Chen, Sheng; Sun, De-zhi; Yu, Guang-lu

2010-03-01

Packed bed biofilm reactor with suspended carrier was used to cultivate ANAMMOX bacteria with sludge inoculums from WWTP secondary settler. The startup of ANAMMOX reactor was comparatively studied using high nitrogen loading method and low nitrogen loading method with aerobically biofilmed on the carrier, and the nitrogen removal characteristic was further investigated. The results showed that the reactor could be started up successfully within 90 days using low nitrogen loading method, the removal efficiencies of ammonium and nitrite were nearly 100% and the TN removal efficiencywas over 75% , however, the high nitrogen loading method was proved unsuccessfully for startup of ANAMMOX reactor probably because of the inhibition effect of high concentration of ammonium and nitrite. The pH value of effluent was slightly higher than the influent and the pH value can be used as an indicator for the process of ANAMMOX reaction. The packed bed ANAMMOX reactor with suspended carrier showed good characteristics of high nitrogen loading and high removal efficiency, 100% of removal efficiency could be achieved when the influent ammonium and nitrite concentration was lower than 800 mg/L.

A computational investigation of the interstitial flow induced by a variably thick blanket of very fine sand covering a coarse sand bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartzke, Gerhard; Huhn, Katrin; Bryan, Karin R.

2017-10-01

Blanketed sediment beds can have different bed mobility characteristics relative to those of beds composed of uniform grain-size distribution. Most of the processes that affect bed mobility act in the direct vicinity of the bed or even within the bed itself. To simulate the general conditions of analogue experiments, a high-resolution three-dimensional numerical `flume tank' model was developed using a coupled finite difference method flow model and a discrete element method particle model. The method was applied to investigate the physical processes within blanketed sediment beds under the influence of varying flow velocities. Four suites of simulations, in which a matrix of uniform large grains (600 μm) was blanketed by variably thick layers of small particles (80 μm; blanket layer thickness approx. 80, 350, 500 and 700 μm), were carried out. All beds were subjected to five predefined flow velocities ( U 1-5=10-30 cm/s). The fluid profiles, relative particle distances and porosity changes within the bed were determined for each configuration. The data show that, as the thickness of the blanket layer increases, increasingly more small particles accumulate in the indentations between the larger particles closest to the surface. This results in decreased porosity and reduced flow into the bed. In addition, with increasing blanket layer thickness, an increasingly larger number of smaller particles are forced into the pore spaces between the larger particles, causing further reduction in porosity. This ultimately causes the interstitial flow, which would normally allow entrainment of particles in the deeper parts of the bed, to decrease to such an extent that the bed is stabilized.

Size distribution of Amazon River bed sediment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nordin, C.F.; Meade, R.H.; Curtis, W.F.; Bosio, N.J.; Landim, P.M.B.

1980-01-01

The first recorded observations of bed material of the Amazon River were made in 1843 by Lt William Lewis Herndon of the US Navy, when he travelled the river from its headwaters to its mouth, sounding its depths, and noting the nature of particles caught in a heavy grease smeared to the bottom of his sounding weight1. He reported the bed material of the river to be mostly sand and fine gravel. Oltman and Ames took samples at a few locations in 1963 and 1964, and reported the bed material at O??bidos, Brazil, to be fine sands, with median diameters ranging from 0.15 to 0.25 mm (ref. 2). We present here a summary of particle-size analyses of samples of streambed material collected from the Amazon River and its major tributaries along a reach of the river from Iquitos in Peru, ???3,500 km above Macapa?? Brazil, to a point 220 km above Macapa??3. ?? 1980 Nature Publishing Group.

FERRET-SAND II physics-dosimetry analysis for N Reactor Pressure Tubes 2954, 3053 and 1165 using a WIMS calculated input spectrum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McElroy, W.N.; Kellogg, L.S.; Matsumoto, W.Y.

1988-05-01

This report is in response to a request from Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) that the PNL National Dosimetry Center (NDC) perform physics-dosimetry analyses (E > MeV) for N Reactor Pressure Tubes 2954 and 3053. As a result of these analyses, and recommendations for additional studies, two physics-dosimetry re-evaluations for Pressure Tube 1165 were also accomplished. The primary objective of Pacific Northwest Laboratories' (PNL) National Dosimetry Center (NDC) physics-dosimetry work for N Reactor was to provide FERRET-SAND II physics-dosimetry results to assist in the assessment of neutron radiation-induced changes in the physical and mechanical properties of N Reactor pressure tubes. 15more » refs., 6 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Flow and sand transport over an immobile gravel bed.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many dams in the USA and elsewhere have exceeded their design life and are being considered for remediation or removal, which will result in the reintroduction of fine sediments, often into coarse grained armored substrates, downstream of dams. The deposition of sand in the interstices of the grave...

Sand fly control in Kenya with residual pesticide application on HESCO barriers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

US military operations in hot-arid regions still face significant impacts from mosquito and sand fly vectors of diseases. Personal protective measures (PPM) such as DEET or treated bed nets and clothing can reduce contact with disease vectors and nuisance insects; however, irregular use of PPM coupl...

Synthesis of Geraniol Esters in a Continuous-Flow Packed-Bed Reactor of Immobilized Lipase: Optimization of Process Parameters and Kinetic Modeling.

PubMed

Salvi, Harshada M; Kamble, Manoj P; Yadav, Ganapati D

2018-02-01

With increasing demand for perfumes, flavors, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, the various associated industries are resorting to different approaches to enhance yields of desired compounds. The use of fixed-bed biocatalytic reactors in some of the processes for making fine chemicals will be of great value because the reaction times could be reduced substantially as well as high conversion and yields obtained. In the current study, a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor of immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozym 435) was employed for synthesis of various geraniol esters. Optimization of process parameters such as biocatalyst screening, effect of solvent, mole ratio, temperature and acyl donors was studied in a continuous-flow packed-bed reactor. Maximum conversion of ~ 87% of geranyl propionate was achieved in 15 min residence time at 70 °C using geraniol and propionic acid with a 1:1 mol ratio. Novozym 435 was found to be the most active and stable biocatalyst among all tested. Ternary complex mechanism with propionic acid inhibition was found to fit the data.

Experimental and Computational Study of Multiphase Flow Hydrodynamics in 2D Trickle Bed Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadeem, H.; Ben Salem, I.; Kurnia, J. C.; Rabbani, S.; Shamim, T.; Sassi, M.

2014-12-01

Trickle bed reactors are largely used in the refining processes. Co-current heavy oil and hydrogen gas flow downward on catalytic particle bed. Fine particles in the heavy oil and/or soot formed by the exothermic catalytic reactions deposit on the bed and clog the flow channels. This work is funded by the refining company of Abu Dhabi and aims at mitigating pressure buildup due to fine deposition in the TBR. In this work, we focus on meso-scale experimental and computational investigations of the interplay between flow regimes and the various parameters that affect them. A 2D experimental apparatus has been built to investigate the flow regimes with an average pore diameter close to the values encountered in trickle beds. A parametric study is done for the development of flow regimes and the transition between them when the geometry and arrangement of the particles within the porous medium are varied. Liquid and gas flow velocities have also been varied to capture the different flow regimes. Real time images of the multiphase flow are captured using a high speed camera, which were then used to characterize the transition between the different flow regimes. A diffused light source was used behind the 2D Trickle Bed Reactor to enhance visualizations. Experimental data shows very good agreement with the published literature. The computational study focuses on the hydrodynamics of multiphase flow and to identify the flow regime developed inside TBRs using the ANSYS Fluent Software package. Multiphase flow inside TBRs is investigated using the "discrete particle" approach together with Volume of Fluid (VoF) multiphase flow modeling. The effect of the bed particle diameter, spacing, and arrangement are presented that may be used to provide guidelines for designing trickle bed reactors.

Characteristics of ash and particle emissions during bubbling fluidised bed combustion of three types of residual forest biomass.

PubMed

Ribeiro, João Peres; Vicente, Estela Domingos; Alves, Célia; Querol, Xavier; Amato, Fulvio; Tarelho, Luís A C

2017-04-01

Combustion of residual forest biomass (RFB) derived from eucalypt (Eucalyptus globulus), pine (Pinus pinaster) and golden wattle (Acacia longifolia) was evaluated in a pilot-scale bubbling fluidised bed reactor (BFBR). During the combustion experiments, monitoring of temperature, pressure and exhaust gas composition has been made. Ash samples were collected at several locations along the furnace and flue gas treatment devices (cyclone and bag filter) after each combustion experiment and were analysed for their unburnt carbon content and chemical composition. Total suspended particles (TSP) in the combustion flue gas were evaluated at the inlet and outlet of cyclone and baghouse filter and further analysed for organic and elemental carbon, carbonates and 57 chemical elements. High particulate matter collection efficiencies in the range of 94-99% were observed for the baghouse, while removal rates of only 1.4-17% were registered for the cyclone. Due to the sand bed, Si was the major element in bottom ashes. Fly ashes, in particular those from eucalypt combustion, were especially rich in CaO, followed by relevant amounts of SiO 2 , MgO and K 2 O. Ash characteristics varied among experiments, showing that their inorganic composition strongly depends on both the biomass composition and combustion conditions. Inorganic constituents accounted for TSP mass fractions up to 40 wt%. Elemental carbon, organic matter and carbonates contributed to TSP mass fractions in the ranges 0.58-44%, 0.79-78% and 0.01-1.7%, respectively.

Coastal dune facies, Permian Cutler Formation (White Rim Sandstone), Capitol Reef National Park area, southern Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamola, Diane L.; Chan, Marjorie A.

1988-04-01

The Permian Cutler Formation (White Rim Sandstone) in the Capitol Reef National Park area in southern Utah is an excellent example of a coastal dune complex subjected to periodic flooding by marine waters. Wind-ripple, grainfall and grainflow laminae compose the cross-sets deposited by eolian dunes. However, wave-reworked structures such as oscillation ripples, the occurrence of the characteristically marine trace fossils Thalassinoides and Chondrites, and interfingering marine carbonate beds of the Kaibab Formation collectively indicate marine interaction with the eolian environment. Four facies are distinguished: cross-stratified sandstone, burrowed to bioturbated sandstone, brecciated and deformed sandstone, and ripple-laminated sandstone and thin carbonate beds. One unusual aspect of the cross-stratified sandstone facies is the abundance of coarse-grained sand. Coarse-grained sand is atypical in many ancient eolian slipface deposits, but occurs here in large slipface foresets as both grainflow and wind-ripple deposits. No water-laid structures are found in these slipface deposits. Coarse-grained sand was probably transported to the Cutler shoreline by fluvial systems draining the Uncompahgre Uplift to the east, and then concentrated as coarse-grained ripples in interdune areas. Some of these coarse-grained ripples migrated up the stoss side of the dunes and accumulations of coarse-grained sand avalanched down the crest to form grainflow deposits. An extensive amount of soft-sediment deformation is indicated by the presence of convolute bedding and brecciation. These features occur near the zone of interfingering with marine carbonate beds of the Kaibab Formation. The water-saturated and moist conditions required for extensive deformation may have been controlled by the proximity of these sandstones to the shoreline, and fluctuations in the associated groundwater table.

Combined use of thermal methods and seepage meters to efficiently locate, quantify, and monitor focused groundwater discharge to a sand-bed stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenberry, Donald O.; Briggs, Martin A.; Delin, Geoffrey N.; Hare, Danielle K.

2016-01-01

Quantifying flow of groundwater through streambeds often is difficult due to the complexity of aquifer-scale heterogeneity combined with local-scale hyporheic exchange. We used fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS), seepage meters, and vertical temperature profiling to locate, quantify, and monitor areas of focused groundwater discharge in a geomorphically simple sand-bed stream. This combined approach allowed us to rapidly focus efforts at locations where prodigious amounts of groundwater discharged to the Quashnet River on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, northeastern USA. FO-DTS detected numerous anomalously cold reaches one to several m long that persisted over two summers. Seepage meters positioned upstream, within, and downstream of 7 anomalously cold reaches indicated that rapid groundwater discharge occurred precisely where the bed was cold; median upward seepage was nearly 5 times faster than seepage measured in streambed areas not identified as cold. Vertical temperature profilers deployed next to 8 seepage meters provided diurnal-signal-based seepage estimates that compared remarkably well with seepage-meter values. Regression slope and R2 values both were near 1 for seepage ranging from 0.05 to 3.0 m d−1. Temperature-based seepage model accuracy was improved with thermal diffusivity determined locally from diurnal signals. Similar calculations provided values for streambed sediment scour and deposition at subdaily resolution. Seepage was strongly heterogeneous even along a sand-bed river that flows over a relatively uniform sand and fine-gravel aquifer. FO-DTS was an efficient method for detecting areas of rapid groundwater discharge, even in a strongly gaining river, that can then be quantified over time with inexpensive streambed thermal methods.

Pellet bed reactor for nuclear propelled vehicles: Part 2: Missions and vehicle integration trades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haloulakos, V. E.

1991-01-01

Mission and vehicle integration tradeoffs involving the use of the pellet bed reactor (PBR) for nuclear powered vehicles is discussed, with much of the information being given in viewgraph form. Information is given on propellant tank geometries, shield weight requirements for conventional tank configurations, effective specific impulse, radiation mapping, radiation dose rate after shutdown, space transfer vehicle design data, a Mars mission summary, sample pellet bed nuclear orbit transfer vehicle mass breakdown, and payload fraction vs. velocity increment.

Plume persistence caused by back diffusion from thin clay layers in a sand aquifer following TCE source-zone hydraulic isolation.

PubMed

Parker, Beth L; Chapman, Steven W; Guilbeault, Martin A

2008-11-14

This paper concludes that back diffusion from one or a few thin clayey beds in a sand aquifer can cause contaminant persistence above MCLs in a sand aquifer long after the source zone initially causing the plume is isolated or removed. This conclusion is based on an intensive case study of a TCE contaminated site in Florida, with the processes evaluated using numerical modeling. At this site, the TCE DNAPL zone formed decades ago, and was hydraulically isolated by means of an innovative system performing groundwater extraction, treatment and re-injection. Treated water is re-injected in a row of injection wells situated a short distance downgradient of the extraction wells, creating a clean-water displacement front to efficiently flush the downgradient plume. This scheme avoids the creation of stagnation zones typical of most groundwater pump-and-treat systems, thereby minimizing the time for aquifer flushing and therefore downgradient cleanup. The system began operation in August 2002 and although the performance monitoring shows substantial declines in concentrations, detectable levels of TCE and degradation products persist downgradient of the re-injection wells, long after the TCE should have disappeared based on calculations assuming a nearly homogenous sand aquifer. Three hypotheses were assessed for this plume persistence: 1) incomplete source-zone capture, 2) DNAPL occurrence downgradient of the re-injection wells, and 3) back diffusion from one or more thin clay beds in the aquifer. After careful consideration, the first two hypotheses were eliminated, leaving back diffusion as the only plausible hypothesis, supported by detailed measurements of VOC concentrations within and near the clay beds and also by numerical model simulations that closely represent the field site hydrogeologic conditions. The model was also used to simulate a more generalized, hypothetical situation where more thin clayey beds occur in a sand aquifer with an underlying aquitard. While there is no doubt that DNAPL source mass reduction can eventually improve downgradient groundwater quality, the magnitude and time scale over which the improvement occurs is the major uncertainty given current characterization approaches. This study shows that even one thin clay bed, less than 0.2 m thick, can cause plume persistence due to back diffusion for several years or even decades after the flux from the source is completely isolated. Thin clay beds, which have a large storage capacity for dissolved and sorbed contaminant mass, are common in many types of sandy aquifers. However, without careful inspection of continuous cores and sampling, such thin clay beds, and their potential for causing long-term back-diffusion effects, can easily go unnoticed during site characterization.

Effect of filter media thickness on the performance of sand drying beds used for faecal sludge management.

PubMed

Manga, M; Evans, B E; Camargo-Valero, M A; Horan, N J

2016-12-01

The effect of sand filter media thickness on the performance of faecal sludge (FS) drying beds was determined in terms of: dewatering time, contaminant load removal efficiency, solids generation rate, nutrient content and helminth eggs viability in the dried sludge. A mixture of ventilated improved pit latrine sludge and septage in the ratio 1:2 was dewatered using three pilot-scale sludge drying beds with sand media thicknesses of 150, 250 and 350 mm. Five dewatering cycles were conducted and monitored for each drying bed. Although the 150 mm filter had the shortest average dewatering time of 3.65 days followed by 250 mm and 350 mm filters with 3.83 and 4.02 days, respectively, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) attributable to filter media thickness configurations. However, there was a significant difference for the percolate contaminant loads in the removal and recovery efficiency of suspended solids, total solids, total volatile solids, nitrogen species, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand, with the highest removal efficiency for each parameter achieved by the 350 mm filter. There were also significant differences in the nutrient content (NPK) and helminth eggs viability of the solids generated by the tested filters. Filtering media configurations similar to 350 mm have the greatest potential for optimising nutrient recovery from FS.

The exceptional sediment load of fine-grained dispersal systems: Example of the Yellow River, China.

PubMed

Ma, Hongbo; Nittrouer, Jeffrey A; Naito, Kensuke; Fu, Xudong; Zhang, Yuanfeng; Moodie, Andrew J; Wang, Yuanjian; Wu, Baosheng; Parker, Gary

2017-05-01

Sedimentary dispersal systems with fine-grained beds are common, yet the physics of sediment movement within them remains poorly constrained. We analyze sediment transport data for the best-documented, fine-grained river worldwide, the Huanghe (Yellow River) of China, where sediment flux is underpredicted by an order of magnitude according to well-accepted sediment transport relations. Our theoretical framework, bolstered by field observations, demonstrates that the Huanghe tends toward upper-stage plane bed, yielding minimal form drag, thus markedly enhancing sediment transport efficiency. We present a sediment transport formulation applicable to all river systems with silt to coarse-sand beds. This formulation demonstrates a remarkably sensitive dependence on grain size within a certain narrow range and therefore has special relevance to silt-sand fluvial systems, particularly those affected by dams.

The exceptional sediment load of fine-grained dispersal systems: Example of the Yellow River, China

PubMed Central

Ma, Hongbo; Nittrouer, Jeffrey A.; Naito, Kensuke; Fu, Xudong; Zhang, Yuanfeng; Moodie, Andrew J.; Wang, Yuanjian; Wu, Baosheng; Parker, Gary

2017-01-01

Sedimentary dispersal systems with fine-grained beds are common, yet the physics of sediment movement within them remains poorly constrained. We analyze sediment transport data for the best-documented, fine-grained river worldwide, the Huanghe (Yellow River) of China, where sediment flux is underpredicted by an order of magnitude according to well-accepted sediment transport relations. Our theoretical framework, bolstered by field observations, demonstrates that the Huanghe tends toward upper-stage plane bed, yielding minimal form drag, thus markedly enhancing sediment transport efficiency. We present a sediment transport formulation applicable to all river systems with silt to coarse-sand beds. This formulation demonstrates a remarkably sensitive dependence on grain size within a certain narrow range and therefore has special relevance to silt-sand fluvial systems, particularly those affected by dams. PMID:28508078

USE OF PRETREATMENT ZONES AND ZERO-VALENT IRON FOR THE REMEDIATION OF CHLOROALKENES IN AN OXIC AQUIFER

EPA Science Inventory

Pre-treatment zones (PTZs) composed of sand, 10% zero-valent iron [Fe(0)]/sand, and 10% pyrite (FeS2)/sand were examined for their ability to prolong Fe(0) reactivity in aboveground column reactors and a subsurface permeable reactive barrier (PRB). The test site had an acidic, o...

Aeolian Sand Transport in the Planetary Context: Respective Roles of Aerodynamic and Bed-Dilatancy Thresholds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, J. R.; Borucki, J.; Bratton, C.

1999-01-01

The traditional view of aeolian sand transport generally estimates flux from the perspective of aerodynamic forces creating the airborne grain population, although it has been recognized that "reptation" causes a significant part of the total airborne flux; reptation involves both ballistic injection of grains into the air stream by the impact of saltating grains as well as the "nudging" of surface grains into a creeping motion. Whilst aerodynamic forces may initiate sand motion, it is proposed here that within a fully-matured grain cloud, flux is actually governed by two thresholds: an aerodynamic threshold, and a bed-dilatancy threshold. It is the latter which controls the reptation population, and its significance increases proportionally with transport energy. Because we only have experience with terrestrial sand transport, extrapolations of aeolian theory to Mars and Venus have adjusted only the aerodynamic factor, taking gravitational forces and atmospheric density as the prime variables in the aerodynamic equations, but neglecting reptation. The basis for our perspective on the importance of reptation and bed dilatancy is a set of experiments that were designed to simulate sand transport across the surface of a martian dune. Using a modified sporting crossbow in which a sand-impelling sabot replaced the bolt-firing mechanism, individual grains of sand were fired at loose sand targets with glancing angles typical of saltation impact; grains were projected at about 80 m/s to simulate velocities commensurate with those predicted for extreme martian aeolian conditions. The sabot impelling method permitted study of individual impacts without the masking effect of bed mobilization encountered in wind-tunnel studies. At these martian impact velocities, grains produced small craters formed by the ejection of several hundred grains from the bed. Unexpectedly, the craters were not elongated, despite glancing impact; the craters were very close to circular in planform. High-speed photography showed them to grow in both diameter and depth after the impactor had ricochetted from the crater site. The delayed response of the bed was "explosive" in nature, and created a miniature ejecta curtain spreading upward and outward for many centimeters for impact of 100-300 micron-diameter grains into similar material. Elastic energy deposited in the bed by the impacting grain creates a subsurface stress regime or "quasi-Boussinesq" compression field. Elastic recovery of the bed occurs by dilatancy; shear stresses suddenly convert the grains from closed to open packing, and grains are consequently able to eject themselves forcefully from the impact site. Random jostling of the grains causes radial homogenization of stress vectors and a resulting circular crater. There is a great temptation to draw parallels with cratering produced by meteorite impacts, but a rigorous search for common modelling ground between the two phenomena has not been conducted at this time. For every impact of an aerodynamically energized grain, there are several hundred grains ejected into the wind for the high-energy transport that might occur on Mars. Many of these grains will themselves become subject to the boundary layer's aerodynamic lift forces (their motion will not immediately die and add to the creep population), and these grains will become indistinguishable from those lifted entirely by aerodynamic forces. As each grain impacts the bed, it will eject even more grains into the flow. A cascading effect will take place, but because it must be finite in its growth, damping will occur as the number of grains set in motion causes mid-air collisions that prevent much of the impact energy from reaching the surface of the bed -thus creating a dynamic equilibrium in a high-density saltation cloud. It is apparent that for a given impact energy, the stress field permits a smaller volume of grains to convert to open packing as the size of the bed grains increases, or as the energy of the "percussive" grain decreases (by decrease in velocity or mass). Thus, the mass of the "repercussive" grain population that is ejected from the impact site becomes a function of the scale of the stress field in relation to the scale of the bed material (self-similarity being applicable if both bed size and energy are simultaneously adjusted). In other words, in a very high energy aeolian system where an aerodynamically raised grain can ballistically raise many more grains, the amount of material lifted into the wind becomes largely a function of a dilatancy threshold. If this threshold is exceeded, grains are repercussively injected into the saltation cloud. The "dilatancy threshold" may be defined in terms of the saltation percussive force required to convert the bed, through elastic response, from a closed to an open packing system. If open packing cannot be created, the grains cannot escape from the impact site, even though the elastic deformation and percussive force may be able to reorganize the grains with respect to one another. As the crossbow experiments showed, for an ever-increasing bed grain size, a point is reached when no material can be moved because the energy of the percussive grain is insufficient to dilate the relatively coarse bed. Although this seems to be stating the obvious -- that too little energy will not cause the bed to splash -- the consequences of exceeding the "splash threshold" by dilatancy are not so obvious for high-energy aeolian transport. It is noted that the force required to elastically dilate the bed has to overcome Coulombic grain attractions such as dipole-dipole coupling, dielectric, monopole, contact-induced dipole attractions, van der Waals forces, molecular monolayer capillary forces, as well as the mechanical interlocking frictional resistance of the grains. On Mars, it is predicted that the dilatancy threshold may be the prime control of grain flux. Additional information is contained in the original.

Aeolian Sand Transport in the Planetary Context: Respective Roles of Aerodynamic and Bed-Dilatancy Thresholds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, J. R.; Borucki, J.; Bratton, C.

1999-09-01

The traditional view of aeolian sand transport generally estimates flux from the perspective of aerodynamic forces creating the airborne grain population, although it has been recognized that "reptation" causes a significant part of the total airborne flux; reptation involves both ballistic injection of grains into the air stream by the impact of saltating grains as well as the "nudging" of surface grains into a creeping motion. Whilst aerodynamic forces may initiate sand motion, it is proposed here that within a fully-matured grain cloud, flux is actually governed by two thresholds: an aerodynamic threshold, and a bed-dilatancy threshold. It is the latter which controls the reptation population, and its significance increases proportionally with transport energy. Because we only have experience with terrestrial sand transport, extrapolations of aeolian theory to Mars and Venus have adjusted only the aerodynamic factor, taking gravitational forces and atmospheric density as the prime variables in the aerodynamic equations, but neglecting reptation. The basis for our perspective on the importance of reptation and bed dilatancy is a set of experiments that were designed to simulate sand transport across the surface of a martian dune. Using a modified sporting crossbow in which a sand-impelling sabot replaced the bolt-firing mechanism, individual grains of sand were fired at loose sand targets with glancing angles typical of saltation impact; grains were projected at about 80 m/s to simulate velocities commensurate with those predicted for extreme martian aeolian conditions. The sabot impelling method permitted study of individual impacts without the masking effect of bed mobilization encountered in wind-tunnel studies. At these martian impact velocities, grains produced small craters formed by the ejection of several hundred grains from the bed. Unexpectedly, the craters were not elongated, despite glancing impact; the craters were very close to circular in planform. High-speed photography showed them to grow in both diameter and depth after the impactor had ricochetted from the crater site. The delayed response of the bed was "explosive" in nature, and created a miniature ejecta curtain spreading upward and outward for many centimeters for impact of 100-300 micron-diameter grains into similar material. Elastic energy deposited in the bed by the impacting grain creates a subsurface stress regime or "quasi-Boussinesq" compression field. Elastic recovery of the bed occurs by dilatancy; shear stresses suddenly convert the grains from closed to open packing, and grains are consequently able to eject themselves forcefully from the impact site. Random jostling of the grains causes radial homogenization of stress vectors and a resulting circular crater. There is a great temptation to draw parallels with cratering produced by meteorite impacts, but a rigorous search for common modelling ground between the two phenomena has not been conducted at this time. For every impact of an aerodynamically energized grain, there are several hundred grains ejected into the wind for the high-energy transport that might occur on Mars. Many of these grains will themselves become subject to the boundary layer's aerodynamic lift forces (their motion will not immediately die and add to the creep population), and these grains will become indistinguishable from those lifted entirely by aerodynamic forces. As each grain impacts the bed, it will eject even more grains into the flow. A cascading effect will take place, but because it must be finite in its growth, damping will occur as the number of grains set in motion causes mid-air collisions that prevent much of the impact energy from reaching the surface of the bed -thus creating a dynamic equilibrium in a high-density saltation cloud. It is apparent that for a given impact energy, the stress field permits a smaller volume of grains to convert to open packing as the size of the bed grains increases, or as the energy of the "percussive" grain decreases (by decrease in velocity or mass). Thus, the mass of the "repercussive" grain population that is ejected from the impact site becomes a function of the scale of the stress field in relation to the scale of the bed material (self-similarity being applicable if both bed size and energy are simultaneously adjusted). In other words, in a very high energy aeolian system where an aerodynamically raised grain can ballistically raise many more grains, the amount of material lifted into the wind becomes largely a function of a dilatancy threshold. If this threshold is exceeded, grains are repercussively injected into the saltation cloud. The "dilatancy threshold" may be defined in terms of the saltation percussive force required to convert the bed, through elastic response, from a closed to an open packing system. If open packing cannot be created, the grains cannot escape from the impact site, even though the elastic deformation and percussive force may be able to reorganize the grains with respect to one another. As the crossbow experiments showed, for an ever-increasing bed grain size, a point is reached when no material can be moved because the energy of the percussive grain is insufficient to dilate the relatively coarse bed. Although this seems to be stating the obvious -- that too little energy will not cause the bed to splash -- the consequences of exceeding the "splash threshold" by dilatancy are not so obvious for high-energy aeolian transport. It is noted that the force required to elastically dilate the bed has to overcome Coulombic grain attractions such as dipole-dipole coupling, dielectric, monopole, contact-induced dipole attractions, van der Waals forces, molecular monolayer capillary forces, as well as the mechanical interlocking frictional resistance of the grains. On Mars, it is predicted that the dilatancy threshold may be the prime control of grain flux. Additional information is contained in the original.

Characterization of reactive CaCO 3 crystallization in a fluidized bed reactor as a central process of direct air capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burhenne, Luisa; Giacomin, Caroline; Follett, Trevor

A laboratory-scale, fluidized-bed pellet reactor (BPR) was used to investigate a CaCO 3 crystallization process for the recovery of CO 2 in a Direct Air Capture (DAC) process. The BPR performance was validated against data from a pilot-scale unit. Subsequently, the pellet growth under process-relevant conditions was studied over a period of 144 h. The experimental results with the BPR, containing a bed of pellets sized between 0.65 and 0.84 mm, have shown that a calcium retention of 80% can be achieved at a fluidization velocity of 60 m h -1 and a calcium loading rate of 3 mol hmore » -1. This result is consistent with calcium retention observed at pilot scale operation and hence, results from the BPR are considered representative for the pilot scale unit. Starting with a bed of pellets sized between 0.15 and 0.5 mm, the average pellet growth rate, G, at the reactor bottom increased from 8.1E-10 to 11E–10 m s -1 at the onset and decreased to 4.9E–10 m s -1 over the course of a 144 h test. The calcium retention over the course the test showed the same trend (initial increase and final decrease) as the pellet growth rate. A theoretical bed growth model was developed and validated against data from the pilot scale and benchtop pellet reactors. The model was used to calculate the bed porosity and total pellet surface area in each control volume. Lastly, the pellet surface area growth at the bottom of the reactor reproduced the pellet growth and retention data trends.« less

Characterization of reactive CaCO 3 crystallization in a fluidized bed reactor as a central process of direct air capture

DOE PAGES

Burhenne, Luisa; Giacomin, Caroline; Follett, Trevor; ...

2017-10-25

A laboratory-scale, fluidized-bed pellet reactor (BPR) was used to investigate a CaCO 3 crystallization process for the recovery of CO 2 in a Direct Air Capture (DAC) process. The BPR performance was validated against data from a pilot-scale unit. Subsequently, the pellet growth under process-relevant conditions was studied over a period of 144 h. The experimental results with the BPR, containing a bed of pellets sized between 0.65 and 0.84 mm, have shown that a calcium retention of 80% can be achieved at a fluidization velocity of 60 m h -1 and a calcium loading rate of 3 mol hmore » -1. This result is consistent with calcium retention observed at pilot scale operation and hence, results from the BPR are considered representative for the pilot scale unit. Starting with a bed of pellets sized between 0.15 and 0.5 mm, the average pellet growth rate, G, at the reactor bottom increased from 8.1E-10 to 11E–10 m s -1 at the onset and decreased to 4.9E–10 m s -1 over the course of a 144 h test. The calcium retention over the course the test showed the same trend (initial increase and final decrease) as the pellet growth rate. A theoretical bed growth model was developed and validated against data from the pilot scale and benchtop pellet reactors. The model was used to calculate the bed porosity and total pellet surface area in each control volume. Lastly, the pellet surface area growth at the bottom of the reactor reproduced the pellet growth and retention data trends.« less

Validating Experimental Bedform Dynamics on Cohesive Sand-Mud Beds in the Dee Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baas, Jaco H.; Baker, Megan; Hope, Julie; Malarkey, Jonathan; Rocha, Renata

2014-05-01

Recent laboratory experiments and field measurements have shown that small quantities of cohesive clay, and in particular 'sticky' biological polymers, within a sandy substrate dramatically reduce the development rate of sedimentary bedforms, with major implications for sediment transport rate calculations and process interpretations from the sedimentary record. FURTHER INFORMATION Flow and sediment transport predictions from sedimentary structures found in modern estuaries and within estuarine geological systems are impeded by an almost complete lack of process-based knowledge of the behaviour of natural sediments that consist of mixtures of cohesionless sand and biologically-active cohesive mud. Indeed, existing predictive models are largely based on non-organic cohesionless sands, despite the fact that mud, in pure form or mixed with sand, is the most common sediment on Earth and also the most biologically active interface across a range of Earth-surface environments, including rivers and shallow seas. The multidisciplinary COHBED project uses state-of-the-art laboratory and field technologies to measure the erosional properties of mixed cohesive sediment beds and the formation and stability of sedimentary bedforms on these beds, integrating the key physical and biological processes that govern bed evolution. The development of current ripples on cohesive mixed sediment beds was investigated as a function of physical control on bed cohesion versus biological control on bed cohesion. These investigations included laboratory flume experiments in the Hydrodynamics Laboratory (Bangor University) and field experiments in the Dee estuary (at West Kirby near Liverpool). The flume experiments showed that winnowing of fine-grained cohesive sediment, including biological stabilisers, is an important process affecting the development rate, size and shape of the cohesive bedforms. The ripples developed progressively slower as the kaolin clay fraction in the sandy substrate bed was increased. The same result was obtained for xanthan gum, which is a proxy for biological polymers produced by microphytobenthos. Yet, the xanthan gum was several orders more effective in slowing down ripple development than kaolin clay, suggesting that the cohesive forces for biological polymers are much higher than for clay minerals, and that sedimentological process models should refocus on biostabilisation processes. The first results of the field experiments show that the winnowing of fines from developing ripples and the slowing down of current ripple development in mixed cohesive sediment is mimicked on intertidal flats in the Dee estuary. In particular, these field data revealed that current ripples in cohesive sediment are smaller with more two-dimensional crestlines than in non-cohesive sand. The wider implications of these findings will be discussed. COHBED Project Team (NERC): Alan Davies (Bangor University); Daniel Parsons, Leiping Ye (University of Hull); Jeffrey Peakall (University of Leeds); Dougal Lichtman, Louise O'Boyle, Peter Thorne (NOC Liverpool); Sarah Bass, Andrew Manning, Robert Schindler (University of Plymouth); Rebecca Aspden, Emma Defew, Julie Hope, David Paterson (University of St Andrews)

Run-of-River Impoundments Can Remain Unfilled While Transporting Gravel Bedload: Numerical Modeling Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, A.; Pizzuto, J. E.

2015-12-01

Previous work at run-of-river (ROR) dams in northern Delaware has shown that bedload supplied to ROR impoundments can be transported over the dam when impoundments remain unfilled. Transport is facilitated by high levels of sand in the impoundment that lowers the critical shear stresses for particle entrainment, and an inversely sloping sediment ramp connecting the impoundment bed (where the water depth is typically equal to the dam height) with the top of the dam (Pearson and Pizzuto, in press). We demonstrate with one-dimensional bed material transport modeling that bed material can move through impoundments and that equilibrium transport (i.e., a balance between supply to and export from the impoundment, with a constant bed elevation) is possible even when the bed elevation is below the top of the dam. Based on our field work and previous HEC-RAS modeling, we assess bed material transport capacity at the base of the sediment ramp (and ignore detailed processes carrying sediment up and ramp and over the dam). The hydraulics at the base of the ramp are computed using a weir equation, providing estimates of water depth, velocity, and friction, based on the discharge and sediment grain size distribution of the impoundment. Bedload transport rates are computed using the Wilcock-Crowe equation, and changes in the impoundment's bed elevation are determined by sediment continuity. Our results indicate that impoundments pass the gravel supplied from upstream with deep pools when gravel supply rate is low, gravel grain sizes are relatively small, sand supply is high, and discharge is high. Conversely, impoundments will tend to fill their pools when gravel supply rate is high, gravel grain sizes are relatively large, sand supply is low, and discharge is low. The rate of bedload supplied to an impoundment is the primary control on how fast equilibrium transport is reached, with discharge having almost no influence on the timing of equilibrium.

Application of Dredged Materials and Steelmaking Slag as Basal Media to Restore and Create Seagrass Beds: Mesocosm and Core Incubation Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsukasaki, A.; Suzumura, M.; Tsurushima, N.; Nakazato, T.; Huang, Y.; Tanimoto, T.; Yamada, N.; Nishijima, W.

2016-02-01

Seagrass beds stabilize bottom sediments, improve water quality and light conditions, enhance species diversity, and provide habitat complexity in coastal marine environments. Seagrass beds are now experiencing worldwide decline by rapid environmental changes. Possible options of seagrass bed restoration are civil engineering works including mounding to raise the bottom to elevations with suitable light for seagrass growth. Reuse or recycling of dredged materials (DM) and various industrial by-products including steelmaking slags is a beneficial option to restore and create seagrass beds. To evaluate the applicability of DM and dephosphorization slag (Slag) as basal media of seagrass beds, we carried out mesocosm experiments and core incubation experiments in a land-based flow-through seawater tank over a year. During the mesocosm experiment, no difference was found in growth of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) and macrobenthic community structures between Slag-based sediments and sand-based control experiments, even though Slag-based sediments exhibited substantially higher pH than sand-based sediments. During the core incubation experiment, we investigated detailed variation and distributions of pH and nutrients, and diffusion fluxes of nutrients between the sediment/seawater interface. Though addition of Slag induced high pH up to 10.7 in deep layers (< 5 cm), the surface pH decreased rapidly within 10 days. Concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen were comparable between Slag- and sand-based sediments, whereas dissolved phosphate concentration was substantially reduced by the addition of Slag. The low concentrations of phosphate was likely due to precipitation with calcium under high pH condition. Diffusion fluxes of nutrients from the cores were comparable with those reported in natural coastal systems. It was suggested that the mixture of Slag and DM is applicable as basal media for construction of artificial seagrass beds.

