Utilizando um modelo físico de uma panela siderúrgica agitada com gás, de base elíptica e escala reduzida, foram realizados estudos para verificar a influência de diversas variáveis operacionais na otimização dos processos de mistura, fenômenos de emulsificação, e comportamento da abertura do olho da coluna de bolhas durante a agitação do aço líquido. Para esses estudos foram utilizados água e querosene como simuladores do aço e escória industrial, respectivamente. Os tempos de mistura foram determinados por medidas de condutividade. O escoamento do líquido foi caracterizado por meio da técnica PIV (velocimetria por imagem de partícula) e dispersão de traçador. Ambos experimentos, assim como os fenômenos de emulsificação e abertura do olho da coluna de bolhas, foram registrados por uma câmera de vídeo. Os resultados experimentais mostram que os tempos de mistura diminuem com o aumento da vazão de gás, porém aumentam na presença de uma camada de escória. Das configurações testadas, os menores tempos de mistura foram obtidos para uma adição do traçador (ou liga) no olho da coluna de bolhas e uma posição de injeção de gás a meio raio. Os fenômenos de emulsificação aumentam com o aumento da vazão de gás, com o deslocamento da posição de injeção de gás desde a parede para o centro da panela e com o aumento da camada de escória. A abertura do olho da coluna de bolhas cresce linearmente com o aumento da vazão de gás e diminui com o aumento da camada de escória. As correlações empíricas encontradas na literatura prevêm satisfatoriamente os resultados experimentais do modelo físico. / Utilized gas stirring ladle cold model, elliptic shape and reduced scale, were carried out study for verify effects of operational variables in optimization process mixing, emulsification phenomena, behavior exposed eye of the bubble column or plume and removal inclusions during stirring steel liquid. For these study were utilized water and kerosene how simulators steel and slag industrial. The mixing time was measured by an electrical conductivity method. Fluid flow characterization were realized through PIV (particle image velocimetry) technique and tracer dispersion experiments. This is experiments as well as behavior emulsification and aperture eye of the bubble column or plume were registered by the video recordings. Experimental results show decreases mixing time with increment gas flow rate however, increment in presence of slag layer covered the bath. From the tests configurations, is low mixing time were obtained for location addition tracer (or alloy) in eye of the bubble column or plume and half radius gas position injection. This emulsification phenomena increment considerably with gas flow rate, as gas position injection is moved from the wall ladle to center and increment slag layer thickness. The aperture eye of the bubble column or plume increases linearly with increment gas flow rate and decrease with increment slag layer thickness. Empirical correlations in literature agreement satisfactory the experimental result of physical model.

The thesis deals with values of overfall discharge coefficients for commonly used types of low weirs. Comparison of their values with values based on established procedures. Determination of low weir capacity at free and submerged overfall.

This  thesis  deals  with  production  of  three-dimensional  animated  model. Thesis is about model of billiard table and visualization of balls motion on its surface. Using simulation methods to solve the problem of balls motion is the goal of this work. This thesis contains summary of physical phenomena which describe the ball motion. There are also animation and simulation techniques which are used to create a model involved in this work. This thesis also deals with description of software, which can be used to create a three-dimensional model, animation and define user interaction. The second part of thesis describes how simulation program and visualization application was made. In the end, there are charts which describe ball behaviour involved in this work.

To monitor and control the combustion in a diesel engine one can study the speed signal from the flywheel. The idea is that if individual cylinders give different amount of torque this will lead to variations in the flywheel speed. A model which describes the cylinder torque based on flywheel speed can be used to estimate the torque from individual cylinders. With this new knowledge of the individual performance of each cylinder the engine can be balanced. The balancing aim at making the speed of the flywheel more even but also required a model with estimated cylinder torque as input. This model may also be used for testing new control algorithms easily and gaining understanding of the dynamics. In this thesis a time dissolved model is constructed to describe the cylinder pressure-, crankshaft-, flywheel and damper dynamics. The model is based on a physical point of view by approximating the system into nodes containing mass, stiffness and friction. The inputs into the model are injection data from the engine management system (EMS) and a torque from a drive line. Ways to reduce the complexity of the model are investigated in order to invert the model to estimate the injection data based on flywheel speed measurements. Measurementsare done in a test bed to receive data required for model simulation and validation. The result is that the main behavior of the dynamics is caught. The self oscillation behaviors in some operating points are however not caught which indicates that the model can not explain all behaviors. A reduced model works almost as well but of course looses more of the non stiffness behavior. As expected, the model equations can not be solved in real time. The result of the inverted reduced model depends on the flywheel signal. When the signal contains little non stiffness behavior the result is good. An observer model based on the reduced model is suggested and tested in order to estimate the indicated torque from flywheel data. The observer manages to detect errors in the injection.

