Posters - IGWS

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/421

This series is comprised of maps and topical posters, usually containing a combination of photographs and graphics. Typically educational in nature, they are intended for a public audience. Posters go through a full formal review, are usually commercially offset printed in large batches, and are sold through the IGWS Bookstore.

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Browsing Posters - IGWS by Author "Ellett, Kevin M."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    : Bringing a novel research into the classroom: Carbon sequestration as a new opportunity for science education
    (2011-02) Medina, Cristian R.; Ellett, Kevin M.; Rupp, John A.; Steinmetz, John C.
    Carbon sequestration technology is an emerging area of research that is rarely presented in the current middle and high school curriculum. This poster complements a concurrent lecture at HASTI (Kevin Ellet and Cristian Medina) and presents three objectives: (1) to introduce the topic of carbon sequestration as a promising area of research for the mitigation of global warming; (2) to show how this technology draws from different science disciplines (e.g. earth science, physics, chemistry, and mathematics) and thus offers new opportunities for science education; (3) to present skills study can learn by studying this technology, such as the use and display of quantitative data and the use of online resources to perform literature searches. This poster presents issues raised in the HASTI position paper “Science Institutions in Indiana: Global Perspectives” (http://www.hasti.org/paper1.html) and encourages discussion on how to maximize science learning in Indiana classrooms.
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    Indiana Shallow Geothermal Monitoring Network: A Test Bed for Optimizing Ground-Source Heat Pumps in the Glaciated Midwest
    (2012-04-23) Gustin, Andrew R.; Naylor, Shawn; Ellett, Kevin M.
    Ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) represent an important technology that can be further developed by collecting data sets related to shallow thermal regimes. Computer programs that calculate the required lengths and configurations of GSHP systems use specific input parameters related to the soil properties to enhance the accuracy of models and produce efficient system designs. The thermal conductivity of sediments varies significantly depending on texture, bulk density, and moisture content, and it is therefore necessary to characterize various unconsolidated materials under a wide range of moisture conditions. Regolith texture data are collected during some installations to estimate thermal properties, but soil moisture and temperature gradients within the vadose zone are rarely considered due to the difficulty of collecting sufficient amounts of data. Six monitoring locations were chosen in Indiana to represent unique hydrogeological settings and glacial sediments. Trenches were excavated to a depth of 2 meters (a typical depth for horizontal GSHP installations) and sediment samples were collected at 0.3-meter intervals for a laboratory analysis of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, bulk density, and moisture content. Temperature sensors and water-content reflectometers were installed in 0.3-meter increments to monitor changes in temperature and soil moisture with depth. In-situ thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were measured at 1.5-meters using a sensor that detects radial differential temperature around a heating wire. Micrometeorological data were also collected to determine the surface conditions and water budgets that drive fluxes of energy and moisture in the shallow subsurface. Preliminary results indicate that increases in water content can increase thermal conductivity by as much as 30% during wetting front propagation. Although there is a change in temperature associated with the infiltration of wetting fronts, thermal conductivity appears to be independent of soil temperature. By establishing continuous data sets, fluctuations in seasonal energy budgets and unsaturated zone soil moisture can be determined. This information can then be used to establish accurate end members for thermal properties and improve the efficiency of geothermal systems.
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    Monitoring near-surface thermal properties in conjunction with energy and moisture budgets to facilitate the optimization of ground-source heat pumps in the glaciated Midwest
    (2011-12-07) Naylor, Shawn; Gustin, Andrew R.; Ellett, Kevin M.
    By exploiting the near-surface heat reservoir, ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) represent an important renewable energy technology that can be further developed by establishing data sets related to shallow (<100m) thermal regimes. Although computer programs are available for GSHP installers to calculate optimal lengths and configurations of ground-coupling geothermal systems, uncertainties exist for input parameters that must first be determined for these models. Input parameters include earth temperatures and thermal properties of unconsolidated materials. Furthermore, thermal conductivity of sediments varies significantly depending on texture and moisture content, highlighting the need to characterize various unconsolidated materials under varying soil moisture regimes. Regolith texture data can be, and often are, collected for particular installations, and are then used to estimate thermal properties for system design. However, soil moisture and temperature gradients within the vadose zone are rarely considered because of the difficulty associated with collecting a sufficient amount of data to determine predominant moisture and temperature ranges. Six monitoring locations were chosen in Indiana to represent unique hydrogeologic settings and near-surface glacial sediments. The monitoring approach includes excavating trenches to a depth of 2 meters (a typical depth for horizontal GSHP installations) and collecting sediment samples at 0.3-meter intervals to determine thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and heat capacity in the laboratory using the transient line heat source method. Temperature sensors are installed at 0.3-meter intervals to continuously measure thermal gradients. Water-content reflectometers are installed at 0.3, 1, and 2 meters to determine continuous volumetric soil moisture. In-situ thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity are measured at 1.5 meters using a differential temperature sensor that measures radial differential temperature around a heating wire. Micrometeorological data (precipitation, insolation, ambient air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) are also collected to determine surface energy and water budgets that drive fluxes of energy and moisture in the shallow subsurface. By establishing continuous, year-round data, fluctuations in seasonal energy budgets and unsaturated zone soil moisture can be considered such that GSHP system designers can establish accurate end members for thermal properties, thereby optimizing the ground-coupling component of GSHPs. These data will also provide empirical controls such that soil moisture and temperature regimes can be spatially distributed based on mapped soil units and hydrogeologic settings in Indiana.