Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Water mixed systems'

Thesis (Ph.D)--Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009.
Committee Chair: Rousseau, Ronald; Committee Member: Meredith, Carson; Committee Member: Prausnitz, Mark; Committee Member: Teja, Amyn; Committee Member: Wilkinson, Angus. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

This thesis develops a mixed mode function – boundary element method (BEM) to analyze the dynamics of an integrated airplane – floating structure – water interaction system subject to airplane landing impacts. The airplane and the floating structure are treated as two solid substructures of which the motions are represented by their respective modal functions. The landing gear system of the airplane is modelled with a few linear spring – damper units connecting the airplane and the floating structure. The water is assumed to be inviscid and incompressible and the fluid motion is irrotational. Under a linear potential theory, the motion of the fluid is governed by the Laplace equation and the related boundary conditions. A linearised composite free surface boundary condition and an undisturbed far field (infinity) radiation condition are considered. The Green function, or kernel, of BEM formulation is a fundamental solution of the Laplace equation assuming an infinite fluid domain. The motion of the floating structure and the surrounding fluid are coupled through the wetted surface interface conditions. The coupled equations of the airplane, the floating structure and the surrounding fluid are solved using a step by step time integration procedure based on the Newmark assumptions. A FORTRAN program MMFBEP is written to implement the proposed numerical method. A few examples are completed to validate the mathematical model and the developed computer code. In comparing the available numerical and experimental results reported in the literature, sound agreements are reached. It is hoped that the developed method and computer code may be further improved and modified to provide an engineering tool for the dynamic design of Very Large Floating Structures (VLFS).

Pharmaceutical companies and FDA (Federal Drug Administration) rules rely heavily on crystalline active pharmaceutical ingredients delivered as tablets and powders in the form of neutral compounds, salts and solvates of neutral compounds and salts. About half of all drugs sold in the market are in the form of salts which are held together by ionic bonds along with some other forces. Recently, Ionic liquids (ILs) an interesting class of chemical compounds have offered potential opportunity for exploration as novel drug ionic liquid salts, particularly in the field of transdermal/topical drug delivery. Due to the multifunctional nature of these salts they could allow generation of new pathway to manipulate the transport and deposition behaviour of the drug molecule. It is this modular approach of IL that forms the basis of the research presented here, in which pharmaceutically acceptable compounds are combined with selected drugs with known problems. IL salts were generated by combining at least one drug molecule with FDA approved compounds and were assessed for physicochemical properties, skin deposition and permeation studies. Skin deposition data suggested that these systems exhibit high skin retention, which was found to correlate with the molecular weight. On the other hand, permeation data displayed an inverse relationship between flux values and molecular weight of the permeant. Similar work was extended with ILs with mixed anions containing two drugs. The benzalkonium-sulfacetamide ILs were investigated for synergism and the biological studies data display no synergistic effect. It was also illustrated that in-situ IL based ibuprofen hydrogels systems could be manipulated via IL approach for topical application. These findings suggest the potential applicability of IL based formulations for topical delivery of drugs.

