Open Lot Research Articles

Management Practices of Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality on Egyptian Dairies.

Milk production continues to be the main source of income for dairy producers, and mastitis continues to be the major health challenge for dairy cows worldwide. The objective of the current study was to describe the different management practices implemented in Egyptian dairies, which may influence mastitis and improve milk quality. An in-person survey was completed with herd managers and owners of 20 Egyptian dairies selected using a stratified random sample from four of Egypt's milk sheds. The questionnaire included 80 questions that inquired about herd demographics, mastitis status and control, milking practices, and management practices of the study dairies. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, multiple factor analysis (MFA), and hierarchical clustering to identify the important principal components and different dairy clusters. Of the surveyed herds, 69.50% had less than 500 lactating cows, with Holstein as the main cow breed. The reported average milk production on the study herds was 31.1 (SE ± 1.10) Kg/cow/day. Housing of lactating, dry, and close-up cows was in open lots. The majority of the dairies milked cows were three times per day (90.63%), the remaining milked cows four (5.00%) or a mix of four and three times per day. Furthermore, herringbone parlor design was the most common parlor design (66.79%) in the study dairies. The most common disinfectants used for both pre- and post-milking teat dip were iodine-based, 90.0% and 95.0%, respectively, while 52.16% of the dairies reported that their milkers wore gloves during milking. The reported mean annual percentage of mastitis was 52.3%, as a percent of the milking herd. The study dairies reported the inspection of udder health through either visual inspection (95.00%), udder hygiene score (86.88%), teat end score (71.88%), and/or using CMT (54.91%). Contagious mastitis pathogens were reported in 45.2% of the study herds. More than 50% of the study herds relied on importing pregnant cows or pregnant heifers as replacements. Multiple factor analysis identified 20 questions and represented 5 components of variability related to mastitis on dairies. The current survey of Egyptian dairies described the herd demographics and different management practices related to mastitis control and prevention. All the study dairies relied on the blanket intramammary antimicrobial drugs at dry off when current research elsewhere has identified selective dry cow therapy as an integral component of antimicrobial stewardship on dairies. Further research is required to identify the association between different management factors and the occurrence of mastitis.

Evaluating trace elements in urban forest soils across three contrasting New England USA towns and cities by pXRF and mass spectrometry

Urban forest soils perform important ecosystem services, such as the sequestration of potentially toxic elements, but some can serve as a source for human exposure if ingested or eroded by wind. Assessment of trace elements in urban soils through traditional methods is costly but portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) can allow for rapid screening for hazardous concentrations. Our objectives were (1) evaluate trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) at 460 locations in and around urban forests across three town and cities in New England and across multiple land-uses, (2) evaluate accuracy and precision of pXRF compared with traditional digestion-inductively coupled plasma analyses, (3) determine if pXRF measurements are improved by processing the soil (oven drying, rock fragment removal, and organic matter (OM) removal). Our findings show that urban forest soils have extensive Pb accumulations (42 out of 460 with >200 mg/kg), while As and Zn exceeded regulatory limits in limited outlier samples. Urban forest soils adjacent to multi-family residences have higher Pb and Zn concentrations than recreational and open lots. Fortunately, Cd, Cr, and Cu were far below hazardous concentrations. Our comparisons suggest pXRF measurements of Cu, Pb, and Zn can be considered accurate while Cd and Cr may be screened by pXRF. However, As should not be considered qualitative nor quantitative due to 70% type 1 (false positive) error on samples. While the accuracy and precision were nominally improved through soil drying, removal of rock fragments, and removal of OM (<5% decrease in relative error), our results show processing soil samples is likely not needed.

