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Yes / This study aims to evaluate the impacts of using thermally enhanced concrete on the thermal performance of geoenergy structures and interaction between the thermo-active-structures and adjacent dry and partly saturated soils. Experiments using a fully instrumented testing rig were carried out on prototypes of energy pile and diaphragm wall made from normal concrete and thermally enhanced concrete by the addition of graphTHERM powder. Results illustrated that adding 36% of graphTHERM powder to the concrete by weight of cement was found to double the thermal conductivity of concrete and improve the stiffness by 15% without detrimental effects on the compressive strength. The heat transfer efficiency of energy pile and energy diaphragm wall made from thermally enhanced concrete was significantly improved by 50% and 66% respectively, in comparison with the efficiency of the same type of energy structure that was made from a typical normal concrete.

Dielectric elastomers (DEs) are a relatively new electroactive polymer (EAP) transducer technology. They are capable of over 100% strain when actuated, and can be used as sensors to measure large strains. In actuation mode, the DE is subject to an electric field; in sensing mode, the capacitance of the dielectric elastomer is measured. In this work, a dielectric elastomer configured as a circular membrane clamped around its outer edge over a sealed chamber and inflated by a bias pressure is studied in order to characterize its static and dynamic electromechanical behavior. In both cases, the experiments were conducted with prestretched dielectric elastomer actuators fabricated from 0.5 mm or 1 mm thick polyacrylate films and unless stated otherwise carbon grease electrodes were used. The static tests investigate the effect of flexible electrodes and passive layers on the electromechanical response of dielectric elastomer membrane actuators and sensors. To study the effect of the flexible electrodes, four compliant electrodes were tested: carbon grease, silver grease, graphite spray, and graphite powder. The electrode experiments show that carbon grease is the most effective electrode of those tested. To protect the flexible electrodes from environmental hazards, the effect of adding passive elastic layers to the transducers was investigated. A series of tests were conducted whereby the position of the added layers relative to the transducer was varied: (i) top passive layer, (ii) bottom passive layer, and (iii) passive layers on both the bottom and top of the transducer. For the passive layer tests, the results show that adding elastic layers made of the same material as the DE dramatically changes both the mechanical and electrical response of the actuator. The ability to use capacitance measurements to determine the membrane's maximum stretch was also investigated. The experiments demonstrate that the capacitance response can be used to sense large mechanical strains in the membrane ï ³ 25%. In addition, a numerical model was developed which correlates very well with the experimental results especially for strains up to 41%. The dynamic experiments investigate the dynamic response of a dielectric elastomer membrane due to (i) a time-varying pressure input and (ii) a time-varying voltage input. For the time-varying pressure experiments, the prestretched membrane was inflated and deflated mechanically while a constant voltage was applied. The membrane was cycled between various predetermined inflation states, the largest of which was nearly hemispherical, which with an applied constant voltage of 3 kV corresponded to a maximum strain at the pole (center of membrane) of 28%. These experiments show that for higher voltages, the volume displaced by the membrane increases and the pressure inside the chamber decreases. For the time varying voltage experiments, the membrane was passively inflated to various predetermined states, and then actuated. Various experiments were conducted to see how varying certain system parameters changed the membrane's dynamic response. These included changing the chamber volume and voltage signal offset, as well as measuring the displacement of multiple points along the membrane's radius in order to capture its entire motion. The chamber volume experiments reveal that increasing the size of the chamber onto which the membrane is clamped will cause the resonance peaks to shift and change in number. For these experiments, the pole strains incurred during the inflation were as high as 26 %, corresponding to slightly less than a hemispherical state. Upon actuation using a voltage signal with an amplitude of 1.5 kV, the membrane would inflate further, causing a maximum additional strain of 12.1%. The voltage signal offset experiments show that adding offset to the input signal causes the membrane to oscillate at two distinct frequencies rather than one. Lastly, experiments to capture the entire motion of the membrane revealed the different mode shapes the membrane's motion resembles. / Master of Science

