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Investigating the hydraulic performance of fullscale treatment wetlands using electrical resistivity tomography
Get PDFLyu, Tao - Associate SupervisorHorizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSFCWs) have been widely
used for tertiary treatment of wastewater in the United Kingdom (UK). One of the
main objectives for UK’s water industry is achieving a reduction in maintenance
costs of HSFCWs by reducing frequency and cost of clogging remedial
measures. However, inability of conventional clogging assessment methods to
provide reliable subsurface visualisation of the HSFCWs limits understanding of
clogging profiles across treatment units, hindering proactive maintenance and
remedial interventions. Without trustworthy information about subsurface
conditions of HSFCWs, clogging remedial measures cannot be optimised to
provide targeted, proactive, and cost-effective maintenance. In this study, electric
resistivity tomography (ERT) has been applied to identify its effectiveness to
provide reliable visualisation of the subsurface conditions of HSFCWs.
On this project, two HSFCWs with different clogging levels were tested using
ERT. Anomalies in subsurface distribution of water and profiles of clog matter
accumulation across the HSFCWs were identified by changes in electric
resistance of the media. The output was in form of cross sections showing
variation in resistance across the media with different colours. The visual
representation of subsurface conditions covered the full depth as well as the
length of HSFCWs. The subsurface conditions identified in ERT results were in
line with those observed by conventional clogging measurement methods,
including substrate permeability measurement and tracer test, which provides
preliminary validation of the ERT methodology.
A recently refurbished HSFCW was found to have negligible level of clogging and
subsurface visualisation was depicted by consistent shades showing uniform
electric resistivity values (between 20 to 300 ohm.m) across the HSFCW.
Contrarily, a mature HSFCW with many years of operation and no recent
remedial interventions resulted in significant colour variation across the sections,
indicating uneven electric resistance across the HSFCW (between 20 to 4000
ohm.m) and the ability of the ERT methodology to infer clogging levels.
Considerably higher resistivity values and their chaotic variations across the
subsurface indicated the distribution of wastewater and clog matter.
To Identify the effectiveness of ERT to visualise subsurface of wetland systems,
two different ERT arrays (electrode configurations) were used: Dipole-Dipole
characterised by better horizontal resolution and effective depth coverage at the
ends of ERT line and Wenner Array characterised by better vertical resolution
and less susceptibility to noise. Both arrays were successful in identifying
variations in local clogging levels in the HSFCWs, with the Dipole-Dipole array
results found to be more relatable with actual site conditions. This work has
evidenced the potential of ERT to profile clogging in HSFCWs, providing a tool
for implementing targeted asset maintenance and reduced operational costs.
Further improvement in the ERT methodology is recommended by testing the
impact of smaller probe spacing, controlled water levels in HSFCWs, and
increased observations of the same systems at different operation ages.MSc by Research in Wate
Scaling-up engineering biology for enhanced environmental solutions
Get PDFSynthetic biology (SynBio) offers transformative solutions for addressing environmental challenges by engineering organisms capable of degrading pollutants, enhancing carbon sequestration, and valorizing waste (Figure 1). These innovations hold the potential to revolutionize bioremediation strategies, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable environmental management.BBSRC (grant number: BB/Y008332/1)ACS Synthetic Biolog
Innovators and Transformers Revisiting the gap between academia and practice: insights from the green logistics phenomenon
Get PDFPurpose
Logistics and supply chain management (L&SCM) scholars and practitioners have devoted extensive efforts to advancing green logistics practices (GLPs), yet the intersection between the two domains in relation to the topic remains underexplored. To accelerate GLPs’ development amid the escalating climate crisis, this research examines this intersection by comparing the responsiveness of academia and practice to the call for green logistics over time.
Design/methodology/approach
To compare between academia and practice, we combined a systematic literature review on the development of GLPs in L&SCM journals (N = 122) with a content analysis of annual and sustainability reports published by the four major global logistics service providers (LSPs: DHL, DB Schenker, UPS and FedEx; N = 156) over the past three decades.
Findings
This research reveals that all the GLPs covered in the L&SCM literature have already been applied and reported by practitioners, both consistently and over a significant period of time. Academic progress, in turn, is delayed by slow-paced empirical methods, elevated research quality standards, prolonged funding and recruitment processes, and extended peer-review intervals. Further, a tendency toward reactive knowledge creation rather than proactive knowledge transfer is evident, obscuring the role of L&SCM scholars in steering the industry’s green advancement.