Diving Lessons

Diving Lessons

Противопожарные расстояния от наземных автостоянок до жилых зданий

Проанализированы нормативные требования к противопожарным разрывам от жилых зданий до границ открытых автостоянок. Рассмотрены особенности горения легковых автомобилей. На основе полевого моделирования изучены особенности распространения опасных факторов пожара (ОФП) и их воздействие на жилые здания при одновременном горении двух автомобилей. Моделирование проводилось при различных расстояниях до автостоянок и с учетом воздействия ветровой нагрузки. Показано, что на расстоянии от жилых зданий до автостоянок менее 10 м может потребоваться устройство огнестойких наружных стен здания с противопожарной защитой оконных проемов и применением негорючей облицовки фасада. The problem of parking lots and parking spaces is relevant in many large cities, which leads to the need to optimize parking space. The analysis of the regulatory framework in the field of fire safety of open parking lots has shown that the values of quenching distances from residential buildings to the boundaries of parking lots are associated with the fire hazard of the building, its number of storeys, fire resistance limits and characteristics of load-bearing and enclosing structures. In accordance with the new regulatory requirements, quenching distances from open storage areas, car parking to buildings and structures are not normalized. At the same time, when developing fire-fighting measures, it is necessary to take into account that the intensity of the fire impact on the building can significantly increase, for example, with the simultaneous ignition of two or more cars in the event of fuel spills, as well as arson. The purpose of this research is to study the peculiarities of fire hazards spread during simultaneous ignition of two or more cars on the basis of field modeling and to assess the possibility of fire-safe placement of an open parking lot in residential areas. To achieve the purpose of the study, field (CFD) modeling of fire dynamics using the FDS computer program was used. When modeling, calculations of fire hazards spread from an open parking lot and their impact on a residential building were carried out. As a result of modeling the fire development, temperature distributions, smoke and heat flows were obtained at different points in time at the window openings of a residential building at different points in time. The simulation was carried out at different distances and taking into account the impact of wind load. The results of the study showed that with the simultaneous ignition of two cars, the value of quenching distance of 10 m to open parking lots provides a condition for non-proliferation of fire on a residential building. With a decrease in the distance of less than 10 m, the values of the heat flux density and temperature at the window openings of apartments in the lower floors of the building under the influence of wind load may exceed critical values. In the residential areas of the lower floors, there may also be an excess of the values of fire hazards. To exclude this effect it is necessary to install fire-resistant exterior walls of the building with fire protection of window openings, as well as the use of finishes, facade cladding made of non-combustible materials. The simulation also showed that for residential buildings with a stylobate with a width of at least 5 m, quenching distances may not be observed when applying appropriate fire protection to the exterior walls and openings of the stylobate.

The spread of fire from an open car park on the ground floor of a residential building

Introduction. The problem of car parks and parking spaces is relevant in many large cities, and it requiresthe optimization of parking spaces. The arrangement of open car parks on the ground floors of apartment buil­dings is an effective way to organize car parks in a house in addition to covered parking lots. In this regard, in order to assess the fire hazard of such a design solution, it is necessary to study the spreadability of fire from an open ground floor parking lot to upper floors and develop reasonable proposals for the development of new and optimization of effective fire safety requirements.Goals and objectives. The goal of this work is to study the spread of fire hazards using the field modeling of the car burning process in an open parking lot on the ground floor of an apartment building and to assess the possibility of the fire safe arrangement of such parking lots in residential buildings.Method. To achieve the purpose of the study, the field (CFD) modeling of the fire development pattern was performed using FDS computer software. In the course of modeling, the authors analyzed the spread of the fire hazard from an open parking lot, located on the ground floor, to the upper floors of a residential building.Results and discussion. Temperature distributions, smoke and heat flows at various points in time were obtained as a result of modeling the development of fire in a parking lot. The results of calculations allowed to evaluate the effectiveness of various types of fire barriers and determine their parameters to meet the condition of the non-proliferation of fire. The most optimal solution is a non-combustible visor made of fire-resistant materials and installed above the opening leading to a parking lot. Given the results of the work, a set of necessary fire-figh­ting actions are proposed to ensure the possibility of arranging open parking lots in residential apartment buildings.Conclusions. It is shown that the fire safety of residential apartment buildings that have open single-level parking lots is achievable in case of the use of fire-resistant bearing and enclosing building structures, non-combustible materials for cladding, finishing the facade of a building, as well as in the case of making a canopy, a balcony or a gallery above the opening that leads to the parking lot.

