No description available.

This degree project was performed in collaboration with the division of nuclear physics at the department of physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology. A partial goal of the project was to create a simulation model, where the relationship be- tween the multiplication of electrons that occurs in an ionization chamber and the different pressures of air in the detector could be visualized. The main goal was then to use this model in order to examine the behaviour of electron multiplication for different geometries of the simulated ionization chamber. The simulation was performed in Python 3.7 (Python Soft- ware Foundation, DE, United States), and geometry was modified by increasing and decreasing the simulated inner and anode wire radius of the chamber. Results showed that the peak of the multiplication curve occurred at different pressures for different geometries. When the anode wire radius was fixed, the peak occurred at a lower pressure for an increase of the inner radius, whereas, when the inner radius was fixed, the peak occurred at a higher pressure for an increase of the anode wire radius. The number of created electrons are dependent of Townsend’s coefficent, α, which in turn is dependent of the relationship between pressure and electric field strength. The electric field strength within an ionization chamber varies for different geometries, and therefore is the relationship between pressure and electric field that results in the max- imum value of α, and thus the maximum peak of the multiplication factor, consequently given by different pressures for different chamber geometries. If the results from the simulations in this project are to correspond with actual experimental data, the knowledge of this geometry-dependence may be used to include or exclude the multiplication peak in further measurements depending upon preference.

<div>For centuries, fluid flows (hydrodynamics) and electromagnetic phenomena have interested scientists and laypeople alike. The earliest recording of the intersection of these two ideas, electro-hydrodynamics, was reported four centuries ago by William Gilbert who observed that static electricity generated from rubbed amber could ``attract" water. Today electrohydrodynamic phenomena are the underlying mechanisms driving the production of nano-fibers through electro-spinning, printing circuitry, and electrospraying, which John Fenn used in his Nobel prize winning work on electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. In all of these applications, a strong electric field is used to deform a liquid-gas interface (free surface) into a sharp conical tip. Unable to sustain these large interfacial stresses, a thin jet of fluid emerges from the tip of the cone and may subsequently break into a stream of smaller droplets. This tip-streaming phenomenon demands fundamental understanding of three canonical problems in fluid mechanics: electrified cones (Taylor cones), jets, and droplets. </div><div>In this thesis, the electrohydrodynamics of free surface flows are examined through both analytical and numerical treatment of the Cauchy momentum equations augmented with Maxwell's equations. Linear oscillations and stability of (inviscid) conducting charged droplets are examined in the presence of a solid ring shaped constraint. Here the constraint gives rise to an additional mode of oscillation---absent in the analysis of a free (unconstrained) droplet. Interestingly, the amount of charge necessary for instability, the Rayleigh charge limit, is unaltered by the constraint, but the mode of oscillation associated with instability changes. While all of the aforementioned applications involve electrified liquid-gas interfaces, recent experiments reveal a previously unknown type of streaming can occur for droplets suspended in another fluid. In these experiments, the suspending fluid is more conductive and an external electric field drives the intially spherical drop to adopt an oblate shape. Based on the viscosity ratio between the drop and suspending fluid, two different types of instability were observed: (i) if the drop is more viscous, then the drop forms a dimple at its poles and ruptures though its center, a phenomenon that is now referred to as dimpling, and (ii) if the suspending fluid is more viscous, then the drop adopts a lens-like shape and emits a sheet from its equator that subsequently breaks into a stream of rings and then tiny droplets, a phenomenon that is now called equatorial streaming. The physics of these two instabilities are far beyond the applicability of linear theory, requiring careful numerical analysis. Here steady-state governing equations are solved using the Galerkin finite element method (GFEM) to reveal the exact nature of these two instabilities and their dependence on the viscosity ratio. The fate of these drops once they succumb to instability is then analyzed by fully transient simulations.</div><div> Lastly, in a growing number of applications, the working fluid is non-Newtonian, and may even contain suspended solid particles. When non-Newtonian rheology is attributable to the presence of polymer, the dynamics is analyzed by means of a DEVSS-TG/SUPGFEM algorithm that is developed for simulating viscoelastic free surface </div><div>flows. When complex fluid rheology is due to the presence of suspended solid spherical particles, both early-time (linear) and asymptotic dynamics are uncovered by coupling the motion of the particles and Newtonian fluid implicitly in a GFEM fluid-structure interaction (FSI) algorithm. These novel algorithms are used to analyze the pinch-off dynamics of liquid jets and drops.</div>

No description available.

