Natural freshwater availability is decreasing as the global population increases. Advances in desalination technologies aim to produce fresh water in an economical way. More sustainable energy sources are desired for these desalination plants to limit the carbon footprint of water production since global carbon dioxide production is exacerbating freshwater scarcity....
Changes in glacier length reflect the integrated response to local fluctuations in temperature and precipitation, but when do such changes indicate forced climate change, and when do they indicate natural variability? In this study, we simulate the past ~1000 years of glacier length variability across the globe using the 3-stage...
As engineered nanomaterials (ENM) become more common in consumer products, it is crucial to rapidly assess toxicity of unique ENM. Previous studies rarely focused on standardizing nanotoxicity testing, leading to inconsistent and irreproducible results. This study characterized a variety of ENM of different size, shape, core type, and surface charge...
Dwelling on the bottom of large rivers to high alpine streams, freshwater sculpins (genus Cottus) occur in high densities across the Pacific Northwest, with 21 currently recognized species found in the Pacific Northwest. Sculpin fill many ecological roles, with some species serving as important prey sources, and others competing with...
Effective storage and release of low-to-moderate temperature thermal energy (e.g. solar thermal or geothermal) could be transformational for applications such as space heating/cooling, domestic hot water, or off-grid cooking. Good candidates for thermal energy storage in this temperature range include latent heat storage (LHS) systems and thermochemical energy storage (TCES)...
The goal of this project is to better characterize particle movement in a multi-channel fluidized bed. Fluidized beds are commonly used for heat transfer with the rapid fluidization and homogeneous heat distribution. By characterizing this particle flow, it would allow for an improved understanding of the heat transfer mechanisms within...
Finding renewable sources of agricultural fertilizer will be necessary to ensure a stable food supply for future generations. Phosphorus is of particular concern, since mining phosphate rock is the main source and reserves are forecasted to deplete in the next 50 – 200 years. Human urine contains substantial amounts of...
Global energy needs are continuously increasing while fossil fuels remain an uncertain resource. With a growing population and demand for energy, alternative energy sources are being pursued to power the future. Fossil fuels are an unsustainable resource that brings along problems of climate change and atmospheric pollution. Concentrated solar power...
In this work, a hybrid thermochemistry compressed air energy storage (CAES) system is investigated. Following a review on chemical reactions investigated for use in thermochemical energy storage (TCES) systems, from these chemistries, the conversion of magnesium carbonate, MgCO3, to magnesium oxide, MgO, and carbon dioxide, CO2, was further analyzed for...