Predicting nitrogen and phosphorus balance in beef open lots

Our objectives were to evaluate nutrient mass balance in feedlots and to determine climactic and management factors affecting nutrient recovery in manure, and to understand sources of variability. Data from 15 summer- and winter-feeding periods at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Education Center feedlot, including 416 independent pen measurements, were summarized for nutrient mass balance and used to determine sources of variability affecting nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) using linear regression. The quantity of manure N collected was less ( P < 0.01) for summer- than winter-feeding periods, averaging 54 (CV = 50%) and 92 (CV = 33%) g/steer daily, respectively, compared with the ASABE (2014) standard of 88.5 g/steer daily. Likewise, the quantity of manure P collected for summer was less than winter ( P < 0.01), averaging 17 (CV = 55%) and 28 (CV = 45%) g/steer daily, respectively, compared with the ASABE standard of 37 g/steer daily ( ASABE, 2014 ). The season (summer vs. winter) cattle were fed affected manure nutrient retention and loss. Additionally, feed N intake partially predicted manure N (R 2 = 0.22, P < 0.01) and N lost (R 2 = 0.54, P < 0.01) in the summer, but offered less explanation during winter-feeding periods. Manure OM was a moderately strong predictor of manure N for feeding periods in both summer (R 2 = 0.85, P < 0.01) and winter (R 2 = 0.70, P < 0.01). Our analysis identifies challenges associated with planning based on standard methods for estimating manure characteristics. Nutrient composition based on seasonal specific manure analysis is critical. If not available, timing of seasonal feeding period and dietary nutrient concentration may assist with adjusting standardized estimates.

Tracking Vehicle Cruising in an Open Parking Lot Using Deep Learning and Kalman Filter

Due to the lack of wide availability of parking assisting applications, vehicles tend to cruise more than necessary to find an empty parking space. This problem is evident globally and the intensity of the problem varies based on the demand of parking spaces. It is a well-known hypothesis that the amount of cruising by a vehicle is dependent on the availability of parking spaces. However, the amount of cruising that takes place in search of parking spaces within a parking lot is not researched. This lack of research can be due to privacy and illumination concerns with suitable sensors like visual cameras. The use of thermal cameras offers an alternative to avoid privacy and illumination problems. Therefore, this paper aims to develop and demonstrate a methodology to detect and track the cruising patterns of multiple moving vehicles in an open parking lot. The vehicle is detected using Yolov3, modified Yolo, and custom Yolo deep learning architectures. The detected vehicles are tracked using Kalman filter and the trajectory of multiple vehicles is calculated on an image. The accuracy of modified Yolo achieved a positive detection rate of 91% while custom Yolo and Yolov3 achieved 83% and 75%, respectively. The performance of Kalman filter is dependent on the efficiency of the detector and the utilized Kalman filter facilitates maintaining data association during moving, stationary, and missed detection. Therefore, the use of deep learning algorithms and Kalman filter facilitates detecting and tracking multiple vehicles in an open parking lot.

Comparing NH3 emissions under different cattle housing conditions in cold regions in China with an inverse dispersion technique

Accurately assessing ammonia (NH3) emissions from animal farms is necessary for determining the effectiveness of various mitigation practices to minimize related environmental risks and maximize the potential of recycling nitrogen from manure. This study attempted to validate a hypothesis formulated using a mass-flow inventory model, which suggested that "Barn only" housing facilities without open lots might have a lower NH3 loss potential than "Barn+Lot" facilities with both dairy barns and open lots. NH3 emissions from two "Barn+Lot" dairy farms and one "Barn only" dairy farm were measured using a combination of an inverse dispersion modeling technique and an open-path laser in summer and winter. It was found that the uncertainty of emission estimates owing to the spatial variation of animal densities in the three dairy farms was 8–12%, and the total uncertainty of the NH3 emission estimates owing to spatial variation in animal densities, distortion of wind flow by animal buildings, and the inverse dispersion calculation was estimated to be less than 30%. The NH3 emission rates obtained from the "Barn only" farm (28–43 g head−1d − 1) were lower than the rates from the conventional "Barn+Lot" farms (93–184 g head−1d − 1), indicating emission mitigation of 71–76%. In comparison with the conventional dairy farms, the "Barn only" dairy farm had a lower NH3 loss potential, most likely due to the greater animal density, frequent manure removal, and lower crude protein feed. However, more field measurements of such comparisons are necessary to provide robust suggestions for mitigating environmental risks.

