This works begins by providing motivation for additional research and political interest in the use of passenger railway systems as a method of ‘green’ transportation. Additional motivation for the adoption of energy saving methods within new and existing railway systems is also provided. This motivation stems from the relatively small carbon dioxide emissions per passenger kilometer and large quantity of electrical energy used in association with passenger railway systems. In specific cases, both theoretical analyses and experimental implementations of energy storage in railway systems have shown a reduction in electrical energy use and/or vehicle performance gains. Current railway energy storage systems (ESS) commonly make use of battery or electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) cells. A review of select energy storage technologies and their application in railway systems is provided. For example, the developing Qatar Education City People Mover system makes use of energy dense batteries and power dense EDLCs to provide the range and power needed to operate without a conventional railway power source between stations, formally called catenary free operation. As an alternative to combining two distinct energy storage technologies, this work looks at experimentally characterizing the performance of commercially available lithium ion capacitors (LiCs); a relatively new energy storage cell that combines characteristics of batteries and EDLCs into one cell. The custom cell testing apparatus and lab safety systems used by this work, and others, is discussed. A series of five tests were performed on two EDLC cells and five LiC cells to evaluate their characteristics under various electrical load conditions at multiple temperatures. The general conclusion is that, in comparison to the EDLC cells tested, the LiC cells tested offer a superior energy density however, their power capabilities are relatively limited, especially in cold environments, due to larger equivalent series resistance values. The second topic explored in this work is the development of a MATLAB based DC powered passenger vehicle railway simulation tool. The simulation tool is connected to the experimental analysis of EDLC and LiC cells by comparing the volume and mass of an energy storage system needed for catenary free (no conventional DC power supply) operation between train stations using either energy storage technology. A backward facing modelling approach is used to quantify the drive cycle electrical power demands as a function of multiple vehicle parameters and driving parameters (eg. acceleration rate, travel distance and time). Additional modelling methods are provided as a resource to further develop the simulation tool to include multiple vehicles and their interactions with the DC power supply. Completion of the multi-vehicle simulation tool with energy storage systems remains a task for future work. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

No description available.

Surgical correction of scoliosis is a complicated mechanical process. Understanding the loads applied to the spine and providing immediate feedback to surgeons during scoliosis surgery will prevent overloading, improve surgical outcome and patient safety. Long-term development of residual forces in the spinal instrument after surgery with the continual curvature changes over time has been unknown. The goal of this research work was to develop a wireless implantable sensor platform to investigate the loads during and after surgery. This thesis describes research leading to the design of a sensor platform that uses both 403 MHz and 2.45 GHz for wireless communication, and reports the resolution and accuracy of the built-in temperature sensor, the A/D accuracy of the sensing platform, the power consumption at different operation modes, the range of the wireless communication and the discharge characteristics of a potential capacitive power module. / Biomedical Engineering

The growing market of mobile electronic devices, renewable off-grid energy sources and electric vehicles requires high-performance energy storage devices. Rechargeable batteries are usually the first choice due to their high energy density. However, supercapacitors have a higher power density and longer life-time compared to batteries. For some applications supercapacitors are more suitable than batteries. They can also be used to complement batteries in order to extend a battery's life-time. The use of supercapacitors is, however, still limited due to their high costs. Most commercially available supercapacitors contain expensive electrolytes and costly electrode materials. In this thesis I will present the concept of cost efficient, paper-based supercapacitors. The idea is to produce supercapacitors with low-cost, green materials and inexpensive production processes. We show that supercapacitor electrodes can be produced by coating graphite on paper. Roll-to-roll techniques known from the paper industry can be employed to facilitate an economic large-scale production. We investigated the influence of paper on the supercapacitor's performance and discussed its role as passive component. Furthermore, we used chemically reduced graphite oxide (CRGO) and a CRGO-gold nanoparticle composite to produce electrodes for supercapacitors. The highest specific capacitance was achieved with the CRGO-gold nanoparticle electrodes. However, materials produced by chemical synthesis and intercalation of nanoparticles are too costly for a large-scale production of inexpensive supercapacitor electrodes. Therefore, we introduced the idea of producing graphene and similar nano-sized materials in a high-pressure homogenizer. Layered materials like graphite can be exfoliated when subjected to high shear forces. In order to form mechanical stable electrodes, binders need to be added. Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) can be used as binder to improve the mechanical stability of the porous electrodes. Furthermore, NFC can be prepared in a high-pressure homogenizer and we aim to produce both NFC and graphene simultaneously to obtain a NFC-graphene composite. The addition of 10% NFC in ratio to the amount of graphite, increased the supercapacitor's capacitance, enhanced the dispersion stability of homogenized graphite and improved the mechanical stability of graphite electrodes in both dry and wet conditions. Scanning electron microscope images of the electrode's cross section revealed that NFC changed the internal structure of graphite electrodes depending on the type of graphite used. Thus, we discussed the influence of NFC and the electrode structure on the capacitance of supercapacitors.