<p>    </p> <p>In this thesis, a thermodynamically consistent phase field formulation was developed to identify the physical origin of interfacial transitions that drive macroscopic phenomena, start- ing at the single-particle length scale and building up to the polycrystalline length scale. At the single-particle length scale, the framework identified two interfacial phases that are stable at the surface of Sn nanoparticles: 1) a disordered interfacial phase, i.e., the experimentally observed premelted surface layer; and 2) an ordered surficial phase displaying a remnant de- gree of order in fully melted particles. Regimes of melting behavior as a function of particle size and temperature are discussed. To bridge the gap between single-particle and densified polycrystals, an analytical model was developed to capture the physical driving forces for densification during electric field-assisted sintering. Here, the model acknowledges the struc- tural contributions of particle-particle interfaces to the strength of mechanical, electrical, and surficial driving forces for densification, and shows good agreement with experimental flash sintering data. Finally, the theory was applied to polycrystalline LiCoO₂ (LCO) and shows that the experimentally observed metal-insulator transition is driven by grain bound- ary lithium segregation, the interfacial misorientation, and the size of the abutting grains. A critical misorientation as a function of the macroscopic lithium content exists above which the grain boundaries undergo a metal-insulating transition, suggesting that the fabrication of textured LCO microstructures will delay the metal-insulator transition. </p>

Electric machines are widely used in for instance the automotive industry in electric vehicles and in wind turbines. The electrical machines have mechanical bearings as an integral part used to transmit power and load. In addition, the main function includes reducing friction between interacting surfaces. However, it is one of the most failing machine elements in these machines. To improve operational sustainability and reduce maintenance costs, understanding bearing failure mechanisms under electrical influence is important. One of the main reasons of bearing failure is linked to high frequency power switches typically used to enhance electric machines’ efficiency. The increase in switching rate induces more frequent common mode voltage fluctuations making the system vulnerable to bearing currents. A small voltage difference of a few ten volts can induce significant electric stress on the bearing depending on the lubricant film thickness and related tribological parameters. The electric charge build-up leads to electric current conduction (arc discharge which happens when the voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage) ultimately damaging the bearing. There are different mitigation strategies which are used to restrict bearing currents through grounding or using completely insulative bearings such as ceramic ones. However, at the moment, there are no satisfactory solutions and there is a need for efficient and economical solutions to the problem. On the other hand, various filters are used to reduce the amplitude and its frequency of bearing currents, but they only partly solve the problem. Similarly, the insulative surface coatings provides high electrical resistance but start acting as capacitors. At a sufficiently high voltage difference, the current passes through the system. Therefore, mitigation strategies are still being explored to improve system performance and service-life. To understand the bearing discharge activity and electrical breakdowns, an electrified ball bearing rig is developed with the ability of testing different electrical properties of lubricants and running conditions. To be able to characterize the electrical properties of a bearing, two electrical circuits are designed. Experimental tests are carried out with PAO-15 and an electrical conductivity-enhanced PAO-15/P-SiSO lubricant with addition of ionic liquids. The influence of different tribological parameters such as rotational speed and viscosity are compared with respect to discharge activity. In addition, two fully formulated experimental oils are compared and evaluated in terms of their electrical performance. The bearing is found to be in different states showing electric-field dependent insulation breakdown ranging from resistive to resistive-capacitive to capacitive states. The electric characterization shows a difference between the boundary, mixed and full film lubrication regimes. Conclusively, the electrical behavior of a mechanical bearing is characterized experimentally to understand discharge problem and roadmap solution opportunities.

No description available.

