Numerous spacecraft designs exist for exploring the surfaces of planetary bodies and each have their own advantages and disadvantages. All successful landings have been made by stationary landers or wheeled rovers that rely on one-time use mechanisms, such as crushable aluminum honeycomb shock absorbers or inflatable airbags, to reduce shock loading to the spacecraft during landing. The stationary lander is the simplest type of lander, but can only take data from one location. Wheeled rovers add complexity in exchange for mobility to explore different locations. Rovers are limited by the terrain they can traverse; rovers becoming stuck have ended missions. In contrast to rovers and stationary landers, hoppers explore by making multiple launch and landing hops. They have the advantage of being able to avoid terrain that would cause a rover to become stuck. A hopper may require a landing shock absorber that can reliably operate multiple times in harsh environments. Most terrestrial shock absorbers use hydraulic fluid, allowing for compact and inexpensive devices. Hydraulics have been used in space applications, but require thermal controls to maintain the proper fluid viscosity. They also require dynamic seals which, in the case of a leak, can degrade performance, shorten mission life, and contaminate sensitive science equipment. Leakage is also a concern in pressurized systems in space because missions can take decades from when a system is installed to when it actually is used. To address these issues, a pressurized metal bellows shock absorber is proposed. This shock absorber could operate at nearly any expected spacecraft environment. Metal bellows are designed to operate from cryogenic temperatures to several hundred degrees Celsius. A hermetically sealed system eliminates the risks of a system with seals. Metal bellows are in common use for terrestrial harsh environments and vacuum applications. Small metal bellows are used as dampers for pressure control systems with small displacements. Models for the dynamics of this device are developed and presented here. Starting from the ideal gas law, polytropic compression, and compressible flow through an orifice, differential equations of motion and pressure are derived. These equations are nonlinear for the displacements under consideration and are nondimensionalized to help provide insight. Equations for static equilibrium, maximum initial displacement bounds, and estimated natural frequency are presented. Metal bellows can operate as a passive damper with a simple orifice between the control volumes. Optimization is performed for the nondimensional model of a passive damper. Because the response is highly nonlinear, a method is developed to estimate a damping coefficient that is used as the objective function for this optimization. Feasibility of this concept is investigated through an example design problem using data from a metal bellows manufacturer as constraints. An optimal mass configuration is found that meets the design constraints. Performance can be improved over the passive system by adding control. The first control strategy involves a check valve, such that the effective orifice size varies between compression and extension. The next control strategy replaces the orifice with a control valve. Varying the valve opening and closing timing can achieve optimal performance. Finally, using the metal bellows as an actuator to help launch the hopper is investigated. While the valve is closed, the gas in the second volume is compressed. Then the valve is opened the hopper is launched. The results of this research show that a metal bellows device holds promise as a landing shock absorber and launch actuator to extend the range of hopper spacecraft.

The following project has been carried out in collaboration with Abstracta AB (AAB), a company based in Lammhult with specialization in sound landscapes for indoor environments. The company manufactures different types of products with sound-absorbing properties where sustainability and design are in great focus. A new product idea of the company is based on developing an A-classified discreetly designed wall absorber that is considered more as a "wall" than a "wall with mounted absorbent on". The purpose of the project was to develop the following product on a conceptual level. A main research question with two underlying issues was developed that served as a support during the project. Question 1: How can an A-rated discreetly designed sound wall absorber be developed? 1.a: How can an A-rated sound wall absorber be developed? 1.b: How can a sound wall absorber achieve a discreetness in its design? The project followed a product development process where the mainly focus was on concept development and concept testing. The concept was developed based on data collected from a literature study and with the use of a sound absorption calculator. A sound absorption test and an examination form regarding the discrete modeling and design of the absorbent were performed for the final concept that the project resulted in. The project showed that an A-rated discreetly designed sound wall absorber can be developed through a process where design-critical specifications that affect the absorber's discrete design control how the object can be modeled. Via a sound absorption calculator, concepts can be designed that theoretically indicate an A-rate while the design-critical specifications are not exceeded. Based on the concept, a prototype is manufactured that can undergo a sound absorption test to determine the absorbent's actual sound absorption capacity. Finally, an examination is made to analyze whether the absorbent is considered a discrete alternative or not. Based on the project's results, the work process proved to be advantageous as the concept indicated a sound absorption capacity that exceeded the requirements of the