Tecnologias de captação e aproveitamento de água de chuva para residências uni familiares

Water scarcity is becoming an increasing problem and more evident worldwide, rainwater utilization is characterized for being one of the simplest and cheapest solutions to preserve drinking water and is a known alternative technology and used to promote sustainability in buildings and reducing pressure on surface waters, it would also reduce runoff and can minimize flooding. The rainwater, while not potable may be used in potable water usage activities, and may thus saving 30 to 40% of potable water. In this work one can see the importance of the capture and use of rainwater (CAAC), bringing economy, to reduce consumption of potable water, reducing the problem of water shortage, and which methods and materials needed to cause its implementation. The work also promoted the characterization of rainwater in the city of Guaratinguetá (SP) and studied its potential use in public housing, calculating the volume needed for implementation of the tank and the cost to implement all rainwater utilization system, but because it is a region with a median rainfall index and the popular houses present an area of small water capitation, the result was not satisfactory. The cost for implementation was high and the financial return was well above average. The government should encourage and support more CAAC, as not thinking about the financial side is advisable to be widespread throughout the country, the benefits it can bring

Chemical weathering rate, denudation rate, and atmospheric and soil CO2 consumption of Parana flood basalts in Sao Paulo State, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Proposta de adequação à construção sustentável: tecnologias e alternativas para instituições de ensino

Due to the huge impact negative on the environmental caused by the civil construction, the university plays a majorital role in the proposal of studies and projects that aim the sustainable building. Nowadays, it has been noted the great demand for projects which contain a systemic focus in the tripod of the sustainable development, that is to say, more and more the consumers are demanding that the final result of a project contemplate the social, economic and environmental areas. According to the National Industry Confederation (CNI) and the Brazilian Chamber of the Industry and the Construction (CBIS), the goal for 2020 is that the constructions have an environmental performance 20% higher in comparison to the actual one, starting with an index defined by many indicators, such as: water consumption, energy, residues generation and social-environmental performance of the bought products. In this case, the theme of the project comes around the adequation of scholar institutions to the sustainable construction through simple changes of tecnologies and habits aiming the growth of the environmental eficiency of the enterprise and, consequently, the improve of sustainable practices inside the institution. Once the change is proposed, it will be furnished datas liable of reproduction for the adequation of others scholar institutions, according to it's necessity or interest. After the realization of the studies, it was possible to notice that the environmental performance of a scholar institution can be improved through the implantation of tecnologies of fast return in the investment, such as: flow reducers, rain water reuse system, green roof, retrofit of lamps and execution of a photovoltaic system. Besides the fast return of investment, the monthly economy of the applied tecnologies combined can reach 75% when compared to the actual spending with water and electric energy

Monitoramento da composição isotópica e físico-química da água de chuva no município de Rio Claro (SP)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Identificação de cavidades em voçoroca por meio da aplicação do método geofísico da eletrorresistividade

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Proposta de captação de água de chuva de para fins não potáveis em projetos residenciais

Water is an economic, strategic and social valuable resource of the utmost importance to society. This renewable natural resource is increasingly scarce with the growing of populations, industries and agriculture, in addition to the pollution surface and underground water and the waste have aggravated this situation. Investments in the sector of water resources so that this resource meets in quantity and quality the demand from its multiple uses, represent a significant portion of national and regional budgets. Therefore, the use of alternative sources of water capture can reduce the pressure on conventional public water supply systems. In this work was designed and executed a rain water collection system to a residence in the city of Barueri (SP), which can be applied to other residences. In this system, the rooftop of the residence was used as the waterproof and capture area. The gutter and the PVC conductors were used for driving the water to two connected reservoirs. The stored water was designed to address activities that are not potable, such as washing clothes and external areas and garden irrigation. The system showed economic viability, with 34-month return of investment time, wherein after that period, in addition to environmental and social benefits derived from the implementation of the project, the economy made with the payment of public supply rates should be considered. This rainwater capture system is inexpensive and uses materials available in the market. Therefore, its application to a greater number of households should be encouraged as a measure of sustainable water management

Proposta de captação de água de chuva de para fins não potáveis em projetos residenciais

