Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Due to the relative scarcity of weather stations, the climate conditions of large areas are not adequately represented by a weather station. This is especially true for regions with complex topographies or low population densities. Various interpolation techniques and software packages are available with which the climate of such areas can be calculated from surrounding weather stations’ data. This study investigates the possibility of using the software package ANUSPLIN to create accurate climate maps for the Western Cape, South Africa. ANUSPLIN makes use of thin plate smoothing splines and a digital elevation model to convert point data into grid format to represent an area’s climatic conditions. This software has been used successfully throughout the world, therefore a large body of literature is available on the topic, highlighting the limitations and successes of this interpolation method. Various factors have an effect on a region’s climate, the most influential being location (distance from the poles or equator), topography (height above sea level), distance from large water bodies, and other topographical factors such as slope and aspect. Until now latitude, longitude and the elevation of a weather station have most often been used as input variables to create climate grids, but the new version of ANUSPLIN (4.3) makes provision for additional variables. This study investigates the possibility of incorporating the effect of the surrounding oceans and topography (slope and aspect) in the interpolation process in order to create climate grids with a resolution of 90m x 90m. This is done for monthly mean daily maximum and minimum temperature and the mean monthly rainfall for the study area for each month of the year. Not many projects where additional variables have been incorporated in the interpolation process using ANUSPLIN are to be found in the literature, thus further investigation into the correct transformation and the units of these variables had to be done before they could be successfully incorporated. It was found that distance to oceans influences a region’s maximum and minimum temperatures, and to a lesser extent rainfall, while aspect and slope has an influence on a region’s rainfall. In order to assess the accuracy of the interpolation process, two methods were employed, namely statistical values produced during the spline function calculations by ANUSPLIN, and the removal of a selected number of stations in order to compare the interpolated values with the actual measured values. The analysis showed that more accurate maps were obtained when additional variables were incorporated into the interpolation process. Once the best transformations and units were identified for the additional variables, climate maps were produced in order to compare them with existing climate grids available for the study area. In general the temperatures were higher than those of the existing grids. For the rainfall grids ANUSPLIN’s produced higher rainfall values throughout the study region compared to the existing grids, except for the Southwestern Cape where the rainfall values were lower on north-facing slopes and high-lying area

[pt] Neste trabalho apresenta-se o desenvolvimento teórico e a implementação de uma metodologia proposta para o dimensionamento de juntas soldadas, baseada em soluções de modelos de placas obtidas por elementos finitos. A técnica consiste em, a partir da avaliação do estado de tensões nas proximidades da junta resultante da simulação numérica sob carregamentos reais, obter-se a dimensão requerida da seção transversal (seção da garganta) ao longo do comprimento do cordão de solda. No dimensionamento do cordão, consideram-se simplificações das distribuições das componentes de tensões ao longo da espessura da casca, inerentes aos modelos de cascas finas. Com o objetivo de testar-se a aplicabilidade da metodologia proposta em soluções numéricas apresenta-se, inicialmente, o dimensionamento de cordões de solda sob carregamentos simples - cisalhamento transversal, membrana e flexão - em que os resultados são verificados com os obtidos de modelos analíticos. Além destes, são também apresentadas soluções para estruturas complexas formadas por chapas soldadas, como exemplos de aplicação prática da implementação desenvolvida. / [en] This work presents theoretical and implementation procedures related to a proposal for the design of welded joints, based on finite element solutions for plate models. The technique consists on obtaining the required dimensions at the throat section of the weld, required to resist prescribed loads, based on stress component evaluations nearby the weld, along its length. In the calculations some simplifications on the stress component distributions along the plate thickness are considered, typical of thin walled plates. Evaluations of the proposed methodology are performed considering the weld design of plates under standard prescribed - transverse shear, membrane and bending loads - where the numerical results are verified against analytic results. Solutions for the design of plate welds in complex structures are also presented and discussed

The diploma thesis deals with the propagation of a weir (channel) width on the weir capacity. The influence rate is analyzed by laboratory measurements on models with a weir (channel) width of 0,02 m to a width of 0,50 m. Different heads are analyzed and different discharges that calculate the discharge coefficient. The results are compared with previous works, especially with the work of Kindsvater and Carter (1957) and of Schoder and Turner (1929), where the same procedures are used to calculate discharge coefficients. The thesis contains a theoretical introduction to the problem of thin-plate weirs and the problem of the formation of the boundary layer in the flow of liquid, following with the analytical part. In the analytical part, the results of measurements, their comparison, and evaluation are published. The work is completed with evaluation and recommendations.