A-rating and at the same time obtained a discreet design and modeling. This was achieved in connection with the manufacturing materials achieving their technical specifications and a square meter cost lower than expected. Based on the project's results, the work process proved to be advantageous as the concept indicated a sound absorption capacity that exceeded the requirements of the A-rating and at the same time obtained a discreet design and modeling. This was achieved in connection with the manufacturing materials achieving their technical specifications and a square meter cost lower than expected. In the further development of the final concept, a solution for how the absorbent is to be mounted on the wall must be developed as this was not focused on in the project based on its boundaries. To achieve a valid A-rate, an additional sound absorption test must also be performed where a larger object area of 10–12 m2 is tested. In future work, the concept's discrete modeling and design should also be examined based on physical treatment to review how the examination form's response results relate to this. / Följande projekt utförs i samarbete med Abstracta AB (AAB), ett företag som är stationerat i Lammhult och är specialiserade inom ljudlandskap för inomhusmiljöer. Företaget framställer olika typer av produkter med ljudabsorberande egenskaper där hållbarhet och design även är i stort fokus. En ny produktidé av företaget grundar sig i att utveckla en A-klassificerad diskret utformad väggabsorbent som betraktas mer som en ”vägg” än en ”vägg med uppmonterad absorbent på”. Syftet med projektet var att framta följande produkt på en konceptuell nivå. En huvudsaklig forskningsfråga med två underliggande frågeställningar togs fram som fungerade som ett stöd under projektets gång. Fråga 1: Hur kan en A-klassificerad diskret utformad ljudväggabsorbent utvecklas? 1.a: Hur kan en A-klassificerad ljudväggabsorbent utvecklas? 1.b: Hur kan en ljudväggabsorbent uppnå en diskrethet i sin design? Projektet följde en produktutvecklingsprocess där det största fokuset låg på konceptutvecklingen och koncepttestningen. Koncepten utvecklades utifrån insamlade data från en litteraturstudie och med användning av en ljudabsorptionskalkylator. Ett ljudabsorptionstest och ett undersökningsformulär gällande absorbentens diskreta utformning och design utfördes för det slutgiltiga konceptet som projektet resulterade i. Projektet visade att en A-klassificerad diskret utformad ljudväggabsorbent kan utvecklas genom en process där designkritiska specifikationer som berör absorbentens diskreta utformning styr hur objektet kan formges. Via en ljudabsorptionskalkylator kan koncept designas som teoretiskt indikerar en A-klassning samtidigt som de designkritiska specifikationerna ej överskrids. Utifrån konceptet tillverkas en prototyp som kan genomgå ett ljudabsorptionstest för att fastställa absorbentens verkliga ljudupptagningsförmåga. En undersökning görs slutligen för att analysera huruvida absorbenten betraktas som ett diskret alternativ eller ej. Utifrån projektets resultat visade sig arbetsprocessen vara fördelaktig då konceptet påvisade en ljudabsorptionsförmåga som överträffade A-klassningens krav och samtidigt erhöll en diskret utformning och design. Detta åstadkom i samband med att tillverkningsmaterialen uppnådde sina tekniska specifikationer och en kvadratmeterkostnad lägre än väntat. I fortsatt utveckling av det slutgiltiga konceptet måste en lösning till hur absorbenten ska monteras på väggen tas fram eftersom detta inte fokuserades på i projektet utifrån dess avgränsningar. För att en giltig A-klassificering ska nås måste även ytterligare ett ljudabsorptionstest utföras där en större objektarea på 10–12 m2 testas. I framtida arbete bör även konceptets diskreta utformning och design undersökas utifrån fysiska bemötanden för att granska hur undersökningsformulärets svarsresultat förhåller sig till detta.

Oceans cover two thirds of the Earth’s surface and the energy potential of ocean waves as a renewable energy source is huge. It would therefore be a tremendous achievement if the vast mechanical energy in waves was converted into a form of energy that could be used successfully by society. For years, scientists and engineers have endeavored to exploit this renewable energy by inventing various generators designed to transform wave energy into electrical energy. Generally, this sort of generator is called a Wave Energy Converter (WEC). In this thesis, the research is based on the WEC developed in the Lysekil Project. The Lysekil Project is led by a research group at Uppsala University and has a test site located on the west coast of Sweden. The project started in 2002. So far, more than ten prototypes of the WEC have been deployed and relevant experiments have been carried out at the test site. The WEC developed at Uppsala University can be categorized as a point absorber. It consists of a direct-drive linear generator connected to a floating buoy. The linear generator is deployed on the seabed and driven by a floating buoy to extract wave energy. The absorbed energy is converted to electricity and transmitted to a measuring station on land. The work presented in this thesis focuses on building a linear generator model which is able to predict the performance of the Lysekil WEC. Studies are also carried out on the damping behavior of the WEC under the impact of different sea climates. The purpose is to optimize the energy absorption with a specific optimal damping coefficient. The obtained results indicate an optimal damping for the Lysekil WEC which can be used for optimizing the damping control. Additionally, the impact two central engineering design features (the translator weight and the stroke length) are investigated. The aim is to find a reasonable structural design for the generator which balances the cost and the energy production.

