Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch Universit, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The requirements regarding the quality of engines and vehicles have increased constantly, requiring more and more sophisticated engine testing. At the same time, there is a strong demand to reduce lead time and cost of development. For many years steady state engine testing was the norm using standard principles of power absorption. Since the mid 1980's increasing importance has been attached to the optimisation of transient engine characteristics and the simulation of dynamic real world driving situations on engine test stands. This has led to the use of bi-directional DC or AC regenerative dynamometers a practice now known as dynamic engine testing. Interfacing a computer with vehicle simulation software to an engine on a dynamic test stand and using "hardware in the loop" techniques, enables the simulation of real world driving situations in a test facility. In dynamic engine testing a distinction can be made between simulation testing and transient testing. In simulation testing the set point values are predetermined whereas in transient testing a model generates set point values in real time. Speeds and loads are calculated in real time on the basis of real time measurements. The model can be in the form of a human or driver simulation. This project involved the application of dynamic engine testing to simulating a racing application. It is termed Real Time Full Circuit Driving Simulation System due to the simulation of a race car circling a race track, controlled by a driver model and running the engine on a dynamic test bench in real time using "hardware in the loop" techniques. By measuring the simulated lap times for a certain engine configuration on the test bench in real time, it is possible to select the optimal engine set-up for every circuit. The real time nature of the simulation subjects the engine on the test bench to similar load and speed conditions as experienced by its racing counterpart in the race car yielding relevant results. The racing simulation was achieved by finding a suitable dynamic vehicle model and a three dimensional race track model, developing a control strategy, programming the software and testing the complete system on a dynamic test stand. In order to verify the simulation results it was necessary to conduct actual track testing on a representative vehicle. A professional racing driver completed three flying laps of the Killarney racing circuit in a vehicle fitted with various sensors including three axis orientation and acceleration sensors, a GPS and an engine control unit emulator for capturing engine data. This included lap time, vehicle accelerations, engine speed and manifold pressure, an indicator of driver input. The results obtained from the real time circuit simulation were compared to actual track data and the results showed good correlation. By changing the physical engine configuration in the hardware and gear ratios in the software, comparative capabilities of the system were evaluated. Again satisfactory results were obtained with the system clearly showing which configuration was best suited for a certain race track. This satisfies the modem trend of minimizing costs and development time and proved the value of the system as a suitable engineering tool for racing engine and drive train optimisation. The Real Time Full Circuit Driving Simulation System opened the door to further development in other areas of simulation. One such area is the driveability of a vehicle. By expanding the model it would be possible to evaluate previously subjective characteristics of a vehicle in a more objective manner. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die vereistes om die kwaliteit van enjins en voertuie te verhoog, word daagliks hoër. Meer gesofistikeerde enjintoetse word daarom vereis. Terselfdertyd is dit 'n groot uitdaging om die tydsduur en koste van ontwikkeling so laag as moontlik te hou. Gestadigde toestand enjintoetse, wat op die prinsiep van krag absorpsie werk, was vir baie jare die norm. Vanaf die middel tagtigerjare het die optimering van dinamiese enjinkarakteristieke en die simulasie van werklike bestuursituasies op enjintoetsbanke van al hoe groter belang geword. Die gevolg was die gebruik van twee rigting wisselof gelykstroomdinamometers en staan vandag bekend as dinamiese enjintoetsing. Deur 'n rekenaar met simulasiesagteware aan 'n enjin op 'n dinamiese toetsbank te koppel, word die moontlikheid geskep om enige werklike bestuursituasies van 'n voertuig te simuleer in die enjintoetsfasiliteit. Dinamiese enjintoetse kan opgedeel word in simulasietoetse en oorgangstoestandtoetse. By laasgenoemde genereer 'n "bestuurdersmodel" die beheerwaardes intyds deur te kyk na intydse metings terwyl by simulasietoetse die beheerwaardes vooraf bepaal word. Die "bestuurder" kan in die vorm van 'n persoon of rekenaarsimulasie wees. Die projek behels die toepassing van dinamiese enjintoetse vir renbaansimulasie en staan bekend as'n Intydse, Volledige Renbaansisteem weens die simulasie van 'n renmotor om 'n renbaan, onder die beheer van 'n bestuurdersmodel. Dit geskied terwyl die enjin intyds op 'n dinamiese enjintoetsbank loop en gekoppel is aan die simulasie. Deur die intydse, gesimuleerde rondtetye te analiseer, word die moontlikheid geskep om die enjinkonfigurasie te optimeer vir 'n sekere renbaan. Dit is bereik deur die keuse van 'n gepaste dinamiese voertuigmodel, 'n driedimensionele renbaanmodel, ontwikkeling van 'n beheermodel, programmering van die sagteware en integrasie van die dinamiese enjintoetsstelsel. Die simulasieresultate verkry is gestaaf deur werklike renbaantoetse. 'n Professionele renjaer het drie rondtes van die Killarney renbaan voltooi in 'n verteenwoordigende voertuig wat toegerus was met verskeie sensors o.a. drie as versnellings- en orientasiesensors, GPS en 'n enjinbeheereenheidemmuleerder vir die verkryging en stoor van enjindata. Die sensors het data versamel wat insluit rondtetyd, voertuigversnellings, enjinspoed en inlaatspruitstukdruk. Die korrelasie tussen die simulasie waardes en werklik gemete data was van hoë gehalte. Deur die fisiese enjinkonfigurasie te verander in die hardeware en ratverhoudings in die sagteware, is die vergelykbare kapasiteite van die renbaansimulasie geevalueer. Die resultate was weer bevredigend en die simulasie was in staat om die beste enjinkonfigurasie vir die renbaan uit te wys. Dit bevredig die moderne neiging om koste en ontwikkelingstyd so laag as moontlik te hou. Sodoende is bewys dat die stelsel waarde in die ingenieurswêreld het. 'n Intydse, Volledige Renbaansisteem die skep die geleentheid vir verdere ontwikkeling op verskeie terreine van simulasie. Een so 'n veld is die bestuurbaarheid van 'n voertuig. Deur die model verder te ontwikkel word die moontlikheid geskep om voorheen subjektiewe karakteristieke van 'n voertuig meer wetenskaplik te analiseer.

Thesis (MScEng (Civil Engineering))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / Some digitised pages may appear illegible due to the condition of the original hard copy. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A critical evaluation of provisions for imposed loads in the South African Loading Code for design of structures, SABS 0160-1989 (SABS), by comparison with other codes was performed earlier. The evaluation revealed the SABS loading code to be generally non-conservative in its provisions for imposed loads for a range of general and specialist occupancy classes. The SABS provision for imposed loads for inaccessible roofs was found to be substantially non-conservative in comparison with the other codes. An investigation into the imposed load for inaccessible roofs is subsequently performed in order to establish a scientific rationale through which the codified design values may be measured effectively. Due to the lack of information and the large uncertainties involved in the imposed roof load, stochastic treatment of the loads is implemented. This is in line with the stochastic modelling of loads as implemented in general. The approach applied is to select a type of building that can be regarded as a generic example of buildings to which these loads apply, and to discretisize the load