Safety-critical systems, especially those found in avionics and automotive industries, rely on machine arithmetic to perform their tasks: integer arithmetic, fixed-point arithmetic or floating-point arithmetic (FPA). Machine arithmetic exhibits subtle differences in behavior compared to the ideal mathematical arithmetic, due to fixed-size representation in memory. Failure of safety-critical systems is unacceptable, due to high-stakes involving human lives or huge amounts of money, time and effort. By formally proving properties of systems, we can be assured that they meet safety requirements. However, to prove such properties it is necessary to reason about machine arithmetic. SMT techniques for machine arithmetic are lacking scalability. This thesis presents approaches that augment or complement existing SMT techniques for machine arithmetic. In this thesis, we explore approximations as a means of augmenting existing decision procedures. A general approximation refinement framework is presented, along with its implementation called UppSAT. The framework solves a sequence of approximations. Initially very crude, these approximations are fairly easy to solve. Results of solving approximate constraints are used to either reconstruct a solution of original constraints, obtain a proof of unsatisfiability or to refine the approximation. The framework preserves soundness, completeness, and termination of the underlying decision procedure, guaranteeing that eventually, either a solution is found or a proof that solution does not exist. We evaluate the impact of approximations implemented in the UppSAT framework on the state-of-the-art in SMT for floating-point arithmetic. A novel method to reason about the theory of fixed-width bit-vectors called mcBV is presented. It is an instantiation of the model constructing satisfiability calculus, mcSAT, and uses a new lazy representation of bit-vectors that allows both bit- and word-level reasoning. It uses a greedy explanation generalization mechanism capable of more general learning compared to traditional approaches. Evaluation of mcBV shows that it can outperform bit-blasting on several classes of problems.

The thesis is divided into two parts: theoretical and practical. The theoretical part includes financial analysis, analysis of the extramural indicators, ratio indicators and characteristics of floating capital. The practical part includes financial analysis of a firm between the year 2003 and 2007 with the aid of elementary methods of the financial analysis, horizontal and vertical analysis of the financial statements, analysis of the financial ratio indicators and analysis of floating capital.

South Africa (SA) currently faces a major pollution problem from mining impacted water, including acid rock drainage (ARD), as a consequence of the mining activities upon which the economy has been largely built. The environmental impact of ARD has been further exacerbated by the country's water scarce status. Increasingly scarce freshwater reserves require the preservation and strategic management of the country's existing water resources to ensure sustainable water security. In SA, the primary focus on remediation of ARDcontaminated water has been based on established active technologies. However, these approaches are costly, lead to secondary challenges and are not always appropriate for the remediation of lower volume discharges. Mostly overlooked, ARD discharges from diffuse sources, associated with the SA coal mining industry, have a marked impact on the environment, similar to those originating from underground mine basins. This is due to the large number of deposits and their broad geographic distribution across largely rural areas of SA. Semi-passive ARD treatment systems present an attractive alternative treatment approach for diffuse sources, with lower capital and operational costs than active systems as well as better process control and predictability than traditional passive systems. These semi-passive systems typically target sulphate salinity through biological sulphate reduction catalysed by sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB). These anaerobic bacteria reduce sulphate, in the presence of a suitable electron donor, to sulphide and bicarbonate. However, the hydrogen sulphide product generated is highly toxic, unstable, easily re-oxidised and poses a significant threat to the environment and human health, so requires appropriate management. An attractive strategy is the reduction of sulphate to sulphide, followed by its partial oxidation to elemental sulphur, which is stable and has potential as a value-added product. A promising approach to achieve partial oxidation is the use of sulphide oxidising bacteria (SOB) in a floating sulphur biofilm (FSB). These biofilms develop naturally on the surfaces of sulphide rich wastewater streams. Its application in wastewater treatment and the feasibility of obtaining high partial oxidation rates in a linear flow channel reactor (LFCR) has been described. The use of a floating sulphur biofilm overcomes many of the drawbacks associated with conventional sulphide oxidation technologies that are costly and require precise operational control to maintain oxygen limiting conditions for partial