Designers of power electronic converters usually face the challenge of having multiple performance indices that must be simultaneously optimized, such as maximizing efficiency while minimizing mass or maximizing reliability while minimizing cost. The experienced engineer applies his or her judgment to reduce the number of possible designs to a manageable number of feasible designs for which to prototype and test; thus, the optimality of this design-space reduction is directly dependent upon the experience, and expertise and biases of the designer. The practitioner is familiar with tradeoff analysis; however, simple tradeoff studies can become difficult or even intractable if multiple metrics are considered. Hence a scientific and systematic approach is needed. In this dissertation, a multi-objective optimization framework is presented as a design tool. Optimization of power electronic converters is certainly not a new subject. However, when limited to off-the-shelf components, the resulting system is really optimized only over the set of commercially available components, which may represent only a subset of the design space; the reachable space limited by available components and technologies. While this approach is suited to cost-reduce an existing design, it offers little insight into design possibilities for greenfield projects. Instead, this work uses the Technology Characterization Methods (TCM) to broaden the reachable design space by considering fundamental component attributes. The result is the specification for the components that create the optimal design rather than an evaluation of an apriori selected set of candidate components. A unique outcome of this approach is that new technology development vectors may emerge to develop optimized components for the optimized power converter. The approach presented in this work uses a mathematical descriptive language to abstract the characteristics and attributes of the components used in a power electronic converter in a way suitable for multi-objective and constrained optimization methods. This dissertation will use Technology Characterization Methods (TCM) to bridge the gap between high-level performance attributes and low-level design attributes where direct relationship between these two does not currently exist. The loss and size models for inductors, capacitors, IGBTs, MOSFETs and heat sinks will be used to form objective functions for the multi-objective optimization problem. A single phase IGBT-based inverter is optimized for efficiency and volume based on the component models derived using TCM. Comparing the obtained designs to a design, which can be made from commercial off-the-shelf components, shows that converter design can be optimized beyond what is possible from using only off-the-shelf components. A module-integrated photovoltaic inverter is also optimized for efficiency, volume and reliability. An actual converter is constructed using commercial off-the-shelf components. The converter design is chosen as close as possible to a point obtained by optimization. Experimental results show that the converter modeling is accurate. A new approach for evaluation of efficiency in photovoltaic converter is also proposed and the front-end portion of a photovoltaic converter is optimized for this efficiency, as well as reliability and volume.

Asphalt composites are used to construct 90% of roads in the United States. These composites consist of asphalt binder, which is a product of the refinery process of oil, aggregates, and air voids. Fatigue cracking is one of the most important distresses that causes damage in asphalt pavements. However, there is still a gap in the understanding of the fatigue process of asphalt composites, such as the influence of material properties on this phenomenon and how the material microstructure changes as a result of fatigue damage. This study focuses on the results of two experiments that were performed on asphalt composites to better understand phenomena related to fatigue cracking: nano-mechanical characterization of the properties of the asphalt composite material and X-ray Computed Tomography nondestructive imaging of damage in the microstructure. These experimental measurements were performed on specimens that are first damaged in the Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA). The DMA is a tool commonly used for the characterization of fatigue cracking. This test method applies cyclic loads on asphalt composites, damaging them, and in the process determines the viscoelastic properties of the composite throughout the test. The nano-mechanical characterization experiment gives valuable results of the elastic modulus and hardness of the aggregate, binder, and the aggregate-binder interface that can be used to characterize different binder and aggregate combinations. The nanoindentation experiment successfully measured interface properties in the mix. The interface has elastic modulus and hardness values greater than the binder but smaller than the aggregate. This demonstrates that an interaction between these two phases creates a dissimilar phase between the two. The second experiment using X-ray CT gives measurements that are indicative of the influences of fatigue damage on micro-level changes in the material microstructure. The results of this experiment revealed important changes regarding the nature of fatigue damage and its relationship to changes in the geometry of air voids and cracks in asphalt composites. The X-ray CT experiment measured size and shape parameters of air voids at 20 microns/pixel resolution at different damage levels. These results illustrated that reduction in bonding strength in the binder is involved in failure in the mix and thus fatigue cracking is not solely responsible for failure. This conclusion is made based on the results not showing a statistically significant change in air void shape and size parameters with increased damage. This is illustrated by viewing changes in the air void structure within the mix, there is no evidence of crack propagation, or drastic changes in the shape, size, or volume of air voids within the mix.

The glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) (EC.2.5.1.18) are enzymes that participate in cellular detoxification of endogenous as well as foreign electrophilic compounds, function in the cellular detoxification systems and are evolved to protect cells against reactive oxygen metabolites by conjugating the reactive molecules to the nucleophile scavenging tripeptide glutathione (GSH, &amp / #61543 / -glu-cys-gly). The GSTs are found in all eukaryotes and prokaryotic systems, in the cytoplasm, on the microsomes, and in the mitochondria. Cytosolic GSTs have been grouped into seven distinct classes as: alpha (&amp / #61537 / ), mu (&amp / #61549 / ), pi (&amp / #61552 / ), sigma (&amp / #61555 / ), omega, theta (&amp / #61553 / ) and zeta (&amp / #61540 / ). In comparison with other GSTs, class theta enzymes have proven difficult to isolate and characterize. Two distinct theta GSTs have been identified in man, GSTT1-1 and GSTT2-2 three in the rat rGST1-1, rGSTT2-2 and 13-13 and one in the mouse. this study, a class theta GST (GSTT2-2), with high activity towards 1-MS was isolated and purified from bovine liver in 3% yield with a purification factor of 3-fold. The purification protocol included a sequential DEAE cellulose anion exchanger liquid chromatography column, S-hexylglutathione agarose affinity column, dye binding orange A and chromatofocusing columns. The enzyme activity and protein content decreased rapidly after the last step of purification. The purified GSTT2-2 showed significant activity only towards 1-MS as 77 nmole/min/mg. The GSTT2-2 purified from bovine liver had a molecular weigth (Mr) value of about 28,200 which was also confirmed by Western Blott Analysis. The purified farctions of GSTT2-2 with other kolon farctions were tested with anti GSTT2-2, antiGST alfa, antiGST mu and antiGST pi antibodies. The enzyme activities towards CDNB, 4-nitrobenzylchloride (NBC) and 1-menapthyl sulfate were measured as described by Habig and Jacoby.

In this work, we present a new method for seismic waveform characterization, which is aimed at extracting detailed litho-stratigraphical information from seismic data. We attempt to estimate the lithological attributes from seismic data according to our parametric representation of stratigraphical horizons, where the parameter values provide us with a direct link to nature of lithological transitions. We test our method on a seismic dataset with a strong diagenetic transition (opal-A to opal-CT transition). Given some information from cutting samples of well, we use a percolation-based model to construct the elastic profile of lithological transitions. Our goal is to match parametric representation for the diagenetic transition in both real data and synthetic data given by these elastic profiles. This match may be interpreted as a well-seismic tie, which reveals lithological information about stratigraphical horizons.

Fundamental studies on the mechanisms and kinetics of reduction of dense synthetic nickel oxide have been carried out in H2-N2 and H2-H2O mixtures. The influences of temperature, hydrogen partial pressure, and hydrogen-steam ratio on the reduction process were systematically investigated. The kinetics of the reduction process were followed metallographically by measuring the advance of the nickel product layer. The microstructures of the reduction products and their changes during heating were characterized using a high resolution scanning electron microscopy. In H2-N2 mixtures and H2-H2O mixtures with low steam content, it was found that the initial reduction rates were first order with respect to hydrogen partial pressure. In both sets of mixtures, it was found that the progress of NiO reduction was not a monotonic function of temperature. A minimum rate of advancement of NiO reduction was observed in the temperature range 700oC – 800oC depending on the hydrogen partial pressures and reduction time. A number of distinctly different nickel product microstructures, originating at the Ni-NiO interface were observed under various reduction conditions, namely coarse fibrous nickel with fissures, fine porous nickel-planar interface, large porous nickel-irregular interface and dense nickel product layer. The microstructures of reduction product were found to change with temperature and time. It was found that heating the coarse fibrous nickel structure resulted in a re-crystallization, grain growth and densification of nickel product. When the heat treatments were carried out on the porous nickel structures, the number of pores decreases with increasing temperature and time, which was accompanied by the increase in the pore sizes. The microstructures and kinetics of the reduction of nickel oxide were found to be a function of temperature, gas composition and reaction time. The study provides strong evidence for a link between the reduction kinetics and the changes in the reduction product microstructures. Mechanisms and kinetics of the reduction of nickel oxide have been discussed by considering reduction conditions, information on the structures and elementary processes involving in the reduction process.

