Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The assessment of pedal forces is one of the more sophisticated methods applied on the sports sciences to accomplish cycling performance tests. With information of pedal forces the pedaling technique is evaluated based on the ability of the cyclists to produce and apply forces on the pedals. Several variables concerning the performance can be monitored with the application of instrumented pedals, but there is a lack of studies that consider the differences between the lower limbs on the force generation, what can occur due instrumentation limitation on the laboratories because the instrumented pedal are not commercial available and it is manufactured by research laboratories. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrumented pedals system that permit the evaluation of the pedal forces for each lower limb, with characteristics that no modify the normal pattern of pedaling and able to be used on different bicycle geometries and cycle ergometers. For the instrumentation, spindles of two (right and left) Shimano SPD pedals were modified to mounting 8 strain-gage sensors on each spindle, disposed on two rows and connected on two Wheatstone complete-bridges to measure strain in response to horizontal (Fx, tangential bridge) and vertical loads (Fz, normal bridge). With the spindles mounted on the pedal body, a piece for connection with the crank was manufactured. These pieces (right and left) are the house for ball bearings that permit the movement of the pedal relative to crank and not commit the strain-gages wires. These pieces permit the application of the pedal on different bicycles and cycle ergometers. The system was calibrated and presents a linear relationship between the load applied and the signal output from the full-bridges that monitor the horizontal and vertical efforts on the spindles. A calibration matrix was developed to transform the output signal to force magnitudes, and also an interference matrix was mounted to correct the mechanical interference between the horizontal and vertical measures. For the two pedals, the hysteresis was lower than 0,60%. For the right pedal, the sensitivity of the normal bridge was 2.5 mV/N, the tangential bridge present sensitivity of 2.6 mV/N. The left pedal presents a sensitivity of 2.4 mV/N and 2.7 mV/N for normal and tangential bridges, respectively. The resolution of the system was, for both pedals, lower than 0.5 N, while the error calculated from the calibrated data was 1% for the right normal bridge and 2% for the right tangential bridge and left normal and tangential bridges. It can be concluded that the system present characteristics that permits the application on the athlete s evaluations due the low error, satisfactory resolution and good linearity observed between the applied loads and the signal output on the normal and tangential full-bridges. / A medida das forças envolvidas na pedalada é uma das mais sofisticadas metodologias aplicadas nas ciências do esporte para avaliação da técnica de pedalada. A técnica de pedalada é avaliada com base na habilidade dos ciclistas em produzir e aplicar força aos pedais. Diversas variáveis de controle de desempenho podem ser monitoradas com a aplicação de pedais instrumentados. No entanto, observa-se que um pequeno número de estudos considera as diferenças entre os membros na capacidade de gerar força, o que possivelmente ocorre devido a limitações de instrumentação, pois pedais instrumentados são normalmente unilaterais e construídos por laboratórios de pesquisa, não sendo disponíveis comercialmente. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver um sistema de pedais instrumentados que possibilitem o monitoramento das forças aplicadas nos pedais direito e esquerdo, com características que não modifiquem o padrão normal de movimento e que possam ser utilizados em diferentes bicicletas e ciclo ergômetros. Para a instrumentação, os eixos dos pedais (direito e esquerdo) modelo Shimano SPD para ciclismo mountain-bike foram modificados a fim de que fossem montados 8 extensömetros em cada eixo e dispostos em duas colunas e conectados em duas pontes de Wheatstone completas, sendo uma para o monitoramento da deformação do eixo decorrente da força aplicada no sentido horizontal e outra para medir a deformação decorrente das forças aplicadas no sentido vertical ao plano do pedal. Com o eixo fixo ao corpo do pedal, uma peça foi especialmente desenvolvida para abrigar rolamentos que permitem a conexão e o movimento relativo do pedal com o pé-de-vela, a fim de permitir a montagem dos fios dos extensômetros. Esta peça permite o uso do sistema de diferentes bicicletas e ciclo ergômetros. O sistema foi calibrado e apresentou relação linear entre as cargas aplicadas e as tensões de saída nas pontes de Wheatstone que monitoram esforços horizontais e verticais em ambos os pedais. Uma matriz de calibração foi desenvolvida para a conversão das tensões em magnitudes de força, assim como uma matriz de interferência foi montada para corrigir o acoplamento entre as medidas verticais e horizontais devido ao desalinhamento entre os sensores. Para ambos os pedais a histerese foi menor que 0,6%. Para o pedal direito, a sensibilidade na ponte normal foi de 2,5 mV/N e na ponte tangencial foi de 2,6 mV/N. Para o pedal esquerdo a sensibilidade foi de 2,4 mV/N e 2,7 mV/N para a ponte normal e tangencial respectivamente. A resolução do sistema, para ambos os pedais, foi sempre menor que 0,5 N, enquanto que o erro estimado a partir da matriz de calibração foi de 1% para a ponte normal direita e 2% para a ponte tangencial direita, e pontes normal e tangencial esquerdas. Conclui-se que o sistema apresentou características estáticas que permitem sua aplicação prática na avaliação de atletas devido ao baixo erro, satisfatória resolução e linearidade observada entre as cargas aplicadas e as tensões de saída nas pontes tangenciais e normais.

