The reduction or elimination of leakage of hydraulic fluid from fluid power systems is considered a fundamental prerequisite for the expanded use of fluid power. There is also a need to reduce seal friction to both reduce energy dissipation and eliminate control problems. These seals are developed through empirical means at the present time, since the fundamental physics of seal operation has been unclear. This research develops numerical models for analyzing reciprocating hydraulic rod seals with various rod surfaces. These models consist of coupled fluid mechanics, contact mechanics and deformation analyses. Both flooded and starved lubrication boundary conditions are applied. For seals with a smooth rod and a plunge-ground rod, the model combines a 1-D finite volume Reynolds equation solver with a 2-D axisymmetric finite element deformation and static contact mechanics analyses, and a Greenwood-Williamson contact mechanics analysis with rod motion. Leakage and friction, along with sealing zone details with the plunge-ground rod are compared with those with the smooth rod. The influence of rod surface finish on seal performance is investigated and explained, under both flooded and starved conditions For seals with a micro-patterned rod, the model consists of finite volume Reynolds equation solver, finite element deformation and static contact mechanics analyses and a Greenwood-Williamson dynamic contact mechanics analysis. This model is able to handle rod surface pattern with 3-dimensional geometrics. Simulations with different micro-pattern geometries are performed to analyze the fundamental mechanism of surface pattern effects on seal operation. Again, both flooded and starved conditions are applied and the results for both cases are compared and analyzed.

Due to its large flexibility, low-price, large availability, and properties lignin is seen as an important compound with a wide range of applications. The increasing demand of fossil-based rubber materials is causing a serious threat to the environment and it is contributing to plastic- and marine pollution, ozone depletion and carbon dioxide emission (CO2) [1,2]. Numerous toxicological researches highlight that Carbon black may act as a universal carrier of wide variety of chemicals of varying toxicity to the human body [3,4]. Consequently, researcher endeavours in finding sustainable and eco-friendlier alternatives. The aim of this thesis was to further investigate the possibilities of replacing carbon black with modified lignin in rubber elastomeric materials- for the development of sustainable tyre technology. The research questions for this thesis were divided in four parts:   How does lignin (unmodified and modified) structure affect the mechanical properties of the rubber compound? How does lignin affect the cross-link and vulcanisation of the rubber compound? How does lignin affect the dispersion of the rubber compound? Which modification of lignin is more compatible with the rubber compound? Lignin is the second most abundant biopolymer on earth (after cellulose) and is mainly extracted from black liquor, which is obtained as a by-product from the pulp- and paper. In this study, pure lignin was obtained from Lignoboost process (Lignocity) and underwent an esterification process of aldehydes (1. Protonic, 2. Butyric, 3. Isobutyric 4. Methacrylic and 5. Crotonic). LignoCity 2.0 is a project focusing on the development of sustainable products and processes connected to lignin. The structure of the modified lignin was characterized using a FTIR-spectra. Furthermore, seven different rubber compounds were produced at Anva Poly Tech, which is a company that manufactures rubber materials in Sunne, Sweden. The mechanical testing involved: Tensile strength, IRHD, Hardness, Rebound Resilience and Rheometer curve. It was observable that the addition of lignin in rubber compounds did not significantly improve the mechanical properties compared to conventional carbon black. However, the rheometer curves of the lignin samples clearly indicate an increase in scorch time and that lignin takes part in the vulcanization process, thus the delay in crosslinking phase.  In addition, it was visible that the fully replacement of carbon black with lignin (unmodified and modified) increased the elongation at break. Furthermore, the FTIR spectra indicated a complete and successful modification of lignin. In addition, compared to unmodified lignin, it was visible that the modified lignin significantly improved the mechanical properties. Therefore, it was possible to conclude that the configuration and double bonds of the aldehydes had an impact on the vulcanization process. Butyric and isobutyric lignin were the better choices compared to the other lignin samples. / De rådande miljöproblemen som: plast- och gummiutsläpp i havet, växthusgasutsläppet och den ekologiska utarmningen i kombination med den ökande efterfrågan av fossilbaserade material har lett till en ökad satsning på att hitta mer hållbara och miljövänligare alternativ [1, 2]. Kimrök i gummimaterial utgör en del hälsorisker och samtidigt har negativ påverkan på miljön. Flertals studier visar att långtidsexponering av kimrök kan ge allvarliga lungproblem och även cancer [3,4]. På grund av dess stora tillgänglighet, låga kostnad och unika egenskaper anses lignin vara en möjlig och intressant framtidskandidat för ersättande av fossila produkter. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka möjligheterna om att ersätta kimrök med modifierad lignin i gummimaterial för utvecklandet av ’grönare däckteknologi’. Frågeställningarna i detta arbete var uppställda i fyra i olika delar: Hur påverkar tillsättningen av lignin (omodifierad och modifierad) gummiblandningens mekaniska egenskaper? Hur påverkar tillsättningen av lignin tvärbindningarna och vulkningen i gummiblandningen? Hur påverkas tillsättningen av lignin gummiblandningars dispersion? Vilken modifikation av lignin är mest kompatibel med gummimaterialet? Lignin är en organisk biopolymer som är den näst mest (efter cellulosa) förekommande biomassan i naturen och produceras som en biprodukt från pappers- och massa industrin. Ren lignin erhålls genom extraktion från svartlut med diverse isolations metoder. I detta arbete erhölls lignin genom Lignoboost processen från Lignocity.  Lignocity 2.0 är ett projekt som syftar till att utveckla, kommersiella och effektivisera hållbara processer och produkter med fokus på lignin. I detta arbete modifierades ligninet genom en s.k. esterfierings process av fem olika aldehyder 1.Propionic, 2. Butyric, 3. Isobutyric, 4. Methacrylic och 5. Crotonic som sedan undersöktes i en FTIR-spektra. Sju olika gummiblandningar skapades (inklusive ett gummi som endast innehöll kimrök och ett gummi som ej innehöll kimrök eller lignin). Gummiblandningarnas mekaniska egenskaper undersöktes på följande sätt: Dragstyrka, IRHD (Hårdhet), Hårdhet, studselasticiteten och reometrisk karaktärisering De ligninbaserade gummiblandningarna gav ingen signifikant förbättring i de mekaniska egenskaperna. Dock visade den reometriska kurvan att tillsättning av lignin gav en ökning i bränntid samt att ligninet gav en förskjutning i tvärbindningsfasen. Vidare gav den reometriska kurvan en indikation på att ligninet deltog i vulkaniseringsprocessen. Isobutyric lignin hade den högsta bränntiden. Det var även bevisat att tillsättningen av lignin gav en ökning i töjning. Modifieringen av lignin gav en signifikant förbättring av de mekaniska egenskaperna jämfört med omodifierad lignin. FTIR-spektrumet av ligninproven indikerade på en lyckad modifiering och koppling av aldehydgrupperna. Trots att de ligninbaserade gummiblandningarna inte förbättrade de mekaniska egenskaperna så kunde intressanta kopplingar mellan aldehydens konfigurationer, dubbelbindningar och vulkaniserings processen göras. Butyric och isobutyric visade bäst resultat jämfört de andra ligninproven.