Because of high fuel costs and rising concern over controlling motor vehicle emissions, there has been a surge in the number of hybrid passenger vehicles on roads in recent years. This transition has not yet been seen with agricultural vehicles. With this in mind, this study created a test scheme to characterize and replicate agricultural loads, and design of a hybrid drivetrain that is suitable for agricultural purposes. Torque and power data were recorded from the controller area network of a tractor performing a baling operation. The recorded data was characterized using statistical and time series analyses, and converted into a simplified torque profile that could be run on a common type of dynamometer. The prototype series hybrid drivetrain was subjected to the simplified profile developed, and drivetrain efficiency was compared to the efficiency under constant load. The effect of battery pack, and engine size was also tested. On average, the prototype developed was not more efficient than a similarly sized standard geared vehicle, but there is significant room for further optimization.

Resumo: Os aços multifásicos são de grande interesse comercial e têm atraído a atenção, principalmente, da indústria automobilística devido a combinação de alta resistência e ductilidade. A fase austenita retida, presente nestes aços, tem sido objeto de especial interesse devido ao efeito TRIP, que contribui para a melhoria da tenacidade. Neste trabalho é utilizado o aço aeronáutico 300M e, com o objetivo de estudar a influência das fases sobre as propriedades mecânicas são realizadas as seguintes etapas: a otimização de rotas de tratamentos térmicos para a obtenção de uma microestrutura multifásica; caracterização microestrutural por microscopia óptica, microscopia eletrônica de varredura e microscopia de força atômica e avaliação do envelhecimento de deformação à temperatura ambiente. A principal contribuição é a determinação da fração volumétrica da austenita retida por meio de medidas de saturação magnética através de curvas de histerese magnética. As frações volumétricas de austenita retida obtidas por medidas de magnetização são comparadas com as obtidas por difratometria de raios X e microscopia óptica após ataques químicos de metabissulfito de sódio. Os resultados obtidos por microscopia óptica e pelo método magnético apresentam boa concordância com os valores encontrados na literatura. A alteração microestrutural devido aos tratamentos térmicos aplicados permite melhorias no limite de escoamento e resistência. Analisa-se, ainda, o efeito do envelhecimento por deformação à temperatura ambiente. Os resultados são surpreendentes, ocorrendo um aumento no limite de escoamento em até 87%, devido à associação do envelhecimento por deformação com o efeito TRIP. / Abstract: The multiphase steels are of great commercial interest and have attracted attention mainly of the automobile industry due to the combination of their high strength and ductility. The retained austenite phase present in these steels has been object of special interest due to TRIP effect contribution for the improvement of the toughness. In this work the influence of the phases of the aircraft 300M steel is carried out by the optimization of heat treatments routes to obtain multiphase microstructure. Microestructural characterization is evaluated by optical microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, atomic force microscopy and analysis of the deformation ageing at room temperature. The main contribution is the determination of retained austenite volume fractions from magnetic hysteresis curves. These values are compared with x-ray diffraction data and optical microscopy after sodium metabisulfite etching, presenting good agreement with the literature. The microstructural alterations due the applied heat treatments also affect the yield strength and strength. The association of the deformation ageing and the TRIP effect resulted in a surprising increase of up to 87% in the yield strength. / Orientador: Antonio Jorge Abdalla / Coorientador: Tomaz Manabu Hashimoto / Banca: Marcelo dos Santos Pereira / Banca: Sergio João Crnkovic / Banca: Carlos de Moura Neto / Banca: Getulio de Vasconcelos / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-12-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:08:18Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 gasparotto_g_me_araiq.pdf: 3559380 bytes, checksum: fb3a7ae9b231ef8abae43cc0439f427f (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente trabalho consiste no estudo da viabilidade para a obtenção de cerâmicas densas de SnO2 com baixa resistividades, dopados com Zn2+, Nb5+ e Al3+. Os pós cerâmicos foram preparados pelo método