Tesis por compendio / [ES] El cartílago hialino es un tejido conectivo denso con poca capacidad de auto regeneración cuando es afectado por patologías degenerativas. Por lo tanto, la estimulación eléctrica se ha propuesto como una terapia alternativa no invasiva para mejorar la reparación del cartílago hialino. De acuerdo con esto, este trabajo presenta un enfoque computacional y experimental combinado para entender mejor la biología del cartílago hialino y su respuesta a la estimulación eléctrica usando diferentes modelos in vitro. En primer lugar, se ha desarrollado un modelo mecanobiológico para simular el proceso de osificación endocondral. Por otro lado, se ha evaluado el efecto de la estimulación eléctrica sobre el cartílago hialino en tres escenarios diferentes. Inicialmente se ha analizado la proliferación celular y la síntesis de glicosaminoglicanos de condrocitos cultivados en monocapa y estimulados con campos eléctricos. Luego, se ha realizado un análisis histomorfométrico a explantes de condroepífisis que fueron estimulados eléctricamente. Por último, se ha evaluado el efecto de los campos eléctricos sobre la diferenciación condrogénica de células madre mesenquimales cultivadas en hidrogeles. Los resultados indican que la estimulación eléctrica es un estímulo biofísico prometedor, ya que este tipo de estimulación mejora la viabilidad y la proliferación celular, induce cambios morfológicos en los condrocitos, y estimula la síntesis de las principales moléculas que componen el cartílago hialino, tales como SOX-9, glicosaminoglicanos y agrecan. Además, este proyecto es el primer paso hacia la implementación de un estímulo biofísico alternativo que modifica la dinámica celular de los condrocitos de la placa de crecimiento en condiciones ex vivo. Adicionalmente, este estudio resalta el efecto potencial de los campos eléctricos para inducir el proceso de condrogénesis de células madre mesenquimales cultivadas en condiciones basales. En general, la evaluación de la estimulación eléctrica sobre condrocitos, tejidos y andamios es una herramienta útil que puede contribuir al conocimiento actual de las terapias regenerativas enfocadas en la regeneración del cartílago hialino. / [CA] El cartílag hialí és un teixit connectiu dens amb poca capacitat d'auto regeneració quan es veu afectat per patologies degeneratives. Per tant, l'estimulació elèctrica s'ha proposat com una teràpia alternativa no invasiva per millorar la reparació del cartílag articular. D'acord amb això, aquest treball presenta un enfoc computacional i experimental combinat per entendre millor la biologia del cartílag hialí i la seva resposta a l'estimulació elèctrica usant diferents models in vitro. En primer lloc, s'ha desenvolupat un model mecanobiològic per simular el procés d'ossificació endocondral. D'altra banda, s'ha avaluat l'efecte de l'estimulació elèctrica sobre el cartílag hialí en tres escenaris diferents. Inicialment s'ha analitzat la proliferació cel·lular i la síntesi de glicosaminoglicans de condròcits cultivats en monocapa i estimulats amb camps elèctrics. Després, s'ha realitzat una anàlisi histomorfomètrica a explants de condroepífisis que van ser estimulats elèctricament. Finalment, s'ha avaluat l'efecte dels camps elèctrics sobre la diferenciació condrogénica de cèl·lules mare mesenquimals cultivades en hidrogels. Els resultats indiquen que l'estimulació elèctrica és un estímul biofîsic prometedor, ja que aquest tipus d'estimulació millora la viabilitat i la proliferació cel·lular, indueix canvis morfològics en els condròcits, i estimula la síntesi de les principals molècules que componen el cartílag hialí, com ara SOX-9, glicosaminoglicans i agrecan. A més, aquest projecte és el primer pas cap a la implementació d'un estímul biofísic alternatiu que modifica la dinàmica cel·lular dels condròcits de la placa de creixement en condicions ex vivo. Addicionalment, aquest estudi ressalta l'efecte potencial dels camps elèctrics per induir el procés de condrogènesi de cèl·lules mare mesenquimals cultivades en condicions basals. En general, l'avaluació de l'estimulació elèctrica sobre condròcits, teixits i scaffolds és una eina útil que pot contribuir al coneixement actual de les teràpies regeneratives enfocades a la regeneració del cartílag hialí. / [EN] Hyaline cartilage is a dense connective tissue with low self-healing capacity when is affected by degenerative pathologies. Therefore, electrical stimulation has been proposed as a possible non-invasive alternative therapy to enhance the restoration of the cartilaginous tissue. Accordingly, this work presents a combined computational and experimental approach to understand better the hyaline cartilage biology and its response to electrical stimulation using different in vitro models. On the one hand, a mechanobiological model was developed to simulate the endochondral ossification process. On the other hand, the electrical stimulation on hyaline cartilage was evaluated in three different scenarios. Initially, cell proliferation and glycosaminoglycans synthesis of chondrocytes, cultured in monolayer and stimulated with electric fields, was analyzed. Then, a histomorphometric analysis was performed to chondroepiphysis explants that were electrically stimulated. Finally, the effects of the electric fields on chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells cultured in hydrogels was assessed. The results indicated that electrical stimulation is a promising biophysical stimulus, due to the fact that this type of stimulation enhances the viability and the proliferation of cells, induces morphological changes in the chondrocytes, and stimulates the synthesis of the main molecules that compose the hyaline cartilage, such as SOX-9, glycosaminoglycans and aggrecan. Moreover, this project is the first step towards the implementation of an alternative biophysical stimulus that modifies the cellular dynamics of growth plate chondrocytes in ex vivo conditions. Additionally, this study highlights the potential effect of electric fields to induce the chondrogenesis process of mesenchymal stem cells cultured in basal conditions. Overall, the assessment of electrical stimulation on chondrocytes, tissues and scaffolds is a useful tool that may contribute to the current knowledge of regenerative therapies focused on hyaline cartilage healing. / To the financial support from COLCIENCIAS – COLFUTURO through the fellowship No. 647 for national doctorates. To the financial support from COLCIENCIAS through the research grant 712-2015 No. 50457. To the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the MAT2016-76039-C4-1-R project. / Vaca González, JJ. (2019). The effect of electric fields on hyaline cartilage: an in vitro and in silico study [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/120023 / Compendio

