ERTC3 Event:
ERTC3/MCTI October 2024 Webinar
Oct
30
2024
Come hear from Principal Investigator Sarvenaz Sobhansarbandi and Doctoral Researcher Taiwo Akinleye on their progress with their projects. Participants will also receive a PDH Certificate worth 1.0 credit hours.
Register Here!
Topic 1: Retrofit, Self-Contained, and Smart Solar Ice Control System for Resilient Infrastructure
Slip and fall is a serious concern in cold climates and results in significant liability and snow removal/deicing activity costs. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), cities, and private entities spend millions each year to provide safe surfaces for vehicles and pedestrians. Safe walking surfaces are fundamentally tied to infrastructure access and lack of snow and ice control disproportionately impacts underserved communities and equitable access to public infrastructure. This project will provide pilot-scale development and verification of a low-cost, self-contained solar ice control system appropriate for implementation at transit stops and high-risk sidewalk locations. The proposed project herein will implement a micro-radiant heating system (MRHS) as a retrofit layer on the surface of existing concrete pavement. The technology will utilize a combination solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system and novel thermally active materials to keep surfaces free of snow and ice. To enhance the performance, the system will incorporate low operating temperature phase change material (PCMs) based heat transfer fluid (HTF) and surface composition to circulate/store the energy in the system. Multiple configurations of the PCM integrated retrofitted mortar layers’ designs as well as various PCM types were investigated in this study. The results from this study showed that the specific PCM blocks design performed better compared to the other proposed MRHS designs. Moreover, the PureTemp4 (PT4) PCM was found to be superior in winter conditions compared with other types of tested PCMs. To account for summer conditions, Micro-encapsulated PCM28 (MPCM28) was selected to be mixed with PT4 to form a PCM slurry mixture in a 20% MPCM28 + 80% PT4 ratio. This PCM slurry mixture will account for both winter and summer conditions. The developed self-contained system will effectively provide heating, improve safety, reduce winter maintenance, while reducing carbon emissions to the environment compared to existing technologies, and eliminating the usage of deicing salt for the control of ice/snow during cold seasons. As an additional benefit, the system will reduce the number of freeze-thaw cycles experienced by the pavement, improving long-term durability.
Topic 2: Exploring the Use of an Engineered Biochar for 6PPD-q Adsorption in Roadside Soils: A Preliminary Study
Despite the success recorded in the last a few years in isolating and identifying the emerging toxic contaminant - tire wear derived N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD-q), the prevention of 6PPD-q transport from its source, i.e., mostly road pavement surface, to the roadside soil remains elusive. Therefore, this study explores the use of engineered biochar in mitigating and reducing the transport of 6PPD-q in roadside soils. In light of recent advances in modifying the surface functional groups on biochar and its application in soil remediation, our study seeks to leverage chemical oxidation techniques to functionalize the biochar surface for adsorption and retention of 6PPD-q. We hypothesize that phenolic (-OH), carbonyl (C=O), and quinone groups are suitable candidates for the adsorption of 6PPD-q due to their ability to undergo redox reactions and form pi-pi (π-π) interactions with aromatic compounds. To test our hypothesis, we have designed laboratory experiments to engineer the formation of these functional surface groups using chemical oxidation methods. Using chemical analysis methods, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Boehm titration, we evaluate the formation and abundance of the targeted functional groups. The microstructure of the engineered biochar is investigated using a scanning electron microscope, and the elemental composition is determined using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Batch experiments are conducted to investigate the adsorption kinetics of 6PPD-q onto the modified biochar and evaluated using several adsorption isotherms. Soil column experiments are carried out incorporating the modified biochar in the soil to assess the effectiveness of the modified biochar in mitigating 6PPD-q contamination in soil environments. The changes in the microstructure of the biochar before and after modification are also examined. 6PPD-q adsorption on the engineered biochar surface are evaluated accordingly from the batch and soil column experiments. The results are analyzed to evaluate and quantify the formation of the surface functional group of interest and corresponding benefits to mitigating contamination.
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