Yes / The concept of proximity curve and a new algorithm are proposed for obtaining clusters in a finite set of data points in the finite dimensional Euclidean space. Each point is endowed with a potential constructed by means of a multi-dimensional Cauchy density, contributing to an overall anisotropic potential function. Guided by the steepest descent algorithm, the data points are successively visited and removed one by one, and at each stage the overall potential is updated and the magnitude of its local gradient is calculated. The result is a finite sequence of tuples, the proximity curve, whose pattern is analysed to give rise to a deterministic clustering. The finite set of all such proximity curves in conjunction with a simulation study of their distribution results in a probabilistic clustering represented by a distribution on the set of dendrograms. A two-dimensional synthetic data set is used to illustrate the proposed potential-based clustering idea. It is shown that the results achieved are plausible since both the ‘geographic distribution’ of data points as well as the ‘topographic features’ imposed by the potential function are well reflected in the suggested clustering. Experiments using the Iris data set are conducted for validation purposes on classification and clustering benchmark data. The results are consistent with the proposed theoretical framework and data properties, and open new approaches and applications to consider data processing from different perspectives and interpret data attributes contribution to patterns.

[pt] Um dos grandes desafios da computação gráfica é conseguir representar ambientes virtuais que assemelham-se aos ambientes reais observados pelos seres humanos em seu dia-a-dia. A fim de alcançar essa representação, diversos estudos foram realizados na área de renderização fotorealística e, principalmente, na que diz respeito à modelagem física e representação de fenômenos naturais. Esse estudo propõe explicar e analisar técnicas que representam o fenômeno de dispersão atmosférica; responsável por definir a cor da atmosfera/céu. Para alcançar esse objetivo, serão apresentadas duas técnicas: uma técnica baseada em um modelo físico e outra baseada em um modelo analítico e de aproximações. Esse estudo apresenta os detalhes de cada uma das técnicas e apresenta um comparativo para auxiliar na escolha da técnica de acordo com a necessidade e os requisitos da aplicação que irá representar o fenômeno de dispersão atmosférica. / [en] One of the greatest challenges of computer graphics is to represent virtual environments that resemble real environments observed by humans in their day-to-day. In order to achieve this representation, several studies have been conducted in the area of photorealistic rendering, and especially in regards to physical modelling and representation of natural phenomena. This study aims to explain and analyze techniques that represent the phenomenon of atmospheric scattering; responsible for setting the color of atmosphere/sky. To achieve this goal, two techniques are presented: one based on a physical model and the other based on an analytical model and approximations. This study presents the details of each technique and a comparative to help in choosing the technique according to the need and requirements of the application that will represent the phenomenon of atmospheric scattering.