oxidation. In the current study a hybrid LFCR, incorporating a FSB with biological sulphate reduction in a single reactor unit, was developed. The integration of the two biological processes in a single LFCR unit was successfully demonstrated as a ‘proof of concept'. The success of this system relies greatly on the development of discrete anaerobic and microaerobic zones, in the bulk liquid and at the airliquid interface, that facilitate sulphate reduction and partial sulphide oxidation, respectively. In the LFCR these environments are established as a result of the hydrodynamic properties associated with its design. Key elements of the hybrid LFCR system include the presence of a sulphate-reducing microbial community immobilised onto carbon fibres and the rapid development of a floating sulphur biofilm at the air-liquid interface. The floating sulphur biofilm consists of a complex network of bacterial cells and deposits of elemental sulphur held together by an extracellular polysaccharide matrix. During the Initial stages of FSB development, a thin transparent biofilm layer is formed by heterotrophic microorganisms. This serves as ‘scaffolding' for the subsequent attachment and colonisation of SOB. As the biofilm forms at the air-liquid interface it impedes oxygen mass transfer into the bulk volume and creates a suitable pH-redox microenvironment for partial sulphide oxidation. Under these conditions the sulphide generated in the bulk volume is oxidised at the surface. The biofilm gradually thickens as sulphur is deposited. The produced sulphur, localised within the biofilm, serves as an effective mechanism for recovering elemental sulphur while the resulting water stream is safe for discharge into the environment. The results from the initial demonstration achieved near complete reduction of the sulphate (96%) at a sulphate feed concentration of 1 g/L with effective management of the generated sulphide (95-100% removal) and recovery of a portion of the sulphur through harvesting the elemental sulphur-rich biofilm. The colonisation of the carbon microfibres by SRB ensured high biomass retention within the LFCR. This facilitated high volumetric sulphate reduction rates under the experimental conditions. Despite the lack of active mixing, at a 4-day hydraulic residence time, the system achieved volumetric sulphate reduction rates similar to that previously shown in a continuous stirred-tank reactor. The outcome of the demonstration at laboratory scale generated interest to evaluate the technology at pilot scale. This interest necessitated further development of the process with a particular focus on evaluating key challenges that would be experienced at a larger scale. A comprehensive kinetic analysis on the performance of the hybrid LFCR was conducted as a function of operational parameters, including the effect of hydraulic residence time, temperature and sulphate loading on system performance. Concurrently, the study compared the utilisation of lactate and acetate as carbon source and electron donor as well as the effect of reactor configuration on system performance. Comparative assessment of the performance between the original 2 L LFCR and an 8 L LFCR variant that reflected the pilot scale design with respect to aspect ratio was conducted. Pseudo-steady state kinetics was assessed based on carbon source utilisation, volumetric sulphate reduction, sulphide removal efficiency and elemental sulphur recovery. Additionally, the hybrid LFCR provided a unique synergistic environment for studying the co-existence of the sulphate reducing (SRB) and sulphide oxidising (SOB) microbial communities. The investigation into the microbial ecology was performed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. This enabled the community structure and the relative abundance of key microbial genera to be resolved. These results were used to examine the link between process kinetics and the community dynamics as a function of hydraulic residence time. Results from this study showed that both temperature and volumetric sulphate loading rate, the latter mediated through both sulphate concentration in the feed and dilution rate, significantly influenced the kinetics of biological sulphate reduction. Partial sulphide oxidation was highly dependent on the availability and rate of sulphide production. Volumetric sulphate reduction rates (VSRR) increased linearly as hydraulic residence time (HRT) decreased. The optimal residence time was determined to be 2 days, as this supported the highest volumetric sulphate reduction rate (0.21 mmol/L.h) and conversion (98%) with effective sulphide removal (82%) in the 2 L lactate-fed LFCR. Lactate as a sole carbon source proved effective for achieving high sulphate reduction rates. Its utilisation within the process was highly dependent on the dominant metabolic pathway. The operation at high dilution rates resulted in a decrease in sulphate conversion and subsequent increase in lactate metabolism toward fermentation. This was attributed to the competitive interaction between SRB and fermentative bacteria under varying availability of lactate and concentrations of sulphate and sulphide. Acetate as a sole carbon source supported a different microbial community to lactate. The lower