Under the envisioned smart city paradigm, there is an increasing demand for the coordinated operation of our infrastructure networks. In this context, this thesis puts forth a comprehensive toolbox for the optimization of electric power and water distribution networks. On the analytical front, the toolbox consists of novel mixed-integer (non)-linear program (MINLP) formulations; convex relaxations with optimality guarantees; and the powerful technique of McCormick linearization. On the application side, the developed tools support the operation of each of the infrastructure networks independently, but also towards their joint operation. Starting with water distribution networks, the main difficulty in solving any (optimal-) water flow problem stems from a piecewise quadratic pressure drop law. To efficiently handle these constraints, we have first formulated a novel MINLP, and then proposed a relaxation of the pressure drop constraints to yield a mixed-integer second-order cone program. Further, a novel penalty term is appended to the cost that guarantees optimality and exactness under pre-defined network conditions. This contribution can be used to solve the WF problem; the OWF task of minimizing the pumping cost satisfying operational constraints; and the task of scheduling the operation of tanks to maximize the water service time in an area experiencing electric power outage. Regarding electric power systems, a novel MILP formulation for distribution restoration using binary indicator vectors on graph properties alongside exact McCormick linearization is proposed. This can be used to minimize the restoration time of an electric system under critical operational constraints, and to enable a coordinated response with the water utilities during outages.
Master of Science
The advent of smart cities has promoted research towards interdependent operation of utilities such as water and power systems. While power system analysis is significantly developed due to decades of focused research, water networks have been relying on relatively less sophisticated tools. In this context, this thesis develops Advanced efficient computational tools for the analysis and optimization for water distribution networks. Given the consumer demands, an optimal water flow (OWF) problem for minimizing the pump operation cost is formulated. Developing a rigorous analytical framework, the proposed formulation provides significant computational improvements without compromising on the accuracy. Explicit network conditions are provided that guarantee the optimality and feasibility of the obtained OWF solution. The developed formulation is next used to solve two practical problems: the water flow problem, that solves the complex physical equations yielding nodal pressures and pipeline flows given the demands/injections; and an OWF problem that finds the best operational strategy for water utilities during power outages. The latter helps the water utility to maximize their service time during power outages, and helps power utilities better plan their restoration strategy. While the increased instrumentation and automation has enabled power utilities to better manage restoration during outages, finding an optimal strategy remains a difficult problem. The operational and coordination requirements for the upcoming distributed resources and microgrids further complicate the problem. This thesis develops a computationally fast and reasonably accurate power distribution restoration scheme enabling optimal coordination of different generators with optimal islanding. Numerical tests are conducted on benchmark water and power networks to corroborate the claims of the developed formulations.

A catalytic route to hydrogen production via thermochemical water splitting is highly desirable because it directly converts thermal energy into stored chemical energy in the form of hydrogen and oxygen. Recently, the Davis group at Caltech reported an innovative low-temperature (max 850C) catalytic cycle for thermochemical water splitting based on sodium and manganese oxides (Xu, Bhawe and Davis, PNAS, 2012). The key steps are thought to be hydrogen evolution from a Na2CO3/MnO mixture, and oxygen evolution by thermal reduction of solids formed by Na+ extraction from NaMnO2. Our work is aimed at understanding the fundamental chemical processes involved in the catalytic cycle, especially the hydrogen evolution from water. In this project, efforts are made to understand the interactions between the key components (Na, O2, CO2, and water) in the hydrogen evolution steps on a well-defined MnO(100) single crystal surface, utilizing x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). While some of the behavior of the catalytic system is observed with the model system developed in this work, hydrogen is only produced from water in the presence of metallic sodium, in contrast to the proposal of Xu et al. that water splitting occurs from the reaction of water with a mixture of Na2CO3 and MnO. These differences are discussed in light of the different operating conditions for the catalytic system and the surface science model developed in this work.
Ph. D.

Water scarcity has become a global problem due to diminishing water resource and pollution of the remaining resources. The problems arising fromwater scarcity are exacerbated rapid urbanisation and industrialisation. Water quality management systems are introduced. Numerous water management methods exist some of which, if applied e ectively, can remedy these problems. In South Africa, water management systems are urgently needed to start addressing issues around the longterm sustainability of our limited water resource. Water quality modelling is one of the tools employed to assist in validating decisions made during the planning phase of a water quality management system. It also provides a means of exploring viable options to be considered when these decisions are to be made. A range of management options exist and implementing all of them may prove costly, therefore optimisation techniques are utilised to narrow down options to the most e ective and least costly among the available choices. Commonly, water quality models are used to predict concentrations in the river from which constraint equations are generated. The constraint equations are used in optimisation models to generate feasible solutions by either maximising or minimising the objective function. In this case the objective function is wastewater treatment cost. Constraints equations are based on the set in-stream water quality standard at selected theoretical measuring stations (checkpoints) in the stream and a feasible solution is one that suggests a treatment method that will ensure water quality standards are met at the lowest regional treatment cost. This study focused on the Upper Olifants river catchment near Witbank in Mpumalanga province. This catchment is subjected to extensive wastewater e uents from various mining operations and wastewater treatment plants. The aim here was to develop a water quality model for predicting dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the river, and to use a modelling approach to generate constraint equations for the system. A Streeter-Phelps stream simulation model was employed to predict DO concentration in the river. A mixed-integer programming technique was then used to evaluate the impact of nine wastewater treatment facilities discharging e uent into the river. Treatment levels were varied to test model reliability. The coupled stream simulation and optimisation model produced feasible solutions under 2 minutes, with each solution suggesting a range of treatment levels which ensured that the critical DO concentration was above 5 mg/L and the most stringent DO concentration the system could manage without violations anywhere else in the stream was obtained to be 7mg/L.
Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
gm2014
Chemical Engineering
unrestricted