Flaser and wavy bedding in ephemeral streams: a modern and an ancient example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, A. J.

2000-10-01

Flaser and wavy bedding are sedimentary structures characterized by alternating rippled sand and mud layers. These structures often are considered to form mostly in tidally influenced environments; published examples from fluvial environments are rare. Flaser and wavy bedding were found in two ephemeral stream deposits: the Jurassic Kayenta Formation and the modern wash in Seven Mile Canyon, both located in southeastern Utah, USA. These examples demonstrate that flaser bedding can form and be preserved in ephemeral streams.

Ability of organic and inorganic bedding materials to promote growth of environmental bacteria.

PubMed

Godden, S; Bey, R; Lorch, K; Farnsworth, R; Rapnicki, P

2008-01-01

The major objective of this study was to contrast the ability of 4 commonly utilized bedding materials to promote growth of environmental bacteria under controlled conditions. A second objective was to describe the relationship between bacterial growth and specific biochemical or nutritional properties of these bedding materials. Unused samples of clean sand (CS; n = 20), recycled sand (RS; n = 21), digested manure solids (DS; n = 15), and shavings (SH; n = 15) were collected from bedding storage areas on 49 commercial Minnesota and Wisconsin dairy farms. Sterilized bedding samples were inoculated with Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecium then incubated, in triplicate, for 72 h at 37 degrees C. Subsamples were collected after 0, 24, 48, and 72 h of incubation for culture and enumeration of bacteria. Subsamples of bedding were also tested for pH, total C content (%), and total N content (%). If bacterial growth occurred, peak levels were typically achieved within 24 h. Digested manure solids promoted the greatest amounts of growth of K. pneumoniae, followed by RS and then SH, whereas CS promoted the least. There would seem to be a tradeoff in selecting SH as a bedding material, because it supported moderate growth of K. pneumoniae but caused a rapid decline in the numbers of E. faecium. However, RS, CS, and DS each only supported relatively small amounts of growth of E. faecium, so the benefit of SH relative to other bedding materials is limited. High bedding pH may partially explain why some bedding materials supported growth of E. faecium (e.g., DS and RS). Both high bedding pH (e.g., as for DS or RS) and high total C (%) content (e.g., as for DS and SH) may partially explain why some bedding materials supported growth of K. pneumoniae.

Coupling Solute and Fine Particle Transport with Sand Bed Morphodynamics within a Field Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, C. B.; Ortiz, C. P.; Schumer, R.; Jerolmack, D. J.; Packman, A. I.

2017-12-01

Fine suspended particles are typically considered to pass through streams and rivers as wash load without interacting with the bed, however experiments have demonstrated that hyporheic flow causes advective exchange of fine particles with the stream bed, yielding accumulation of fine particle deposits within the bed. Ultimately, understanding river morphodynamics and ecosystem dynamics requires coupling both fine particle and solute transport with bed morphodynamics. To better understand the coupling between these processes we analyze a novel dataset from a controlled field experiment conducted on Clear Run, a 2nd order sand bed stream located within the North Carolina coastal plain. Data include concentrations of continuously injected conservative solutes and fine particulate tracers measured at various depths within the stream bed, overhead time lapse images of bed forms, stream discharge, and geomorphological surveys of the stream. We use image analysis of bed morphodynamics to assess exchange, retention, and remobilization of solutes and fine particles during constant discharge and a short duration experimental flood. From the images, we extract a time series of bedform elevations and scour depths for the duration of the experiment. The high-resolution timeseries of bed elevation enables us to assess coupling of bed morphodynamics with both the solute and fine particle flux during steady state mobile bedforms prior to the flood and to changing bedforms during the flood. These data allow the application of a stochastic modeling framework relating bed elevation fluctuations to fine particle residence times. This combined experimental and modeling approach ultimately informs our ability to predict not only the fate of fine particulate matter but also associated nutrient and carbon dynamics within streams and rivers.

DECONTAMINATION OF NEUTRON-IRRADIATED REACTOR FUEL

DOEpatents

Buyers, A.G.; Rosen, F.D.; Motta, E.E.

1959-12-22

A pyrometallurgical method of decontaminating neutronirradiated reactor fuel is presented. In accordance with the invention, neutron-irradiated reactor fuel may be decontaminated by countercurrently contacting the fuel with a bed of alkali and alkaine fluorides under an inert gas atmosphere and inductively melting the fuel and tracking the resulting descending molten fuel with induction heating as it passes through the bed. By this method, a large, continually fresh surface of salt is exposed to the descending molten fuel which enhances the efficiency of the scrubbing operation.

Particle bed reactor modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sapyta, Joe; Reid, Hank; Walton, Lew

1993-01-01

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: particle bed reactor (PBR) core cross section; PBR bleed cycle; fuel and moderator flow paths; PBR modeling requirements; characteristics of PBR and nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) modeling; challenges for PBR and NTP modeling; thermal hydraulic computer codes; capabilities for PBR/reactor application; thermal/hydralic codes; limitations; physical correlations; comparison of predicted friction factor and experimental data; frit pressure drop testing; cold frit mask factor; decay heat flow rate; startup transient simulation; and philosophy of systems modeling.

Feasibility of rotating fluidized bed reactor for rocket propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ludewig, H.; Manning, A. J.; Raseman, C. J.

1974-01-01

The rotating fluidized bed reactor concept is outlined, and its application to rocket propulsion is discussed. Experimental results obtained indicate that minimum fluidization correlations commonly in use for 1-g beds can also be applied to multiple-g beds. It was found that for a low thrust system (20,000 lbf) the fuel particle size and/or particle stress play a limiting role on performance. The superiority of U-233 as a fuel for this type of rocket engine is clearly demonstrated in the analysis. The maximum thrust/weight ratio for a 90,000N thrust engine was found to be approximately 65N/kg.

A dual purpose packed-bed reactor for biogas scrubbing and methane-dependent water quality improvement applying to a wastewater treatment system consisting of UASB reactor and trickling filter.

PubMed

Tanaka, Yasuo

2002-08-01

A wastewater treatment system employing a UASB reactor in temperate regions requires biogas as a heat source for the UASB reactor during low temperature seasons. In this case, removal of H2S in the biogas by means of a scrubber before burning is necessary in order to prevent the boilers from corroding. Heating of the UASB reactor is, however, unnecessary in a warm season, and the scrubber and biogas become useless. Methane-dependent water quality improvement using the scrubber and biogas would be one way to use them efficiently during the warm season. The possible dual-purpose use of a packed-bed reactor was examined, with one of its uses being the scrubbing of biogas during the cold season and the other being the methane-dependent improvement of effluent water quality during the warm season. A bench scale packed-bed filled with plastic latticed-ring media was installed in a livestock wastewater treatment plant consisting of a UASB reactor and a trickling filter for post-treatment. The packed-bed was operated with biogas flowing at a superficial velocity of 0.14-0.39 m h(-1) and the hydraulic loading of trickling filter effluent sprayed onto the media 9.4-26.1 m3 m2 day(-1). H2S in the biogas from the UASB reactor was reduced from 1,200-2,500 ppm to less than 2 ppm by the reactor. Methane-dependent water quality improvement was examined using a laboratory scale reactor to which methane and/or air was supplied from the bottom, while plant effluent was spread from the top of the reactor. When the mixture gas of methane and air (volume ratio 1:3) was added to the reactor, biofilm grew on the surface of the media. Accompanying this growth, ammonium and phosphate in the spread water decreased, probably due to assimilation by the methane-oxidizing bacteria. Though assimilation activity dropped after the accumulation of biomass, it could be reactivated by washing out the excess biomass. Periodical backwash at a rate of more than once a week seemed to efficiently maintain the removal activity. The dark brown color of the wastewater could be also reduced in concert with methane oxidation. It seemed that methane-oxidizing bacteria degraded color-causing compounds. These results suggest that the packed-bed reactor is useful for both H2S purification of biogas and methane-dependent effluent water quality improvement.

Characteristics of Pyrolytic Topping in Fluidized Bed for Different Volatile Coals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, R.; Dong, L.; Xu, G. W.

Coal is generally combusted or gasified directly to destroy completely the chemical structures, such as aromatic rings containing in volatile coals including bituminite and lignite. Coal topping refers to a process that extracts chemicals with aromatic rings from such volatile coals in advance of combustion or gasification and thereby takes advantage of the value of coal as a kind of chemical structure resource. CFB boiler is the coal utilization facility that can be easily retrofitted to implement coal topping. A critical issue for performing coal topping is the choice of the pyrolytic reactor that can be different types. The present study concerns fluidized bed reactor that has rarely been tested for use in coal topping. Two different types of coals, one being Xiaolongtan (XLT) lignite and the other Shanxi (SX) bituminous, were tested to clarify the yield and composition of pyrolysis liquid and gas under conditions simulating actual operations. The results showed that XLT lignite coals had the maximum tar yield in 823-873K and SX bituminite realized its highest tar yield in 873-923K. Overall, lignite produced lower tar yield than bituminous coal. The pyrolysis gas from lignite coals contained more CO and CO2 and less CH4, H2 and C2+C3 (C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, C3H8) components comparing to that from bituminous coal. TG-FTIR analysis of tars demonstrated that for different coals there are different amounts of typical chemical species. Using coal ash of CFB boiler, instead of quartz sand, as the fluidized particles decreased the yields of both tar and gas for all the tested coals. Besides, pyrolysis in a reaction atmosphere simulating the pyrolysis gas (instead of N2) resulted also in higher production of pyrolysis liquid.

Lateral trends and vertical sequences in estuarine sediments, Willapa Bay, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clifton, H. Edward; Phillips, L.

1980-01-01

Willapa Bay is a sizable estuary on the southern coast of Washington- Relatively unmodified in a geologic sense by human activity the bay provides an excellent example of modern depositional facies in an estuarine setting. Studies of these deposits indicate that consistent lateral trends exist in sediment texture and sedimentary structures. The texture changes from sandy at the mouth of the bay to muddy in its upper parts. In any part of the bay , sediment is coarsest in the channel bottoms, where lag deposits accumulate. The sediment tends to fine in an upslope direction and is finest in supratidal flat deposits of silt and clay. The nature of sedimentary structures depends on the combination of physical and biological processes and sediment textures. Bedforms exist wherever the bed is sandy. In the main tidal channels sandwaves and dunes up to 4 meters high occur. In tributary channels and at the margins of the main channel, at shallower depths and under less intense currents , the structures are generally less than a meter high. Current ripples occur in t he sandy bed of all of the tidal channels and in runoff channels cross the tidal flat. Symmetric long-crested ripples are produced by wave action over the sandy intertidal flat. Internal structures in the bay's sediment depend not only on the nature of the bedform but also on the rate of bioturbation relative to physical processes. Under fields of large sandwaves or dunes, medium- to large-scale tabular and trough crossbedding predominates. This crossbedding generally is unidirectional, reflecting the locally dominant current (ebb or flood). Ripple bedding predominates elsewhere in sandy sediment within the channels. Where sand transport is diminished, as on the floor of the upper tributary channels, bioturbation exceeds the rate of production of physical structures and bedding is destroyed. The depositional banks in such areas tend to be sites of rapid sediment accumulation and bedding in the form of interlayered sand (commonly ripple bedded) and mud persists. On intertidal flats the sediment accumulates slowly and bioturbation erases nearly all physical structures. Bedding is preserved only where deposition is locally rapid , as in topographic depressions or on the depositional banks of runoff channels, or where faunal activity is inhibited, as beneath mounds of blue-green algae. The rate of sedimentation is slower still on the supratidal flats, but the general paucity of faunal activity allows the preservation of thin alternations of fine sand , silt or clay. The lateral migration of the tidal channels produces vertical sequences in which topographically higher facies are superposed on one another. Near the mouth of the estuary the upward sequence: lag deposit — crossbedded sand — ripple or planar-bedded sand is typical. The crossbedding shows a general upward decrease in thickness and a progression from trough to tabular units. In the main tidal channel - in the central estuary and in sandy tributary channels, the typical vertical sequence resembles that near the mouth , with the exception that the sequence is capped by bioturbated sandy or muddy tide flat deposits. In the upper estuary , where muddy sediment predominates, a typical sequence shows the progression-. bioturbated lag deposit — gently dipping interlaminated sand and mud layers of the accretionary bank — bioturbated mud flat deposits — thinly laminated fine supratidal deposits.

Solar heated fluidized bed gasification system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qader, S. A. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

A solar-powered fluidized bed gasification system for gasifying carbonaceous material is presented. The system includes a solar gasifier which is heated by fluidizing gas and steam. Energy to heat the gas and steam is supplied by a high heat capacity refractory honeycomb which surrounds the fluid bed reactor zone. The high heat capacity refractory honeycomb is heated by solar energy focused on the honeycomb by solar concentrator through solar window. The fluid bed reaction zone is also heated directly and uniformly by thermal contact of the high heat capacity ceramic honeycomb with the walls of the fluidized bed reactor. Provisions are also made for recovering and recycling catalysts used in the gasification process. Back-up furnace is provided for start-up procedures and for supplying heat to the fluid bed reaction zone when adequate supplies of solar energy are not available.

Tidal River Elbe - a sediment budget for the grain size fraction of medium sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winterscheid, Axel

2016-04-01

Human interventions have a historic and ongoing impact on estuarine sediment budgets across many estuaries worldwide. An early inference was the construction of embankments resulting in a constant loss of intertidal flats. Additionally, settlement activities and large scale land use changes in the upstream catchment areas had also an effect on sediment inflow rates. Today, the navigation channels in estuaries have been deepened for larger and more efficient vessels to reach a well-developed infrastructure of harbors and industrial areas often located far inland. In the past few years and just within the North-East Atlantic, the total annual amount of dredged sediments dumped at sea varied from 80 to 130 million tons (OSPAR Commission). In most estuaries across Europe the resulting human impact on the sediment fluxes and morphodynamics is significant. A good understanding of estuarine processes is essential for determining useful and meaningful measures to mitigate negative effects and to improve the current situation. Maintenance dredging and its environmental effects are therefore in the focus of public attention. Against this background, it is the aim of the presentation to identify and therefore to separate the particular effect that maintenance dredging has on sediment fluxes and budgets in the estuarine environment. Case study is the Tidal River Elbe in Germany, and here we set the focus on the grain size fraction of medium sand. In the past, river engineering measures forced the natural dynamics to form a concentrated stream flow along a fixed channel, except at a number of locations where side channels still exist. In addition to that, the main channel was deepened several times. The last deepening was in 1999/2000. The most significant deepening, however, took place from 1957 to 1962. Until then, an erosion-stable layer of marine clay (in German called "Klei") formed a flat bottom along most sections of the main channel. After removal of this layer of marine clay by capital dredging, Weichselion sandy deposits, which formed the geological layer underneath, now became part of the sediment transport regime. Nowadays, most sections of the main channel are morphologically characterized by a medium sandy river bed and subaquatic dunes of several meters height followed by sections of a poorly structured river bed caused by the sedimentation of silty sediments. By setting up the sediment balance for medium sand, the fluxes entering the estuary from the inland Elbe is one source term in the equation. The average annual load for the medium sand is estimated to be 110,000 m³/year (1996 - 2008, measurement station Neu Darchau). Further downstream in the tidal part of the river there are no further measurement stations located, but the analysis of a time series of multibeam sonar data (2000 to 2014) shows that large amounts of medium sand episodically pass the tidal weir at Geesthacht only in the event of extreme flood. This is due to a significant increase in bed volume between Geesthacht and the Port of Hamburg in the aftermath of a singular extreme event. Until the next extreme event the bed volume (functions as temporary storage for medium sand) is eroding again, which is the second source term. By comparing the information on bed load fluxes, the evolution of bed volumes over time and the dredging statistics we can conclude for the longer term that the total amount of medium sand that has been dredged and taken out of the system for constructional purposes is the same order of magnitude compared to the sum of both source terms. Hence, there is no or very limited net transport of medium sand passing the port area and entering the downstream river section. From the subsequent analysis of multibeam sonar data (2008 - 2014) we know for the river section from Hamburg to Brunsbuettel (total distance of 40 km) that there has been a continuous loss of about 1 Mio. m³/a in bed volumes, which means a deficit situation for medium sand. Currently, the Weichselion deposit is the active source for medium sand, but due to the lack of medium sand fluxes from upstream this at the cost of having an ongoing deepening of the main channel. The presumed cause for this deficit situation is the current management of the sandy dredged material. First of all, dredging and subsequent extraction of the dredged material is strongly affecting the longitudinal transport of medium sandy sediments from upstream through the Port of Hamburg in seaward direction. Further downstream in the river section in deficit, all dredged material, which is about 1 Mio m³/a solely for the fraction of medium sand, is transported by hopper dredgers over a long distance up to 40 km in seaward direction and disposed on a single site near Brunsbuettel. This 1 Mio m³/a is a similar volume in comparison to the loss in bed volume. From an analysis of the geometry of the subaquatic dunes we know for sandy sediments a seaward net transport that exists for large parts of this river section. All in one, there is an irretrievable and ongoing loss of medium sandy sediments. Vice versa for the river section next to Brunsbuettel, which is the location of the disposal site, the data show an increase of bed volumes and dredging amounts at the same time. For the Elbe case study we could demonstrate that maintenance dredging (and the subsequent disposal) could have a significant impact on the large scale sediment budget. Appropriate measures to stabilize the sediment budget in the inner part of the Tidal River Elbe for medium sand is (a) to dispose all medium sandy dredged material as close as possible to the location of dredging and (b) to reduce the extraction of medium sand in the Hamburg Port area.

Evaluation of an experimental LiDAR for surveying a shallow, braided, sand-bedded river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinzel, P.J.; Wright, C.W.; Nelson, J.M.; Burman, A.R.

2007-01-01

Reaches of a shallow (<1.0m), braided, sand-bedded river were surveyed in 2002 and 2005 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Experimental Advanced Airborne Research LiDAR (EAARL) and concurrently with conventional survey-grade, real-time kinematic, global positioning system technology. The laser pulses transmitted by the EAARL instrument and the return backscatter waveforms from exposed sand and submerged sand targets in the river were completely digitized and stored for postflight processing. The vertical mapping accuracy of the EAARL was evaluated by comparing the ellipsoidal heights computed from ranging measurements made using an EAARL terrestrial algorithm to nearby (<0.5m apart) ground-truth ellipsoidal heights. After correcting for apparent systematic bias in the surveys, the root mean square error of these heights with the terrestrial algorithm in the 2002 survey was 0.11m for the 26 measurements taken on exposed sand and 0.18m for the 59 measurements taken on submerged sand. In the 2005 survey, the root mean square error was 0.18m for 92 measurements taken on exposed sand and 0.24m for 434 measurements on submerged sand. In submerged areas the waveforms were complicated by reflections from the surface, water column entrained turbidity, and potentially the riverbed. When applied to these waveforms, especially in depths greater than 0.4m, the terrestrial algorithm calculated the range above the riverbed. A bathymetric algorithm has been developed to approximate the position of the riverbed in these convolved waveforms and preliminary results are encouraging. ?? 2007 ASCE.

Investigation of internal elements impaction on particles circulation in a fluidized bed reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solovev, S. A.; Soloveva, O. V.; Antipin, A. V.; Shamsutdinov, E. V.

2018-01-01

A numerical study of the fluidized bed apparatus in the presence of various internal elements is carried out. A chemical reaction for temperature-dependent processes with heat absorption is considered. The task of incoming heated catalyst granules to the reactor is investigated. The main emphasis is focused on the circulation flows of the catalyst particles, heating of the reactor, and the efficiency of the chemical reaction. The analysis of the impact of various design elements on the efficiency of the reactor is carried out. The influence of feeding heated catalyst device design on the effectiveness of whole reactor heating is educed. The influence of the presence of fine particles on the efficiency of the reaction for different reactor design features is also educed.

Hydrogen sulfide removal from air by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans in a trickle bed reactor.

PubMed

Ramirez, M; Gómez, J M; Cantero, D; Páca, J; Halecký, M; Kozliak, E I; Sobotka, M

2009-09-01

A strain of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans immobilized in polyurethane foam was utilized for H(2)S removal in a bench-scale trickle-bed reactor, testing the limits of acidity and SO(4) (2-) accumulation. The use of this acidophilic strain resulted in remarkable stability in the performance of the system. The reactor maintained a >98-99 % H(2)S removal efficiency for c of up to 66 ppmv and empty bed residence time 98 % H(2)S was achieved under steady-state conditions, over the pH range of 0.44-7.30. Despite the accumulation of acidity and SO(4) (2-) (up to 97 g/L), the system operated without inhibition.

Sand wave fields beneath the Loop Current, Gulf of Mexico: Reworking of fan sands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kenyon, Neil H.; Akhmetzhanov, A.M.; Twichell, D.C.

2002-01-01

Extensive fields of large barchan-like sand waves and longitudinal sand ribbons have been mapped by deep-towed SeaMARC IA sidescan sonar on part of the middle and lower Mississippi Fan that lies in about 3200 m of water. The area is beneath the strongly flowing Loop Current. The bedforms have not been adequately sampled but probably consist of winnowed siliciclastic-foraminiferal sands. The size (about 200 m from wingtip to wingtip) and shape of the large barchans is consistent with a previously observed peak current speed of 30 cm/s, measured 25 m above the seabed. The types of small-scale bedforms and the scoured surfaces of chemical crusts, seen on nearby bottom photographs, indicate that near-bed currents in excess of 30 cm/s may sometimes occur. At the time of the survey the sand transport direction was to the northwest, in the opposite direction to the Loop Current but consistent with there being a deep boundary current along the foot of the Florida Escarpment. Some reworking of the underlying sandy turbidites and debris flow deposits is apparent on the sidescan sonar records. Reworking by deep-sea currents, resulting in erosion and in deposits characterised by coarsening upwards structures and cross-bedding, is a process that has been proposed for sand found in cores in shallower parts of the Gulf of Mexico. This process is more widespread than hitherto supposed. 

Evaluation of Durability Parameters of Concrete with Manufacture Sand and River Sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangoju, Bhaskar; Ramesh, G.; Bharatkumar, B. H.; Ramanjaneyulu, K.

2017-09-01

Most of the states in our country have banned sand quarrying from the river beds, causing a scarcity of natural river sand for the construction sector. Manufacture sand (M-sand) is one of the alternate solutions to replace the river sand (R-sand) in concrete. The main aim of the present study is to evaluate the durability parameters of concrete with M-sand when compared to that of concrete with R-sand. Corrosion of reinforcement is one of the main deteriorating mechanisms of reinforced concrete due to the ingress of chloride ions or carbon-di-oxide. For comparative evaluation of durability parameters, accelerated tests such as Rapid Chloride Permeability Test, Rapid Chloride Migration Test and accelerated carbonation test were carried out on specimens of R-sand and M-sand. All tests were carried out after 90 days of casting. Test results reveal that the durability parameters of the concrete with M-sand in chloride induced environment is relatively better than that of concrete with R-sand and hence is recommended to use M-sand as a replacement to R-sand.

Sedimentary Facies of the West Crocker Formation North Kota Kinabalu-Tuaran Area, Sabah, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, Azfar; Hadi Abd Rahman, Abdul; Suhaili Ismail, Mohd

2016-02-01

Newly outcrops exposed in the West Crocker Formation have led to the detail sedimentolgical analysis of the formation. Eight sedimentary facies have been recognised in which it was divided into three main groups: (1) sand-dominated facies (F1-F2), (2) poorly- sorted unit mixed sand and mud-dominated facies (F3), and (3) mud-dominated facies (F4-F5). These are: F1- graded sandstone (massive to planar laminated), F2-ripple-cross laminated, wavy and convolute lamination sandstone, F3-chaotic beds of mixed sandstone and mudstone blocks and clasts, F4-lenticular bedded of sandstone, and F5-shale. The studies of the formation has come out that it was deposited in a sand-rich submarine fan with specific location located at (1) inner fan channel-levee complex; (2) mid-fan channelised lobes, and (3) outer fan.

Heat-transfer characteristics of flowing and stationary particle-bed-type fusion-reactor blankets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nietert, R.E.

1983-02-01

The following five appendices are included: (1) physical properties of materials, (2) thermal entrance length Nusselt number variations, (3) stationary particle bed temperature variations, (4) falling bed experimental data and calculations, and (5) stationary bed experimental data and calculations. (MOW)

Interpreting Hydraulic Conditions from Morphology, Sedimentology, and Grain Size of Sand Bars in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, D. M.; Topping, D. J.; Schmidt, J. C.; Grams, P. E.; Buscombe, D.; East, A. E.; Wright, S. A.

2015-12-01

During three decades of research on sand bars and sediment transport in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, we have collected unprecedented quantities of data on bar morphology, sedimentary structures, grain size of sand on the riverbed (~40,000 measurements), grain size of sand in flood deposits (dozens of vertical grain-size profiles), and time series of suspended sediment concentration and grain size (more than 3 million measurements using acoustic and laser-diffraction instruments sampling every 15 minutes at several locations). These data, which include measurements of flow and suspended sediment as well as sediment within the deposits, show that grain size within flood deposits generally coarsens or fines proportionally to the grain size of sediment that was in suspension when the beds were deposited. The inverse problem of calculating changing flow conditions from a vertical profile of grain size within a deposit is difficult because at least two processes can cause similar changes. For example, upward coarsening in a deposit can result from either an increase in discharge of the flow (causing coarser sand to be transported to the depositional site), or from winnowing of the upstream supply of sand (causing suspended sand to coarsen because a greater proportion of the bed that is supplying sediment is covered with coarse grains). These two processes can be easy to distinguish where suspended-sediment observations are available: flow-regulated changes cause concentration and grain size of sand in suspension to be positively correlated, whereas changes in supply can cause concentration and grain size of sand in suspension to be negatively correlated. The latter case (supply regulation) is more typical of flood deposits in Grand Canyon.

REACH-SCALE GEOMORPHOLOGY AFFECTS ORGANIC MATTER AND CONSUMER Ä 13C IN A FORESTED PIEDMONT STREAM

EPA Science Inventory

We investigated seasonal (spring, autumn) and spatial variation of stream organic matter and consumer δ 13C in a Piedmont stream. Sites were sampled along a continuum and fit into two geomorphic categories: high-gradient, rock-bed ("rock") or low-gradient, sand-bed...

Alternate Methods of Effluent Disposal for On-Lot Home Sewage Systems. Special Circular 214.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wooding, N. Henry

This circular provides current information for homeowners who must repair or replace existing on-lot sewage disposal systems. Several alternatives such as elevated sand mounds, sand-lined beds and trenches and oversized absorption areas are discussed. Site characteristics and preparation are outlined. Each alternative is accompanied by a diagram…

Limitations for heavy metal release during thermo-chemical treatment of sewage sludge ash

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nowak, Benedikt, E-mail: benedikt.nowak@tuwien.ac.at; Perutka, Libor; Aschenbrenner, Philipp

2011-06-15

Phosphate recycling from sewage sludge can be achieved by heavy metal removal from sewage sludge ash (SSA) producing a fertilizer product: mixing SSA with chloride and treating this mixture (eventually after granulation) in a rotary kiln at 1000 {+-} 100 deg. C leads to the formation of volatile heavy metal compounds that evaporate and to P-phases with high bio-availability. Due to economical and ecological reasons, it is necessary to reduce the energy consumption of this technology. Generally, fluidized bed reactors are characterized by high heat and mass transfer and thus promise the saving of energy. Therefore, a rotary reactor andmore » a fluidized bed reactor (both laboratory-scale and operated in batch mode) are used for the treatment of granulates containing SSA and CaCl{sub 2}. Treatment temperature, residence time and - in case of the fluidized bed reactor - superficial velocity are varied between 800 and 900 deg. C, 10 and 30 min and 3.4 and 4.6 m s{sup -1}. Cd and Pb can be removed well (>95 %) in all experiments. Cu removal ranges from 25% to 84%, for Zn 75-90% are realized. The amount of heavy metals removed increases with increasing temperature and residence time which is most pronounced for Cu. In the pellet, three major reactions occur: formation of HCl and Cl{sub 2} from CaCl{sub 2}; diffusion and reaction of these gases with heavy metal compounds; side reactions from heavy metal compounds with matrix material. Although, heat and mass transfer are higher in the fluidized bed reactor, Pb and Zn removal is slightly better in the rotary reactor. This is due the accelerated migration of formed HCl and Cl{sub 2} out of the pellets into the reactor atmosphere. Cu is apparently limited by the diffusion of its chloride thus the removal is higher in the fluidized bed unit.« less

Subsurface geology of the late Tertiary and Quaternary water-bearing deposits of the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Croft, M.G.

1972-01-01

The study area, which includes about 5,000 square miles of the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley, is a broad structural trough of mostly interior drainage. The Sierra Nevada on the east is composed of consolidated igneous and metamorphic rocks of pre-Tertiary age. The surface of these rocks slopes 4?-6? southwestward from the foothills and underlies the valley. The Coast Ranges on the west consist mostly of complexly folded and faulted consolidated marine and nonmarine sedimentary rocks of Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary age, which dip eastward and overlie the basement complex. Unconsolidated deposits, of late Pliocene to Holocene age, blanket the underlying consolidated rocks in the valley and are the source of most of the fresh ground water. The unconsolidated deposits, the subject of this report, are divided into informal stratigraphic units on the basis of source of sediment, environment of deposition, and texture. Flood-basin, lacustrine, and marsh deposits are fine grained and underlie the valley trough. They range in age from late Pliocene to Holocene. These deposits, consisting of nearly impermeable gypsiferous fine sand, silt, and clay, are more than 3,000 feet thick beneath parts of Tulare Lake bed. In other parts of the trough, flood-basin, lacustrine, and marsh deposits branch into clayey or silty clay tongues designated by the letter symbols A to F. Three of these tongues, the E, C, and A clays, lie beneath large areas of the southern part of the valley. The E clay includes the Corcoran Clay Member of the Tulare Formation, the most extensive hydrologic confining layer in the valley. The E clay underlies about 3,500 square miles of bottom land and western slopes. The beds generally are dark-greenish-gray mostly diatomaceous silty clay of Pleistocene age. Marginally, the unit bifurcates into an upper and a lower stratum that contains thin beds of moderately yellowish-brown silt and sand. The E clay is warped into broad, gentle northwesterly trending anticlines and synclines. The C clay, of Pleistocene age, is a fine-grained lacustrine or paludal deposit occurring 220-300 feet beneath Tulare Lake bed and parts of Fresno Slough. The beds consist of bluish-gray silty clay. Structural contours indicate that the C clay has been extensively warped and folded. The A clay of Pleistocene and Holocene (?) age is a fine-grained lacustrine or paludal deposit occurring 10-60 feet beneath Buena Vista, Kern, and Tulare Lake beds, and parts of Fresno Slough. The clay is mainly blue or dark greenish gray, plastic, and highly organic. In some areas the unit is separated into an upper and a lower stratum by several feet of sand. A radiocarbon date of 26,780 ? 600 years was obtained from wood cored 3 feet beneath the clay. Continental deposits are arkosic beds of late Pliocene and Pleistocene (?) age and were derived from the Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, and San Emigdio Mountains. In places, a reduced-oxidized contact transgresses the deposits derived from the Sierra Nevada. The reduced deposits consist of moderately permeable bluish-green or bluish-gray fine to medium sand, silt, and clay. The oxidized deposits consist mainly of poorly permeable yellowish-brown silt and fine sand. Deposits derived from the Tehachapi and the San Emigdio Mountains consist of poorly to moderately permeable yellowish-brown sand and silt. Continental and alluvial deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that were derived from the Coast Ranges consist mainly of poorly to moderately permeable yellowish-brown gravel, sand, silt, and clay. They include the Tulare Formation and overlying alluvial deposits. Alluvium is composed of coarse arkosic deposits derived from the Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, and San Emigdio Mountains. A reduced-oxidized contact also transgresses the alluvial deposits derived from the Sierra Nevada. The oxidized deposits consist of poorly to highly permeable yellowish-brown gravel, sand, silt, and clay. The reduc

Biofilm reactors for industrial bioconversion processes: employing potential of enhanced reaction rates

PubMed Central

Qureshi, Nasib; Annous, Bassam A; Ezeji, Thaddeus C; Karcher, Patrick; Maddox, Ian S

2005-01-01

This article describes the use of biofilm reactors for the production of various chemicals by fermentation and wastewater treatment. Biofilm formation is a natural process where microbial cells attach to the support (adsorbent) or form flocs/aggregates (also called granules) without use of chemicals and form thick layers of cells known as "biofilms." As a result of biofilm formation, cell densities in the reactor increase and cell concentrations as high as 74 gL-1 can be achieved. The reactor configurations can be as simple as a batch reactor, continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), packed bed reactor (PBR), fluidized bed reactor (FBR), airlift reactor (ALR), upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, or any other suitable configuration. In UASB granular biofilm particles are used. This article demonstrates that reactor productivities in these reactors have been superior to any other reactor types. This article describes production of ethanol, butanol, lactic acid, acetic acid/vinegar, succinic acid, and fumaric acid in addition to wastewater treatment in the biofilm reactors. As the title suggests, biofilm reactors have high potential to be employed in biotechnology/bioconversion industry for viable economic reasons. In this article, various reactor types have been compared for the above bioconversion processes. PMID:16122390

Bed material agglomeration during fluidized bed combustion. Technical progress report, 1 July, 1993--30 September, 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, R.C.; Dawson, M.R.; Noble, S.D.

Agglomerates formed in laboratory coal combustion tests were analyzed to determine the chemical and mineral reactions which lead to the cohesion of bed particles. Combustion tests were conducted at 75, 90, 100, and 120% theoretical air values. The test at 75% theoretical air resulted in the formation of bed agglomerates within 30 minutes. Agglomerates which formed at the lower theoretical air values were compared to unagglomerated bed samples by X-ray diffraction analyses. Polished thin sections of the agglomerates were made for optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results of these analyses indicate there were, in a broad sense, two typesmore » of mineralogic reactions which lead to the cohesion of bed particles in the agglomerates. One mechanism of cohesion resulted from the melting of bed particles to form a viscous material which bridged other bed particles. Based on the chemical composition of the glass (which resulted from the melt), this material was probably derived from aluminosilicate minerals in the sand bed or from clays within the coal. Because of the high iron content in these glasses (4 to 5 wt%), it is likely that iron pyrites in the coal were involved in fluxing reactions. In addition, MgO appears to be relatively high in the glasses. It is suspected that Ca-Mg carbonates (dolomite) from the bed sand are also involved in mineralogic reactions with the aluminosilicate melt. The second type of mineralogic reaction appears to be a reaction involving calcium and magnesium with other bed particles and with the aluminosilicate melt to form new mineral phases. Although the composition of these phases is somewhat variable, some resemble single-chain silicates or pyroxenes.« less

Enhanced stability of steep channel beds to mass failure and debris flow initiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prancevic, J.; Lamb, M. P.; Ayoub, F.; Venditti, J. G.

2015-12-01

Debris flows dominate bedrock erosion and sediment transport in very steep mountain channels, and are often initiated from failure of channel-bed alluvium during storms. While several theoretical models exist to predict mass failures, few have been tested because observations of in-channel bed failures are extremely limited. To fill this gap in our understanding, we performed laboratory flume experiments to identify the conditions necessary to initiate bed failures in non-cohesive sediment of different sizes (D = 0.7 mm to 15 mm) on steep channel-bed slopes (S = 0.45 to 0.93) and in the presence of water flow. In beds composed of sand, failures occurred under sub-saturated conditions on steep bed slopes (S > 0.5) and under super-saturated conditions at lower slopes. In beds of gravel, however, failures occurred only under super-saturated conditions at all tested slopes, even those approaching the dry angle of repose. Consistent with theoretical models, mass failures under super-saturated conditions initiated along a failure plane approximately one grain-diameter below the bed surface, whereas the failure plane was located near the base of the bed under sub-saturated conditions. However, all experimental beds were more stable than predicted by 1-D infinite-slope stability models. In partially saturated sand, enhanced stability appears to result from suction stress. Enhanced stability in gravel may result from turbulent energy losses in pores or increased granular friction for failures that are shallow with respect to grain size. These grain-size dependent effects are not currently included in stability models for non-cohesive sediment, and they may help to explain better the timing and location of debris flow occurrence.

Bedform dynamics in a large sand-bedded river using multibeam echo sounding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, C. M.; Jacobson, R. B.; Erwin, S.; Eric, A. B.; DeLonay, A. J.