Dynamic programming algorithms and Lagrangian lower bounds for a discrete lot streaming problem in a two-machine flow shop

In this paper, we propose exact and heuristic solution approaches based on dynamic programming for an open lot streaming problem. We also present the first application of Lagrangian relaxation to compute strong lower bounds to such a problem. The application concerns the minimization of the total flow time for the discrete version of a single-job lot streaming problem from the literature in a two-machine flow shop with attached setup times. Computational results on benchmark instances illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches and give evidence of the strength of the Lagrangian relaxation lower bounds.

Correction:Risk factors affecting dairy cattle protective grouping behavior, commonly known as bunching, against Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)on California dairies.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224987.].

Determination of the mass transfer coefficient of ammonia emissions from dairy open lots using a scale model

Open lots are commonly used to provide outdoor free ranging spaces for dairy cows in many countries such as China and the USA. For this type of operation, the manure characteristics, floor types and environmental conditions, which potentially affect gaseous emissions from manure, are quite different from those of indoor systems. The estimation of NH3 emissions from manure depends greatly on the mass transfer coefficient, an empirical constant determined by environmental factors in the process-based emission model. Using a scale model, this study measured ammonia emissions to be expected from dairy open lots, based on different combinations of different surface air velocities (0.6–2.2 m s−1), air temperatures (15–35 °C) and relative humidity values (20–60%). Based on the two-film theory, the overall mass transfer coefficient (KOL) of NH3 was calculated from directly measured NH3 emission rates and the ammonium nitrogen content, temperature, and pH of manure. As an indicator of the driving potential of gaseous volatilisation, the vapour pressure deficit (VPD) was estimated using air temperature and relative humidity. As the VPD and surface air velocity increased, the measured NH3 emission rates ranged from 1.35 to 19.18 mg kg−1 h−1, and the estimated KOL of NH3 from dairy open lots was within the range of 1.48 × 10−6 – 7.86 × 10−6 m s−1. Using the air velocity and VPD as variables, a non-linear empirical model was developed to estimate the KOL for NH3 emissions from manure on dairy open lots (R2 = 0.69). The normalised mean error of the model was approximately 19.4%.

Animal performance, and enteric methane, manure methane and nitrous oxide emissions from Murrah buffalo calves fed diets with different forage-to-concentrate ratios

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary forage:concentrate ratios on growth performance and enteric and faecal greenhouse-gas emissions from growing buffalo calves. Fifteen Murrah male calves (bodyweight = 233.35 ± 30.92 kg; 8–12 months age) were randomly assigned to three dietary groups that were fed a mixture of berseem fodder, wheat straw and concentrate at the ratios of 20:60:20 (C20), 20:40:40 (C40) and 20:20:60 (C60) respectively, for 120 days. Enteric methane (CH4) production was estimated by the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique. Faeces were stored for 12 weeks and CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from stored faeces were estimated every 14 days. Dry-matter intake, feed conversion efficiency and nitrogen retention were not affected (P &amp;gt; 0.05) but average daily gain and urinary nitrogen loss (g/day) were higher for C60 than the C20 diet (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Daily enteric CH4 emission (g/day) was not affected but CH4 yield (g/kg dry-matter intake) and energy loss through CH4 as a proportion of energy intake were lower for C60 than the C20 diet (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Faeces composition was not affected, and large variations of greenhouse-gas emissions were observed for first 10 days of storage. Methane emissions from stored faces were 1.28 ± 0.40, 1.94 ± 0.34 and 3.90 ± 0.27 mg/kg faeces per day for C20, C40 and C60 diets respectively, being higher for C60 than the C40 and C20 diets (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Methane-flux rate from faeces was greater for C60 than the C20 and C40 diets (0.75 vs 0.26 and 0.37 g/animal respectively; P &amp;lt; 0.05). Diet C60 increased N2O fluxes from stored faeces by 63% and 58% respectively, expressed in mg/kg faeces per day and mg/animal per day, compared with C20 diet (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Overall, dietary concentrate proportion of up to 60% in growing buffalo calf diets improved growth performance without increasing enteric CH4 emission, but CH4 and N2O production from faeces were increased. This work has provided information for gas emissions factors from open storage of faeces. More detailed studies on gaseous emissions from open lots on farms are required.

