Microprocessors have difficulties addressing the demands of today's high-performance embedded applications. ASICs are a good solution to the speed concerns, but their cost and time to market can make them impractical for some needs. Configurable Computing Machines (CCMs) provide a cost-effective way of creating custom components; however, oftentimes it would be better if there were a way to change the configuration of the CCM as a program is executing. An efficient way of doing this is with Runtime Reconfigurable (RTR) computing architectures. In an RTR system, one challenging problem is the assignment of operators onto the array of processing elements (PEs) in a way as to simultaneously minimize both the number of PEs used and the number of interconnections between them for each configuration. This job is automated through the use of a software program referred to as the Spatial Partitioner. The design and implementation of the Spatial Partitioner is the subject of this work. The Spatial Partitioner developed herein uses an iterative, recursive algorithm along with cluster refinement to find a reasonably efficient allocation of operators onto the target platform in a reasonable amount of time. Information about the topology of the target platform is used throughout the execution of the algorithm to ensure that the resulting solution is legal in terms of layout. / Master of Science

This thesis addresses the partitioning problem for configurable computing machines. Specifically, this thesis presents algorithms to partition chain-structured task graphs across configurable computing machines. The algorithms give optimal solutions for throughput and total execution time for these problems under constraints on area, pin count, and power consumption. The algorithms provide flexibility for applying these constraints while remaining polynomial in complexity. Proofs of correctness as well as an analysis of runtime complexity are given. Experiments are performed to illustrate the runtime of these algorithms. / Master of Science

Harbours play a vital role in the economies of most countries since a significant amount of international trade is conducted through them. Ships rely on harbours for the safe loading and unloading of cargo and the harbour infrastructure relies on breakwaters for protection. As a result, the design and analysis of breakwaters receives keen interest from the engineering community. Coastal engineers need an easy-to-use tool that can model the way in which waves interact with large numbers of interlocking armour units. Although the study of fluid–structure interaction generates a lot of research activity, none of the reviewed literature describes a suitable method of analysis. The goal of the research was to develop a simulation algorithm that meets all the criteria by allowing CFD software and physics middleware to work in unison. The proposed simulation algorithm used Linux “shell scripts” to coordinate the actions of commercial CFD software (Star-CCM+) and freely available physics middleware (PhysX). The CFD software modelled the two-phase fluid and provided force and moment data to the physics middleware so that the movement of the armour units could be determined. The simulation algorithm was verified numerically and experimentally. The numerical verification exercise was of limited value due to unresolved issues with the CFD software chosen for the analysis, but it was shown that PhysX responds appropriately given the correct force data as input. Experiments were conducted in a hydraulics laboratory to study the interaction of a solitary wave and cubes stacked on a platform. Fiducial markers were used to track the movement of the cubes. The phenomenon of interest was the transfer of momentum from the wave to the rigid bodies, and the results confirmed that the effect was captured adequately. The study concludes with suggestions for further study. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Harbours play a vital role in the economies of most countries since a significant amount of international trade is conducted through them. Ships rely on harbours for the safe loading and unloading of cargo and the harbour infrastructure relies on breakwaters for protection. As a result, the design and analysis of breakwaters receives keen interest from the engineering community. Coastal engineers need an easy-to-use tool that can model the way in which waves interact with large numbers of interlocking armour units. Although the study of fluid–structure interaction generates a lot of research activity, none of the reviewed literature describes a suitable method of analysis. The goal of the research was to develop a simulation algorithm that meets all the criteria by allowing CFD software and physics middleware to work in unison. The proposed simulation algorithm used Linux “shell scripts” to coordinate the actions of commercial CFD software (Star-CCM+) and freely available physics middleware (PhysX). The CFD software modelled the two-phase fluid and provided force and moment data to the physics middleware so that the movement of the armour units could be determined. The simulation algorithm was verified numerically and experimentally. The numerical verification exercise was of limited value due to unresolved issues with the CFD software chosen for the analysis, but it was shown that PhysX responds appropriately given the correct force data as input. Experiments were conducted in a hydraulics laboratory to study the interaction of a solitary wave and cubes stacked on a platform. Fiducial markers were used to track the movement of the cubes. The phenomenon of interest was the transfer of momentum from the wave to the rigid bodies, and the results confirmed that the effect was captured adequately. The study concludes with suggestions for further study. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Diploma thesis deals with numerical simulations of an air flow in a water cooled charge air cooler (WCAC), specifically with pressure drops in inlet/outlet chamber. The simulations have been performed in a proprietary software Star-CCM+. Physical phenomena have been solved by the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and consequently a matrix of pressure drops for miscellaneous variations of chamber's geometry and the initial flow conditions has been created. Based on the CFD results, dependence between calculated pressure drops and changing parameters has been analyzed and finally a 1D solver has been developed and implemented into a software OpenModelica.

