This thesis focuses on economic situation assessment of a company active in the field of manufacturing industry. The assessment is done using elementary methods of financial analysis. Based on the results, measures are suggested to improve the financial situation of the company. An analysis of general and field-specific surrounding of the assessed organization is also included in the thesis.

The work deals with the deposition of layers for electrochromic device with different methods. Transparent electrically conductive layer of SnO2 was deposited by pyrolytic decomposition of peroxostannate solution. Hydrogen peroxide in starting solution contributes to the oxidation process of growth layers and to increase the electrical conductivity. Active electrochromic layer of WO3 was electrolytic deposited from the peroxotungstic acid solution. Optimal deposition time and the optimal annealing temperature of deposited layers were found. Passive electrochromic layer of V2O5 was deposited using dip-coating method from peroxovanadate solution. A contribution of solution diluted with distilled water was investigated. Found results were used to construct complete electrochromic device with polymer gel electrolyte.

Basic facial emotion recognition is suggested to be negatively affected by puberty onset reflected in a “pubertal dip” in performance compared to pre- or post-puberty. However, findings remain inconclusive. Further, research points to an own-age bias, i.e., a superior emotion recognition for peer faces. We explored adolescents’ ability to recognize specific emotions. Ninety-five children and adolescents, aged 8–17 years, judged whether the emotions displayed by adolescent or adult faces were angry, sad, neutral, or happy. We assessed participants a priori by pubertal status while controlling for age. Results indicated no “pubertal dip”, but decreasing reaction times across adolescence. No own-age bias was found. Taken together, basic facial emotion recognition does not seem to be disrupted during puberty as compared to pre- and post-puberty.

No description available.

Alloy 617 displays a ductility dip during straining at exactly 1000˚C, leading to brittle fracture. A sudden decrease in ductility appearing during Gleeble hot ductility tests of Ni-based superalloys is a well-known phenomenon, while its cause is unknown. Many mechanisms have been established as possible contributors to the issue, and in later years not one, but the simultaneous presence of several of these mechanisms were confirmed as the cause. The ductility dip leads to solid state cracking and a specific solid state cracking phenomenon known as ductility dip cracking is specifically common in Ni-based superalloys. Ductility dip cracking is identified by intergranular cracks and the occurrence of specific precipitates, among other things. This work investigates the possibility that the decreased ductility is due to ductility dip cracking. Furthermore, other possible explanations are investigated. Visual examination was conducted through LOM, SEM and chemical analysis using EDS technique. Combined with thermodynamic calculations, the existence of Cr-rich M23C6 carbides, Ti(N,C) and Mo-rich particles, most likely M3B2, were confirmed. Further, it is established that the ductility dip is related to the lack of dynamic recrystallization at 1000˚C. It is not confirmed that the ductility dip in alloy 617 is due to ductility dip cracking. / Nickelbaslegeringen 617 uppvisar en minskning i duktilitet under Gleeble-dragprovning vid exakt 1000˚C vilket leder till sprött brott. En plötslig sänkning av duktiliteten vid varmdragning av Ni-baserade superlegeringar är ett välkänt fenomen, dock är orsaken inte fastställd. Många mekanismer har bekräftats som bidrag till problemet och under de senaste åren har den simultana närvaron av fler av dessa mekanismer bekräftats som orsaken. Sänkningen i duktilitet leder till sprickbildning i fast fas och en specifik typ av sprickbildning känd som ”ductility dip cracking” är speciellt förekommande i Ni-bas legeringar. Denna identifieras bland annat genom intergranulära sprickor och närvaron av specifika utskiljningar. Detta arbete undersöker möjligheten att duktilitetssänkningen beror på  ”ductility dip cracking”. Dessutom undersöks fler tänkbara förklaringar. Visuell granskning genomfördes via LOM och SEM och analys av sammansättningar via EDS-analys. I kombination med termodynamiska simuleringar blev förekomsten av Cr-rika M23C6 karbider, Ti(N,C) och Mo-rika partiklar, troligtvis M3B2, bekräftad. Fortsatt är det bekräftat att duktilitetssänkningen är relaterat till avsaknaden av rekristallisation vid 1000˚C. Det är inte bekräftat i detta arbete att duktilitetssänkningen i legering 617 beror av ”ductility dip cracking”.