Pressure measurements are required in various industrial applications, including extremely harsh environments such as turbine engines, power plants and material-processing systems. Conventional sensors are often difficult to apply due to the high temperatures, highly corrosive agents or electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise that may be present in those environments. Fiber optic pressure sensors have been developed for years and proved themselves successfully in such harsh environments. Especially, diaphragm based fiber optic pressure sensors have been shown to possess advantages of high sensitivity, wide bandwidth, high operation temperature, immunity to EMI, lightweight and long life. Static and dynamic pressure measurements at various locations of a gas turbine engine are highly desirable to improve its operation and reliability. However, the operating environment, in which temperatures may exceed 600 °C and pressures may reach 100 psi (690 kPa) with about 1 psi (6.9kPa) variation, is a great challenge to currently available sensors. To meet these requirements, a novel type of fiber optic engine pressure sensor has been developed. This pressure sensor functions as a diaphragm based extrinsic Fabry-Pérot interferometric sensor. One of the unique features of this sensor is the all silica structure, allowing a much higher operating temperature to be achieved with an extremely low temperature dependence. In addition, the flexible nature of the sensor design such as wide sensitivity selection, and passive or adaptive temperature compensation, makes the sensor suitable for a variety of applications An automatically controlled CO₂ laser-based sensor fabrication system was developed and implemented. Several novel bonding methods were proposed and investigated to improve the sensor mechanical ruggedness and reduce its temperature dependence. An engine sensor testing system was designed and instrumented. The system generates known static and dynamic pressures in a temperature-controlled environment, which was used to calibrate the sensor. Several sensor signal demodulation schemes were used for different testing purposes including a white-light interferometry system, a tunable laser based component test system (CTS), and a self-calibrated interferometric-intensity based (SCIIB) system. All of these sensor systems are immune to light source power fluctuations, which offer high reliability and stability. The fiber optic pressure sensor was tested in a F-109 turbofan engine. The testing results prove the sensor performance and the packaging ruggedization. Preliminary laboratory and field test results have shown great potential to meet not only the needs for reliable and precise pressure measurement of turbine engines but also for any other pressure measurements especially requiring high bandwidth and high temperature capability. / Ph. D.

During an earthquake, columns in a one-story building must support vertical gravity loads while undergoing large lateral drifts associated with deflections of the vertical seismic force resisting system and deflections of the flexible roof diaphragm. Analyzing the behavior of these gravity columns is complex since not only is there an interaction between compression and bending, but also the boundary conditions are not perfectly pinned or fixed. In this research, the behavior of steel columns that are square hollow structural sections (HSS) is investigated for stability using three design methods: elastic design, plastic hinge design, and pinned base design. First, for elastic design, the compression and flexural strength of the HSS columns are calculated according to the AISC specifications, and the story drift ratio that causes the interaction equation to be violated for varying axial force demands is examined. Then, a simplified design procedure is proposed; this procedure includes a modified interaction equation applicable to HSS column design based on a parameter, Pnh/Mn, and a set of design charts are provided. Second, a plastic hinge design is grounded in the concept that a stable plastic hinge makes the column continue to resist the gravity load while undergoing large drifts. Based on the available test data and the analytical results from finite element models, three limits on the width to thickness ratios are developed for steel square HSS columns. Lastly, for pinned base design, the detailing of a column base connection is schematically described. Using FE modeling, it is shown that it is possible to create rotational stiffness below a limit such that negligible moment develops at the column base. All the design methods are demonstrated with a design example / Master of Science / One-story buildings are one of the most economical types of structures built for industrial, commercial, or recreational use. During an earthquake, columns in a one-story building must support vertical gravity loads while undergoing large lateral displacements, referred to as story drift. Vertical loads cause compression forces, and lateral drifts produce bending moments. The interaction between these forces makes it more complex to analyze the behavior of these gravity columns. Moreover, since the column base is not perfectly fixed to the ground, there are many boundary conditions applicable to the column base depending on the fixity condition. For these reasons, the design for columns subjected to lateral drifts while supporting axial compressive forces has been a growing interest of researchers in the field. However, many researchers have focused more on wide-flange section (I-shape) steel columns rather than on tube section columns, known as hollow structural section (HSS) steel columns. In this research, the behavior of steel square tube section columns is investigated for stability using three design methods: elastic design, plastic hinge design, and pinned base design. First, for elastic design, the compression and flexural strength of the HSS columns are calculated according to current code equations, and the story drift that causes failure for varying axial force demands is examined. Then, a simplified design procedure is proposed including design charts. Second, a plastic hinge design is grounded in the concept that controlled yielding at the column base makes the column continue to resist the gravity load while undergoing large drifts. Based on the available test data and results from computational models, three limits on the width to thickness ratios of the tubes are developed. Lastly, for pinned base design, concepts for detailing a column base connection with negligible bending resistance is schematically described. Using a computational model, it is shown that the column base can be detailed to be sufficiently flexible to allow rotation. All the design methods are demonstrated with a design example.