químico (método Pechini) e por de mistura de óxidos, usando a sinterização em forno microondas. Fez-se a caracterização do pó por difratometria de raios X (DRX), medidas de área superficial (BET) e termogravimetria e termogravimetria diferencial (TG/DTA). Depois de conformar os pós, fez-se a caracterização microestrutral e elétrica dos compactos. A baixa densificação do material é justificada pela presença de microestruturas em formas de agulhas, constituída pelo agente densificante. Os menores resultados de resistividade à temperatura ambiente foram obtidos para as composições SZ100N e S200ZNA, obtidos pelo método Pechini, cujos valores são, respectivamente, 12,4 e 11,3 Ω.cm. Quando aumentou a temperatura de 50º a 400ºC, os menores resultados de resistividade foram obtidos pelo material preparado por mistura de óxidos com valor próximo a 5 Ω.cm / The present work is to study the viability to obtain high densification of SnO2 with low resistivity doped Zn2+, Nb5+ and Al3+. The ceramic powders were prepared by chemical method (Pechini method) and by solid state reaction, using the microwave sintering. There was the characterization by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface area measurements (BET) and thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry (TG/DTA). After conforming the powder, it was the characterization of electrical and microestrutral compact. The low densification of the material is justified by the presence of microstructures in forms of needles constituted of the densifying agent. The lowest specific resistivity at room temperature were obtained for the compositions and S200ZNA SZ100N, obtained by Pechini method, whose values are respectively 12.4 and 11.3 Ω.cm. When the temperature increased from 50 º to 400 º C, the lowest resistivity results were obtained for material prepared by mixing oxides with a value next 5 Ω.cm

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-12Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:57:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 nicoletti_jc_me_guara.pdf: 1786696 bytes, checksum: b99226e0a57bf3ddbb8fbb898dbdce86 (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / A redução de peso de componentes estruturais usados na fabricação de automóveis tem sido objeto de destaque na pesquisa e no desenvolvimento de novos aços. Isso devido as exigências dos principais mercados mundiais visando redução do consumo de combustíveis, ganho de energia e adequação perante as leis ambientais. Os aços bifásicos estão inseridos neste contexto por apresentarem uma combinação de boa conformabilidade associada a uma elevada resistência mecânica, justificada pela interação sinergística entre as fases ferrita e martensita, presentes na estrutura do material. Neste trabalho foi analisada a possibilidade de aplicação de três aços com médio teor de carbono, normalizados como aços 1045, 4340 e 300M, em substituição aos aços de baixo teor de carbono convencionalmente utilizados, visando a obtenção de aços com microestrutura bifásica de alta resistência. Os materiais foram tratados termicamente em diferentes temperaturas intercríticas (720oC, 740 oC e 760 oC) e por métodos convencionais de têmpera e revenimento. A caracterização mecânica foi realizada através de ensaios de tração, para estabelecer os valores de resistência e alongamento para cada condição de tratamento térmico, enquanto a caracterização microestrutural permitiu a avaliação qualitativa e quantitativa das fases presentes na estrutura. Os aços bifásicos apresentaram altos valores de resistência mecânica (acima de 1500 MPa) sem perda significativa no alongamento, e se mostraram extremamente eficientes para aplicações na fabricação de componentes estruturais usados na indústria automobilística. / The reduction of weight of structural components used in the production of automobiles has been considered in the research and development of new steels. The demands of world markets in order to reduce consumption of fuels, due to the restrictions in the environmental laws. The dual-phase steels are inserted in this context for presenting a combination of good conformability associated to a high strength, explained by the interaction between the ferrite and martensite phases, presents in the microstructures. In this work the application of three steels with medium carbon content, or either, normalized as 1045, 4340 and 300M, in substitution to the conventional steels of low carbon steels, was analyzed aiming for the obtaining of high strength steels with dual-phase microestructure. The materials were treated in different intercritical temperatures (720°C, 740 °C and 760 °C) and for conventional methods of hardness and drawing back. The mechanical characterization was performed, using tensile tests to establish the strength values and elongation in each condition of heat treatment, while the microestructural characterization using light microscopy to quantity and quality the present phases in the structure. The results showed that the dual-phase steels presented high resistance values, reaching the higher values of strength without significant loss in the elongation, and they are shown extremely efficient for applications of several structural components used in the automotive industry.