Rapid growth in population along with positive trends in global economy over the past several decades has significantly contributed to an increased demand for various infrastructure needs worldwide. For this reason, the focus of this thesis has been directed towards extending the mechanics of unsaturated soils, which is an emerging geotechnical engineering field to investigate the behavior of two key infrastructure systems, namely pile foundations and energy pipeline systems. The mechanism of soil-pile foundations and soil-pipeline systems interaction behavior has several similarities. Both these infrastructure facilities require comprehensive understanding of the soil-structure interaction mechanism. Reliable estimation of mechanical properties of both the soil and the soil-structure interface is required for the rational interpretation the load-displacement behavior of pile foundations and pipeline systems. Currently, the design of systems is predominantly based on design codes and guidelines that use empirical procedures or employ the principles of saturated soil mechanics. In many scenarios, pile foundations extend either totally or partly in unsaturated soils as the groundwater table level in many regions is at a greater depth. Such scenarios are commonly encountered in semi-arid and arid regions of the world. In addition, pipeline systems are typically buried at shallow depths in unsaturated soil strata, which are susceptible to wetting and drying, freezing and thawing cycles or both, due to seasonal environmental changes. Capillary stress or matric suction in the unsaturated zone increases the effective stress contribution towards the shear strength and stiffness of soil and soil-structure interface. Extending saturated soil mechanics to design or analyze such structures may lead to erroneous estimation of pile foundation carrying capacity or loads transferred on pipeline body from the surrounding unsaturated soil. Experimental, analytical and numerical investigations were undertaken to study the behavior of single pile, pile group, and pipeline systems in saturated and unsaturated sands under static loading. The experimental program includes 40 single model pile and 2×2 pile group, and six prototype pipeline tests under saturated and unsaturated condition. The results of the experimental studies suggest that matric suction has significant contribution towards the mechanical behavior of both pile foundation and pipeline system. The axial load carrying capacity of single pile and pile group increased approximately 2 to 2.5 times and the settlement reduced significantly compared to saturated condition. The influence of matric suction towards a single pile is significantly different in comparison to pile group behavior. The cumulative influence of matric suction and stress overlap of pile group behavior in sandy soils result in erroneous estimation of pile group capacity, if principles of saturated soil mechanics are extended. Group action plays major role in changing the moisture regime under the pile group leading to incompatible stress state condition in comparison to single pile behavior. On the other hand, the peak axial load on the pipe is almost 2.5 folds greater in unsaturated sand that undergoes much less displacement in comparison to saturated condition. Such an increase in the external axial forces may jeopardize the integrity of energy pipeline systems and requires careful reevaluation of existing design models extending the principles of unsaturated soil mechanics. Two analytical design models to estimate the axial force exerted on pipeline body were proposed. The proposed models take account of matric suction effect and soil dilatancy and provide smooth transition from unsaturated to saturated condition. These models were developed since measurement of the unsaturated soil and interface shear strength and stiffness properties need extensive equipment that require services of trained professional, which are expensive and time consuming. The models utilize the saturated soil shear strength parameters and soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) to predict the mechanical behavior of the structure in saturated and unsaturated cohesionless soils. The prototype pipeline experimental results were used to verify the proposed models. The predicted axial force on pipeline using the proposed models agrees well with the measured behavior under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. Moreover, numerical techniques were proposed to investigate the behavior of pile foundation and pipeline system in saturated and unsaturated sand. The proposed methodology can be used with different commercially available software programs. Two finite element analysis programs were used in this study; namely, PLAXIS 2D (2012) to simulate soil-pile foundation behavior and SIGMA/W (2012) to simulate soil-pipeline system behavior. The proposed techniques require the information of unsaturated shear strength and stiffness, which can be derived from saturated soil properties and the SWCC. The model was verified using pile and pipeline test results from this study and other research studies from the published literature. There is a good agreement between the measured behavior and the predicted behavior for both the saturated and unsaturated conditions. The methodology was further extended to investigate the behavior of rigid and flexible pipelines buried in Indian Head till (IHT) during nearby soil excavation activity. The simulation results suggest that excavation can be extended safely without excessive deformation to several meters without the need for supporting system under unsaturated condition. The studies summarized in the thesis provide evidence that the principles of saturated soil mechanics underestimate the pile foundations carrying capacity as well as the axial force exerted on pipelines in unsaturated soils. Such approaches lead to both uneconomical pile foundation and unsafe pipeline systems designs. For this reason, the pile and pile group carrying capacity and pipeline axial force should be estimated taking into account the influence of matric suction as well as the dilatancy of the compacted sand. The experimental studies, testing techniques along with the analyses of test results and the proposed analytical and numerical models are useful for better understanding the pile foundation and buried pipeline behaviors under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. The proposed analytical and finite element models are promising for applying the mechanics of unsaturated soils into conventional geotechnical engineering practice using simple methods.