2014-12-01

High-resolution repeat multibeam Echo Sounder (MBES) surveys of the Lower Missouri River in Missouri, USA demonstrate sand bedform movement at a variety of scales over a range of discharges. Understanding dune transport rates and the temporal and spatial variability in sizes across the channel has implications for how sediment transport measurements are made and for understanding the dynamics of habitats utilized by benthic organisms over a range of life stages. Nearly 800 miles of the Lower Missouri River has been altered through channelization and bank stabilization that began in the early 1900's for navigation purposes. Channelization of the Lower Missouri River has created a self-scouring navigation channel with large dunes that migrate downstream over a wide range of discharges. Until the use of MBES surveys on the Missouri River the spatial variability of dune forms in the Missouri River navigation channel was poorly understood. MBES surveys allow for visualization of a range of sand bedforms and repeat measurements demonstrate that dunes are moving over a wide range of discharges on the river. Understanding the spatial variability of dunes and dune movement across the channel and in different channel settings (bends, channel cross-overs, near channel structures) will inform emerging methods in sediment transport measurement that use bedform differencing calculations and provide context for physical bedload sediment sampling on large sand-bedded rivers. Multiple benthic fish species of interest including the endangered pallid sturgeon utilize Missouri River dune fields and adjacent regions for migration, feeding, spawning, early development and dispersal. Surveys using MBES and other hydroacoustic tools provide fisheries biologists with broad new insights into the functionality of bedforms as habitat for critical life stages of large river fish species in the Missouri River, and similar sand-bedded systems.

Modeling of Grain Size Distribution of Tsunami Sand Deposits in V-shaped Valley of Numanohama During the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusman, A. R.; Satake, K.; Goto, T.; Takahashi, T.

2016-12-01

Estimating tsunami amplitude from tsunami sand deposit has been a challenge. The grain size distribution of tsunami sand deposit may have correlation with tsunami inundation process, and further with its source characteristics. In order to test this hypothesis, we need a tsunami sediment transport model that can accurately estimate grain size distribution of tsunami deposit. Here, we built and validate a tsunami sediment transport model that can simulate grain size distribution. Our numerical model has three layers which are suspended load layer, active bed layer, and parent bed layer. The two bed layers contain information about the grain size distribution. This numerical model can handle a wide range of grain sizes from 0.063 (4 ϕ) to 5.657 mm (-2.5 ϕ). We apply the numerical model to simulate the sedimentation process during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Numanohama, Iwate prefecture, Japan. The grain size distributions at 15 sample points along a 900 m transect from the beach are used to validate the tsunami sediment transport model. The tsunami deposits are dominated by coarse sand with diameter of 0.5 - 1 mm and their thickness are up to 25 cm. Our tsunami model can well reproduce the observed tsunami run-ups that are ranged from 16 to 34 m along the steep valley in Numanohama. The shapes of the simulated grain size distributions at many sample points located within 300 m from the shoreline are similar to the observations. The differences between observed and simulated peak of grain size distributions are less than 1 ϕ. Our result also shows that the simulated sand thickness distribution along the transect is consistent with the observation.

Preliminary CFD study of Pebble Size and its Effect on Heat Transfer in a Pebble Bed Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Andrew; Enriquez, Christian; Spangler, Julian; Yee, Tein; Park, Jungkyu; Farfan, Eduardo

2017-11-01

In pebble bed reactors, the typical pebble diameter used is 6cm, and within each pebble is are thousands of nuclear fuel kernels. However, efficiency of the reactor does not solely depend on the number of kernels of fuel within each graphite sphere, but also depends on the type and motion of the coolant within the voids between the spheres and the reactor itself. In this work a physical analysis of the pebble bed nuclear reactor's fluid dynamics is undertaken using Computational Fluid Dynamics software. The primary goal of this work is to observe the relationship between the different pebble diameters in an idealized alignment and the thermal transport efficiency of the reactor. The model constructed of our idealized argument will consist on stacked 8 pebble columns that fixed at the inlet on the reactor. Two different pebble sizes 4 cm and 6 cm will be studied and helium will be supplied as coolant with a fixed flow rate of 96 kg/s, also a fixed pebble surface temperatures will be used. Comparison will then be made to evaluate the efficiency of coolant to transport heat due to the varying sizes of the pebbles. Assistant Professor for the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering PhD.

Microbial community dynamics and biogas production from manure fractions in sludge bed anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Nordgård, A S R; Bergland, W H; Bakke, R; Vadstein, O; Østgaard, K; Bakke, I

2015-12-01

To elucidate how granular sludge inoculum and particle-rich organic loading affect the structure of the microbial communities and process performance in upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors. We investigated four reactors run on dairy manure filtrate and four on pig manure supernatant for three months achieving similar methane yields. The reactors fed with less particle rich pig manure stabilized faster and had highest capacity. Microbial community dynamics analysed by a PCR/denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis approach showed that influent was a major determinant for the composition of the reactor communities. Comparisons of pre- and non-adapted inoculum in the reactors run on pig manure supernatant showed that the community structure of the nonadapted inoculum adapted in approximately two months. Microbiota variance partitioning analysis revealed that running time, organic loading rate and inoculum together explained 26 and 31% of the variance in bacterial and archaeal communities respectively. The microbial communities of UASBs adapted to the reactor conditions in treatment of particle rich manure fractions, obtaining high capacity, especially on pig manure supernatant. These findings provide relevant insight into the microbial community dynamics in startup and operation of sludge bed reactors for methane production from slurry fractions, a major potential source of biogas. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Biological production of ethanol from coal. Task 4 report, Continuous reactor studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The production of ethanol from synthesis gas by the anaerobic bacterium C. ljungdahlii has been demonstrated in continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs), CSTRs with cell recycle and trickle bed reactors. Various liquid media were utilized in these studies including basal medium, basal media with 1/2 B-vitamins and no yeast extract and a medium specifically designed for the growth of C. ljungdahlii in the CSTR. Ethanol production was successful in each of the three reactor types, although trickle bed operation with C. ljungdahlii was not as good as with the stirred tank reactors. Operation in the CSTR with cell recycle wasmore » particularly promising, producing 47 g/L ethanol with only minor concentrations of the by-product acetate.« less

Bentonite deposits of the northern Black Hills district, Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knechtel, Maxwell M.; Patterson, Sam H.

1962-01-01

The northern Black Hills bentonite mining district includes parts of Crook County, Wyo., Carter County, Mont., and Butte County, S. Dak. Within this district, many beds of bentonite occur interspersed with sedimentary strata of Cretaceous age that have an average total thickness of about 3,000 feet and consist chiefly of marine shale, marl, and argillaceous sandstone. The bentonite beds occur in formations ranging upward from the Newcastle sandstone to the lower part of the Mitten black shale member of the Pierre shale. Tertiary (?) and Quaternary deposits of gravel, sand, and silt are present on extensive terraces, and deposits of such materials also extend along stream courses in all parts of the district. The overall geologic structure of the district is that of a broad northwestward- plunging anticline, in which the strata dip gently toward the northeast, north, and northwest. The overall structure is interrupted, however, by several subordinate folds which bring the bentonite beds to the surface repeatedly, so that large resources of bentonite are present under light overburden. The northern Black Hills district is an important source of commercial gel-forming sodium-type bentonite. During the period 1941-56 more than 5 million tons of raw bentonite was mined, most of which came from the Clay Spur bed near the top of the Mowry shale; a few thousand tons was mined from bed A in the Newcastle sandstone. Calcium-type bentonite occurs in bed B in the Mowry shale and in bed I at the base of the Mitten black shale member. Seven other beds are sufficiently thick and continuous to warrant consideration as prospective sources of bentonite for industrial use. Most of the bentonite produced is sold for use (a) as an ingredient of drilling mud; (b) for preparing metallurgical molding sand of superior dry strength; and (c) for the bonding material used in pelletizing taconite iron ore of the Lake Superior region. The results of drilling-mud and foundry-sand bonding-clay tests of several hundred samples, as well as analyses of selected samples, chiefly by X-ray, differential thermal, base exchange and spectrographic methods, are included in this report.

Fluidized bed coal desulfurization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ravindram, M.

1983-01-01

Laboratory scale experiments were conducted on two high volatile bituminous coals in a bench scale batch fluidized bed reactor. Chemical pretreatment and posttreatment of coals were tried as a means of enhancing desulfurization. Sequential chlorination and dechlorination cum hydrodesulfurization under modest conditions relative to the water slurry process were found to result in substantial sulfur reductions of about 80%. Sulfur forms as well as proximate and ultimate analyses of the processed coals are included. These studies indicate that a fluidized bed reactor process has considerable potential for being developed into a simple and economic process for coal desulfurization.

Modern Estuarine Sedimentation in Suisun Bay, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, J. L.; Orzech, K.; Anima, R. J.; Jaffe, B.

2002-12-01

Suisun Bay is the northeasternmost part of San Francisco Bay (California), the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Suisun Bay's geographic and morphologic position are unique in that it occupies the head of the estuary and is subject to the maximum freshwater inflow and sediment input of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers, whose drainage basin covers 40% of the land area of California. Suisun Bay consists of two smaller subembayments, Grizzly and Honker Bays. Gravity cores obtained in 1990-1991 and 1999 were analyzed to delineate depositional environments and sedimentation patterns in Suisun Bay. Major depositional environments include: tidal channel (subtidal), tidal channel banks (subtidal), tidal flat (intertidal to subtidal), and bay mouth (subtidal). The tidal channel environment includes both large and small channels in Suisun Bay as well as the tidal sloughs Suisun and Montezuma Sloughs. The coarsest sediment, usually sand or muddy sand, characterize this environment and water depths range from 2 to 11 m. Thin (1-2 mm) and discontinuous silt and clay laminae are common. Suisun and Montezuma Sloughs are the exception to this pattern in that they consist of massive, intensely bioturbated muds. Tidal channel banks (both "cut" and "accretionary" channel margins), particularly accretionary banks, are characterized by low-to-moderate bioturbation and sandy mud to muddy sand lithology. Typically alternating sand and mud beds (1-6 cm thick) are present; both types of beds consist of 1mm to 1cm thick subhorizontal to inclined laminae. Laminae composed of organic detritus are also present. Where this environment is transitional with the tidal flat environment water depths range from 2-8 m. Tidal flat environments include the "sand" shoals present on bathymetry charts, and are typically a bioturbated muddy sand to sandy mud. Sand and mud beds, 1-3 cm thick, are often characterized by very fine 1-2 mm thick silt and mud laminae. Water depths range from 2 to 4.5 m where these laminated tidal flat sediments occur. Bay mouth environments occur only in the distal portions of Grizzly and Honker Bays, subembayments of Suisun Bay proper. This environment is transitional with both tidal channel bank and tidal flat environments and shares characteristics with each. Massive to interbedded mud is the most common lithology, although sandy mud to muddy sand also occurs. Centimeters thick sand and mud beds typically alternate vertically. Bioturbation is low to moderate. Water depths over this environment range from 2 to 3 m. Depositional environments present in Suisun Bay are the result of a full range of tidal and fluvial processes as shown by the lithologies and alternating sediment stratigraphic patterns observed in cores. Very thin beds and intense bioturbation evidence intervals of very slow to negligible sedimentation. Rapid deposition and/or resuspension are evidenced by thick sediment intervals and by laminae that are continuous and apparently unbioturbated. Very fine scale sedimentation that may represent individual ebb and flood events as well as longer term seasonal sedimentation patterns are also present. An additional observation is that almost a quarter of the gravity cores reveal that modern estuarine deposits overlie an erosional surface that separate them from an organic-rich mud. This organic-rich mud, in one core to date, has been radiocarbon dated at roughly 4500 yrs. B.P. (J.Chin and K. Orzech, 2002, unpublished data). The organic-rich mud is interpreted as a tidal marsh deposit that pre-dates the present tidal marshes occurring in Suisun Bay.

The Effects of Dams on Downstream Channel Characteristics in Pennsylvania and Maryland: Assessing the Potential Consequences of Dam Removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skalak, K. J.; Pizzuto, J. E.; Jenkins, P.

2003-12-01

The potential downstream effects of dam removal were assessed on fifteen sites of varying dam size and characteristics in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The dams ranged in size from a 30 cm high fish weir to a water supply dam 57 m high. Stream order ranged from 1 to 4. The dams are located in watersheds with varying degrees of human disturbance and urbanization. The dams are also operated differently, with significant consequences for hydraulic residence time and downstream flow variability. Most streams were alluvial, but 6 of the reaches were clearly bedrock channels. We hypothesize that the channel upstream, which is unaffected by the dam, will provide an accurate model for the channel downstream of the dam long after dam removal. Therefore, reaches upstream and downstream of the dam were compared to determine the effects of the dam as well as the condition of the stream that will ultimately develop decades after dam removal. Surprisingly, the dams had no consistent influence on channel morphology. However, the percentage of sand is significantly lower downstream than upstream: the mean % sand downstream is 11.47%, while the mean % sand upstream is 21.39%. The coarser fractions of the bed, as represented by the 84th percentile grain diameter, are unaffected by the presence of the dam. These results imply that decades after dam removal, the percentage of sand on the bed will increase, but the coarse fraction of the bed will remain relatively unchanged.

Effects of intermittent aeration periods on a structured-bed reactor continuously fed on the post-treatment of sewage anaerobic effluent.

PubMed

Silva, Bruno Garcia; Damianovic, Márcia Helena Rissato Zamariolli; Foresti, Eugenio

2018-04-20

This study assessed the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification processes and remaining organic matter removal from anaerobic reactor effluent treating wastewater in a single reactor. A structured-bed reactor, with polyurethane foam as support media, was subjected to intermittent aeration and effluent recirculation. Aerated/non-aerated periods varied in the range of 2/1-1/3 h. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the effluent remained between 26 and 42 mg L -1 throughout all the aeration conditions. Aeration periods of 1/2 h removed 80 and 26% of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen and Total Nitrogen, respectively. A low solid production was observed during the 300 days of operation, resulting in a solid retention time of 139 days. The results indicate that the non-aerated periods generated alkalinity that favored nitrification, maintaining low COD concentrations in the effluent. The structured bed reactor presented a low solid production and effluent loss below 20 mgSSV L -1 , similar to concentrations obtained in secondary decanters.

Behavior of nitrogen removal in an aerobic sponge based moving bed biofilm reactor.

PubMed

Zhang, Xinbo; Song, Zi; Guo, Wenshan; Lu, Yanmin; Qi, Li; Wen, Haitao; Ngo, Huu Hao

2017-12-01

This study aims to investigate the behavior of nitrogen removal in an aerobic sponge based moving bed biofilm reactor by evaluating nitrification and denitrification rates of sponge biocarriers from three aerobic moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) with filling ratios of 10% (R-10), 20% (R-20) and 30% (R-30). Results showed that the highest removal efficiencies of total nitrogen in three reactors were 84.5% (R-10), 93.6% (R-20) and 95.3% (R-30). Correspondingly, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification rate (SND) was 90.9%, 97.6% and 100%, respectively. Although R-20 had the highest attached-growth biomass (AGB) per gram of sponge compared to the other two reactors, R-30 showed the maximum ammonium oxidation rate (AOR) (2.1826±0.0717mgNH 4 + -N/gAGB/h) and denitrification rate (DNR) (5.0852±0.0891mgNO 3 - -N/gAGB/h), followed by R-20 and R-10. These results indicated AOR, DNR and AGB were affected by the filling ratio under the same operation mode. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flows Through Packed Bed Reactors in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motil, Brian J.; Balakotaiah, Vemuri

2001-01-01

The simultaneous flow of gas and liquid through a fixed bed of particles occurs in many unit operations of interest to the designers of space-based as well as terrestrial equipment. Examples include separation columns, gas-liquid reactors, humidification, drying, extraction, and leaching. These operations are critical to a wide variety of industries such as petroleum, pharmaceutical, mining, biological, and chemical. NASA recognizes that similar operations will need to be performed in space and on planetary bodies such as Mars if we are to achieve our goals of human exploration and the development of space. The goal of this research is to understand how to apply our current understanding of two-phase fluid flow through fixed-bed reactors to zero- or partial-gravity environments. Previous experiments by NASA have shown that reactors designed to work on Earth do not necessarily function in a similar manner in space. Two experiments, the Water Processor Assembly and the Volatile Removal Assembly have encountered difficulties in predicting and controlling the distribution of the phases (a crucial element in the operation of this type of reactor) as well as the overall pressure drop.

Modeling fixed and fluidized reactors for cassava starch Saccharification with immobilized enzyme

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zanin, G.M.; De Moraes, F.F.

1997-12-31

Cassava starch saccharification in fixed-and fluidized-bed reactors using immobilized enzyme was modeled in a previous paper using a simple model in which all dextrins were grouped in a single substrate. In that case, although good fit of the model to experimental data was obtained, physical inconsistency appeared as negative kinetic constants. In this work, a multisubstrate model, developed earlier for saccharification with free enzyme, is adapted for immobilized enzyme. This latter model takes into account the formation of intermediate substrates, which are dextrins competing for the catalytic site of the enzyme, reversibility of some reactions, inhibition by substrate and product,more » and the formation of isomaltose. Kinetic parameters to be used with this model were obtained from initial velocity saccharification tests using the immobilized enzyme and different liquefied starch concentrations. The new model was found to be valid for modeling both fixed- and fluidized-bed reactors. It did not present inconsistencies as the earlier one had and has shown that apparent glucose inhibition is about seven times higher in the fixed-bed than in fluidized-bed reactor. 13 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.« less

The application of moving bed biofilm reactor to denitrification process after trickling filters.

PubMed

Kopec, Lukasz; Drewnowski, Jakub; Kopec, Adam

2016-12-01

The paper presents research of a prototype moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). The device was used for the post-denitrification process and was installed at the end of a technological system consisting of a septic tank and two trickling filters. The concentrations of suspended biomass and biomass attached on the EvU Perl moving bed surface were determined. The impact of the external organic carbon concentration on the denitrification rate and efficiency of total nitrogen removal was also examined. The study showed that the greater part of the biomass was in the suspended form and only 6% of the total biomass was attached to the surface of the moving bed. Abrasion forces between carriers of the moving bed caused the fast stripping of attached microorganisms and formation of flocs. Thanks to immobilization of a small amount of biomass, the MBBR was less prone to leaching of the biomass and the occurrence of scum and swelling sludge. It was revealed that the maximum rate of denitrification was an average of 0.73 gN-NO 3 /gDM·d (DM: dry matter), and was achieved when the reactor was maintained in external organic carbon concentration exceeding 300 mgO 2 /dm 3 chemical oxygen demand. The reactor proved to be an effective device enabling the increase of total nitrogen removal from 53.5% to 86.0%.

A study on cow comfort and risk for lameness and mastitis in relation to different types of bedding materials.

PubMed

van Gastelen, S; Westerlaan, B; Houwers, D J; van Eerdenburg, F J C M

2011-10-01

The aim was to obtain data regarding the effects of 4 freestall bedding materials (i.e., box compost, sand, horse manure, and foam mattresses) on cow comfort and risks for lameness and mastitis. The comfort of freestalls was measured by analyzing the way cows entered the stalls, the duration and smoothness of the descent movement, and the duration of the lying bout. The cleanliness of the cows was evaluated on 3 different body parts: (1) udder, (2) flank, and (3) lower rear legs, and the bacteriological counts of the bedding materials were determined. The combination of the cleanliness of the cows and the bacteriological count of the bedding material provided an estimate of the risk to which dairy cows are exposed in terms of intramammary infections. The results of the hock assessment revealed that the percentage of cows with healthy hocks was lower (20.5 ± 6.7), the percentage of cows with both damaged and swollen hocks was higher (26.8 ± 3.2), and the severity of the damaged hock was higher (2.32 ± 0.17) on farms using foam mattresses compared with deep litter materials [i.e., box compost (64.0 ± 10.4, 3.5 ± 4.7, 1.85 ± 0.23, respectively), sand (54.6 ± 8.2, 2.0 ± 2.8, 1.91 ± 0.09, respectively), and horse manure (54.6 ± 4.5, 5.5 ± 5.4, 1.85 ± 0.17, respectively)]. In addition, cows needed more time to lie down (140.2 ± 84.2s) on farms using foam mattresses compared with the deep litter materials sand and horse manure (sand: 50.1 ± 31.6s, horse manure: 32.9 ± 0.8s). Furthermore, the duration of the lying bout was shorter (47.9 ± 7.4 min) on farms using foam mattresses compared to sand (92.0 ± 12.9 min). These results indicate that deep litter materials provide a more comfortable lying surface compared with foam mattresses. The 3 deep litter bedding materials differed in relation to each other in terms of comfort and their estimate of risk to which cows were exposed in terms of intramammary infections [box compost: 17.8 cfu (1.0(4)) ± 19.4/g; sand: 1.2 cfu (1.0(4)) ± 1.6/g; horse manure: 110.5 cfu (1.0(4)) ± 86.3/g]. Box compost had a low gram-negative bacterial count compared with horse manure, and was associated with less hock injury compared with foam mattresses, but did not improve lying behavior (lying descent duration: 75.6 ± 38.8s, lying bout duration: 46.1 ± 18.5 min). Overall, sand provided the best results, with a comfortable lying surface and a low bacterial count. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of flow parallel and flow transverse bedforms in Fehmarn Belt (SW Baltic Sea) related to the local palaeomorphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldens, P.; Diesing, M.; Schwarzer, K.; Heinrich, C.; Schlenz, B.

2015-02-01

This study describes the spatial distribution of flow-parallel sand ribbons and flow-transverse large and very large subaqueous dunes in the south-western Baltic Sea offshore Fehmarn Island between 13 m and 20 m water depth, based on hydroacoustic and grain size data. The system of sand ribbons and dunes is intermittently active due to currents induced during major inflows of the North Sea water into the Baltic Sea. The sand ribbons are located on a lag deposit on top of glacial till, while the dunes rest on top of drowned Holocene nearshore deposits. The sand ribbons reach heights between 0.4 m and 0.6 m, with widths varying between 60 m and several hundreds of metres. The observed dunes have heights between 0.09 m and 2.35 m, while their wavelengths range from 17 m to 120 m. Offshore Fehmarn Island, the transition from sand ribbons to dunes is most likely linked to a contrast in sediment supply, as reworked drowned nearshore deposits provide sediment available for transport in significantly larger amounts than glacial till. Similar to an earlier approach for river bed states, the dimensionless thickness of sediment available for transport is able to differentiate between the bed states.

Mineral resource potential map of the Savannah Roadless Area, Liberty County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patterson, Sam H.; Schmidt, Walter; Crandall, Thomas M.

1982-01-01

The Savannah Roadless Area is underlain by sedimentary rocks having low potential for oil and gas and minerals. The low potential for oil or gas notwithstanding, the possibilities for discovery cannot be ruled out because the area and nearby lands have not been thoroughly explored. No minerals have been mined within the Savannah Roadless Area, and the only production nearby has been the digging of clayey sand used in stabilizing U.S. Forest Service roads. Fuller's earth, quartz sand and gravel, clayey sand, and common clay presently are produced elsewhere in the region, and limestone and peat have been produced in the past. No clay suitable for structural clay products or fuller's earth is present in the roadless area; however, a bed of quartz sand and gravel of excellent quality was penetrated at a depth interval of 37-50 ft by one drill hole. Although this bed is coarser grained-and therefore is more suitable for many uses-than the sand deposits worked elsewhere in the Big Bend region, its mineral resource potential is reduced by the thickness of overburden above it and by its distance from markets in population centers. The Apalachicola National Forest has been explored for phosphate and reconnoitered for heavy minerals, but no valuable deposits of either have been found.

Development of a Reactor Model for Chemical Conversion of Lunar Regolith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hegde, U.; Balasubramaniam, R.; Gokoglu, S.

2009-01-01

Lunar regolith will be used for a variety of purposes such as oxygen and propellant production and manufacture of various materials. The design and development of chemical conversion reactors for processing lunar regolith will require an understanding of the coupling among the chemical, mass and energy transport processes occurring at the length and time scales of the overall reactor with those occurring at the corresponding scales of the regolith particles. To this end, a coupled transport model is developed using, as an example, the reduction of ilmenite-containing regolith by a continuous flow of hydrogen in a flow-through reactor. The ilmenite conversion occurs on the surface and within the regolith particles. As the ilmenite reduction proceeds, the hydrogen in the reactor is consumed, and this, in turn, affects the conversion rate of the ilmenite in the particles. Several important quantities are identified as a result of the analysis. Reactor scale parameters include the void fraction (i.e., the fraction of the reactor volume not occupied by the regolith particles) and the residence time of hydrogen in the reactor. Particle scale quantities include the time for hydrogen to diffuse into the pores of the regolith particles and the chemical reaction time. The paper investigates the relationships between these quantities and their impact on the regolith conversion. Application of the model to various chemical reactor types, such as fluidized-bed, packed-bed, and rotary-bed configurations, are discussed.

Development of a Reactor Model for Chemical Conversion of Lunar Regolith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hedge, uday; Balasubramaniam, R.; Gokoglu, S.

2007-01-01

Lunar regolith will be used for a variety of purposes such as oxygen and propellant production and manufacture of various materials. The design and development of chemical conversion reactors for processing lunar regolith will require an understanding of the coupling among the chemical, mass and energy transport processes occurring at the length and time scales of the overall reactor with those occurring at the corresponding scales of the regolith particles. To this end, a coupled transport model is developed using, as an example, the reduction of ilmenite-containing regolith by a continuous flow of hydrogen in a flow-through reactor. The ilmenite conversion occurs on the surface and within the regolith particles. As the ilmenite reduction proceeds, the hydrogen in the reactor is consumed, and this, in turn, affects the conversion rate of the ilmenite in the particles. Several important quantities are identified as a result of the analysis. Reactor scale parameters include the void fraction (i.e., the fraction of the reactor volume not occupied by the regolith particles) and the residence time of hydrogen in the reactor. Particle scale quantities include the time for hydrogen to diffuse into the pores of the regolith particles and the chemical reaction time. The paper investigates the relationships between these quantities and their impact on the regolith conversion. Application of the model to various chemical reactor types, such as fluidized-bed, packed-bed, and rotary-bed configurations, are discussed.

Hydraulic experiment on formation mechanism of tsunami deposit and verification of sediment transport model for tsunamis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, A.; Takahashi, T.; Harada, K.; Sakuraba, M.; Nojima, K.

2017-12-01

An underestimation of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami caused serious damage in coastal area. Reconsideration for tsunami estimation needs knowledge of paleo tsunamis. The historical records of giant tsunamis are limited, because they had occurred infrequently. Tsunami deposits may include many of tsunami records and are expected to analyze paleo tsunamis. However, present research on tsunami deposits are not able to estimate the tsunami source and its magnitude. Furthermore, numerical models of tsunami and its sediment transport are also important. Takahashi et al. (1999) proposed a model of movable bed condition due to tsunamis, although it has some issues. Improvement of the model needs basic data on sediment transport and deposition. This study investigated the formation mechanism of tsunami deposit by hydraulic experiment using a two-dimensional water channel with slope. In a fixed bed condition experiment, velocity, water level and suspended load concentration were measured at many points. In a movable bed condition, effects of sand grains and bore wave on the deposit were examined. Yamamoto et al. (2016) showed deposition range varied with sand grain sizes. In addition, it is revealed that the range fluctuated by number of waves and wave period. The measurements of velocity and water level showed that flow was clearly different near shoreline and in run-up area. Large velocity by return flow was affected the amount of sand deposit near shoreline. When a cutoff wall was installed on the slope, the amount of sand deposit repeatedly increased and decreased. Especially, sand deposit increased where velocity decreased. Takahashi et al. (1999) adapted the proposed model into Kesennuma bay when the 1960 Chilean tsunami arrived, although the amount of sand transportation was underestimated. The cause of the underestimation is inferred that the velocity of this model was underestimated. A relationship between velocity and sediment transport has to be studied in detail, but observation of velocity in Kesennnuma bay had a low accuracy. On the other hand, this hydraulic experiment measured accurate velocity and sand deposition distribution of various condition. Based on these data, we tried more accurate verification of the model of Takahashi et al. (1999).

sts003-010-613

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-24

STS003-010-613 (22-30 March 1982) --- A truly remarkable view of White Sands and the nearby Carrizozo Lava Beds in southeast NM (33.5N, 106.5W). White Sands, site of the WW II atomic bomb development and testing facility and later post war nuclear weapons testing that can still be seen in the cleared circular patterns on the ground. Space shuttle Columbia (STS-3), this mission, landed at the White Sands alternate landing site because of bad weather at Edwards AFB, CA. Photo credit: NASA

Stormwater infiltration and surface runoff pollution reduction performance of permeable pavement layers.

PubMed

Niu, Zhi-Guang; Lv, Zhi-Wei; Zhang, Ying; Cui, Zhen-Zhen

2016-02-01

In this paper, the laboratory-scale permeable pavement layers, including a surface permeable brick layer, coarse sand bedding layers (thicknesses = 2, 3.5, and 5 cm), and single-graded gravel sub-base layers (thicknesses = 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm), were built to evaluate stormwater infiltration and surface runoff pollution reduction performance. And, the infiltration rate (I) and concentrations of suspended solids (SS), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, and total nitrogen (TN) were measured under the simulated rainfall intensity of 72.4 mm/h over duration of 60 min. The results indicate that the thickness factor primarily influences the infiltration rate and pollutant removal rate. The highest steady infiltration rate was for surface brick layer 51.0 mm/h, for 5-cm sand bedding layer 32.3 mm/h, and for 30-cm gravel sub-base layer 42.3 mm/h, respectively. The SS average removal rate was relative higher (79.8 ∼ 98.6 %) for all layers due to the interception and filtration. The average removal rates of TP and COD were for surface layer 71.2 and 24.1 %, for 5-cm bedding layer 54.8 and 9.0 %, and for 20-cm sub-base layer 72.2 and 26.1 %. Ammonia nitrogen and TN cannot steadily be removed by layers according to the experiment results. The optimal thickness of bedding sands was 5 cm, and that of sub-base gravels was 20 ∼ 30 cm.

Preferences of lame cows for type of surface and level of social contact in hospital pens.

PubMed

Jensen, M B; Herskin, M S; Thomsen, P T; Forkman, B; Houe, H

2015-07-01

To investigate preferences of lame cows for flooring and level of social contact, 37 lame, lactating dairy cows (diagnosed with sole ulcer or white line disease) were housed individually for 6 d in experimental hospital pens, where they could choose between 2 equally sized areas (6m × 4.5m) with either deep-bedded sand or a rubber surface. On both surfaces, cows could choose between 2 equally sized areas either near or away from heifers in a neighboring group pen. Cows spent more time lying on the deep-bedded sand than on the rubber surface (870 vs. 71min/d), whereas they spent less time upright (standing or walking) on the sand than on the rubber surface (180 vs. 319min/d). In addition, cows spent less time self-grooming on the sand than on the rubber surface (2.2 vs. 4.7% of time spent upright). With regard to level of social contact, cows spent more time near the neighboring heifers than away from them; this was true both while lying (565 vs. 374min/d) and upright (276 vs. 223min/d). Self-grooming was seen significantly more near neighboring heifers than away from them (4.8 vs. 3.3% of time spent upright). When lying, cows more often positioned themselves in areas of the pen where they could maintain visual contact with neighboring heifers. Lame cows with sole ulcers or white line disease preferred deep-bedded sand for lying, and preferred to perform self-grooming while on the rubber surface. Similarly, they preferred to lie and to perform self-grooming while positioned near animals in a neighboring pen. These results suggest that provision of a deep-bedded lying area in hospital pens is important to the welfare of lame cows. We found no evidence of isolation-seeking behavior in animals with these diagnoses (and no systemic symptoms) while they were kept in individual hospital pens. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Drying Beds. Sludge Treatment and Disposal Course #166. Instructor's Guide [and] Student Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klopping, Paul H.

Provided in this lesson is introductory material on sand and surfaced sludge drying beds. Typical construction and operation, proper maintenance, and safety procedures are considered. The lesson includes an instructor's guide and student workbook. The instructor's guide contains a description of the lesson, estimated presentation time,…

Nuclear reactor cooling system decontamination reagent regeneration. [PWR; BWR

DOEpatents

Anstine, L.D.; James, D.B.; Melaika, E.A.; Peterson, J.P. Jr.

1980-06-06

An improved method for decontaminating the coolant system of water-cooled nuclear power reactors and for regenerating the decontamination solution is described. A small amount of one or more weak-acid organic complexing agents is added to the reactor coolant, and the pH is adjusted to form a decontamination solution which is circulated throughout the coolant system to dissolve metal oxides from the interior surfaces and complex the resulting metal ions and radionuclide ions. The coolant containing the complexed metal ions and radionuclide ions is passed through a strong-base anion exchange resin bed which has been presaturated with a solution containing the complexing agents in the same ratio and having the same pH as the decontamination solution. As the decontamination solution passes through the resin bed, metal-complexed anions are exchanged for the metal-ion-free anions on the bed, while metal-ion-free anions in the solution pass through the bed, thus removing the metal ions and regenerating the decontamination solution.

Nuclear reactor cooling system decontamination reagent regeneration

DOEpatents

Anstine, Larry D.; James, Dean B.; Melaika, Edward A.; Peterson, Jr., John P.

1985-01-01

An improved method for decontaminating the coolant system of water-cooled nuclear power reactors and for regenerating the decontamination solution. A small amount of one or more weak-acid organic complexing agents is added to the reactor coolant, and the pH is adjusted to form a decontamination solution which is circulated throughout the coolant system to dissolve metal oxides from the interior surfaces and complex the resulting metal ions and radionuclide ions. The coolant containing the complexed metal ions and radionuclide ions is passed through a strong-base anion exchange resin bed which has been presaturated with a solution containing the complexing agents in the same ratio and having the same pH as the decontamination solution. As the decontamination solution passes through the resin bed, metal-complexed anions are exchanged for the metal-ion-free anions on the bed, while metal-ion-free anions in the solution pass through the bed, thus removing the metal ions and regenerating the decontamination solution.

Design and Analysis of Embedded I&C for a Fully Submerged Magnetically Suspended Impeller Pump

DOE PAGES

Melin, Alexander M.; Kisner, Roger A.

2018-04-03

Improving nuclear reactor power system designs and fuel-processing technologies for safer and more efficient operation requires the development of new component designs. In particular, many of the advanced reactor designs such as the molten salt reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors have operating environments beyond the capability of most currently available commercial components. To address this gap, new cross-cutting technologies need to be developed that will enable design, fabrication, and reliable operation of new classes of reactor components. The Advanced Sensor Initiative of the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies initiative is investigating advanced sensor and control designs that are capable of operatingmore » in these extreme environments. Under this initiative, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been developing embedded instrumentation and control (I&C) for extreme environments. To develop, test, and validate these new sensing and control techniques, ORNL is building a pump test bed that utilizes submerged magnetic bearings to levitate the shaft. The eventual goal is to apply these techniques to a high-temperature (700°C) canned rotor pump that utilizes active magnetic bearings to eliminate the need for mechanical bearings and seals. The technologies will benefit the Next Generation Power Plant, Advanced Reactor Concepts, and Small Modular Reactor programs. In this paper, we will detail the design and analysis of the embedded I&C test bed with submerged magnetic bearings, focusing on the interplay between the different major systems. Then we will analyze the forces on the shaft and their role in the magnetic bearing design. Next, we will develop the radial and thrust bearing geometries needed to meet the operational requirements of the test bed. In conclusion, we will present some initial system identification results to validate the theoretical models of the test bed dynamics.« less

Design and Analysis of Embedded I&C for a Fully Submerged Magnetically Suspended Impeller Pump

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Melin, Alexander M.; Kisner, Roger A.

Improving nuclear reactor power system designs and fuel-processing technologies for safer and more efficient operation requires the development of new component designs. In particular, many of the advanced reactor designs such as the molten salt reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors have operating environments beyond the capability of most currently available commercial components. To address this gap, new cross-cutting technologies need to be developed that will enable design, fabrication, and reliable operation of new classes of reactor components. The Advanced Sensor Initiative of the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies initiative is investigating advanced sensor and control designs that are capable of operatingmore » in these extreme environments. Under this initiative, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been developing embedded instrumentation and control (I&C) for extreme environments. To develop, test, and validate these new sensing and control techniques, ORNL is building a pump test bed that utilizes submerged magnetic bearings to levitate the shaft. The eventual goal is to apply these techniques to a high-temperature (700°C) canned rotor pump that utilizes active magnetic bearings to eliminate the need for mechanical bearings and seals. The technologies will benefit the Next Generation Power Plant, Advanced Reactor Concepts, and Small Modular Reactor programs. In this paper, we will detail the design and analysis of the embedded I&C test bed with submerged magnetic bearings, focusing on the interplay between the different major systems. Then we will analyze the forces on the shaft and their role in the magnetic bearing design. Next, we will develop the radial and thrust bearing geometries needed to meet the operational requirements of the test bed. In conclusion, we will present some initial system identification results to validate the theoretical models of the test bed dynamics.« less

Effect of the particle to fluid density ratio on bedform development: An application of PTV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenna Neuman, C. L.; Gordon, M. D.

