Browsing by Author "Dillon, Jasmine, committee member"

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Open Access
Emission factor determination and application for materials associated with producing beer
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Noel, Quincy, author; Toman, Elizabeth Myers, advisor; Gifford, Lauren, committee member; Dillon, Jasmine, committee member
This thesis uses openLCA software with the ecoinvent and Agribalyse databases and the TRACI impact assessment method to determine cradle-to-gate emission factors for key materials and processes in beer production. It focuses on upstream ingredients and energy inputs, excluding brewing operations, packaging, and distribution, to create a modular toolkit (i.e., individual emission factors adaptable to brewery-specific inputs) for breweries in Northern Colorado aiming to reduce environmental impacts. Greenhouse gas emissions and eutrophication are analyzed. While not a full life cycle assessment, this study promotes more equitable access to sustainability metrics and provides a foundation for future carbon footprints, hotspot analyses, and brewery-level emissions inventories.
Open Access
Inclusion of natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) in finishing ration of feedlot beef cattle
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Lente, Leeroy A., author; Archibeque, Shawn L., advisor; Dillon, Jasmine, committee member; Garry, Franklyn B., committee member
To assess the effects of Zeolite (ZE, clinoptilolite) inclusion on in vitro rumen fermentation. A modified procedure from Tilley and Terry (1963) was used to determine alfalfa in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) in the presence or absence of ZE. Test tubes (n=96) were placed in a 39 °C bath and were blocked based on hours 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, and 48. Substrate consisted of dried alfalfa grinded through a 1mm screen using a Wily Mill. Treatments consisted of, Control (no ZEl inclusion), and 0.05g ZE, for each 1 gram of alfalfa. After incubation, IVDMD was calculated 24 hours after drying period. Data was analyzed using a randomized block design. The IVDMD was found to be similar across all treatments (P > 0.8464). The IVDMD was significantly different when incubated for the varying lengths of time (P < 0.001). There was an IVDMD of 20.18 ± 2.89 % for the control and 18.07 ± 5.49 % for the ZE at the zero hour. The IVDMD for Control and ZE for 48 hours were 54.30 ± 1.58 % and 53. 48 ± 1.04 % respectively. To predict the IVDMD of the effects of ZE treatment on digestibility over time, the corresponding regression f(x) = 20.60 + 0.421X1 + 0.730X2 with R2 = 0.8464. In conclusion these data demonstrate that inclusion of ZE, does not influence the in vitro digestibility of alfalfa. These data indicate that there is likely very little to no impact on feed digestibility when ZE is included in the ration. To assess the effect of ammonia volatilization from manure, ten Holstein calves were selected and placed in calf hutches to evaluate the effects of zeolite efficacy in reducing ammonia volatilization. Calf hutch was the experimental unit with two treatments being used: 1) Test (n=5) with bedding consisting of zeolite and wood shavings and 2) Control (n=5) with bedding consisting of wood shavings only. Significance was determined using a welch two sample T test with significance being determined at P ≤ 0.05. Prior to calves being placed in calf hutches, bedding was weighed (~ 55.5 lbs./calf hutch) and zeolite was added to test treatment at 5% of bedding weight. Calves were kept in calf hutches for 105 days. Bedding was added (48.2 lbs./calf hutch) 4 times during the experiment after each weather event or if bedding needed to be added as recommended by dairy workers. At the end of the experiment, calves were removed, and all bedding was stripped, weighed (Test: 334.3 lbs/calf hutch, Control: 289.4 lbs/calf hutch) and sub samples were collected. Sub samples were freeze dried at -65 °C util two identical consecutive weights were obtained. Samples were then homogenized and finely ground using a Thomas-Wiley laboratory mill with a 1mm screen. Sample analysis was done by SDK laboratories (Hutchinson, KS 67501) and consisted of total protein, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and ash. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in concentrations of nitrogen (p = 0.0560), ADF (p = 0.4366), NDF (p = 0.1826), Ash (p = 0.7758), or DM (p = 0.6508). To evaluate the effects of zeolite (clinoptilolite) inclusion on feedlot performance, 320 steers were fed a high concentrate, steam flake corn-based finishing ration for 146d. It is hypothesized that the addition of zeolites to a high concentrate ration in a dose dependent fashion may serve as a buffering agent aiding in the improvement of feedlot performance. Cross bred steers (n = 320, initial BW 401 ± 41kg) were evenly distributed in a randomized block design with 4 treatments of zeolite (0, 0.5, 1, and 2% diet DM). Steers were blocked by weight and assigned to one of the 4 treatments which consisted of 8 pens per treatment with 10 hd per pen. Pen was the experimental unit. Steers were individually weighed on days 0, 21, 49, 77, 105, 138 and 167. Initial pen BW was used as a covariant in the statistical analysis with significance being determined at P ≤ 0.05 and tendency level determined at P ≤ 0.10. The final BW (P ≥ 0.81), total average daily gain (P = 0.76) and feed efficiency (P > 0.68) were found to be similar across treatments. Total dry matter intake was decreased for animals that were fed zeolite at 1% of diet DM (P < 0.01). There was no difference (P = 0.40) in mortality and morbidity between treatments. Liver abscess rate was found to be independent (P = 0.54) of treatment. These data indicate that under the conditions of this experiment the addition of zeolite to steam flaked corn-based finishing diets does not impact final body weight, ADG or feed efficiency but decreases DMI of feedlot cattle when zeolites are added to the diet at 1% of diet DM.