The Heart of glass-Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (Heg-CCM) pathway is essential for heart development in zebrafish and mouse. In zebrafish, mutants for the Heg-CCM genes ccm1, ccm2, and heg exhibit an extreme dilation of the heart chambers and inflow tract and completely lack blood circulation. The mechanisms by which this pathway regulates heart development are incompletely understood. Two major impediments to our knowledge are the paucity of genes known to participate in the Heg-CCM pathway and a lack of information about how the Heg-CCM pathway interacts with other signaling pathways in live embryos.

Submitted by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2018-03-28T13:17:32Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_ Jennifer S. Fonseca.pdf: 5044644 bytes, checksum: 0cf098fc158bb9034a0275f3fdc8b0d0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Divisão de Documentação/BC Biblioteca Central (ddbc@ufam.edu.br) on 2018-03-28T13:18:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_ Jennifer S. Fonseca.pdf: 5044644 bytes, checksum: 0cf098fc158bb9034a0275f3fdc8b0d0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-28T13:18:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação_ Jennifer S. Fonseca.pdf: 5044644 bytes, checksum: 0cf098fc158bb9034a0275f3fdc8b0d0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-30 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are electrochemical devices that exploit the ability of some species of microorganisms to use electrodes as final acceptors of electrons in their metabolism. The interest in this technology is associated with the possibility of using different compounds, including domestic and industrial effluents, in the generation of electric energy. In this context, the study of MFC that use residual frying oils (RFO) as substrate gains attention by bringing an alternative both from an environmental and an energetic point of view. The objective of this work was to model the best conditions for the simultaneous degradation of these RFO and electric current generation of a microbial fuel cell inoculated with Shewanella putrefaciens. For this purpose, a factorial and central compound planning (CCP) design was used, in which microbial metabolism was studied under the effects of pH, temperature, medium agitation, oil concentration and time. The experimental data were obtained in a two-chamber MFC, an anode and a cathode, separated by a proton exchange membrane. The anode was inoculated with S. putrefaciens under anaerobic conditions and fed with RFO, while the cathode was fed with tap water and salinized tap water. In the anode, an electrode was used as a graphite cloth with a polypropylene mesh and an aluminum heatsink on the cathode. Both were connected externally by an electrical resistance. During the operation of the system, the anode compartment was operated in batch mode. The results show that in less than two days of operation the current generation had reached a stable value, proving the exoelectrogenic capacity of the bacteria. It was observed that S. putrefaciens did not develop a biofilm on the surface of the electrodes with samples from the University Restaurant (UR), but adhered to the electrode with domestic oil as a substrate, demonstrating a direct mechanism of extracellular electron transfer to establish the electrical contact with The electrode. In general, the mathematical modeling of the degradation of the oils for the simultaneous generation of electric current was possible, requiring further studies of the chemical composition of the oils for the evaluation of the efficiency of the MFC with the chemical parameters, since it was only possible to analyze from the point of electrical parameters. In addition, it was possible to verify that the amount of bacterial colonies does not interfere in the generation of tension, being this one generated of stable form with small cellular concentrations. / Células combustíveis microbianas (CCM) são dispositivos eletroquímicos que exploram a habilidade de algumas espécies de micro-organismos utilizarem eletrodos como aceptores finais de elétrons em seu metabolismo. O interesse nesta tecnologia está associado à possibilidade de empregar diferentes compostos, inclusive efluentes domésticos e industriais, na geração de energia elétrica. Neste contexto, o estudo de CCM que usem óleos de fritura residuais (OFR) como substrato ganha atenção por trazer uma alternativa tanto do ponto de vista ambiental quanto energético. Assim o objetivo deste trabalho foi modelar as melhores condições para a simultânea degradação destes OFR e geração de corrente elétrica de uma célula combustível microbiana inoculada com Shewanella putrefaciens. Para tal fim foi empregado um planejamento fatorial e planejamento de composto central (PCC), no qual o metabolismo microbiano foi estudado sob os efeitos de pH, temperatura, agitação do meio, concentração do óleo e tempo. Os dados experimentais foram obtidos em uma CCM de dois compartimentos, um ânodo e um cátodo, separados por uma membrana de troca de prótons. O ânodo foi inoculado com S. putrefaciens em condições de anaerobiose e alimentado com OFR, enquanto, o cátodo foi alimentado com água da torneira e água da torneira salinizado. No ânodo, foi empregado como eletrodo pano de grafite imobilizado com tela de polipropileno e no cátodo um dissipador de calor de alumínio. Ambos estavam conectados externamente por uma resistência elétrica. Durante a operação do sistema, o compartimento do ânodo foi operado em regime de batelada. Os resultados ilustram que em menos de dois dias de operação a geração de corrente elétrica já havia atingido um valor estável, comprovando a capacidade exoeletrogênica da bactéria. Observou-se que a S. putrefaciens pouco desenvolveu biofilme na superfície dos eletrodos com amostras do óleo do Restaurante Universitário (RU), mas aderiu ao eletrodo tendo óleo doméstico como substrato, demonstrando um mecanismo direto de transferência eletrônica extracelular para estabelecer o contato elétrico com o eletrodo. De maneira geral, a modelagem matemática da degradação dos óleos para simultânea geração de corrente elétrica foi possível, necessitando de maiores estudos da composição química dos óleos para a avaliação da eficiência da CCM com os parâmetros químicos, uma vez que só foi possível analisar do ponto de vista dos parâmetros elétricos. Além disso, foi possível verificar que a quantidade de colônias bacterianas não interfere na geração de tensão, sendo este gerado de forma estável com pequenas concentrações celulares.