Since the isolation of graphene in 2004, a large amount of research has been directed at 2D materials and their applications due to their unique characteristics. This thesis delivers pioneering developments on the applications of graphene and graphene oxide (GO) on electromagnetic ranges such as radio frequency, microwave frequency and THz bands, and specifically 2D materials based antennas, absorbers, sensors and etc. This thesis focuses on exploring electromagnetic applications of monolayer graphene, printed graphene and graphene oxide. In study of monolayer graphene applications, the theoretical and simulation studies are carried out to design tunable terahertz (THz) absorbers, tunable microwave wideband absorbers, and reconfigurable antennas, etc. These studies on the applications of monolayer graphene have proved prospective potentials of graphene in THz sensing, RCS reduction, and reconfigurable antennas. This thesis also presents pioneering advances on electromagnetic applications of printed graphene. Among these works, low-cost highly conductive and mechanically flexible printed graphene is developed for radio frequency (RF) applications. For the first time, effective RF radiation of printed graphene is experimentally demonstrated. Based on these results, applications of printed graphene including RFID (radio frequency identification) tags, anti-tampering RFID, EMI shielding, flexible microwave components such as transmission lines, resonators and antennas, conformable wideband radar absorbers, graphene oxide based wireless sensors, etc. are developed and experimentally demonstrated. This work significantly expands applications of graphene in electromagnetic areas.

Orientador: José Manoel Balthazar / Banca: Angelo Marcelo Tusset / Banca: Bento Rodrigues de Pontes Junior / Resumo: Alves Godoy, Willians Roberto, análise de um oscilador não linear acoplado a um absorvedor tipo "snap through truss" (stta). Bauru: Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Julio de Mesquita Filho", 2011, 102 pp., Dissertação (Mestrado). Recentemente os estudos sobre os absorvedores de energia vêm ganhando importância e destaque, principalmente na indústria automobilística e aeronáutica. Esse tipo de absorvedor permite fazer o controle passivo de um sistema vibratório. Na busca por melhores resultados, verificou-se a ansiedade da utilização de absorvedores não lineares, já que estes demonstraram poder receber energia além de uma pequena faixa de freqüencia de vibração do oscilador. Neste trabalho, considera-se o sistema vibratório constituído de um controlador passivo, o absorvedor tipo "snap-through truss" (STTA) acoplado a um oscilador submetido à excitação de um motor elétrico com uma excentricidade e potência limitada, caracterizando um oscilador não ideal (NIO). Busca-se utilizar o absorvedor STTA como um absorvedor não linear, aproveitando sua não linearidade geométrica, e estabelecer condições para que as amplitudes de movimento do sistema principal se tornem menores em determinadas condições. O principal objetivo nesse trabalho é obter as condições em que as amplitudes de movimento do NIO são menores durante a passagem pela ressonância, atenuando o efeito Sommerfeld. Os resultados obtidos nessa situação mostraram que o STTA é eficiente na redução das amplitudes de movimento do NIO antes e dentro da região de ressonâcia. Em contrapartida, ao sair da ressonância ficou evidente que o absorvedor deve ser retirado do sistema por implicar grandes amplitudes ao NIO. Além disso, um breve estudo da atuação do STTA sobre um sistema... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In recent years studies on energy absorver in order to reduce some systems vibration amplitudes has been gaining importance and prominence. This type of absorber allows vibrating system passive control. In order to better results, it was verified the need to use non-lienar absorbers as these have been shown to receive power more than a small band of vibration frequency of the oscillator. This work considers the vibrating system that consists of a snap-through truss absorber (STTA) coupled to an oscillator under excitation of an electric motor with an eccentricity and limited power, characterizing a non-ideal oscillator (NIO). it is aimed to use the absorver STTA as non-linear absorber and establish the conditions for the motion amplitudes become smaller under certain conditions the mian system. Therefore, this work aims to determine the conditions in which the main system, while it passes through resonance, has attenuated its amplitude of moviment and do not waste energy working in this condition. The main objective of this work is to obtain the conditions under which amplitudes motion of NIO are smaller in the passage through resonance, reducing the Sommerfeld effect. The results obtained in this situation showed that the STTA is effectie to reduce amplitudes motion of NIO before and within region of resonance. In contrast, out of resonance, it was evident that absorber must be removed from the system by imply large amplitudes to the NIO. In addition, a brief study of the performance of STTA on an ideal system was performed. In this situation, the STTA showed significant results in the attenuation of amplitudes motion of the oscillator. Therefore, this work shows that the use of snap-through truss absorber is a good alternative among passive abserbers in attenuation of Sommerfeld effect in non-ideal systems / Mestre

