Verifying the design of floating structures adequately requires both numerical simulations and model testing, a combination of which is referred to as the hybrid method of design verification. The challenge in direct scaling of moorings for model tests is the depth and spatial limitations in wave basins. It is therefore important to design and build equivalent mooring systems to ensure that the static properties (global restoring forces and global stiffness) of the prototype floater are matched by those of the model in the wave basin prior to testing. A fit-for-purpose numerical tool called STAMOORSYS is developed in this research for the design of statically equivalent deepwater mooring systems. The elastic catenary equations are derived and applied with efficient algorithm to obtain local and global static equilibrium solutions. A unique design page in STAMOORSYS is used to manually optimize the system properties in search of a match in global restoring forces and global stiffness. Up to eight mooring lines can be used in analyses and all lines have the same properties. STAMOORSYS is validated for single-line mooring analysis using LINANL and Orcaflex, and for global mooring analysis using MOORANL and Orcaflex. A statically equivalent deepwater mooring system for a representative structure that could be tested in the Offshore Technology Research Center at Texas A&M University is then designed using STAMOORSYS and the results are discussed.

Foil bearings are widely used for oil-free micro turbomachinery. One of the critical technical issues related to reliability of the foil bearings is a coating wear on the top foil and rotor during start/stops. Bearing cooling is also mandatory for certain applications because the foil bearings can generate significant amount of heat depending on operating conditions. Usually axial flow is used through the space between the top foil and bearing sleeve. In this thesis, a hybrid air foil bearing with external pressurization is introduced. The hybrid operation eliminates the coating wear during start-up/shut down, and also reduces drag torque during starts. Furthermore, this hybrid foil bearing does not need cooling system. An experimental test with a loaded bearing under hydrostatic mode demonstrates the high potential of hybrid air foil bearings. The load capacity of the hybrid foil bearing was measured at 20,000 rpm, and compared with that of hydrodynamic foil bearing. The hybrid foil bearing has much higher load capacity than the hydrodynamic foil bearing. The starting torque was also measured and compared with hydrodynamic bearing. A simple analytical model to calculate top foil deflection under hydrostatic pressurization has been developed. Predictions via orbit simulations indicate the hybrid air foil bearings can have a much higher critical speed and onset speed of instability than the hydrodynamic counter part. Major benefits of the hybrid foil bearings also include very low starting torque, reduced wear of the top foil and rotor, and very effective cooling capability by the pressurized air itself. This new concept of hybrid air foil bearings are expected to be widely applied to the oil free turbomachinery industry, especially for heavily loaded and/or high temperature applications.

Abstract Organically modified montmorillonite by a long chain alkylammonium surfactant was used to prepare polyimide/clay nanocomposites in this study. Several attempts were made in an effort to achieve fully exfoliated nanocomposites. These included the one-step method, two-step method and in-situ polymerization method. At the same time, the effects of polyimide structures and clay contents were studied. Two dianhydrides and two diamines were used to prepare polyimide/clay nanocomposites via the two-step method. The polyimide/clay nanocomposites with various clay contents from 1.5 ~ 10 wt % were prepared via the two-step method too. The structure of polyimides and the dispersion level of clay were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed to demonstrate the thermal stability of the nanocomposites. TGA and XRD results indicate the surfactants are intercalated into the layers of clay. FTIR results indicate the all polyimides in the nanocomposites are formed successfully. XRD results indicate the BPDA-ODA/clay nanocomposite within 3 % by weight of clay via the two-step method is shown to have the best dispersion level of clay. These results are consistent with observations from TGA. The temperature at 10 % by weight loss of the nanocomposite is 31 ¢J greater than that of pure BPDA-ODA. The formation mechanism of polyimide/clay nanocomposites via the two-step method can be described by three distinct steps. A polyamic acid/clay mixture with an exfoliated morphology is first formed. A portion of solvents and intercalated surfactants are then either degraded or expelled from the clay gallery under thermal imidization, resulting in a reduced gallery height of 1.32 nm. On the other hand, portion of the clay layers show an exfoliated morphology due to the effective surfactant and polyimide molecules. As a result, a partially exfoliated polyimide/clay nanocomposite is obtained.