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-02-05Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:37:50Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 sierrahayer_jf_me_botfca.pdf: 13042883 bytes, checksum: c8c75feb8bc74ce204bc7a174adc9e95 (MD5) / A cultura da seringueira [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. Jussieu) Muell. Arg.] vem sendo atacada por várias doenças de importância econômica, dentre as quais está a antracnose, causada pelo fungo Colletotrichum sp. (teleomorfo: Glomerella sp.). Este fungo causa vários danos na planta como lesões nos folíolos, nos ponteiros, nos ramos, nos frutos e cancros no painel de sangria. Somente Colletotrichum gloeosporioides foi relatado como agente causal desta doença no Brasil. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo identificar isolados de Colletotrichum spp. de seringueira de diversas regiões de plantio do Estado de São Paulo. O trabalho foi conduzido em cinco fases: a) caracterização cultural, na qual foram observadas a coloração e o aspecto das culturas in vitro. Produção de conídios e taxa de crescimento em seis temperaturas (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 e 35 °C); b) caracterização morfológica, na qual foi medido comprimento, largura e observado o formato dos conídios; c) teste de patogenicidade em folíolos destacados e em discos de folíolos, com quatro isolados de seringueira e dois de citros; d) crescimento em benomyl em quatro concentrações de princípio ativo; e) Identificação molecular para culturas monospóricas e multispóricas com primers específicos para as espécies de Colletotrichum gloeosporioides e Colletotrichum acutatum e os primers ITS1 e ITS4 os quais amplificaram uma pequena região (18S) e uma grande região (28S), e estes também permitiram a amplificação da região 5.8S do rDNA e os espaçadores internos transcritos (ITS1 e ITS2), e f) testes de crescimento em meio de cultivo acrescido com fungicidas: flutriafol, tebuconazol, epoxiconazol + piradostrobina, clorotalonil + tiofonato-metílico, captana, mancozebe, carbendazim, azoxistrobina + ciproconazol e propiconazol. Neste teste foram utilizados quatro isolados de diferentes órgãos da planta... / The rubber cultivation [Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. Jussieu) Muell. Arg.] is being attacked by several diseases of economic importance, among which is the anthracnose; this is caused by the fungus Colletotrichum spp. (teleomorph: Glomerella spp). This fungus causes several damages in the plant such as injuries in the leaves, branches, fruits and cankers in the taping panel. Only Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was reported as the causal agent of this disease in Brazil. The aim of this study was to identify isolates of the fungus Colletotrichum spp. from rubber trees, localized in different regions of Sao Paulo state. The study was carried out by six phases: a) culture characterization, in which the color and the culture appearance were observed in vitro, conidial production and growth rate at six temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 °C); b) morphological characterization, which consist of measuring the length and width, and observed the shape of the conidia; c) pathogenicity test on selected leaves and disks of leaves, with four isolates from rubber and two isolates from citrus; d) growth in fungicide benomyl at four concentrations of active ingredient; e) molecular identification for monosporic and multisporic cultures with specific primers to the species of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum acutatum and ITS1 and ITS4 primers which amplified a small region (18S) and a large region (28S), and these also allowed the amplification of 5.8S rDNA and internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2); f) Growth tests in culture medium supplemented with fungicides: flutriafol, tebuconazole, epoxiconazole + piradostrobina, chlorothalonil + tiofonato-methyl, captan, mancozeb, carbendazim, azoxystrobin + cyproconazole and propiconazole. In this test, four isolates were used from... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)