The aim of this thesis is to describe information about GERD, its etiology, anatomy, pathology, treatment options and rehabilitation in patients with GERD. Lower oesophageal sphincter and antireflux barrier. The study was approved by the ethics committee. 30 probands were included in the study and their health status was verified using the Health Related Quality of Life questionnaire. A manometric catheter was inserted, proband was instructed to maintain various postural positions. Lying supine with lower limbs elevated above the surface, lying supine with lower limbs elevated above the surface with head fixated manualy, sitting and standing position, load in the center of gravity 3/6/9 kg, load outside the center of gravity 3/6/9 kg, lifting of the office chair. It has been shown that LES pressure increases in all postural positions compared to resting pressure. The positions activate the diaphragm to demonstrate the postural function of the diaphragm. The most significant change in LES pressures was in the postural position of lying supine with lower limbs elevated above the surface, the LES resting pressure of 20.34mmHg changed to the pressure of LES 40.92mmHg. Clinical experience and studies have shown that patients with GERD have disposition for respiratory and / or vertebrogenic difficulties....

Introduction : La dysfonction diaphragmatique est très fréquente chez des patients adultes aux soins intensifs et elle est associée à des évolutions cliniques défavorables. Il n’y a pour l’instant aucune méthode reconnue pour évaluer la fonction du diaphragme chez l’enfant sous ventilation mécanique (VM), et aucune étude décrivant son évolution dans le temps chez cette population. Méthodes : Dans ce travail, nous avons évalué la fonction contractile du diaphragme chez des enfants sous ventilation invasive aux soins intensifs pédiatriques (SIP) et en salle d’opération (SOP). Pour ce faire, la pression au tube endotrachéal (Paw) et l’activité électrique du diaphragme (EAdi) étaient enregistrées simultanément lors de respirations spontanées pendant une brève manœuvre d’occlusion des voies respiratoires. Afin de prendre en compte la commande respiratoire, un ratio d’efficience neuro-mécanique (NME, Paw/EAdi) a d’abord été calculé puis validé par une analyse de variabilité. La fonction du diaphragme a ensuite été comparée entre les deux populations, et son évolution dans le temps au sein du groupe SIP décrite. Résultats : Le NME médian était la mesure de fonction diaphragmatique la plus fiable, avec un coefficient de variation de 23.7% et 21.1% dans les groups SIP et SOP, respectivement. Le NME dans le groupe SIP après 21 heures de VM (1.80 cmH2O/μV, IQR 1.25–2.39) était significativement inférieur à celui du groupe SOP (3.65 cmH2O/μV, IQR 3.45–4.24, p = 0.015). Dans le groupe SIP, le NME n’a pas diminué de façon significative pendant la VM (coefficient de corrélation -0.011, p = 0.133). Conclusion : La fonction diaphragmatique peut être mesurée au chevet des enfants sous VM par de brèves manœuvres d’occlusion. L’efficience du diaphragme était significativement plus élevée dans un groupe sain que dans une cohorte d’enfants critiquement malades, mais elle était stable dans ce groupe avec une commande respiratoire préservée. Dans le futur, les contributions relatives de la maladie critique et de la ventilation mécanique sur la fonction diaphragmatique devront être mieux caractérisées avant de procéder à l’évaluation de potentielles interventions visant à protéger le diaphragme. / Introduction : Diaphragmatic dysfunction is highly prevalent in adult critical care and is associated with worse outcomes. There is at present no recognized method to assess diaphragmatic function in children under mechanical ventilation (MV) and no study describing its evolution over time in this population. Methods : In this work, we have assessed the contractile function of the diaphragm in children under invasive MV in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and in the operating room (OR). This was done by simultaneously recording airway pressure at the endotracheal tube (Paw) and electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi) over consecutive spontaneous breaths during brief airway occlusion maneuvers. In order to account for central respiratory drive, a neuro-mechanical efficiency ratio (NME, Paw/EAdi) was first computed and then validated using variability analysis. Diaphragmatic function was then compared between the two populations and its evolution over time in the PICU group described. Results : Median NME was the most reliable measure of diaphragmatic function with a coefficient of variation of 23.7% and 21.1% in the PICU and OR groups, respectively. NME in the PICU group after 21 hours of MV (1.80 cmH2O/μV, IQR 1.25–2.39) was significantly lower than in the OR group (3.65 cmH2O/μV, IQR 3.45–4.24, p = 0.015). In the PICU group, NME did not decrease significantly over time under MV (correlation coefficient -0.011, p = 0.133). Conclusion : Diaphragmatic function can be measured at the bedside of children under MV using brief airway occlusions. Diaphragm efficiency was significantly higher in healthy controls than in a cohort of critically ill children, but it was stable over time under MV in this group with preserved respiratory drive. In the future, the relative contributions of critical illness and mechanical ventilation on diaphragmatic function should be better characterized before evaluating potential interventions aimed at protecting the diaphragm.