growth rate associated with acetate utilising SRB required longer start-up period and was highly sensitive to operational perturbations, especially the introduction of oxygen. However, biomass accumulation over long continuous operation led to an increase in performance and system stability. Microbial ecology analysis revealed that a similar community structure developed between the 2 L and 8 L lactate-fed LFCR configurations. This, in conjunction with the kinetic data analysis, confirmed that the difference in aspect ratio and scale had minimal impact on process stability and that system performance can be reproduced. The choice of carbon source selected for distinctly different, highly diverse microbial communities. This was determined using principle co-ordinate analysis (PCoA) which highlighted the variation in microbial communities as a function of diversity and relative abundance. The SRB genera Desulfarculus, Desulfovibrio and Desulfomicrobium were detected across both carbon sources. However, Desulfocurvus was found in the lactate-fed system and Desulfobacter in acetate-fed system. Other genera that predominated within the system belonged to the classes Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Synergistetes. The presence of Veillonella, a lactate fermenter known for competing with SRB, was detected in the lactate-fed systems. Its relative abundance corresponded well with the lactate fermentation and oxidation performance, where an apparent shift in the dominant metabolic pathway was observed at high dilution rates. Furthermore, the data also revealed preferential attachment of selective SRB onto carbon microfibers, particularly among the Desulfarculus and Desulfocurvus genera. The microbial ecology of the floating sulphur biofilm was consistent across both carbon sources. Key sulphur oxidising genera detected were Paracoccus, Halothiobacillus and Arcobacter. The most dominant genera present in the FSB were Rhizobium, well-known nitrogen fixing bacteria, and Pannonibacter. Both genera are members of the class Alphaproteobacteria, a well-known phylogenetic grouping in which the complete sulphur-oxidising, sox, enzyme system is highly conserved. An aspect often not considered in the operation of these industrial bioprocess systems is the microbial community dynamics within the system. This is particularly evident within biomass accumulating systems where the proliferation of non-SRB over time can compromise the performance and efficiency of the process. Therefore, the selection and development of robust microbial inoculums is critical for overcoming the challenges associated with scaling up, particularly with regards to start-up period, and long-term viability of sulphate reducing bioreactor systems. In the current study, long-term operation demonstrated the robustness of the hybrid LFCR process to maintain relatively stable system performance. Additionally, this study showed that process performance can be recovered through re-establishing suitable operational conditions that favor biological sulphate reduction. The ability of the system to recover after being exposed to multiple perturbations, as explored in this study, confirms the resilience and long-term viability of the hybrid process. A key feature of the hybrid process was the ability to recover the FSB intermittently without compromising biological sulphate reduction. The current research successfully demonstrated the concept of the hybrid LFCR and characterised sulphate reduction and sulphide oxidation performance across a range of operating conditions. This, in conjunction with a clearer understanding of the complex microbial ecology, illustrated that the hybrid LFCR has potential as part of a semi-passive approach for the remediation of low volume sulphate-rich waste streams, critical for treatment of diffuse ARD sources.

A floating photovoltaic (FPV) system is a structure of solar cells placed on water, where the solar cells are mounted on floating modules that have to be anchored. To know the size of the anchoring equipment, the forces on the FPV need to be determined. The main force affecting the FPV is the wind force. The force from the wind is directly correlated with the drag coefficient, hence we need to determine the drag coefficient to understand the system. The goal of this thesis is to first find the difference in the drag coefficient between two configurations of FPVs and for a second case with a floater added in front of both setups. To determine the difference in drag coefficient, between the two cases, the wind flow over the FPVs were studied by simulations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and calculating the drag coefficient for each case. The simulations showed that the difference in drag coefficient in the cases without a floater had the biggest difference between the first FPVs where the difference was a factor of two. For the cases with the floater, the simulations gave a similar result for the two configurations, leading to a smaller difference between the two configurations. We conclude that if a system without a floater is built, the configurations of the FPVs are important, while if the floater is added in front of the FPV there is less importance in the configurations of the FPVs.