2009-05-01

The particle to fluid density ratio plays a key role in sediment transport and strongly governs the relative importance of the transport mode. In aeolian systems, this ratio is three orders of magnitude larger than for the transport of sedimentary particles in water, such that saltation is the dominant mode for diameters (250 microns) commonly found in ripples and dunes. The partitioning of fluid momentum to saltators, and therefore to the surface upon impact, is extremely important to the entrainment of sediment, the maintenance of transport, and the scaling of aeolian bedforms. This paper demonstrates the use of Particle Tracking Velocimetry in measuring the partitioning of momentum associated with particle collisions on beds of quartz sand (2630 kg m-3) typical of aeolian dunes, and acrylic particles (1210 kg m-3) similar to blowing snow (920 kg m-3). The experiments were carried out in the boundary layer wind tunnel at Trent University on full beds that were 13.8 m in length and 0.71 m in width. In the majority of experiments, the wind speeds were either at or just above the threshold for saltation so that we could distinguish discrete particle trajectories. Surface ripples formed in the majority of experiments and passed through the camera's field of view so that the height, length and rate of migration could be measured in relation to the distributions of particle impact speed and angle, as well as those for the number, speed and angle of the particles ejected. Although similar in height, the ripples comprised of acrylic particles were 2 to 4 times longer, much more asymmetric, and migrated significantly faster than those in sand. The particle impact and ejection speeds were very similar, although the sand particles approached and left the bed at substantially larger angles than observed for the lighter acrylic particles of similar diameter. In a separate experiment, glass beads were flung onto each bed material at 4 ms-1 in still air. It was discovered that 90 per cent of the impact energy was lost to the acrylic bed, as compared to 78 per cent for the sand bed. This evidence suggests that at smaller density ratios than investigated here, ballistic ripples likely cannot be maintained in air.

Controlled biomass formation and kinetics of toluene degradation in a bioscrubber and in a reactor with a periodically moved trickle-bed.

PubMed

Wübker, S M; Laurenzis, A; Werner, U; Friedrich, C

1997-08-20

The kinetics of degradation of toluene from a model waste gas and of biomass formation were examined in a bioscrubber operated under different nutrient limitations with a mixed culture. The applicability of the kinetics of continuous cultivation of the mixed culture was examined for a special trickle-bed reactor with a periodically moved filter bed. The efficiency of toluene elimination of the bioscrubber was 50 to 57% and depended on the toluene mass transfer as evident from a constant productivity of 0.026 g dry cell weight/L . h over the dilution rate. Under potassium limitation the biomass productivity was reduced by 60% to 0.011 g dry cell weight/L . h at a dilution rate of 0.013/h. Conversely, at low dilution rates the specific toluene degradation rates increased. Excess biomass in a trickle-bed reactor causes reduction of interfacial area and mass transfer, and increase in pressure drop. To avoid these disadvantages, the trickle-bed was moved periodically and biomass was removed with outflowing medium. The concentration of steady state biomass fixed on polyamide beads decreased hyperbolically with the dilution rate. Also, the efficiency of toluene degradation decreased from 72 to 56% with increasing dilution rate while the productivity increased. Potassium limitation generally caused a reduction in biomass, productivity, and yield while the specific degradation increased with dilution rate. This allowed the application of the principles of the chemostat to the trickle-bed reactor described here, for toluene degradation from waste gases. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 55: 686-692, 1997.

Treatment of oilfield wastewater in moving bed biofilm reactors using a novel suspended ceramic biocarrier.

PubMed

Dong, Zhiyong; Lu, Mang; Huang, Wenhui; Xu, Xiaochun

2011-11-30

In this study, a novel suspended ceramic carrier was prepared, which has high strength, optimum density (close to water), and high porosity. Two different carriers, unmodified and sepiolite-modified suspended ceramic carriers were used to feed two moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) with a filling fraction of 50% to treat oilfield produced water. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) was varied from 36 to 10h. The results, during a monitoring period of 190 days, showed that removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand was the highest in reactor 3 filled with the sepiolite-modified carriers, followed by reactor 2 filled with the unmodified carriers, with the lowest in reactor 1 (activated sludge reactor), at an HRT of 10h. Similar trends were found in the removal efficiencies of ammonia nitrogen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Reactor 3 was more shock resistant than reactors 2 and 1. The results indicate that the suspended ceramic carrier is an excellent MBBR carrier. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Linking morphodynamic response with sediment mass balance on the Colorado River in Marble Canyon: issues of scale, geomorphic setting, and sampling design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grams, Paul E.; Topping, David J.; Schmidt, John C.; Hazel, Joseph E.; Kaplinski, Matt

2013-01-01

Measurements of morphologic change are often used to infer sediment mass balance. Such measurements may, however, result in gross errors when morphologic changes over short reaches are extrapolated to predict changes in sediment mass balance for long river segments. This issue is investigated by examination of morphologic change and sediment influx and efflux for a 100 km segment of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona. For each of four monitoring intervals within a 7 year study period, the direction of sand-storage response within short morphologic monitoring reaches was consistent with the flux-based sand mass balance. Both budgeting methods indicate that sand storage was stable or increased during the 7 year period. Extrapolation of the morphologic measurements outside the monitoring reaches does not, however, provide a reasonable estimate of the magnitude of sand-storage change for the 100 km study area. Extrapolation results in large errors, because there is large local variation in site behavior driven by interactions between the flow and local bed topography. During the same flow regime and reach-average sediment supply, some locations accumulate sand while others evacuate sand. The interaction of local hydraulics with local channel geometry exerts more control on local morphodynamic response than sand supply over an encompassing river segment. Changes in the upstream supply of sand modify bed responses but typically do not completely offset the effect of local hydraulics. Thus, accurate sediment budgets for long river segments inferred from reach-scale morphologic measurements must incorporate the effect of local hydraulics in a sampling design or avoid extrapolation altogether.

Deformation Analyses and Lithologic Characterization in Overpressured Basins Based on Logging While Drilling and Wireline Results from the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iturrino, G. J.; Pirmez, C.; Moore, J. C.; Reichow, M. K.; Dugan, B. E.; Sawyer, D. E.; Flemings, P. B.; Shipboard Scientific Party, I.

2005-12-01

IODP Expedition 308 drilled transects along the Brazos-Trinity IV and Ursa Basins in the western and eastern Gulf of Mexico, respectively, for examining how sedimentation, overpressure, fluid flow, and deformation are coupled in passive margin settings. A total of eight holes were logged using either logging while drilling (LWD) or wireline techniques to evaluate the controls on slope stability, understand the timing of sedimentation and slumping, establish the petrophysical properties of shallow sediments, and provide a better understanding of turbidite systems. Overall, the log responses vary for the different lithostratigraphic units and associated regional seismic reflectors. The data acquired also make bed-to-bed correlation between sites possible, which is valuable for the study of sandy turbidites and studies of regional deformation. The thick sedimentary successions drilled at these basins show records of the evolution of channel-levee systems composed of low relief channels that were incapable of confining the turbidity currents causing an overspill of sand and silt. In addition, mass transport deposits at shallow depths, and transitions between interbedded silt, sand, and mud units are common features identified in many of the downhole logging data. In the Ursa Basin sediments, resistivity-at-the-bit images show significant deformation of the overlying hemipelagic drape and distal turbidites that were drilled in these areas. Numerous dipping beds throughout these intervals with dips ranging from 5 to 55 degrees confirm core observations. Steeply deformed beds, with dips as high as 65 degrees, and folded and faulted beds suggest down slope remobilization as mass-transport deposits. Resistivity images also show evidence of these mass-transport deposits where steep dips and folds suggest the presence of overturned beds within a series of cyclic intervals that we interpret as a succession of sand-silt-mud lamina. Preliminary structural analyses suggest that many of the deformation features trend in an E-W direction with the majority dipping to the north.

Experimental Exploration of Scale Effects and Factors Controlling Bed Load Sediment Entrainment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathel, S. L.; Furbish, D. J.; Schmeeckle, M. W.

2015-12-01

Detailed measurements of individual sand grains moving on a streambed allow us to obtain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of incipient motion and evaluate spatial and temporal trends in particle entrainment. We use bed load particle motions measured from high-speed imaging (250 Hz) of uniform, coarse grained sand from two flume experiments, which have different mean fluid velocities near the bed. Particle tracking reveals more than 6,000 entrainment events in 5 seconds (Run 1) and over 5,000 events in 2 seconds (Run 2). We manually track particles, at sub-pixel resolution, from entrainment to either disentrainment or until the particle leaves the frame. Within these experiments we find that over 90% of all initial motions contain a cross-stream component of motion where approximately a third of the motions may be cross-stream dominated, and furthermore, up to 7% of the motions may be negative (i.e. move backwards). We propose that the variability in the direction of initial motion is, in part, a product of the bed topography, where we find that with increasing mean fluid velocity, the initial motion of the sand particles are less sensitive to bed topography, and are more likely to be dominated by the fluid. The high resolution of this data set, containing positions of particles measured start-to-stop, allows us to calculate the characteristic timescale required for a particle to become streamwise, or fluid, dominated in these systems. We also evaluate these data to further show whether the nature of entrainment is a memoryless, uncorrelated process, a correlated process related to the number of particles already in motion (i.e., possibly reflecting collective entrainment), or some combination of the two. This work suggests that the probability of entrainment depends on physical factors such as bed microtopography and the magnitude of the fluid velocity, in addition to varying with space and time scales.

Sand deposition in the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon from flooding of the Little Colorado River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiele, S.M.; Graf, J.B.; Smith, J.D.

1996-01-01

Methods for computing the volume of sand deposited in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park by floods in major tributaries and for determining redistribution of that sand by main-channel flows are required for successful management of sand-dependent riparian resources. We have derived flow, sediment transport, and bed evolution models based on a gridded topography developed from measured channel topography and used these models to compute deposition in a short reach of the river just downstream from the Little Colorado River, the largest tributary in the park. Model computations of deposition from a Little Colorado River flood in January 1993 were compared to bed changes measured at 15 cross sections. The total difference between changes in cross-sectional area due to deposition computed by the model and the measured changes was 6%. A wide reach with large areas of recirculating flow and large depressions in the main channel accumulated the most sand, whereas a reach with similar planimetric area but a long, narrow shape and relatively small areas of recirculating flow and small depressions in the main channel accumulated only about a seventh as much sand. About 32% of the total deposition was in recirculation zones, 65% was in the main channel, and 3% was deposited along the channel margin away from the recirculation zone. Overall, about 15% of the total input of sand from this Little Colorado River flood was deposited in the first 3 km below the confluence, suggesting that deposition of the flood-derived material extended for only several tens of kilometers downstream from the confluence.

Pebble Fuel Handling and Reactivity Control for Salt-Cooled High Temperature Reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, Per; Greenspan, Ehud

2015-02-09

This report documents the work completed on the X-PREX facility under NEUP Project 11- 3172. This project seeks to demonstrate the viability of pebble fuel handling and reactivity control for fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors (FHRs). The research results also improve the understanding of pebble motion in helium-cooled reactors, as well as the general, fundamental understanding of low-velocity granular flows. Successful use of pebble fuels in with salt coolants would bring major benefits for high-temperature reactor technology. Pebble fuels enable on-line refueling and operation with low excess reactivity, and thus simpler reactivity control and improved fuel utilization. If fixed fuel designsmore » are used, the power density of salt- cooled reactors is limited to 10 MW/m 3 to obtain adequate duration between refueling, but pebble fuels allow power densities in the range of 20 to 30 MW/m 3. This can be compared to the typical modular helium reactor power density of 5 MW/m3. Pebble fuels also permit radial zoning in annular cores and use of thorium or graphite pebble blankets to reduce neutron fluences to outer radial reflectors and increase total power production. Combined with high power conversion efficiency, compact low-pressure primary and containment systems, and unique safety characteristics including very large thermal margins (>500°C) to fuel damage during transients and accidents, salt-cooled pebble fuel cores offer the potential to meet the major goals of the Advanced Reactor Concepts Development program to provide electricity at lower cost than light water reactors with improved safety and system performance.This report presents the facility description, experimental results, and supporting simulation methods of the new X-Ray Pebble Recirculation Experiment (X-PREX), which is now operational and being used to collect data on the behavior of slow dense granular flows relevant to pebble bed reactor core designs. The X-PREX facility uses novel digital x-ray tomography methods to track both the translational and rotational motion of spherical pebbles, which provides unique experimental results that can be used to validate discrete element method (DEM) simulations of pebble motion. The validation effort supported by the X-PREX facility provides a means to build confidence in analysis of pebble bed configuration and residence time distributions that impact the neutronics, thermal hydraulics, and safety analysis of pebble bed reactor cores. Experimental and DEM simulation results are reported for silo drainage, a classical problem in the granular flow literature, at several hopper angles. These studies include conventional converging and novel diverging geometries that provide additional flexibility in the design of pebble bed reactor cores. Excellent agreement is found between the X-PREX experimental and DEM simulation results. This report also includes results for additional studies relevant to the design and analysis of pebble bed reactor cores including the study of forces on shut down blades inserted directly into a packed bed and pebble flow in a cylindrical hopper that is representative of a small test reactor.« less

Heat dissipating nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Hunsbedt, A.; Lazarus, J.D.

1985-11-21

Disclosed is a nuclear reactor containment adapted to retain and cool core debris in the unlikely event of a core meltdown and subsequent breach in the reactor vessel. The reactor vessel is seated in a cavity which has a thick metal sidewall that is integral with a thick metal basemat at the bottom of the cavity. The basemat extends beyond the perimeter of the cavity sidewall. Underneath the basemat is a porous bed with water pipes and steam pipes running into it. Water is introduced into the bed and converted into steam which is vented to the atmosphere. A plurality of metal pilings in the form of H-beams extend from the metal base plate downwardly and outwardly into the earth.

Heat dissipating nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Hunsbedt, Anstein; Lazarus, Jonathan D.

1987-01-01

Disclosed is a nuclear reactor containment adapted to retain and cool core debris in the unlikely event of a core meltdown and subsequent breach in the reactor vessel. The reactor vessel is seated in a cavity which has a thick metal sidewall that is integral with a thick metal basemat at the bottom of the cavity. The basemat extends beyond the perimeter of the cavity sidewall. Underneath the basemat is a porous bed with water pipes and steam pipes running into it. Water is introduced into the bed and converted into steam which is vented to the atmosphere. A plurality of metal pilings in the form of H-beams extends from the metal base plate downwardly and outwardly into the earth.

Sediment transport and mixing depth on a coral reef sand apron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vila-Concejo, Ana; Harris, Daniel L.; Power, Hannah E.; Shannon, Amelia M.; Webster, Jody M.

2014-10-01

This paper investigates the mechanics of sediment transport on a subtidal sand apron located on a coral reef environment. In this environment 100% of the sediment is carbonate bioclasts generated in situ. The sand apron is located on the back reef and only affected by waves during high tides. It is commonly accepted in the literature that sand aprons are features that prograde lagoonwards and that most of the progradation occurs during high-energy events. Measurements of water depths, waves, currents and near bed suspended sediment concentrations (all at 10 Hz) on the sand apron were undertaken over a nine day intensive field campaign over both spring and neap tides; waves and tides were also measured in the lagoon. The topography and bathymetry of the sand apron were measured and mixing depth was obtained on three transects using depth of disturbance rods. We found that sediment transport on sand aprons is not solely restricted to high-energy events but occurs on a daily basis during spring tides. The main factor controlling the sediment transport was the water depth above the bed, with depths of 2-2.3 m allowing waves to promote the most sediment transport. This corresponds to a depth over the reef crest of 1.6-1.9 m. The second most important control was waves; transport was observed when Hs on the apron was 0.1 m or greater. In contrast, current magnitude was not a controlling mechanism for sediment entrainment but did affect sediment transport. The morphology of the sand apron was shown to affect the direction of currents with the currents also expected to influence the morphology of the sand apron. The currents measured during this field campaign were aligned with a shallow channel in the sand apron. Mixing depths were small (< 2.5 cm) yet they were larger than the values predicted by empirical formulae for gentle siliciclastic ocean beaches.

Characterization of metal adsorption kinetic properties in batch and fixed-bed reactors.

PubMed

Chen, J Paul; Wang, Lin

2004-01-01

Copper adsorption kinetic properties in batch and fixed-bed reactors were studied in this paper. The isothermal adsorption experiments showed that the copper adsorption capacity of a granular activated carbon (Filtrasorb 200) increased when ionic strength was higher. The presence of EDTA diminished the adsorption. An intraparticle diffusion model and a fixed-bed model were successfully used to describe the batch kinetic and fixed-bed operation behaviors. The kinetics became faster when the solution pH was not controlled, implying that the surface precipitation caused some metal uptake. The external mass transfer coefficient, the diffusivity and the dispersion coefficient were obtained from the modeling. It was found that both external mass transfer and dispersion coefficients increased when the flow rate was higher. Finally effects of kinetic parameters on simulation of fixed-bed operation were conducted.

Monochloramine Cometabolism by Mixed-Culture Nitrifiers under Drinking Water Conditions

EPA Science Inventory

The current research investigated monochloramine cometabolism by nitrifying mixed cultures grown under drinking water relevant conditions and harvested from sand-packed reactors before conducting suspended growth batch kinetic experiments. Three batch reactors were used in each ...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sai, P.M.S.; Ahmed, J.; Krishnaiah, K.

Activated carbon is produced from coconut shell char using steam or carbon dioxide as the reacting gas in a 100 mm diameter fluidized bed reactor. The effect of process parameters such as reaction time, fluidizing velocity, particle size, static bed height, temperature of activation, fluidizing medium, and solid raw material on activation is studied. The product is characterized by determination of iodine number and BET surface area. The product obtained in the fluidized bed reactor is much superior in quality to the activated carbons produced by conventional processes. Based on the experimental observations, the optimum values of process parameters aremore » identified.« less

Adsorption of Streptococcus faecalis on diatomite carriers for use in biotransformations.

PubMed

Anderson, W A; Bay, P; Legge, R L; Moo-Young, M

1990-01-01

Adsorption of cells on particulate carriers is potentially one of the most cost-effective immobilization techniques available. Diatomite carriers, such as Celite, have desirable physical properties, are inexpensive, and are suitable for both mycelial and bacterial systems. This work investigated the use of diatomite carriers as a biocatalyst support in a packed-bed reactor where L-tyrosine was enzymatically decarboxylated using adsorbed, non-growing cells of Streptococcus faecalis. Composition of microbial adsorption on different Celite types, with mean pore sizes ranging from 0.55 to 22 microns, showed there was no significant difference in biomass loading capacity under the conditions used. Using Celite 560, biomass loadings in a packed-bed reactor varied from 10 to 30 g dm-3 of reactor volume, which compares favourably with other adsorption methods. When used to decarboxylate L-tyrosine, the reactor was found to have a half-life of 15-20 h. A combination of enzyme activity loss and slow leakage of biomass from the packed-bed reactor was responsible for the decline in conversion. Treatment of the S. faecalis cells with glutaraldehyde significantly reduced the enzyme activity loss and extended the reactor half-life to 65 h, but had little effect on the rate of cell leakage from the reactor. Further work on reduction of cell leakage rate seems necessary for evaluation of the system's practicality.

Fluorescence-based monitoring of tracer and substrate distribution in an UASB reactor.

PubMed

Lou, S J; Tartakovsky, B; Zeng, Y; Wu, P; Guiot, S R

2006-11-01

In this work, rhodamine-related fluorescence was measured on-line at four reactor heights in order to study hydrodynamics within an upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor. A linear dependence of the dispersion coefficient (D) on the upflow velocity was observed, while the influence of the organic loading rate (OLR) was insignificant. Furthermore, the Bodenstein number of the reactor loaded with granulated sludge was found to be position-dependent with the largest values measured at the bottom of the sludge bed. This trend was not observed in the reactor without sludge. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations were measured at the same reactor heights as in rhodamine tests using conventional off-line analytical methods and on-line multiwavelength fluorometry. Significant spatial COD and VFA gradients were observed at organic loading rates above 6g COD l(R)(-1)d(-1) and linear upflow velocities below 0.8m h(-1).

Monitoring of itaconic acid hydrogenation in a trickle bed reactor using fiber-optic coupled near-infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Wood, Joseph; Turner, Paul H

2003-03-01

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been applied to determine the conversion of itaconic acid in the effluent stream of a trickle bed reactor. Hydrogenation of itaconic to methyl succinic acid was carried out, with the trickle bed operating in recycle mode. For the first time, NIR spectra of itaconic and methyl succinic acids in aqueous solution, and aqueous mixtures withdrawn from the reactor over a range of reaction times, have been recorded using a fiberoptic sampling probe. The infrared spectra displayed a clear isolated absorption band at a wavenumber of 6186 cm(-1) (wavelength 1.617 microm) resulting from the =C-H bonds of itaconic acid, which was found to decrease in intensity with increasing reaction time. The feature could be more clearly observed from plots of the first derivatives of the spectra. A partial least-squares (PLS) model was developed from the spectra of 13 reference samples and was used successfully to calculate the concentration of the two acids in the reactor effluent solution. Itaconic acid conversions of 23-29% were calculated after 360 min of reaction time. The potential of FT-NIR with fiber-optic sampling for remote monitoring of three-phase catalytic reactors and validation of catalytic reactor models is highlighted in the paper.

Apple juice clarification by immobilized pectolytic enzymes in packed or fluidized bed reactors.

PubMed

Diano, Nadia; Grimaldi, Tiziana; Bianco, Mariangela; Rossi, Sergio; Gabrovska, Katya; Yordanova, Galya; Godjevargova, Tzonka; Grano, Valentina; Nicolucci, Carla; Mita, Luigi; Bencivenga, Umberto; Canciglia, Paolo; Mita, Damiano G

2008-12-10

The catalytic behavior of a mixture of pectic enzymes, covalently immobilized on different supports (glass microspheres, nylon 6/6 pellets, and PAN beads), was analyzed with a pectin aqueous solution that simulates apple juice. The following parameters were investigated: the rate constant at which pectin hydrolysis is conducted, the time (tau(50)) in which the reduction of 50% of the initial viscosity is reached, and the time (tau(comp,dep)) required to obtain complete depectinization. The best catalytic system was proven to be PAN beads, and their pH and temperature behavior were determined. The yields of two bed reactors, packed or fluidized, using the catalytic PAN beads, were compared to the circulation flow rate of real apple juice. The experimental conditions were as follows: pH 4.0, T = 50 degrees C, and beads volume = 20 cm(3). The initial pectin concentration was the one that was present in our apple juice sample. No differences were observed at low circulation rates, while at higher recirculation rates, the time required to obtain complete pectin hydrolysis into the fluidized reactor was found to be 0.25 times smaller than in the packed bed reactor: 131 min for the packed reactors and 41 min for the fluidized reactors.

Electrowinning apparatus and process

DOEpatents

Buschmann, Wayne E [Boulder, CO

2012-06-19

Apparatus and processes are disclosed for electrowinning metal from a fluid stream. A representative apparatus comprises at least one spouted bed reactor wherein each said reactor includes an anolyte chamber comprising an anode and configured for containing an anolyte, a catholyte chamber comprising a current collector and configured for containing a particulate cathode bed and a flowing stream of an electrically conductive metal-containing fluid, and a membrane separating said anolyte chamber and said catholyte chamber, an inlet for an electrically conductive metal-containing fluid stream; and a particle bed churning device configured for spouting particle bed particles in the catholyte chamber independently of the flow of said metal-containing fluid stream. In operation, reduced heavy metals or their oxides are recovered from the cathode particles.

Hydroliquefaction of coal

DOEpatents

Sze, Morgan C.; Schindler, Harvey D.

1982-01-01

Coal is catalytically hydroliquefied by passing coal dispersed in a liquefaction solvent and hydrogen upwardly through a plurality of parallel expanded catalyst beds, in a single reactor, in separate streams, each having a cross-sectional flow area of no greater than 255 inches square, with each of the streams through each of the catalyst beds having a length and a liquid and gas superficial velocity to maintain an expanded catalyst bed and provide a Peclet Number of at least 3. If recycle is employed, the ratio of recycle to total feed (coal and liquefaction solvent) is no greater than 2:1, based on volume. Such conditions provide for improved selectivity to liquid product to thereby reduce hydrogen consumption. The plurality of beds are formed by partitions in the reactor.

Large sand waves in Navarinsky Canyon head, Bering Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karl, Herman A.; Carlson, P.R.

1982-01-01

Sand waves are present in the heads of large submarine canyons in the northwestern Bering Sea. They vary in height between 2 to 15 m and have wavelengths of 600 m. They are not only expressed on the seafloor, but are also well defined in the subsurface and resemble enormous climbing bed forms. We conjecture that the sand waves originated during lower stands of sea level in the Pleistocene. Although we cannot explain the mechanics of formation of the sand waves, internal-wave generated currents are among four types of current that could account for these large structures. ?? 1982 A. M. Dowden, Inc.

A sand budget for Marble Canyon, Arizona: implications for long-term monitoring of sand storage change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grams, Paul E.

2013-01-01

Recent U.S. Geological Survey research is providing important insights into how best to monitor changes in the amount of tributary-derived sand stored on the bed of the Colorado River and in eddies in Marble Canyon, Arizona. Before the construction of Glen Canyon Dam and other dams upstream, sandbars in Glen, Marble, and Grand Canyons were replenished each year by sediment-rich floods. Sand input into the Colorado River is crucial to protecting endangered native fish, animals, and plants and cultural and recreational resources along the river in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park.

Critical bed shear stress and threshold of motion of maerl biogenic gravel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Siddhi; Duffy, Garret Patrick; Brown, Colin

2017-07-01

A determination of the critical bed shear stress of maerl is a prerequisite for quantifying its mobility, rate of erosion and deposition in conservation management. The critical bed shear stress for incipient motion has been determined for the first time for samples from biogenic free-living maerl beds in three contrasting environments (open marine, intertidal and beach) in Galway Bay, west of Ireland. The bed shear stress was determined using two methods, Law of the Wall and Turbulent Kinetic Energy, in a rotating annular flume and in a linear flume. The velocity profile of flowing water above a bed of natural maerl grains was measured in four runs of progressively increasing flow velocity until the flow exceeded the critical shear stress of grains on the bed. The critical Shields parameter and the mobility number are estimated and compared with the equivalent curves for natural quartz sand. The critical Shields parameters for the maerl particles from all three environments fall below the Shields curve. Along with a previously reported correlation between maerl grain shape and settling velocity, these results suggest that the highly irregular shapes also allow maerl grains to be mobilised more easily than quartz grains with the same sieve diameter. The intertidal beds with the roughest particles exhibit the greatest critical shear stress because the particle thalli interlock and resist entrainment. In samples with a high percentage of maerl and low percentage of siliciclastic sand, the lower density, lower settling velocity and lower critical bed shear stress of maerl results in its preferential transport over the siliciclastic sediment. At velocities ∼10 cm s-1 higher than the threshold velocity of grain motion, rarely-documented subaqueous maerl dunes formed in the annular flume.

Fluidized Bed Asbestos Sampler Design and Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karen E. Wright; Barry H. O'Brien

A large number of samples are required to characterize a site contaminated with asbestos from previous mine or other industrial operations. Current methods, such as EPA Region 10’s glovebox method, or the Berman Elutriator method are time consuming and costly primarily because the equipment is difficult to decontaminate between samples. EPA desires a shorter and less costly method for characterizing soil samples for asbestos. The objective of this was to design and test a qualitative asbestos sampler that operates as a fluidized bed. The proposed sampler employs a conical spouted bed to vigorously mix the soil and separate fine particulatemore » including asbestos fibers on filters. The filters are then analyzed using transmission electron microscopy for presence of asbestos. During initial testing of a glass prototype using ASTM 20/30 sand and clay fines as asbestos surrogates, fine particulate adhered to the sides of the glass vessel and the tubing to the collection filter – presumably due to static charge on the fine particulate. This limited the fines recovery to ~5% of the amount added to the sand surrogate. A second prototype was constructed of stainless steel, which improved fines recovery to about 10%. Fines recovery was increased to 15% by either humidifying the inlet air or introducing a voltage probe in the air space above the sample. Since this was not a substantial improvement, testing using the steel prototype proceeded without using these techniques. Final testing of the second prototype using asbestos suggests that the fluidized bed is considerably more sensitive than the Berman elutriator method. Using a sand/tremolite mixture with 0.005% tremolite, the Berman elutriator did not segregate any asbestos structures while the fluidized bed segregated an average of 11.7. The fluidized bed was also able to segregate structures in samples containing asbestos at a 0.0001% concentration, while the Berman elutriator method did not detect any fibers at this concentration. Opportunities for improvement with the fluidized bed include improving reproducibility among replicates, increasing mass recovery, improving the lid gasket seal.« less

Sedimentology and architecture of De Geer moraines in the western Scottish Highlands, and implications for grounding-line glacier dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golledge, Nicholas R.; Phillips, Emrys

2008-07-01

Sedimentary exposures in moraines in a Scottish Highland valley (Glen Chaorach), reveal stacked sequences of bedded and laminated silt, sand and gravel, interspersed or capped with diamicton units. In four examples, faults and folds indicate deformation by glaciotectonism and syndepositional loading. We propose that these sediments were laid down in an ice-dammed lake, close to the last ice margin to occupy this glen. Individual units within cross-valley De Geer moraine ridges are interpreted by comparison with examples from similar environments elsewhere: stratified diamictons containing laminated or bedded lenses are interpreted as subaqueous ice-marginal debris-flow deposits; massive fine-grained deposits as hyperconcentrated flow deposits, and massive gravel units as high-density debris-flow deposits. Using an allostratigraphic approach we argue that glaciotectonically deformed coarsening-upward sand and gravel sequences that culminate in deposition of subglacial diamicton represent glacier advances into the ice-marginal lake, whereas undisturbed cross-bedded sand and gravel reflects channel or fan deposits laid down during glacier retreat. A flat terrace of bedded sand and gravel at the northern end of Glen Chaorach is interpreted as subaerial glaciofluvial outwash. On the basis of these inferences we propose the following three stage deglacial event chronology for Glen Chaorach. During glacier recession, ice separation and intra-lobe ponding first led to subaquaeous deposition of sorted and unsorted facies. Subsequent glacier stabilisation and ice-marginal oscillation produced glaciotectonic structures in the ice-marginal sediment pile and formed De Geer moraines. Finally, drainage of the ice-dammed lake allowed a subaerial ice-marginal drainage system to become established. Throughout deglaciation, deposition within the lake was characterized by abrupt changes in grain size and in the architecture of individual sediment bodies, reflecting changing delivery paths and sediment supply, and by dynamic margin oscillations typical of water-terminating glaciers.

Clogging of an Alpine streambed by silt-sized particles - Insights from laboratory and field experiments.

PubMed

Fetzer, Jasmin; Holzner, Markus; Plötze, Michael; Furrer, Gerhard

2017-12-01

Clogging of streambeds by suspended particles (SP) can cause environmental problems, as it can negatively influence, e.g., habitats for macrozoobenthos, fish reproduction and groundwater recharge. This especially applies in the case of silt-sized SP. Until now, most research has dealt with coarse SP and was carried out in laboratory systems. The aims of this study are to examine (1) whether physical clogging by silt-sized SP exhibits the same dynamics and patterns as by sand-sized SP, and (2) the comparability of results between laboratory and field experiments. We carried out vertical column experiments with sand-sized bed material and silt-sized SP, which are rich in mica minerals. In laboratory experiments, we investigated the degree of clogging quantified by the reduction of porosity and hydraulic conductivity and the maximum clogging depth as a function of size and shape of bed material, size of SP, pore water flow velocity, and concentration of calcium cations. The SP were collected from an Alpine sedimentation basin, where our field experiments were carried out. To investigate the clogging process in the field, we buried columns filled with sand-sized quartz in the stream bed. We found that the maximal bed-to-grain ratio where clogging still occurs is larger for silt-sized SP than for sand-sized SP. The observed clogging depths and the reduction of flow rate through the column from our laboratory experiments were comparable to those from the field. However, our field results showed that the extent of clogging strongly depends on the naturally-occurring hydrological dynamics. The field location was characterized by a more polydisperse suspension, a strongly fluctuating water regime, and high SP concentrations at times, leading to more heterogeneous and more pronounced clogging when compared to laboratory results. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The role of bio-physical cohesive substrates on sediment winnowing and bedform development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Leiping; Parsons, Daniel; Manning, Andrew

2017-04-01

Existing sediment transport and bedform size predictions for natural open-channel flows in many environments are seriously impeded by a lack of process-based knowledge concerning the dynamics of complex bed sediment mixtures comprising cohesionless sand and biologically-active cohesive muds. A series of flume experiments (14 experimental runs) with different substrate mixtures of sand-clay-EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substance) are combined with a detailed estuarine field survey (Dee estuary, NW England) to investigate the development of bedform morphologies and characteristics of suspended sediment over bio-physical cohesive substrates. The experimental results indicate that winnowing and sediment sorting can occur pervasively in bio-physical cohesive sediment - flow systems. Importantly however, the evolution of the bed and bedform dynamics, and hence turbulence production, is significantly reduced as bed substrate cohesivity increases. The estuarine subtidal zone survey also revealed that the bio-physical cohesion provided by both the clay and microorganism fractions in the bed plays a significant role in controlling the interactions between bed substrate and sediment suspension, deposition and bedform generation. The work will be presented here concludes by outlining the need to extend and revisit the effects of cohesivity in morphodynamic systems and the sets of parameters presently used in numerical modelling, particularly in the context of the impact of climate change on estuarine and coastal systems.

Investigation of the characteristics of a compact steam reformer integrated with a water-gas shift reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, Yong-Seog; Seo, Dong-Joo; Seo, Yu-Taek; Yoon, Wang-Lai

The objective of this study is to investigate numerically a compact steam methane reforming (SMR) system integrated with a water-gas shift (WGS) reactor. Separate numerical models are established for the combustion part, SMR and WGS reaction bed. The concentration of species at the exits of the SMR and WGS bed, and the temperatures in the WGS bed are in good agreement with the measured data. Heat transfer to the catalyst beds and the catalytic reactions in the SMR and WGS catalyst bed are investigated as a function of the operation parameters. The conversion of methane at the exit of the SMR catalyst bed is calculated to be 87%, and the carbon monoxide concentration at the outlet of the WGS bed is estimated to be 0.45%. The effects of the cooling heat flux at the outside wall of the system and steam-to-carbon (S/C) ratio are also examined. As the cooling heat flux increases, both the methane conversion and carbon monoxide content are reduced in the SMR bed, and the carbon monoxide conversion is improved in the WGS bed. Both methane conversion and carbon dioxide reduction increase with increasing steam-to-carbon ratio.

National Metal Casting Research Institute final report. Volume 1, Sand reclamation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vondra, L.F.; Burningham, J.S.

1995-08-01

A mobile thermal foundry sand reclamation unit was designed and constructed. This unit consisted of thermal and mechanical sand reclamation equipment installed on the bed of a 50 foot low-boy trailer. It was transported to a number of Midwest foundries for on-site demonstration of the sand reclamation process. This allowed participating foundries to have their own refuse sand (10-100 tons) processed and then reused in production for evaluation. The purpose for building the unit was to demonstrate to foundries through ``hands on`` experience that refuse sands can be reclaimed and successfully reused particularly in regard to product quality. Most ofmore » the participating foundries indicated a high level of satisfaction with the reclaimed sand. Laboratory testing of samples of the used sand, before and after processing by the demonstration unit, verified the usability of the reclaimed sand. One of the foundries participating was a brass foundry, the sand from this foundry contained lead and is classified as a hazardous material. After reclamation the sand was no longer hazardous and could also be reused in the foundry.« less

The geomorphic and ecological effectiveness of habitat rehabilitation works: Continuous measurement of scour and fill around large logs in sand-bed streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borg, Dan; Rutherfurd, Ian; Stewardson, Mike

2007-09-01

Geomorphologists, ecologists and engineers have all contributed to stream rehabilitation projects by predicting the physical effect of habitat restoration structures. In this study we report the results of a stream rehabilitation project on the Snowy River, SE Australia; that aims to improve fish habitat and facilitate migration associated with scour holes around large wood in the streambed. Whilst engineering models allow us to predict maximum scour, the key management issue here was not the maximum scour depth but whether the holes persisted at a range of flows, and if they were present when fish actually required them. This led to the development of a new method to continuously monitor scour in a sand-bed, using a buried pressure transducer. In this study we monitored fluctuations in the bed level below three large logs (1 m diameter) on the Snowy River. Each log had a different scour mechanism: a plunge pool, a horseshoe vortex (analogous to a bridge pier), and a submerged jet beneath the log. The continuous monitoring demonstrated a complex relationship between discharge and pool scour. The horseshoe vortex pool maintained a constant level, whilst, contrary to expectations, both the plunge pool and the submerged jet pool gradually filled over the 12 months. Filling was associated with the average rise in flows in winter, and occurred despite several freshes and discharge spikes. The plunge pool showed the most variation, with bed levels fluctuating by over 1 m. A key factor in pool scour here may not be the local water depth at the log, but the position of the log in relation to larger scale movements of sand-waves in the stream. These results question assumptions on the relative importance of small floods or channel-maintenance flows that lead to beneficial scour around large wood in sand-bed streams. Further, the continuous measurement of scour and fill around the logs suggested the presence of pool scour holes would have met critical requirements for Australian bass ( Macquaria novemaculeata) during the migration period, whereas less-frequent monitoring typical of rehabilitation trials would have suggested the contrary. The results of this study have demonstrated that geomorphic effectiveness is not always synonymous with biological effectiveness. Whilst physical models emphasise extreme changes, such as maximum scour, the key biological issue is whether scour occurs at the critical time of the life cycle. Continuous measurement of sand levels is an example of a geomorphic technique that will help to develop models that predict biologically meaningful processes, not just extremes.

Nearshore substrate and morphology offshore of the Elwha River, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warrick, J.A.; Cochrane, G.R.; Sagy, Y.; Gelfenbaum, G.