Today’s society is currently performing an exit from fossilfuel energy sources. The change to sustainable alternativesrequires inexpensive and environmentally friendly energy storagedevices. However, most current devices contain expensive,rare or toxic materials. These materials must be replaced bylow-cost, abundant, nontoxic components.In this thesis, I suggest the production of paper-based electricdouble-layer capacitors (EDLCs) to meet the demand oflow-cost energy storage devices that provide high power density.To fulfill the requirements of sustainable and environmentallyfriendly devices, production of EDLCs that consist of paper,graphite and saltwater is proposed. Paper can be used as aseparator between the electrodes and as a substrate for theelectrodes. Graphite is suited for use as an active material in theelectrodes, and saltwater can be employed as an electrolyte.Westudied and developed different methods for the productionof nanographite and graphene from graphite. Composites containingthese materials and similar advanced carbon materialshave been tested as electrode materials in EDLCs. I suggest theuse of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) or microfibrillated cellulose(MFC) as a binder in the electrodes. In addition to improvedmechanical stability, the nanocellulose improved the stabilityof graphite dispersions and the electrical performance of theelectrodes. The influence of the cellulose quality on the electricalproperties of the electrodes and EDLCs was investigated.The results showed that the finest nanocellulose quality is notthe best choice for EDLC electrodes; MFC is recommended forthis application instead. The results also demonstrated thatthe capacitance of EDLCs can be increased if the electrodemasses are adjusted according to the size of the electrolyte ions.Moreover, we investigated the issue of high contact resistancesat the interface between porous carbon electrodes and metalcurrent collectors. To reduce the contact resistance, graphitefoil can be used as a current collector instead of metal foils.Using the suggested low-cost materials, production methodsand conceptual improvements, it is possible to reduce the material costs by more than 90% in comparison with commercialunits. This confirms that paper-based EDLCs are apromising alternative to conventional EDLCs. Our findings andadditional research can be expected to substantially supportthe design and commercialization of sustainable EDLCs andother green energy technologies. / I dagens samhälle pågår en omställning från användning avfossila energikällor till förnybara alternativ. Denna förändringkräver miljövänliga och kostnadseffektiva elektriska energilagringsenheterför att möjliggöra en kontinuerlig energileverans.Dagens energilagringsenheter innehåller ofta dyra, sällsyntaeller giftiga material som behöver bytas ut för att nå hållbaralösningar.I denna avhandling föreslås att tillverka pappersbaseradesuperkondensatorer som möter kraven för kostnadseffektivaelektriska energilagrare med hög effekttäthet. För att nå kravenpå miljömässigt hållbara enheter föreslås användning avendast papper, grafit och saltvatten. Papper kan användas somseparator mellan elektroder likväl som substrat vid elektrodbestrykning.Grafit kan användas som aktivt elektrodmaterialoch saltvatten fungerar som elektrolyt. Olika metoder har härutvecklats för att producera nanografit och grafen från grafit.Dessa material har tillsammans med liknande, kommersiellt tillgängliga,avancerade kolmaterial testats i elektrodkompositerför superkondensatorer. Som bindemedel i dessa kompositerföreslås nanofibrillerad eller mikrofibrillerad cellulosa. Jaghar demonstrerat att nanocellulosa ökar dispersionsstabilitetensamt förbättrar den mekaniska stabiliteten och dom elektriskaegenskaperna