Recent research interests in studying the performance of different seismic force resisting systems (SFRS) have been shifting from component- (individual walls) to system-level (complete building) studies. Although there is wealth of knowledge on component-level performance of reinforced masonry shear walls (RMSW) under seismic loading, a gap still exists in understanding the response of these components within a complete system. Consequently, this study’s main objective is to investigate the influence of the diaphragm’s out-of-plane stiffness on the seismic response of RMSW buildings. In addition, the study aims to synthesize how this influence can be implemented in different seismic design approaches and assessment frameworks. To meet these objectives a two-story scaled asymmetrical RMSW building was tested under quasi-static cyclic loading. The analysis of the test results showed that the floor diaphragms’ out-of-plane stiffness played an important role in flexurally coupling the RMSW aligned along the loading direction with those walls orthogonal to it. This system-level aspect affected not only the different wall strength and displacement demands but also the failure mechanism sequence and the building twist response. The results of the study also showed that neglecting diaphragm flexural coupling influence on the RMSW at the system-level may result in unconservative designs and possibly undesirable failure modes. To address these findings, an analytical model was developed that can account for the aforementioned influences, in which, simplified load-displacement relationships were developed to predict RMSW component- and system-level responses under lateral seismic loads. This model is expected to give better predictions of the system response which can be implemented, within the model limitations, in forced- and displacement-based seismic design approaches. In addition, and in order to adapt to the increasing interest in more resilient buildings, this study presents an approach to calculate the system robustness based on the experimental data. Finally, literature shows that the vast majority of the loss models available for RMSW systems were based on individual component testing and/or engineering judgment. Consequently, this study proposes system damage states in lieu of component damage states in order to enhance the prediction capabilities of such models. The current dissertation highlights the significant influence of the diaphragm out-of-plane stiffness on the system-level response that may alter the RMSW response to seismic events; an issue that need to be addressed in design codes and standards. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

In this paper, we present a new compact hydraulic linear actuator. The concept is developed to change the rolling piston diameter of an active air spring during usage. By doing so, the air spring can actively apply pressure and tension forces. The actuator is designed for small movements at high forces. It is insensitive to side forces, which are introduced by the bellows rolling on the rolling piston of the air spring. A diaphragm sealing is used to minimize friction. Hence a precise adjustment of small displacements at high dynamics is possible and the system is completely leakage-free. We describe the design and development of this actuator and show first measurement results from preliminary tests to show its functionality.