加拿大

My project explores the practicality of biodiesel. It researches the argument of food versus fuel, compares the energy efficiencies of petroleum diesel and biodiesel and studies the effect of temperature on biodiesel. To study the effect of temperature on biodiesel, I blended biodiesel with petroleum diesel. Biodiesel blends are represented by the letter B, and the percentage of biodiesel. I used B5, B10, B20, and B50 blends, as well as pure biodiesel. I then observed the reaction of the biodiesel blends with cold weather. My pure biodiesel and B50 blends gelled to an unusable point within 15 minutes outside at -20oC. The B20 blends didn’t gel until about a temperature of -20oC. I have concluded that the B20 blend would be best for the summer, and the B10 or B5 blends would be the best for winter in northern climates, where I live. Although the B10 blends gelled slightly around -30oC, this would only be a problem for northern climates. As I predicted, more energy is produced by biodiesel than is consumed in the production process. The process of making biodiesel uses 0.31 units of energy to get 1 unit of energy out. More energy (1.2 units) is used to produce petroleum diesel than is yielded (1 unit). Although B20 isn’t as energy efficient as B100, the energy factor is still only 0.98 units of energy in for every 1 unit of energy out. When I started this project I thought that Canada would have enough farmland to produce the canola needed to run the country on biodiesel. This is only partly true. Canada would have enough farmland, but only a fraction of that land is actually used to plant canola. By my calculations, Canada has enough canola to generate enough B20 for a year. This may seem like a drawback but realistically, a higher blend would be impractical due to the gelling factor. Also, if a B20 blend was used, land would be available to grow canola for other markets. If B100 was used, there would only be enough diesel for about three months consumption. By using all of the land for biodiesel feedstock, canola would become unavailable for other markets. If canola exports ceased, the countries that depend on our canola will be in a lot of trouble. Canada already produces a lot of canola and vegetable oil. Most of it goes to the fast food industry. The United States produces over three billion gallons of fryer oil yearly. This could provide Canada with a B50 blend for a year. Utilizing used vegetable oil in making biodiesel actually reduces emissions even more. This is accomplished by using a product that would normally go to waste and decompose, producing more carbon dioxide emissions. During this project, I have found that biodiesel is a practical alternative to petroleum diesel, if it is used in a blend. My experiment proves that biodiesel is a fuel alternative that could be implemented immediately, and one that does not require the research needed for other fuel alternatives such as hydrogen or electricity.

Innovative, inexpensive, sustainable fuel for cooking and light can be produced with an anaerobic digestion biogas system. A biodigester was designed from parts that are locally available to purchase and maintain in a developing nation. The prototype was designed, built and the engineering was approved and tested. Research and testing of techniques used to produce biogas were recorded and analyzed. The digester successfully produced enough biogas to connect to a stove and burn. Research and testing continued on different ways to pressurize the biogas. A burn time of eleven minutes was recorded. A Bunsen burner was designed, again from locally available parts, in order to enhance the flame to use for cooking. The designed digester and burner worked satisfactorily to burn the biogas collected in the system. Using small scale tests, additional research and testing continued on the most efficient production of the biogas. Figure 1 shows the results of the small scale biogas testing. The results from the small scale testing showed that the best variables for producing biogas are using school compost, ie apples, bananas, oranges, cucumbers, grapefruit, grapes etc, which has been blended to acquire the most surface area with a 1:1 ratio. Figure 3 shows the results of a sample of methane (first three peaks) and of the biogas that was produced (last two peaks). The first peak is the nitrogen and the oxygen in the sample. The second peak is the methane and the third peak is carbon dioxide. The first biogas sample that was tested had no methane so there was an absence of the second peak. This was similar for Figures 4 and 5. Figure 6 shows a sample of the final biogas product which is producing methane as shown by the blue circle. Figures 3 through 5 lack a methane peak due to leaks in the biogas system and limited time within testing periods. The hypothesis was proved correct. An innovative, inexpensive, sustainable fuel for cooking and light using an anaerobic digestion system that can be built completely in developing nations such as Honduras was created. The biogas was ignited using a stove which provided heat for cooking. The biogas was not tested using a light; however, since the biogas can burn, this is theoretically possible. The final system achieved these goals.

