Advances in engine oil technology and increased combustion efficiency has resulted in the longer oil intervals in vehicles. Current oil change interval practice only takes into account the mileage a vehicle has driven and does not consider other vehicle operations that affect oil life like extended idle. Routine oil sampling is one way to ensure optimal oil intervals, but the price continuous analysis can be prohibitive. It is possible to use on board diagnostic (OBD) data to correlate oil degradation to engine usage in order to develop an algorithm that is applicable to many vehicles. While much research has been conducted for light duty vehicles, little has been completed for heavy duty vehicles, in particular vehicles that idle a majority of their time. This study uses multiple heavy duty vehicles that are monitored by monthly routine oil analysis and logging of on board diagnostic data to determine the effects extended idle has on the wear rate of oil. The vehicles were used in their normal operation; this resulted in an average idle run time of 60% of run time and no less than 50% in a single vehicle. At each sample the quality of the oil and the operation of the engines were assessed. The results of the oil analysis showed very little degradation of oil. As expected, a negative correlation was seen in viscosity and total base number (TBN) but not abnormal when compared to base oil. Significant degradation was not seen even after using the vehicle passed the manufacturer recommended oil intervals. Analysis of engine operation showed that the temperature of the oil was optimal for 85% of idle operation. In addition, oil pressures at idle were sufficiently higher than the minimum pressure recommended by the manufacturer, but was less than half of the average in use oil pressure. The combination of low pressure and optimal temperature has resulted in little oil degradation. The results from the study have shown that extended idling in the study vehicles can be treated similar to long trip interval service for oil degradation. Additionally, extended idling did not result in abnormal engine wear or excessive contamination.

abstract: Sedentary behavior and excessive weight gain have been proven to deteriorate many characteristics of muscle. Low muscular power and mass with excess fat mass are risk factors for a multitude of chronic conditions and functional disabilities. Resistance training (RT) has long been accepted as a rehabilitative method of maintaining or enhancing muscular performance and composition. There are various methods of determining lower extremity muscular power; however, isokinetic dynamometry has emerged as one of the most accurate and reliable methods in clinical and research settings. Likewise, various methods exist for determining muscle thickness; however, many of those methods are expensive and can expose individuals to radiation. Ultrasonography has emerged as an accurate and reliable alternative to measuring lower extremity muscle thickness. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of high-load/low-volume (HLLV) and low-load/high-volume (LLHV) RT on isokinetic knee extensor and flexor peak power in sedentary, RT naïve, overweight or obese men and women (Body Mass Index ≥ 25 kg/m2). Twenty-one subjects (n = 21) completed this study and were randomized into one of the following groups: control, a HLLV group that performed three sets of 5 repetitions for all exercises until volitional fatigue, and LLHV which performed three sets of 15 repetitions for all exercises until volitional fatigue. Subjects randomized to the RT groups performed full-body exercises routines on three non-consecutive days per week. Changes in isokinetic knee extensor and flexor peak power, quadriceps ultrasound muscle thickness, and right leg segment of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans were measured before and after the 12-week RT intervention. There were no significant differences found in group, time or, group by time interactions for knee extensor and flexor peak power using isokinetic dynamometry. Other than a group interaction for vastus intermedius muscle thickness (P=0.008), no significant interactions or differences were observed for any of the other variables tested. Based on the results of this study, neither high- nor low-load RT resulted in significant differences between intervention groups in peak power of the knee extensors and flexor, muscle thickness changes of the vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis and, in the right lower extremity segmented body composition measures using DEXA. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Exercise and Wellness 2020

Boiler feed pump turbines (BFPTs) are in use at a number of Eskom power stations. They utilise bled steam extracted from the main turbine in order to drive multistage centrifugal pumps which supply the boilers with feedwater. With an increase of renewables in the energy mix, the need for Eskom’s coal-fired power stations to run for extended periods at very low loads has arguably never been this great. Various systems affect the ability of these generation units to run economically at low loads. One such system is the boiler feed pump turbine and its associated pumps. A station was selected from Eskom’s fleet based on access to information and the station being a relatively typical plant. The Unit (a boiler and turbogenerator set) selected for study was one with the most thorough instrumentation available for remote monitoring. The BFPT system of this Unit was modelled in Flownex, a one-dimensional thermofluid process modelling