Seismic base isolation has become an increasingly common approach to reduce earthquake induced losses. Base isolation aims to decouple structures, such as buildings or bridges, from strong ground motions through the introduction of a flexible layer, typically located at the foundation. Base isolation is a well-established concept and accepted as an effective method of protecting both the structure and its contents from damage due to earthquakes. Elastomers are ideal for base isolation due to their soft material properties and ability to undergo large recoverable strains. Steel-reinforced elastomeric isolators (SREIs) have been widely applied as base isolators; however, the weight and cost of SREIs have been perceived as barriers to the widespread application of base isolation. In order to alleviate these concerns, it has been proposed that the steel reinforcement could be replaced with lighter fiber reinforcement with similar tensile properties as steel. Recent investigations have demonstrated that fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators (FREIs) are viable and have desirable characteristics. An additional proposed cost saving measure was to place the FREI unbonded between the upper and lower supports. The combination of the flexible fiber reinforcement and the unbonded application resulted in a unique rollover deformation under horizontal displacement. Rollover causes a nonlinear force-displacement relationship characterized by a softening and stiffening phase. This nonlinear relationship is believed to be advantageous and to allow the performance of the device to be tailored to the earthquake hazard level. This work investigates the adaptive characteristics of unbonded FREIs. It is demonstrated that the softening and stiffening characteristics of the isolator can be altered through modifications to the isolator or to the surrounding support geometry. Equations are developed to predict the horizontal force-displacement relationship. Furthermore, simple expressions appropriate for use in building and bridge design codes are proposed for critical isolator properties. Potential limitations introduced due to the unbonded application are identified and addressed through the development of a new partially bonded hybrid isolator. It is demonstrated that unbonded FREIs are highly versatile and a potentially competitive device appropriate for widespread application in developed and developing countries. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Earthquakes remain a significant and potentially devastating threat to both developed and developing countries. Structural elements within a building, such as beams and columns, must deform considerably to accommodate the relative floor displacements that develop due to ground motion. Conventional construction materials are not capable of undergoing these large deformations without irreversible and potentially catastrophic damage. The introduction of a flexible layer at the foundation level of a structure, using elements known as isolators, can dramatically reduce damage. The deformation is concentrated at the flexible layer, which can undergo large displacements without any damage. This concept, known as base isolation, protects both the structure and its contents. Traditional isolators are expensive, thus far hindering the application of base isolation systems. A novel isolator design has been proposed that has the potential for widespread economical application. To increase the application, building codes need to be developed, requiring substantial research on the isolator properties. A key component of the novel isolator is the ability to alter the isolator geometry to further enhance the response. This is validated through experimental testing and complex computer models.

