Due to increasing water treatment costs and conservation needs, traditional water loss analysis and acoustic leak detection methods are becoming heavily scrutinized by water utilities. This study explores water loss in Johnson City, Tennessee and how geospatial data analysis techniques improve water loss mitigation. This project uses sample water system pressure data and ordinary kriging spatial interpolation methods to identify leakage areas for further investigation. Analysis of existing geographic information system (GIS) water utility datasets with interpolated hydraulic grade values at sample water pressure points produce manageable survey areas that pinpoint areas with possible water leakage. Field detection methods, including ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and traditional acoustic methods, are employed to verify leakage predictions. Ten leakage areas are identified and verified using traditional acoustic detection methods, work order research, and GPR. The resulting data show that spatial analysis coupled with geospatial analysis of field pressure information improves water loss mitigation.

Innovations in Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) manufacturing processes and architectural design have led to the development of extremely large FPGAs. There has also been a widespread adaptation of these large FPGAs in cloud infrastructures and data centers to accelerate search and machine learning applications. Two important topics related to FPGAs are addressed in this work: on-chip communication and security. On-chip communication is quickly becoming a bottleneck in to- day’s large multi-million gate FPGAs. Hard Networks-on-Chip (NoC), made of fixed silicon, have been shown to provide low power, high speed, flexible on-chip communication. An iterative algorithm for routing pre-scheduled time-division-multiplexed paths in a hybrid NoC FPGA architecture is demonstrated in this thesis work. The routing algorithm is based on the well known Pathfinder algorithm, overcomes several limitations of a previous greedy implementation and successfully routes connections using a higher number of timeslots than greedy approaches. The new algorithm shows an average bandwidth improvement of 11% for unicast traffic and multicast traffic patterns. Regarding on-chip FPGA security, a recent study on covert channel communication in Xilinx FPGA devices has shown information leaking from long interconnect wires into immediate neighboring wires. This information leakage can be used by an attacker in a multi-tenant FPGA cloud infrastructure to non-invasively steal secret information from an unsuspecting user design. It is demonstrated that the information leakage is also present in Intel SRAM FPGAs. Information leakage in Cyclone-IV E and Stratix-V FPGA devices is quantified and characterized with varying parameters, and across different routing elements of the FPGAs.

Thin-film solar cells based on an absorber layer of chalcogenide compounds (CIGS, CdTe) are today among the most promising photovoltaic technologies due to their long-term ability to gain a foothold in mass commercial production as an alternative to conventional Si solar cells. Despite this success, the physical origin of the defects present in the thin films are still insufficiently elucidated, especially in the compounds of the chalcopyrite family Cu(In_{1x},Ga_{x})(S_{y},Se_{1y})_{2}. The research focuses on the identification and analysis of microstructural defects responsible for the electrical instability of chalcopyrite-based thin-film solar cells with a typical heterostructure arrangement ZnO:Al/i-ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se_{2}/Mo. The non-uniform polycrystalline nature of semiconductor materials in this complex multilayer structure requires a comprehensive analysis of electro-optical, structural and compositional properties associated with the actual morphology at the macroscopic, microscopic or even nanoscopic level. The observed predominant ohmic or non-ohmic current conduction in the dark transport characteristics was also reflected in the slope deviations of the excessive noise fluctuations, which were in the spectral domain exclusively in the form of flicker noise with dependency S_{i} ~ f^{1}. Spatially resolved electroluminescence based on stimulated photon emission by charge carriers injecting into the depletion region, not only showed a significantly inhomogeneous distribution of intensity in planar heterojunction under forward bias, but also revealed light emitting local spots in reverse bias due to a trap-assisted radiative recombination through the high density of defect states. Microscopic examination of the defect-related light emitting spots revealed rather extensive defective complexes with many interruptions through the layers, especially at the heterojunction CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se_{2} interface. Besides, the high leakage current via these defective complexes subsequently led to a considerable local overheating, which caused a clearly observable structural and morphological changes, such as deviations in absorber layer stoichiometry due to Cu–In–Ga–Se segregation, Cu-rich and Ga-rich grains formation with an occurrence of Se-poor or Cu_{x}Se_{y} secondary phases regions, material redeposition accompanied by evaporation of ZnO:Al/i-ZnO/CdS layers together with the formation of Se structures on the surface around the defects. Within the research, analytical modelling of transport characteristics was implemented with parameters extraction of individual transport mechanisms to understand the non-ohmic shunt behaviour due to leakage current. In addition to the proper current path along the main heterojunction, the proposed model contains parasitic current pathways as a consequence of recombination-dominated charge transport or current conduction facilitated by multi-step tunnelling via high density of mid-gap defect states in the depletion region, ohmic leakage current caused by pinholes or low-resistance paths along grain boundaries in Cu(In,Ga)Se_{2}, or space-charge limited current due to metals diffusion from the ZnO:Al layer and grid Ag contacts through disruptions in i-ZnO/CdS layers.