370 Predicting nitrogen and phosphorous flows in beef open lots

Abstract This research summarizes a large existing data base collected over fifteen years to examine origin and fate of nitrogen and phosphorous in an open lot beef system, as impacted by seasonal changes, diets, and management practices. Data from 15 winter trials, including 200 pens, and 15 summer trials, including 216 pens were reviewed for nutrient mass balance, which was then used to determine the correlations of season, diet, and management with nitrogen and phosphorous intake, retention, manure harvested, loss, and runoff. All relationships were evaluated using linear regression SAS. Results suggested N in harvested manure for winter and summer averaged 90 and 51 g/steer daily, respectively (compared to ASABE standard of 88.5) and P harvested in manure for winter and summer averaged 26 and 17.7 g/steer daily, respectively (compared to ASABE standard of 37.5). Results of this summary show that the amount of nitrogen lost and retained in the manure is correlated to season (winter versus summer feeding period). Nitrogen in the manure (R2=0.21) and amount lost (R2=0.65) correlations with N intake in the summer were greater compared to winter (R2=0.06) and (R2=0.22). There is a greater correlation of phosphorous intake with amount harvested in manure (R2=0.32) in the winter versus the summer (R2=0.19). Results of the mass balance data compared with ASABE standards suggest greater observed dietary nutrient intakes than assumed by these standards. For example, average winter and summer nitrogen intakes of 220 and 250 g/steer daily exceeds the ASABE standard of 192 g/steer daily. These unique data describe the variability of nutrient recovery and losses from beef systems—and the importance of basing standard planning estimates on dietary concentration and evolving with current practices.

COMPARISON OF POTENTIALALLY DANGEROUS FACTORS WITH THE USE OF RARE AND GASILY VEHICLE

A detailed analysis of the potentially dangerous factors in the use of diesel, gasoline, methane and propane-butane fuels was carried out in cars. A detailed analysis of potentially dangerous factors when using diesel, gasoline, methane and propane-butane fuels in automobiles has been carried out. 6 options of fuel usage are considered: a tank with g asoline and a system supplying it to the carburetor and further to the engine cylinders, a tank with diesel fuel and the system feeding it to the engine cylinders, gas cylinder installation when installing cylinders with methane on the roof of the car, gas cylinder installation when mounting cylinders with methane in the luggage compartment of the car, gas installation when installing cylinders with propane-butane mixture on the roof of the car, gas installation when installing cylinders with propane-butane mixture in the cargo compartment of the car. Meanwhile, the potential danger while the vehicle is in motion is analyzed, as well as while it is in the open parking lot and in the garage. As the initial data, the common operation period was taken - in summer with the temperature of 30°C and possible fuel leakage with the probability of formation of an explosive mixture. Nonane is taken as a model when considering gasoline, and Pentadecane is used for diesel fuel.&#x0D; It was noted that the gasoline self-ignition temperature ranges from 255°С to 435°0С, the lower concentration limit of petrol explosiveness can be considered as 0.76% vol., while under selected conditions indoors, gasoline vapor can reach the concentration of up to 0.8 vol. %. The relative vapor density of diesel fuel betting the same conditions is 8.52 kg/m3. With the explosion, the pressure in the closed volume will reach 5.2 atm.&#x0D; It was noted that the gasoline self-ignition temperature ranges from 210°С to 370°0С, the lower concentration limit of petrol explosiveness can be considered as in % vol., while under selected conditions indoors, gasoline vapor can reach the concentration of up to 0.13 vol. %. With the explosion, the pressure in the closed volume will reach 5.0 atm.&#x0D; The self-ignition temperature of methane is 537°C, the lower concentration limit of explosiveness of this gas is 5.28% (vol). The vapor density of methane at the temperature of 300°C (303K) is 0.64 kg/m3, which is significantly less than the density of air. The explosion pressure in the closed volume will reach 7.7 atm.&#x0D; The propane-butane mixture used in summer contains about 40% of propane and 60% of butane. Spontaneous ignition temperature of propane is 4700C, butane is 4050C. The calculated lower explosion limit of this mixture is 1.5% (vol), and the vapor density of mixture at the temperature of 300°C is 2.1 kg/m3, which is almost twice the density of air under the same conditions. The calculated explosion pressure in the closed volume will reach 8.3 atm.&#x0D; It was concluded that when using certified equipment which is professionally installed, methane, which cannot accumulate in the lower part of the room or any compartment, is much safer than propane-butane and, especially, than gasoline or diesel fuel, as vapor densities of both are more than air density.