2008-01-01

The planned removal of two dams on the Elwha River, Washington, will likely increase river sediment flux to the coast, which may alter coastal habitats through sedimentation and turbidity. It is therefore important to characterize the current habitat conditions near the river mouth, so that future changes can be identified. Here we provide combined sonar and video mapping results of approximately 20 km2 of seafloor offshore of the Elwha River collected with the purpose to characterize nearshore substrate type and distribution prior to dam removal. These combined data suggest that the nearshore of the western delta and Freshwater Bay are dominated by coarse sediment (sand, gravel, cobble, and boulders) and bedrock outcrops; no fine-grained sediment (mud or silt) was identified within the survey limits. The substrate is generally coarser in Freshwater Bay and on the western flank of the delta, where boulders and bedrock outcrops occur, than directly offshore and east of the river mouth. High variation in substrate was observed within much of the study area, however, and distinct boulder fields, gravel beds and sand waves were observed with spatial scales of 10-100 m. Gravel beds and sand waves suggest that sediment transport is active in the study area, presumably in response to tidal currents and waves. Both historic (1912) and recent (1989-2004) distributions of Bull Kelp (Nereocystis sp.) beds were preferentially located along the boulder and bedrock substrates of Freshwater Bay. Although kelp has also been mapped in areas dominated by gravel and sand substrate, it typically has smaller canopy areas and lower temporal persistence in these regions.

Apparatus for high flux photocatalytic pollution control using a rotating fluidized bed reactor

DOEpatents

Tabatabaie-Raissi, Ali; Muradov, Nazim Z.; Martin, Eric

2003-06-24

An apparatus based on optimizing photoprocess energetics by decoupling of the process energy efficiency from the DRE for target contaminants. The technique is applicable to both low- and high-flux photoreactor design and scale-up. An apparatus for high-flux photocatalytic pollution control is based on the implementation of multifunctional metal oxide aerogels and other media in conjunction with a novel rotating fluidized particle bed reactor.

Industrial wastewater treatment in a new gas-induced ozone reactor.

PubMed

Lin, Sheng H; Wang, Ching H

2003-03-17

The present work was to investigate industrial wastewater treatment by ozonation in a new gas-induced reactor in conjunction with chemical coagulation pretreatment. The reactor was specifically designed in a fashion that gas induction was created on the liquid surface by the high-speed action of an impeller turbine inside a draft tube to maximize the ozone gas utilization. A new design feature of the present reactor system was a fixed granular activated carbon (GAC) bed packed in a circular compartment between the reactor wall and the shaft tube. The fixed GAC bed provided additional adsorption and catalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Combination of the fixed GAC bed and ozonation results in enhanced oxidation of organic pollutants. In addition to enhanced pollutant oxidation, ozonation was found to provide in situ GAC regeneration that was considered crucial in the present reaction system. Kinetic investigations were also made using a proposed complex kinetic model to elucidate the possible oxidation reaction mechanisms of the present gas-induced ozonation system. As a complementary measure, chemical coagulation pretreatment was found able to achieve up to 50% COD and 85% ADMI removal. Experimental tests were conducted to identify its optimum operating conditions. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Science B.V.

Evaluation of the Parameters and Conditions of Process in the Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation with Application of Permselective Membranes to Enhance Styrene Yield.

PubMed

Araújo, Paulo Jardel P; Leite, Manuela Souza; Ravagnani, Teresa M Kakuta

2016-01-01

Styrene is an important monomer in the manufacture of thermoplastic. Most of it is produced by the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. In this process that depends on reversible reactions, the yield is usually limited by the establishment of thermodynamic equilibrium in the reactor. The styrene yield can be increased by using a hybrid process, with reaction and separation simultaneously. It is proposed using permselective composite membrane to remove hydrogen and thus suppress the reverse and secondary reactions. This paper describes the simulation of a dehydrogenation process carried out in a tubular fixed-bed reactor wrapped in a permselective composite membrane. A mathematical model was developed, incorporating the various mass transport mechanisms found in each of the membrane layers and in the catalytic fixed bed. The effects of the reactor feed conditions (temperature, steam-to-oil ratio, and the weight hourly space velocity), the fixed-bed geometry (length, diameter, and volume), and the membrane geometry (thickness of the layers) on the styrene yield were analyzed. These variables were used to determine experimental conditions that favour the production of styrene. The simulation showed that an increase of 40.98% in the styrene yield, compared to a conventional fixed-bed process, could be obtained by wrapping the reactor in a permselective composite membrane.

High temperature thermal energy storage, including a discussion of TES integrated into power plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, R. H.

1978-01-01

Storage temperatures of 260 C and above are considered. Basic considerations concerning energy thermal storage are discussed, taking into account general aspects of thermal energy storage, thermal energy storage integrated into power plants, thermal storage techniques and technical considerations, and economic considerations. A description of system concepts is provided, giving attention to a survey of proposed concepts, storage in unpressurized fluids, water storage in pressurized containers, the use of an underground lined cavern for water storage, a submerged thin insulated steel shell under the ocean containing pressurized water, gas passage through solid blocks, a rock bed with liquid heat transport fluid, hollow steel ingots, heat storage in concrete or sand, sand in a fluidized bed, sand poured over pipes, a thermal energy storage heat exchanger, pipes or spheres filled with phase change materials (PCM), macroencapsulated PCM with heat pipe concept for transport fluid, solid PCM removed from heat transfer pipes by moving scrapers, and the direct contact between PCM and transport fluid.

Biodegradation of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) by a Microbial Consortium in a Continuous Up-Flow Packed-Bed Biofilm Reactor: Kinetic Study, Metabolite Identification and Toxicity Bioassays

PubMed Central

Alfonso-Gordillo, Guadalupe; Flores-Ortiz, César Mateo; Morales-Barrera, Liliana

2016-01-01

This study investigated the aerobic biodegradation of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) by a microbial consortium in a continuous up-flow packed-bed biofilm reactor using tezontle stone particles as a supporting material for the biofilm. Although MTBE is toxic for microbial communities, the microbial consortium used here was able to resist MTBE loading rates up to 128.3 mg L-1 h-1, with removal efficiencies of MTBE and chemical oxygen demand (COD) higher than 90%. A linear relationship was observed between the MTBE loading rate and the MTBE removal rate, as well as between the COD loading rate and the COD removal rate, within the interval of MTBE loading rates from 11.98 to 183.71 mg L-1 h-1. The metabolic intermediate tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) was not detected in the effluent during all reactor runs, and the intermediate 2-hydroxy butyric acid (2-HIBA) was only detected at MTBE loading rates higher than 128.3 mg L-1 h-1. The results of toxicity bioassays with organisms from two different trophic levels revealed that the toxicity of the influent was significantly reduced after treatment in the packed-bed reactor. The packed-bed reactor system used in this study was highly effective for the continuous biodegradation of MTBE and is therefore a promising alternative for detoxifying MTBE-laden wastewater and groundwater. PMID:27907122

Biodegradation of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) by a Microbial Consortium in a Continuous Up-Flow Packed-Bed Biofilm Reactor: Kinetic Study, Metabolite Identification and Toxicity Bioassays.

PubMed

Alfonso-Gordillo, Guadalupe; Flores-Ortiz, César Mateo; Morales-Barrera, Liliana; Cristiani-Urbina, Eliseo

2016-01-01

This study investigated the aerobic biodegradation of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) by a microbial consortium in a continuous up-flow packed-bed biofilm reactor using tezontle stone particles as a supporting material for the biofilm. Although MTBE is toxic for microbial communities, the microbial consortium used here was able to resist MTBE loading rates up to 128.3 mg L-1 h-1, with removal efficiencies of MTBE and chemical oxygen demand (COD) higher than 90%. A linear relationship was observed between the MTBE loading rate and the MTBE removal rate, as well as between the COD loading rate and the COD removal rate, within the interval of MTBE loading rates from 11.98 to 183.71 mg L-1 h-1. The metabolic intermediate tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) was not detected in the effluent during all reactor runs, and the intermediate 2-hydroxy butyric acid (2-HIBA) was only detected at MTBE loading rates higher than 128.3 mg L-1 h-1. The results of toxicity bioassays with organisms from two different trophic levels revealed that the toxicity of the influent was significantly reduced after treatment in the packed-bed reactor. The packed-bed reactor system used in this study was highly effective for the continuous biodegradation of MTBE and is therefore a promising alternative for detoxifying MTBE-laden wastewater and groundwater.

Effect of small-scale biomass gasification at the state of refractory lining the fixed bed reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janša, Jan, E-mail: jan.jansa@vsb.cz; Peer, Vaclav, E-mail: vaclav.peer@vsb.cz; Pavloková, Petra, E-mail: petra.pavlokova@vsb.cz

The article deals with the influence of biomass gasification on the condition of the refractory lining of a fixed bed reactor. The refractory lining of the gasifier is one part of the device, which significantly affects the operational reliability and durability. After removing the refractory lining of the gasifier from the experimental reactor, there was done an assessment how gasification of different kinds of biomass reflected on its condition in terms of the main factors affecting its life. Gasification of biomass is reflected on the lining, especially through sticking at the bottom of the reactor. Measures for prolonging the lifemore » of lining consist in the reduction of temperature in the reactor, in this case, in order to avoid ash fusion biomass which it is difficult for this type of gasifier.« less

Spatial and temporal changes in Actinobacterial dominance in experimental artificial groundwater recharge.

PubMed

Kolehmainen, Reija E; Tiirola, Marja; Puhakka, Jaakko A

2008-11-01

Artificial groundwater recharge (AGR) is used in the drinking water industry to supplement groundwater resources and to minimise the use of chemicals in water treatment. This study analysed the spatial and temporal changes of microbial communities in AGR using two test systems: a nutrient-amended fluidized-bed reactor (FBR) and a sand column. Structural changes in the feed lake water (Lake Roine), FBR, and sand column bacterial communities were determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and the length heterogeneity analysis of amplified 16S rRNA genes (LH-PCR). Two clone libraries were created to link the LH-PCR results to the dominant bacterial groups. The lake water bacterial community was relatively stable, with three bands dominating in all LH-PCR products. The most dominant fragment accounted for up to 72% and was derived from Actinobacteria. Based on the clone libraries and LH-PCR data, Actinobacteria also dominated in the unattached bacterial community of the FBR, whereas several Proteobacterial groups were more abundant on the FBR carrier particles. In the stabilised AGR system a major change in the community structure of the lake water bacteria took place during passage within the first 0.6m in the sand column as the community composition shifted from Actinobacteria-dominated populations to a diverse, mainly Proteobacterial communities. Concurrently, most of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was removed at this stage. In summary, the study showed that the make-up of microbial communities in experimental AGR systems responded to changes in their environment. LH-PCR showed potential as a method to determine microbial community dynamics in long-term studies at real-scale AGR sites. This is the first step to provide data on microbial community dynamics in AGR for drinking water production.

In-pile test of Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed with neutron pulse operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuchiya, K.; Nakamichi, M.; Kikukawa, A.; Nagao, Y.; Enoeda, M.; Osaki, T.; Ioki, K.; Kawamura, H.

2002-12-01

Lithium titanate (Li 2TiO 3) is one of the candidate materials as tritium breeder in the breeding blanket of fusion reactors, and it is necessary to show the tritium release behavior of Li 2TiO 3 pebble beds. Therefore, a blanket in-pile mockup was developed and in situ tritium release experiments with the Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed were carried out in the Japan Materials Testing Reactor. In this study, the relationship between tritium release behavior from Li 2TiO 3 pebble beds and effects of various parameters were evaluated. The ( R/ G) ratio of tritium release ( R) and tritium generation ( G) was saturated when the temperature at the outside edge of the Li 2TiO 3 pebble bed became 300 °C. The tritium release amount increased cycle by cycle and saturated after about 20 pulse operations.

Bed load transport by submerged jets

PubMed Central

Francis, J. R. D.; McCreath, P. S.

1979-01-01

Some similarities are presented between the bed load transport of noncohesive grains in long rivers and at a local, jet-induced scour. Experiments are described in which a submerged two-dimensional slot nozzle, inclined downward, eroded a deep sand bed. The rate of erosion at the very beginning of a scour was evaluated and compared with river data by use of the idea of “stream-power.” Empirical relationships for the two cases are similar, although the geometry of the boundaries is quite different. PMID:16592696

Comparisons of housing, bedding, and cooling options for dairy calves.

PubMed

Hill, T M; Bateman, H G; Aldrich, J M; Schlotterbeck, R L

2011-04-01

Housing, bedding, and summer cooling were management options evaluated. Holstein calves (42±2 kg of body weight) initially 2 to 5 d of age were managed in southwest Ohio in poly hutches or wire mesh pens in a curtain-sided nursery with no supplemental heat. Calves were fed milk replacer (27% crude protein, 17% fat fed at 0.657 kg of dry matter per calf daily), starter (20% crude protein dry matter, textured, fed free-choice), and water (free-choice). Measurements were for 56 d. In trial 1, 28 calves per treatment were bedded with straw and housed in either hutches or nursery pens. This trial was conducted from September to March; the average temperature was 8°C and ranged from -17 to 31°C. In trial 2a, 16 calves per treatment were managed in nursery pens bedded with straw, in nursery pens bedded with sand, or in hutches bedded with sand. This trial was conducted from May to September; the average temperature was 21°C and ranged from 7 to 33°C. In trial 2b, 26 calves per treatment were housed in nursery pens and bedded with straw. This trial was conducted from May to September; the average temperature was 22°C and ranged from 8 to 34°C. One treatment was cooled with fans between 0800 and 1700 h and the other was not. Data were analyzed as repeated measures in a completely randomized block design by trial, with calf as the experimental unit. In trial 3, air in the nursery and calf hutches used above was sampled 35 d apart for calves aged 5 and 40 d. Air in individual hutches on 2 commercial farms was sampled for 5- and 40-d-old calves for 2 hutch types. Air in the multi-calf hutches was sampled for calves of 75 and 110 d of age. Bacterial concentrations of air samples were analyzed (log10) as odds ratios by Proc Logistic in SAS software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC); differences were declared at P<0.05. In trial 1, weight gain of calves in nursery pens was 6% greater and feed efficiency was 4% greater than that of calves in hutches. In trial 2a, weight gain and starter intake of calves in the nursery with straw bedding were greater and scouring was less than that in calves bedded with sand in the nursery or hutches. The relative humidity was greater in the hutches than in the nursery pens. In trial 2b, weight gain, feed efficiency, and hip width change were greater and breaths per minute were less for calves cooled with fans compared with calves that were not cooled. In trial 3, airborne bacteria concentrations were greater in the hutches than in the nursery pens. Straw bedding (vs. sand), nursery pens (vs. hutches), and summer daytime cooling with fans improved calf weight gain. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incident angle of saltating particles in wind-blown sand.

PubMed

Fu, Lin-Tao; Bo, Tian-Li; Gu, Hai-Hua; Zheng, Xiao-Jing

2013-01-01

Incident angle of saltating particles plays a very important role in aeolian events. In this paper, the incident angles of sand particles near the sand bed were measured in wind tunnel. It reveals that the incident angles range widely from 0° to 180° and thereby the means of angles are larger than published data. Surprisingly, it is found the proportion that angles of 5°-15° occupy is far below previous reports. The measuring height is probably the most important reason for the measurement differences between this study and previous investigations.

Ultra-High Temperature ContinuousReactors based on Electro-thermal FluidizedBed Concept

DOE PAGES

Fedorov, Sergiy S.; Rohatgi, Upendra Singh; Barsukov, Igor V.; ...

2015-12-08

This paper presents the results of research and development in high-temperature (i.e. 2,000- 3,000ºС) continuous furnaces operating on the principle of electro-thermal fluidized bed for the purification of recycled, finely sized carbon materials. The basis of this fluidized bed furnace is specific electrical resistance and a new correlation has been developed to predict specific electrical resistance for the natural graphite-based precursors entering the fluidized bed reactor This correlation has been validated with the data from a fully functional pilot furnace whose throughput capacity is 10 kg per hour built as part of this work. Data collected in the course ofmore » graphite refining experiments demonstrated that difference between the calculated and measured values of specific electrical resistance of fluidized bed does not exceed 25%. It was concluded that due to chaotic nature of electro-thermal fluidized bed reactors this discrepancy is acceptable. The fluid mechanics of the three types of operating regimes, have been described. The numerical relationships obtained as part of this work allowed proposing an algorithm for selection of technological operational modes with large- scale high-temperature furnaces rated for throughputs of several tons of product per hour. Optimizations proposed now allow producing natural graphite-based end product with the purity level of 99.98+ wt%C which is the key passing criteria for applications in the advanced battery markets.« less

Nuclear reactor construction with bottom supported reactor vessel

DOEpatents

Sharbaugh, John E.

1987-01-01

An improved liquid metal nuclear reactor construction has a reactor core and a generally cylindrical reactor vessel for holding a large pool of low pressure liquid metal coolant and housing the core within the pool. The reactor vessel has an open top end, a closed flat bottom end wall and a continuous cylindrical closed side wall interconnecting the top end and bottom end wall. The reactor also has a generally cylindrical concrete containment structure surrounding the reactor vessel and being formed by a cylindrical side wall spaced outwardly from the reactor vessel side wall and a flat base mat spaced below the reactor vessel bottom end wall. A central support pedestal is anchored to the containment structure base mat and extends upwardly therefrom to the reactor vessel and upwardly therefrom to the reactor core so as to support the bottom end wall of the reactor vessel and the lower end of the reactor core in spaced apart relationship above the containment structure base mat. Also, an annular reinforced support structure is disposed in the reactor vessel on the bottom end wall thereof and extends about the lower end of the core so as to support the periphery thereof. In addition, an annular support ring having a plurality of inward radially extending linear members is disposed between the containment structure base mat and the bottom end of the reactor vessel wall and is connected to and supports the reactor vessel at its bottom end on the containment structure base mat so as to allow the reactor vessel to expand radially but substantially prevent any lateral motions that might be imposed by the occurrence of a seismic event. The reactor construction also includes a bed of insulating material in sand-like granular form, preferably being high density magnesium oxide particles, disposed between the containment structure base mat and the bottom end wall of the reactor vessel and uniformly supporting the reactor vessel at its bottom end wall on the containment structure base mat so as to insulate the reactor vessel bottom end wall from the containment structure base mat and allow the reactor vessel bottom end wall to freely expand as it heats up while providing continuous support thereof. Further, a deck is supported upon the side wall of the containment structure above the top open end of the reactor vessel, and a plurality of serially connected extendible and retractable annular bellows extend between the deck and the top open end of the reactor vessel and flexibly and sealably interconnect the reactor vessel at its top end to the deck. An annular guide ring is disposed on the containment structure and extends between its side wall and the top open end of the reactor vessel for providing lateral support of the reactor vessel top open end by limiting imposition of lateral loads on the annular bellows by the occurrence of a lateral seismic event.

Supercritical solvent extraction of oil sand bitumen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imanbayev, Ye. I.; Ongarbayev, Ye. K.; Tileuberdi, Ye.; Mansurov, Z. A.; Golovko, A. K.; Rudyk, S.

2017-08-01

The supercritical solvent extraction of bitumen from oil sand studied with organic solvents. The experiments were performed in autoclave reactor at temperature above 255 °C and pressure 29 atm with stirring for 6 h. The reaction resulted in the formation of coke products with mineral part of oil sands. The remaining products separated into SARA fractions. The properties of the obtained products were studied. The supercritical solvent extraction significantly upgraded extracted natural bitumen.

Effect of Neutron Absorbers Mixed in or Coating the Fuel of a 1-MWt Lithium-Cooled Space Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Amiri, Benjamin W.; Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545; Poston, David I.

2005-02-06

The goal of this study was to determine the effect of various neutron poisons (boron, dysprosium, erbium, and gadolinium) on a 1-MWt, lithium-cooled liquid-metal reactor. The isotopes were considered to be in-fuel poisons, as well as poisons coating the fuel. One way to quantify the effectiveness of a poison in meeting accident-condition requirements is by defining the safety margin as the difference between keff at the beginning of life and keff during the accident scenarios. The isotope that showed the most potential in increasing the safety margin for the wet-sand/water case was 157Gd. The safety margin was 10%-20% greater usingmore » 157Gd as an in-fuel poison as opposed to a coating, depending on the poison quantity. However, the most limiting condition (i.e., the accident scenario with the highest keff, thus the lowest safety margin) is when the reactor is submerged in wet sand. None of the isotopes considered significantly affected the safety margin for the dry-sand case. However, the poison isotopes considered may have applicability for meeting the wet-sand/water keff requirements or as burnable poisons in a moderated system. The views expressed in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect agreement by the government.« less

Deep particle bed dryout model based on flooding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuan, P.

1987-01-01

Examination of the damaged Three Mile island Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor indicates that a deep (approx. 1-m) bed of relatively large (approx. 1-mm) particles was formed in the core. Cooling of such beds is crucial to the arrest of core damage progression. The Lipinski model, based on flows in the bed, has been used to predict the coolability, but uncertainties exist in the turbulent permeability. Models based on flooding at the top of the bed either have a dimensional viscosity term, or no viscosity dependence, thus limiting their applicability. This paper presents a dimensionless correlation based on flooding data thatmore » involves a liquid Reynolds number. The derived dryout model from this correlation is compared with data for deep beds of large particles at atmospheric pressure, and with other models over a wide pressure range. It is concluded that the present model can give quite accurate predictions for the dryout heat flux of particle beds formed during a light water reactor accident and it is easy to use and agrees with the Lipinski n = 5 model, which requires iterative calculations.« less

Density stratification effects in sand-bed rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, S.; Parker, G.

2004-01-01

In this paper the effects of density stratification in sand-bed rivers are studied by the application of a model of vertical velocity and concentration profiles, coupled through the use of a turbulence closure that retains the buoyancy terms. By making the governing equations dimensionless, it is revealed that the slope is the additional dimensionless parameter introduced by inclusion of the buoyancy terms. The primary new finding is that in general density stratification effects tend to be greater in large, low-slope rivers than in their smaller, steeper brethren. Under high flow conditions the total suspended load and size distribution of suspended sediment can be significantly affected by density stratification, and should be accounted for in any general theory of suspended transport. ?? ASCE.

Bed composition generation for morphodynamic modeling: Case study of San Pablo Bay in California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

van der Wegen, M.; Dastgheib, A.; Jaffe, B.E.; Roelvink, D.

2011-01-01

Applications of process-based morphodynamic models are often constrained by limited availability of data on bed composition, which may have a considerable impact on the modeled morphodynamic development. One may even distinguish a period of "morphodynamic spin-up" in which the model generates the bed level according to some ill-defined initial bed composition rather than describing the realistic behavior of the system. The present paper proposes a methodology to generate bed composition of multiple sand and/or mud fractions that can act as the initial condition for the process-based numerical model Delft3D. The bed composition generation (BCG) run does not include bed level changes, but does permit the redistribution of multiple sediment fractions over the modeled domain. The model applies the concept of an active layer that may differ in sediment composition above an underlayer with fixed composition. In the case of a BCG run, the bed level is kept constant, whereas the bed composition can change. The approach is applied to San Pablo Bay in California, USA. Model results show that the BCG run reallocates sand and mud fractions over the model domain. Initially, a major sediment reallocation takes place, but development rates decrease in the longer term. Runs that take the outcome of a BCG run as a starting point lead to more gradual morphodynamic development. Sensitivity analysis shows the impact of variations in the morphological factor, the active layer thickness, and wind waves. An important but difficult to characterize criterion for a successful application of a BCG run is that it should not lead to a bed composition that fixes the bed so that it dominates the "natural" morphodynamic development of the system. Future research will focus on a decadal morphodynamic hindcast and comparison with measured bathymetries in San Pablo Bay so that the proposed methodology can be tested and optimized. ?? 2010 The Author(s).

Associations of selected bedding types with incidence rates of subclinical and clinical mastitis in primiparous Holstein dairy cows.

PubMed

Rowbotham, R F; Ruegg, P L

2016-06-01

The objective of this observational study was to determine the association of exposure to selected bedding types with incidence of subclinical (SM) and clinical mastitis (CM) in primiparous Holstein dairy cows housed in identical pens at a single facility. At parturition, primiparous cows were randomly assigned to pens containing freestalls with 1 of 4 bedding materials: (1) deep-bedded new sand (NES, n=27 cows), (2) deep-bedded recycled sand (RS, n=25 cows), (3) deep-bedded manure solids (DBMS, n=31 cows), and (4) shallow-bedded manure solids over foam-core mattresses (SBMS, n=26 cows). For 12mo, somatic cell counts of quarter milk samples were determined every 28d and duplicate quarter milk samples were collected for microbiological analysis from all quarters with SM (defined as somatic cell count >200,000 cells/mL). During this period, duplicate quarter milk samples were also collected for microbial analysis from all cases of CM. For an additional 16mo, cases of CM were recorded; however, no samples were collected. Quarter days at risk (62,980) were distributed among bedding types and most quarters were enrolled for >150d. Of 135 cases of SM, 63% resulted in nonsignificant growth and 87% of recovered pathogens (n=33) were identified as coagulase-negative staphylococci. The distribution of etiologies of pathogens recovered from cases of SM was associated with bedding type. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were recovered from 12, 38, 11, and 46% of quarters with SM from cows in pens containing NES, RS, DBMS, and SBMS, respectively. A result of nonsignificant growth was obtained for 81, 59, 89, and 46% of quarters with SM from cows in pens containing NES, RS, DBMS, and SBMS, respectively. Quarters of primiparous cows bedded with NES tended to have greater survival time to incidence of CM than quarters of primiparous cows bedded with RS or DBMS. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biological CO2 conversion to acetate in subsurface coal-sand formation using a high-pressure reactor system.

PubMed

Ohtomo, Yoko; Ijiri, Akira; Ikegawa, Yojiro; Tsutsumi, Masazumi; Imachi, Hiroyuki; Uramoto, Go-Ichiro; Hoshino, Tatsuhiko; Morono, Yuki; Sakai, Sanae; Saito, Yumi; Tanikawa, Wataru; Hirose, Takehiro; Inagaki, Fumio

2013-01-01

Geological CO2 sequestration in unmineable subsurface oil/gas fields and coal formations has been proposed as a means of reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. However, the feasibility of injecting CO2 into subsurface depends upon a variety of geological and economic conditions, and the ecological consequences are largely unpredictable. In this study, we developed a new flow-through-type reactor system to examine potential geophysical, geochemical and microbiological impacts associated with CO2 injection by simulating in-situ pressure (0-100 MPa) and temperature (0-70°C) conditions. Using the reactor system, anaerobic artificial fluid and CO2 (flow rate: 0.002 and 0.00001 ml/min, respectively) were continuously supplemented into a column comprised of bituminous coal and sand under a pore pressure of 40 MPa (confined pressure: 41 MPa) at 40°C for 56 days. 16S rRNA gene analysis of the bacterial components showed distinct spatial separation of the predominant taxa in the coal and sand over the course of the experiment. Cultivation experiments using sub-sampled fluids revealed that some microbes survived, or were metabolically active, under CO2-rich conditions. However, no methanogens were activated during the experiment, even though hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic methanogens were obtained from conventional batch-type cultivation at 20°C. During the reactor experiment, the acetate and methanol concentration in the fluids increased while the δ(13)Cacetate, H2 and CO2 concentrations decreased, indicating the occurrence of homo-acetogenesis. 16S rRNA genes of homo-acetogenic spore-forming bacteria related to the genus Sporomusa were consistently detected from the sandstone after the reactor experiment. Our results suggest that the injection of CO2 into a natural coal-sand formation preferentially stimulates homo-acetogenesis rather than methanogenesis, and that this process is accompanied by biogenic CO2 conversion to acetate.

Biological CO2 conversion to acetate in subsurface coal-sand formation using a high-pressure reactor system

PubMed Central

Ohtomo, Yoko; Ijiri, Akira; Ikegawa, Yojiro; Tsutsumi, Masazumi; Imachi, Hiroyuki; Uramoto, Go-Ichiro; Hoshino, Tatsuhiko; Morono, Yuki; Sakai, Sanae; Saito, Yumi; Tanikawa, Wataru; Hirose, Takehiro; Inagaki, Fumio

2013-01-01

Geological CO2 sequestration in unmineable subsurface oil/gas fields and coal formations has been proposed as a means of reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. However, the feasibility of injecting CO2 into subsurface depends upon a variety of geological and economic conditions, and the ecological consequences are largely unpredictable. In this study, we developed a new flow-through-type reactor system to examine potential geophysical, geochemical and microbiological impacts associated with CO2 injection by simulating in-situ pressure (0–100 MPa) and temperature (0–70°C) conditions. Using the reactor system, anaerobic artificial fluid and CO2 (flow rate: 0.002 and 0.00001 ml/min, respectively) were continuously supplemented into a column comprised of bituminous coal and sand under a pore pressure of 40 MPa (confined pressure: 41 MPa) at 40°C for 56 days. 16S rRNA gene analysis of the bacterial components showed distinct spatial separation of the predominant taxa in the coal and sand over the course of the experiment. Cultivation experiments using sub-sampled fluids revealed that some microbes survived, or were metabolically active, under CO2-rich conditions. However, no methanogens were activated during the experiment, even though hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic methanogens were obtained from conventional batch-type cultivation at 20°C. During the reactor experiment, the acetate and methanol concentration in the fluids increased while the δ13Cacetate, H2 and CO2 concentrations decreased, indicating the occurrence of homo-acetogenesis. 16S rRNA genes of homo-acetogenic spore-forming bacteria related to the genus Sporomusa were consistently detected from the sandstone after the reactor experiment. Our results suggest that the injection of CO2 into a natural coal-sand formation preferentially stimulates homo-acetogenesis rather than methanogenesis, and that this process is accompanied by biogenic CO2 conversion to acetate. PMID:24348470

Assessing environmental risk of the retired filter bed area, Battelle West Jefferson

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, S.F.; Thompson, M.D.; Glennon, M.A.

1997-04-01

Initial investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, Chicago Operations Office, and by Argonne National Laboratory used seismic refraction profiling, electrical resistivity depth sounding, conductivity profiling, magnetic gradiometry, and ground-penetrating radar to study environmental geophysics in the area of the Battelle West Jefferson site`s radiologically contaminated retired filter beds. The investigators used a combination of nonintrusive technologies and innovative drilling techniques to assess environmental risk at the filter beds and to improve understanding of the geology of the Big Darby Creek floodplain. The geophysical investigation, which showed that the preferred groundwater pathway is associated with a laterally extensive depositmore » of silty sand to sand that is less than 12 ft deep in the floodplain area, also guided the location of cone penetrometer test sites and piezometer installation. Cone penetrometer testing was useful for comparing continuous logging data with surface geophysical data in establishing correlations among unconsolidated materials.« less

The formation of low-angle eolian stratification through the migration of protodunes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewing, R. C.; Phillips, J. D.; Weymer, B. A.; Barrineaux, P.; Bowling, R.; Nittrouer, J. A.

2017-12-01

Protodunes are low-relief, slipfaceless migrating bed forms that represent the emergent form of eolian sand dunes. Protodunes develop as cm-scale topography out of a flat bed of sand and evolve spatially and temporally into dunes with angle-of-repose slipfaces. Protodunes at White Sands Dune Field in New Mexico form at the upwind, trailing margin of the field, on dune stoss slopes, and in interdune areas. Here we analyze protodunes at the upwind margin of White Sands by coupling 200 mHz ground penetrating radar (GPR) with time-series high-resolution topography to characterize the origin and evolution of protodune stratification and the stratigraphic transition into fully developed dunes. We surveyed a 780m transect in the resultant transport direction of the dune field from SW to NE from sand patches through protodunes and into the first dune. We used airborne lidar surveys and structure-from-motion photogrammetry from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2016. We find that protodune stratification forms at angles between 0-10 degrees by protodune migration. Dip angles increase as protodune amplitude increases along the transect. Accumulation of low-angle stratification increases across the first 650m and ranges from none to subcritical. Nearly aggradational accumulation of low-angle stratification occurs over the last 100m and is a precursor to angle-of-repose slipface formation. The origins of the aggradation and slipface development appear to be linked to protodune merging, dune interactions, and possibly to the development of a dune field-scale boundary layer. Protodunes and the formation of low-angle stratification at the upwind margin of White Sands are a good analog to the initiation of dune field development from sand sheets and the formation of low-angle stratification found at the base of eolian successions in the stratigraphic record.

Calibration and validation of a numerical model against experimental data of methane hydrate formation and dissociation in a sandy porous medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Z.; Moridis, G. J.; Chong, Z. R.; Linga, P.

2017-12-01

Methane hydrates (MH) are known to trap enormous amounts of CH4 in oceanic and permafrost-associated deposits, and are being considered as a potential future energy source. Several powerful numerical simulators were developed to describe the behavior of natural hydrate-bearing sediments (HBS). The complexity and strong nonlinearities in HBS do not allow analytical solutions for code validation. The only reliable method to develop confidence in these models is through comparisons to laboratory and/or field experiments. The objective of this study is to reproduce numerically the results from earlier experiments of MH formation and depressurization (and the corresponding fluid production) in 1.0L reactor involving unconsolidated sand, thus validating and calibrating the TOUGH+Hydrate v1.5 simulator. We faithfully describe the reactor geometry and the experimental process that involves both hydrate formation and dissociation. We demonstrate that the laboratory experiments can only be captured by a kinetic hydration model. There is an excellent agreement between observations and predictions (a) of the cumulative gas depletion (during formation) and production (during dissociation) and (b) of pressure over time. The temperature agreement is less satisfactory, and the deviations are attributed to the fixed locations of the limited number of sensors that cannot fully capture the hydrate heterogeneity. We also predict the spatial distributions over time of the various phase (gas, aqueous and hydrate) saturations. Thus, hydrates form preferentially along the outer boundary of the sand core, and the hydrate front moves inward leaving a significant portion of the sand at the center hydrate-free. During depressurization, dissociation advances again inward from the reactor boundary to the center of the reactor. As expected, methane gas accumulates initially at the locations of most intense dissociation, and then gradually migrates to the upper section of the reactor because of buoyancy and of the pressure gradient caused by the pressure outlet. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the composite thermal conductivity of the HBS and the kinetic parameters of the hydration reaction are the dominant factors. The absolute permeability of the sand does not play a significant role in this small reactor.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yung, Matthew M.; Stanton, Alexander R.; Iisa, Kristiina

Metal-impregnated (Ni or Ga) ZSM-5 catalysts were studied for biomass pyrolysis vapor upgrading to produce hydrocarbons using three reactors constituting a 100 000x change in the amount of catalyst used in experiments. Catalysts were screened for pyrolysis vapor phase upgrading activity in two small-scale reactors: (i) a Pyroprobe with a 10 mg catalyst in a fixed bed and (ii) a fixed-bed reactor with 500 mg of catalyst. The best performing catalysts were then validated with a larger scale fluidized-bed reactor (using ~1 kg of catalyst) that produced measurable quantities of bio-oil for analysis and evaluation of mass balances. Despite somemore » inherent differences across the reactor systems (such as residence time, reactor type, analytical techniques, mode of catalyst and biomass feed) there was good agreement of reaction results for production of aromatic hydrocarbons, light gases, and coke deposition. Relative to ZSM-5, Ni or Ga addition to ZSM-5 increased production of fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons and light gases. In the fluidized bed reactor, Ga/ZSM-5 slightly enhanced carbon efficiency to condensed oil, which includes oxygenates in addition to aromatic hydrocarbons, and reduced oil oxygen content compared to ZSM-5. Ni/ZSM-5, while giving the highest yield of fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons, gave lower overall carbon efficiency to oil but with the lowest oxygen content. Reaction product analysis coupled with fresh and spent catalyst characterization indicated that the improved performance of Ni/ZSM-5 is related to decreasing deactivation by coking, which keeps the active acid sites accessible for the deoxygenation and aromatization reactions that produce fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons. The addition of Ga enhances the dehydrogenation activity of the catalyst, which leads to enhanced olefin formation and higher fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbon yields compared to unmodified ZSM-5. Catalyst characterization by ammonia temperature programmed desorption, surface area measurements, and postreaction temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) also showed that the metal-modified zeolites retained a greater percentage of their initial acidity and surface area, which was consistent between the reactor scales. These results demonstrate that the trends observed with smaller (milligram to gram) catalyst reactors are applicable to larger, more industrially relevant (kg) scales to help guide catalyst research toward application.« less

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, China: Energy

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-29

capacity. There are currently two types of HTGR reactor designs: the particle-bed core , which uses spherical fuel elements, and the rod type core , in...and trial operating experience with the HTGR reactor. Its main design features are as follows. 1. A particle-bed core , continuous fueling and...Favorable for Development of Small-Scale HTGR (Xu Jiming; HE DONGLI GONGCHENG, Feb 88) 47 ERRATUM: In JPRS-CEN-88-003 of 25 April 1988 in article

A New Innovative Spherical Cermet Nuclear Fuel Element to Achieve an Ultra-Long Core Life for use in Grid-Appropriate LWRs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Senor, David J.; Painter, Chad L.; Geelhood, Ken J.