Magíster en Gestión para la Globalización / La escasez de trabajadores capacitados para desempeñarse en el sector minero ha impactado a la industria y su competitividad. Es así como los costos laborales se han incrementado a una tasa mayor que la del aumento de productividad. Las inversiones mineras en carpeta hacen presagiar que esta circunstancia se tornará más compleja en los próximos años. Lo anterior llevó al Consejo Minero a crear en 2012 el Consejo de Competencias Mineras (CCM) con la finalidad proveer estándares e información que permitan al mundo formativo adecuar sus programas de formación a los requerimientos de la industria. El CCM consideró el modelo de Industry Skills Councils (ISC) australiano, desarrollado a partir de un desafío similar. Este trabajo busca diseñar un programa de desarrollo del CCM a partir de la generación de recomendaciones basadas en el modelo australiano. Para ello se analiza el sector minero de ambos países y sus desafíos, con enfoque en lo relativo a capital humano. El modelo de ISC es el benchmark definido y por lo tanto se profundiza en sus características, para posteriormente comparar el contexto de cada país y evaluar la adaptación realizada por el Consejo Minero a través del CCM. Se compara al CCM con el Skills DMC, el skills council de la minería, y se identifican ciertos factores críticos de éxito del modelo australiano. Ante todo, los ISC se dan en un contexto de fuerte apoyo gubernamental y con años de experiencia con miras a fortalecer la educación y alinear la formación a los requerimientos del mercado laboral. Todo esto en un ámbito de colaboración y coordinación entre autoridades, empresarios, trabajadores y organismos formadores. Por su parte, la integración del Skills DMC no considera sólo a las empresas mineras, sino que integra además a otros sectores estrechamente vinculados. Sus productos son altamente valorados y se hace un seguimiento particular a la implementación de sus Paquetes de Entrenamiento. Además, cuenta con un staff técnico de apoyo, es eficiente en sus procesos y presta particular atención al relacionamiento con stakeholders. Se concluye que la estrategia de consolidación del CCM podría verse beneficiada por cambios que consideren la incorporación de sectores relacionados como la construcción, los proveedores y los trabajadores, sugiriendo una estructura y un presupuesto ad-hoc, donde cada asociación empresarial se incorpore con una cuota, se reformule el Comité Ejecutivo y se generen comités sectoriales. También se estima necesario generar las bases para un funcionamiento en el largo plazo y no limitado a cuatro años. Asimismo se hacen recomendaciones para favorecer la legitimación de los productos del CCM y su adopción por parte del mundo formativo, para lo cual se recomienda la creación de mesas técnicas. Las recomendaciones formuladas buscan consolidar el trabajo del CCM y permitir su funcionamiento en el largo plazo. Además, se considera que el mismo CCM puede ser el modelo de futuros consejos de competencias de otras industrias, por lo que se pretende generar un beneficio no sólo a la competitividad del sector minero sino que del país.

The master´s thesis is focused on construction of one-man car body of sports car. Work contains aerodynamic analysis of car body too and optimization of the CAD model.

No description available.