Influence of deployment time and surface wind speed on the accuracy of measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes using a closed chamber method under low surface wind speed

ABSTRACTAs a convenient method, the closed chamber method has been applied to determine gaseous emission fluxes from fully open animal feeding operations despite the measured fluxes being theoretically affected by deployment time, wind speed over the emitting surface and detected gas mass. This laboratory study evaluated the effects of deployment time (0 to 120 min) and external surface wind speed (ESWS) (0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.50 and 2.00 m sec-1) on the measurement accuracy of a 300 mm (diameter) × 400 mm (height) (D300×H400) closed chamber using methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as reference gases. The results showed that the overall deviation ratio between the measured and reference CH4 fluxes ranged from 9.99 % to -37.32 % and the flux was overestimated in the first 20 min. The measured N2O and SF6 emissions were smaller than the reference fluxes using the chamber. N2O measurement accuracy decreased from -14.47 to -35.09% with deployment time extended to 120 min, while SF6 accuracy sharply increased in the first 40 min, with the deviation stabilizing at approximately -5.00%. CH4, N2O and SF6 measurements were significantly affected by deployment time and ESWS (P<0.05), and the interaction of those two factors greatly influenced CH4 and SF6 measurements (P<0.05). With the D300×H400 closed chamber, deployment times of 20 to 30 min and 10 to 20 min are recommended to measure CH4 and N2O, respectively, from the open operations of dairy farms under wind speeds lower than 2 m sec-1.Implications: This study recommended the suitable deployment times and wind speeds for using a D300 × H400 closed chamber to measure CH4, N2O, and SF6 in an open system, such as a dairy open lot and manure stockpile, to help researchers and other related industry workers get accurate data for gas emission rate. Deployment times of 20 to 30 min and 10 to 20 min were recommended to measure CH4 and N2O emissions using the D300 × H400 closed chamber, respectively, from the open operations of dairy farms under wind speeds lower than 2 m sec−1. For the measurement of SF6, a typical tracer gas, a deployment of 70 to 90 min was suggested.

An Eco-Friendly System for the Production of Value-Added Materials from Dairy Manure

A concept is outlined for the production of materials/commodities from a polluting waste. A preliminary evaluation is presented for a proposed integrated dairy farm manure management system consisting of a two-stage anaerobic digester coupled with a polyhydroxyalkanoate reactor, algae cultivation system (ACS) and a biomass treatment system, such as fast-pyrolysis or hydrothermal liquefaction, to sequester carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus into value-added products (e.g., bioplastics, biogas, fertilizer, soil amendment and livestock bedding) rather than releasing them into the environment. Mass flows through the system are presented for a 10,000-cow dairy. The integrated manure treatment system can reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus released from the manure by 50.9% and 38.1%, respectively. Without an ACS, the reduction drops to 19% and 27%, respectively. Greenhouse gas emissions can potentially be reduced by 44,200 MT CO2e/year over the referenced open lot dairy.

