The most basic property of a muscle is its ability to contract and produce force when stimulated. A muscle is mainly composed of cells consisting of myofibrils with its basic unit called as a sarcomere. A sarcomere is composed of actin and myosin responsible for the muscle contraction. The Hill-type muscle model is the most commonly used model to simulate the behavior of a muscle. A muscle can produce its maximum force at isometric conditions. The level of force produced in the muscle is determined by the the frequency of the signals from the CNS. The force production is also a function of force-muscle current velocity and force-muscle current length relations. A muscle contains two types of sensors / i.e. muscle spindle and golgi tendon organ, which give rise to the feedback control of the muscle length and muscle contraction velocity. In this study a 1-D model of a muscle is formed step by step in Simulink. In the models the muscle mechanics has been investigated and the results are compared with the previous works.

[pt] Este trabalho objetiva o projeto, a construção e teste de um dispositivo para a recuperação da geometria de tubulações danificadas externamente por amassamento. O dano a ser reparado é caracterizado por mossas sem cava, implicando em uma alteração suave da superfície sem a ocorrência de defeitos ou de redução na espessura da parede do duto. Considera-se ainda que esta perturbação geométrica provocada pelo amassamento não afete a integridade de eventual cordão de solda presente na tubulação. Para a definição dos parâmetros geométricos dos corpos de prova, da carga de operação requerida nos ensaios e do material de construção do dispositivo (ferramenta) foram utilizados resultados de modelos analíticos aproximados e de soluções por elementos finitos. Neste caso, a representação da tubulação utilizada nos testes numéricos da operação do dispositivo considerou modelos com elementos de cascas finas incluindo efeitos não-lineares associados ao comportamento do material, a grandes deslocamentos e ao contato entre superfícies. Estas simulações numéricas permitiram avaliar-se as condições de solicitação e do funcionamento do dispositivo, necessárias para a execução dos procedimentos experimentais e para a identificação da integridade estrutural da tubulação ao final dos ensaios. Testes experimentais de operação do dispositivo foram realizados em dois especimens tubulares de aço: API5LGrB, com valor nominal de diâmetro 355.6mm (14aspas) e espessura 6.35mm (0.25aspas), ambos com 5m de comprimento. Nestes especimens, também instrumentados com extensômetros elétricos, foram inicialmente impostos amassamentos por punções com geometrias padronizadas do tipo esférico e cilíndrico (especimens de aço API5LGrB) e que resultaram na redução em 15% no diâmetro da tubulação. Em seguida, utilizando-se o dispositivo projetado para o desamassamento dos dutos, promoveu-se a recuperação da geometria de forma a deixar aparente uma indentação não superior a 5% do seu diâmetro nominal. Ensaios de inspeção não-destrutivos, realizados apos os procedimentos experimentais nos dutos, permitiram verificar-se a integridade das tubulações, revelando em ambos os casos a inexistência de descontinuidades na superfície do material . Utilizando- se ensaios numéricos e experimentais, uma metodologia foi desenvolvida para o dimensionamento , construção e a avaliação do protótipo de um dispositivo com as características de portabilidade e de operação adequadas à utilização com robôs autômatos de posicionamento remoto no interior de tubulações (G.I.R.I.N.O./CENPES, p. ex.). / [en] This work deals with design, construction and testing of a tool device for the repair of externally damaged pipes. It is aimed for repairing the so called smooth plain dent type of damage, with no reduction in the pipe wall thickness or any damage in the pipe welding. Geometric parameter definitions and required loading for the testing specimens and, the requirements for material properties to the device design and operation were obtained using simplified analytic solutions and finite element modeling analyses. Tested pipes were first numerically evaluated using finite element analyses, comprising thin-wall shell element models with non-linear material behavior, large displacements and surface contact effects. These numerical simulations allowed for the device functioning and loading evaluations, set requirements for the experimental procedure used and furnished a measure for the pipe structural integrity at the experiment`s onset. Experiments were performed on two 355.6mm diameter, 5m long , API class steel pipes: 5LGrB, with 6.35 thickness. Dents were applied to these specimens, monitored by electric strain-gages, by indenter tools with standard cylinder and sphere surface shapes causing a 15% reduction in the pipe diameter. Recovering of each pipe cross-section roundness was then imposed by a designed tool device, restoring its diameter measure to more than 95% of its original (nominal) value. Following this procedure, non-destructive tests were done with the pipes, with no damages in their material integrity found. Considering the obtained numeric and experimental results, a methodology has been proposed for design, construction and evaluation of a prototype device for piping damage recovery with the characteristics of good portability and operation, allowing for its use with remote operated robots (G.I.R.I.N.O./CENPES, for example).

Increasing demands regarding performance, safety and environmental compatibility of hydraulic mobile machines in combination with rising cost pressures create a growing need for specialized optimization of hydraulic systems; particularly with regard to hydraulic reservoirs. In addition to the secondary function of cooling the oil, two main functions of the hydraulic reservoir are oil storage and de-aeration of the hydraulic oil. While designing hydraulic reservoirs regarding oil storage is quite simple, the design regarding de-aeration can be quite difficult. The author presents an approach to a system optimization of hydraulic reservoirs which combines experimental and numerical techniques to resolve some challenges facing hydraulic tank design. Specialized numerical tools are used in order to characterize the de-aeration performance of hydraulic tanks. Further the simulation of heat transfer is used to study the cooling function of hydraulic tank systems with particular attention to plastic tank solutions. To accompany the numerical tools, experimental test rigs have been built up to validate the simulation results and to provide additional insight into the design and optimization of hydraulic tanks which will be presented as well.

Im Rahmen der verfassten Dissertation wurde der Zerfall eines Flüssigkeitsstrahles untersucht, dessen Austrittsgeschwindigkeit durch periodische Geschwindigkeitsschwankungen moduliert wurde. Dabei konnten Phänomene beobachtet werden, die sich in neun Kategorien klassifizieren lassen. In dem relevanten fünfparametrigen dimensionslosen Raum konnten alle beobachteten Phänomene gegeneinander abgegrenzt werden. Soweit dies möglich war, wurden die Lage bzw. der Verlauf der Grenzen quantitativ bestimmt. Anhand dieser Grenzen konnten die relevanten Einflussgrößen auf die entstehenden Strahlstrukturen beschrieben werden. Es konnten Aussagen bezüglich der Entstehungsmechanismen gemacht werden. Die Untersuchungen wurden durch Auswertung der experimentell ermittelten Daten sowie durch numerische Berechnungen vorgenommen.

The objective of this thesis was to select a star for observation and determine the error in the retrieval technique for a rocket experiment to measure lower thermospheric Nitric Oxide in the polar night using stellar occultation technique. These objectives are accomplished by planning the geometry, determining the requirements for observations, window for launch and discussing the retrieval technique. The planning is carried out using an approximated (no drag) and simulated rocket trajectory (provided by NSROC: NASA Rocket Operations Contract). The simulation for the retrievals is done using data from Student Nitric Oxide Explorer. Stars were taken from a catalogue called TD1. Launch times were obtained from the geometry planned resulting from selecting a zenith angle after choosing a maximum occultation height and determining rocket apogee. Window for observing Spica was found to be 20 minutes. The retrieval technique and simulations showed that column densities and volume densities should be retrievable to less than 5% and 20% respectively observing occultation heights 90-120km. The study suggests that choosing a star positioned north w.r.t the observation location gives us more poleward latitudes and larger launch window. Future research can be carried out applying the stellar occultation and retrieval technique to a satellite. / Master of Science