<p>This thesis consists of two parts, one dominating part concerning spectrally selective solar absorbers and one dealing with thermal solar systems. The appended papers I to VIII concern the solar absorber part, papers dealing with the systems part have not been included in the thesis.</p><p>A new spectrally selective absorber derived from a novel solution-chemistry method has been developed and optimized. The main objective was to investigate the potential of the spectrally selective surface. Some of the questions at issue were; would it be possible to create a suitable absorber composite using this method, how high selectivity could be obtained, could the performance be enhanced by using anti-reflection coatings, which was the optimal layer composition, would the thin films be durable and what was the structure and morphology like on a nano scale? The absorber consists of absorbing thin films of nickel nano-particles embedded in a dielectric matrix of alumina and an overlying anti-reflection film consisting of one of the following materials silica, hybrid-silica, alumina or silica-titania. Solution and sol-gel chemistry were used in the process. The thin films were spin-coated onto an aluminum substrate followed by a heat-treatment that generated the multi layer selective solar absorber. </p><p>The optical constants for the thin film materials in question were determined. An optimal three layer structure was modeled using the experimentally determined optical constants. The theoretical three layer stack was experimentally confirmed and achieved a solar absorptance of 0.97 and a thermal emittance of 0.05 which definitely are commercially competitive values. The configuration of the three layer stack is: an 80%nickel-20%alumina film at the base, a 40%nickel-60%alumina film in the middle and a silica or hybrid-silica film at the top. The three layer absorber was subjected to high temperature and condensation accelerated ageing tests designed by IEA Task 27. The condensation test did not degrade the absorber whatsoever but the high temperature test did reveal some oxidation of the nickel particles. The oxidation occurs initially and then stops. A formed nickel-oxide layer hinders further oxidation. The level of oxidation is small and the absorber is qualified according to the IEA Task 27 test procedure.</p>

This thesis consists of two parts, one dominating part concerning spectrally selective solar absorbers and one dealing with thermal solar systems. The appended papers I to VIII concern the solar absorber part, papers dealing with the systems part have not been included in the thesis. A new spectrally selective absorber derived from a novel solution-chemistry method has been developed and optimized. The main objective was to investigate the potential of the spectrally selective surface. Some of the questions at issue were; would it be possible to create a suitable absorber composite using this method, how high selectivity could be obtained, could the performance be enhanced by using anti-reflection coatings, which was the optimal layer composition, would the thin films be durable and what was the structure and morphology like on a nano scale? The absorber consists of absorbing thin films of nickel nano-particles embedded in a dielectric matrix of alumina and an overlying anti-reflection film consisting of one of the following materials silica, hybrid-silica, alumina or silica-titania. Solution and sol-gel chemistry were used in the process. The thin films were spin-coated onto an aluminum substrate followed by a heat-treatment that generated the multi layer selective solar absorber. The optical constants for the thin film materials in question were determined. An optimal three layer structure was modeled using the experimentally determined optical constants. The theoretical three layer stack was experimentally confirmed and achieved a solar absorptance of 0.97 and a thermal emittance of 0.05 which definitely are commercially competitive values. The configuration of the three layer stack is: an 80%nickel-20%alumina film at the base, a 40%nickel-60%alumina film in the middle and a silica or hybrid-silica film at the top. The three layer absorber was subjected to high temperature and condensation accelerated ageing tests designed by IEA Task 27. The condensation test did not degrade the absorber whatsoever but the high temperature test did reveal some oxidation of the nickel particles. The oxidation occurs initially and then stops. A formed nickel-oxide layer hinders further oxidation. The level of oxidation is small and the absorber is qualified according to the IEA Task 27 test procedure.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revolutionized the field of cognitive neuroscience as it allows researchers to noninvasively map brain function in response to stimulus or task demands. However, the acquisition of MR images generates substantial acoustic noise, so that imaging studies of speech, language and hearing are problematic. One proven solution for reducing acoustic noise in MRI scanners is the use of micro-perforated panels placed in the bore of the scanner. They can be applied to existing scanners with minimal cost and are suitable for sterile environments. Although these panels result in quantifiably lower noise levels, measured with microphones in an empty MRI, the improvement has not been quantified with a patient in the scanner bore, which dramatically affects the acoustic noise field. This thesis tested the reduction of noise inside the MRI environment using a previously designed micro-perforated acoustic absorber panel. These panels resulted in quantifiably lower noise levels with a volunteer in the scanner bore, however the reduction was not sufficient for significant differences in volunteer perceptions. Volunteers were generally unable to perceive a difference in noise between scans with and without absorbers and no reduction of fatigue was observed. Also no significant change in cortical activity was found between scans done with and without absorbers during an auditory function MRI study. Further testing could include designing a micro-perforated acoustic absorber for a specific scan sequence for maximum attenuation. / Thesis (Master, Mechanical and Materials Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-25 16:54:41.118

