Landfill leachate is a complex wastewater that contains high levels of ammonium (often over 250 ppm) and trace heavy metals (usually under 0.2 ppm). Microalgae have been shown to inexpensively and effectively treat wastewaters containing high loads of organics and nutrients, as well as adsorb metal ions. This thesis focuses...
Technology is constantly co-evolving with science to produce simple and effective tools that address the needs of researchers. Cost and time effective point-of-care devices are valuable for sample collection and analysis, particularly in medicine and environmental health and safety. Digital microfluidic (DMF) technology provides a possible solution. This study explores...
The synergetic interplay between the removal of saturated methyl esters and the addition of deoxygenated fatty acids on depressing the cloud point temperature of biodiesel was investigated in this study. Canola biodiesel was produced in batch as a standard with a cloud point of 1.37 +/- 6.3°C. Saturated methyl esters...
Solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) has been demonstrated to be feasible in extraction of essential oils from botanical materials. The benefits are no need for any solvent aside from the water naturally in the botanical material and a significant reduction in environmental impact for large scale production processes. However, the...
The increase of diesel fuels and natural gas has increased the energy cost of the mint
oil extraction industry in the Willamette Valley. In this study the energy evaluation of
a distillation facility in Oregon is considered. Solvent free microwave extraction of
peppermint oil is introduced as a new technique...
Vox comm is a digital wireless, voice-operated personal communicator developed as an electrical engineering Senior Design project. It is designed to provide a method for hassle-free, short-range communication. The product platform boasts of low power and small size for a host of usage models. This thesis details the product design...
Biodiesel is a renewable, non-toxic, and biodegradable diesel fuel made from agricultural feedstocks. With a vibrant agricultural industry, Oregon is positioned to play an important role in the future of this energy source. Limiting factors to widespread biodiesel production include low value of biodiesel feedstock crops, lack of infrastructure, lagging...
Essential oils have numerous chemical and therapeutic applications. Some oil extraction methods, including steam distillation, require a large energy input. An alternative technique with a lower energy demand is the extraction of oils using supercritical liquid carbon dioxide (CO2), which extracts essential oils with minimal environmental impact. While this often...
Steam distillation has been the common method of extraction of essential oils from plants for more than a century. The use of microwave energy has been suggested as an alternative distillation method that would: reduce water usage, dependence on non-renewable energy sources, and the carbon footprint. A byproduct of this...
Steam distillation is the traditional method used for the extraction of peppermint oil. This process is able to remove approximately 20% of the oils from the leaves of the plant. It is a very costly and un-sustainable process due to the release of carbon emissions. Solvent free microwave extraction promises...