into the various sub-mechanisms that translate into the imposed roof load. The probabilistic models for the load mechanisms are then quantified, either through physical load surveys, or through conducting an expert survey for those variables which are not observable. The use of expert opinion as a resource for information is not readily accessible in terms of yielding scientifically defendable results. Therefore, the expert survey is performed as a calibrated experiment whereby weights were calculated for the individual experts' opinions and their opinions combined accordingly. The probabilistic models for the load mechanisms are then translated into load effects by taking into account the physical process resulting in the load effects. By applying these mechanisms in such a way as to maximise the said load effects, equivalent uniformly distributed loads (EUDL's) were calculated for each mechanism. The probabilistic models obtained in terms of the EUDL's pose an easily accessible format through which existing load models and codified provisions can be evaluated. These load models are then utilised to evaluate the SABS provisions in terms of the level of reliability catered for by SABS ultimate limit-state design criteria. It is concluded that the SABS conservatively provides for maintenance loads on the roof, while the reliability for construction loads is non-conservative for large tributary areas and highly non-conservative for small areas. The load models so obtained can further be applied for structural reliability assessment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: "n Kritiese evaluasie van die voorskrifte vir opgelegde belastings in die Suid- Afrikaanse Selastingskode vir die ontwerp van strukture, SASS 0160-1989 (SASS) deur 'n vergelyking met ander kodes is vroeër uitgevoer. Die evaluasie het getoon dat die SASS in die algemeen onkonserwatief is in sy voorsiening vir opgelegde belastings oor 'n bereik van algemene en spesialis okkupasie tipes. Die SASS voorskrif vir opgelegde belastings vir ontoeganklike dakke is hoogs onkonserwatief in vergelyking met die ander kodes. 'n Ondersoek na die opgelegde belasting vir ontoeganklike dakke word gevolglik uitgevoer met die doelom 'n wetenskaplike rasionaal daar te stel waardeur die gekodifiseerde voorskrifte effektief gemeet kan word. As gevolg van die gebrek aan inligting en groot onsekerhede betrokke by die opgelegde dakbelasting word stogastiese modellering geimplimenteer. Die aanslag wat gevolg is, is om 'n tipe gebou te selekteer wat beskou kan word as verteenwoordigend van die geboue waarvoor hierdie belastings van toepassing is, en om die belasting te diskretiseer in die verskeie lasmeganismes wat die opgelegde dakbelasting voortbring. Die waarskynlikheidsmodelle vir die lasmeganismes word dan gekwantifiseer, óf deur fisiese opnames, óf deur die uitvoering van 'n ekspertopname vir daardie veranderlikes wat nie waarneembaar is nie. Die gebruik van ekspert opinie as "n bron van inligting is nie maklik toeganklik in terme daarvan om wetenskaplik verdedigbare resultate te lewer nie. Daarom is die ekspert-opname uitgevoer soos 'n gekalibreerde eksperiment waardeur relatiewe gewigte bereken word vir die individuele eksperts en hulopinies daarvolgens gekombineer word. Die waarskynlikheidsmodelle vir die lasmeganismes word dan omgeskakel in laseffekte deur in agneming van die fisiese proses wat die las-effek voortbring. Deur die lasmeganismes op só 'n manier toe te pas dat die betrokke las-effekte gemaksimeer word, word ekwivalent uniforme belastings (EUS's) bepaal. Die waarskynlikheidsmodelle in terme van EUS's bied "n maklik toeganklike formaat waardeur bestaande lasmodelle en gekodifiseerde voorskrifte evalueer kan word. Die lasmodelle word gevolglik gebruik om die SASS voorskrifte te evalueer in terme van die vlak van betroubaarheid wat gehandhaaf word deur SASS limiet-staat ontwerp kriteria. Dit is bepaal dat die SASS konserwatief voorsiening maak vir onderhoudslaste op die dak, maar onkonserwatief tot hoogs-onkonserwatief is vir konstruksie laste. Die bepaalde lasmodelle kan verder toegepas word in strukturele betroubaarheids analise.