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production in Africa is widespread with low yields due to low inputs and the lack of sorghum hybrids. This situation has forced most of these farmers to grow maize hybrids since they are readily available in the seed market. Sorghum hybrids could be used if their potential was demonstrated. The objective of this study is to document the level of heterosis in Southern Africa sorghum germplasm. The performance of 52 F1 grain sorghum hybrids and their parental lines was evaluated in four environments. Measurements for grain yield, panicle exsertion, days to mid anthesis and plant height were analyzed to obtain estimates of high parent heterosis. High parent heterosis was observed to be 37.18% for yield, 82.77% for exsertion, -0.02% for days to mid anthesis and 23.7% for height. ICSR-939 and (87EON366*90EON328)-LD30 can be used as testers to develop more female lines for further hybrid seed production in breeding programs because they had the highest general combining ability. Protein content averaged 11.69%. ATx635 had significantly higher protein content than ATx631 (13.49% compared to 9.69%, respectively) and its hybrids had more protein than ATx631 hybrids (11.6% compared to 10.67% for ATx631). Mean heterosis for protein content was negative at -12.5%. This shows that hybrids had lower protein content than their parents since protein content is negatively correlated to grain yield (-0.35**). Starch content averaged 72.13% and ATx631 hybrids had more starch than ATx635 hybrids (73.16 compared to 72.37% respectively). Two hybrids, ATx.631/(87EON366*90EON328)-LD30 and ATx631/ ((TAM428*SV1)*CE151)-LD3 had the highest yields (5.04 t/ha and 4.93 t/ha, respectively). These hybrids also had small grains with good hardness and acceptable whiteness. They had good exsertion, flowered in good time and had acceptable plant heights. These two hybrids were compared to regional check varieties Macia and Tegemeo for all traits and they were either superior or within an acceptable range. These two hybrids are therefore recommended for release in the region. There is need therefore to start working on the various components of seed systems in the region so that seed of these two hybrids is made available to farmers who need the seed.

Phosphofructokinase from Escherichia coli (EcPFK) is allosterically regulated by MgADP and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), which act to activate or inhibit, respectively, by changing the substrate (Fru-6-P) affinity of the enzyme. Both ligands bind to the same allosteric site in EcPFK. Therefore, the questions we want to address are how these two molecules regulate EcPFK and how the allosteric signal is propagated throughout the enzyme. EcPFK has 28 potential site-site interactions. These interactions in turn derive from multiple copies of 6 potentially unique homotropic interactions and 4 potentially unique heterotropic interactions. Making hybrid tetramer of EcPFK is used to isolate a single heterotropic interaction. To improve the yield of the 1:3 hybrid, the in vivo hybrid formation method was developed. Four heterotropic interactions were isolated by this manner and re-evaluated. The same kinetics characteristics were obtained for each 1:3 hybrid from both the in vivo and in vitro method. To address the question of how the allosteric signal is transmitted throughout EcPFK, we identified residues (G184, Asp59 and S157) that are important for the allosteric regulation for both PEP inhibition and MgADP activation. The impact of each mutation on individual interaction is unique and also suggests that the structural basis for PEP inhibition is different from that for MgADP activation. Most importantly, since the sum of each heterotropic interaction with a modification in only one subunit is equal to the total heterotropic interaction with a modification in all four subunits, this result indicates that the heterotropic allosteric signal transmission is realized in a single subunit. The 23Ã heterotropic interaction, which contributes the most to the PEP inhibition, was chosen to study the dynamic properties. Fluorescence was used to study the dynamic perturbations of the 23Ã interaction upon ligand binding. Taking advantage of the hybrid formation strategy and the tryptophan-shift mutagenesis method, a tryptophan residue can be placed at different individual locations throughout the native subunit containing the 23Ã heterotropic interaction. The steady-state anisotropy and lifetime measurement at each tryptophan position indicate that the 23Ã allosteric interaction involves the perturbation of side-chain dynamics both near and quite far away from the respective ligand binding sites.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 44 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-41).

Doktordisputats, Roskilde universitet.

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