This thesis examines the influence of the degassing process on hydrogen contend and on the quality of part casted by high pressure casting technologies. The type of defects occurring in the casting is analyzed based on macrostructure and microstructure observations. For the overall assessment is used the statistical observation of the evolution trend of scrapping during the experiment. The results show that shortening of the degassing time may affect the incidence of porosity defect.

This thesis is focused on detecting air leakage in serial production of pneumatic linear actuators. Testing for air leakage is an important part of the production process in which the manufacturer ensures that the product satisfies quality requirements and works correctly. The thesis was created in collaboration with the Czech manufacturing plant of SMC Industrial Automation CZ s.r.o., which produces pneumatic actuators. Goal of the design part of the thesis is to select the most effective method for testing and finding universal principle for testing in specified conditions. The principle is then applied to design a testing device for the CQ2 cylinders. The testing device consists of three parts - pneumatic circuit, control circuit and electric circuit. Thesis conclusion contains comparison of the newly designed testing device with the device currently in use.

This subject of this thesis is the risk analysis of selected accidents. The aim is to analyze risk based on typical accidents, which are the main causes of chemical substances leakage . The practical part includes an estimation of the hazard zones and their impact on each substance, in case of leakage.

The main diploma thesis‘s target is to propose applicable industrial method for the industrial leak testing with high definition. The result is to compare available methods and to propose the suitable one. The final target of the diploma thesis is definition of the defined method that will be able to detect leaks required by customer and fulfil internal requirements of the Robert Bosch ltd. Company.

