This dissertation investigates the evolution of continental orogenic systems in Central Asia during and between pre-collisional plate convergence (Cordilleran-style orogenesis), syn-collisional plate convergence (collisional orogenesis), and post-collisional tectonic processes within the scope of closing Paleo-Asian and Tethyan ocean basins. A brief introductory chapter outlines the scope and context of the research. Appendix A focuses on the Late Paleozoic closure of the Turkestan ocean basin and subsequent collision between the Karakum–Tarim and Kazakh–Kyrgyz terranes in the South Tian Shan, within the scope of the final amalgamation of the Mesoproterozoic–Permian Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Appendix B focuses on late Cenozoic syn-collisional exhumation of gneiss domes in the India–Asia collision, which is a component of the Triassic–recent Alpine–Himalayan orogenic belt. Abstracts of the results are provided in the respective appendices.

This project examined the feasibility of using flux modification to reduce the as-deposited hydrogen content of basic-type shielded metal arc welds. Additions of oxidizing ingredients (micaceous iron oxides) to the reference flux formulation lowered the diffusible weld hydrogen content by up to 70%. Increasing amounts of silica caused a slight reduction in hydrogen content, probably as a result of the reaction between SiO2 and CaF2, which produces SiF4 and CaO as reaction products. Flux formulations containing additions of fluorine-containing compounds and calcite displayed lower hydrogen levels, with the diffusible weld metal hydrogen content reaching a minimum with increasing additions. Higher levels caused an increase in the weld hydrogen content. Thermodynamic slag modelling attributes the existence of these minima to a decrease in slag water capacity with an increase in slag fluorine content (at constant basicity), brought about by higher concentrations of fluorine-containing compounds in the flux formulation. The effect of flux additions on the weld mechanical properties and the electrode operating characteristics was not evaluated during the course of this investigation. / Dissertation (MSc (Metallurgy))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering / unrestricted

The dissertation forms part of an ongoing project for the modelling and eventual control of an electric arc furnace (EAF) process. The main motivation behind such a project is the potential benefits that can result from automation of a process that has largely been operator controlled, often with results that leave sufficient room for improvement. Previous work in the project has resulted in the development of a generic model of the process. A later study concentrated on the control of the EAF where economic factors were taken into account. Simulation results from both studies clearly demonstrate the benefits that can accrue from successful implementation of process control. A major drawback to the practical implementation of the results is the lack of a model that is proven to be an accurate depiction of the specific plant where control is to be applied. Furthermore, the accuracy of any process model can only be verified against actual process data. There lies the raison d'etre for this dissertation: to take the existing model from the simulation environment to the real process. The main objective is to obtain a model that is able to mimic a selected set of process outputs. This is commonly a problem of system identification (SID): to select an appropriate model then fit the model to plant input/output data until the model response is similar to the plant under the same inputs (and initial conditions). The model fitting is carried out on an existing EAF model primarily by estimation of the model parameters for the EAF refining stage. Therefore the contribution of this dissertation is a model that is able to depict the EAF refining stage with reasonable accuracy. An important aspect of model fitting is experiment design. This deals with the selection of inputs and outputs that must be measured in order to estimate the desired parameters. This constitutes the problem of identifiability: what possibilities exist for estimating parameters using available I/O data or, what additional data is necessary to estimate desired parameters. In the dissertation an analysis is carried out to determine which parameters are estimable from available data. For parameters that are not estimable recommendations are made about additional measurements required to remedy the situation. Additional modelling is carried out to adapt the model to the particular process. This includes modelling to incorporate the oxyfuel subsystem, the bath oxygen content, water cooling and the effect of foaming on the arc efficiency. / Dissertation (MEng (Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted

This dissertation forms part of the ongoing process at UP to model and control the electric arc furniture process. Previous work focused on modelling the furnace process from empirical thermodynamic principles as well as fitting the model to actual plant data. Automation of the process mainly focused on subsystems of the process, for example the electric subsystem and the off-gas subsystem. The modelling effort, especially the model fitting resulted in parameter values that are described with confidence intervals, which gives rise to uncertainty in the model, because the parameters can potentially lie anywhere in the confidence interval space. Robust model predictive control is used in this dissertation, because it can explicityly take the model uncertainty into account as part of the synthesis process. Nominal model predictive control – not taking model uncertainty into account – is also applied in order to determine if robust model predictive control provides any advantages over the nominal model predictive control. This dissertation uses the process model from previous wok together with robust model predictive control to determine the feasibility of automating the process with regards to the primary process variables. Possible hurdles that prevent practical implementation are identified and studied. / Dissertation (MEng (Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / MEng / unrestricted

This dissertation forms part of the ongoing process at UP to model and control the electric arc furniture process. Previous work focused on modelling the furnace process from empirical thermodynamic principles as well as fitting the model to actual plant data. Automation of the process mainly focused on subsystems of the process, for example the electric subsystem and the off-gas subsystem. The modelling effort, especially the model fitting resulted in parameter values that are described with confidence intervals, which gives rise to uncertainty in the model, because the parameters can potentially lie anywhere in the confidence interval space. Robust model predictive control is used in this dissertation, because it can explicityly take the model uncertainty into account as part of the synthesis process. Nominal model predictive control – not taking model uncertainty into account – is also applied in order to determine if robust model predictive control provides any advantages over the nominal model predictive control. This dissertation uses the process model from previous wok together with robust model predictive control to determine the feasibility of automating the process with regards to the primary process variables. Possible hurdles that prevent practical implementation are identified and studied. / Dissertation (MEng (Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / MEng / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section, 00front of this document / Dissertation (MEng (Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / MEng / unrestricted

Plasma electrolytic oxidation, or PEO, is a surface modification process for the production of ceramic oxide coatings upon substrates of metals such as aluminium, magnesium and titanium. Two methodologies for the quantitative study of electrical breakdown (discharge) events observed during plasma electrolytic oxidation processes were developed and are described in this work. One method presented involves direct measurement of electrical breakdowns during production of an oxide coating within an industrial scale PEO processing arrangement. The second methodology involves the generation and measurement of electrical breakdown events through coatings pre-deposited using full scale PEO processing equipment. The power supply used in the second technique is generally of much lower power output than the system used to initially generate the sample coatings. The application of these techniques was demonstrated with regard to PEO coating generation on aluminium substrates. Measurements of the probability distributions of discharge event characteristics are presented for the discharge initiation voltage; discharge peak current; event total duration; peak instantaneous power; charge transferred by the event and the energy dissipated by the discharge. Discharge events are shown to increase in scale with the voltage applied during the breakdown, and correlations between discharge characteristics such as peak discharge current and event duration are also detailed. Evidence was obtained which indicated a probabilistic dependence of the voltage required to initiate discharge events. Through the scaling behaviour observed for the discharge events, correspondence between the two measurement techniques is demonstrated. The complementary nature of the datasets obtainable from different techniques for measurement of PEO discharge event electrical characteristics is discussed with regards to the effects of interactions between concurrently active discharge events during large scale PEO processing.

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京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第22265号 / 理博第4579号 / 新制||理||1657(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科地球惑星科学専攻 / (主査)教授 山路 敦, 教授 田上 高広, 教授 生形 貴男 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

Thesis deals with individual technology of new welding processes "specifically FRONIUS TPSi". The greatest emphasis is on welding technology, especially on the differences between the individual methods. The experimental part of the thesis is focused on finding suitable parameters for welding filled welds.Everythingwith respect to required welds quality welded by robotic welding. The samples were evaluated in terms of penetration depth, amount of heat introduced and the number of defects.