La vérification des programmes est un enjeu majeur pour les applications critiques comme l'aviation, l'aérospatiale ou les systèmes embarqués. Les approches Bounded model checking (e.g., CBMC) et de programmation par contraintes (e.g., CPBPV, …) reposent sur la recherche de contre-exemples qui violent une propriété du programme à vérifier. La recherche de tels contre-exemples peut être très longue et coûteuse lorsque les programmes à vérifier contiennent des calculs en virgule flottante. Ceci est dû en grande partie au fait que les stratégies de recherche existantes ont été conçues pour des domaines finis et, dans une moindre mesure, pour des domaines continus. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons un ensemble de stratégie de recherche dédié à la vérification de programme avec du calcul sur les flottants. Les stratégies proposées pour les choix de variables et de choix de valeur se basent sur des propriétés propres aux flottants. Ces propriétés utilisent des caractéristiques des domaines des variables, ou de la structure des contraintes. Certaines propriétés qui portent sur les domaines des variables sont classiques comme la taille et la cardinalité et d'autres beaucoup plus spécifiques comme la densité. Les notions de taille et cardinalité sont équivalentes sur les entiers, mais ne le sont pas sur les flottants. Ainsi la densité capture une variabilité qui est très spécifique aux flottants dont la moitié se trouve entre [-1,1]. De manière similaire les propriétés qui portent sur la structure des contraintes sont, pour certaines tels que le degré ou le nombre d’occurrences, issues des domaines finis, et pour d’autres beaucoup plus spécifiques, comme l’absorption, et la cancellation; ces deux propriétés capturent des phénomènes qui sont généralement la cause de fortes déviations du programme flottant vis-à-vis son interprétation sur les réels et donc de l’existence même de beaucoup de contre-exemples. Pour chaque propriété, deux stratégies de choix de variables sont proposées. La première choisit la variable qui minimise la propriété, alors que la seconde choisit la variable qui la maximise. Les stratégies de choix de valeurs essaient quant à elles de tirer profit des phénomènes d'absorption et de cancellation. L'évaluation de ces stratégies sur un ensemble de programmes réalistes est très encourageante : ces stratégies sont plus efficaces que les stratégies standards. / Program verification is a major issue for critical applications such as aviation, aerospace or embedded systems. Bounded model checking (e.g., CBMC) and constraint programming (e.g., CPBPV,...) approaches are based on the search for counter-examples that violate a property of the program to verify. The search for such counter-examples can be very time-consuming and costly when the programs to be verified contain floating point calculations. This is largely due to the fact that existing research strategies have been designed for finite domains and, to a lesser extent, for continuous domains. In this thesis, we propose a set of search strategies dedicated to program verification with floating point computation. The proposed strategies for variable and value selection are based on specific floating properties. These properties use characteristics of the variable domains, or the constraint structure. Some properties that focus on the domains of the variables are classic such as size and cardinality and others much more specific like density. The notions of size and cardinality are equivalent on the integers, but not on the floats. Density captures a variability that is very specific to the floats, half of which are between[-1.1]. Similarly, the properties that concern the structure of constraints are, for some such as the degree or number of occurrences, derived from finite domains, and for others much more specific, such as absorption, and cancellation; these two properties capture phenomena that are generally the cause of strong deviations of the floating point program from its interpretation on the reals and hence the existence of many counterexamples. For each property, two variable selection strategies are proposed. The first one chooses the variable that minimizes the property, while the second one chooses the variable that maximizes it. Value choice strategies try to take advantage of the phenomena of absorption and cancellation.

Unter Rauschen versteht man allgemein eine Störgröße. Bei der Übertragung von Nachrichtensignalen ist das Rauschen meist die größte Störquelle. Die Rauschquellen treten dabei im gesamten Übertragungssystem, also im Sender, im Empfänger und auf dem Übertragungsweg auf. Man unterscheidet dabei zwischen der durch äußere und innere Rauschquellen erzeugten Rauschleistung. Rauschen kann signifikante Auswirkung auf die Antwortdynamik nichtlinearer Systeme haben. Für Neuronen ist die primäre Quelle des Rauschens synaptische Hintergrundaktivität; bezeichnet als synaptisches Rauschen.