The trend towards more and all-electric apparatuses and more electrification will lead to higher electrical demand. Increases in electrical power demand can be provided by either higher currents or higher voltages. Due to "weight" and "voltage" drop, a raise in the current is not preferred; so, "higher voltages" are being considered. Another trend is to reduce the size and weight of apparatuses. Combined, these two trends result in the high voltage, high power density concept. It is expected that by 2030, 80% of all electric power will flow through "power electronics systems". In regards to the high voltage, high power density concept described above, "wide bandgap (WBG) power modules" made from materials such as "SiC and GaN (and, soon, Ga2O3 and diamond)", which can endure "higher voltages" and "currents" rather than "Si-based modules", are considered to be the most promising solution to reducing the size and weight of "power conversion systems". In addition to the trend towards higher "blocking voltage", volume reduction has been targeted for WBG devices. The blocking voltage is the breakdown voltage capability of the device, and volume reduction translates into power density increase. This leads to extremely high electric field stress, E, of extremely nonuniform type within the module, leading to a higher possibility of "partial discharge (PD)" and, in turn, insulation degradation and, eventually, breakdown of the module. Unless the discussed high E issue is satisfactorily addressed and solved, realizing next-generation high power density WBG power modules that can properly operate will not be possible. Contributions and innovations of this Ph.D. work are as follows. i) Novel electric field grading techniques including (a) various geometrical techniques, (b) applying "nonlinear field-dependent conductivity (FDC) materials" to high E regions, and (c) combination of (a) and (b), are developed; ii) A criterion for the electric stress intensity based upon accurate dimensions of a power device package and its "PD measurement" is presented; iii) Guidelines for the electrical insulation design of next-generation high voltage (up to 30 kV), high power density "WBG power modules" as both the "one-minute insulation" and PD tests according to the standard IEC 61287-1 are introduced; iv) Influence of temperature up to 250°C and frequency up to 1 MHz on E distribution and electric field grading methods mentioned in i) is studied; and v) A coupled thermal and electrical (electrothermal) model is developed to obtain thermal distribution within the module precisely. All models and simulations are developed and carried out in COMSOL Multiphysics. / Doctor of Philosophy / In power engineering, power conversion term means converting electric energy from one form to another such as converting between AC and DC, changing the magnitude or frequency of AC or DC voltage or current, or some combination of these. The main components of a power electronic conversion system are power semiconductor devices acted as switches. A power module provides the physical containment and package for several power semiconductor devices. There is a trend towards the manufacturing of electrification apparatuses with higher power density, which means handling higher power per unit volume, leading to less weight and size of apparatuses for a given power. This is the case for power modules as well. Conventional "silicon (Si)-based semiconductor technology" cannot handle the power levels and switching frequencies required by "next-generation" utility applications. In this regard, "wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor materials", such as "silicon carbide (SiC)"," gallium nitride (GaN)", and, soon, "gallium oxide" and "diamond" are capable of higher switching frequencies and higher voltages, while providing for lower switching losses, better thermal conductivities, and the ability to withstand higher operating temperatures. Regarding the high power density concept mentioned above, the challenge here, now and in the future, is to design compact WBG-based modules. To this end, the extremely nonuniform high electric field stress within the power module caused by the aforementioned trend and emerging WBG semiconductor switches should be graded and mitigated to prevent partial discharges that can eventually lead to breakdown of the module. In this Ph.D. work, new electric field grading methods including various geometrical techniques combined with applying nonlinear field-dependent conductivity (FDC) materials to high field regions are introduced and developed through simulation results obtained from the models developed in this thesis.