The thesis details the design, development and implementation of a proportional mixer unit to mix emulsions in longwall mining applications. The principal aim of this thesis was to reduce the maintenance costs, down-time, and loss of production due to failure of the hydraulic roof support system in longwall mining. Improved operation can be achieved by increasing the control and reliability of the hydraulic fluid system. The present state of technology was reviewed in the metering and mixing systems such as: gear pumps and gear motors, venturi type, proportioning piston and metering pumps. Historical data showed that these systems could not provide a reliable and consistent output. Each of the systems were analysed to determine the operating characteristics, strengths, weaknesses and potential areas for improvements. From this analysis the venturi system was chosen as a base system for further development. The greatest weakness of the venturi system was its inability to cope with changes in the operating conditions. To overcome this limitation a proportional controller was designed and built to attach directly to a venturi mixer unit. The basis of the improvement was similar to that used in conventional hydraulic systems for pressure compensated flow control. Laboratory test results indicated that the device would function effectively, giving consistent concentrations of emulsions under various operating conditions. The system was installed for a period of 2 months in a colliery located in the Hunter Valley. Records of the tests were kept on a daily basis. The device was removed after the test period and examined for wear and other factors that may have influenced the perf 01mance of the controller unit. The results indicated the device functioned c01Tectly, in that it held the output concentration at the desired level for an extended operating period A visual inspection and performance tests were undertaken after the field trials. The results revealed that the device was :functioning as it was designed. There were no signs of component degradation due to excessive mechanical or corrosive wear.

Lipid-based drug delivery systems (LBDDSs) are becoming an increasingly popular approach to improve the oral absorption of poorly-water soluble drugs. Several possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain the means by which LBDDSs act in vivo to enhance absorption. The goal of the current dissertation is to provide a better understanding of one proposed mechanism; the capability of lipoidal components in LBDDS formulations to create and maintain a drug in a supersaturated state under simulated GI conditions. Moreover, molecular details of equilibrium solubilization of a drug in a series of model lipid assemblies were examined. The results of these studies will aid formulators in choosing the optimal LBDDS to improve oral absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs. Time-dependent solubilization behavior of progesterone, 17β-estradiol and nifedipine in a simple model LBDDS composed of Polysorbate 80 was assessed employing the in vitro dynamic lipolysis model. The results illustrated the extent to which the supersaturated state was dependent on the extent of lipolysis of Polysorbate 80 and the initial drug concentration. Area-under-the curve-supersaturation was proposed as a means of quantifying the time-dependent extent of supersaturation in LBDDSs in simulated intestinal conditions. Concurrently, a series of model mixed micellar solutions, composed of Polysorbate 80 and oleic acid, were prepared to represent the lipid assemblies produced during the lipolysis experiments. The ability of these aggregates to solubilize progesterone, 17β-estradiol and nifedipine were evaluated and the aggregate/water partition coefficients were determined. The Treinor model was found to successfully fit the partition coefficients of the drugs in a range of mixed micelles. The equilibrium solubility of drugs in the mixed micelles was calculated and compared to that found under lipolytic conditions. The best agreement between calculated and experimental conditions was observed for nifedipine. These studies have established a foundation for the evaluation of time-dependent extent of supersaturation with more complex LBDDS formulations exposed to lipolytic conditions.