package. The model included individual pump stages, steam admission valves and a stage-by-stage turbine model utilising custom stage components. These turbine stage components represent each stage with nozzles and other standard Flownex components. The boundary conditions of the system were set as functions of generator load in order to represent typical values for use in case studies. The relationships between load and boundary conditions were based on large samples of data from the station’s data capture system (DCS). A corresponding standby electric feed pump system was also modelled in Flownex for a comparative case study. After model validation, a number of case studies were performed, demonstrating the functionality of the model and also providing specific results of value to the station in question. These results include the minimum generator load possible with different steam supplies; maximum condenser back pressure before plant availability is affected; the viability of changing the pump leak-off philosophy; and the effect of electric feed pump use on power consumption. The main recommendations from the case studies were as follows: i. to stroke the steam admission valves as per the design charts, ii. to test the operation of the BFPT down to 40 % generator load, iii. to keep the pump leak-off philosophy unchanged, iv. to maintain the cooling water system and condensers sufficiently to avoid poor condenser vacuum, v. to reconsider the decommissioning of the “cold reheat” steam supply, vi. and, to favour use of the BFPT over the electric feed pumps at all generator loads.

O motor de indução é, talvez, o mais robusto e, certamente, um dos motores mais comumente usados. Graças à simplicidade de sua construção, do seu baixo custo, confiabilidade e rendimento relativamente alto com carga nominal é provável que ele permaneça sendo a principal fonte de transformação de energia elétrica em energia mecânica nas aplicações industriais e comerciais por um futuro previsível. O estudo de economia de energia pela redução de perdas é o objetivo do presente estudo. Os motores de indução operam regularmente com fluxo quase constante no entreferro e, portanto, com perdas magnéticas quase constantes. A utilização de um circuito gradador de tensão em série com a alimentação do motor para reduzir o fluxo no entreferro pela redução da tensão aplicada quando a carga não requer fluxo total é o objeto de análise neste estudo. Com a redução da tensão, para manter o conjugado de operação, a velocidade de rotação diminui, ou seja, há um aumento no escorregamento até um valor ótimo para reduzir as perdas totais. Então, esperaria-se que com a redução da tensão aplicada, as perdas magnéticas decresceriam e a eficiência total cresceria. Via de regra, no motor de indução, dada a característica mergulhante de sua curva Conjugado x Velocidade na região em torno da velocidade nominal, o conjugado varia muito mais que a velocidade. Para operação eficiente, a sua tensão aplicada deve ser função da carga que traciona. É objetivo desse trabalho estudar um dispositivo que, colocado em série com a fonte de alimentação de um motor de indução de CA, promove a redução de potência fornecida ao motor, quando a carga aplicada ao motor é menor que a carga nominal. Uma análise da redução da tensão senoidal aplicada através de um auto-transformador de tensão variável é comparada com a redução da tensão através de um circuito gradador baseado em tiristores. A melhor tensão a ser obtida é a que reduz as perdas magnéticas ao mínimo, para cargas que não requerem o fluxo total no entreferro como quando da tensão nominal aplicada. As limitações do processo são estudadas e apresentadas. / The induction motor is perhaps the most rugged, and certainly one of the most commonly used motors. With simply construction, low cost, reliability and efficiency relatively high with rated-load it seems to be a good way to convert electric energy into mechanical energy for industrial and domestic applications for a predictable future. An economy in energy consumption by loss reduction is the goal of this study. The induction motors as normal operate with constant flux in the air-gap and, hence with almost constant losses in the core. The use of a voltage gradador circuit in series with the voltage source applied to the motor for flux reduction in the air-gap by reduction of the voltage when the load do not need full-flux is this study proposal. Hence, with applied voltage reduction, to keep the operational torque, the motor rotation decreases or the slip increases to an optimum value to reduce the total core losses and increase the efficiency. As a rule, the induction motor, by the dip characteristic of the torque x speed curve in the region near the nominal speed, the torque changes much more then the speed. For efficient operation, the applied voltage should be a function of the load. It is the goal or aim of this work to study a device which, when placed in series with the power input of an alternating current induction motor, will produce a reduction in power normally provided to the motor when operated in either a condition where motor loading is less than a rated load. An analysis of voltage ideal sine wave supply reduction applied by an autotransformer with variable voltage is compared with the voltage reduction using a gradador circuit based on thyristors. The optimal voltage operation is the one that decrease the iron losses to minimum, for partial-load that do not need full-flux in the air-gap as when the full voltage is applied. Limitations in the process are investigated and will be showed.

