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A novel educational methodology, Implementation of Mathematical, Experimental, and Computer-based Education (IMECE), where its name was derived from the letters of the word 'imece' (a Turkish tradition) by taking into account the integrative meaning of this cultural concept, was proposed to explore the synergistic effect of the conventional mathematical solution procedure, visual application, and MATLAB-based simulation on the perceptions and learning quality of the engineering students. Within the scope the present research carried out both at the state university (undergraduate and graduate levels) and at the foundation university (undergraduate level), water discharge problem (a special case of the Bernoulli's principle/Toricelli's law) was chosen as an example application. In the study, the experimental results of three different tank models (vertical cylindrical, conical, and spherical) and the solution algorithms written in MATLAB were presented in detail, and new empirical equations were also developed for each laboratory scale system depending on the experimental data. The effectiveness of the proposed IMECE method was evaluated statistically within the framework of both 'Student Survey' and 'Student Assessment' conducted with the participation of 84 students. Based on the mean scores obtained for all participating students, the results of the statistical tests indicated that the quantitative performance (or effectiveness) of the applied IMECE methodology was determined as 97.73%, 67.36%, and 82.55% for the perception/satisfaction section, the learning section, and the overall evaluation category, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A surrogate-based optimization methodology was proposed for identifying and determining the optimal location and configuration of an air quality monitoring network (AQMN) in an industrial area for different pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and carbon monoxide (CO). Within the framework of the described methodology, an optimal AQMN design was proposed to assess the violation and pattern scores for each pollutant. For this purpose, a criterion for assessing the allocation of monitoring stations was developed by applying a utility function that could describe the spatial coverage of the network and its ability to detect violations of standards for multiple pollutants. An air dispersion model based on the multiple cell approach was used to create monthly spatial distributions for the concentrations of the pollutants emitted from different sources. The data was used to develop the surrogate models. The proposed methodology was applied to a network of existing refinery stacks, and the locations of monitoring stations and their area coverage percentage were obtained. Results clearly indicated that the proposed methodology was successful in designing AQMNs and could be used for as many stations as required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling of nutrient‐rich organic wastes in agricultural or horticultural practices is one of the most sustainable methods for both waste management and soil amendment. In this regard, high nutrient‐demanding horticultural crops can utilize a recycling route of organic wastes abattoir waste after appropriate processing for plantation. In this study, sustainable recycling of poultry abattoir sludge (PAS) was explored for the cultivation of walnut (Juglans regia L.) in low‐fertility soil, considering agronomic, economic factors, and associated environmental impacts based on the energy use. Tree growth rates and leaf nutrient contents were evaluated in plants fertilized with the conventional method as control treatment and four different doses of PAS amendments. Results of economical assessment and cost analysis indicated that the PAS dose of 400 g N tree−1 had the lowest cost and was determined as the most appropriate nutrient proportion for fertilization practices on walnut plantation in marginal land, and the use of PAS for fertilization resulted in about 65.4% savings in terms of present value evaluation based on three cultivation years. Findings of the present study clearly concluded that agronomic, economic, and ecological advantages of waste utilization, such as PAS application on walnut plantation, could significantly contribute to establish sustainable management and crop production alternatives for eco‐efficient cultivation systems. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: e13225, 2019 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]