A prototype point absorber style wave energy converter has been proposed for deployment off the West coast of Vancouver Island near the remote village of Hotsprings Cove in Hesquiaht Sound; a site identified as having significant wave energy potential. The proposed design consists of two components, a long unique cylindrical spar and a concentric toroid float. To serve ongoing wave energy converter (WEC) dynamics modelling and control research in support of that project, an experimental facility for small scale physical model testing is desired at UVIC. In the immediate term, the facility could be used to determine the hydrodynamic coefficients over a range of wave frequencies. Refined estimates of the hydrodynamic coefficients would be exploited in the optimisation of the WEC geometry. To date, WEC research at UVIC has neglected the frequency dependence of the hydrodynamic coefficients, relying on limited experimental results to provide a single frequency invariant set of coefficient estimates. / Graduate / 0791 / 0547 / 0548 / mercedes.baylis@hotmail.com

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-12-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:37:42Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 godoy_wra_me_bauru.pdf: 2181363 bytes, checksum: 2a22bf1c96c4aa3286f7cf3ced444283 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Alves Godoy, Willians Roberto, análise de um oscilador não linear acoplado a um absorvedor tipo snap through truss (stta). Bauru: Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica, Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho, 2011, 102 pp., Dissertação (Mestrado). Recentemente os estudos sobre os absorvedores de energia vêm ganhando importância e destaque, principalmente na indústria automobilística e aeronáutica. Esse tipo de absorvedor permite fazer o controle passivo de um sistema vibratório. Na busca por melhores resultados, verificou-se a ansiedade da utilização de absorvedores não lineares, já que estes demonstraram poder receber energia além de uma pequena faixa de freqüencia de vibração do oscilador. Neste trabalho, considera-se o sistema vibratório constituído de um controlador passivo, o absorvedor tipo snap-through truss (STTA) acoplado a um oscilador submetido à excitação de um motor elétrico com uma excentricidade e potência limitada, caracterizando um oscilador não ideal (NIO). Busca-se utilizar o absorvedor STTA como um absorvedor não linear, aproveitando sua não linearidade geométrica, e estabelecer condições para que as amplitudes de movimento do sistema principal se tornem menores em determinadas condições. O principal objetivo nesse trabalho é obter as condições em que as amplitudes de movimento do NIO são menores durante a passagem pela ressonância, atenuando o efeito Sommerfeld. Os resultados obtidos nessa situação mostraram que o STTA é eficiente na redução das amplitudes de movimento do NIO antes e dentro da região de ressonâcia. Em contrapartida, ao sair da ressonância ficou evidente que o absorvedor deve ser retirado do sistema por implicar grandes amplitudes ao NIO. Além disso, um breve estudo da atuação do STTA sobre um sistema... / In recent years studies on energy absorver in order to reduce some systems vibration amplitudes has been gaining importance and prominence. This type of absorber allows vibrating system passive control. In order to better results, it was verified the need to use non-lienar absorbers as these have been shown to receive power more than a small band of vibration frequency of the oscillator. This work considers the vibrating system that consists of a snap-through truss absorber (STTA) coupled to an oscillator under excitation of an electric motor with an eccentricity and limited power, characterizing a non-ideal oscillator (NIO). it is aimed to use the absorver STTA as non-linear absorber and establish the conditions for the motion amplitudes become smaller under certain conditions the mian system. Therefore, this work aims to determine the conditions in which the main system, while it passes through resonance, has attenuated its amplitude of moviment and do not waste energy working in this condition. The main objective of this work is to obtain the conditions under which amplitudes motion of NIO are smaller in the passage through resonance, reducing the Sommerfeld effect. The results obtained in this situation showed that the STTA is effectie to reduce amplitudes motion of NIO before and within region of resonance. In contrast, out of resonance, it was evident that absorber must be removed from the system by imply large amplitudes to the NIO. In addition, a brief study of the performance of STTA on an ideal system was performed. In this situation, the STTA showed significant results in the attenuation of amplitudes motion of the oscillator. Therefore, this work shows that the use of snap-through truss absorber is a good alternative among passive abserbers in attenuation of Sommerfeld effect in non-ideal systems