O motor de indução é, talvez, o mais robusto e, certamente, um dos motores mais comumente usados. Graças à simplicidade de sua construção, do seu baixo custo, confiabilidade e rendimento relativamente alto com carga nominal é provável que ele permaneça sendo a principal fonte de transformação de energia elétrica em energia mecânica nas aplicações industriais e comerciais por um futuro previsível. O estudo de economia de energia pela redução de perdas é o objetivo do presente estudo. Os motores de indução operam regularmente com fluxo quase constante no entreferro e, portanto, com perdas magnéticas quase constantes. A utilização de um circuito gradador de tensão em série com a alimentação do motor para reduzir o fluxo no entreferro pela redução da tensão aplicada quando a carga não requer fluxo total é o objeto de análise neste estudo. Com a redução da tensão, para manter o conjugado de operação, a velocidade de rotação diminui, ou seja, há um aumento no escorregamento até um valor ótimo para reduzir as perdas totais. Então, esperaria-se que com a redução da tensão aplicada, as perdas magnéticas decresceriam e a eficiência total cresceria. Via de regra, no motor de indução, dada a característica mergulhante de sua curva Conjugado x Velocidade na região em torno da velocidade nominal, o conjugado varia muito mais que a velocidade. Para operação eficiente, a sua tensão aplicada deve ser função da carga que traciona. É objetivo desse trabalho estudar um dispositivo que, colocado em série com a fonte de alimentação de um motor de indução de CA, promove a redução de potência fornecida ao motor, quando a carga aplicada ao motor é menor que a carga nominal. Uma análise da redução da tensão senoidal aplicada através de um auto-transformador de tensão variável é comparada com a redução da tensão através de um circuito gradador baseado em tiristores. A melhor tensão a ser obtida é a que reduz as perdas magnéticas ao mínimo, para cargas que não requerem o fluxo total no entreferro como quando da tensão nominal aplicada. As limitações do processo são estudadas e apresentadas. / The induction motor is perhaps the most rugged, and certainly one of the most commonly used motors. With simply construction, low cost, reliability and efficiency relatively high with rated-load it seems to be a good way to convert electric energy into mechanical energy for industrial and domestic applications for a predictable future. An economy in energy consumption by loss reduction is the goal of this study. The induction motors as normal operate with constant flux in the air-gap and, hence with almost constant losses in the core. The use of a voltage gradador circuit in series with the voltage source applied to the motor for flux reduction in the air-gap by reduction of the voltage when the load do not need full-flux is this study proposal. Hence, with applied voltage reduction, to keep the operational torque, the motor rotation decreases or the slip increases to an optimum value to reduce the total core losses and increase the efficiency. As a rule, the induction motor, by the dip characteristic of the torque x speed curve in the region near the nominal speed, the torque changes much more then the speed. For efficient operation, the applied voltage should be a function of the load. It is the goal or aim of this work to study a device which, when placed in series with the power input of an alternating current induction motor, will produce a reduction in power normally provided to the motor when operated in either a condition where motor loading is less than a rated load. An analysis of voltage ideal sine wave supply reduction applied by an autotransformer with variable voltage is compared with the voltage reduction using a gradador circuit based on thyristors. The optimal voltage operation is the one that decrease the iron losses to minimum, for partial-load that do not need full-flux in the air-gap as when the full voltage is applied. Limitations in the process are investigated and will be showed.