This project determined which varietal of grapes grew best in the Lytton / Lillooet area. This project specifically measured growth rates, maturity levels, and breakage rates of the 18 grape varietals (9 red, 9 white) that grew on different slope positions. This experiment determined which varietal was best suited for the site specifically chosen in Lillooet and provided a ranking of the most desirable varietals for potential grape growers.

1. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to design a theoretical tempered-air system to be integrated into an existing heating system in a home equipped with an air-to-air heat pump. This was to overcome the cost and environmental challenges of heating in cold climates as well as provide an environmentally friendly air-conditioning system in the summer at little to no cost. 2. Procedure: In the winter of 2010 an underground high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe (10cm diameter, and 30.5m length) was buried 2.5m underground around the footings of a new residential project. A fan with a flow of 3.4m³/min was attached to the pipe outside, and used to push air underground through the pipe and into the house. The ambient and incoming air temperatures as well as the date and time were recorded daily using a temperature probe with an error margin of ±0.1ºC throughout the summer and winter seasons of 2011. This data was then plotted and analyzed. A number of options to best extract thermal energy for potential use for heating and cooling were examined. Design components were selected to create an air chamber for an air-to-air heat pump to increase its coefficient of performance (COP). 3. Data: Graph 1 Graph 2 Winter Graph (Graph 1): The blue line represents the outdoor ambient temperature and the orange line represents the temperature of the tempered air. These are both arranged chronologically. The grey lines represent one standard deviation on either side of the incoming temperatures. The ambient temperatures vary dramatically, while the incoming temperatures remain quite stable. The lowest recorded temperature was about -9.0ºC, at which point the temperature exiting from the underground pipe was about 10.5ºC. Summer Graph (Graph 2): With dramatically varying ambient temperatures, the temperature of the incoming air consistently stays between 11.1 and 16.2ºC. The highest recorded outdoor temperature was about 30.0ºC, while the incoming temperature at that point was about 15.5ºC. This cold air was used as air conditioning.

Increasing concentrations of copper in discharged effluents pose hazards to aquatic food chains. This project aimed to develop a self-sustained copper remediation system based on electrical and microbiological principles. The production of electrons during yeast fermentation was investigated to catalyze the reduction reaction of dissolved copper ions. An electrical circuit was designed to harness electrons produced from either a pure or mixed culture of yeast, and were compared for voltage outputs. This system utilized a combination of carbon cloth and copper wire as the electrodes, and a magnesium sulfate based electrolyte. The better-performing cell was subjected to copper reduction analysis, in which various initial concentrations of copper were examined. Further data analysis was carried out on the voltage outputs achieved with both the mixed and pure cultures of yeast, in which an average base line was established and voltage flunctuations were compared to that of the base line. In this way, it was possible to determine the amount and severity of each voltage flunctuation — thus demonstrating whether mixed or pure cultures of yeast produced more stable outputs. Throughout the experiment, self-constructed equipment, including arduino microcontroller moderated incubators and drip-feed systems were implemented to maintain an optimum yeast growth rate. It was found that mixed yeast cultures produced smoother electrical potential outputs in response to feeding and stress intervals. The copper recovery experiment was therefore conducted using the mixed culture. Through a series of conductivity measurements indicative of copper concentrations, metal recovery was successfully demonstrated. Trend line analysis indicated similar flunctuations between voltage output and copper recovery rates, demonstrating how copper was recovered as a result of electrons harnessed from the yeast culture. These findings can be applied to the development of an energy efficient and cost-effective copper remediation system for contaminated water effluents.

