Theses and Dissertations from UMD

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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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2004 - 20062

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Author: search.filters.author.Hanna, KalimSubject: search.filters.subject.Engineering, Agricultural

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    INTEGRATED ECONOMIC DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM MODEL FOR DETERMINING IRRIGATION APPLICATION AND PROJECTED AGRICULTURAL WATER DEMAND ON A WATERSHED SCALE
    (2006-11-27) Hanna, Kalim; Shirmohammadi, Adel; Biological Resources Engineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This study involves the development of an irrigation economic model used to determine the estimated net benefit of various irrigation systems when used in temperate zones. The model processes SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) output data together with user supplied economic data as a basis for identifying agricultural fields likely to result in the greatest economic return for irrigation installations, based on irrigation installation costs, water costs, and the expected revenue from increased yields due to applied water. The model is capable of not only identifying those agricultural fields within the area of interest likely to result in the greatest net benefit, but is able to prescribe the most profitable irrigation system from an array of possible systems, based on user supplied economic and performance data. The model can also be used to determine the optimal average monthly irrigation volume to be applied to a given field, by balancing the expected revenue due to the estimated yield increase as a result of irrigation application verses the cost of water. The model is applied in this study to a range of water cost levels and crop types from which general conclusions about the use of irrigation in temperate zones are made. The primary product of this study is an irrigation economic tool capable of determining the profitability of irrigation installations verses non-irrigated systems for a wide range of hydrological and environmental conditions. The project included the collection and compilation of required data on land-use, topography, and soil properties, into a GIS project, used as a data input basis for the SWAT model. For demonstration purposes the model is applied to the Pocomoke River basin located in the Coastal Plain of Maryland's Eastern Shore. Input data for the model is taken from multiple SWAT simulations for various crops, modeled with a statistically generated artificial weather pattern typical of the region. Further analysis is conducted on the environmental impact of irrigation, using SWAT model simulations over a range of irrigation application levels. General conclusions are drawn on the effects of irrigation on water quality parameters and the nutrient/sediment transport processes involved.
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    ELECTROPHORETIC REMOVAL OF FINE PARTICULATES FROM AQUCULTURE EFFLUENT
    (2004-04-26) Hanna, Kalim; Wheaton, Fredrick; Biological Resources Engineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    As larger waste particles breakdown into smaller pieces under the mechanical stress of a recirculating system, it becomes increasingly more difficult to remove these particles through standard methods. This current work explores the possibility of using an impressed electric field as a means of water clarification. In this study aquaculture effluent is passed through an imposed electric field, where the fluid column is divided into two fluid streams: one closest to the positive electrode, and the other closest to the negative electrode. The water quality of each fluid stream is analyzed to determine if any difference results due to its exposure to the electric field. While this study did show that there was a statistically significant difference in certain water quality parameters between the two fluid streams, it was clear that the process was not efficient enough to be considered a viable and effective means of water clarification.