2007-12-01

Spherical cermet fuel elements are proposed for use in the Atoms For Peace Reactor (AFPR-100) concept. AFPR-100 is a small-scale, inherently safe, proliferation-resistant reactor that would be ideal for deployment to nations with emerging economies that decide to select nuclear power for the generation of carbon-free electricity. The basic concept of the AFPR core is a water-cooled fixed particle bed, randomly packed with spherical fuel elements. The flow of coolant within the particle bed is at such a low rate that the bed does not fluidize. This report summarizes an approach to fuel fabrication, results associated with fuel performance modeling,more » core neutronics and thermal hydraulics analyses demonstrating a ~20 year core life, and a conclusion that the proliferation resistance of the AFPR reactor concept is high.« less

Bedding and Fertilization Influence on Slash Pine Development in the Florida Sandhills

Treesearch

James B. Baker

1973-01-01

A field study on the infertile and droughty Lakeland sands of west Florida indicated that bedding or fertilization (134 kg P /ha as ordinary superphosphate and 90 kg N/ha as ammonium nitrate) or both increased early growth of planted slash pine ( Engelm.). Throughout the 6-year study, best growth was obtained when the treatments were...

Environmental Inventory: Little South Fork Cumberland River.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-11-01

coal and clay shale. The contact between the Mississippian strata (Pennington Formation ) and...these formations include the Barren Fork coal bed and the Stearns coal zone. In addition to these there are several unnamed coal beds. Number and...Cindy Cliff, Coal Cliff, Sand Cliff and Balls Cliff are being mined by the Greenwood Land and Mining Company of Somerset and Parkers Lake, Kentucky

Biodiversity of seagrass bed in Balanan Resort - Baluran National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soedarti, T.; Hariyanto, S.; Wedayanti, A.; Rahmawati, A. D.; Safitri, D. P.; Alificia, R. I.; Suwono

2017-09-01

Seagrass beds are flowering plants that live on the seabed. Seagrass provides a habitat for diverse flora and fauna, spawning ground, nursery ground, raising ground, and feeding ground. Balanan Resort - Baluran National Park has many beaches, such as Kajang Beach, Si Banjir Beach, Kakapa Beach, and Serondo Beach. This study was aimed to determine species composition, seagrass dominated, and the diversity index of seagrass and substrate in Resort Balanan - Baluran National Park. This research was carried out in Kajang Beach, Sibanjir Beach, Kakapa Beach, and Sirondo Beach from August to September 2015 using belt transect method, each transect consists of 15 plots (19 transects = 285 plots) and using the frame of 1x1 m. This research found seven genera and ten species : Cymodoce (C rotundata and C. serrulata), Syringodium (S. isoelifolium), Thallassodendron (T. ciliatum), Enhalus (E. acoroides) , Halodule (H. univernis and H. pinifolia), Halophila (H. ovalis and H. decipiens), and Thalassia (T. hemprichii). The diversity index of seagrass bed was moderate [H'=1.90] in Balanan Resort. The substrate of seagrass bed was mud, gravel, sand, clay sand and rubble in Balanan Resort. The dominance index was near zero [C = 0.194], that means no dominant species.

Fluidized bed gasification of industrial solid recovered fuels.

PubMed

Arena, Umberto; Di Gregorio, Fabrizio

2016-04-01

The study evaluates the technical feasibility of the fluidized bed gasification of three solid recovered fuels (SRFs), obtained as co-products of a recycling process. The SRFs were pelletized and fed to a pilot scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor, operated in gasification and co-gasification mode. The tests were carried out under conditions of thermal and chemical steady state, with a bed of olivine particles and at different values of equivalence ratio. The results provide a complete syngas characterization, in terms of its heating value and composition (including tars, particulates, and acid/basic pollutants) and of the chemical and physical characterization of bed material and entrained fines collected at the cyclone outlet. The feasibility of the fluidized bed gasification process of the different SRFs was evaluated with the support of a material and substance flow analysis, and a feedstock energy analysis. The results confirm the flexibility of fluidized bed reactor, which makes it one of the preferable technologies for the gasification of different kind of wastes, even in co-gasification mode. The fluidized bed gasification process of the tested SRFs appears technically feasible, yielding a syngas of valuable quality for energy applications in an appropriate plant configuration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of flow dynamics of liquid phase in a pilot-scale trickle bed reactor using radiotracer technique.

PubMed

Pant, H J; Sharma, V K

2016-10-01

A radiotracer investigation was carried out to measure residence time distribution (RTD) of liquid phase in a trickle bed reactor (TBR). The main objectives of the investigation were to investigate radial and axial mixing of the liquid phase, and evaluate performance of the liquid distributor/redistributor at different operating conditions. Mean residence times (MRTs), holdups (H) and fraction of flow flowing along different quadrants were estimated. The analysis of the measured RTD curves indicated radial non-uniform distribution of liquid phase across the beds. The overall RTD of the liquid phase, measured at the exit of the reactor was simulated using a multi-parameter axial dispersion with exchange model (ADEM), and model parameters were obtained. The results of model simulations indicated that the TBR behaved as a plug flow reactor at most of the operating conditions used in the investigation. The results of the investigation helped to improve the existing design as well as to design a full-scale industrial TBR for petroleum refining applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental and Computational Study of the Hydrodynamics of Trickle Bed Flow Reactor Operating Under Different Pressure Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabbani, S.; Ben Salem, I.; Nadeem, H.; Kurnia, J. C.; Shamim, T.; Sassi, M.

2014-12-01

Pressure drop estimation and prediction of liquid holdup play a crucial role in design and operation of trickle bed reactors. Experiments are performed for Light Gas Oil (LGO)-nitrogen system in ambient temperature conditions in an industrial pilot plant with reactor height 0.79 m and diameter of 0.0183 m and pressure ranging from atmospheric to 10 bars. It was found that pressure drop increased with increase in system pressure, superficial gas velocity and superficial liquid velocity. It was demonstrated in the experiments that liquid holdup of the system increases with the increase in superficial liquid velocity and tends to decrease with increase in superficial gas velocity which is in good agreement with existing literature. Similar conditions were also simulated using CFD-software FLUENT. The Volume of Fluid (VoF) technique was employed in combination with "discrete particle approach" and results were compared with that of experiments. The overall pressure drop results were compared with the different available models and a new comprehensive model was proposed to predict the pressure drop in Trickle Bed Flow Reactor.

Remediation of trichloroethylene by bio-precipitated and encapsulated palladium nanoparticles in a fixed bed reactor.

PubMed

Hennebel, Tom; Verhagen, Pieter; Simoen, Henri; De Gusseme, Bart; Vlaeminck, Siegfried E; Boon, Nico; Verstraete, Willy

2009-08-01

Trichloroethylene is a toxic and recalcitrant groundwater pollutant. Palladium nanoparticles bio-precipitated on Shewanella oneidensis were encapsulated in polyurethane, polyacrylamide, alginate, silica or coated on zeolites. The reactivity of these bio-Pd beads and zeolites was tested in batch experiments and trichloroethylene dechlorination followed first order reaction kinetics. The calculated k-values of the encapsulated catalysts were a factor of six lower compared to non-encapsulated bio-Pd. Bio-Pd, used as a catalyst, was able to dechlorinate 100 mgL(-1) trichloroethylene within a time period of 1h. The main reaction product was ethane; yet small levels of chlorinated intermediates were detected. Subsequently polyurethane cubes empowered with bio-Pd were implemented in a fixed bed reactor for the treatment of water containing trichloroethylene. The influent recycle configuration resulted in a cumulative removal of 98% after 22 h. The same reactor in a flow through configuration achieved removal rates up to 1059 mg trichloroethylene g Pd(-1)d(-1). This work showed that fixed bed reactors with bio-Pd polyurethane cubes can be instrumental for remediation of water contaminated with trichloroethylene.

Enhanced biofiltration using cell attachment promotors.

PubMed

Goncalves, Juan J; Govind, Rakesh

2009-02-15

H2S polluted airstreams were treated in two biotrickling filter columns packed with polyurethane (PU) foam cubes, one with cubes coated with a solution of 25 mg/L of polyethyleneimine (PEI, coated reactor) and the other containing just plain PU cubes (uncoated reactor) at empty bed residence times (EBRT) ranging from 6 to 60 s. and inlet H2S concentrations ranging from 30 to 235 ppm, (overall loads of up to 44 gH2S/m3bed/h), with overall removal efficiencies (RE) in the range of 90-100% over 125 days. The acclimatization characteristics of the coated reactor outperformed those of the uncoated one, and both the observed elimination capacity (EC) of 77 gH2S/m3bed/h and retention of volatile solids (VS) of 42 mgVS/cube were maxima in the coated reactor. Insights into the controlling removal mechanisms were also provided by means of dimensionless analysis of the experimental data. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) showed that the dominant surviving species in both units belonged to the genus Acidithiobacillus.

Conversion of NO with a catalytic packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, CAO; Weixuan, ZHAO; Renxi, ZHANG; Huiqi, HOU; Shanping, CHEN; Ruina, ZHANG

2017-11-01

This paper discusses the conversion of nitric oxide (NO) with a low-temperature plasma induced by a catalytic packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. Alumina oxide (Al2O3), glass (SiO2) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2), three different spherical packed materials of the same size, were each present in the DBD reactor. The NO conversion under varying input voltage and specific energy density, and the effects of catalysts (titanium dioxide (TiO2) and manganese oxide (MnO x ) coated on Al2O3) on NO conversion were investigated. The experimental results showed that NO conversion was greatly enhanced in the presence of packed materials in the reactor, and the catalytic packed bed of MnO x /Al2O3 showed better performance than that of TiO2/Al2O3. The surface and crystal structures of the materials and catalysts were characterized through scanning electron microscopy analysis. The final products were clearly observed by a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and provided a better understanding of NO conversion.

Solar photocatalytic disinfection with immobilised TiO(2) at pilot-plant scale.

PubMed

Sordo, Carlos; Van Grieken, Rafael; Marugán, Javier; Fernández-Ibáñez, Pilar

2010-01-01

The photocatalytic disinfection efficiency has been investigated for two immobilized TiO(2) catalytic systems (wall reactor and fixed-bed reactor) in a solar pilot plant. Their performances have been compared with the use of a slurry reactor and the solar disinfection without catalyst. The use of photocatalytic TiO(2) wall reactors does no show clear benefits over the solar disinfection process in the absence of catalyst. The reason is that the efficiency of the solar disinfection is so high that the presence of titania in the reactor wall reduces the global efficiency due to the competition for the absorption of photons. As expected, the maximum efficiency was shown by the slurry TiO(2) reactor, due to the optimum contact between bacteria and catalyst. However, it is noticeable that the use of the fixed-bed reactor leads to inactivation rate quite close to that of the slurry, requiring comparable accumulated solar energy of about 6 kJ L(-1) to achieve a 6-log decrease in the concentration of viable bacteria and allowing a total disinfection of the water (below the detection limit of 1 CFU mL(-1)). Not only the high titania surface area of this configuration is responsible for the bacteria inactivation but the important contribution of the mechanical stress has to be considered. The main advantage of the fixed-bed TiO(2) catalyst is the outstanding stability, without deactivation effects after ten reaction cycles, being readily applicable for continuous water treatment systems.

Novel technologies to improve the performance of biomass pyrolsis systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liaw, Shi-Shen

Biomass pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion process to convert lignocellosic materials into bio-oil, gas, and char. The bio-oil can be further refined to produce transportation fuels, high-value chemicals and heat. Although fast pyrolysis is a very promising technology for high bio-oil production yield, the reactors used have several technological problems that limit their future techno-economic viability. Current fast pyrolysis reactors use large quantities of carrier gas that reduce their thermal efficiency. The use of sand to accelerate heating rates results in serious attrition problems responsible for sand contamination of the bio-char produced. Most of the fast pyrolysis reactors currently used need to process very small particles which consume large quantities of energy in grinding. The bio-oil produced is also highly acidic and corrosive mainly due to the presence of acetic acid. The lack of a viable technology to use the acetic acid contained in these oils is a major challenge for the development of viable bio-oil refineries. The objective of this dissertation is to evaluate several technologies to improve the techno-economic viability of biomass pyrolysis systems. The main hypotheses of this dissertation are: (1) high yields of bio-oils could also be obtained by using auger pyrolysis reactors using very low volumes of carried gas and no sand as a heat carrier if the system is fed with very small particles (2) The grinding energy can be reduced if the biomass is torrefied. There are torrefaction conditions that will not affect the overall yield of pyrolysis products (3) Acetic acid produced during pyrolysis can be removed with the use of a fractional condensation system (4) The acids produced during the torrefaction and pyrolysis with the use of the fractional condensation system can be anaerobically digested to produce methane. In this dissertation, it was proved through Py-GC/MS studies that yield of most of the pyrolytic products can be explained by grouping them in five groups or families. The C1 family is formed by products of cellulose fragmentation reactions (glycoaldehyde, acetol, 1,2-ethanediol, monoacetate, butanedial). The products grouped in the C2 family (levoglucosan, levoglucosenone, 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-alpha-D-glucopyranose) are derived from cellulose depolymerization reactions. The molecules derived from hemicellulose (Acetic acid, furfural, 2-furanmethanol) were grouped in the H family. The products derived from lignin were grouped in two families L1 (derived from p-hydroxyl phenol (H) and guaiacyl (G) structures) and L2 (derived from syringyl (S) structures). The yield and properties of bio-oil obtained from an auger pyrolysis reactor is comparable with other existing fluidized bed reactors in the similar pyrolysis condition. The system proposed required much lower volumes of carrier gas and result in the production of a sand-free bio-char. It was also found that the reactions leadings to the formation of bio-char products and the yield of bio-oil are not affected if the pretreatment (torrefaction) temperature is maintained below 290 °C. Torrefaction at higher temperatures results in a dramatic reduction of the bio-oil yield and an increase in the bio-char yield. A condensation system coupled with the auger pyrolysis reactor was constructed and studied for the separation of crude bio-oil produced from Douglas Fir wood. As the first condenser temperature increases up to 80 °C, the content of light oxygenated organic compounds (chiefly the acetic acid and water) in the first condenser decreased significantly. For the first time, this dissertation reports the anaerobic digestion of the aqueous phase obtained in the thermal pretreatment (torrefaction) step and in the second condenser during biomass pyrolysis to produce bio-methane. Acid washing was studied to minimize the inhibitors (hydroxyacetaldehyde and monophenols) in aqueous phase for higher bio-methane production. The results of this dissertation confirm that with the implementation of the new technologies studied it is possible to improve the performance of existing fast pyrolysis systems.

Integrated detoxification methodology of hazardous phenolic wastewaters in environmentally based trickle-bed reactors: Experimental investigation and CFD simulation.

PubMed

Lopes, Rodrigo J G; Almeida, Teresa S A; Quinta-Ferreira, Rosa M

2011-05-15

Centralized environmental regulations require the use of efficient detoxification technologies for the secure disposal of hazardous wastewaters. Guided by federal directives, existing plants need reengineering activities and careful analysis to improve their overall effectiveness and to become environmentally friendly. Here, we illustrate the application of an integrated methodology which encompasses the experimental investigation of catalytic wet air oxidation and CFD simulation of trickle-bed reactors. As long as trickle-bed reactors are determined by the flow environment coupled with chemical kinetics, first, on the optimization of prominent numerical solution parameters, the CFD model was validated with experimental data taken from a trickle bed pilot plant specifically designed for the catalytic wet oxidation of phenolic wastewaters. Second, several experimental and computational runs were carried out under unsteady-state operation to evaluate the dynamic performance addressing the TOC concentration and temperature profiles. CFD computations of total organic carbon conversion were found to agree better with experimental data at lower temperatures. Finally, the comparison of test data with simulation results demonstrated that this integrated framework was able to describe the mineralization of organic matter in trickle beds and the validated consequence model can be exploited to promote cleaner remediation technologies of contaminated waters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lime-mud layers in high-energy tidal channels: A record of hurricane deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinn, Eugene A.; Steinen, Randolph P.; Dill, Robert F.; Major, Richard

1993-07-01

During or immediately following the transit of Hurricane Andrew (August 23-24, 1992) across the northern part of the Great Bahama Bank, thin laminated beds of carbonate mud were deposited in high-energy subtidal channels (4 m depth) through the ooid shoals of south Cat Cay and Joulters Cays. During our reconnaissance seven weeks later, we observed lime-mud beds exposed in the troughs of submarine oolite dunes and ripples. The mud layers were underlain and locally covered by ooid sand. The mud beds were lenticular and up to 5 cm thick. Their bases cast the underlying rippled surface. The layers were composed of soft silt- and sand-sized pellets and peloids and in some areas contained freshly preserved Thalassia blades and other organic debris along planes of lamination. The beds had a gelatinous consistency and locally had been penetrated by burrowers and plants. Layers of lime mud had also settled on bioturbated, plant-stabilized flats and in lagoonal settings but were quickly reworked and made unrecognizable by the burrowing of organisms. Thicker, more cohesive (and therefore older) mud beds and angular mud fragments associated with ooids from Joulters Cays have similar characteristics but lack fresh plant fragments. We infer that these older beds were similarly deposited and thus record the passage of previous hurricanes or tropical storms. Storm layers are preserved within channel sediments because migrating ooids prevent attack by the burrowing activity off organisms.

Dependence of ripple dimensions on cohesive and non-cohesive bed properties in the intertidal Dee Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtman, Ian; Thorne, Peter; Baas, Jacobus; O'Boyle, Louise; Cooke, Richard; Amoudry, Laurent; Bell, Paul; Aspden, Rebecca; Bass, Sarah; Davies, Alan; Hope, Julie; Malarkey, Jonathan; Manning, Andrew; Parsons, Daniel; Paterson, David; Peakall, Jeffrey; Schindler, Robert; Ye, Leiping

2014-05-01

There is a need to better understand the effects of cohesive and mixed sediments on coastal processes, to improve sediment transport models for the management of coastal erosion, siltation of navigation channels and habitat change. Although reasonable sediment transport predictors are available for pure sands, it still is not the case for mixed cohesive and non-cohesive sediments. Existing predictors mostly relate ripple dimensions to hydrodynamic conditions and median sediment grain diameter, assuming a narrow unimodal particle size distribution. Properties typical of mixed conditions, such as composition and cohesion for example, are not usually taken into account. This presents severe shortcomings to predictors' abilities. Indeed, laboratory experiments using mixed cohesive sediments have shown that bedform dimensions decrease with increasing bed mud content. In the field, one may expect current predictors to match data for well-sorted sands closely, but poorly for mixed sediments. Our work is part of the COHBED project and aims to: (1) examine, in field conditions, if ripple dimensions are significantly different for mixed cohesive sediment beds compared to beds with pure sand; (2) compare the field data with laboratory results that showed reduced ripple length due to cohesive mud content; and (3) assess the performance of a selection of ripple predictors for mixed sediment data. The COHBED project was set up to undertake laboratory experiments and fieldwork to study how physical and biological processes influence bedform development in a mixed cohesive-cohesionless sediment environment. As part of COHBED, a suite of instruments was deployed on tidal flats in the Dee Estuary (on the NW coast of England), collecting co-located measurements of the hydrodynamics, suspended sediment properties and bed morphology. The instruments occupied three sites collecting data over different bed compositions during a two week period (21 May to 4 June 2013). One site was located above a sandy bed, and the two others were above mixed beds of different mud content. The tide covered a full cycle from neaps to neaps and the weather provided onshore and offshore winds of varying strength. Bedform measurements were taken every half an hour using an Acoustic Ripple Profiler (ARP) that covered an area of about two square metres. Dynamic measurements of tides and waves were made using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) at 8 Hz. Bed samples were taken when the tidal flats dried out at low tide and a sediment trap collected suspended load near the bed. In the presentation, comparisons of the sites will be made from measurements of the proportion of mud and biological sediment binders at each site and the ripple dimensions for different hydrodynamic conditions. Key words: bed morphology, current ripple, mixed sediment, cohesion, hydrodynamics, observations, tidal flat, estuary, Dee

Method of feeding particulate material to a fluidized bed

DOEpatents

Borio, Richard W.; Goodstine, Stephen L.

1984-01-01

A centrifugal spreader type feeder that supplies a mixture of particulate limestone and coal to the top of a fluidized bed reactor having a flow of air upward therethrough. Large particles of particulate matter are distributed over the upper surface of the bed to utilize the natural mixing within the bed, while fine particles are adapted to utilize an independent feeder that separates them from the large particles and injects them into the bed.

TiO2-photocatalyzed As(III) oxidation in a fixed-bed, flow-through reactor.

PubMed

Ferguson, Megan A; Hering, Janet G

2006-07-01

Compliance with the U.S. drinking water standard for arsenic (As) of 10 microg L(-1) is required in January 2006. This will necessitate implementation of treatment technologies for As removal by thousands of water suppliers. Although a variety of such technologies is available, most require preoxidation of As(III) to As(V) for efficient performance. Previous batch studies with illuminated TiO2 slurries have demonstrated that TiO2-photocatalyzed AS(III) oxidation occurs rapidly. This study examined reaction efficiency in a flow-through, fixed-bed reactor that provides a better model for treatment in practice. Glass beads were coated with mixed P25/sol gel TiO2 and employed in an upflow reactor irradiated from above. The reactor residence time, influent As(III) concentration, number of TiO2 coatings on the beads, solution matrix, and light source were varied to characterize this reaction and determine its feasibility for water treatment. Repeated usage of the same beads in multiple experiments or extended use was found to affect effluent As(V) concentrations but not the steady-state effluent As(III) concentration, which suggests that As(III) oxidation at the TiO2 surface undergoes dynamic sorption equilibration. Catalyst poisoning was not observed either from As(V) or from competitively adsorbing anions, although the higher steady-state effluent As(III) concentrations in synthetic groundwater compared to 5 mM NaNO3 indicated that competitive sorbates in the matrix partially hinder the reaction. A reactive transport model with rate constants proportional to incident light at each bead layer fit the experimental data well despite simplifying assumptions. TiO2-photocatalyzed oxidation of As(III) was also effective under natural sunlight. Limitations to the efficiency of As(III) oxidation in the fixed-bed reactor were attributable to constraints of the reactor geometry, which could be overcome by improved design. The fixed-bed TiO2 reactor offers an environmentally benign method for As(III) oxidation.

The significance of discharge in the replenishment of sand bar deposits along the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiele, S.; Hazel, J.; Schmidt, J. C.; Melis, T.

2002-12-01

Topographic sandbar surveys, recovered scour chains, analysis of aerial photos, and modeling of sand deposition demonstrate that releases from Glen Canyon Dam greater than power-plant capacity (PPC; about 900 cubic meters per second) are significantly more effective than PPC-limited releases at redistributing sand from the channel bed to higher elevations along the channel margin. A release of 1,270 m3/s (1.4 times the PPC) for 7 days in 1996 tested the effectiveness with which sandbars could be restored by the manipulation of dam releases aimed at redistributing a limited sand supply. This high flow generally resulted in substantial increases in bar size, although some sandbars close to the dam eroded. Since 1996, releases for bar building and habitat maintenance (a 2-day release in 1997 and two 4-day releases in 2000) have been limited to PPC. Field measurements indicate that the 1996 release of 1,270 m3/s significantly increased the area and volume of sand deposits at elevations greater than the stage reached during typical post-dam flows. Minor aggradation occurred during the PPC flows. In 1996, the relative extent of erosion and deposition changed longitudinally downstream as evidenced by the area of substantial deposition exceeding that of erosion at sites further downstream. The number of bars that were substantially reworked, as measured by the number of bars that significantly increased or decreased in area at the elevation range of normal dam operations, was much greater at 1,270 m3/s than at 900 m3/s. Deposition from the 1,270 m3/s release persisted at many sites on a multi-year scale whereas deposition resulting from the PPC flows only lasted a few months. Minor deposition during PPC flows in 1997, however, was greatest in upstream reaches where bar erosion during normal flows had been more extensive. These observations show that deposition is sensitive to flow magnitude and depth of inundation as well as sand supply. Flow, sand transport, and bed evolution were modeled for conditions that occurred during PPC flows and at higher discharges, such as those that occurred in 1996. Modeling results show that discharges greater than PPC form larger, higher-elevation deposits than are possible at discharges less than PPC. A key requirement for substantial deposition of new sand along the sides of this narrow, deeply incised river is the availability of depositional sites. PPC flows fail to increase stage sufficiently to create space to accommodate new deposits. The inefficiency of PPC releases at building substantial sandbars is compounded by the efficiency with which channel-bed sand is exported during PPC flows, as shown by sand-transport data collected from 1997-2000. Results to date indicate that restoration and maintenance of sand bars will likely require releases greater than PPC more frequently and of shorter duration than anticipated in the past.

Rheological measurements in reduced gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakhtiyarov, Sayavur I.; Overfelt, Ruel A.

1999-01-01

Rheology of fluidized beds and settling suspensions were studied experimentally in a series of reduced gravity parabolic flights aboard NASA's KC-135 aircraft. Silica sands of two different size distributions were fluidized by air. The slurries were made using silica sand and Glycerol solution. The experimental set up incorporated instrumentation to measure the air flow rate, the pressure drop and the apparent viscosity of the fluidized sand and sand suspensions at a wide range of the shear rates. The fluidization chamber and container had transparent walls to allow visualization of the structure changes involved in fluidization and in Couette flow in reduced gravity. Experiments were performed over a broad range of gravitational accelerations including microgravity and double gravity conditions. The results of the flight and ground experiments reveal significant differences in overall void fraction and hence in the apparent viscosity of fluidized sand and sand suspensions under microgravity as compared to one-g conditions.

Use of a biparticle fluidized-bed bioreactor for the continuous and simultaneous fermentation and purification of lactic acid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaufman, E. N.; Cooper, S. P.; Clement, S. L.

A continuous biparticle fluidized bed reactor is developed for the simultaneous fermentation and purification of lactic acid. In this processing scheme, bacteria are immobilized in gelatin beads and are fluidized in a columnar reactor. Solid particles with sorbent capacity for the product are introduced at the top of the reactor, and fall counter currently to the biocatalyst, effecting in situ removal of the inhibitory product, while also controlling reactor pH at optimal levels. Initial long-term fermentation trials using immobilized Lactobacillus delbreuckii have demonstrated a 12 fold increase in volumetric productivity during adsorbent addition as opposed to control fermentations in themore » same reactor. Unoptimized regeneration of the loaded sorbent has effected at least an 8 fold concentration of lactic acid, and a 68 fold enhancement in separation from glucose compared to original levels in the fermentation broth. The benefits of this reactor system as opposed to conventional batch fermentation are discussed in terms of productivity and process economics.« less

Use of a biparticle fluidized-bed bioreactor for the continuous and simultaneous fermentation and purification of lactic acid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaufman, E.N.; Cooper, S.P.; Clement, S.L.

1995-12-31

A continuous biparticle fluidized-bed reactor is developed for the simultaneous fermentation and purification of lactic acid. In this processing scheme, bacteria are immobilized in gelatin beads and are fluidized in a columnar reactor. Solid particles with sorbent capacity for the product are introduced at the top of the reactor, and fall counter currently to the biocatalyst, effecting in situ removal of the inhibitory product, while also controlling reactor pH at optimal levels. Initial long-term fermentation trials using immobilized Lactobacillus delbreuckii have demonstrated a 12-fold increase in volumetric productivity during absorbent addition as opposed to control fermentations in the same reactor.more » Unoptimized regeneration of the loaded sorbent has effected at least an eightfold concentration of lactic acid and a 68-fold enhancement in separation from glucose compared to original levels in the fermentation broth. The benefits of this reactor system as opposed to conventional batch fermentation are discussed in terms of productivity and process economics.« less

Bedform Dimensions and Suspended Sediment Observations in a Mixed Sand-Mud Intertidal Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtman, I. D.; Amoudry, L.; Peter, T.; Jaco, B.

2016-02-01

Small-scale bedforms, such as ripples, can profoundly modify near-bed hydrodynamics, near-bed sediment transport and resuspension, and benthic-pelagic fluxes. Knowledge of their dimensions is important for a number of applications. Fundamentally different processes can occur depending on the dimensions of ripples: for low and long ripples, the bed remains dynamically flat and diffusive processes dominate sediment entrainment; for steep ripples, flow separation occurs above the ripples creating vortices, which are far more efficient at entraining sediment into the water column. Recent laboratory experiments for mixtures of sand and mud have shown that bedform dimensions decrease with increasing sediment mud content. However, these same experiments also showed that mud is selectively taken into suspension when bedforms are created and migrate on the bed, leaving sandy bedforms. This entrainment process, selectively suspending fine sediment, is referred to as winnowing. To improve our understanding of bedform and entrainment dynamics of mixed sediments, in situ observations were made on intertidal flats in the Dee Estuary, United Kingdom. A suite of instruments were deployed collecting co-located measurements of the near-bed hydrodynamics, waves, small-scale bed morphology and suspended sediment. Three sites were occupied consecutively, over a Spring-Neap cycle, collecting data for different bed compositions, tide levels and wind conditions. Bed samples were taken when the flats became exposed at low water and a sediment trap collected suspended load when inundated. This study will combine these measurements to investigate the interactions between small-scale bed morphology, near-bed hydrodynamics and sediment entrainment. We will examine bedform development in the complex hydrodynamic and wave climate of tidal flats, in relation to standard ripple predictors. We will also relate the variability in small-scale bedforms to variation in hydrodynamic and wave conditions, and to suspension and entrainment processes for mixed sediments.

Apparatus and method for solar coal gasification

DOEpatents

Gregg, David W.

1980-01-01

Apparatus for using focused solar radiation to gasify coal and other carbonaceous materials. Incident solar radiation is focused from an array of heliostats onto a tower-mounted secondary mirror which redirects the focused solar radiation down through a window onto the surface of a vertically-moving bed of coal, or a fluidized bed of coal, contained within a gasification reactor. The reactor is designed to minimize contact between the window and solids in the reactor. Steam introduced into the gasification reactor reacts with the heated coal to produce gas consisting mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, commonly called "synthesis gas", which can be converted to methane, methanol, gasoline, and other useful products. One of the novel features of the invention is the generation of process steam at the rear surface of the secondary mirror.

Apparatus for solar coal gasification

DOEpatents

Gregg, D.W.

Apparatus for using focused solar radiation to gasify coal and other carbonaceous materials is described. Incident solar radiation is focused from an array of heliostats onto a tower-mounted secondary mirror which redirects the focused solar radiation down through a window onto the surface of a vertically-moving bed of coal, or a fluidized bed of coal, contained within a gasification reactor. The reactor is designed to minimize contact between the window and solids in the reactor. Steam introduced into the gasification reactor reacts with the heated coal to produce gas consisting mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, commonly called synthesis gas, which can be converted to methane, methanol, gasoline, and other useful products. One of the novel features of the invention is the generation of process steam at the rear surface of the secondary mirror.

Closed Brayton Cycle power system with a high temperature pellet bed reactor heat source for NEP applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juhasz, Albert J.; El-Genk, Mohamed S.; Harper, William B., Jr.

1992-01-01

Capitalizing on past and future development of high temperature gas reactor (HTGR) technology, a low mass 15 MWe closed gas turbine cycle power system using a pellet bed reactor heating helium working fluid is proposed for Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) applications. Although the design of this directly coupled system architecture, comprising the reactor/power system/space radiator subsystems, is presented in conceptual form, sufficient detail is included to permit an assessment of overall system performance and mass. Furthermore, an attempt is made to show how tailoring of the main subsystem design characteristics can be utilized to achieve synergistic system level advantages that can lead to improved reliability and enhanced system life while reducing the number of parasitic load driven peripheral subsystems.

Estimating Discharge, Depth and Bottom Friction in Sand Bed Rivers Using Surface Currents and Water Surface Elevation Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simeonov, J.; Czapiga, M. J.; Holland, K. T.

2017-12-01

We developed an inversion model for river bathymetry estimation using measurements of surface currents, water surface elevation slope and shoreline position. The inversion scheme is based on explicit velocity-depth and velocity-slope relationships derived from the along-channel momentum balance and mass conservation. The velocity-depth relationship requires the discharge value to quantitatively relate the depth to the measured velocity field. The ratio of the discharge and the bottom friction enter as a coefficient in the velocity-slope relationship and is determined by minimizing the difference between the predicted and the measured streamwise variation of the total head. Completing the inversion requires an estimate of the bulk friction, which in the case of sand bed rivers is a strong function of the size of dune bedforms. We explored the accuracy of existing and new empirical closures that relate the bulk roughness to parameters such as the median grain size diameter, ratio of shear velocity to sediment fall velocity or the Froude number. For given roughness parameterization, the inversion solution is determined iteratively since the hydraulic roughness depends on the unknown depth. We first test the new hydraulic roughness parameterization using estimates of the Manning roughness in sand bed rivers based on field measurements. The coupled inversion and roughness model is then tested using in situ and remote sensing measurements of the Kootenai River east of Bonners Ferry, ID.

Zone heating for fluidized bed silane pyrolysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iya, Sridhar K. (Inventor)

1987-01-01

An improved heated fluidized bed reactor and method for the production of high purity polycrystalline silicon by silane pyrolysis wherein silicon seed particles are heated in an upper heating zone of the reactor and admixed with particles in a lower reaction zone, in which zone a silane-containing gas stream, having passed through a lower cooled gas distribution zone not conducive to silane pyrolysis, contacts the heated seed particles whereon the silane is heterogeneously reduced to silicon.

Evaluation of the Parameters and Conditions of Process in the Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation with Application of Permselective Membranes to Enhance Styrene Yield

PubMed Central

Araújo, Paulo Jardel P.; Leite, Manuela Souza; Kakuta Ravagnani, Teresa M.

2016-01-01

Styrene is an important monomer in the manufacture of thermoplastic. Most of it is produced by the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. In this process that depends on reversible reactions, the yield is usually limited by the establishment of thermodynamic equilibrium in the reactor. The styrene yield can be increased by using a hybrid process, with reaction and separation simultaneously. It is proposed using permselective composite membrane to remove hydrogen and thus suppress the reverse and secondary reactions. This paper describes the simulation of a dehydrogenation process carried out in a tubular fixed-bed reactor wrapped in a permselective composite membrane. A mathematical model was developed, incorporating the various mass transport mechanisms found in each of the membrane layers and in the catalytic fixed bed. The effects of the reactor feed conditions (temperature, steam-to-oil ratio, and the weight hourly space velocity), the fixed-bed geometry (length, diameter, and volume), and the membrane geometry (thickness of the layers) on the styrene yield were analyzed. These variables were used to determine experimental conditions that favour the production of styrene. The simulation showed that an increase of 40.98% in the styrene yield, compared to a conventional fixed-bed process, could be obtained by wrapping the reactor in a permselective composite membrane. PMID:27069982

Hock lesions and free-stall design.

PubMed

Weary, D M; Taszkun, I

2000-04-01

We compared the prevalence and severity of skin lesions on the hocks of lactating dairy cows in southern British Columbia, comparing 20 farms using three common bedding surfaces: sawdust, sand, and geotextile mattresses. Skin lesions were scored at five positions on the hock. For each position we noted if the lesion showed inflammatory attributes, and then assigned a severity score. Of the 1752 lactating cows scored, 1267 cows (73%) had at least one hock lesion. Of those cows with lesions, 87% had lesions on both legs, 76% had lesions on more than one location on the hock, and 78% had a lesion of at least moderate severity (i.e., evidence of skin breakage or an area of hair loss >10 cm2). Lesions were most prevalent on farms that used geotextile mattresses (91% of cows) and least common on farms that used sand (24% of cows). Moreover, lesions on cows from farms using mattresses were more numerous and more severe than those on cows from sand-bedded farms. The prevalence and severity of lesions on farms using sawdust was intermediate. Lesions also varied in relation to location on the hock. For farms using geotextile mattresses, lesions were more common and more severe on the lateral surfaces of both the tuber calcis and the tarsal joint. On farms using sawdust, lesions were common on the dorsal surface of the tuber calcis and the lateral surfaces of both the tuber calcis and the tarsal joint. Lesions were rare on all five positions for cows from sand-bedded farms. Among the 10 farms sampled using sawdust, we found a significant negative relationship between the length of the stall and severity of lesions. For cows with lesions, the number and severity of lesions increased with age.

Numerical Simulation of Missouri River Bed Evolution Downstream of Gavins Point Dam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulaiman, Z. A.; Blum, M. D.; Lephart, G.; Viparelli, E.

2016-12-01

The Missouri River originates in the Rocky Mountains in western Montana and joins the Mississippi River near Saint Louis, Missouri. In the 1900s dam construction and river engineering works, such as river alignment, narrowing and bank protections were performed in the Missouri River basin to control the flood flows, ensure navigation and use the water for agricultural, industrial and municipal needs, for the production of hydroelectric power generation and for recreation. These projects altered the flow and the sediment transport regimes in the river and the exchange of sediment between the river and the adjoining floodplain. Here we focus on the long term effect of dam construction and channel narrowing on the 1200 km long reach of the Missouri River between Gavins Point Dam, Nebraska and South Dakota, and the confluence with the Mississippi River. Field observations show that two downstream migrating waves of channel bed degradation formed in this reach in response to the changes in flow regime, sediment load and channel geometry. We implemented a one dimensional morphodynamic model for large, low slope sand bed rivers, we validated the model at field scale by comparing the numerical results with the available field data and we use the model to 1) predict the magnitude and the migration rate of the waves of degradation at engineering time scales ( 150 years into the future), 2) quantify the changes in the sand load delivered to the Mississippi River, where field observations at Thebes, i.e. downstream of Saint Louis, suggest a decline in the mean annual sand load in the past 50 years, and 3) identify the role of the main tributaries - Little Sioux River, Platte River and Kansas River - on the wave migration speed and the annual sand load in the Missouri River main channel.

Mohawk Lake or Mohawk meadow Sedimentary facies and stratigraphy of Quaternary deposits in Mohawk Valley, upper Middle Fork of the Feather River, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yount, J.C.; Harwood, D.S.; Bradbury, J.P.

