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Powder metallurgy (PM) steel is produced by near net shape manufacturing, which is used to fabricate alloy steels for many purposes. Designing new powder metal steels that can form a significant fraction of martensite relies on hardenability calculations developed for wrought steels. These proven tools are built upon assumptions for wrought steels that do not hold true for PM steels. One assumption is that the alloying elements are homogenized throughout the material. In admixed powder blends that are industrially sintered this is not the case. Using prealloyed powder is a solution to this issue, yet it places restrictions on alloy design and compressibility. There are tools available to computationally optimize diffusion problems, yet the complexity during the sintering of PM steel is such that a robust model has yet been produced. It is intuitive that with smaller particles of Fe sintering time can be reduced. A direct experimental investigation linking Fe-powders’ sizes and hardenability on Fe-C-Cr-Mn-Mo-Ni PM steel was subject to microstructure analysis and mechanical properties (Jominy test) for comparative analysis. Another assumption that is made for wrought steel is a consistent density of 7.87g/cm3. This is not the case for PM steel as the press and sinter method produces pores, decreasing the density. This directly affects the thermal conductivity and phase transformation of the steel. In an effort to understand how these differences affect Grossmann’s predictions of hardenability, a direct experimental investigation linking the density to hardenability was launched on prealloyed FL-4605 and FL-4605+2%Cu. Specifically the Jominy test was completed on a range of densities, as well as compared to software predictions. The chemical variations in admixed and sintered PM steel produce a unique system where one TTT diagram cannot predict the entire final microstructure. PM steel such as this is observed in industry, and can be created through incorporating larger Fe-particles such that less alloying constituents have a chance to fully alloy these regions. Since the large particles will not have the chance to be alloyed, they will not have the ability to form martensite. Since the regions between large particles will be alloyed, martensite will form, creating a hard matrix surrounding softer particles. This structure is characteristic of a metal matrix composite (MMC), and therefore should be treated as such. There are methods of MMC design that involve numerical methods of predicting strength and toughness. These methods, along with experimental data (tensile and Charpy testing) of Fe-C-Cr-Mn-Mo-Ni PM steels with ranging volume fractions of pearlitic inclusions were compared. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

No / The plane wave normal incidence acoustic absorption coefficient of five types of low growing plants is measured in the presence and absence of soil. These plants are generally used in green living walls and flower beds. Two types of soil are considered in this work: a light-density, man-made soil and a heavy-density natural clay base soil. The absorption coefficient data are obtained in the frequency range of 50-1600 Hz using a standard impedance tube of diameter 100 mm. The equivalent fluid model for sound propagation in rigid frame porous media proposed by Miki [J. Acoust. Soc. Jpn. (E) 11, 25-28 (1990)] is used to predict the experimentally observed behavior of the absorption coefficient spectra of soils, plants, and their combinations. Optimization analysis is employed to deduce the effective flow resistivity and tortuosity of plants which are assumed to behave acoustically as an equivalent fluid in a rigid frame porous medium. It is shown that the leaf area density and dominant angle of leaf orientation are two key morphological characteristics which can be used to predict accurately the effective flow resistivity and tortuosity of plants.

This study is undertaken to characterize the aerodynamic behavior of Kevlar-wall test sections and specifically those containing two-dimensional, lifting models. The performance of the Kevlar-wall test section can be evaluated against the standard of the hard-wall test section, which in the case of the Stability Wind Tunnel (SWT) at Virginia Tech can be alternately installed or replaced by the Kevlar-wall test section. As a first step towards the evaluation of the Kevlar-wall test section aerodynamics, a validation of the hard-wall test section at the SWT is performed, in part by comparing data from NACA 0012 airfoil sections tested at the SWT with those tested at several other reliable facilities. The hard-wall test section showing good merit, back-to-back tests with three different airfoils are carried out in the SWT's hard-wall and Kevlar-wall test sections. Kevlar-wall data is corrected for wall interference with a panel method simulation that simulates the unique boundary conditions of Kevlar-wall test sections including the Kevlar porosity, wall deflection, and presence of the anechoic chambers on either side of the walls. Novel measurements of the boundary conditions are made during the Kevlar-wall tests to validate the panel method simulation. Finally, sensitivity studies on the input parameters of the panel method simulation are conducted. The work included in this study encompasses a wide range of issues related to Kevlar-wall as well as hard-wall tunnels and brings to light many details of the performance of such test sections. / Master of Science