Orientador: João Mauricio Ferraz da Silva / Banca: Virgílio Vilas Boas Fernandes Jr. / Banca: Rodrigo Máximo de Araújo / Resumo: Este estudo laboratorial teve como objetivo avaliar a infiltração marginal, adaptação interna e gap cervical de laminados cerâmicos, em função da realização ou não de preparo. Método: Vinte e quatro incisivos centrais superiores hígidos, com volumes e tamanhos padronizados, foram subdivididos em dois grupos, n=12, de acordo com o tipo de preparo. GRUPO CP - minimamente invasivo com linha de término na extensão do preparo; GRUPO SP - sem preparo, somente remoção de áreas retentivas. Todos os espécimes foram moldados com silicone de adição (Virtual Ivoclar - Vivadent), e sobre os modelos obtidos foram confeccionados laminados em cerâmica de Dissilicato de Lítio (Emax Press Ivoclar-Vivadent) com espessuras entre 0.3/0.7mm. Após ajustes, as peças foram cimentadas com cimento resinoso fotopolimerizável (Variolink Esthetic LC Ivoclar - Vivadent), seguindo as recomendações do fabricante. Em seguidas os espécimes foram envelhecidos em cicladoras térmica, 6.000 ciclos de 5 a 55ºC, e mecânica com 100N por 100.000 ciclos. Após o término das ciclagens todos foram imersos em substância corante por 24 horas e cortados paralelamente ao eixo do dente e horizontalmente para avaliação da infiltração marginal, adaptação interna e gap cervical em esteriomicroscópio. Os resultados apontaram que, na infiltração marginal, o grupo CP teve a maior média na região cervical (1,601 mm) comparado ao grupo SP (1,471 mm), porém não estatisticamente significante. Em ambos os grupos a infiltração marginal na... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract : This laboratory study aimed to evaluate the marginal infiltration, internal adaptation and cervical gap of ceramic laminate venners, by whether or not preparation. Method: Twenty-four upper central incisors with standard volumes and sizes were subdivided into two groups, n = 12, according to the type of preparation. CP GROUP - minimally invasive with finishing line in preparation extension; GRUPO SP - without preparation, only removal of retentive areas. All the specimens were molded with addition silicone (Virtual Ivoclar - Vivadent), on the obtained models laminates in ceramic of Lithium Dissilicate (Emax Press Ivoclar - Vivadent) were made with thicknesses between 0.3 / 0.7mm. After adjustments, the pieces were cemented with photopolymerizable resin cement (Variolink Esthetic LC Ivoclar - Vivadent), following the manufacturer's instructions. Then the specimens were aged in thermal cycling machine, 6,000 cycles of 5 to 55ºC, and mechanical with 100N per 100,000 cycles. After the cycling, all specimens were immersed in dye substance for 24 hours and cut parallel to the axis of the tooth and horizontally for evaluation of marginal infiltration, internal adaptation and cervical gap in stereomicroscope. The results showed that, in marginal infiltration, the CP group had the highest mean in the cervical region (1.601 mm) compared to the SP group (1.471 mm), but not statistically significant. In both groups the marginal infiltration in the cervical region was greater than in the proximal one, differing statistically. Internal adaptation was better in the CP group in the three thirds analyzed, but only in the cervical third there was a statistically significant difference. The cervical gap had lower values in the SP group, but without statistically significant difference. It was concluded that the type of preparation did not have significant influence in terms of marginal.. (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Water-related problems in major populated areas of Botswana continue to grow unabated. At the heart of these problems are escalating demands, dwindling water supplies, deteriorating infrastructures and water losses. Several reports indicate that water managers in this area have been engrossed more on increasing supplies and less on demand management and conservation. The latest construction of the Dikgatlhong Dam is an example of the measures taken to supplement the existing water sources. However, much of the supplied water continues to be lost from the distribution systems of some of the villages. The highest losses have been reported in the Ramotswa village. This study surveyed the causes of the water losses and factors affecting their developments and frequencies. The study’s view was that reducing those losses would improve the system efficiency and save more water for supplies. The data for the study was acquired from reports of earlier studies, field visits and oral interviews administered on the water managers and consumers. Leakages from the Boatle-Ramotswa supply pipeline, service pipes, reservoirs and valves, unmetered fire-fighting consumptions and water theft were identified to be the main sources of the losses. The utility’s loss control activities were inefficient due to the lack of measures for identifying and reducing each individual loss. The study proposed that all the different uses and losses into which the system input volume goes should be identified and measured and measures for controlling each of them be designed and instituted.

The aim of this project was to study the leakage of CO2 in a Geological Carbon Sequestration (GCS) system. To define the GCS system, a tool that is known as an FEP database was used. FEPs are the features, processes and events that develop scenarios for the goal of the study. Combinations of these FEPs can produce thousands of scenarios. However, among all of these scenarios, some are more important than others for leakage. The FEPs that were used as scenario developers were the formation of the liquid flow, the salinity of the formation liquid, diffusion as a process for gas bubble transport and the depth of the reservoir layer. In this study, the leakage path is considered as the presence of a fracture in sealed caprock. The fractures can be modeled using various approaches. Here, I represented the influence of fracture modeling by applying the Equivalent Continuum Method (ECM) and the Dual-Porosity and Multi-continuum methods to leakage. This study suggests that considering groundwater in the aquifer would reduce the leakage of CO2 and that a shallower formation leads to higher leakage. This study can be expanded to future studies by including external FEPs that are related to the FEPs that were used in this study.