This project deals with voltage source converters with energy storage capability. The main objective is to study the possible benefits of energy storage to a power system with a VSC as the interface between them. First of all, a converter control system is proposed for a two level VSC. In the conventional converter control, the control system usually takes the voltage measured at the point where the converter is connected and calculates the reference voltage for the converter; with a modulation system the converter then produces the required 'average voltage'. In this project, a novel flux modulation scheme, combined with the deadbeat current control strategy, is proposed. The current controller is capable of controlling both positive and negative sequence current components. With flux modulation, the control system measures the bus flux and commands the converter to generate the required flux. Based on the proposed control strategies, several application studies have been carried out. The first application study investigates the effect of energy storage on the power quality at the point of common coupling when a system is subject to load disturbances. The voltage at PCC in a weak network is very sensitive to load changes. A sudden change in active load will cause both a phase jump and a magnitude fluctuation in the bus voltage, whereas reactive load changes mainly affect the voltage magnitude. With the addition of energy storage to a StatCom, it is possible to compensate for the active power change as well as providing reactive power support. In this thesis, some effective active power compensation schemes are proposed. Simulations and experiments have been performed to verify the compensation schemes. The results show that a StatCom with energy storage can significantly reduce phase jumps and magnitude deviations of the bus voltage. pact of the energy storage on the performance of weak systems under fault conditions has been investigated. The investigation was done by studying an example system. The system model was established based on a real system, in which some induction motors driving pumps along a pipeline are fed from a radial transmission line. Studies show that for a weak system with induction motor loads, a StatCom with certain energy storage capacity will effectively improve the system recovery after faults. Although this incurs extra cost for the increasing dc voltage rating and size of the dc side capacitor, the overall rating of the converter can be reduced by utilization of the proposed active power compensation scheme. The last case study investigates the possible use of a StatCom with energy storage to improve the power quality at the point of common coupling where a cyclic load is connected. Studies show that by providing both fast reactive and fast active power support to the network, not only the voltage magnitude can be well controlled, but also the voltage phase jump can be reduced significantly. / QC 20101124

No description available.

Recently, Zn-XAl-YMg coatings have emerged as lighter-weight substitutes for traditional Zn-based coatings for the corrosion protection of steels; however, little is currently known concerning the interactions between the oxides present on advanced high strength steel (AHSS) surfaces and the Zn-Al-Mg bath. In the current contri- bution, the selective oxidation and reactive wetting of a series of C-Mn AHSS were determined with the objective of providing a quantitative description of this pro- cess. The process atmosphere pO2 was varied using dew points of −50◦C, −30◦C and −5◦C. The surface oxide chemistry and morphology were analysed by means of SEM and XPS techniques. Reactive wetting of the selectively oxidized surfaces using a Zn-1.6 wt.% Al-1.6 wt.% Mg bath was monitored as a function of annealing time at 60 s, 100 s and 140 s at 800◦C. The resulting bare spot defects in the Zn-1.6 wt.% Al-1.6 wt.% Mg coating were assessed by means of SAM-AES and FIB, while coating adhesion was analysed by 180◦ bend tests. Annealing the steel substrates resulted in the formation of surface MnO, which varied based on pO2 and Mn alloy content, and that this MnO greatly reduced the wettability of the steel by the Zn-1.6 wt.% Al- 1.6 wt.% Mg bath, resulting in bare spot defects. It was determined that the reactive wetting of the steel substrate was dependant on the oxide morphology and oxidation mode, which was a function of both alloying content of Mn in the steel and annealing pO2 process atmosphere (dew point). Finally, it was concluded that the bare spot area percentage on the coated panels was statistically invariant for annealing times of between 60 s and 140 s at 800◦C. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Metallic coatings are applied to steels that are not naturally corrosion resistant. The aim of this research was to determine how well a coating containing zinc, aluminum and magnesium adhered to high strength automotive steel. It was deter- mined that manganese oxides formed on the steel during heating prior to applying the metallic coating. The manganese oxides prevented good adhesion between the steel and the coating, resulting in bare spot defects in the coating. The bare spot defects are undesirable as they leave the steel exposed and therefore susceptible to corrosion and are unsightly when painted.