Water is an economic, strategic and social valuable resource of the utmost importance to society. This renewable natural resource is increasingly scarce with the growing of populations, industries and agriculture, in addition to the pollution surface and underground water and the waste have aggravated this situation. Investments in the sector of water resources so that this resource meets in quantity and quality the demand from its multiple uses, represent a significant portion of national and regional budgets. Therefore, the use of alternative sources of water capture can reduce the pressure on conventional public water supply systems. In this work was designed and executed a rain water collection system to a residence in the city of Barueri (SP), which can be applied to other residences. In this system, the rooftop of the residence was used as the waterproof and capture area. The gutter and the PVC conductors were used for driving the water to two connected reservoirs. The stored water was designed to address activities that are not potable, such as washing clothes and external areas and garden irrigation. The system showed economic viability, with 34-month return of investment time, wherein after that period, in addition to environmental and social benefits derived from the implementation of the project, the economy made with the payment of public supply rates should be considered. This rainwater capture system is inexpensive and uses materials available in the market. Therefore, its application to a greater number of households should be encouraged as a measure of sustainable water management

Monitoring Stormwater Redistribution Into Low Resistivity Soils Using Noninvasive Geophysical Techniques

Water held in the unsaturated zone is important for agriculture and construction and is replenished by infiltrating rainwater. Monitoring the soil water content of clay soils using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has not been researched, as clay soils cause attenuation of GPR signal. In this study, GPR common-midpoint soundings (CMPs) are used in the clayey soils of the Miller Run floodplain to monitor changes in the soil water content (SWC) before and after rainfall events. GPR accomplishes this task because increases in water content will increase the dielectric constant of the subsurface material, and decrease the velocity of the GPR wave. Using an empirical relationship between dielectric constant and SWC, the Topp relation, we are able to calculate a SWC from these velocity measurements. Non-invasive electromagnetics, resistivity, and seismic were performed, and from these surveys, the layering at the field site was delineated. EM characterized the horizontal variation of the soil, allowing us to target the most clay rich area. At the CMP location, resistivity indicates the vertical structure of the subsurface consists of a 40 cm thick layer with a resistivity of 100 ohm*m. Between 40 cm and 1.5 m is a layer with a resistivity of 40 ohm*m. The thickness estimates were confirmed with invasive auger and trenching methods away from the CMP location. GPR CMPs were collected relative to a July 2013 and September 2013 storm. The velocity observations from the CMPs had a precision of +/- 0.001 m/ns as assessed by repeat analysis. In the case of both storms, the GPR data showed the expected relationship between the rainstorms and calculated SWC, with the SWC increasing sharply after the rainstorm and decreasing as time passed. We compared these data to auger core samples collected at the same time as the CMPs were taken, and the volumetric analysis of the cores confirmed the trend seen in the GPR, with SWC values between 3 and 5 percent lower than the GPR estimates. Our data shows that we can, with good precision, monitor changes in the SWC of conductive soils in response to rainfall events, despite the attenuation induced by the clay.

Evaluation of soil salinity amelioration technologies in Timpaki, Crete

Salinization is a soil threat that adversely affects ecosystem services and diminishes soil functions in many arid and semi-arid regions. Soil salinity management depends on a range of factors, and can be complex expensive and time demanding. Besides taking no action, possible management strategies include amelioration and adaptation measures. The WOCAT Technologies Questionnaire is a standardized methodology for monitoring, evaluating and documenting sustainable land management practices through interaction with the stakeholders. Here we use WOCAT for the systematic analysis and evaluation of soil salinization amelioration measures, for the RECARE project Case Study in Greece, the Timpaki basin, a semi-arid region in south-central Crete where the main land use is horticulture in greenhouses irrigated by groundwater. Excessive groundwater abstractions have resulted in a drop of the groundwater level in the coastal part of the aquifer, thus leading to seawater intrusion and in turn to soil salinization due to irrigation with brackish water. Amelioration technologies that have already been applied in the case study by the stakeholders are examined and classified depending on the function they promote and/or improve. The documented technologies are evaluated for their impacts on ecosystem services, cost and input requirements. Preliminary results show that technologies which promote maintaining existing crop types while enhancing productivity and decreasing soil salinity such as composting, mulching, rain water harvesting and seed biopriming are preferred by the stakeholders. Further work will include result validation using qualitative approaches.

Mejora de la gestión del agua de riego mediante el uso de indicadores de riego

La gestión del agua de riego en la zona regable del Genil-Cabra, situada en la provincia de Córdoba, sur de España, se ha estudiado usando tres indicadores de riego: el Suministro Relativo de Agua de Riego (RIS); el Suministro Relativo de Agua (RWS) y el Suministro Relativo de Agua por Precipitaciones (RRS). Estos tres indicadores se han calculado tanto de forma global como agrupando los datos según el tipo de cultivo, el método de riego, la textura del suelo y el tamaño de la parcela. Toda la información relativa a variables agronómicas e hidráulicas se ha incluido en un Sistema de Información Geográfica (SIG) para facilitar su manejo. Los resultados muestran que los riegos son deficitarios ya que el valor del indicador RIS es relativamente bajo. No obstante, dado que el indicador RWS alcanza valores más altos, la demanda evaporativa puede ser satisfecha a lo largo del ciclo de desarrollo del cultivo. El indicador RRS oscila menos y junto al RWS permite conocer la fracción de evapotranspiración cubierta por el agua de lluvia. Los valores medios de los indicadores calculados son muy útiles para conocer el comportamiento del regante y la tendencia general, aunque la muestra usada es aún insuficiente para poder caracterizar una gran área de riego en su conjunto.