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This study examines gaze patterns of monolinguals and bilinguals encoding speech in familiar and unfamiliar languages. In condition 1 English monolinguals viewed videos in familiar and unfamiliar languages (English and Spanish or Icelandic). They performed a task to ensure encoding: on each trial, two videos of short sentences were presented, followed by an audio-only recording of one of those sentences. Participants choose whether the audio-clip matched the first or second video. Participants gazed significantly longer at speaker's mouths when viewing unfamiliar languages. In condition 2 Spanish-English bilingual's viewed English and Spanish, no difference was found between the languages. In condition 3 the task was removed, English monolinguals viewed 20 English and 20 Icelandic videos, no difference in the gaze patterns was found, suggesting this phenomenon relies on encoding. Results indicate people encoding unfamiliar speech attend to the mouth presumably to extract more accurate audiovisually invariant and highly salient speech information. / by Lauren Wood Mavica. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

This work uses different size of strain gages (Gage Grid Length: 10mm, 1mm, 0.2mm) to measure the stress distributions of metal (Al 6061-T6) and composite (laminates of [0/+45/90/-45]2S and [0/90]4S layers ) with a central circular hole and a crack. Both the SCF (Stress Concentration Factor) and SIF (Stress Intensity Factor) are found to consider the stress scatteredness of experimental data in contrast to micro- mechanics. To understand the strain gage size effect is our main purpose in measuring both types of materials. The size effect of strain gage we find appears obviously in the measuring position with stress changing significantly. We find that the size of strain gage is bigger; the error of stress is higher. Analyzing the stress scattering around a central circular hole, we obtain the experimental result that the stress will first reduce drastically from central circular hole edge and then keep uniform. In analysis of the stress scattering around the crack tip, we observe that first stress rises quickly from the specimen¡¦s free edge to the top of crack tip with a maximum value, and the stress keeps a nominal value in the specimen central part. Comparing the empirical result of SCF and SIF, we find that the data of 0.2mm of strain gage close to the theoretical solution, while those of 1mm and 10mm strain gages appear inexact in measuring and calculating SCF and SIF.

Recently, the accuracy of hot strip gage is strictly demanded, and the strip thickness becomes the most important quality in hot strip rolling. It is well known that the accuracy of final strip thickness in the hot strip mill depends on the gage control performance at each stand. In order to improve the quality of the hot strip gage and reduce the strip thickness deviation , the Automatic Gage Control(A.G.C) system now is widely used in modern hot strip mills of the world. In this paper, the principle of feedforward control strategy in the AGC system is discussed and it¡¦s control performance is deeply analyzed. Besides, based on the study of comprehensively mathematical model and the establishment of simulator, the mathematical analysis and the simulation result can clarify the influence of the control system on strip thickness.

Capacitive displacement sensors have many applications where non-contact, high precision measurement of a surface is required. Because of their non-contact nature they can easily measure conductive surfaces that are flexible or otherwise unable to be measured using a contact probe. Since the output of the capacitance gage is electrical, data points can be collected quickly and averaged to improve statistics. It is often necessary for capacitive displacement sensors to gage the distance from a curved (non-flat) surface. Although displacements can easily be detected, the calibration of this output can vary considerably from the flat case. Since a capacitance gage is typically factorycalibrated against a flat reference, the experimental output contains errors in both gain and linearity. A series of calibration corrections is calculated for rectifying this output. Capacitance gages are also limited in their overall displacement travel. A support stage is described that, along with control electronics, allow the properties of the capacitance gage to be combined with an interferometer to overcome this displacement limitation. Finally, an application is proposed that would make use of the capacitance sensor and support stage assembly.

Orientador: José Ricardo de Arruda Miranda / Resumo: Atividades motoras gástricas e intestinais representam um complexo grupo de funções essenciais à vida, sendo o estudo de suas características objeto de grande interesse da comunidade científica. Estudos sobre essas atividades foram intensificados em decorrência da elevada prevalência de indivíduos com sintomas atribuíveis às anormalidades dessas funções. Além disso, uma vez que os mecanismos das disfunções motoras do trato gástrico e intestinal ainda não se acham plenamente esclarecidos, faz-se necessária a busca de novas abordagens. Várias metodologias têm sido empregadas na avaliação dos parâmetros contráteis da motilidade gástrica e intestinal – uso de strain gage, métodos barométricos, elétricos e cintilográficos. A biosusceptometria de corrente alternada é um método alternativo eficaz e que apresenta grandes vantagens em relação aos demais e nesse trabalho foi comparada a técnicas consideradas padrão na avaliação da oscilação tônica do estômago e dos diferentes trechos do intestino delgado. Os resultados apresentaram valores fortemente correlacionados e concordantes entre si, permitindo quantificar a atividade tônica e o espectro de frequências predominantes nos diferentes segmentos do intestino delgado. Este trabalho aplicou uma metodologia eficiente na avaliação da oscilação tônica do estômago e do espectro de frequências predominantes no duodeno, jejuno e íleo. / Doutor