Die Verbindung von hoch entwickelten Nanomaterialien mit fluoreszenzbasierten Technologien hat sich zu einem aufstrebenden Forschungsbereich entwickelt. Nichtsdestotrotz ist bis heute der Schritt von einem organischen Indikatormolekül zum anwendbaren Sensorsystem ein komplexer Prozess. Diese Arbeit zielte darauf ab, sensorische Materialien verschiedener chemischer Natur für diverse Analyten zu entwickeln, zu charakterisieren und zu etablieren. Hierbei wurden zunächst pH sensitive Fluoreszenzfarbstoffe entwickelt und in dünnen Membranen immobilisiert. Der Teststreifen ermöglicht die Beurteilung von pH-Änderungen mit dem Auge. Darüber hinaus wurde gezeigt, wie diese Farbstoffe auch in eine wasserlösliche Form überführt werden können. Damit konnten lokale pH-Änderungen an der Wachstumsfront von Silikat-Biomorphs detektiert werden. Auch partikuläre Systeme stellten sich als geeignete Materialien heraus. Es konnte gezeigt werden, wie die Silikat-Matrix von Partikeln zu verbesserten Eigenschaften für Farbstoffe führt. Mittels farbstoffbeladener Partikel konnte in einem Lateral-Flow-Assay ein schneller Nachweis von TATP etabliert werden. Ein anderer Ansatz verfolgte das Ziel des sensitiven Nachweises von Quecksilberionen in Wasser. In einem anderen System konnten Silikat-Nanopartikeln so funktionalisiert werden, dass ein sensitiver und selektiver Nachweis von Schwermetallionen und Anionen über ein Quencher-Displacement-Assay gelang. Zusätzlich wurde die einzigartige Oberfläche von Zellulosepartikeln mithilfe eines neu entwickelten Fluoreszenzfarbstoffs untersucht. Die untersuchten Materialien und Strategien zeigen, wie leicht innovative Moleküle für potentielle sensorische Systeme im wässrigen Medium auf Basis von fluoreszierenden Partikeln und dünnen Schichten geschaffen werden können. Das Verhalten der hergestellten Materialien wurde über spektroskopische Methoden evaluiert und dabei, wenn möglich, die Parameter Sensitivität, Selektivität und Ansprechzeit beurteilt. / The combination of fluorescence and nanomaterials has developed into an emerging research area. Nonetheless until now the step from an organic sensory molecule to a final sensor format is a complex endeavor. This thesis aimed at the preparation of particulate and thin-film based platforms for various analytes through combining the features of an appropriate host material with outstanding properties of dyes concomitant with sensitive fluorescence detection techniques. In particular, pH sensitive fluorescent probes were sterically immobilized into a thin membrane. The dip-stick allows the assessment upon change in pH with the eye. Especially a probe working at high basic pH range was converted into a water-soluble analogue and was directly applied at the growth front of silica biomorphs to detect local pH changes. But also particulate structures are suitable host materials. It is shown how the silica matrix of nanoparticles lead to improved optical properties for embedded dyes. The interactions of silica and fluorescent dyes within the pores of mesoporous particles were exploited to develop an actual sensor format based detection of TATP. In another approach it was possible to detect mercury ions in water. Heavy metal ions were also successfully detected in a quencher displacement assay involving receptor-dye functionalized silica nanoparticles. The impact of the unique surface properties of cellulose microparticles was shown by a fluorescent dye which allows an assessment of the surface functional groups and microenvironment through the reactivity and its changes in the optical properties. The performance of the prepared materials were evaluated mostly by spectroscopic methods and if possible assessed in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and response time. The newly developed and investigated materials based on fluorescent particulate and thin-films show the facile application of innovative sensor probes for potentially sensing devices.