To find out if Sphagnum moss could be used as a cheap, reusable filter\r for poor families with water contaminated by heavy metals.

The purpose of the Actuator is to create a practical device that passively exercises\r the lower legs to help prevent blood clots, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), in\r wheelchair-bound individuals of any age. The secondary purpose of the device is to\r improve range of motion of the lower legs and speed the recovery of their leg action. It is hoped that this invention will help to prevent DVT, and allow some people to even use their legs again, through passive or active muscular motion. The invention was produced using a number of prototypes and design sketches. Although the current model is quite functional, as it keeps the users legs in motion, it is still in the prototypic design stage.\r The Actuator is a simple to use, easy to retrofit device. It is also portable and will be\r able to attach onto the front of any wheelchair. It harnesses the motion of the wheelchair to drive the users legs in a circular motion.\r The invention was tested in a closed and controlled environment: the duration of the\r Actuator’s use was constant, a doctor was present to take blood pressure and heart rate, and the rotation speed of the user’s legs was controlled by keeping the wheelchair speed constant. The data was collected by monitoring heart rate and skin surface temperature of healthy individuals, and blood pressure and heart rate of a wheelchair bound individual.\r As seen with both experiments (wheelchair bound, and healthy individuals) heart rate\r increased. In addition, the wheelchair bound individual’s heart rate also noticeably\r increased, with an evident increase in blood pressure as well. However, skin surface\r temperature is sensitive to surroundings and often provides little indication of deep vein blood flow, thus the skin surface temperature measurements were too inaccurate for any conclusions to be formulated.\r The inventor’s grandmother had developed DVT’s in 2005, and passed away because of them. Had she been given an Actuator it may have prevented such a tragedy. Her death was the driving force behind the project’s development. Over the time period that this project has been in process, the true potential of this invention has been realized.\r I truly believe that it will revolutionize the way that we treat people in wheelchairs, and the way people in wheelchairs can treat themselves.

The apricot kernel is believed to have a great medicinal value in many cultures. However, literature and research indicates that this belief still remains extremely controversial and conclusions regarding the medicinal value are ambiguous due to the presence of cyanide in the kernel. The focus of this research was to evaluate two objectives through the use of several integrated technologies and modified methods: (a) To successfully remove the cyanide from the apricot kernel using an adapted method; (b) To determine the effects of the cyanide free apricot kernel extracts on Helicobacter pylori and Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. Procedures The apricot kernels were removed from the pits and then ground using a food processor. The kernels were then tested for cyanide using a cyanide test kit and Cyantesmo test tape. These tests indicated that cyanide was present. A novel approach was devised to remove the cyanide and when retested, the kernels tested negative for cyanide. This result was confirmed with Infrared Spectroscopy. The cyanide free kernels were then extracted using a Soxhlet Extractor with methanol for 24 hours. In addition to the methanol extraction, three other techniques were used to obtain kernel extracts: (a) Celite filtration, (b) Infusion Method A, (c) Infusion Method B. The Kirby Bauer method was modified for the microbiology aspect of this project. The Helicobacter pylori and Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria were plated using a 0.5 McFarland Standard. Paper filter discs containing 20µL of each extract were placed onto the inoculated plates in replicates of nine. After 48 hours of incubation, the zones of inhibition were read for each plate. Data The results were extremely encouraging and therefore to ensure the accuracy and preciseness of the data collected, four statistical analyses were completed. These include Confidence Intervals (CI), Standard Deviation (STDEV), T-Tests, and Chi Tests. The methanol extract was significantly different from the control in all trials. The Chi test also yielded a Chi Square value of 223, which was significantly greater than the critical value of 15.507, indicating that the results observed were not due to coincidence. Conclusion Literature evidence has indicated that the apricot kernel has been and is still used for medicinal purposes. Studies have shown that the presence of cyanide and the risks associated with this compound outweigh any benefits gained from the kernel. It has also been suggested that previous bacterial testing resulting in positive inhibition may have been due to the presence of cyanide. However, in this study, I was able to remove the cyanide through an innovative method to prove that the biological activity observed was highly unlikely to be due to cyanide. This indicates that there are other compound(s) in the apricot kernel that have specific antibacterial properties. The potential to improve the quality of life through the application of the apricot kernel appears to be supported, and further studies justified at this time.

