Current Search:   Cooper, C. David (x)

View All Items

  • CSV Spreadsheet
(1 - 6 of 6)
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GREEN ROOF DESIGNS INCLUDING DEPTH OF MEDIA, DRAINAGE LAYER MATERIALS, AND POLLUTION CONTROL MEDIA
Title
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GREEN ROOF DESIGNS INCLUDING DEPTH OF MEDIA, DRAINAGE LAYER MATERIALS, AND POLLUTION CONTROL MEDIA.
Creator
Kelly, Matt, Cooper, C. David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Population growth has lead to an increase in development and impervious areas in urban settings. Post-development conditions cause several problems for stormwater management such as limited space for stormwater storage systems and the conveyance of pollution picked up by runoff to near by water bodies. Green Roofs with cisterns have been shown to attenuate the peak flow of storm events and reduce the pollution load leaving a site and entering nearby water bodies. The purpose of this research...
Show morePopulation growth has lead to an increase in development and impervious areas in urban settings. Post-development conditions cause several problems for stormwater management such as limited space for stormwater storage systems and the conveyance of pollution picked up by runoff to near by water bodies. Green Roofs with cisterns have been shown to attenuate the peak flow of storm events and reduce the pollution load leaving a site and entering nearby water bodies. The purpose of this research is to expand the available research data on green roofs with cisterns by investigating the water quality and hydrology effects of different green roof designs including depth of media, an additional pollution control layer beneath the growth media, and different drainage layer materials. Furthermore, a comparison study is performed on the cistern water quality, direct filtrate water quality, and control roof filtrate water quality. Results show that phosphorus concentrations are lower when using a pollution control layer beneath the growing media, and that evapotransporation and filtrate factor values from the 4-inch media and the 8-inch media are approximately equal for one year. However, hydrograph results show that the 8-inch media design has a lower peak flow and longer attenuation when compared to the 4-inch media design for a single storm event. Furthermore, the drainage layer material has no significant effect on the water quality or hydrology of the green roof discharge. The data also emphasizes the importance and effectiveness of the incorporation of a cistern into a green roof system.
Show less
Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002107, ucf:47552
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002107
REVIEWING THE EFFECTS OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS, AVERAGE SPEED AND IDLING TIME ON EMISSIONS FROM ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL BUS FLEET
Title
REVIEWING THE EFFECTS OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS, AVERAGE SPEED AND IDLING TIME ON EMISSIONS FROM ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL BUS FLEET.
Creator
Bayat, Ali, Cooper, C. David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Orange County, FL has been experiencing ozone concentrations in the past several years which in some cases exceeded the national and state standards. The high concentration of ground level ozone can cause a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion or it can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Other effects include reduction of agricultural crop and commercial forest yields, lower growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and higher...
Show moreOrange County, FL has been experiencing ozone concentrations in the past several years which in some cases exceeded the national and state standards. The high concentration of ground level ozone can cause a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion or it can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Other effects include reduction of agricultural crop and commercial forest yields, lower growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and higher susceptibility of plant to diseases, pests and other stresses such as harsh weather. The ozone generation rate is directly related to the ambient concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic carbons (VOCs). These two air pollutants, mostly produced from combustion of fossil fuels, react with oxygen to form ozone in presence of sunlight. In urban areas, ozone generation rate can be decreased by reduction of ozone precursors, NOx and VOCs. The Air Quality Research group of University of Central Florida proposed that one of the emission reduction strategies be for school bus fleets in the area. School buses were chosen because of their important impact on ambient air quality in general and on student health in particular. There were about 473,000 school buses in the 2004-05 school year nationwide which traveled for a total mileage of about 4 billion miles in that year. Orange County Public School (OCPS) system owns about 1400 school buses which traveled about 17 million miles in 2005-06 school year, serving 71000 students. The use of diesel fuels, Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD, diesel fuel containing 15ppm sulfur) and Biodiesel (B20, a mixture of 20% biodiesel and 80% ULSD), were chosen as the first proposed action to be studied. Also the effects of transportation parameters, average speed and idling time on fleet emissions were selected to be reviewed. This report reviews the fuel option and transportation parameters, effects on school bus fleet emissions and it does a comparison analysis in order to show advantages and disadvantages of each fuel. The Conventional Diesel (CD) and ULSD emissions were estimated by using MOBILE6.2 model, and effects of B20 on emissions were derived from published studies. It was found that using B20 or ULSD can reduce the emissions significantly for the most of major pollutants but in the case of NOx, the percentage changes is not certain yet and more investigation is required. Emissions vary for different average speeds and 27 miles per hour can be defined as the optimum average speed. Also reduction of idling time is an excellent control option for decreasing emissions, and should be considered for OCPS.