Geotechnical engineers are commonly faced with the need to perform ground improvement techniques to achieve the necessary bearing capacity for a project. Some of the most common techniques involve the excavation and replenishment of problematic geomaterial with one of better quality. Common projects, such as road embankments and retaining walls, also require the selection of backfill material. The guidelines for selecting backfill material are typically limited to complying with certain gradation bands, relative densities and allowable fines content. Round-grained silica sand, and beach sand from Boca Raton, FL, were used to generate a total of 16 binary granular mixtures containing different amounts of finer material, for which a series of direct shear tests were conducted. Based on the experimental results, it may be possible to provide an alternative criteria for selecting backfill material based on granulometric parameters and the amount of finer material. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

"Secondary teachers across the United States are being asked to use formative assessment data to inform their classroom instruction. At the same time, critics of US government’s No Child Left Behind legislation are calling the bill “No Child Left Untested”. Among other things, critics point out that every hour spent assessing students is an hour lost from instruction. But, does it have to be? What if we better integrated assessment into classroom instruction and allowed students to learn during the test? This dissertation emphasizes using the intelligent tutoring system as an assessment system that just so happens to provide instructional assistance during the test. Usually it is believed that assessment get harder if students are allowed to learn during the test, as it’s then like trying to hit a moving target. So, my results are somewhat shocking that by providing tutoring to students while they are assessed I actually improve the assessment of students’ knowledge. Most traditional assessments treat all questions on the test as sampling a single underlying knowledge component. Yet, teachers want detailed, diagnostic reports to inform their instruction. Can we have our cake and eat it, too? In this dissertation, I provide solid evidence that a fine-grained skill model is able to predict state test scores better than coarser-rained models, as well as being used to give teachers more informative feedback that they can reflect on to improve their instruction. The contribution of the dissertation lies in that it established novel assessment methods to better assess students in intelligent tutoring systems. Through analyzing data of more than 1,000 students across two years, it provides strong evidence implying that it is possible to develop a continuous assessment system that can do all three of these things at the same time: 1) accurately and longitudinally assesses students, 2) gives fine grained feedback that is more cognitively diagnostic, and 3) saves classroom instruction time by assessing students while they are getting tutoring. "

This thesis is part of an on going project within Autoliv Sweden AB to develop the process in changing the material in airbags. Most airbags are today constructed of fabric in polyamide 6.6 (PA6.6) and the thesis view the possibility of changing the material to one of three different polyesters (PET1, PET2, PET3). Both materials have different properties that have been looked into by two test methods, linear testing and dynamic testing with cold gas. The two testing methods were conducted on plain fabric and on fabric with seam to see differences in the materials when subjected to different stress caused by force or pressure. During testing the seam rupture was measured by filming the test sequences, and used for visual analysis. Tensile testing was conducted using a constant-rate-of-extension machine where the material is subjected to linear force until rupture. Dynamic testing was done with a cold nitrogen gas system using vessels to build up pressure that then releases towards the material putting it under stress. Tensile testing results for elongation do not have significant differences between testing in plain fabric or fabric with seam. PET2 have highest elongation in warp and weft. Visual analysis of specimens shows difference in how materials break, where the reference material in PA6.6 breaks more even than in PET materials. Dynamic testing show that the biggest seam opening do not occur at the highest pressure. In order to understand what is happening with the fabric during testing, three different times have been chosen in the pressure-time chart. Results in dynamic testing on fabric with seam show that PET3 have the smallest seam opening while reference material in PA6.6 has the largest opening. All PET materials have similar properties even if these are not always same as reference material in PA6.6. We can neither discard nor confirm our hypothesis of seam slippage and elongation relates equally in the same material independent of test method. From these results PET2 would not be recommended due to seam opens most at maximum force and the material has the biggest elongation. PET3 would be the recommended material, since seam opening is smallest at measured pressure. / Program: Textilingenjörsutbildningen

No description available.