The human face is characterized by a combination of morphological characters, which are unique for each individual. These characters are subject to change during ontogeny influenced by age, pathological conditions, injuries. The aim of this diploma thesis was an observation of age changes in the face of individuals in the age range from one to eighteen. Resource material were black and white photographs of girls and boys. Analysis of age changes in facial area was performed using methods of geometric morphometrics, specifically thin plate spine (TPS). The shape analysis confirmed, that between age and face shape exists significant relationship. It was found, that is mainly due to significant changes in height and width ratios. Face extends and narrows, forehead height is reduced and lower jaw grows to lenght. Facial changes are also influenced by the sex of individuals, while for girls the overall growth in the face stopps about age of fifteen, for boys continues to the age of eighteen years. Keywords Geometric morphometrics, thin plate spline, ontogenetic development of the face, age changes.

The main outcome of this Thesis is a set of Q / h characteristic that was obtained extensive hydraulic model research measuring plate designed for the determination of water flow in circular profiles. The final Q / h characteristic are functions of angle and vertical cut remoteness of the top slot from the bottom of the measurement aperture. Part of the output is an overview of the expected values of uncertainties of measurement in practical use in a specific aperture in sewers and evaluation of impacts involved in determining the overall uncertainty of the flow. The performed hydraulic modeling research is therefore possible to determine Q / h and characteristics for circular sections of larger diameter and to determine their uncertainties when using specific plate. For the design and shape measuring plate of the profile with larger average output is part of a supplement for quick design of specific screens.

No description available.

This master´s thesis deals with the problem of measuring flow, especially using the method of Q/H characteristics. It describes the thin-plate weir and mentions specific channels. The master´s thesis suggests options of monitoring flow capacity in fixed proffiles with free surface. The master´s thesis also includes an experiment, which is focused on simulation of substandard tributary flowing proportions before weirs for determining their effect on Q/H characteristcs. The experiment is carried out on a thin-plate weir with a rectangular notch at the Department of Water Structures at the Faculty of Civil Engeneering in Brno. Another part of the master´s thesis is data processing to get an idea about the impact of the phenomenon in real applications. Finally, options are recommended for follow-up research.

This diploma thesis deals with finding the minimal countercurrent distance of the water surface sensors used in practice for use with a V-notch weir. The thesis complements the previously obtained results of measurements in the longitudinal vertical plane of symmetry of the inlet channel with measurements on the whole countercurrently located plane of the inlet channel. The measurements are obtained experimentally in the water management research laboratory at the Department of the Water Structures Faculty of Civil Engineering in Brno. Measurements on each individual weir with top angle cutouts of 90°, 53°8´ and 28°4´ are taken at five possible positions of the sensor towards the plane of the measuring weir. All measurements are also repeated for three different vertical distances between the lowest level of the spillway edge and the bottom of the inlet channel. The obtained data are evaluated and subsequently the minimal distances for the location of the water surface sensor in front of a counter weir is determined. The thesis also includes recommendations for practical application presented in the form of text, tables and also graphically.

The thesis is divided into literary research and practical part (own measurement). The content of the literary research is a description of the flow over thin-plate rectangular weir. The practical part is focused on a description of the model, measuring equipment and measurement. The results are evaluation of lower and upper surface of nappe, determination of discharge coefficient, coefficient of relative length of shaft, limit value of relative length of shaft for uninfluenced shape of nappe.

No description available.