O motor de indução é, talvez, o mais robusto e, certamente, um dos motores mais comumente usados. Graças à simplicidade de sua construção, do seu baixo custo, confiabilidade e rendimento relativamente alto com carga nominal é provável que ele permaneça sendo a principal fonte de transformação de energia elétrica em energia mecânica nas aplicações industriais e comerciais por um futuro previsível. O estudo de economia de energia pela redução de perdas é o objetivo do presente estudo. Os motores de indução operam regularmente com fluxo quase constante no entreferro e, portanto, com perdas magnéticas quase constantes. A utilização de um circuito gradador de tensão em série com a alimentação do motor para reduzir o fluxo no entreferro pela redução da tensão aplicada quando a carga não requer fluxo total é o objeto de análise neste estudo. Com a redução da tensão, para manter o conjugado de operação, a velocidade de rotação diminui, ou seja, há um aumento no escorregamento até um valor ótimo para reduzir as perdas totais. Então, esperaria-se que com a redução da tensão aplicada, as perdas magnéticas decresceriam e a eficiência total cresceria. Via de regra, no motor de indução, dada a característica mergulhante de sua curva Conjugado x Velocidade na região em torno da velocidade nominal, o conjugado varia muito mais que a velocidade. Para operação eficiente, a sua tensão aplicada deve ser função da carga que traciona. É objetivo desse trabalho estudar um dispositivo que, colocado em série com a fonte de alimentação de um motor de indução de CA, promove a redução de potência fornecida ao motor, quando a carga aplicada ao motor é menor que a carga nominal. Uma análise da redução da tensão senoidal aplicada através de um auto-transformador de tensão variável é comparada com a redução da tensão através de um circuito gradador baseado em tiristores. A melhor tensão a ser obtida é a que reduz as perdas magnéticas ao mínimo, para cargas que não requerem o fluxo total no entreferro como quando da tensão nominal aplicada. As limitações do processo são estudadas e apresentadas. / The induction motor is perhaps the most rugged, and certainly one of the most commonly used motors. With simply construction, low cost, reliability and efficiency relatively high with rated-load it seems to be a good way to convert electric energy into mechanical energy for industrial and domestic applications for a predictable future. An economy in energy consumption by loss reduction is the goal of this study. The induction motors as normal operate with constant flux in the air-gap and, hence with almost constant losses in the core. The use of a voltage gradador circuit in series with the voltage source applied to the motor for flux reduction in the air-gap by reduction of the voltage when the load do not need full-flux is this study proposal. Hence, with applied voltage reduction, to keep the operational torque, the motor rotation decreases or the slip increases to an optimum value to reduce the total core losses and increase the efficiency. As a rule, the induction motor, by the dip characteristic of the torque x speed curve in the region near the nominal speed, the torque changes much more then the speed. For efficient operation, the applied voltage should be a function of the load. It is the goal or aim of this work to study a device which, when placed in series with the power input of an alternating current induction motor, will produce a reduction in power normally provided to the motor when operated in either a condition where motor loading is less than a rated load. An analysis of voltage ideal sine wave supply reduction applied by an autotransformer with variable voltage is compared with the voltage reduction using a gradador circuit based on thyristors. The optimal voltage operation is the one that decrease the iron losses to minimum, for partial-load that do not need full-flux in the air-gap as when the full voltage is applied. Limitations in the process are investigated and will be showed.