The production of stable solid crystalline material is an important issue in the pharmaceutical industry and the challenge to control the desired active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with the specific chemical and physical properties has led to more development in the drug industry. Increasing the solubility and the dissolution of the drug will increase its bioavailability; therefore the solubility can be improved with the change in the preparation method. The formation of co-crystals has emerged as a new alternate to the salts, hydrates and solvate methods since the molecules that cannot be formed by the usual methods might crystallise in the form of co-crystals. Co-crystals are multicomponent crystals which can be known as supramolecules and are constructed by the non covalent bonds between the desired former and co-former. Therefore the synthon approach was utilised to design co-crystals with the specific properties, this involves the understanding of the intermolecular interactions between these synthons. These interaction forces can be directed to control the crystal packing in the design of the new crystalline solid with the desired chemical and physical properties. The most familiar synthon was the amide group with its complementary carboxylic group, in this work isonicotinamide and benzoic acid were chosen to design co-crystal and much literature exist that introduce the determination of co-crystal growth from these two compounds. The growth of co-crystals was carried out in water, ethanol and ethanol / water mixed solvent (30 - 90 % ethanol) by utilising the Cryo-Compact circulator. Co-crystals (1:1) and (2:1) were grown in ethanol and water respectively and a mixture of both phases were grown in the mixed solvent. All the phases were examined by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Raman, Infrared and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The solubility of isonicotinamide, benzoic acid, co-crystals (1:1) and (2:1) in water, ethanol and ethanol/water mixed solvent (30 - 90 % ethanol) were determined at 25 °C, 35 °C and 40 °C by utilising the React-Array Microvate. It was important to understand some of the thermodynamic factors which control the formation of these polymorphs such as the change in the enthalpy and the change in the entropy. Also it was important to study the pH behaviour during dissolution of the former, co-former and co-crystals in water, ethanol and ethanol/water mixed solvent (30 - 90 % ethanol) in-order to examine the affect of the solvent composition on the solubility and to identify if some ions were formed during the dissociation and how this could affects the formation of co-crystals. A discussion has been introduced in this research of how similar solubility of the compounds maps the formation of the typical ternary phase diagram of the mixture of 1:1 while compounds with different solubility maps the formation of skewed phase diagram as shown in section 1.6.2.3. In this project an isotherm ternary phase diagram at 20 °C and 40 °C was constructed to map the behaviour of benzoic acid and isonicotinamide and to show all possible phases formed and the regions where all phases are represented in the ternary phase diagram were determined by the slurry method. The ternary phase diagram was used to design a drawn out and cooling crystallisation at 100 cm3 solution of 50 % ethanol / water mixed solvent and a study of the impact of seeds of co-crystals 1:1 on the cooling crystallisation method.

Reclamation on the Cardinal River and Gregg River coal mines includes the construction of mine pit lakes connected to stream environments. Key physical, chemical and biological parameters of these “truck and shovel” lakes and their streams were investigated, and hypotheses regarding ecosystems and populations were tested. Findings include: Sphinx Lake and Pit Lake CD exhibit meromictic (partial-mixing) tendencies, but still function in a similar fashion to shallower, natural sub-alpine lakes. Elevated selenium concentrations as high as 16 ug/g (dry weight) were recorded in Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) eggs taken from gravid Sphinx Lake and Pit Lake CD fish. Potential detrimental effects associated with the bioaccumulation of selenium on fish reproduction were not observed. Stream water temperatures downstream of Sphinx Lake and Pit Lake CD were significantly warmer than in inlet streams and streams without pit lakes. Streambed concretions caused by calcite precipitation were documented and found to affect portions of the upper Gregg River basin. Remediation of this concretion is important for sustainability of trout populations. Aquatic communities including fish, invertebrates, zooplankton and aquatic plants are present in these pit lake systems. Athabasca Rainbow trout populations are self-propagating (spawning at the outlets) with higher densities downstream than there were prior to lake reclamation. The development of sub-alpine mine-pit lakes connected to the stream environment appears to be an appropriate and beneficial reclamation technique in this area.
xvi, 224 leaves : col. ill., map ; 28 cm