The purpose of my project was to determine which activity improved academic performance the most: 10 minutes of exercise, 10 minutes of Brain Gym (cross-lateral movements), or a combination of 5 minutes exercise and 5 minutes Brain Gym. This project was conducted to find which activity would be a better learning aid in grade 4 students. There were many steps to conducting this study. First, I located teachers and classes, willing to allow the testing and determined days and times to test. Next, I created consent forms to explain the project and had permission forms from the students and their parents signed. Then I prepared 15 math and reading tests at students’ grade level. There were two tests for 15 days- labeled Before Test and After Test. When I administered the tests for the classes doing the activities, I made sure the tests were given by the classroom teacher, which kept the students motivated. Tests were given every day for 5 days. The Before Test was given at 1:00 pm. Then at 1:30 pm students did 10 minutes of the planned activity for that week. Immediately after the activity, students were given the After Test. This was done every day and was repeated for Exercise, Brain Gym, and Combination week. The control class was designed to determine if doing the test for a second time in a day improved the student’s performance. The Before Test was given at 1:00 pm and then at 1:30 pm. When the Before Tests were completed, the students continued with their daily work for 10 minutes. Then at 1:40 pm students were given the After Test. This was repeated for Exercise, Brain Gym, and Combination week. Students were given 10 minutes to complete the scheduled activity that week; either Exercises, Brain Gym or a combination of the two. During the week of Exercise, Jumping jacks, Skipping, Stride jumps, Burpies, Twisties and Jogging on the spot were completed in the 10 minutes provided. During the Brain Gym week, there were 26 Brain Gym movements. The lists of movements were rotated each day; so all movements were performed. The test results of this study were intriguing. (Bar=Standard Deviation) I concluded that 10 minutes of exercise was the better brain booster. Exercise improved academic performance by 9.8%. Brain Gym improved academic performance by 0.2% and the combination activities increased test scores by an average of 3.2%. The control class test scores decreased on average by 1.0% indicating that writing the tests twice in a day, did not improve students’ test scores. Exercising for 10 minutes improved student’s math scores by 11.0% and reading scores by 6.9%. Brain Gym math test scores decreased by 1.4%, and increased in reading by 1.8%. In the combination of the two, the math test scores decreased by 1.0%, reading test scores increased by 7.4%. Overall, the most effective and reliable brain booster was 10 minutes of mild aerobic exercise alone.

The purpose of my project was to prove if the seeds of invasive plants are spread throughout the Peace region in hay harvested by local farmers. Invasive plants are so dangerous because they adapt to their environment fast and some of them can cause harm to both animals and humans. Within a year they can completely wipe the ecosystem out of native plants. Many invasive plants are either poisonous or can affect the systems of the animals body’s. I collected 22 hay samples from local farms around the North Peace region. I conducted a survey to help collect information about the samples. A pretest was conducted to determine which of two homemade sifters (one with three layers of decreasing size wire mesh, and one with 6 layers of materials with larger size holes) was the best for sifting through hay. I was able to determine that the larger sifter was easier for sifting hay. I sifted through all 22 samples with the larger sifter. I individually looked through each layer and removed what I believed to be seeds. Each seed was individually bagged, labeled, and photographed through a microscope. After each seed was photographed they were planted to help identify the seeds. I contacted a seed specialist. I was able to send him the images of my seeds. He helped me to identify my findings. I removed a total of 5568 potential seeds in my 22 samples. Out of all the potential seeds found 628 seeds were invasive. All invasive plants identified either cause pain to animals or they easily over take the native plants.