The floating cup principle is a general hydrostatic principle for both constant and variable displacement pumps and motors, as well as for hydraulic transformers. In this paper, the focus will be entirely on the control of the displacement of the variable 28 cc Floating Cup pump (FCVP28). The floating cup principle features two opposed swash plates, for which both angular positions need to be controlled in order to cover the entire range from zero to full displacement. The results of both extended numerical analysis as well as simplified linearized models will be compared to test results on a 28 cc FCVP. Special emphasis will be on the dynamic behaviour of the displacement control.

Deterioration of concrete structures due to the corrosion of embedded steel is a well-known universal problem. Norway with its numerous bridges, ports, offshore and floating structures along its coastline, is also encountered with corrosion degradation. The harsh environment of the Norwegian Sea regarding its low temperature, wind, and waves, makes the design and construction of marine structures more demanding. In recent years, usage of sustainable composite materials in the field of structural engineering has been rising. The usage of natural fibre reinforced polymer materials in the form of reinforcement bars or macro fibres with a low density, high strength, and excellent corrosion resistance, gives us better choices for the design and construction of marine structures. Our knowledge about the fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete has increased as a result of introducing it as a building material some decades ago. However, more research is still needed when it comes to the application of new types of fibres. This thesis is a result of this need, whereby the author has done two series of experimental programmes regarding the subject. In the first series, the flow characteristics of fresh state, conventional and self-compacting macro basalt fibre concrete were studied. In the second series, mechanical properties of high performance and medium strength macro basalt fibre concrete including the post-cracking behaviour, compressive strength and electrical resistivity were in focus. The findings were presented in three appended papers and the extended summary composing this thesis. Additionally, the thesis presents an overview of the design procedure of floating concrete structures and the possibility of using macro basalt fibre concrete via a case study. The author’s literature review shows that basalt fibres have an adequate resistance against alkali environment of the concrete matrix and corrosive environment of seawater. / <p>QC 20160607</p>

Background: This research work takes a strong sustainability approach with the focus on renewable energy technology (RET) diffusion to meet the multifold and complex challenges with CO2 emission targets and geopolitical energy challenges. Global warming, sustainability issues and significant energy crises, suggests that RET is seen as one of the most important solutions to deal with these challenges. Wind energy has been identified to have a leading role in achieving a low-carbon or completely carbon-free energy sector. Sweden is in the forefront of an energy transition having ambitious goals, and the lack of renewable energy sources may potentially become a problem. Diffusion of new technology may facilitate access to new resources at non-exploited areas, why the challenges to implementation of Floating Offshore Wind Technology (FOWT) and how the technology will diffuse in Sweden is the focus of this research study. Objectives: The purpose and aim of this study is to establish an understanding of diffusion and its drivers and challenges related to FOWT in Sweden and contribute with new knowledge in the field of renewable energy sources. FOWT may facilitate access to new wind resources at deep water conditions, why this study research the challenges to implementation of FOWT and how the technology will diffuse in Sweden. Methodology: The research area is limited to Sweden where main drivers and challenges are identified and framed by literature review of Porter’s Diamond model competitiveness factors and interviewing experts within the Offshore Wind Energy (OWE) industry. The qualitative interview results are applied in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework, where Innovation Diffusion Technology (IDT) model is used as theoretical framework to build up an understanding of the level of FOWT diffusion in Sweden and how it will diffuse. We use the concept of TAM in combination with IDT to explain how FOWT as a new technology is perceived to be used in the OWE industry with a particular focus on the challenges related to the implementation of FOWT in Sweden. Results: We provide guidance for the OWE industry stakeholders and valuable information of what need to be in focus to resolve challenges for implementation, and the diffusion of FOWT in Sweden. Our general assessment show that the market is positive about the technology. On the other hand, we find that the challenges are multifold and further complicates the implementation phase. Although FOWT has support from climate and environmental impact, the technology has limitations that can negatively affect the Behavioral Intention to Use (BIU). Conclusions: The challenges to implementing FOWT are multifold and concluded to be high risk premium for investors with limited scale effects due to substantiated grids and infrastructure. Collaboration issues