Practical implications
Recommendations are offered to L&SCM authors, editors, reviewers and university departments to advance pracademic endeavors in green logistics research and increase its responsiveness to global events.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to scrutinize the intersection between academia and practice on the evolution of GLPs. The revealed gaps prompted us to suggest a transformative paradigm for academia-practice collaborations targeting the L&SCM discipline at large, combining a bold proactive research stream aimed at knowledge transfer with a more traditional reactive stream aimed at knowledge creation.International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Managemen
Hydrolytic enzyme activity in high-rate anaerobic reactors treating municipal wastewater in temperate climates
Get PDFParticulate matter hydrolysis is the bottleneck in anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater in temperate climates. Low temperatures theoretically slow enzyme-substrate interactions, hindering utilization kinetics, but this remains poorly understood. β-glucosidase, protease, and lipase activities were evaluated in two pilot-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, inoculated with different sludges and later converted to anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs). Despite similar methane production and solids hydrolysis rates, significant differences emerged. Specific activity peaked at 37 °C, excluding the predominance of psychrophilic enzymes. Nevertheless, the Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) indicated high enzyme-substrate affinity at the operational temperature of 15–20 °C, notably greater in AnMBRs. It is shown, for the first time, that different seed sludges can equally adapt, as hydrolytic enzymatic affinity to the substrate reached similar values in the two reactors at the operational temperature and identified that membrane ultrafiltration impacted hydrolysis by a favourable enzyme Michaelis-Menten constant.This project has received funding from the Europe Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No. 776541.Bioresource Technolog
Multiobjective aerostructural optimization for efficient transport wing conceptual design
Get PDFThe advantages of Multidisciplinary wing development are only gradually being exploited in an industrial level, largely halted by the inevitable design space complexity arising from the interacting disciplines and objective constraints. An industrial tool has to provide design space exploration early in the design process and be reliable enough to guide subsequent fine-tuning optimization studies. In this paper, we display how our methodology can be used in an industrially relevant constrained aerostructural problem described by the common research model and formulated by the asymmetric subspace optimization architecture. It uses multi fidelity analyses in a surrogate based optimization framework, offering more detailed information earlier in the design cycle. The results indicate efficient space exploration, particularly due to the system level dimensionality reduction associated with such a load balancing architecture.Innovate UKAerospace Science and Technolog
3D computational fluid dynamics analysis of natural gas separation efficiency in multiphase pumping wells with heterogeneous flow regime
Get PDFThis research uses 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to investigate the downhole Natural Gas Separation Efficiency (NGSE) for multiphase pumping wells in the heterogeneous churn flow regime. Results explain the effects of key parameters such as liquid viscosity, intake port sizes/diameter, and casing diameter, on the NGSE. Methods are thus suggested to enhance the NGSE in oil field operations, and key improvements to the widely used mathematical formulations for viscous service are proposed. Transient numerical simulations were performed for a section of an experimental flow loop extracted from the literature, and the flow solution was obtained with the Volume of Fluid (VOF) model. For most simulations, turbulence effects were modelled with the k−ϵ turbulence model. The k−ω SST turbulence model was however considered for the sensitivity analysis on liquid viscosity. The final numerical results validated against the corresponding experimental data showed an average error of less than 6%. Combining past literature and current results confirms that (i), the NGSE is affected by the downhole geometry (i.e annulus space and pump intake port flow area geometry) and (ii), current analytical NGSE models are not ideal for multiphase viscous service (high viscosity Newtonian flow) in the heterogeneous flow regime. The widely used steady-state formulations might thus not be adequate for this flow regime.Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanic
Battery thermal management for microchannel cooling system with scanning flow method
Get PDFThe demand for high-performance electric vehicles has rapidly increased, necessitating rapid charging and efficient thermal battery management. High-energy-density batteries generate massive heat impacting performance, service life and safety. Thermal management plays a critical role in preserving battery integrity by regulating overall temperature and localized heat distribution, thus mitigating the risk of thermal runaway. Varies cooling technologies such as air, liquid, and multi-phase material cooling, have been utilized. However, minimizing the maximum temperature while maintaining temperature uniformity remains a critical challenge in battery thermal management. This paper introduces a novel microchannel cooling system with scanning flow for Li-ion batteries. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models are developed to investigate scanning flow cooling behavior. Parametric study examines the effects of battery numbers, valve switching frequency, and channel numbers on maximum and minimum temperatures, average temperature, and temperature differences. Furthermore, fluid analysis incorporates heat distribution and velocity behavior to study flow characteristics. Experimental analysis validates the cooling capability of the scanning flow method with a 0.17% error rate. The findings highlight scanning flow as an efficient method, enhancing temperature uniformity by 62.5% and reducing the average temperature difference by 92%. This presents a promising avenue for developing effective thermal management solutions for high-energy-density batteries.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrificatio
Driving sustainability: assessing KPI effectiveness in the Saudi chemical industry
Get PDFThis study explores the relationship between Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and environmental performance improvement within the Saudi chemical industry. Against the backdrop of global sustainability imperatives and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which promotes sustainability for economic diversification, this research aims to assess the effectiveness of KPIs in driving environmental sustainability practices. The motivation for this study stems from the identified gaps in the systematic implementation and utilisation of KPIs and the lack of awareness regarding certain aspects of environmental impact management within the industry in the Kingdom. The methodology involved a structured survey administered to a diverse range of chemical manufacturing companies, followed by rigorous data analysis using descriptive evaluation, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), reliability analysis, and t-tests. The results revealed insights into pollution areas, KPI utilisation, methods for pollution assessment, alignment with strategic goals, and governance regulations. Descriptive analysis highlighted air quality management as a priority, with notable attention to water and land pollution, while quantitative analysis confirmed the significance of KPIs in driving environmental performance improvement in the area. However, it also unveiled the absence of a systematic approach to implementing and utilising KPIs effectively, coupled with a lack of awareness regarding certain aspects of environmental impact management, consequently leading to uncertainty. Overall, this study contributes to advancing sustainability efforts within the Saudi chemical sector, providing actionable insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers.Discover Sustainabilit
The epidemiology and management of cladosporium on raspberry
Get PDFMedina-Vaya, Angel - Associate SupervisorCladosporium is a genus of fungi that causes dark mycelial lesions on
raspberries, rendering fruit unmarketable. As Cladosporium is an opportunistic
pathogen, its prevalence varies across years, and there is insufficient research
on its epidemiology and management. This study aimed to investigate the
epidemiology of Cladosporium on raspberries and to elucidate which
management strategies could be effective.
Isolates of Cladosporium were obtained from raspberries, with C. cladosporioides
being the most predominant, and was therefore used in further experiments. The
susceptibility of raspberry fruit development was determined, with ripening and
ripe fruit found to be susceptible to skin lesions; this stage of development was
subsequently targeted in management studies.
The effects of ripening and fruit location (fruit location within a tunnel vs. across
a farm) on the inoculum load on the surface of raspberries were investigated
using metabarcoding studies. The fungal and bacterial microbiomes were also
investigated to better elucidate the ecology of Cladosporium on the fruit surface.
Cladosporium was more abundant on green fruit than ripening fruit; perhaps due
to organisms such as Rouxiella present on the fruit’s surface. Fungal α diversity
increased during ripening while bacterial diversity decreased. The Cladosporium
inoculum load in the air was also investigated, with more spores trapped inside a
raspberry polytunnel than an open field.
The efficacy of commercial Biological Control Agents (BCAs) and resistant
varieties to control Cladosporium skin lesions were tested across two years in
field applications. The Trichoderma sp. was the most effective at reducing the
incidence of Cladosporium on raspberry than compared to the other tested
products. The variety resistance study was inconclusive, but results indicate
further testing will reveal which varieties are more susceptible.
This research will inform potential management strategies against Cladosporium
on raspberries that will aid growers in reducing food waste sustainablyBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)PhD in Environment and Agrifoo
Organizational culture enabler and inhibitor factors for ambidextrous innovation
Get PDFAmbidextrous innovation is considered to be a key framework for innovation that offers organizations the ability to maintain their current level of competitiveness and develop and sustain a long-term competitive advantage. However, the implementation of ambidextrous innovation is constrained by an organization’s culture. Thus, the aim and objective of the present research are to explore the literature deeply and attempt to understand both organizational culture and ambidextrous innovation, along with key cultural aspects with regard to ambidexterity. The present research deeply dived into the model of organizational culture and attempted to build synergy between each model with respect to ambidexterity. The results of the present research suggest that Cameron and Quinn’s competing value framework, once amalgamated with the Schein model, creates an organizational culture framework that can be used to develop a culture that is best suited to the implementation of ambidextrous innovation. The Schein model provides a comprehensive guideline for each value of the competing value framework. Further, the present research also extracted key insights with regard to the role culture can play in innovation in general and ambidextrous innovation in particular. Finally, the present research also attempted to build a list of culture enablers and inhibitors that can facilitate and impede the process of ambidextrous innovation.Administrative Science