Over the past few decades, additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing (3DP) technologies witnessed revolutionary growth in the manufacturing sector. Parts produced with metal AM techniques, especially Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), are often prone to porosity issues. The presence of pores leads to harmful effects such as crack formation and, eventually, premature failure of the component. Consequently, research in defect detection and pore prediction attracted substantial attention. Utilizing image-based porosity detection in preexisting systems is a simple, effective, and cost-efficient approach for final part inspection. This thesis investigates the possibility of predicting porosity using U-Net and its novel network architectures named RU-Net and RAU-Net, on an X-ray computed tomography (XCT) image dataset. Later, the performance of these models is analyzed and compared using precision, recall, F1 score, mAP, IoU metrics, and their hybrid losses combining BCG and Dice loss. RAU-Net outperforms RU-Net and U-Net in all these metrics by detecting more than 90% of actual pores while retaining 95% precision. While RU-Net and U-Net required additional training, RAU-Net achieved high performance in only 50 epochs, demonstrating its data efficiency and convergence. Due to its shorter training period, also leading to lower computational overhead, RAU-Net is suited for practical high throughput and low latency applications. Particularly in time-sensitive applications, RAU-Net can enable more widespread adoption of dense prediction networks. A custom script is developed for estimating the porosity percentage level in 3D printed metal components precisely, further enhancing final product inspection procedures. As a result, the entire quality control process is simplified, which allows for the quicker inspection of final components to deliver, by ensuring they meet required quality and reliability standards.

The architect, as a coordinator of complex conditions and different disciplines, has a role in the development of the master plan for the entire site, balancing technical innovation with appreciation for cultural inheritance. This thesis attempts to explore approaches to design decision making, as a response to a project's site, its history, and the larger cultural context. The above issues are investigated through the design of a multipurpose building at the east end of the Drillfield on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. The building will form a "stage" to accommodate the daily life of the campus. In addition, the proposal was conceived to: a. emphasize both axial and radial geometric features of the site; b. redefine the edge of the oval Drillfield; c. create magnetic force between the proposed building and the existing War Memorial Chapel; d. translate the idea into tectonics. / Master of Architecture

No / Hydration of five Roman and American natural cements was analyzed using X-ray diffraction, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and scanning electron microscopy of cement pastes. Two cements were prepared in the laboratory by burning marls from geological sources in Poland (Folwark) and Austria (Lilienfeld). The selection of raw materials and burning conditions were optimized so that the hydraulic nature and appearance of the final burnt materials matched as closely as possible historic Roman cements widely used in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries in Europe to decorate buildings. Three other cements are produced commercially: quick setting Prompt cement from Vicat, France, and Rosendale cements from Edison Coatings Inc., USA. The hydration of the cements studied was shown to comprise two distinct stages. The immediate setting and early strength is due to the formation of calcium aluminum oxide carbonate (or sulfate) hydroxide hydrates. The development of long-term strength is brought about by the formation of calcium silicate hydrates. Similarities and differences between the individual cements are discussed.

No / Results of a study of the influence of impeller speed on the strength, structure and morphology of granules produced in a type of high shear mixer granulators are reported. Calcium carbonate particles (Durcal 65) have been granulated in a Cyclomix with a capacity of 5 L. An aqueous solution of polyethylene glycol was used as the binder. The granules produced have been dried and their structure visualized using X-ray micro-tomography equipment, Nanotom, with a resolution of less than 1 μm. It is shown that the operation of the granulator at high impeller tip speeds produces granules with a higher strength and lower porosity than those produced at medium and low impeller speeds. Two different granule micro-structures and morphologies are produced at high and low impeller speeds. Structure descriptors such as phase volume fraction (as representative of porosity), chord length distribution and auto-correlation function (as indices of homogeneity of structure) are used to quantify the internal structure of granules in 3D, which in turn affects the granule strength.