A process-based emission model of volatile organic compounds from silage sources on farms

Silage on dairy farms can emit large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a precursor in the formation of tropospheric ozone. Because of the challenges associated with direct measurements, process-based modeling is another approach for estimating emissions of air pollutants from sources such as those from dairy farms. A process-based model for predicting VOC emissions from silage was developed and incorporated into the Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM, v. 4.3), a whole-farm simulation of crop, dairy, and beef production systems. The performance of the IFSM silage VOC emission model was evaluated using ethanol and methanol emissions measured from conventional silage piles (CSP), silage bags (SB), total mixed rations (TMR), and loose corn silage (LCS) at a commercial dairy farm in central California. With transport coefficients for ethanol refined using experimental data from our previous studies, the model performed well in simulating ethanol emission from CSP, TMR, and LCS; its lower performance for SB could be attributed to possible changes in face conditions of SB after silage removal that are not represented in the current model. For methanol emission, lack of experimental data for refinement likely caused the underprediction for CSP and SB whereas the overprediction observed for TMR can be explained as uncertainty in measurements. Despite these limitations, the model is a valuable tool for comparing silage management options and evaluating their relative effects on the overall performance, economics, and environmental impacts of farm production. As a component of IFSM, the silage VOC emission model was used to simulate a representative dairy farm in central California. The simulation showed most silage VOC emissions were from feed lying in feed lanes and not from the exposed face of silage storages. This suggests that mitigation efforts, particularly in areas prone to ozone non-attainment status, should focus on reducing emissions during feeding. For the simulated dairy farm, a reduction of around 30% was found if cows were housed and fed in a barn rather than in an open lot, and 23% if feeds were delivered as four feedings per day rather than as one. Reducing the exposed face of storage can also be useful. Simulated use of silage bags resulted in 90% and 18% reductions in emissions from the storage face and whole farm, respectively.

Principles of Smart Car Parking Management System (With Efficient Corridor Lighting)

In this system, a RFID reader is used at the entry point for user authentication. A GSM module is used so that the parking slot no, the duration of parking and the fee deducted from his card is sent to the user when he exits the parking space. The lights in the parking space glow only when the vehicle is present. The system is designed in such a way that when it senses a vehicle, it starts functioning and light turns off when vehicle crosses it. The concept can be used for both basement parking and open parking lots. We have added a feature to the design that the system senses the intensity of light. During the day time, when light intensity is high, the lighting system remains off. It is possible because of the use of various motion sensors like IR Sensor, LDR Sensor, ATmega16 microcontroller and with the help of embedded C. IR Sensor detects the motion of the vehicle and allows the light to glow accordingly. LDR Sensor senses the intensity of light and makes the lights to remain off during the day time. ATmega16 is a powerful microcontroller which is used for interfacing and programming purpose which controls the whole system.

Curbing Livestock Emissions: ammonia, greenhouse gases, and odors

Curbing Livestock Emissions: ammonia, greenhouse gases, and odors

Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the scale model of open dairy lots

ABSTRACTTo investigate the impacts of major factors on carbon loss via gaseous emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions from the ground of open dairy lots were tested by a scale model experiment at various air temperatures (15, 25, and 35 °C), surface velocities (0.4, 0.7, 1.0, and 1.2 m sec−1), and floor types (unpaved soil floor and brick-paved floor) in controlled laboratory conditions using the wind tunnel method. Generally, CO2 and CH4 emissions were significantly enhanced with the increase of air temperature and velocity (P < 0.05). Floor type had different effects on the CO2 and CH4 emissions, which were also affected by air temperature and soil characteristics of the floor. Although different patterns were observed on CH4 emission from the soil and brick floors at different air temperature-velocity combinations, statistical analysis showed no significant difference in CH4 emissions from different floors (P > 0.05). For CO2, similar emissions were found from the soil and brick floors at 15 and 25 °C, whereas higher rates were detected from the brick floor at 35 °C (P < 0.05). Results showed that CH4 emission from the scale model was exponentially related to CO2 flux, which might be helpful in CH4 emission estimation from manure management.Implications: Gaseous emissions from the open lots are largely dependent on outdoor climate, floor systems, and management practices, which are quite different from those indoors. This study assessed the effects of floor types and air velocities on CO2 and CH4 emissions from the open dairy lots at various temperatures by a wind tunnel. It provided some valuable information for decision-making and further studies on gaseous emissions from open lots.