1993-04-01

Mohawk Valley (MV) contain thick, well-exposed sections of Quaternary basin-fill sediments, with abundant interbedded tephra and a diverse assemblage of sedimentary facies. The eastern arm of MV, extending from Clio to Portola, contains as much as 100 m of trough cross-bedded cobble to pebble gravel and planar and trough cross-bedded coarse and medium sand, interpreted as braided stream deposits. Sections exposed in the western arm of MV consist in their lower parts of massive organic-rich silt and clay interbedded with blocky to fissile peat beds up to 1 m thick. Diatom assemblages are dominated by benthic species indicating fresh marshmore » environments with very shallow water depths of one meter or less. Proglacial lacustrine deposits of limited lateral extent are present within the outwash complexes as evidenced by varved fine sand and silt couplets, poorly sorted quartz-rich silt beds containing dropstones, and contorted beds of diamict grading laterally into slump blocks surrounded by wood-bearing silt and silty sand. The Rockland Ash (400 ka) is a prominent marker in the middle or lower part of many sections throughout MV, indicating that at least half of the basin-fill sequence is Late Quaternary in age. A log buried in diamict slumped into a proglacial lake lying approximately 3 km downstream from the Tioga Stage ice termini in Jamison and Gray Eagle Creeks yields an age of 18,715 [+-]235 C[sup 14] years BP. Previous interpretations of MV deposits originating in a large, deep lake with water depths in excess of 150 m are untenable given the sedimentary facies and diatom floras that dominate the valley. Unexhumed valleys such as Sierra Valley to the east and Long Valley to the northwest which contain large meadows traversed by braided streams are probably good analogs for the conditions that existed during the accumulation of the Mohawk Valley deposits.« less

Treatment of screened dairy manure by upflow anaerobic fixed bed reactors packed with waste tyre rubber and a combination of waste tyre rubber and zeolite: effect of the hydraulic retention time.

PubMed

Umaña, Oscar; Nikolaeva, Svetlana; Sánchez, Enrique; Borja, Rafael; Raposo, Francisco

2008-10-01

Two laboratory-scale anaerobic fixed bed reactors were evaluated while treating dairy manure at upflow mode and semicontinuous feeding. One reactor was packed with a combination of waste tyre rubber and zeolite (R1) while the other had only waste tyre rubber as a microorganism immobilization support (R2). Effluent quality improved when the hydraulic retention time (HRT) increased from 1.0 to 5.5 days. Higher COD, BOD5, total and volatile solids removal efficiencies were always achieved in the reactor R1. No clogging was observed during the operation period. Methane yield was also a function of the HRT and of the type of support used, and was 12.5% and 40% higher in reactor R1 than in R2 for HRTs of 5.5 and 1.0 days, respectively. The results obtained demonstrated that this type of reactor is capable of operating with dairy manure at a HRT 5 times lower than that used in a conventional reactor.

A comparison of mass transfer coefficients between trickle-bed, hollow fiber membrane and stirred tank reactors.

PubMed

Orgill, James J; Atiyeh, Hasan K; Devarapalli, Mamatha; Phillips, John R; Lewis, Randy S; Huhnke, Raymond L

2013-04-01

Trickle-bed reactor (TBR), hollow fiber membrane reactor (HFR) and stirred tank reactor (STR) can be used in fermentation of sparingly soluble gasses such as CO and H2 to produce biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Gas fermenting reactors must provide high mass transfer capabilities that match the kinetic requirements of the microorganisms used. The present study compared the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (K(tot)A/V(L)) of three reactor types; the TBR with 3 mm and 6 mm beads, five different modules of HFRs, and the STR. The analysis was performed using O2 as the gaseous mass transfer agent. The non-porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) HFR provided the highest K(tot)A/V(L) (1062 h(-1)), followed by the TBR with 6mm beads (421 h(-1)), and then the STR (114 h(-1)). The mass transfer characteristics in each reactor were affected by agitation speed, and gas and liquid flow rates. Furthermore, issues regarding the comparison of mass transfer coefficients are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fluidized bed combustion bottom ash: A better and alternative geo-material resource for construction.

PubMed

Mandal, A K; Paramkusam, Bala Ramudu; Sinha, O P

2018-04-01

Though the majority of research on fly ash has proved its worth as a construction material, the utility of bottom ash is yet questionable due to its generation during the pulverized combustion process. The bottom ash produced during the fluidized bed combustion (FBC) process is attracting more attention due to the novelty of coal combustion technology. But, to establish its suitability as construction material, it is necessary to characterize it thoroughly with respect to the geotechnical as well as mineralogical points of view. For fulfilling these objectives, the present study mainly aims at characterizing the FBC bottom ash and its comparison with pulverized coal combustion (PCC) bottom ash, collected from the same origin of coal. Suitability of FBC bottom ash as a dike filter material in contrast to PCC bottom ash in replacing traditional filter material such as sand was also studied. The suitability criteria for utilization of both bottom ash and river sand as filter material on pond ash as a base material were evaluated, and both river sand and FBC bottom ash were found to be satisfactory. The study shows that FBC bottom ash is a better geo-material than PCC bottom ash, and it could be highly recommended as an alternative suitable filter material for constructing ash dikes in place of conventional sand.

The volume of fine sediment in pools: An index of sediment supply in gravel-bed streams

Treesearch

Thomas E. Lisle; Sue Hilton

1992-01-01

Abstract - During waning flood flows in gravel-bed streams, fine-grained bedload sediment (sand and fine gravel) is commonly winnowed from zones of high shear stress, such as riffles, and deposited in pools, where it mantles an underlying coarse layer. As sediment load increases, more fine sediment becomes availabe to fill pools. The volume of fine sediment in pools...

Sand Waves That Impede Navigation of Coastal Inlet Navigation Channels

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

Merrymeeting Bay. The bay collects coarse-grained sediment from unconsolidated ice-contact and periglacial deposits (Fenster and FitzGerald 1996). During...bed, which is a layer of denser or larger sized sediment left after finer material has been winnowed by a strong current, can inhibit bed form...Order Descriptors (important) • Superposition: simple or compound. • Sediment Characteristics (size, sorting). Third Order Descriptors (useful

Hairy root culture in a liquid-dispersed bioreactor: characterization of spatial heterogeneity.

PubMed

Williams, G R; Doran, P M

2000-01-01

A liquid-dispersed reactor equipped with a vertical mesh cylinder for inoculum support was developed for culture of Atropa belladonna hairy roots. The working volume of the culture vessel was 4.4 L with an aspect ratio of 1.7. Medium was dispersed as a spray onto the top of the root bed, and the roots grew radially outward from the central mesh cylinder to the vessel wall. Significant benefits in terms of liquid drainage and reduced interstitial liquid holdup were obtained using a vertical rather than horizontal support structure for the biomass and by operating the reactor with cocurrent air and liquid flow. With root growth, a pattern of spatial heterogeneity developed in the vessel. Higher local biomass densities, lower volumes of interstitial liquid, lower sugar concentrations, and higher root atropine contents were found in the upper sections of the root bed compared with the lower sections, suggesting a greater level of metabolic activity toward the top of the reactor. Although gas-liquid oxygen transfer to the spray droplets was very rapid, there was evidence of significant oxygen limitations in the reactor. Substantial volumes of non-free-draining interstitial liquid accumulated in the root bed. Roots near the bottom of the vessel trapped up to 3-4 times their own weight in liquid, thus eliminating the advantages of improved contact with the gas phase offered by liquid-dispersed culture systems. Local nutrient and product concentrations in the non-free-draining liquid were significantly different from those in the bulk medium, indicating poor liquid mixing within the root bed. Oxygen enrichment of the gas phase improved neither growth nor atropine production, highlighting the greater importance of liquid-solid compared with gas-liquid oxygen transfer resistance. The absence of mechanical or pneumatic agitation and the tendency of the root bed to accumulate liquid and impede drainage were identified as the major limitations to reactor performance. Improved reactor operating strategies and selection or development of root lines offering minimal resistance to liquid flow and low liquid retention characteristics are possible solutions to these problems.

Incident Angle of Saltating Particles in Wind-Blown Sand

PubMed Central

Fu, Lin-Tao; Bo, Tian-Li; Gu, Hai-Hua; Zheng, Xiao-Jing

2013-01-01

Incident angle of saltating particles plays a very important role in aeolian events. In this paper, the incident angles of sand particles near the sand bed were measured in wind tunnel. It reveals that the incident angles range widely from 0° to 180° and thereby the means of angles are larger than published data. Surprisingly, it is found the proportion that angles of 5°–15° occupy is far below previous reports. The measuring height is probably the most important reason for the measurement differences between this study and previous investigations. PMID:23874470

BLAISDELL SLOW SAND FILTER WASHING MACHINE. VIEW LOOKING SOUTH. THE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

BLAISDELL SLOW SAND FILTER WASHING MACHINE. VIEW LOOKING SOUTH. THE SUCTION (INTAKE) HOSE IS SEEN AT THE LEFT RESTING ON THE FILTER BED SURFACE; THE DISCHARGE HOSE IS AT THE RIGHT, RUNNING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CENTRAL VERTICAL AXLE TO THE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP. FROM THE PUMP WATER IS DISCHARGED THROUGH THE HORIZONTAL PIPE LOCATED UNDER THE EDGE OF PLATFORM DECK INTO THE WASTE-WATER TROUGH (NOT SEEN IN THIS VIEW). - Yuma Main Street Water Treatment Plant, Blaisdell Slow Sand Filter Washing Machine, Jones Street at foot of Main Street, Yuma, Yuma County, AZ

Effect of metal oxide nanoparticles on Godavari river water treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goud, Ravi Kumar; Ajay Kumar, V.; Reddy, T. Rakesh; Vinod, B.; Shravani, S.

2018-05-01

Nowadays there is a continuously increasing worldwide concern for the development of water treatment technologies. In the area of water purification, nanotechnology offers the possibility of an efficient removal of pollutants and germs. Nanomaterials reveal good results than other techniques used in water treatment because of its high surface area to volume ratio. In the present work, iron oxide and copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by simple heating method. The synthesized nanoparticles were used to purify Godavari river water. The effect of nanoparticles at 70°C temperature, 12 centimeter of sand bed height and pH of 8 shows good results as compared to simple sand bed filter. The attained values of BOD5, COD and Turbidity were in permissible limit of world health organization.

Sand Impact Tests of a Half-Scale Crew Module Boilerplate Test Article

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vassilakos, Gregory J.; Hardy, Robin C.

2012-01-01

Although the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is being designed primarily for water landings, a further investigation of launch abort scenarios reveals the possibility of an onshore landing at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). To gather data for correlation against simulations of beach landing impacts, a series of sand impact tests were conducted at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). Both vertical drop tests and swing tests with combined vertical and horizontal velocity were performed onto beds of common construction-grade sand using a geometrically scaled crew module boilerplate test article. The tests were simulated using the explicit, nonlinear, transient dynamic finite element code LS-DYNA. The material models for the sand utilized in the simulations were based on tests of sand specimens. Although the LSDYNA models provided reasonable predictions for peak accelerations, they were not always able to track the response through the duration of the impact. Further improvements to the material model used for the sand were identified based on results from the sand specimen tests.

The effect of biological cohesion on current ripple development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malarkey, Jonathan; Baas, Jaco H.; Hope, Julie

2014-05-01

Results are presented from laboratory experiments examining the role of biological cohesion, associated with Extra Polymeric Substances, on the development of current ripples. The results demonstrate the importance of biological cohesion compared to the effect of physical cohesion associated with clays in an otherwise sandy bed. FURTHER INFORMATION In fluvial and marine environments sediment transport is mainly dependent on the nature of the bed surface (rippled or flat) and the nature of cohesion in the bed. Cohesion can be either physical, as a result of the presence of clays, or biological as a result of the presence of organisms. In the case of the latter, biological cohesion occurs as a result of the presence of Extra Polymeric Substances (EPS) secreted by microorganisms. While it is known that EPS can dramatically increase the threshold of motion (Grant and Gust, 1987), comparatively little is known about the effect of EPS on ripple formation and development. The experiments described here seek to fill this gap. They also allow the effect of biological cohesion to be compared with that of physical cohesion from previous experiments (Baas et al., 2013). The experiments, which were conducted in a 10m flume at Bangor University, involved a current over a bed made of fine sand, with a median diameter of 0.148mm, and various amounts of xanthan gum, a proxy for naturally occurring EPS (Vardy et al., 2007). The hydrodynamic experimental conditions were matched very closely to those of Baas et al. (2013). The ripple dimensions were recorded through the glass side wall of the tank using time lapse photography. In the physical cohesion experiments of Baas et al. (2013) for clay contents up to 12%, the clay was very quickly winnowed out of the bed, leaving essentially clay-free ripples that developed at more or less the same rate as clean sand ripples. The resulting equilibrium ripples were essentially the same length as the clean sand ripples but reduced in height. By contrast, the biological cohesion experiments resulted in a drastic slowing down in ripple development, for much smaller amounts of xanthan (< 1/8%), but resulted in equilibrium ripples with the same dimensions as abiotic sand. This difference in effect for biological and physical cohesion is thought to be related to differences in the nature of the binding. In particular, sand grains with biological cohesion are inhibited from moving independently, which is crucial to ripple development. This work has profound implications for sediment transport studies and emphasises the importance of considering biology as well as clays in sediments. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) under the 'COHBED' project (NE/1027223/1). REFERENCES Baas, J.H., Davies, A.G. and Malarkey, A.G. (2013) Bedform development in mixed sand-mud: the contrasting role of cohesive forces in flow and bed. Geomorphology, 182, 19-32. Grant, J. and Gust, G. (1987) Prediction of coastal sediment stability from photopigment content of mats of purple sulfur bacteria. Nature, 330, 244-246. Vardy, S., Saunders, J.E., Tolhurst, T.J., Davies, P.A., and Paterson, D.M. (2007) Calibration of the high-pressure cohesive strength meter (CSM). Continental Shelf Research, 27, 1190-1199.

Circular economy in drinking water treatment: reuse of ground pellets as seeding material in the pellet softening process.

PubMed

Schetters, M J A; van der Hoek, J P; Kramer, O J I; Kors, L J; Palmen, L J; Hofs, B; Koppers, H

2015-01-01

Calcium carbonate pellets are produced as a by-product in the pellet softening process. In the Netherlands, these pellets are applied as a raw material in several industrial and agricultural processes. The sand grain inside the pellet hinders the application in some high-potential market segments such as paper and glass. Substitution of the sand grain with a calcite grain (100% calcium carbonate) is in principle possible, and could significantly improve the pellet quality. In this study, the grinding and sieving of pellets, and the subsequent reuse as seeding material in pellet softening were tested with two pilot reactors in parallel. In one reactor, garnet sand was used as seeding material, in the other ground calcite. Garnet sand and ground calcite performed equally well. An economic comparison and a life-cycle assessment were made as well. The results show that the reuse of ground calcite as seeding material in pellet softening is technologically possible, reduces the operational costs by €38,000 (1%) and reduces the environmental impact by 5%. Therefore, at the drinking water facility, Weesperkarspel of Waternet, the transition from garnet sand to ground calcite will be made at full scale, based on this pilot plant research.

Development of the Packed Bed Reactor ISS Flight Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patton, Martin O.; Bruzas, Anthony E.; Rame, Enrique; Motil, Brian J.

2012-01-01

Packed bed reactors are compact, require minimum power and maintenance to operate, and are highly reliable. These features make this technology a leading candidate as a potential unit operation in support of long duration human space exploration. On earth, this type of reactor accounts for approximately 80% of all the reactors used in the chemical process industry today. Development of this technology for space exploration is truly crosscutting with many other potential applications (e.g., in-situ chemical processing of planetary materials and transport of nutrients through soil). NASA is developing an ISS experiment to address this technology with particular focus on water reclamation and air revitalization. Earlier research and development efforts funded by NASA have resulted in two hydrodynamic models which require validation with appropriate instrumentation in an extended microgravity environment. The first model developed by Motil et al., (2003) is based on a modified Ergun equation. This model was demonstrated at moderate gas and liquid flow rates, but extension to the lower flow rates expected in many advanced life support systems must be validated. The other model, developed by Guo et al., (2004) is based on Darcy s (1856) law for two-phase flow. This model has been validated for a narrow range of flow parameters indirectly (without full instrumentation) and included test points where the flow was not fully developed. The flight experiment presented will be designed with removable test sections to test the hydrodynamic models. The experiment will provide flexibility to test additional beds with different types of packing in the future. One initial test bed is based on the VRA (Volatile Removal Assembly), a packed bed reactor currently on ISS whose behavior in micro-gravity is not fully understood. Improving the performance of this system through an accurate model will increase our ability to purify water in the space environment.

Fate(s) of injected CO2 in a coal-bearing formation, Louisiana, Gulf Coast Basin: Chemical and isotopic tracers of microbial-brine-rock-CO2 interactions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shelton, Jenna L.

2013-01-01

Coal beds are one of the most promising reservoirs for geologic carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration, as CO₂ can strongly adsorb onto organic matter and displace methane; however, little is known about the long-term fate of CO₂ sequestered in coal beds. The "2800' sand" of the Olla oil field is a coal-bearing, oil and gas-producing reservoir of the Paleocene–Eocene Wilcox Group in north-central Louisiana. In the 1980s, this field, specifically the 2800' sand, was flooded with CO₂ in an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project, with 9.0×10⁷m³ of CO₂ remaining in the 2800' sand after injection ceased. This study utilized isotopic and geochemical tracers from co-produced natural gas, oil and brine from reservoirs located stratigraphically above, below and within the 2800' sand to determine the fate of the remaining EOR-CO₂, examining the possibilities of CO₂ migration, dissolution, mineral trapping, gas-phase trapping, and sorption to coal beds, while also testing a previous hypothesis that EOR-CO₂ may have been converted by microbes (CO₂-reducing methanogens) into methane, creating a microbial "hotspot". Reservoirs stratigraphically-comparable to the 2800' sand, but located in adjacent oil fields across a 90-km transect were sampled to investigate regional trends in gas composition, brine chemistry and microbial activity. The source field for the EOR-CO₂, the Black Lake Field, was also sampled to establish the δ¹³C-CO₂ value of the injected gas (0.9‰ +/- 0.9‰). Four samples collected from the Olla 2800' sand produced CO₂-rich gas with δ¹³C-CO₂ values (average 9.9‰) much lower than average (pre-injection) conditions (+15.9‰, average of sands located stratigraphically below the 2800' sand in the Olla Field) and at much higher CO₂ concentrations (24.9 mole %) than average (7.6 mole %, average of sands located stratigraphically below the 2800' sand in the Olla Field), suggesting the presence of EOR-CO₂ and gas-phase trapping as a major storage mechanism. Using δ¹³C values of CO₂ and dissolved organic carbon (DIC), CO₂ dissolution was also shown to be a major storage mechanism for 3 of the 4 samples from the Olla 2800' sand. Minor storage mechanisms were shown to be migration, which only affected 2 samples (from 1 well), and some EOR-CO₂ conversion to microbial methane for 3 of the 4 Olla 2800' sand samples. Since methanogenesis was not shown to be a major storage mechanism for the EOR-CO₂ in the Olla Field (CO₂ injection did not stimulate methanogenesis), samples were examined from adjacent oil fields to determine the cause of the Olla microbial "hot-spot". Microbial methane was found in all oil fields sampled, but indicators of methanogenesis (e.g. alkalinity, high δ¹³C-DIC values) were the greatest in the Olla Field, and the environmental conditions (salinity, pH, temperature) were most ideal for microbial CO₂ reduction in the Olla field, compared to adjacent fields.

A biphasic oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones using a simplified packed-bed microreactor

PubMed Central

Bogdan, Andrew

2009-01-01

Summary We demonstrate the preparation and characterization of a simplified packed-bed microreactor using an immobilized TEMPO catalyst shown to oxidize primary and secondary alcohols via the biphasic Anelli-Montanari protocol. Oxidations occurred in high yields with great stability over time. We observed that plugs of aqueous oxidant and organic alcohol entered the reactor as plugs but merged into an emulsion on the packed-bed. The emulsion coalesced into larger plugs upon exiting the reactor, leaving the organic product separate from the aqueous by-products. Furthermore, the microreactor oxidized a wide range of alcohols and remained active in excess of 100 trials without showing any loss of catalytic activity. PMID:19478910

Investigation of Multiphase Flow in a Packed Bed Reactor Under Microgravity Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lian, Yongsheng; Motil, Brian; Rame, Enrique

2016-01-01

In this paper we study the two-phase flow phenomena in a packed bed reactor using an integrated experimental and numerical method. The cylindrical bed is filled with uniformly sized spheres. In the experiment water and air are injected into the bed simultaneously. The pressure distribution along the bed will be measured. The numerical simulation is based on a two-phase flow solver which solves the Navier-Stokes equations on Cartesian grids. A novel coupled level set and moment of fluid method is used to construct the interface. A sequential method is used to position spheres in the cylinder. Preliminary experimental results showed that the tested flow rates resulted in pulse flow. The numerical simulation revealed that air bubbles could merge into larger bubbles and also could break up into smaller bubbles to pass through the pores in the bed. Preliminary results showed that flow passed through regions where the porosity is high. Comparison between the experimental and numerical results in terms of pressure distributions at different flow injection rates will be conducted. Comparison of flow phenomena under terrestrial gravity and microgravity will be made.

The relationship between habitat complexity and nursery provision for an estuarine-dependent fish species in a permanently open South African Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leslie, Timothy; James, Nicola C.; Potts, Warren M.; Rajkaran, Anusha

2017-11-01

Estuarine-dependent marine fish species rely on shallow, sheltered and food rich habitats for protection from predators, growth and ultimately recruitment to adult populations. Hence, habitats within estuaries function as critical nursery areas for an abundance of fish species. However, these habitats vary in the degree of nursery function they provide and few studies have quantitatively assessed the relative nursery value of different habitat types within estuaries, particularly in the context of habitat complexity. This study aimed to assess the nursery value of the dominant vegetated habitats, namely the submergent Zostera capensis (Setch.) (seagrass) beds and emergent Spartina maritima (Curtis) Fernald (salt marsh) beds in the Bushmans Estuary, South Africa. Biomass and stem density were sampled seasonally in order to gain insight into the vegetation dynamics of seagrass and salt marsh beds. Aerial cover, canopy height and underwater camera imagery were used to develop multiple complexity indices for prioritizing habitat complexity. The relatively consistent results of the dimensionless indices (interstitial space indices and fractal geometry) suggest that Z. capensis exhibits an overall greater degree of complexity than S. maritima, and hence it can be expected that fish abundance is likely to be higher in Z. capensis beds than in S. maritima habitats. Underwater video cameras were deployed in seagrass, salt marsh and sand flat habitats to assess the relative abundance and behaviour of the estuarine-dependent sparid Rhabosargus holubi (Steindachner 1881) in different habitats. The relative abundance of R. holubi was significantly higher in Z. capensis seagrass than S. maritima salt marsh and sand flats, whilst the behaviour of R. holubi indicated a high degree of habitat use in structured habitats (both Z. capensis and S. martima) and a low degree of habitat use in unstructured sand flat habitats.

Spatial patterns of cyanobacterial mat growth on sand ripples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariotti, G.; Klepac-Ceraj, V.; Perron, J. T.; Bosak, T.

2016-02-01

Photosynthetic microbial mats produce organic matter, cycle nutrients, bind pollutants and stabilize sediment in sandy marine environments. Here, we investigate the influence of bedforms and wave motion on the growth rate, composition and spatial variability of microbial mats by growing cyanobacterial mats on a rippled bed of carbonate sand in a wave tank. The tank was forced with an oscillatory flow with velocities below the threshold for sediment motion yet able to induce a porewater flow within the sediment. Different spatial patterns developed in mats depending on the initial biochemistry of the water medium. When growing in a medium rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and micronutrients, mats grew faster on ripple troughs than on ripple crests. After two months, mats covered the bed surface uniformly, and the microbial communities on the crests and in the troughs had similar compositions. Differences in bed shear stress and nutrient availability between crests and troughs were not able to explain the faster growth in the troughs. We hypothesize that this growth pattern is due to a "strainer" effect, i.e. the suspended bacteria from the inoculum were preferentially delivered to troughs by the wave-induced porewater flow. In the experiments initiated in a medium previously used up by a microbial mat and thus depleted in nutrients, mats grew preferentially on the ripple crests. This spatial pattern persisted for nearly two years, and the microbial composition on troughs and crests was different. We attribute this pattern to the upwelling of porewater in the crests, which increased the delivery of nutrients from sediment to the cyanobacteria on the bed surface. Thus, the macroscopic patterns formed by photosynthetic microbial mats on sand ripples may be used to infer whether mats are nutrient-limited and whether they are recently colonized or older than a month.

Effect of air-assisted backwashing on the performance of an anaerobic fixed-bed bioreactor that simultaneously removes nitrate and arsenic from drinking water sources.

PubMed

Upadhyaya, Giridhar; Clancy, Tara M; Snyder, Kathryn V; Brown, Jess; Hayes, Kim F; Raskin, Lutgarde

2012-03-15

Contaminant removal from drinking water sources under reducing conditions conducive for the growth of denitrifying, arsenate reducing, and sulfate reducing microbes using a fixed-bed bioreactor may require oxygen-free gas (e.g., N2 gas) during backwashing. However, the use of air-assisted backwashing has practical advantages, including simpler operation, improved safety, and lower cost. A study was conducted to evaluate whether replacing N2 gas with air during backwashing would impact performance in a nitrate and arsenic removing anaerobic bioreactor system that consisted of two biologically active carbon reactors in series. Gas-assisted backwashing, comprised of 2 min of gas injection to fluidize the bed and dislodge biomass and solid phase products, was performed in the first reactor (reactor A) every two days. The second reactor (reactor B) was subjected to N2 gas-assisted backwashing every 3-4 months. Complete removal of 50 mg/L NO3- was achieved in reactor A before and after the switch from N2-assisted backwashing (NAB) to air-assisted backwashing (AAB). Substantial sulfate removal was achieved with both backwashing strategies. Prolonged practice of AAB (more than two months), however, diminished sulfate reduction in reactor B somewhat. Arsenic removal in reactor A was impacted slightly by long-term use of AAB, but arsenic removals achieved by the entire system during NAB and AAB periods were not significantly different (p>0.05) and arsenic concentrations were reduced from approximately 200 μg/L to below 20 μg/L. These results indicate that AAB can be implemented in anaerobic nitrate and arsenic removal systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization and anaerobic treatment of the sanitary landfill leachate in Istanbul.

PubMed

Inanc, B; Calli, B; Saatci, A

2000-01-01

In this study, characterization and anaerobic treatability of leachate from Komurcuoda Sanitary Landfill located on the Asian part of Istanbul were investigated. Time based fluctuations in characteristics of leachate were monitored for an 8 month period. Samples were taken from a 200 m3 holding tank located at the lowest elevation of the landfill. COD concentrations have ranged between 18,800 and 47,800 mg/l while BOD5 between 6820 and 38,500 mg/L. COD and BOD5 values were higher in summer and lower in winter due to dilution by precipitation. On the other hand, it was quite interesting that such a dilution effect was not observed for ammonia. The highest ammonia concentration, 2690 mg/L was in November 1998. BOD5/COD ratio was larger than 0.7 for most samples indicating high biodegradability, and acidic phase of decomposition in the landfill. For anaerobic treatability, three different reactors, namely an upflow anaerobic sludge bed reactor, an anaerobic upflow filter and a hybrid bed reactor, were used. The anaerobic reactors were operated for more than 230 days and were continuing operation when this paper was prepared. Organic loading was increased gradually from 1.3 kg COD/m3.day to 8.2 kg COD/m3.day while hydraulic retention time was reduced from 2.4 days to 2.0 days. All the reactors showed similar performances against organic loadings with efficiencies between 80% and 90%. However the reactors have experienced high ammonia concentrations several times throughout the experimental period, and showed different inhibition levels. Anaerobic filter was the least affected reactor while UASB was the most. Hybrid bed reactor has exhibited a similar performance to anaerobic filter although not to the same degree.

Craters and Granular Jets Generated by Underground Cavity Collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loranca-Ramos, F. E.; Carrillo-Estrada, J. L.; Pacheco-Vázquez, F.

2015-07-01

We study experimentally the cratering process due to the explosion and collapse of a pressurized air cavity inside a sand bed. The process starts when the cavity breaks and the liberated air then rises through the overlying granular layer and produces a violent eruption; it depressurizes the cavity and, as the gas is released, the sand sinks under gravity, generating a crater. We find that the crater dimensions are totally determined by the cavity volume; the pressure does not affect the morphology because the air is expelled vertically during the eruption. In contrast with impact craters, the rim is flat and, regardless of the cavity shape, it evolves into a circle as the cavity depth increases or if the chamber is located deep enough inside the bed, which could explain why most of the subsidence craters observed in nature are circular. Moreover, for shallow spherical cavities, a collimated jet emerges from the collision of sand avalanches that converge concentrically at the bottom of the depression, revealing that collapse under gravity is the main mechanism driving the jet formation.

Aeolian processes in Proctor Crater on Mars: Sedimentary history as analyzed from multiple data sets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenton, L.K.; Bandfield, J.L.; Ward, A.W.

2003-01-01

Proctor Crater is a 150 km diameter crater in Noachis Terra, within the southern highlands of Mars. The analysis leading to the sedimentary history incorporates several data sets including imagery, elevation, composition, and thermal inertia, mostly from the Mars Global Surveyor mission. The resulting stratigraphy reveals that the sedimentary history of Proctor Crater has involved a complex interaction of accumulating and eroding sedimentation. Aeolian features spanning much of the history of the crater interior dominate its surface, including large erosional pits, stratified beds of aeolian sediment, sand dunes, erosional and depositional streaks, dust devil tracks, and small bright bed forms that are probably granule ripples. Long ago, up to 450 m of layered sediment filled the crater basin, now exposed in eroded pits on the crater floor. These sediments are probably part of an ancient deposit of aeolian volcaniclastic material. Since then, some quantity of this material has been eroded from the top layers of the strata. Small, bright dune forms lie stratigraphically beneath the large dark dune field. Relative to the large dark dunes, the bright bed forms are immobile, although in places, their orientations are clearly influenced by the presence of the larger dunes. Their prevalence in the crater and their lack of compositional and thermal distinctiveness relative to the crater floor suggests that these features were produced locally from the eroding basin fill. Dust devil tracks form during the spring and summer, following a west-southwesterly wind. Early in the spring the dust devils are largely restricted to dark patches of sand. As the summer approaches, dust devil tracks become more plentiful and spread to the rest of the crater floor, indicating that the entire region acquires an annual deposit of dust that is revealed by seasonal dust devils. The dark dunes contain few dust devil tracks, suggesting that accumulated dust is swept away directly by saltation, rather than by the passage of dust devils. Spectral deconvolution indicates that the dark dunes have infrared spectra consistent with basalt-like materials. The average thermal inertia calculated from Thermal Emission Spectrometer bolometric temperatures is 277 ?? 17 J m-2 s-0.5 K-1, leading to an effective grain size of 740 ?? 170 ??m, which is consistent with coarse sand and within the range expected for Martian sand. The coarse sand that composes the large dune field may have originated from outside the crater, saltating in from the southwest. Most of the transport pathway that delivered this sand to the dune field has since been eroded away or buried. The sand was transported to the east center of the crater floor, where beneath the present-day dunes a 50 m high mound of sand has accumulated. Dune slip faces indicate a wind regime consisting of three opposing winds. Some of these wind directions are correlated with the orientations of dust devil tracks and bright bed forms. The combination of a tall mound of sand and three opposing winds is consistent with a convergent wind regime, which produces the large reversing transverse and star dunes that dominate the dune field. The dark dunes have both active slip faces and seemingly inactive slip faces, suggesting that the dunes vary spatially in their relative activity. Nevertheless, the aeolian activity that has dominated the history of Proctor Crater still continues today. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union.

Optimization of moving bed biofilm reactors for oil sands process-affected water treatment: The effect of HRT and ammonia concentrations.

PubMed

Shi, Yijing; Huang, Chunkai; Gamal El-Din, Mohamed; Liu, Yang

2017-11-15

Two moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs) were optimized to improve the biodegradation of organic compounds in raw and ozonated OSPW by changing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) and the influent ammonia concentrations. During the five stages, the average COD removal reached 50.8±3.4%, 52.8±6.5%, 54.7±4.3%, 56.3±2.2%, and 58.0±2.3% respectively in raw OSPW MBBR, and 54.6±3.8%, 57.2±7.1%, 55.5±5.8%, 58.3±2.2%, and 60.7±2.3% respectively in ozonated OSPW MBBR. Welch's weighted ANOVA tests show that the increase in ammonia levels significantly improved the COD removal in the two systems, while the HRT was an important parameter for COD decrease in the raw OSPW MBBR. Compared to the HRT, the increase in ammonia concentrations were more beneficial for acid extractable fraction (AEF) degradation and the average AEF removal reached 29.80% (raw OSPW MBBR) and 16.50% (ozonated OSPW MBBR) by the end of the optimization (Stage V; HRT=96h, 60mg/L NH 4 + -N). >98% of the NH 4 + -N was removed in the two MBBR systems, showing good nitrification. Microtoxicity tests showed that no significant correlations were found between HRT/ammonia levels and the OSPW toxicity changes toward V. fischeri. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was applied for q-PCR data, showing that positive correlations between the removal efficiencies of AEF and NSR and NirK gene copies were observed in the raw OSPW MBBR system, while positive correlations between AEF removal efficiency and total bacteria gene, NSR, Nitro, and NirK gene copies were observed in the ozonated OSPW MBBR system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Material Control and Accounting Design Considerations for High-Temperature Gas Reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trond Bjornard; John Hockert

The subject of this report is domestic safeguards and security by design (2SBD) for high-temperature gas reactors, focusing on material control and accountability (MC&A). The motivation for the report is to provide 2SBD support to the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project, which was launched by Congress in 2005. This introductory section will provide some background on the NGNP project and an overview of the 2SBD concept. The remaining chapters focus specifically on design aspects of the candidate high-temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) relevant to MC&A, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements, and proposed MC&A approaches for the two major HTGR reactormore » types: pebble bed and prismatic. Of the prismatic type, two candidates are under consideration: (1) GA's GT-MHR (Gas Turbine-Modular Helium Reactor), and (2) the Modular High-Temperature Reactor (M-HTR), a derivative of Areva's Antares reactor. The future of the pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR) for NGNP is uncertain, as the PBMR consortium partners (Westinghouse, PBMR [Pty] and The Shaw Group) were unable to agree on the path forward for NGNP during 2010. However, during the technology assessment of the conceptual design phase (Phase 1) of the NGNP project, AREVA provided design information and technology assessment of their pebble bed fueled plant design called the HTR-Module concept. AREVA does not intend to pursue this design for NGNP, preferring instead a modular reactor based on the prismatic Antares concept. Since MC&A relevant design information is available for both pebble concepts, the pebble-bed HTGRs considered in this report are: (1) Westinghouse PBMR; and (2) AREVA HTR-Module. The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) sponsors the Fuel Cycle Research and Development program (FCR&D), which contains an element specifically focused on the domestic (or state) aspects of SBD. This Material Protection, Control and Accountancy Technology (MPACT) program supports the present work summarized in this report, namely the development of guidance to support the consideration of MC&A in the design of both pebble-bed and prismatic-fueled HTGRs. The objective is to identify and incorporate design features into the facility design that will cost effectively aid in making MC&A more effective and efficient, with minimum impact on operations. The theft of nuclear material is addressed through both MC&A and physical protection, while the threat of sabotage is addressed principally through physical protection.« less

Fluidized bed combustor and tube construction therefor

DOEpatents

De Feo, Angelo; Hosek, William

1981-01-01

A fluidized bed combustor comprises a reactor or a housing which has a windbox distributor plate adjacent the lower end thereof which contains a multiplicity of hole and air discharge nozzles for discharging air and coal into a fluidized bed which is maintained above the distributor plate and below a take-off connection or flue to a cyclone separator in which some of the products of combustion are treated to remove the dust which is returned into the fluidized bed. A windbox is spaced below the fluidized bed and it has a plurality of tubes passing therethrough with the passage of combustion air and fluidizing air which passes through an air space so that fluidizing air is discharged into the reaction chamber fluidized bed at the bottom thereof to maintain the bed in a fluidized condition. A fluid, such as air, is passed through the tubes which extend through the windbox and provide a preheating of the combustion air and into an annular space between telescoped inner and outer tubes which comprise heat exchanger tubes or cooling tubes which extend upwardly through the distributor plate into the fluidized bed. The heat exchanger tubes are advantageously arranged so that they may be exposed in groups within the reactor in a cluster which is arranged within holding rings.

Tube construction for fluidized bed combustor

DOEpatents

De Feo, Angelo; Hosek, William

1984-01-01

A fluidized bed combustor comprises a reactor or a housing which has a windbox distributor plate adjacent the lower end thereof which contains a multiplicity of hole and air discharge nozzles for discharging air and coal into a fluidized bed which is maintained above the distributor plate and below a take-off connection or flue to a cyclone separator in which some of the products of combustion are treated to remove the dust which is returned into the fluidized bed. A windbox is spaced below the fluidized bed and it has a plurality of tubes passing therethrough with the passage of combustion air and fluidizing air which passes through an air space so that fluidizing air is discharged into the reaction chamber fluidized bed at the bottom thereof to maintain the bed in a fluidized condition. A fluid, such as air, is passed through the tubes which extend through the windbox and provide a preheating of the combustion air and into an annular space between telescoped inner and outer tubes which comprise heat exchanger tubes or cooling tubes which extend upwardly through the distributor plate into the fluidized bed. The heat exchanger tubes are advantageously arranged so that they may be exposed in groups within the reactor in a cluster which is arranged within holding rings.