Intense exercise is known to cause alterations in the psychophysiological status of an athlete. Monitoring the health and recovery of an athlete is imperative for the maintenance of performance and reduced fatigue and injury incidence. The physicality associated with select sports results in significant elevations and suppression of psychophysiological biomarkers that are often modulated by game-related impacts, intense training regimes and psychosocial aspects associated with the professional era. The aim of the studies outlined in this thesis were to determine the effectiveness of selected “stress” markers in several sports that result in significant “stress”, and quantify the level of acute and chronic “stress” following individual games and competitions to improve athlete management and recovery. Study one aimed at developing a new strong-cation exchange high performance liquid chromatography (SCX-HPLC) method for the detection and quantification of urinary pterins and creatinine in a body-building cohort completing high intensity resistance training. The method had an intra- and inter-assay variability of 3.04 % and 5.42 % respectively, with visibly clear peaks and no tailing. Urinary neopterin (NP) and 7,8-dihydroneopterin during a week of competitive natural body-building did not significantly change indicating no alteration in immune system function and oxidative stress. It did provide evidence for the use of specific gravity as a similarly reliable method for urine volume correction following exercise. Study two focused on a playoff game of elite amateur rugby. The time course changes of NP, cortisol, salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and myoglobin in 11 elite amateur rugby players were measured up to 86 hours post-game. Cortisol increased 4-fold, myoglobin 2.85-fold, NP 1.75-fold and total NP 2.3-fold, all significant, whilst sIgA did not change. All markers returned to baseline within 17 hours providing valuable information for sample collection schedule optimization. Respiratory elastance was also measured by ventilation for the assessment of exercise induced lung inflammation/injury following the game (Chapter three). There was an increase in elastance in selected individuals that did not correlate with either global positioning system (GPS) or impact data. It was shown however, that a ventilator is capable of measuring respiratory changes in a conscious and healthy individual. Study three focused on the final three games of professional rugby in the 2013 ITM Cup. The acute and cumulative changes in the same four markers were analysed following three home games. There were significant increases in NP, total NP, cortisol and myoglobin along with significant suppression of sIgA (p < 0.05). Large intra- and inter-individual variation existed between players with changes associated with total impacts. Moreover, impact induced muscle damage may account for changes in oxidative status. Specific gravity (SG) was shown to be a more reliable marker for urine volume correction in comparison to creatinine; while some players showed signs of cumulative stress. Study four examined stress in a professional team throughout the 22 week 2014 Super 15 competition. Part one investigated changes in oxidative stress and muscle damage markers to solidify the muscle damage/oxidative status theory postulated in the previous study. Experimental evidence showed iron and myoglobin are separately capable of oxidizing 7,8-dihydroneopterin to NP in vitro. It was then identified that players who suffered the greatest muscle damage as a result of impacts also had the greatest change in oxidative status (NP). This evidence suggests rugby union induces significant alterations in oxidative status that may be exacerbated by the impact induced release of myoglobin. Part two measured urinary NT-proBNP during the last two consecutive home games to identify whether rugby union causes significant cardiovascular stress and if the pre to post-game change can be explained by GPS technology. Significant individualized elevations were observed in games one and two which did not correlate with any GPS measurements or impacts. Concentrations returned to normal ~ 36 hours post-game suggesting no permanent damage to cardiac muscle had occurred. The lack of correlation suggests GPS technology is not an accurate measure of cardiovascular stress in professional rugby union. Part three involved the measurement of cortisol, total NP and sIgA throughout the season to assess the degree of cumulative stress. Samples were taken at regular intervals ~ 36 hours post-game for 22 weeks. Extreme inter-individual variation was present. Select individuals showed continual elevation in immune system activation and psychophysiological stress, whilst others presented with a continual decline in immune system function. Collectively however, minor deviations from baseline in all markers were observed and participation in long distance travel did not significantly affect the psychophysiological status of the group. Together this suggests a season does not cause an accumulation in psychophysiological stress, although careful individual player analysis is warranted. Understanding rugby union positional demands is essential for training program specification and position specific development of players. Part four used GPS, video-analysis and biochemical analysis to identify positional demands in five regular season games. Forwards tended to be involved in more impacts and covered less distance, while backs covered more distance and carried the ball into contact more regularly. There was no difference in the psychophysiological status between positions indicating both aspects of stress (impacts and distance covered) may induce a similar response. Alternatively, individual biological variation may be solely responsible for this change suggesting careful consideration should be given when using traditional work-load measures such as GPS when quantifying “stress”. Part five assessed the effectiveness of varied recovery interventions. Total NP, cortisol, myoglobin and sIgA were measured pre- post- and ~ 36 hours post game to identify which intervention was most effective at returning players to a psychophysiological state that allowed for the resumption of normal training. Findings concluded the immediate post-game strategy employed by the team (cold bath, consumption of protein and carbohydrates, compression garments and eight hours sleep) seemed to provide the greatest psychophysiological improvement regardless of the “next-day” intervention. There was large inter-individual variation and players were still in a state of recovery ~ 36 hours post-game as indicated by the elevated total NP and sIgA concentrations. Study five had four aspects. Develop a new, cost-effective and simple reverse phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) method for the quantification of urinary myoglobin in a clinically relevant range, quantify the level of structural stress following a simulated mixed martial arts (MMA) contest, determine whether cold water immersion attenuates the level of inflammation and muscle damage following a contest, and whether this hypothesized attenuation may be explained by cryotherapy induced mononuclear cell activation suppression in vitro. The RP-HPLC method had an intra- and inter-assay variations from 0.32 - 2.94 %. Linearity was in the range of 5 – 1000 µg/mL which detected significant increases in urinary myoglobin following the MMA contest. Total NP was found to significantly increase following the contest and return to approximately pre-contest levels 24 hours later for the passive group only. Cold water immersion was further found to attenuate the total NP increase in the first two hours post-contest solidifying its use as a recovery technique following intense exercise, while cryotherapy significantly suppressed T-cell activation. This study provides a reliable and repeatable assay for muscle damage quantification in a clinically relevant range, evidence of the physicality associated with MMA, and indicates cold water immersion is a reliable recovery intervention that may impart its positive benefits through T-cell suppression. The data generated by these investigations highlights the necessity for individual physiological analysis. Group data often masks the extreme variation that exists in clinical and exercise trials where treatment and management of athletes is conducted for recovery and performance. Biochemical analysis provides an added sophistication of work-load and psychophysiological assessment that common technological methods cannot emulate. With a lack of correlation between the quantitative changes in specific non-overlapping biomarkers and GPS, video-analysis and questionnaires, it would seem pertinent to develop a non-invasive quantitative approach in elite sport to understand the level of exercise-induced psychophysiological stress for the precise management of athletes.

