Date of Submission

Spring 2019

Academic Programs and Concentrations

Physics

Project Advisor 1

Matthew Deady

Abstract/Artist's Statement

Is renewable energy as beneficial to our environment as we think? The demand for renewable energy has drastically increased over the last century due to the overuse of most fossil fuels, but the possible side effects of these new forms of energy must be carefully considered. One particular case of interest is that of methane emission from reservoirs formed behind hydropower dams. Due to the anaerobic bacteria decomposition of plant matter under water, methane is emitted from these types of wetland areas. This research thesis aims to investigate the feasibility of remote-controlled methane sensing which would provide concentration data at desired locations near or above the surface of any wetland formed behind a hydropower dam. This data would provide insights into how these greenhouse gas emissions should be factored into an overall cost-benefit analysis of the renewable energy produced by the hydropower system.

Open Access Agreement

Open Access

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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