Show less
Date Issued
2007
Identifier
CFE0001726, ucf:47308
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001726
QUANTIFICATION OF EMISSIONS FROM LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
Title
QUANTIFICATION OF EMISSIONS FROM LAWN AND GARDEN EQUIPMENT IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
Creator
Crum, Megan, Cooper, C. David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The objective of this study was to evaluate the practical limits of EPA s NONROAD 2005 to accurately simulate Central Florida conditions, especially with regard to lawn and garden equipment. In particular we investigated a NONROAD emission inventory using default inputs and then created a locally specific emission inventory. These emission inventories were prepared for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole county and focused only on the VOC and NOx emissions caused by lawn and garden equipment....
Show moreThe objective of this study was to evaluate the practical limits of EPA s NONROAD 2005 to accurately simulate Central Florida conditions, especially with regard to lawn and garden equipment. In particular we investigated a NONROAD emission inventory using default inputs and then created a locally specific emission inventory. These emission inventories were prepared for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole county and focused only on the VOC and NOx emissions caused by lawn and garden equipment. The model was manipulated to assess its ability to represent this specific category of nonroad equipment for a given airshed first by running a base case scenario using default data and then by developing a locally-specific scenario through administration of a survey. The primary purpose of the survey was to evaluate local values for equipment population, equipment characteristics, activity estimates, and other relevant information. To develop these local input estimates, data were collected concerning population and usage statistics in the Central Florida area and were combined with emission factors, load factors, allocation factors, and other needed values that have been previously established by the U.S. EPA. The results of the NONROAD model were compared with the resulting emission estimates calculated from locally derived inputs, and as a result of the analysis an accurate emission estimate was calculated. In addition, several possible air quality action steps were further assessed according to feasibility, cost, and predicted emission benefit. These potential management projects were further investigated by assessing the success of other similar projects in other cities in an effort to establish specific costs and emission benefits as they relate to the tri-county area.
Show less
Date Issued
2007
Identifier
CFE0001834, ucf:47357
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001834
DETERMINING FLORIDA LANDFILL ODOR BUFFER DISTANCES USING AERMOD
Title
DETERMINING FLORIDA LANDFILL ODOR BUFFER DISTANCES USING AERMOD.
Creator
Figueroa, Veronica, Cooper, C. David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
As U.S. landfills continue to grow in size, concerns about odorous gas emissions from landfills are increasing. For states that are expanding in population, such as Florida, odors from landfills are a major concern because new housing developments, needed to accommodate the rapid population growth, are creeping closer and closer to the existing landfills. As homes get closer to landfills, odor complaints are likely to become more frequent, causing landfill managers increased problems with...
Show moreAs U.S. landfills continue to grow in size, concerns about odorous gas emissions from landfills are increasing. For states that are expanding in population, such as Florida, odors from landfills are a major concern because new housing developments, needed to accommodate the rapid population growth, are creeping closer and closer to the existing landfills. As homes get closer to landfills, odor complaints are likely to become more frequent, causing landfill managers increased problems with public interactions. Odor buffer zones around landfills need to be established to give municipalities tools to help prevent the building of future homes too close to landfills. Using the latest air dispersion model, AERMOD, research predicted downwind odor concentrations from a Central Florida landfill. Accurate estimates of methane emissions throughout a Central Florida landfill were determined using a new technique developed as part of this research that uses hundreds of ambient air VOC measurements taken within a landfill, as receptors. Hundreds of point sources were placed on the landfill, and the standard Gaussian dispersion equations were solved by matrix inversion methods. The methane emission rates were then used as surrogates for odor emissions to predict downwind odor concentrations via AERMOD. By determining a critical zone around a landfill with regards to odor, stakeholders will be able to meet regulatory issues and assist their communities. Other beneficial uses from this research include: determination of existing gas collection system efficiencies, calculation of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, and improved landfill gas management.
Show less
Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002200, ucf:47910
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002200
A STUDY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA NONROAD VOC AND NOX EMISSIONS AND POTENTIAL ACTIONS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS
Title
A STUDY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA NONROAD VOC AND NOX EMISSIONS AND POTENTIAL ACTIONS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS.
Creator
Radford, Michael, Cooper, C. David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Ground-level ozone is harmful to the human respiratory system, as well as the environment. The national EPA 8-hour ozone standard for ground-level ozone was reduced from 85 parts per billion (ppb) to 75 ppb in 2008, and trends from previous years show that some of the counties in Central Florida could be in danger of violation. Violation means "non attainment" status; in which the county is ordered by EPA to develop specific implementation plans to reduce its emissions. The objective of this...