In dieser Arbeit wurde eine einfache laserspektroskopische Messmethode für lokale elektrische Feldstärken im Hinblick auf ihre Messmöglichkeiten und -grenzen untersucht. Als empfindliche optische Feldsensoren dienen dabei Wasserstoffatome, für die die Stark-Aufspaltung der Spektrallinien im elektrischen Feld wohl bekannt und exakt berechenbar ist. Die experimentellen Untersuchungen wurden an einer Niederdruck-Gaszelle durchgeführt, in der ein elektrisch geheizter Wolframdraht für thermische Dissoziation von Wasserstoffmolekülen sorgte. Die Wasserstoffatome wurden durch zwei gegenläufige Laserstrahlen Doppler-frei angeregt. Die Durchstimmung der schmalbandigen Laserstrahlung über den Wellenlängenbereich der Zwei-Photonen-Resonanz lieferte direkt das vom elektrischen Feld hervorgerufene Stark-Spektrum des angeregten Zustands. Weil die Methode im Gegensatz zu ähnlichen, erheblich aufwendigeren Verfahren nur die niedrigsten Wasserstoff-Energieniveaus benutzt, die mit Zwei-Photonen-Anregung direkt aus dem Grundzustand erreichbar sind, kommt sie mit einem einzigen Laser aus. Für das erste angeregte Niveau mit n = 2 wird Strahlung bei 243 nm benötigt, das nächsthöhere Niveau mit n = 3 erfordert 205 nm. Für n = 2 wurden Untersuchungen an Wasserstoff und Deuterium durchgeführt und Stark-Spektren mittels optogalvanischer Detektion gemessen. Schwerpunkt der Arbeit waren aber die Messungen an Wasserstoff für n = 3, bei denen zusätzlich Balmer-alpha-Fluoreszenz im Sichtbaren zur Detektion eingesetzt werden konnte. Bei elektrischen Feldern bis 200 V/cm wurden Stark-Spektren für drei verschiedene Polarisationszustände der Laserstrahlung aufgenommen. Als Ergebnis konnte jeweils ein Paar isolierter Stark-Komponenten in den Spektren identifiziert werden, dessen gut messbarer Frequenzabstand durch Vergleich mit theoretischen Werten die Bestimmung der elektrischen Feldstärke ermöglicht. / A method for electric field measurements that observes the Stark spectra of the low excited levels n = 2 and n = 3 of atomic hydrogen has been explored in this work. As advantage these levels can be excited Doppler-free from the ground state by a single laser and the highly resolved Stark spectra are easy to understand and to be calculated. Good sensitivity of electric field measurements is achieved with specially designed solid state laser systems, which provide tuneable pulsed UV radiation with a high pulse peak-power and a narrow bandwidth needed for Doppler-free two-photon excitation. Using hydrogen and deuterium the Stark spectra of the n = 2 level are detected as optogalvanic signal. For three different cases of laser polarization the n = 3 spectra of hydrogen are measured simultaneously with optogalvanic and laser induced Balmer alpha fluorescence detection. Electric fields down to 200 V/cm can be determined from the Stark spectra of n = 2 level, while the spectra of n = 3 level enable measurements of electric fields as small as 50 V/cm in each of the three cases of laser polarization.