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
化學工程技術研究所
86
The objective of this study is to investigate the behavior of vapor-liquid equilibria of mixed electrolyte solutions, including experimental measurements and theoretical calculations. In the experiment part, a static-type vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) apparatus was employed to measure the equilibrium data for five mixed salt/acetic acid aqueous solutions, i.e. NaCl-KCl, NaCl-LiCl, NaCl-NH4Cl, NaBr-KBr and NaBr-LiBr. In the theoretical calculation part, both semi-chemical theory model and chemical theory model, combined with the modified Wilson model, was used respectively to predict the VLE of mixed electrolyts solutions for acetic acid aqueous solutions system, whete dimerization occurs. When applying the semi-chemical theory, the parameters of Wilson model, A12 and A21, provided by Gmehling et al. can be directly adopted in this experiment, when applying the semi-chemical theory, because they are identical with those given in the original definition of Wilson model. When the calculation procedure of chemical theory model is applied, the partners A12 and A21, merely represent the interaction forces of water-acetic acid. Therefore corrections of these parameters as provided by Shiah et al. must be used to take the dimerization effect of the liquid phase into consideration. Pitzer model is employed to predict the vapor pressure of electrolyte solutions. The parameters of Pitzer model are obtained directly from the literature. Since all the parameters required in the above calculating models can be acquired in existing literatures, the VLE data of mixed electrolyte solutions are predictable and there is no need for the addition of new adjustale paramters. A conclusion can be drawn from the calculated outcomes, that satisfying results can be attained from both chemical and semi-chemical theory models.