[Truncated abstract] Rocks, as the host to natural chains of coupled thermal, hydraulic and mechanical processes, are heterogeneous at a variety of length scales, and in their mechanical properties, as well as in the hydraulic and thermal transport properties. Rock heterogeneity affects the ultimate hydro-carbon recovery or geothermal energy production. This heterogeneity has been considered one important and difficult problem that needs to be taken into account for its effect on the coupled processes. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the effect of rock heterogeneity on multi-physical processes. A fully coupled finite element model, hereinafter referred to as a porosity-based model (PBM) was developed to characterise the thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) coupling processes. The development of the PBM consists of a two-staged workflow. First, based on poromechanics, porosity, one of the inherent rock properties, was derived as a variant function of the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical effects. Then, empirical relations or experimental results, correlating porosity with the mechanical, hydraulic and thermal properties, were incorporated as the coupling effects. In the PBM, the bulk volume of the model is assumed to be changeable. The rate of the volumetric strain was derived as the difference of two parts: the first part is the change in volume per unit of volume and per unit of time (this part was traditionally considered the rate of volumetric strain); and the second is the product of the first part and the volumetric strain. The second part makes the PBM a significant advancement of the models reported in the literature. ... impact of the rock heterogeneity on the hydro-mechanical responses because of the requirement of large memory and long central processing unit (CPU) time for the 3D applications. In the 2D PBM applications, as the thermal boundary condition applied to the rock samples containing some fractures, the pore pressure is generated by the thermal gradient. Some pore pressure islands can be generated as the statistical model and the digital image model are applied to characterise the initial porosity distribution. However, by using the homogeneous model, this phenomenon cannot be produced. In the 3D PBM applications, the existing fractures become the preferential paths for the fluid flowing inside the numerical model. The numerical results show that the PBM is sufficiently reliable to account for the rock mineral distribution in the hydro-mechanical coupling processes. The applications of the statistical method and the digital image processing technique make it possible to visualise the rock heterogeneity effect on the pore pressure distribution and the heat dissipation inside the rock model. Monitoring the fluid flux demonstrates the impact of the rock heterogeneity on the fluid product, which concerns petroleum engineering. The overall fluid flux (OFF) is mostly overestimated when the rock and fluid properties are assumed to be homogeneous. The 3D PBM application is an example. As the rock is heterogeneous, the OFF by the digital core is almost the same as that by the homogeneous model (this is due to that some fractures running through the digital core become the preferential path for the fluid flow), and around 1.5 times of that by the statistical model.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / The intensification of agricultural production systems is increasing in the current agriculture. In this sense, the simultaneous planting forage to grain crops, constitutes an alternative in the intensification of the production system, which can increase or not the productivity of the main crop, and produce straw for mulching. In order to check the occurrence of changes in the physical properties of the soil and in corn yield and dry matter production due to the corn consortium / forage in two sowing dates, this study was conducted in the experimental area of the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the Federal University of CearÃ. The design was used in a randomized block design in a factorial scheme (3x2) + 1 with four replications, totaling 28 experimental units. The treatments consisted of three forages: Brachiaria, Panicum maximum cv. MombaÃa and Crotalaria spectabilis intercropped with maize in two of fodder sowing dates, between the lines of simultaneous sowing maize (season 1 - E1) and corn leading the V4 stage of corn (season 2 - E2), and the control. The results showed that intercropping maize / forage did not interfere in phytotechnical characteristics of corn, nor in productivity, however produced changes in soil physical properties when the day of sowing in season 1. Despite the changes that have occurred in the soil, they were not sufficient to enhance the productivity of maize, which could possibly be related assessments on only one crop cycle. But when the goal was the production of dry straw, it is concluded that fodder Brachiaria brizantha and Mombasa at the time 1 (E1) are recommended / A intensificaÃÃo dos sistemas de produÃÃo agrÃcola à cada vez maior na atual agricultura. Nesse sentido, o plantio simultÃneo de forrageiras com culturas produtoras de grÃos, constitui em uma alternativa na intensificaÃÃo do sistema de produÃÃo, que poderà incrementar ou nÃo a produtividade da cultura principal, alÃm de produzir palha para cobertura do solo. Com o objetivo de verificar a ocorrÃncia de mudanÃas nas propriedades fÃsicas do solo, bem como na produtividade do milho e produÃÃo de matÃria seca em funÃÃo do consÃrcio milho/forrageiras em duas Ãpocas de semeadura, o presente trabalho foi conduzido na Ãrea experimental do Departamento de Engenharia AgrÃcola da Universidade Federal do CearÃ. Foi utilizado o delineamento em blocos ao acaso, no esquema fatorial (3x2) + 1 com quatro repetiÃÃes, totalizando 28 unidades experimentais. Os tratamentos foram constituÃdos por trÃs forrageiras: Brachiaria brizantha, Panicum maximum cv. MombaÃa e CrotalÃria spectabilis consorciadas com o milho em duas Ãpocas de semeadura das forrageiras, na entrelinha do milho simultÃneo a semeadura (Ãpoca 1 â E1) e na entrelinha do milho no estÃdio V4 do milho (Ãpoca 2 â E2), alÃm da testemunha. Os resultados permitiram concluir que a consorciaÃÃo milho/forrageiras nÃo interferiram nas caracterÃsticas fitotÃcnicas do milho, nem tampouco, na produtividade, porÃm proporcionaram modificaÃÃes nas propriedades fÃsicas do solo quando da realizaÃÃo da semeadura na Ãpoca 1. Apesar das modificaÃÃes ocorridas no solo, as mesmas nÃo foram suficientes em incrementar a produtividade do milho, o que possivelmente pode estar relacionado as avaliaÃÃes em apenas um ciclo da cultura. Jà quando o objetivo foi a produÃÃo de matÃria seca de palha, conclui-se que as forrageiras Brachiaria Brizantha e MombaÃa na Ãpoca 1 (E1) sÃo recomendadas