No description available.

Seismic isolation, in which a flexible layer is used to separate a structure from the ground below, is a proven method for reducing earthquake demands that has been recently introduced into the 2015 Canadian building code. Typical installations of seismic isolation use rigid diaphragms to bound the end plates of the isolators, which is easily implemented in new build scenarios but requires extensive excavation and foundation work in retrofit applications. An alternative form of isolation involves placing the isolation plane on top of first floor columns, potentially resulting in flexible boundary conditions. There have been very few experimental programs that mimic these flexible boundary conditions. To address conditions that may be found in column-top isolation design schemes, such as flexible framing and lightly axially loaded corner bearings, an experimental program on a quarter-scale column-top isolation system was conducted. The goals of the investigation were to investigate how rotations of both top and bottom bearing end plates impact key design assumptions such as horizontal stiffness, rotational stiffness, and stability, and how these effects change with axial load. Experimental findings showed that flexible boundary conditions reduce horizontal stiffness based on the sum of rotation at the ends, regardless of the rotation of one bearing end plate with respect to the other. This decrease is dependent on axial load, with more axial load leading to a higher decrease in horizontal stiffness. The rotational stiffness significantly decreases with bearing shear strain and models that use linear, elastic rotational springs underrepresent rotations at the boundaries. Lastly, traditionally used design limits for stability can be used for bearings of moderate shape factor (S1 = 19.6 used in testing) bounded by flexible framing, but these theoretical limits can overestimate the experimental determined limits by nearly double for bearings of low shape factors (S1 = 7.9 used in testing). / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Seismic isolation, in which a flexible layer is used to separate a structure from the ground below, is a proven method for reducing earthquake demands that has been recently introduced into Canadian building code. Typical installations of seismic isolation use rigid diaphragms to bound the end plates of the isolators, which is more easily implemented in new build scenarios but requires extensive excavation and foundation work in retrofit applications. An alternative form of isolation involves placing the isolation plane on top of first floor columns, potentially resulting in flexible boundary conditions. To address this, an experimental program on a quarter-scale column-top isolation system was conducted to investigate how rotations of both top and bottom bearing end plates impact key design assumptions such as horizontal stiffness, rotational stiffness, and stability. This research can help to expand the number and types of buildings isolation can be applied to, creating more resilient communities.

Mechanical factors have been cited as a primary cause of total knee replacement failure. A hypothesis has been formulated stating that the introduction of a compliant interface into a total knee prosthesis would moderate excessive stresses and strains, thereby, extending joint life. A biocompatable elastomer developed by the Dow Corning Corporation was selected for mechanical evaluation as a cushioning material. Force-strain, impact, and fatigue tests were conducted on several specially designed and fabricated elastomer test shapes. Test results demonstrate that a suitably stiff and dynamically responsive elastomer cushion can be designed to handle repeated physiological knee joint loads. Physiological impacts with cadaver tibias demonstrated significant shock reduction benefits, including peak force reductions of up to 70%, with the addition of different elastomer shapes. Compressive fatigue evaluation of elastomer samples was inconclusive owing to extensive sample wear. As a result configurations or applications where the elastomer can move relative to a rigid surface are not recommended. A new, mechanically contained elastomer shape was designed and tested which greatly reduced wear. Bonding of this new shape to prosthetic joint materials is recommended for further experimental evaluation. / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)

No description available.