Scientific studies have suggested an increase in the frequency and intensity of flooding. The research presented herein is focused on a small watershed, which has experienced intense flooding of a downstream, urbanized area. For emergency response and preparedness, it is pertinent to have the ability to predict intensity and peak flows of a flood. The Town of Dyer, Indiana has been severely impacted by flooding in the last twenty years. A 37.6 square mile watershed begins in a rural section of Illinois with tributaries draining into Plum Creek. The creek crosses into Indiana and becomes Hart Ditch, a straight, narrow, deep channel through the urbanized Town of Dyer. A HEC-HMS hydrologic model was used and calibrated based on USGS gage data. Storm events ranging from short, high intensity to long, intermittent precipitation provided a vast representation of possible scenarios within the watershed. The hydrologic model was paired with an unsteady HEC-RAS hydraulic model to allow for different lateral inflows to the creek providing variations of flow. A comparison between upstream and downstream stream gage readings was utilized to create a working model that predicts downstream water surface elevations for previous real-time storm and hypothetical storms. These conditions were analyzed by two stream gages and a correlation between the two gages was developed. This correlation was used to predict downstream water surface elevations. The correlation was also used to determine the time to crest based on readings at the upstream gage for many different storm events. The ability to know downstream water surface elevations for real-time storm events allows a window of time to implement emergency response in areas where flooding is imminent. The downstream area of concern has known flood elevations that represent various damage levels.

A new method of manufacturing heat flux sensors was developed using a combination of copper etching and stencil printing nickel/silver conductive ink thermocouple materials onto a thin-film polyimide Kapton® substrate. The semi-automated production capabilities of this manufacturing process significantly decrease the cost of producing thin-film heat flux sensors while still maintaining acceptable performance characteristics. Material testing was performed to first determine the most appropriate materials as well as the theoretical sensitivity and time response of the final sensor. Seebeck coefficient of a thermocouple formed using the combination of EMS CI-1001 silver and EMS CI-5001 nickel ink was measured to be 18.3 ± 0.9 uV/ deg C. Calibrations were then performed on a sample of sensors produced using the novel manufacturing process to verify theoretical values for both sensitivity and time response. The printed heat flux sensor (PHFS) made using this process has a nominal voltage output sensitivity of 4.10 ± 0.23 mV/(W/cm2) and first order time constant response time of 0.592 ± 0.026 seconds. Lastly, a cost analysis was performed to estimate that the final cost to produce the PHFS is approximately $7.73 per sensor. This cost is significantly lower than commercially available sensors which range from $210 upwards to $3000. / Master of Science

The present study focuses on local heat transfer characteristics on the tip and near-tip regions of a turbine blade with a flat tip, tested under transonic conditions in a stationary, 2-D linear cascade consisting of seven blades, the three center blades having a variable tip clearance gap. The effects of tip clearance and exit Mach number on heat transfer distribution were investigated on the tip surface using a transient infrared thermography technique. In addition, thin film gages were used to study similar effects on the near-tip regions at 94% based on engine blade span of the pressure and suction sides. The experiments were conducted at the Virginia Tech transonic blow-down wind tunnel facility with a seven-blade linear cascade. Surface oil flow visualizations on the blade tip region were carried-out to shed some light on the leakage flow structure. Experiments were performed at three exit Mach numbers of 0.7, 0.85, and 1.05 for two different tip clearances of 0.9% and 1.8% based on engine blade span. The exit Mach numbers tested correspond to exit Reynolds numbers of 7.6 x 105, 9.0 x 105, and 1.1 x 106 based on blade true chord. The tests were performed with a freestream turbulence intensity of 12%. Results at 0.85 exit Mach showed that an increase in the tip gap clearance translates into a 12% increase in the heat transfer coefficients on the blade tip surface. Similarly, at 0.9% tip clearance, an increase in exit Mach number from 0.85 to 1.05 also led to a 24% increase in heat transfer on the tip. High heat transfer was obtained at the leading edge area of the blade tip, and an increase in the tip clearance gap and exit Mach number augmented this leading edge heat transfer. At 94% of engine blade span on the suction side near the tip, a peak in heat transfer was observed in all test cases at an s/C of 0.66 due to the onset of a downstream leakage vortex. At the design condition, this peak represents an increase of a factor of 2.5 from the immediate preceding s/C location. An increase in both the tip gap and exit Mach number resulted in an increase, followed by a decrease in the near-tip suction side heat transfer. On the near-tip pressure side, a slight increase in heat transfer was observed with increased tip gap and exit Mach number. In general, the suction side heat transfer is greater than the pressure side heat transfer as a result of the suction side leakage vortices. / Master of Science