碩士
中原大學
化學工程研究所
98
In this work, new experimental data for vapor pressure, density, and viscosity of the mixed-solvent desiccant systems containing 40.0 wt% glycol (1) + salt (2) + water (3) were reported for temperatures up to 343.15 K (normal atmospheric condition). The considered glycols were diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, tetraethylene gloycol, dipropylene glycol and tripropylene glycol; and the salt is magnesium chloride (wt% = 4.0, 9.0, and 16.0). The vapor pressure, density, and viscosity were presented as functions of temperature and compositions. An empirical equation was used to correlate the temperature and compositional dependence of the density and viscosity data and a model based on the mean spherical approximation for aqueous electrolyte solutions incorporating the pseudo-solvent approach was used to represent the measured vapor pressure as functions of temperature and composition. Satisfactory results were obtained for both density and vapor pressure calculations.

碩士
國立臺北科技大學
化學工程所
94
The objective of this study is to investigate salt effects on liquid-liquid equilibria (LLE) of ternary mixed solvent systems. In the experimental part, the Liquid-Liquid Equilibria (LLE) has been achieved under the condition of which containing saturate NH4Cl or NH4Br at 298.15K. It was observed that the salt effect enlarges the area of the two-phase region in the LLE phase diagram. In the experimental part of simulation, this study is to use a TTK-Wilson activity coefficient model.It was found that Liquid-Liquid Equilibria (LLE) experiments were in good agreement as the result of simulation using TTK-Wilson activity coefficient model.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
化學工程學研究所
106
We present an efficient liquefaction of alkali lignin in an ethanol-water mixed solvent system with the presence of formic acid and carbon-supported rhodium (i.e. Rh/C) catalyst. At an optimized reaction condition of 250 oC and 3 h, the result showed the maximum yield of 89.3 wt% of bio-oil. For monomers of bio-oil, the total yield of monomeric products was as high as 2.89 wt%, in which alkyl guaiacols accounts for the main proportion. We found that formic acid was not only used as a liquid-phase hydrogen source, but also could serve as an organic acid that catalyzes hydrolysis reaction of C-O-C ether bonds presenting in lignin during lignin liquefaction. The role of Rh/C is demonstrated for improving the conversion of alkenyl to alkyl guaiacols (i.e. hydrogenation reaction) during lignin liquefaction. In addition, smaller fragments (Mn.= 467 g mol-1) as well as lower O/C ratio (0.61 to 0.26) indicate that our system has a potential for upgrading the generated bio-oil.