<p>Cancer comprises a collection of diseases, all of which begin with abnormal tissue growth from various stimuli, including (but not limited to): heredity, genetic mutation, exposure to harmful substances, radiation as well as poor dieting and lack of exercise. The early detection of cancer is vital to providing life-saving, therapeutic intervention. However, current methods for detection (e.g., tissue biopsy, endoscopy and medical imaging) often suffer from low patient compliance and an elevated risk of complications in elderly patients. As such, many are looking to “liquid biopsies” for clues into presence and status of cancer due to its minimal invasiveness and ability to provide rich information about the native tumor. In such liquid biopsies, peripheral blood is drawn from patients and is screened for key biomarkers, chiefly circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Capturing, enumerating and analyzing the genetic and metabolomic characteristics of these CTCs may hold the key for guiding doctors to better understand the source of cancer at an earlier stage for more efficacious disease management.</p><p> The isolation of CTCs from whole blood, however, remains a significant challenge due to their (i) low abundance, (ii) lack of a universal surface marker and (iii) epithelial-mesenchymal transition that down-regulates common surface markers (e.g., EpCAM), reducing their likelihood of detection via positive selection assays. These factors potentiate the need for an improved cell isolation strategy that can collect CTCs via both positive and negative selection modalities as to avoid the reliance on a single marker, or set of markers, for more accurate enumeration and diagnosis.</p><p> The technologies proposed herein offer a unique set of strategies to focus, sort and template cells in three independent microfluidic modules. The first module exploits ultrasonic standing waves and a class of elastomeric particles for the rapid and discriminate sequestration of cells. This type of cell handling holds promise not only in sorting, but also in the isolation of soluble markers from biofluids. The second module contains components to focus (i.e., arrange) cells via forces from acoustic standing waves and separate cells in a high throughput fashion via free-flow magnetophoresis. The third module uses a printed array of micromagnets to capture magnetically labeled cells into well-defined compartments, enabling on-chip staining and single cell analysis. These technologies can operate in standalone formats, or can be adapted to operate with established analytical technologies, such as flow cytometry. A key advantage of these innovations is their ability to process erythrocyte-lysed blood in a rapid (and thus high throughput) fashion. They can process fluids at a variety of concentrations and flow rates, target cells with various immunophenotypes and sort cells via positive (and potentially negative) selection. These technologies are chip-based, fabricated using standard clean room equipment, towards a disposable clinical tool. With further optimization in design and performance, these technologies might aid in the early detection, and potentially treatment, of cancer and various other physical ailments.</p> / Dissertation

Devido a forte concorrência dentro do mercado automobilístico, aspectos como qualidade e custo tornam-se prioritários na busca de competitividade. Diversas empresas trabalham em propostas visando a redução de custo sem perda de qualidade. Diversos veículos dentro do mercado brasileiro usam o coxim hidráulico no sistema de apoio do motor. A proposta inicial visa substituição deste coxim por um coxim elastomérico. Seguindo esta proposta, tem-se esta pesquisa que visa apresentar comparativamente o comportamento entre o coxim hidráulico e o coxim elastomérico. Além da revisão bibliográfica, realizamos o estudo comparativo experimental com peças físicas avaliadas conforme especificações utilizadas pela indústria automobilística. Observamos que o coxim elastomérico apresentou substancial melhoria desde os anos 70, oferecendo bom compromisso entre rigidez estática e isolação de vibração. O coxim hidráulico, por sua vez, apresenta alto amortecimento na faixa de baixa freqüência e sua rigidez dinâmica ainda é maior na faixa de alta freqüência, porém seu desempenho quanto a isolação de vibração irá depender da rigidez dinâmica, da constante de amortecimento e da faixa de freqüência em estará submetido. Devido ao custo do coxim elastomérico ser cerca de três vezes menor que o custo do coxim hidráulico, o mesmo torna-se grande atrativo para compor o sistema de apoio do motor. Ainda acrescentamos que se deve avaliar o veículo como um todo em laboratórios especializados para avaliação do desempenho quanto ao conforto do usuário. / Due to strong competition inside of the automotive market, aspects as quality and cost become priority in the search of competitiveness. Several companies work in proposals seeking the cost reduction without quality loss. Several vehicles inside of Brazilian market use the hydraulic mount at their engine mount system. The initial proposal seeks the substitution of this type of mount by an elastomeric mount. Based on this proposal, we have this research that intends to present comparatively the behavior between the hydraulic mount and the elastomeric mount. Besides the researched bibliography, we accomplished the practical comparative study with physical parts evaluating as specifications used by automotive industries. We observed that the elastomeric mount presented substantial improvements since the seventies, offering good compromising between static stiffness and isolation vibration performance. The hydraulic mount presents high damping at low frequency range but its dynamic stiffness at high frequency is larger than elastomeric mount, but its performance at vibration isolation will depend of dynamic stiffness, damping coefficient and of the frequency range that it will be submitted. Due to the cost of the elastomeric mount to be about three times smaller than hydraulic mount cost, the elastomeric mount becomes great attraction to compose the engine mount system. Besides the cost, is evident that should be also evaluate the performance for the users comfort and new studies in specialized laboratories shall be accomplished.