La compréhension du comportement des matériaux minces sous différentes sollicitations est un enjeu en matière de sécurité. Les modèles de comportement mécanique et de rupture ont évolué pour prendre en compte l’état de contrainte et la vitesse de déformation qui peuvent avoir une influence majeure sur la réponse du matériau. L’identification de ces modèles passe par la caractérisation expérimentale du matériau. Les essais mécaniques représentent donc toujours une étape indispensable au développement des outils numériques. L’objectif de ces travaux est donc de contribuer à l’apport de techniques expérimentales de caractérisation des matériaux. L’ensemble des travaux est illustré par l’étude de deux matériaux : un alliage d’aluminium AA- 2024-T3 et un acier dual phase DP450. L’effet de la vitesse de déformation sur le comportement en traction équi-biaxiale, ainsi que la déformation à rupture en traction équi-biaxiale et en traction en déformation plane sont étudiés. Pour cela, le dépouillement de l’essai de gonflement hydraulique (bulge test) est amélioré et un nouveau dispositif est utilisé pour atteindre des vitesses de déformation intermédiaires de 100 s-1. L’essai de poinçonnement hémisphérique et un nouvel essai de poinçonnement pour la traction en déformation plane sont effectués jusqu’à des vitesses de déformation intermédiaires. L’effet du trajet de chargement sur la déformation à rupture est également étudié. Une méthode de traction uni-axiale sur éprouvettes de grandes dimensions est développée pour appliquer un premier chargement. Ensuite un second chargement en traction équi-biaxiale ou en traction en déformation plane est appliqué jusqu’à rupture. / The understanding of thin materials behavior under various stress state is a current issue for security matters. Constitutive models and failure models evolved to take into account stress state and strain rate effect on material behavior. Experimental characterization of materials is necessary to identify models. Mechanical tests are mandatory for the development of numerical tools. The aim of this thesis is the development of experimental techniques for material characterization. This work is performed on two materials, a AA-2024-T3 aluminum alloy and DP450 dual phase steel. Strain rate effect on the equi-biaxial tension behavior and the failure, and on the plane strain tension failure is studied. For this purpose, we improved the analysis of bulge test and a new device is proposed ion order to attain strain rates up to 100 s-1. Hemispheric punch test and a new punch test dedicated to plane strain tension are proposed at high strain rates. Effect of loading path on failure strain is also studied. A new device for uniaxial tension on large specimens is use to apply the first load, a second loading under equi-biaxial tension or plane strain tension is then applied up to failure.

The majority of the bridges in the United States are already reaching the years that the design process took into account when determining the time the structure would be functional. This means that many of the bridges in the nation are in need of increasing maintenance, and in some cases, major retrofitting. Researchers at Utah State University in conjunction with the Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program, under the direction of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, directed dynamic testing on the New Jersey Pilot Bridge, structure number 1618-150. The purpose of the LTBP Program is to monitor the nation’s highway bridges for a 20-year period to analyze and understand the behavior over time of the selected bridges and then promote the safety, mobility, longevity, and reliability on those bridges. In order to perform the monitoring of the bridge, ambient vibration analysis was selected for this structure, which was instrumented with an array of velocity transducers to record the response coming from the excitation. A finite element model was also created to compare the results from the ambient vibration testing. The results of this testing will be used with the LTBP Program to improve the knowledge of the bridge performance and foster the next generation of bridges and bridge management in the nation.

Tensile strength of flexor tendon repair using barbed suture material in a dynamic ex vivo model. The purpose of this study was to compare two sutures; a knotted polydioxane with a knotless barbed in a 4-strand Kirchmayr-Kessler suture technique. Human flexor digitorum tendons were separated into four groups. Group 1 - polydioxane; Group 2 - barbed suture; Group 3 and 4 - same as group 1 and 2 with an additional peripheral running suture. In each group the repaired tendons were subjected to linear and cyclical loads. No difference in maximum tensile strength after linear and cyclical force could be detected between the knotted polydioxane suture and the knotless barbed suture. On linear force tests an additional circumferential repair increased the maximum tensile strength of both sutures. Cyclical force loading did not lead to a reduction of maximum strength. Following linear and cyclical loading the 4-strand barbed suture achieved maximum tensile strengths comparable to the 4-strand repair using the polydioxane suture. Barbed suture repair may offer the advantage of knotless suture techniques. / In einem ex vivo Modell wurde die Stabilität verschiedener Beugesehnennähte mit unterschiedlichen Nahtmaterialien und -methoden verglichen. Darunter eine knotenlose Technik mit Nahtmaterial mit Widerhaken. Des weiteren wurde der Stabilitätsvorteil durch eine zusätzliche Feinadaptionsnaht getestet. Angelehnt an eine frühe postoperative aktive Nachbehandlung wurde auch ein dynamisches Testmodell mit zyklischer Vorbelastung angewendet.