Open Access
The ecology of natural climate solutions: quantifying soil carbon and biodiversity benefits
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) McClelland, Shelby C., author; Schipanski, Meagan E., advisor; Cotrufo, M. Francesca, committee member; Dillon, Jasmine, committee member; Paustian, Keith, committee member
Achieving net zero greenhouse gas emission by 2050 will require simultaneous emissions reductions and carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. Natural climate solutions offer the most mature opportunities to remove atmospheric carbon and sequester it in woody biomass and soils but currently these options remain at low levels of adoption in the United States. To increase the uptake of these practices by growers, there needs to be greater confidence in the expected soil carbon benefits and improved understanding of potential environmental tradeoffs from these strategies across management and environmental contexts. This dissertation quantified the influence of management decisions and environmental variables on soil carbon responses under two proposed agricultural natural climate solutions: inclusion of cover crops and additions of organic amendments. The ecological and biodiversity co-benefits under these practices were also examined. Using a meta-analysis approach, the first chapter analyzed soil carbon responses to cover crop management decisions and environmental variables. Across 181 observations of 40 publications from temperate climates, inclusion of cover crops in cropping systems increased soil organic carbon stocks from 0-30 cm by twelve percent relative to a similarly managed system without cover crops. Management and environmental variables were responsible for variation in soil C responses across studies. The second chapter evaluated the application of organic amendments to improved and semi-native pastures at a semi-arid experimental site in northern Colorado. Over eight years and two applications of a high-quality organic amendment, soil organic carbon stocks as quantified by equivalent soil mass increased 0.7 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 from 0-20 cm under the organic amendment in the improved pasture relative to the control. After accounting for the additions of carbon from the two amendment applications, soil organic carbon stocks in the improved pasture increased by 0.46 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 from 0-20 cm. In contrast, there was no net change of soil carbon stocks in the semi-native pasture. The third chapter examined changes in plant and soil community composition and function after nitrogen application at the same experimental site. A single organic nitrogen addition to the improved pasture increased forage production, plant diversity, and soil microbial community composition and function. The stronger initial plant responses and the gradual change in microbial community composition and function suggests a plant-mediated response to organic nitrogen in this system, which likely impacted soil carbon cycling. Water-limited, semi-native pastures appear to be more resistant to change under one-time organic and inorganic nitrogen additions than irrigated, improved pastures. The final chapter of this dissertation compared two recommended approaches by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for quantifying livestock production system impacts on biodiversity. The results illustrated how indicator selection and functional unit may result in discrepancies between the two methods. Together, these findings contribute to a growing body of scientific evidence in support of natural climate solutions for their climate and environmental co-benefits.
Open Access
Waste heat driven cooling at beef processing facilities
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Colosimo, Samuel Paul, author; Bandhauer, Todd M., advisor; Jathar, Shantanu, committee member; Dillon, Jasmine, committee member
Waste heat recovery technologies present an opportunity to utilize typically wasted energy to reduce overall energy consumption by producing mechanical work, electricity, heating, or cooling. In this study, the technoeconomic performance of a turbo-compression cooling system (TCCS) driven by waste heat from boiler exhaust gas produced at beef processing facilities is investigated. The cooling produced by the TCCS is integrated to the primary refrigeration system (PRS) of a beef processing facility to provide condenser subcooling, which enhances the performance of the PRS and produces refrigeration energy savings. Further savings are produced by rejecting condenser heat from the TCCS to feedwater entering the boiler, allowing for a reduction in boiler natural gas consumption. Process level natural gas and water data was collected at a beef processing plant and used to calculate waste heat availability and boiler water flow rate. TMY3 weather data for five cities was used to model a beef plant refrigeration system with a condenser cooling tower. To justify the installation of a TCCS, the performance and economics of the system are compared to three technologies: an electrically driven dedicated mechanical subcooler (DMS), an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), and a feedwater economizer (FWE). The results of this study show that a TCCS used to subcool the PRS yielded the highest annual savings of the four technologies. A coupled thermodynamic, heat transfer, and economic model was produced to determine the capital cost, payback period, and net present value of each technology. Then, an optimization study was carried out for the TCCS, DMS, and ORC to minimize payback period and maximize net present value by varying the effectiveness values of the heat exchangers. The feedwater economizer was found to have the lowest average payback period of 0.92 years at an initial investment cost of $50,815. The average net present value of the FEW across the five cities was found to be $245,000. The ORC had the second lowest payback period of 1.82 years at an initial investment cost of $95,000. To achieve such a low payback period, the ORC produces almost no electricity, generating revenue solely through boiler feedwater heating. The net present value of the ORC was the second lowest at $175,000. The TCCS was found to have the third lowest average payback period of 2.22 years at a capital cost of $328,000, and the highest net present value of $429,000. The DMS was found to have the slowest payback period of 3.88 years at an investment cost of $465,000, and the lowest net present value of $84,000.