Os elásticos corrente estão presentes na ortodontia desde o início do século XX, e devido a sua importância na biomecânica ortodôntica a indústria vem aperfeiçoando suas propriedades. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi avaliar o remanescente de força, a deformação plástica e a embebição dos elásticos corrente ortodônticos, imersos em água destilada, durante um período de 4 semanas. Neste estudo foram selecionados elásticos corrente de 5 modelos comerciais, divididos em 2 grupos (100gf e 300gf), sendo que em cada grupo foi gerado 12 corpos de prova produzindo um total de 24 corpos de cada modelo comercial, totalizando 120 corpos de prova de elásticos corrente ortodônticos de quatro marcas comerciais ( American Orthodontics, Rocky Mountain, 3M Unitek e Morelli). Os elásticos corrente foram cortados padronizandoos em 6 módulos, pesados e medidos, e foram submetidos a um teste estático por um período de 4 semanas. Durante o teste, os elásticos foram armazenados em água destilada à 37ºC e estirados no simulador oral em distâncias que representavam 100gf ou 300gf. O remanescente de força foi mensurado em 6 intervalos de tempo (1 hora, 24 horas, 1 semana, 2 semanas, 3 semanas e 4 semanas) em uma balança digital modificada. Ao final da mensuração da quarta semana os elásticos foram retirados da balança modificada e, foram levemente secos em papel toalha e pesados individualmente em uma balança analítica. Em seguida foram medidos novamente utilizando um paquímetro digital. Para analisar os dados obtidos do remanescente de força, embebição e deformação plástica, foram realizadas análises de variância (ANOVA), e teste de Tukey (p<0,05) para identificar as diferenças entre os grupos. A carga inicial (100 e 300gf) foi estatisticamente significante no remanescente de força (p<0,05) e para o fenômeno da embebição não significante (p>0,05). Os elásticos da empresa 3M Unitek apresentaram os menores remanescentes de força e foram estatisticamente diferentes dos demais elásticos (p<0,05). Houve uma correlação moderada com (r=0,68) e p=0,03 indicando que quanto maior o ganho de massa (maior embebição), menor o remanescente de força. / The elastomeric chain (EC) are present in orthodontics since the beggining of the XX century, and due to its fundamental importance in orthodontic biomechanic, the industry has been perfecting it\'s properties and many studies have been done to understand them better. The objective of this research was to evaluate the remaining force, the plastic deformation and the sorption of the orthodontic EC, submerged in distilled water, during a period of 4 weeks. In this study 5 elastomeric chain commercial models were selected, divided in two groups (100gf and 300gf), and from each group 12 specimen were generated producing a total of 24 specimen of each commercial model. Totalizing 120 specimen of orthodontic EC of four commercial brands (American Orthodontics, Rocky Mountain, 3M Unitek and Morelli). For this study an oral simulator device was developed for activation of EC. EC were cut standardizing them in 6 modules, weighted and measured, and were submitted to a static test for a a period of 4 weeks. During the test, EC were stored in distilled water at 37ºC and stretched in distances that represented 100gf or 300gf. The remaining force was measured in 6 time intervals (1 hour, 24 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks and 4 weeks) in a modified digital scale. At the end of the measurement of the fourth week the elastics were removed from the modified scale and were dried slightly in paper towel and weighted individually in an analytic scale. Next, they were measured again using a digital pachymeter. To analyze the data obtained of the remaining force, soaking and plastic deformation, variance analysis (ANOVA) and Tukey test (p<0,05) were performed to identify the differences between groups. The initial load (100 and 300gf) was statistically significant on remaining force (p<0,05), and for the soaking phenomenon non significant (p>0.05). EC of the 3M Unitek company presented the smallest remaining force.l and were statistically different from the other elastics (p<0,05). There was a moderate correlations with (r=0,68) and p=0,03 indicating that the bigger the weight gain (more soaking), the smaller the remaining force.