i elektroderna. Hur cellulosans kvalitet påverkarelektroderna har undersökts och visar att den finaste kvaliteteninte är det bästa valet för superkondensatorer, istället rekommenderasmikrofibrillerad cellulosa. Utöver detta demonstrerasmöjligheten att öka superkondensatorernas kapacitans genomatt balansera elektrodernas massa med hänsyn till jonernasstorlek i elektrolyten. I avhandlingen diskuteras även svårigheternamed hög kontaktresistans i gränssnittet mellan porösakolstrukturer och metallfolie och hur detta kan undvikas omgrafitfolie används som kontakt.Genom att använda de material, produktionstekniker ochkonceptförbättringar som föreslås i avhandlingen är det möjligtatt reducera materialkostnaderna med mer än 90% i jämförelsemed kommersiella superkondensatorer. Detta bekräftar att pappersbaserade superkondensatorer är ett lovande alternativoch våra resultat tillsammans med vidare utveckling harstor potential att stödja övergången till miljömässigt hållbarasuperkondensatorer och annan grön energiteknik. / <p>Vid tidpunkten för disputationen var följande delarbeten opublicerade: delarbete 6 inskickat.</p><p>At the time of the doctoral defence the following papers were unpublished: paper 6 submitted.</p>

This paper describes the design of DC/DC converters designed for charging supercapacitors and subsequent transformation of voltage to the desired value. In the text are presented decreasing and increasing switched-mode voltage converter including the calculation of the individual components and also the design of converter that combines both types. Using simulation software has been verified the function of each circuits, which can serves as a lower power backup supply.

Abstract The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate multi-dimensional carbon nanotube (CNT) structures in combination with various active materials in order to evaluate their performance in electrode applications such as cold emitters, electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC), and electrochemical sensor/catalyst devices. As the host materials for other active materials, the construction of multi-dimensional CNT nanostructures in this thesis is achieved by two different approaches. In the first, direct growth of 3-dimensional carbon nanostructures by catalytic chemical deposition to produce filamentary carbon as well as vertically aligned forests was applied. The second route that was utilized encompassed the immobilization of CNTs from dispersions to form 2-dimensional surface coatings as well as self-supporting porous buckypapers. Carbonaceous nanocomposites of the active materials are obtained by a number of different methods such as (i) growing nanotubes and filamentous structures on porous Ni catalyst structures, (ii) impregnating CNTs with organic receptor molecules or with Pd nanoparticles, (iii) plating and replacing Cu with Pd on the nanotubes by chemical and galvanic reactions, (iv) annealing W evaporated on CNTs to form CNT-WC composites in solid-solid reactions and (v) reacting S vapor with W coated on CNTs to synthesize CNT-WS2 edge-on lamellar structures of the dichalcogenide in the vertically aligned CNT forests. The 3-dimensional carbon-Raney®Ni composite electrodes show reasonable specific capacitance of ~12 F·g-1 in electric double-layer capacitors as well as a low turn-on field (&lt;1.0 V·µm-1) in field emitter devices. CNT-Nafion®-trifluoroacetylazobenzene coatings on glassy carbon electrodes outperform their Nafion®-trifluoroacetylazobenzene counterparts in electrochemical sensing of different amine compounds (e.g. 10 mM cadaverine, putrescine or ammonia). Cu and CuPd/buckypaper composites display catalytic activity in electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol in alkaline media. On