X-ray digital industrial radiography (DIR) for local liquid velocity (VLL) measurement in trickle bed reactors (TBRs): Validation of the technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohd Salleh, Khairul Anuar; Rahman, Mohd Fitri Abdul; Lee, Hyoung Koo; Al Dahhan, Muthanna H.

2014-06-01

Local liquid velocity measurements in Trickle Bed Reactors (TBRs) are one of the essential components in its hydrodynamic studies. These measurements are used to effectively determine a reactor's operating condition. This study was conducted to validate a newly developed technique that combines Digital Industrial Radiography (DIR) with Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) to measure the Local Liquid Velocity (VLL) inside TBRs. Three millimeter-sized Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) beads were used as packing material. Three validation procedures were designed to test the newly developed technique. All procedures and statistical approaches provided strong evidence that the technique can be used to measure the VLL within TBRs.

Fluidized bed coal combustion reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moynihan, P. I.; Young, D. L. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

A fluidized bed coal reactor includes a combination nozzle-injector ash-removal unit formed by a grid of closely spaced open channels, each containing a worm screw conveyor, which function as continuous ash removal troughs. A pressurized air-coal mixture is introduced below the unit and is injected through the elongated nozzles formed by the spaces between the channels. The ash build-up in the troughs protects the worm screw conveyors as does the cooling action of the injected mixture. The ash layer and the pressure from the injectors support a fluidized flame combustion zone above the grid which heats water in boiler tubes disposed within and/or above the combustion zone and/or within the walls of the reactor.

X-ray digital industrial radiography (DIR) for local liquid velocity (V(LL)) measurement in trickle bed reactors (TBRs): validation of the technique.

PubMed

Mohd Salleh, Khairul Anuar; Rahman, Mohd Fitri Abdul; Lee, Hyoung Koo; Al Dahhan, Muthanna H

2014-06-01

Local liquid velocity measurements in Trickle Bed Reactors (TBRs) are one of the essential components in its hydrodynamic studies. These measurements are used to effectively determine a reactor's operating condition. This study was conducted to validate a newly developed technique that combines Digital Industrial Radiography (DIR) with Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) to measure the Local Liquid Velocity (V(LL)) inside TBRs. Three millimeter-sized Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) beads were used as packing material. Three validation procedures were designed to test the newly developed technique. All procedures and statistical approaches provided strong evidence that the technique can be used to measure the V(LL) within TBRs.

Modeling and simulation of an enzymatic reactor for hydrolysis of palm oil.

PubMed

Bhatia, S; Naidu, A D; Kamaruddin, A H

1999-01-01

Hydrolysis of palm oil has become an important process in Oleochemical industries. Therefore, an investigation was carried out for hydrolysis of palm oil to fatty acid and glycerol using immobilized lipase in packed bed reactor. The conversion vs. residence time data were used in Michaelis-Menten rate equation to evaluate the kinetic parameters. A mathematical model for the rate of palm oil hydrolysis was proposed incorporating role of external mass transfer and pore diffusion. The model was simulated for steady-state isothermal operation of immobilized lipase packed bed reactor. The experimental data were compared with the simulated results. External mass transfer was found to affect the rate of palm oil hydrolysis at higher residence time.

Subglacial Depositional Processes in the Port Askaig Formation (Neoproterozoic) of Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, J.

2004-12-01

The Port Askaig Formation was deposited during the Vendian glaciation (c. 650 Ma) and is a range of tillites that outcrop discontinuously from Banffshire (Scotland) to Connemara (Ireland). Sedimentary structures commonly observed include dropstones and sediment drapes, interpreted as deposition from a floating glacial ice shelf in a shallow marginal sea. Other structures, such as intersecting clastic dikes, have been interpreted as evidence for subaerial exposure of the tillite surface. Exposures of the Port Askaig Formation were examined at its Irish type area at Kiltyfanned Lough, County Donegal. Here, homogeneous sandy beds with internal planar bedding structures are separated by laminated fine sand beds which have erosional upper surfaces. The laminated beds are clast-free and individual laminae are laterally continuous and undisturbed. Larger clasts lie bed-parallel and are draped by overlying beds. Occasionally drapes are asymmetric with a thickened sediment prow, suggestive of flow direction. The clastic dikes are polygonal in plan view, may be isolated or interconnected, and are often arranged in parallel sheets which pinch out laterally. Internally, the clastic dikes are infilled with coarse sand to gravel. Infills are often aligned parallel to dike margins. The presence of draped and deformed sediments suggest a subglacial environment with free water availability. The flat-lying morphology of clasts also favours a subglacial rather than a full marine environment. The morphology and disposition of clastic dikes is interpreted as due to subglacial hydrofracturing of a till sheet and upward passage of sediment-charged water through the fracture zone, which is known from late Pleistocene and Precambrian tillites elsewhere. Variations in water availability can be reconciled by a sub-ice shelf depositional model with spatial and temporal changes in tidally-induced ice-bed coupling.

Collapsing granular beds: the role of interstitial air.

PubMed

Homan, Tess; Gjaltema, Christa; van der Meer, Devaraj

2014-05-01

A prefluidized sand bed consisting of fine particles compactifies when it is subjected to a shock. We observe that the response depends on both the shock strength and the ambient pressure, where, counterintuitively, at high ambient pressure the compaction is larger, which we connect to a decrease of the static friction inside the bed. We find that the interstitial air is trapped inside the bed during and long after compaction. We deduce this from measuring the pressure changes above and below the bed: The top pressure decreases abruptly, on the time scale of the compaction, whereas that below the bed slowly rises to a maximum. Subsequently, both gently relax to ambient values. We formulate a one-dimensional diffusion model that uses only the change in bed height and the ambient pressure as an input, and we show that it leads to a fully quantitative understanding of the measured pressure variations.

Enzymatic synthesis of farnesyl laurate in organic solvent: initial water activity, kinetics mechanism, optimization of continuous operation using packed bed reactor and mass transfer studies.

PubMed

Rahman, N K; Kamaruddin, A H; Uzir, M H

2011-08-01

The influence of water activity and water content was investigated with farnesyl laurate synthesis catalyzed by Lipozyme RM IM. Lipozyme RM IM activity depended strongly on initial water activity value. The best results were achieved for a reaction medium with an initial water activity of 0.11 since it gives the best conversion value of 96.80%. The rate constants obtained in the kinetics study using Ping-Pong-Bi-Bi and Ordered-Bi-Bi mechanisms with dead-end complex inhibition of lauric acid were compared. The corresponding parameters were found to obey the Ordered-Bi-Bi mechanism with dead-end complex inhibition of lauric acid. Kinetic parameters were calculated based on this model as follows: V (max) = 5.80 mmol l(-1) min(-1) g enzyme(-1), K (m,A) = 0.70 mmol l(-1) g enzyme(-1), K (m,B) = 115.48 mmol l(-1) g enzyme(-1), K (i) = 11.25 mmol l(-1) g enzyme(-1). The optimum conditions for the esterification of farnesol with lauric acid in a continuous packed bed reactor were found as the following: 18.18 cm packed bed height and 0.9 ml/min substrate flow rate. The optimum molar conversion of lauric acid to farnesyl laurate was 98.07 ± 0.82%. The effect of mass transfer in the packed bed reactor has also been studied using two models for cases of reaction limited and mass transfer limited. A very good agreement between the mass transfer limited model and the experimental data obtained indicating that the esterification in a packed bed reactor was mass transfer limited.

40 CFR 60.101a - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... suspended in a fluidized bed to improve feedstock quality for additional processing and the catalyst or... the oils derived from tar sands, shale, and coal. Petroleum refinery means any facility engaged in...

Trace metal distribution and control in the pilot-scale bubbling fluidized bed combustor equipped with the pulse-jet fabric filter, limestone injection, and the humidification reactor.

PubMed

Kouvo, Petri

2003-04-01

This work focused on trace metal behavior and removal in a fabric filter or in a humidification reactor during the cofiring of sawdust and refuse-derived fuels (RDFs) in a pilot-scale bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) boiler. Trace metal emissions measurements before and after the fabric filter revealed that removal efficiency in the fabric filter was in the range of 80-100%, and that the European Union (EU) Directive on Incineration of Waste restrictions for trace metal emissions are easily achieved even if addition of RDFs substantially increases the concentration of trace metals in fuel blends. Limestone injection enhanced the removal of As and Se but had no noticeable effect on the removal of other trace metals. Extensive formation of HgCl2 and condensation on fly ash particles during sawdust plus 40% RDF cofiring resulted in a 92% Hg removal efficiency in the fabric filter. Limestone injection had no effect on the Hg removal in the fabric filter but decreased the Hg removal in a humidification reactor from 40 to 28%. Results of the bed material and fly ash analysis suggested capture of Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Zn in the bed material but also suggested that these metals may be released from the bed if the fuel characteristics or process conditions are changed.

Sedimentologic and Geometric Characterization of Turbidites of Brazos-Trinity Basin IV in the Gulf of Mexico: Preliminary Results of IODP Expedition 308

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutierrez-Pastor, J.; Pirmez, C.; Flemings, P. B.; Behrmann, J. H.; John, C. M.

2005-12-01

Brazos Trinity Basin IV is located about 200 km offshore Texas, and belongs to a linked system of four intra slope mini basins. Basin IV provides a type section to characterize turbidites in salt withdrawal mini-basins of the Gulf of Mexico. IODP Expedition 308 has cored and logged complete pre-fan and fan sequences that are clearly distinguished with high-resolution seismic profiles at Brazos Trinity Basin IV at Sites U1319, U1320 and U1321. Seismically imaged pre-fan and fan units also can be distinguished and correlated with the sedimentological and logging data. Turbidite facies display distinct properties in terms of grain size, bed thickness, color, organic matter content, vertical organization of beds and lateral distribution in all the units of the fan through the basin. The pre-fan sequence is composed of terrigenous laminated clay with color banding and it is interpreted to result from deposition from fluvial plumes and/or muddy turbidity currents overspilling from basins upstream of Basin IV. The lower fan is characterized by laminated and bioturbated muds with thin beds of silt and sand, and represent the initial infill of the basin by mostly muddy turbidity currents, although an exceptionally sand-rich unit occurs at the base of the lower fan. The middle and upper fan represent the main pulses of turbidity current influx into Basin IV, and contain fine to medium sand turbidite beds organized in packets ranging in thickness from 5 to 25 m. The middle fan displays an overall upward increase in sand content at Site U1320, suggesting increased flow by-pass from the updip basins through time. Key examples of turbidites from each fan unit are analysed in detail to infer the depositional processes and infilling history of Brazos-Trinity Basin IV. The study of turbidites in a calibrated basin such as Basin IV provides ground truth for the sedimentological processes and resultant seismic facies, which can be used to interpret the infill history of other intraslope basins with similar seismic facies in the Gulf of Mexico where well calibration is not available.

Assessing the Importance of Cross-Stream Transport in Bedload Flux Estimates from Migrating Dunes: Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leary, K. P.; Buscombe, D.; Schmeeckle, M.; Kaplinski, M. A.

2017-12-01

Bedforms are ubiquitous in sand-bedded rivers, and understanding their morphodynamics is key to quantifying bedload transport. As such, mechanistic understanding of the spatiotemporal details of sand transport through and over bedforms is paramount to quantifying total sediment flux in sand-bedded river systems. However, due to the complexity of bedform field geometries and migration in natural settings, our ability to relate migration to bedload flux, and to quantify the relative role of tractive and suspended processes in their dynamics, is incomplete. Recent flume and numerical investigations indicate the potential importance of cross-stream transport, a process previously regarded as secondary and diffusive, to the three-dimensionality of bedforms and spatially variable translation and deformation rates. This research seeks to understand and quantify the importance of cross-stream transport in bedform three-dimensionality in a field setting. This work utilizes a high-resolution (0.25 m grid) data set of bedforms migrating in the channel of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. This data set comprises multi-beam sonar surveys collected at 3 different flow discharges ( 283, 566, and 1076 m3/s) along a reach of the Colorado River just upstream of the Diamond Creek USGS gage. Data were collected every 6 minutes almost continuously for 12 hours. Using bed elevation profiles (BEPs), we extract detailed bedform geometrical data (i.e. bedform height, wavelength) and spatial sediment flux data over a suite of bedforms at each flow. Coupling this spatially extensive data with a generalized Exner equation, we conduct mass balance calculations that evaluate the possibility, and potential importance, of cross-stream transport in the spatial variability of translation and deformation rates. Preliminary results suggest that intra-dune cross-stream transport can partially account for changes in the planform shape of dunes and may play an important role in spatially variable translation and deformation rates. Parameterization of cross-stream sediment transport could lead to accounting for ambiguities in bedload flux calculations caused by dune deformation, which in turn could significantly improve overall calculation of bedload and total load sediment transport in sand bedded rivers.

Simultaneous fermentation and separation in an immobilized cell trickle bed reactor: Acetone-butanol-ethane (ABE) and ethanol fermentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, C.H.

1989-01-01

A novel process employing immobilized cells and in-situ product removal was studied for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation by Clostridium acetobutylicum and ethanol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Experimental studies of ABE fermentation in a trickle bed reactor without product separation showed that solvent production could be improved by one order of magnitude compared to conventional batch fermentation. Control of effluent pH near 4.3 and feed glucose concentrations higher than 10 g/L were the necessary conditions for cell growth and solvent production. A mathematical model using an equilibrium staged model predicted efficient separation of butanol from the fermentation broth. Activity coefficients of multicomponentmore » system were estimated by Wilson's equation or the ASOG method. Inhibition by butanol and organic acids was incorporated into the kinetic expression. Experimental performance of simultaneous fermentation and separation in an immobilized cell trickle bed reactor showed that glucose conversion was improved as predicted by mathematical modeling and analysis. The effect of pH and temperature on ethanol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied in free and immobilized cell reactors. Conditions for the highest glucose conversion, cell viability and least glycerol yield were determined.« less

Treatment of mountain refuge wastewater by fixed and moving bed biofilm systems.

PubMed

Andreottola, G; Damiani, E; Foladori, P; Nardelli, P; Ragazzi, M

2003-01-01

Tourists visiting mountain refuges in the Alps have increased significantly in the last decade and the number of refuges and huts at high altitude too. In this research the results of an intensive monitoring of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for a tourist mountain refuge located at 2,981 m a.s.l. are described. Two biofilm reactors were adopted: (a) a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR); (b) a submerged Fixed Bed Biofilm Reactor (FBBR). The aims of this research were: (i) the evaluation of the main parameters characterising the processes and involved in the design of the wastewater plants, in order to compare advantages and disadvantages of the two tested alternatives; (ii) the acquisition of an adequate knowledge of the problems connected with the wastewater treatment in alpine refuges. The main results have been: (i) a quick start-up of the biological reactors obtainable thanks to a pre-colonization before the transportation of the plastic carriers to the refuge at the beginning of the tourist season; (ii) low volume and area requirement; (iii) significantly higher removal efficiency compared to other fixed biomass systems, such as trickling filters, but the energy consumption is higher.

Scale-dependent gas hydrate saturation estimates in sand reservoirs in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea of Korea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Myung Woong; Collett, Timothy S.

2013-01-01

Through the use of 2-D and 3-D seismic data, several gas hydrate prospects were identified in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea of Korea and thirteen drill sites were established and logging-while-drilling (LWD) data were acquired from each site in 2010. Sites UBGH2–6 and UBGH2–10 were selected to test a series of high amplitude seismic reflections, possibly from sand reservoirs. LWD logs from the UBGH2–6 well indicate that there are three significant sand reservoirs with varying thickness. Two upper sand reservoirs are water saturated and the lower thinly bedded sand reservoir contains gas hydrate with an average saturation of 13%, as estimated from the P-wave velocity. The well logs at the UBGH2–6 well clearly demonstrated the effect of scale-dependency on gas hydrate saturation estimates. Gas hydrate saturations estimated from the high resolution LWD acquired ring resistivity (vertical resolution of about 5–8 cm) reaches about 90% with an average saturation of 28%, whereas gas hydrate saturations estimated from the low resolution A40L resistivity (vertical resolution of about 120 cm) reaches about 25% with an average saturation of 11%. However, in the UBGH2–10 well, gas hydrate occupies a 5-m thick sand reservoir near 135 mbsf with a maximum saturation of about 60%. In the UBGH2–10 well, the average and a maximum saturation estimated from various well logging tools are comparable, because the bed thickness is larger than the vertical resolution of the various logging tools. High resolution wireline log data further document the role of scale-dependency on gas hydrate calculations.

Wind-driven particle mobility on Mars: Insights from Mars Exploration Rover observations at "El Dorado" and surroundings at Gusev Crater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, R.; Arvidson, R.; Bell, J.F.; Gellert, Ralf; Golombek, M.; Greeley, R.; Herkenhoff, K.; Johnson, J.; Thompson, S.; Whelley, P.; Wray, J.

2008-01-01

The ripple field known as 'El Dorado' was a unique stop on Spirit's traverse where dust-raising, active mafic sand ripples and larger inactive coarse-grained ripples interact, illuminating several long-standing issues of Martian dust mobility, sand mobility, and the origin of transverse aeolian ridges. Strong regional wind events endured by Spirit caused perceptible migration of ripple crests in deposits SSE of El Dorado, erasure of tracks in sandy areas, and changes to dust mantling the site. Localized thermal vortices swept across El Dorado, leaving paths of reduced dust but without perceptibly damaging nearly cohesionless sandy ripple crests. From orbit, winds responsible for frequently raising clay-sized dust into the atmosphere do not seem to significantly affect dunes composed of (more easily entrained) sand-sized particles, a long-standing paradox. This disparity between dust mobilization and sand mobilization on Mars is due largely to two factors: (1) dust occurs on the surface as fragile, low-density, sand-sized aggregates that are easily entrained and disrupted, compared with clay-sized air fall particles; and (2) induration of regolith is pervasive. Light-toned bed forms investigated at Gusev are coarse-grained ripples, an interpretation we propose for many of the smallest linear, light-toned bed forms of uncertain origin seen in high-resolution orbital images across Mars. On Earth, wind can organize bimodal or poorly sorted loose sediment into coarse-grained ripples. Coarse-grained ripples could be relatively common on Mars because development of durable, well-sorted sediments analogous to terrestrial aeolian quartz sand deposits is restricted by the lack of free quartz and limited hydraulic sediment processing. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.

A Numerical Model for Trickle Bed Reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Propp, Richard M.; Colella, Phillip; Crutchfield, William Y.; Day, Marcus S.

2000-12-01

Trickle bed reactors are governed by equations of flow in porous media such as Darcy's law and the conservation of mass. Our numerical method for solving these equations is based on a total-velocity splitting, sequential formulation which leads to an implicit pressure equation and a semi-implicit mass conservation equation. We use high-resolution finite-difference methods to discretize these equations. Our solution scheme extends previous work in modeling porous media flows in two ways. First, we incorporate physical effects due to capillary pressure, a nonlinear inlet boundary condition, spatial porosity variations, and inertial effects on phase mobilities. In particular, capillary forces introduce a parabolic component into the recast evolution equation, and the inertial effects give rise to hyperbolic nonconvexity. Second, we introduce a modification of the slope-limiting algorithm to prevent our numerical method from producing spurious shocks. We present a numerical algorithm for accommodating these difficulties, show the algorithm is second-order accurate, and demonstrate its performance on a number of simplified problems relevant to trickle bed reactor modeling.

High performance biological methanation in a thermophilic anaerobic trickle bed reactor.

PubMed

Strübing, Dietmar; Huber, Bettina; Lebuhn, Michael; Drewes, Jörg E; Koch, Konrad

2017-12-01

In order to enhance energy efficiency of biological methanation of CO 2 and H 2 , this study investigated the performance of a thermophilic (55°C) anaerobic trickle bed reactor (ATBR) (58.1L) at ambient pressure. With a methane production rate of up to 15.4m 3 CH4 /(m 3 trickle bed ·d) at methane concentrations above 98%, the ATBR can easily compete with the performance of other mixed culture methanation reactors. Control of pH and nutrient supply turned out to be crucial for stable operation and was affected significantly by dilution due to metabolic water production, especially during demand-orientated operation. Considering practical applications, inoculation with digested sludge, containing a diverse biocenosis, showed high adaptive capacity due to intrinsic biological diversity. However, no macroscopic biofilm formation was observed at thermophilic conditions even after 313days of operation. The applied approach illustrates the high potential of thermophilic ATBRs as a very efficient energy conversion and storage technology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immobilized glucose oxidase--catalase and their deactivation in a differential-bed loop reactor.

PubMed

Prenosil, J E

1979-01-01

Glucose oxidase containing catalase was immobilized with a copolymer of phenylenediamine and glutaraldehyde on pumice and titania carrier to study the enzymatic oxidation of glucose in a differential-bed loop reactor. The reaction rate was found to be first order with respect to the concentration of limiting oxygen substrate, suggesting a strong external mass-transfer resistance for all the flow rates used. The partial pressure of oxygen was varied from 21.3 up to 202.6 kPa. The use of a differential-bed loop reactor for the determination of the active enzyme concentration in the catalyst with negligible internal pore diffusion resistance is shown. Catalyst deactivation was studied, especially with respect to the presence of catalase. It is believed that the hydrogen peroxide formed in the oxidation reaction deactivates catalase first; if an excess of catalase is present, the deactivation of glucose oxidase remains small. The mathematical model subsequently developed adequately describes the experimental results.

Continuous production of lipase-catalyzed biodiesel in a packed-bed reactor: optimization and enzyme reuse study.

PubMed

Chen, Hsiao-Ching; Ju, Hen-Yi; Wu, Tsung-Ta; Liu, Yung-Chuan; Lee, Chih-Chen; Chang, Cheng; Chung, Yi-Lin; Shieh, Chwen-Jen

2011-01-01

An optimal continuous production of biodiesel by methanolysis of soybean oil in a packed-bed reactor was developed using immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) as a catalyst in a tert-butanol solvent system. Response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design were employed to evaluate the effects of reaction temperature, flow rate, and substrate molar ratio on the molar conversion of biodiesel. The results showed that flow rate and temperature have significant effects on the percentage of molar conversion. On the basis of ridge max analysis, the optimum conditions were as follows: flow rate 0.1 mL/min, temperature 52.1°C, and substrate molar ratio 1 : 4. The predicted and experimental values of molar conversion were 83.31 ± 2.07% and 82.81 ± .98%, respectively. Furthermore, the continuous process over 30 days showed no appreciable decrease in the molar conversion. The paper demonstrates the applicability of using immobilized lipase and a packed-bed reactor for continuous biodiesel synthesis.

Green synthesis of isopropyl myristate in novel single phase medium Part II: Packed bed reactor (PBR) studies.

PubMed

Vadgama, Rajeshkumar N; Odaneth, Annamma A; Lali, Arvind M

2015-12-01

Isopropyl myristate is a useful functional molecule responding to the requirements of numerous fields of application in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industry. In the present work, lipase-catalyzed production of isopropyl myristate by esterification of myristic acid with isopropyl alcohol (molar ratio of 1:15) in the homogenous reaction medium was performed on a bench-scale packed bed reactors, in order to obtain suitable reaction performance data for upscaling. An immobilized lipase B from Candida antartica was used as the biocatalyst based on our previous study. The process intensification resulted in a clean and green synthesis process comprising a series of packed bed reactors of immobilized enzyme and water dehydrant. In addition, use of the single phase reaction system facilitates efficient recovery of the product with no effluent generated and recyclability of unreacted substrates. The single phase reaction system coupled with a continuous operating bioreactor ensures a stable operational life for the enzyme.

Mass-transfer limitations for immobilized enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemate in a fixed-bed reactor.

PubMed

Xiu, G H; Jiang, L; Li, P

2001-07-05

A mathematical model has been developed for immobilized enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemate in a fixed-bed reactor in which the enzyme-catalyzed reaction (the irreversible uni-uni competitive Michaelis-Menten kinetics is chosen as an example) was coupled with intraparticle diffusion, external mass transfer, and axial dispersion. The effects of mass-transfer limitations, competitive inhibition of substrates, deactivation on the enzyme effective enantioselectivity, and the optical purity and yield of the desired product are examined quantitatively over a wide range of parameters using the orthogonal collocation method. For a first-order reaction, an analytical solution is derived from the mathematical model for slab-, cylindrical-, and spherical-enzyme supports. Based on the analytical solution for the steady-state resolution process, a new concise formulation is presented to predict quantitatively the mass-transfer limitations on enzyme effective enantioselectivity and optical purity and yield of the desired product for a continuous steady-state kinetic resolution process in a fixed-bed reactor. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Method and apparatus for incinerating hazardous waste

DOEpatents

Korenberg, Jacob

1990-01-01

An incineration apparatus and method for disposal of infectious hazardous waste including a fluidized bed reactor containing a bed of granular material. The reactor includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and a vertical partition separating the first and second chambers. A pressurized stream of air is supplied to the reactor at a sufficient velocity to fluidize the granular material in both the first and second chambers. Waste materials to be incinerated are fed into the first chamber of the fluidized bed, the fine waste materials being initially incinerated in the first chamber and subsequently circulated over the partition to the second chamber wherein further incineration occurs. Coarse waste materials are removed from the first chamber, comminuted, and recirculated to the second chamber for further incineration. Any partially incinerated waste materials and ash from the bottom of the second chamber are removed and recirculated to the second chamber for further incineration. This process is repeated until all infectious hazardous waste has been completely incinerated.

Multiscale Evaluation of Catalytic Upgrading of Biomass Pyrolysis Vapors on Ni- and Ga-Modified ZSM-5

DOE PAGES

Yung, Matthew M.; Stanton, Alexander R.; Iisa, Kristiina; ...

2016-10-07

Metal-impregnated (Ni or Ga) ZSM-5 catalysts were studied for biomass pyrolysis vapor upgrading to produce hydrocarbons using three reactors constituting a 100 000x change in the amount of catalyst used in experiments. Catalysts were screened for pyrolysis vapor phase upgrading activity in two small-scale reactors: (i) a Pyroprobe with a 10 mg catalyst in a fixed bed and (ii) a fixed-bed reactor with 500 mg of catalyst. The best performing catalysts were then validated with a larger scale fluidized-bed reactor (using ~1 kg of catalyst) that produced measurable quantities of bio-oil for analysis and evaluation of mass balances. Despite somemore » inherent differences across the reactor systems (such as residence time, reactor type, analytical techniques, mode of catalyst and biomass feed) there was good agreement of reaction results for production of aromatic hydrocarbons, light gases, and coke deposition. Relative to ZSM-5, Ni or Ga addition to ZSM-5 increased production of fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons and light gases. In the fluidized bed reactor, Ga/ZSM-5 slightly enhanced carbon efficiency to condensed oil, which includes oxygenates in addition to aromatic hydrocarbons, and reduced oil oxygen content compared to ZSM-5. Ni/ZSM-5, while giving the highest yield of fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons, gave lower overall carbon efficiency to oil but with the lowest oxygen content. Reaction product analysis coupled with fresh and spent catalyst characterization indicated that the improved performance of Ni/ZSM-5 is related to decreasing deactivation by coking, which keeps the active acid sites accessible for the deoxygenation and aromatization reactions that produce fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons. The addition of Ga enhances the dehydrogenation activity of the catalyst, which leads to enhanced olefin formation and higher fully deoxygenated aromatic hydrocarbon yields compared to unmodified ZSM-5. Catalyst characterization by ammonia temperature programmed desorption, surface area measurements, and postreaction temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO) also showed that the metal-modified zeolites retained a greater percentage of their initial acidity and surface area, which was consistent between the reactor scales. These results demonstrate that the trends observed with smaller (milligram to gram) catalyst reactors are applicable to larger, more industrially relevant (kg) scales to help guide catalyst research toward application.« less

Catalyst and process development for synthesis gas conversion to isobutylene. Final report, September 1, 1990--January 31, 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anthony, R.G.; Akgerman, A.

1994-05-06

Previous work on isosynthesis (conversion of synthesis gas to isobutane and isobutylene) was performed at very low conversions or extreme process conditions. The objectives of this research were (1) determine the optimum process conditions for isosynthesis; (2) determine the optimum catalyst preparation method and catalyst composition/properties for isosynthesis; (3) determine the kinetics for the best catalyst; (4) develop reactor models for trickle bed, slurry, and fixed bed reactors; and (5) simulate the performance of fixed bed trickle flow reactors, slurry flow reactors, and fixed bed gas phase reactors for isosynthesis. More improvement in catalyst activity and selectivity is needed beforemore » isosynthesis can become a commercially feasible (stand-alone) process. Catalysts prepared by the precipitation method show the most promise for future development as compared with those prepared hydrothermally, by calcining zirconyl nitrate, or by a modified sol-gel method. For current catalysts the high temperatures (>673 K) required for activity also cause the production of methane (because of thermodynamics). A catalyst with higher activity at lower temperatures would magnify the unique selectivity of zirconia for isobutylene. Perhaps with a more active catalyst and acidification, oxygenate production could be limited at lower temperatures. Pressures above 50 atm cause an undesirable shift in product distribution toward heavier hydrocarbons. A model was developed that can predict carbon monoxide conversion an product distribution. The rate equation for carbon monoxide conversion contains only a rate constant and an adsorption equilibrium constant. The product distribution was predicted using a simple ratio of the rate of CO conversion. This report is divided into Introduction, Experimental, and Results and Discussion sections.« less

Comparative study of activated carbon, natural zeolite, and green sand supports for CuOX and ZnO sites as ozone decomposition catalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azhariyah, A. S.; Pradyasti, A.; Dianty, A. G.; Bismo, S.

2018-03-01

This research was based on ozone decomposition in industrial environment. Ozone is harmful to human. Therefore, catalysts were made as a mask filter to decompose ozone. Comparison studies of catalyst supports were done using Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), Natural Zeolite (NZ), and Green Sand (GS). GAC showed the highest catalytic activity compared to other supports with conversion of 98%. Meanwhile, the conversion using NZ was only 77% and GS had been just 27%. GAC had the highest catalytic activity because it had the largest pore volume, which is 0.478 cm3/g. So GAC was used as catalyst supports. To have a higher conversion in ozone decomposition, GAC was impregnated with metal oxide as the active site of the catalyst. Active site comparison was made using CuOX and ZnO as the active site. Morphology, composition, and crystal phase were analyzed using SEM-EDX, XRF, and XRD methods. Mask filter, which contained catalysts for ozone decomposition, was tested using a fixed bed reactor at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The result of conversion was analyzed using iodometric method. CuOX/GAC and ZnO/GAC 2%-w showed the highest catalytic activity and conversion reached 100%. From the durability test, CuOX/GAC 2%-w was better than ZnO/GAC 2%-w because the conversion of ozone to oxygen reached 100% with the lowest conversion was 70% for over eight hours.

Modern sedimentary environments in a large tidal estuary, Delaware Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knebel, H.J.

1989-01-01

Data from an extensive grid of sidescan-sonar records reveal the distribution of sedimentary environments in the large, tidally dominated Delaware Bay estuary. Bathymetric features of the estuary include large tidal channels under the relatively deep (> 10 m water depth) central part of the bay, linear sand shoals (2-8 m relief) that parallel the sides of the tidal channels, and broad, low-relief plains that form the shallow bay margins. The two sedimentary environments that were identified are characterized by either (1) bedload transport and/or erosion or (2) sediment reworking and/or deposition. Sand waves and sand ribbons, composed of medium to coarse sands, define sites of active bedload transport within the tidal channels and in gaps between the linear shoals. The sand waves have spacings that vary from 1 to 70 m, amplitudes of 2 m or less, and crestlines that are usually straight. The orientations of the sand waves and ribbons indicate that bottom sediment movement may be toward either the northwest or southeast along the trends of the tidal channels, although sand-wave asymmetry indicates that the net bottom transport is directed northwestward toward the head of the bay. Gravelly, coarse-grained sediments, which appear as strongly reflective patterns on the sonographs, are also present along the axes and flanks of the tidal channels. These coarse sediments are lag deposits that have developed primarily where older strata were eroded at the bay floor. Conversely, fine sands that compose the linear shoals and muddy sands that cover the shallow bay margins appear mainly on the sonographs either as smooth featureless beds that have uniform light to moderate shading or as mosaics of light and dark patches produced by variations in grain size. These acoustic and textural characteristics are the result of sediment deposition and reworking. Data from this study (1) support the hypothesis that bed configurations under deep tidal flows are functions of current velocity, sediment size, and depth; (2) suggest criteria that could be used to distinguish between open estuarine tidal deposits in the geologic record; and (3) provide a guide to future utilization of the bay floor. ?? 1989.

Prevention of clogging in a biological trickle-bed reactor removing toluene from contaminated air.

PubMed

Weber, F J; Hartmans, S

1996-04-05

Removal of organic compounds like toluene from waste gases with a trickle-bed reactor can result in clogging of the reactor due to the formation of an excessive amount of biomass. We therefore limited the amount of nutrients available for growth, to prevent clogging of the reactor. As a consequence of this nutrient limitation a lower removal rate was observed. However, when a fungal culture was used to inoculate the reactor, the toluene removal rate under nutrient limiting conditions was higher. Over a period of 375 days, an average removal rate of 27 g C/(m(3) h) was obtained with the reactor inoculated with the fungal culture. From the carbon balance over the reactor and the nitrogen availability it was concluded that, under these nutrient-limited conditions, large amounts of carbohydrates are probably formed. We also studied the application of a NaOH wash to remove excess biomass, as a method to prevent clogging. Under these conditions an average toluene removal rate of 35 g C/(m(3) h) was obtained. After about 50 days there was no net increase in the biomass content of the reactor. The amount of biomass which was formed in the reactor equaled the amount removed by the NaOH wash.

Anaerobic digestion of olive mill wastewaters in biofilm reactors packed with granular activated carbon and "Manville" silica beads.

PubMed

Bertin, Lorenzo; Berselli, Sara; Fava, Fabio; Petrangeli-Papini, Marco; Marchetti, Leonardo

2004-01-01

Anaerobic digestion is one of the most promising technologies for disposing olive mill wastewaters (OMWs). The process is generally carried out in the conventional contact bioreactors, which however are often unable to efficiently remove OMW phenolic compounds, that therefore occur in the effluents. The possibility of mitigating this problem by employing an anaerobic OMW-digesting microbial consortium passively immobilized in column reactors packed with granular activated carbon (GAC) or "Manville" silica beads (SB) was here investigated. Under batch conditions, both GAC- and SB-packed-bed biofilm reactors exhibited OMW COD and phenolic compound removal efficiencies markedly higher (from 60% to 250%) than those attained in a parallel anaerobic dispersed growth reactor developed with the same inoculum; GAC-reactor exhibited COD and phenolic compound depletion yields higher by 62% and 78%, respectively, than those achieved with the identically configured SB-biofilm reactor. Both biofilm reactors also mediated an extensive OMW remediation under continuous conditions, where GAC-reactor was much more effective than the corresponding SB-one, and showed a tolerance to high and variable organic loads along with a volumetric productivity in terms of COD and phenolic compound removal significantly higher than those averagely displayed by most of the conventional and packed-bed laboratory-scale reactors previously proposed for the OMW digestion.

The coevolution of bed roughness, grain clustering, surface armoring, hydraulic roughness, and sediment transport rate in experimental coarse alluvial channels: implications for long-term effects of gravel augmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, J. P.; Aronovitz, A. C.

2012-12-01

We conducted laboratory flume experiments to quantify changes in multiple factors leading to mountain river bed stability (i.e., minimal bed changes in space and time), and to understand how stable beds respond to perturbations in sediment supply. Experiments were run in a small flume 4 m long by 0.1 m wide. We imposed an initial well-graded size distribution of sediment (from coarse sand to up to 4 cm clasts), a steady water discharge (0.9 L/s), and initial bed surface slopes (8% and 12%). We measured outlet sediment flux and size distribution, bed topography and surface size distributions, and water depths; from these we calculated total shear stress, form drag and skin friction stress partitioning, and hydraulic roughness. The bed was initially allowed to stabilize with no imposed upstream sediment flux. This stabilization occurred due to significant changes in all of the factors listed in the title, and resulted in incipient step-pool like bed morphologies. In addition, this study was designed to explore possible long-term effects of gravel augmentation on mountain channel morphology and surface grain size. While the short-term goal of gravel augmentation is usually to cause fining of surface sediment patches, we find that the long-term effects may be opposite. We perturbed the stabilized channels by temporarily imposing an upstream sediment flux of the finest sediment size fraction (sand to granules). Median surface sizes initially decreased due to fine sediment deposition, although transport rates of intermediate-sized grains increased. When the fine sediment supply was stopped, beds evolved to be both rougher and coarser than they had been previously, because the largest grains remained on the bed but intermediate-sized grains were preferentially transported out, leaving higher fractions of larger grains on the surface. Existing models for mixed grain size transport actually predict changes in mobilization reasonably well, but do not explicity account for surface roughness evolution. Our results indicate a nonlinear relationship between surface median grain size and bed roughness.