La vegetación de los médanos grandes, provincia de San Juan

El objetivo general de la tesis es contribuir al conocimiento de la vegetación sammófila del centro-oeste de la Argentina mediante el análisis geosinfitosociológico (florístico y sinecológico) (paisaje vegetal) de la vegetación de los Médanos Grandes–San Juan, uno de los sistemas eólicos más importantes de Argentina. El análisis realizado permite definir en el sistema dos subambientes, el dominado por procesos eólicos, con megadunas, y el dominado por procesos fluvio-eólicos, sin megadunas. El sistema, en general estabilizado y fijo, tiene actividad sólo en las crestas con escasa cobertura vegetal. La vegetación juega un papel determinante en la dinámica de la arena y en el modelado de este sistema, estando estrechamente relacionada con la disponibilidad de agua que se ajusta a tres modelos: -el de escurrimiento superficial y subsuperficial desde la bajada pedemontana de la sierra de Pie de Palo al norte, -el de la freática relacionada con los ríos San Juan, al oeste, y Bermejo, al este, y – el del agua de lluvia que en las megadunas determina un bulbo húmedo con contenidos de 1,21-2,4 g de agua/100 g de arena, entre los 15-35 m de profundidad, aprovechada por las raíces de los arbustos. Cuatro comunidades vegetales dominan en el sistema:-el pastizal de Panicum urvilleanum en las crestas, el -matorral de Tricomaria usillo-Bulnesia retama en las laderas de las dunas e intermédanos a más de 690 m, el -matorral de Atriplex lampa en los sectores marginales con suelos salinos y el -bosque de Prosopis flexuosa en los intermédanos bajos. Sintaxonómicamente la vegetación pertenece a tres Clases, la Panico urvilleani-Sporoboletea rigentis Esk., 1992 en ambientes sammófilos, la Suaedetea divaricatae Alonso et Conticello ex Martinez Carretero, 2001 en ambientes halófilos y la Larreetea divaricato-cuneifoliae Roig, 89 en la estepa arbustiva del Monte. La relación entre las comunidades vegetales y las asociaciones geomorfológicas permite establecer dos paisajes: el Paisaje I o de Sistema eólico que incluye el 55 % de la superficie y el Paisaje II o de Sistema fluvio-eólico. Palabras claves: eólico, megadunas, comunidades vegetales, dinamismo, bioclima, paisaje vegetal.

Ash control methods to limit biomass inorganic content and its effect on fast pyrolysis bio-oil stability

This research investigates specific ash control methods to limit inorganic content within biomass prior to fast pyrolysis and effect of specific ash components on fast pyrolysis processing, mass balance yields and bio-oil quality and stability. Inorganic content in miscanthus was naturally reduced over the winter period from June (7.36 wt. %) to February (2.80 wt. %) due to a combination of senescence and natural leaching from rain water. September harvest produced similar mass balance yields, bio-oil quality and stability compared to February harvest (conventional harvest), but nitrogen content in above ground crop was to high (208 kg ha.-1) to maintain sustainable crop production. Deionised water, 1.00% HCl and 0.10% Triton X-100 washes were used to reduce inorganic content of miscanthus. Miscanthus washed with 0.10% Triton X-100 resulted in the highest total liquid yield (76.21 wt. %) and lowest char and reaction water yields (9.77 wt. % and 8.25 wt. % respectively). Concentrations of Triton X-100 were varied to study further effects on mass balance yields and bio-oil stability. All concentrations of Triton X-100 increased total liquid yield and decreased char and reaction water yields compared to untreated miscanthus. In terms of bio-oil stability 1.00% Triton X-100 produced the most stable bio-oil with lowest viscosity index (2.43) and lowest water content index (1.01). Beech wood was impregnated with potassium and phosphorus resulting in lower liquid yields and increased char and gas yields due to their catalytic effect on fast pyrolysis product distribution. Increased potassium and phosphorus concentrations produced less stable bio-oils with viscosity and water content indexes increasing. Fast pyrolysis processing of phosphorus impregnated beech wood was problematic as the reactor bed material agglomerated into large clumps due to char formation within the reactor, affecting fluidisation and heat transfer.