the other hand, nanocomposites of WC and WS2 with aligned CNT forest exhibit a promising performance in hydrogen evolution reactions with an overpotential between -0.5 and -0.7 V at pH~1. In addition, these respective CNT forest aligned nanocomposites also demonstrate a novel method to obtain macroscopic 3-dimensional catalytic electrode assemblies. The results in this thesis elucidate the combination of carbon based nanostructures with organic and inorganic materials as a feasible and versatile approach to produce electrodes for several applications. The following studies of each active carbonaceous composite are expected to boost the technological innovation in relevant fields and initiate further development for commercial exploitation. / Tiivistelmä Työn tavoitteena oli demonstroida moniulotteisia hiilinanoputkirakenteita (CNT), joihin yhdistetään erilaisia aktiivisia materiaaleja sekä arvioida niiden suorituskykyä elektrodisovelluksissa, kuten kenttäemitterissä, sähköisissä kaksoiskerroskondensaattoreissa ja sähkökemiallisissa anturi- ja katalyyttikomponenteissa. Moniulotteisten CNT-nanorakenteiden konstruoiminen muiden aktiivisten materiaalien isäntämateriaaliksi toteutettiin kahdella tavalla. Ensimmäisessä toteutuksessa sovellettiin katalyyttis-kemiallista pinnoitusta, jolla kasvatettiin suoraan kolmiulotteisia hiilinanorakenteita sekä kuitumaisena hiilenä että pystysuuntaan orientoituneina hiilinanoputkimetsinä. Toinen päämenetelmä oli hiilinanoputkien immobilisointi dispersioista kaksiulotteisiksi pinnoitteiksi ja itsetukeutuviksi huokoisiksi hiilinanoputkipapereiksi. Hiiltä sisältäviä aktiivisten materiaalien nanokomposiitteja valmistettiin useilla menetelmillä, kuten (i) kasvattamalla nanoputkia ja kuitumaisia rakenteita huokoisiin Ni-katalyyttirakenteisiin, (ii) kyllästämällä hiilinanoputkia orgaanisilla reseptorimolekyyleillä tai Pd-nanopartikkeleilla, (iii) pinnoittamalla ja korvaamalla nanoputkien päällä olevaa kuparia palladiumilla kemiallisten ja galvaanisten reaktioiden avulla, (iv) hehkuttamalla hiilinanoputkien pinnalle höyrystettyä wolframia (W) muodostamaan CNT-WC-komposiitteja kiinteä–kiinteä-reaktiolla sekä (v) antamalla rikkihöyryn reagoida W-pinnoitettujen hiilinanoputkien kanssa lamellaaristen CNT-WS2-kalkogenidirakenteiden syntetisoimiseksi pystysuuntaan orientoituneisiin CNT-metsiin. Kolmiulotteisilla hiili–Raney®Ni-komposiittielektrodeilla saavutetaan kohtuullinen ominaiskapasitanssi (~12 F·g-1) sähköisissä kaksoiskerroskondensaattoreissa ja pieni kytkeytymiskenttä (&lt;1,0 V·μm-1) kenttäemitterikomponenteissa. CNT-Nafion®-trifluoroasetyyliatsobentseeni-pinnoitteet lasimaisilla hiilielektrodeilla ovat selvästi parempia erilaisten amiiniyhdisteiden (esimerkiksi 10 mM kadaveriini, putreskiini tai ammoniakki) sähkökemiallisessa havaitsemisessa kuin vastaavat Nafion®-trifluoroasetyyliatsobentseeni-pinnoitteet. Cu- ja CuPd-hiilinanoputkipaperikomposiitit osoittavat katalyyttistä aktiivisuutta metanolin sähkökatalyyttisessä hapettumisessa emäksisessä väliaineessa. Toisaalta WC- ja WS2-yhdisteiden ja orientoituneiden CNT-metsien muodostamat nanokomposiitit osoittavat lupaavaa suorituskykyä vedynmuodostamisreaktiossa -0,5…-0,7 V ylipotentiaalilla, ja nämä myös demonstroivat uutta menetelmää makroskooppisten kolmiulotteisten katalyyttisten elektrodirakenteiden toteuttamiseksi. Väitöskirjan tulokset osoittavat, että hiilipohjaisten nanorakenteiden ja orgaanisten/epäorgaanisten materiaalien yhdistäminen on toteuttamiskelpoinen ja monipuolinen lähestymistapa elektrodien valmistamiseksi useisiin sovelluksiin. Kunkin työssä esitetyn aktiivista hiiltä sisältävän komposiitin tutkimuksen odotetaan lisäävän kyseisen alan teknisiä innovaatioita ja synnyttävän lisää kehitystyötä tutkimuksen kaupalliseksi soveltamiseksi.