Thesis (MSc. (Geography)) --University of Limpopo, 2018
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is recognised as the most notorious invasive species the world-over. Although its threats and effects are fully documented, its distribution is not yet understood, especially in complex environments, such as river systems. This has been associated with the lack of accurate (high spatial resolution) and robust techniques, together with the reliable data sources necessary for its quantification and monitoring. The advent of new generation sensors i.e. Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) data, with unique sensor design and improved sensing characteristics is therefore perceived to provide new opportunities for mapping the distribution of invasive water hyacinth in small waterbodies. This study aimed at mapping and understanding the spatio-temporal distribution of invasive water hyacinth in the Greater Letaba river system in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province of South Africa using Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI data. Specifically, the study sought to identify multispectral remote sensing variables that can optimally detect and map invasive water hyacinth. Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI were tested based on the spectral bands, vegetation indices, as well as the combined spectral bands plus vegetation indices, using discriminant analysis algorithm. From the findings, Sentinel-2 MSI outperformed Landsat 8 OLI in mapping water hyacinth, with an overall classification (OA) accuracy of 77.56% and 68.44%, respectively. This observation was further confirmed by a t-test statistical analysis which showed that there were significant differences (t=6.313, p<0.04) between the performance of the two sensors. Secondly, the study sought to map the spatial distribution of invasive water hyacinth in the river system over time (Seasonal). Multi-date 10 m Sentinel-2 MSI images were used to detect and monitor the seasonal distribution and variations of water hyacinth in the Greater Letaba River system. The study demonstrated that, about 63.82% of the river system was infested with water hyacinth during the wet season and 28.34% during the dry season. Sentinel-2 MSI managed to depict species spatio-temporal distribution with an OA of 80.79% during wet season and 79.04% in dry season, using integrated spectral bands and vegetation indices. New generation sensors provide new opportunities and potential for seasonal or long-term monitoring of aquatic invasive species like water hyacinth- a previously challenging task with broadband multispectral sensors.
Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre (RSVC)

In the summer of 2007, a single neighbourhood in downtown Toronto contributed at least 13 percent of all residential grid???tie solar photovoltaic (PV) systems sold in the Canadian province of Ontario. On average, PV purchaser households produced 37 percent as much electricity as they consumed. This research investigates solar energy adoption in a community case study. Specifically, it investigates why some residents who sign up for a solar resource assessment through a community solar energy initiative (CSEI) decide to purchase, and others decide not to purchase in the short???term. Characteristics and perceptions of potential adopters are analyzed to better understand their motivations and barriers to adoption. Community energy projects became an official public policy goal in Ontario, with the passing of the Green Energy and Green Economy Act in 2009. Approximately 80 percent of Ontario???s anticipated generation capacity will need to be built, replaced or refurbished within 15 years. In this context, the Ontario Ministry of Energy, Ontario Power Authority, and Deloitte (one of Canada???s leading professional services firms), have partnered with a ???green benefit??? fund, the Community Power Fund, to help local community groups access resources to develop and establish renewable energy projects. Understanding solar energy adoption in a community context is therefore important to improve the effectiveness of such policies, including the disbursement of multi???million dollar grant funds. Differences between purchasers and non???purchasers in respect of adoption behaviour were found in this study to cluster around two general themes. The first theme concerns differences in compatibility of both the concept of solar energy systems, and their physical attributes, with characteristics of potential adopter households. Some compatibility issues are straightforward, e.g. availability of roof space with a southern orientation. Others are more complex, involving several interrelated perceptual and socio???demographic factors. For instance, while both purchasers and non???purchasers rated cost as a very important barrier, purchasers rated the motivation of solar energy systems to reduce climate change higher relative to the barrier of high financial costs than did non???purchasers. Purchasers were also more likely to possess a graduate degree, while non???purchasers were more likely to hold a professional degree. The second general theme relates to potential adopters??? trust and stake in the ability of the community???based initiative to reduce barriers in the adoption process. Since two types of solar energy systems are considered in the case study???PV and thermal (hot water)???differences are explored between each of three respondent groups: solar PV purchasers, solar hot water (SHW) purchasers, and non???purchasers. iv Surveys were used to gather data on adopter perceptions and characteristics. A participatory research design helped identify the research topic. Two main bodies of literature???community???based social marketing (CBSM) and diffusion of innovations theory???were drawn upon to conceptualize the adoption process and interpret the survey findings. These include five models of human behaviour that can be used to guide the design of CBSM campaigns. Diffusion theory was used as a basis for discussing ???perceived innovation attributes???. The study takes an integrated approach by considering both social and technical aspects of solar energy adoption, together with the issues of fuel substitution and household electricity demand.