La technique de trempage («dip-coating») est un procédé rapide et efficace pour former des films minces de copolymères à blocs (CPB) d’épaisseur et de nano-morphologies variées. Très peu d’études ont toutefois porté sur le trempage des CPB supramoléculaires et/ou photosensibles. Le trempage du CPB poly(styrène-b-4-vinyl pyridine) (PS-P4VP) a premièrement été étudié avec des petites molécules (PM) d’acide 1-naphtoïque (NCOOH) et de 1-naphtol (NOH) capables de former des ponts hydrogène (ponts H) avec le bloc P4VP dans 4 solvants (tétrahydrofurane (THF), p-dioxane, toluène et chloroforme). Le ratio d’incorporation (RI) molaire PM/VP dans les films trempés augmente avec la vitesse de retrait mais sa variation dépend fortement du solvant et de la PM utilisés. Le RI et la morphologie des films minces dépendent de la possibilité (ou non) du solvant à former des ponts H avec la PM et de sa sélectivité au bloc de PS menant (ou non) à des micelles de P4VP/PM en solution dont la rigidité influence l’état cinétique du système en film mince. La dépendance en une courbe en V de l’épaisseur des films en fonction la vitesse de retrait définit deux régimes, nommés régimes capillaire et de drainage. Ces régimes influencent différemment le RI et la morphologie finale. Nous nous sommes ensuite intéressés aux complexes de PS-P4VP avec des azobenzènes (AB) photosensibles, le 4-hydroxy-4’-butyl-azobenzène (BHAB) et le 4-hydroxy-4’-cyano-azobenzène (CHAB). Ces AB peuvent non seulement former des ponts H avec le bloc P4VP mais aussi s'isomériser entre les formes trans et cis sous illumination. Les expériences avec PS-P4VP/BHAB dans le THF et le toluène ont révélé que l'irradiation pendant le trempage permet de provoquer une transition entre les morphologies sphérique et cylindrique à basses vitesses de retrait. Ces transitions sont expliquées par l’augmentation du ratio molaire BHAB/VP pris dans les films sous illumination et par le plus grand volume des isomères BHAB-cis par rapport aux BHAB-trans. L'irradiation permet également de moduler l'épaisseur des films sans égard à la présence des AB. Finalement, des solutions de PS-P4VP/CHAB et PS-P4VP/BHAB dans le THF avec un CPB de masse molaire plus élevée ont été étudiées afin de comprendre l’effet d'un temps de demi-vie plus court de l’AB et de la présence de micelles en solution. Le photocontrôle morphologique perd de son efficacité avec le CHAB car l’augmentation du RI de CHAB dans les films illuminés par rapport aux films non irradiés est moins prononcée que pour les complexes de BHAB. Le choix du PS-P4VP est également important puisque la présence de micelles dans les solutions de THF du PS-P4VP(36,5k-16k), même si elle n’influence pas les RI BHAB/VP, fige davantage la morphologie sphérique en solution par rapport à une solution non-micellaire de PS-P4VP(24k-9,5k), limitant les possibilités de transition morphologique. / Dip-coating is a rapid and efficient method for forming thin films of block copolymers (BCPs) of various thicknesses and nano-morphologies. However, very few studies focused on dip-coating of supramolecular and/or photosensitive BCPs. Dip-coating of poly(styrene-b-4-vinyl pyridine) (PS-P4VP) BCPs was first studied using the small molecules (SM), 1-naphthoic acid (NCOOH) and 1-naphthol (NOH), which can form hydrogen bonds with the P4VP block, in four different solvents [tetrahydrofuran (THF), p-dioxane, toluene and chloroform]. The uptake molar ratio, SM/VP, in the thin films generally increases with the dip-coating rate, but its variation is strongly dependent on the solvent and the PM used. More specifically, the uptake ratio as well as the morphology of the dip-coated thin films depend on the ability (or lack thereof) of the solvent to form hydrogen bonds with the SM and its selectivity towards the PS block, which leads (or does not lead) to micellar P4VP/PM solutions, where the rigidity of the micellar cores influences the kinetic state of the dried thin film. The dependence of film thickness on the dip-coating rate, which is V-shaped, defines two regimes, termed capillarity and draining. These regimes influence the uptake ratio and final morphologies differently. Subsequently, we investigated a relatively low molecular weight PS-P4VP (24k-9,5k), which does not form micellar solutions in THF, complexed with two photosensitive azobenzene (AB) small molecules, namely 4-hydroxy-4'-butyl-azobenzene (BHAB) and 4-hydroxy-4'-cyano-azobenzene (CHAB). These ABs not only can form hydrogen bonds with the P4VP block but can also isomerize between trans and cis forms under illumination. Experiments with PS-P4VP/BHAB in THF (non-micellar) and toluene (micellar) showed that irradiation during dip-coating provokes a transition from spherical to cylindrical morphology at low dip-coating rates not observed in the dark. This transition is explained by the increase in the BHAB/VP uptake ratio under illumination and by the larger volume of the BHAB cis form relative to BHAB trans isomers. Irradiation also increases the film thickness, even without AB present, which is attributed to a heating effect. Thus, the combination of in-situ irradiation with dip-coating has been shown to be a useful and simple method for external control of photosensitive thin film patterns. Finally, THF solutions of PS-P4VP/CHAB and PS-P4VP/BHAB with the low molecular weight BCP (non-micellar) and a BCP of higher molecular weight (36,5k-16k, micellar) were investigated to understand the effect of shorter (CHAB) vs. longer (BHAB) AB half-life and the presence or not of micelles in solution. The morphological photocontrol loses some of its effectiveness with CHAB, as shown by the less pronounced increase in uptake ratio of CHAB compared to BHAB in the illuminated films relative to non-irradiated films dip-coated from THF solutions. The presence of micelles does not influence the (BHAB/VP) uptake ratio, but it slows down the morphological evolution in the drying films, as shown by the freezing in of greater spherical morphological character compared to the non-micellar solution, thereby limiting the possibilities of a morphological transition.