Show moreGround-level ozone is harmful to the human respiratory system, as well as the environment. The national EPA 8-hour ozone standard for ground-level ozone was reduced from 85 parts per billion (ppb) to 75 ppb in 2008, and trends from previous years show that some of the counties in Central Florida could be in danger of violation. Violation means "non attainment" status; in which the county is ordered by EPA to develop specific implementation plans to reduce its emissions. The objective of this study was to compile an emissions inventory of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from nonroad equipment in Osceola, Seminole, and Orange Counties (OSO) in Central Florida, and to develop possible action steps to reduce those emissions. This is important because VOC and NOx emissions are precursors to ground-level ozone. Thus, compiling emissions inventories is important to identify high VOC and NOx emitters. Mobile and point sources have long been the highest emitters of VOC and NOx and have therefore been targeted and monitored since the Clean Air Act of 1970, but the nonroad sources (such as construction and lawn equipment) have only been regulated since the 1990s. Using the NONROAD and NMIM modeling programs, the highest nonroad emitters of VOC for Central Florida were found to be lawn/garden equipment, and boating equipment, emitting a combined percentage of 77% of the total nonroad mobile source VOC. Construction equipment contributed 67% of the total nonroad mobile source emissions of NOx in Central Florida. The components of these categories were also analyzed to find the largest individual sources of VOC and NOx. Of the individual sources, lawn mowers and outboard boat engines were found to be the largest sources of VOCs. Of the NOx sources, all the construction equipment components had a relatively similar level of NOx emissions. Next, action steps were developed to reduce emissions, focusing on the high emitters, along with an estimated cost and feasibility for each measure. Of these steps, implementing a ban on leafblowers, and reducing use of lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers, etc. seemed to be the most effective for reducing VOCs. Although these are effective measures, the cost and feasibility of both pose challenges. The best action step for reducing NOx emissions in construction equipment seemed to be by simply reducing idling of equipment on job sites. This also poses challenges in feasibility and enforcement by management. Further, constant on/off cycles could result in decreasing the useful life of the older construction equipment. Finally, a survey was conducted with various construction managers and companies to find out the typical equipment and quantity needed for land clearing/grubbing, as well as the typical use, idling time, and total project time for each piece of equipment on a 10-acre site, under various conditions. The purpose of the study was to develop a rough estimate for the average amount of VOC and NOx emissions that will be produced per acre of land clearing activities, and to estimate the emissions reductions and cost savings if idling of the equipment was reduced.
Show less
Date Issued
2009
Identifier
CFE0002850, ucf:48064
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002850
2008 EMISSIONS INVENTORY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
Title
2008 EMISSIONS INVENTORY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA.
Creator
Ross, Jessica, Cooper, Dr. C. David, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
An emissions inventory of VOCs, NOx, and CO2 was conducted for three central Florida counties – Orange, Seminole, and Osceola (OSO) – for calendar year 2008. The inventory utilized three programs: MOBILE6, NONROAD2005, and EDMS (Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System) to model on-road mobile, non-road mobile, and airport emissions, respectively. Remaining point and area source data was estimated from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the U.S. Environmental...
Show moreAn emissions inventory of VOCs, NOx, and CO2 was conducted for three central Florida counties – Orange, Seminole, and Osceola (OSO) – for calendar year 2008. The inventory utilized three programs: MOBILE6, NONROAD2005, and EDMS (Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System) to model on-road mobile, non-road mobile, and airport emissions, respectively. Remaining point and area source data was estimated from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) 2008 emissions inventory. The previous OSO emissions inventory was done in 2002 and in the six years between inventories, there have been changes in population, commerce, and pollution control technology in central Florida which have affected the region's emissions. It is important to model VOC and NOx emissions to determine from where the largest proportions are coming. VOCs and NOx are ozone precursors, and in the presence of heat and sunlight, they react to form ozone (O3). Ozone is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the FDEP. The current standard is 75 parts per billion (ppb) and Orange County's average is 71 ppb. A new standard (which will likely be about 65 ppb) is being developed and is scheduled to be announced by July 2011. If OSO goes into non-attainment, it will need to prepare a contingency plan for how to reduce emissions to submit to the FDEP for approval. The 2008 inventory determined that approximately 71,300 tons of VOCs and 59,000 tons of NOx were emitted that year. The majority of VOCs came from on-road mobile sources (33%) and area sources (43%), while the majority of NOx came from on-road mobile sources (64%) and non-road mobile sources (17%). Other major sources of VOCs included gasoline powered non-road mobile equipment (lawn and garden equipment), consumer solvents, cooking, and gasoline distribution. With the numbers that could be determined for CO2 emissions, on-road mobile and point sources were responsible for 93%. Of the point source CO2 emissions, almost all of it (87%) came from one large coal-fired power plant in Orange County.
Show less
Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFE0003703, ucf:48834
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003703