between investors and government agencies are obvious, this in terms of inefficient permit processes and general understanding of the impact of the technology for decision-makers within the FOWT value chain. The interview results and IDT analysis direct that FOWT is in the stage of persuasion and will from this stage progress further to the decision and implementation phase of diffusion. Our arguments are based on the identified level of knowledge maturity present among the interviewed stakeholders, and the fact that policy and specialist reports include FOWT when evaluating RET alternatives for new areas. The IDT framework is concluded to be a good tool to further understand what can be done to facilitate diffusion. The study conclude that TAM can be used to identify challenges related to stakeholder perspective and perception also for non-information technology related technologies. Our study suggest that collaborative approach is needed in Sweden to resolve challenges for implementation. Recommendations for future research: The data is collected during a relatively short time period and limited number of interviews are conducted, therefore further studies are needed in the same area to bring more clarity to the FOWT diffusion mechanisms. We identify an opportunity for future research to further focus on the negative aspects of why the Swedish OWE industry perceives these factors as strong obstacles affecting the BIU. In parallel further of interest is to look at FOWT from a larger perspective such as Scandinavia and the understanding if cooperative activities can accelerate FOWT diffusion.

Abstract   Background The sea levels have risen about 10 cm since 1993 and will continue to rise due to global warming along with the expected increase in population. The rise will decrease the available landmass for settlements and raw material production. The increasing population needs to fit in an increasingly smaller area on a planet covering 30 % of the earth's surface, the rest is water. The covered area will increase as the ice caps covering the poles melts due to global warming. One solution to settle this increasing population would be on man-made floating islands on the sea around already established major cities. This would create an artificial increase in available dwelling space for people to live without covering more of the decreasing land. Stockholm tiny house expo is an organization that wishes to build a self-sustaining floating island in the Stockholm archipelago.   Objectives The objectives of this thesis are to analyze already present structures and how they have solved problems regarding anchoring permanent floating structures. From these, a few solutions will be presented regarding how a yet-to-be-built, man-made island could be securely anchored in Stockholm’s archipelago. In addition to anchoring, there exists a conceptualized desire to rotate the island to extract as much solar energy over the duration of the day. By rotating the island in sync with the sun, the efficiency of the solar cells will increase by decreasing the solar incident angle when striking the photo-voltaic throughout the day. This is one small step towards creating a larger island aimed to become a symbol for the EU: s sustainable development goals. Finally, different solutions will be presented allowing the island to be securely anchored while still being able to rotate.    Methods Design thinking was the method of choice because of the creative and innovative aspects of the project. Design thinking provides inspiration and ideas from already present technology to be gathered and compared to each other. The iterative nature of design thinking aided in discovering ideas while problems occurred. Information gathering was conducted through mainly tech- and trend-watching since existing technology on the market can be modified to suit the problem. Solutions and products in markets adjacent to maritime technologies were explored to gain broader inspiration in accomplishing rotation of the island. Interviews were conducted with the customers to gather enough information for the need-finding as well as using personas. Design decisions were supported by Pugh and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) matrices.    Results The results proposed three potential solutions to rotate the island with one proven insufficient after a deeper investigation. The two remaining solutions were believed to be sufficiently capable of withstanding the forces acting upon the island from the wind and waves. The second concept presented rotates the island through a gearbox situated in the island's center of mass. This solution requires the island to be rigidly anchored, so the rotation has something to push against. The final concept utilizes as many off-the-shelf components as possible and creates a rotational torque with traditional outboard boat motors. This solution is anchored with ropes or chains and traditional anchors used for houseboats or floating bridges.     Conclusions. The conclusion is that the rotation should be avoided since the benefit of aiming the solar panels towards the sun does not outweigh the energy costs of rotating the whole island. Instead, the focus should be on either rotating the solar panels individually or storing the energy gathered during the day. If the rotation is still desired, the traditional boat motors would be the choice based on reliable products and technology existing in today's market and their ability to counteract the forces caused by the wind.