Static and dynamic interaction mechanism of the retained soil-compressible geofoam buffer and yielding retaining structures requires further investigation. The present study, initiated on this motive, discusses the results of 1-g physical model tests and numerical analyses of cantilever retaining walls with and without deformable geofoam buffers between the wall and cohesionless granular backfill. 0.7m high walls with various wall thicknesses were utilized in the physical modeling. Dynamic tests were carried out by using a laminar container placed on a uni-axial shaking table. Influence of buffer thickness, geofoam type and wall flexibility as well as base excitation characteristics on the lateral earth pressures and flexural wall deflections were under concern. Outcomes of the analyses performed with FLAC-2D (v6.0) finite difference code were validated against the results of the physical model tests. It was observed that the arching effect induced in the retained soil by the lateral compression of the lower half of the geofoam buffer has a positive effect, as this zone is able to absorb a portion of the total unbalanced lateral force exerted by the backfill thus causing a reduction in the static and seismic lateral wall pressures. Relative thickness and stiffness of the geofoam buffer appear to be the most dominant factors affecting the reduction in earth thrust. Lateral earth pressure coefficients determined from physical model tests were compared with those calculated using methods available in the literature. Good agreement was observed between the predictions. Graphs were provided to estimate the static and dynamic lateral earth pressure coefficients for various combinations of wall stiffness and buffer characteristics. Analysis of a 6m high prototype cantilever wall subjected to an excitation recorded in August 17, 1999 Kocaeli earthquake by finite difference method exhibited the contribution of geofoam buffers on seismic performance of cantilever earth retaining walls. It was observed that the presence of an EPS geofoam inclusion provides a reduction of the permanent flexural wall deflections as well as total seismic thrust likely to be experienced by the wall during an earthquake.

This thesis aims to increase our understanding of mechanisms that influence larval dispersal in marine benthic invertebrates, particularly in the absence of strong oceanographic features (e.g. estuarine plumes, upwelling events, or markedly different water masses). Laboratory experiments identified behavioural mechanisms that regulate the vertical distribution of larvae in response to thermal stratification, and field studies in St. George’s Bay, Nova Scotia (NS), Canada, examined the relationship between larval abundance and physical variables (temperature, salinity, fluorescence, etc) and identified mechanisms that regulate larval distributions in situ. In the laboratory, I demonstrated that thermal stratification affects the vertical distribution of larvae by acting as a barrier to migration, or through temperature-dependent vertical swimming velocities. I also developed a random walk based model which highlighted that the key to successfully simulating larval response to temperature was 1) determining the temperature-dependent distribution of vertical swimming velocities and 2) the temporal autocorrelation in these velocities. In the field, the most striking pattern was that the larval distributions for species with similar swimming abilities were significantly correlated to one another at all scales (0.5 to 40 km). This suggests a common mechanism, related to larval swimming ability, which greatly influences the horizontal larval distribution. I found that the spatial scale of variability in larval distributions (~ 3 km) matches that in both the environmental variables and of coherent structures in current velocities (i.e. the tidal excursion). Results from an aggregation-diffusion model suggest that horizontal larval swimming could not be responsible for the observed level of aggregation in the larval horizontal distributions. I suggest that these horizontal patterns are the result of 1) an aggregative process (i.e. larvae swimming against a vertical current and maintaining their vertical position) and 2) a diffusive process which scales the aggregations to the scale of the coherent structures in current velocity (i.e. tidal excursion). In conclusion, this thesis increases our understanding of larval behaviour and its effects on larval dispersal. The results will be particularly useful to those who are interested in mechanisms regulate population connectivity, particularly those using bio-physical models to model dispersal trajectories.

The objective of this dissertation is to derive a set of compact physical models addressing power integrity issues in high performance gigascale integration (GSI) systems and three-dimensional (3-D) systems. The aggressive scaling of CMOS integrated circuits makes the design of power distribution networks a serious challenge. This is because the supply current and clock frequency are increasing, which increases the power supply noise. The scaling of the supply voltage slowed down in recent years, but the logic on the integrated circuit (IC) still becomes more sensitive to any supply voltage change because of the decreasing clock cycle and therefore noise margin. Excessive power supply noise can lead to severe degradation of chip performance and even logic failure. Therefore, power supply noise modeling and power integrity validation are of great significance in GSI systems and 3-D systems. Compact physical models enable quick recognition of the power supply noise without doing dedicated simulations. In this dissertation, accurate and compact physical models for the power supply noise are derived for power hungry blocks, hot spots, 3-D chip stacks, and chip/package co-design. The impacts of noise on transmission line performance are also investigated using compact physical modeling schemes. The models can help designers gain sufficient physical insights into the complicated power delivery system and tradeoff various important chip and package design parameters during the early stages of design. The models are compared with commercial tools and display high accuracy.