Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
J
Joule:
The basic energy unit for the metric system or, in a later more comprehensive
formulation, the International System of Units (SI). It is ultimately defined
in terms of the meter, kilogram, and second.
K
Kaplan turbine:
A type of turbine that has two blades whose pitch is adjustable. The
turbine may have gates to control the angle of the fluid flow into the blades.
kBtu:
A unit of work or energy, measured as 1000 British thermal units. One kBtu
is equivalent to 0.293 kWh.
Kilowatt (kW):
One thousand watts of electricity.
Kilowatt-hour (kWh):
One thousand watt-hours.
Kinetic energy:
Energy available as a result of motion that varies directly in propor-
tion to an object's mass and the square of its velocity.
L
Lamp:
A term generally used to describe artificial light. The term is often used
when referring to a bulb or tube.
Land use:
The ultimate uses to be permitted for currently contaminated lands,
waters, and structures at each Department of Energy installation. Land-use
decisions strongly influence the cost of environmental management.
Landfill gas:
Gas that is generated by decomposition of organic material at landfill
disposal sites. Landfill gas is approximately 50% methane.
Landform:
The physical shape of the land reflecting geologic structures and pro-
cesses of geomorphology that have sculpted the structures.
Landscape:
A heterogeneous land area composed of a cluster of interacting ecosys-
tems that are repeated in similar form throughout.
Langley (L):
Unit of solar irradiance equal to 1 gram calorie per square centimeter
of irradiated surface. One langley = 85.93 kWh/m
2
.
Late-successional:
Species, assemblages, structures, and processes associated with
mature natural communities that have not experienced significant distur-
bance for a long time.
Leachate:
The liquid that has percolated through the soil or other medium.
Leeward:
Away from the direction of the wind; opposite of windward.
Life-cycle analysis:
Analysis focused on the environmental impact of a product dur-
ing the entirety of its life cycle, from resource extraction to post-consumer
waste disposal. It is a comprehensive approach to examining the environ-
mental impacts of a product or package.
Lignin:
Structural constituent of wood and (to a lesser extent) other plant tissues that
encrusts the cell walls and cements the cells together.
Limiting factor:
An environmental limitation that prevents further population growth.
Line shaft pump:
Fluid pump that has the pumping mechanism in the wellbore and
that is driven by a shaft connected to a motor on the surface.
